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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Separation of scintillation and Cherenkov lights in linear alkyl benzene

To separate scintillation and Cherenkov lights in water-based liquid scintillator detectors is a desired feature for future neutrino and proton decay experiments. Linear alkyl benzene (LAB) is one important ingredient of a water-based liquid scintillator currently under development. In this paper we report on the separation of scintillation and Cherenkov lights observed in an LAB sample. The rise and decay times of the scintillation light are measured to be (7.7±3.0)ns and (36.6±2.4)ns, respectively, while the full width [–3σ, 3σ] of the Cherenkov light is 12 ns and is dominated by the time resolution of the photomultiplier tubes. Here, the scintillation light yield was measured to be (1.01±0.12)×103photons/MeV .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Systematic exploration of the thermochemistry for a set of peroxy hydroperoxy-alkyl radicals

Here, the thermochemistry of peroxy hydroperoxy-alkyl ($\overline{O}$OQOOH) radicals has a significant influence on the reactivity of fuels and on the formation of highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) in the atmosphere. Theoretical characterization of these radicals can be arduous due to their molecular size and complex fundamental interactions, such as hydrogen-bonding and torsional anharmonicity, and difficult to validate in the absence of any direct experimental thermochemical data. In this work, we systematically explore the thermochemistry of a set of $\overline{O}$OQOOH radicals with five increasingly affordable approaches with considerations for these interactions. In doing so, we present a novel conformer selection approach suited to predict properties at combustion temperatures. As a corollary, we also highlight the shortcomings in the standard choice of the ground conformer as the reference. The set of molecules is comprised of 149 C 2 -C 8 $\overline{O}$OQOOH radicals, selected to encompass a wide variety of branching and substitution patterns. Comparisons amongst the approaches help quantify the errors arising from various simplifying assumptions. For the largest of these radicals, and with the most affordable approach, final predictions of Gibbs energies are assigned a 2 σ uncertainty of 4 kcal mol -1 in the negative temperature coefficient region.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Vaporization behavior of an alkyl diphenyl ether and a commercial lubricant

The equilibrium vapor pressure as a function of temperature for an alkyl diphenyl ether with a vaporization coefficient significantly smaller than unity was characterized using the combined Langmuir free evaporation and mass loss Knudsen effusion technique. Results are compared using different cell designs and discrepancies, difficulties, and complications are discussed. In conclusion, the enthalpy and entropy of vaporization are estimated using the average temperature of the measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cyclic (Alkyl)- and (Aryl)-(amino)carbene Coinage Metal Complexes and Their Applications

Cyclic (alkyl)- and (aryl)-(amino)carbenes (CAACs and CAArCs) are stronger σ-donors and π-acceptors than imidazol-2-ylidenes and imidazolidin-2-ylidenes, the well-known N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). Consequently, they form strong bonds with coinage metals and stabilize both low and high oxidation states. This Review shows that CAACs and CAArCs have allowed for the isolation of copper and gold complexes that were believed to be only transient intermediates. Here, this has not only allowed for a better understanding of the mechanism of known processes but has also led to the development of novel coinage metal-catalyzed reactions. In addition to their role in homogeneous catalysis, CAAC and CAArC coinage metal complexes have recently found applications in medicinal chemistry, as well as in materials science. When possible, the performance of CAAC and CAArC ligands are compared with those of classical NHCs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Homoleptic Trivalent Tris(alkyl)lanthanides

Six new solvent-free, homoleptic paramagnetic tris(alkyl)lanthanides Ln{C(SiHMe 2 ) 3 } 3 (1Ln) and Ln{C(SiHMe 2 ) 2 Ph} 3 (2Ln) (Ln = Gd, Dy, and Er) were synthesized to investigate the magnetic properties of 4f organometallic compounds stabilized by secondary Ln←H–Si and benzylic interactions. The unit cell of 1Gd contains one independent molecule (Z = 2), while 1Dy and 1Er crystallize with four independent isostructural molecules per unit cell (Z = 16). In all molecules, as in other 1Ln compounds, the three tris(dimethylsilyl)methyl ligands form a trigonal planar LnC 3 core, and six secondary interactions involving Ln←H–Si bonding in Ln{C(SiHMe 2 ) 3 } 3 form above and below the equatorial plane. Two and five crystallographically independent molecules of each 2Ln (2Gd, Z = 8; 2Dy, Z = 20) form with three π-coordinated phenyl groups in addition to either one or two secondary Ln←H–Si interactions per molecule. The packing of these midseries organolanthanide compounds contrasts the single crystallographically unique molecules in previously reported La{C(SiHMe 2 ) 3 } 3 (1La, Z = 2, Z' = 1) and La{C(SiHMe 2 ) 2 Ph} 3 (2La, Z = 2, Z' = 1/3). 2La doped with 2Dy can adopt the crystallographic structure of 2La, which promotes magnetic properties, namely a higher χ m T value at low temperatures as well as stronger magnetic anisotropy. The ac susceptibility data for 10% 2Dy doped into 2La suggests slow relaxation at low temperatures with a relaxation barrier of ~45 K. The computed saturated magnetization of 1Er (M ≈ 4.5 μ B ) and 1Dy (M ≈ 6 μ B ) matches the experimental values, while the computed value for 2Dy better matches the value measured for 2Dy diluted in 2La (M ≈ 5 μ B ). Gas-phase calculations predict that the ground-state and first excited-state multiplet separations are larger for 1Er than 2Er, while the ordering for dysprosium is 1Dy > 2Dy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing the Redox Reactivity of Alkyl Bound Astatine: A Study on the Formation and Cleavage of a Stable At–C Bond

The formation of a stable alkyl At–C bond occurs during the shipment of 211 At on a 3-octanone-impregnated column and the reactivity of 211 At stripped from columns has been studied. The 211 At could not be recovered from the 3-octanone organic phase using nitric acid or sodium hydroxide, even up to 10 and 15.7 M, respectively. Several reducing and oxidizing agents, including hydrazine, hydroxylamine, ascorbic acid, ceric ammonium nitrate, potassium permanganate, sodium hypochlorite, and calcium hypochlorite were used to promote the recovery of 211 At. The most effective reducing agent was hydroxylamine, where ~70% of the 211 At was recovered, while among oxidizing agents ceric ammonium nitrate, potassium permanganate, and sodium hypochlorite all showed near quantitative recovery of 211 At. These results indicate an At–C bond is being formed during the shipment of the column and a redox reaction is required for bond cleavage to occur. Furthermore, DFT calculations have been used to propose several products of an AtO + -3-octanone reaction, with 4-astato-5-hydroxy-octa-3-one being the most probable.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbenes: Synthesis of Iminium Precursors and Structural Properties

Using readily available pre-allylated aldehydes, in this work we report a simple and divergent synthesis of cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) iminium precursors. Using a combination of crystallographic data and steric maps, we further elaborate on the specific steric properties of CAAC ligands with respect to state-of-the-art phosphine and carbene ligands.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Singlet Fission and Excimer Formation in Disordered Solids of Alkyl-Substituted 1,3-Diphenylisobenzofurans

Here, we describe the preparation and excited state dynamics of three alkyl derivatives of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (1) in both solutions and thin films. The substitutions are intended to disrupt the slip-stacked packing observed in crystals of 1 while maintaining the favorable energies of singlet and triplet for singlet fission (SF). All substitutions result in films that are largely amorphous as judged by the absence of strong X-ray diffraction peaks. The films of 1 carrying a methyl in the para position of one phenyl ring undergo SF relatively efficiently (≥75% triplet yield, Φ T ) but more slowly than thin films of 1. When the methyl is replaced with a t-butyl, kinetic competition in the excited state favors excimer formation rather than SF (Φ T = 55%). When t-Bu groups are placed in both meta positions of the phenyl substituent, SF is slowed further and Φ T = 35%.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

How Do Ionic Liquids “Fold” Ionenes? Computational and Experimental Analysis of Imidazolium Polymers Based on Ether and Alkyl Chain Variations Dissolved in an Ionic Liquid

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and complementary experiments are used here to understand the inter- and intramolecular structure and conformational properties of ionenes (i.e., cationic polymers formed from condensation reactions) dissolved in an ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bistriflimide [C 2 mim + ][Tf 2 N - ]. The simulated structural properties are benchmarked against experimental analyses of these same polymers, mainly using dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments. Four different imidazolium ionenes are considered, corresponding to variations in the chemistry and structure of the repeat units including: (1) poly (decylimidazolium) (PD 10 ); (2) poly (tetraethyleneglycolimidazolium) (PE 10 ); (3) alternating copolymer (P(ED) 5 ); and (4) a block copolymer (PE 5 D 5 ). Detailed computational analyses of the polymer structure and conformational properties were performed, including the radius of gyration, end-to-end distance, torsional distributions, and site-site and spatial distribution functions. Overall, there is a competition between intramolecular associations between the imidazolium groups and the ether sites in the polymers versus the intermolecular interactions of the polymer imidazolium groups with the surrounding anion molecules. The polymer with only ether linkages (PE 10 ) results in the most intramolecular interactions, leading to significant coiling behavior and chain contraction. These strong interactions reduce chain flexibility, but they also result in much more linear chain configurations and alignment of the imidazolium groups. The polymer structure is strongly affected as the concentration of alkyl groups is increased, and we find that the polymer architecture (alternating versus block copolymer) also has an important influence. Furthermore, these detailed observations are important for understanding the connection between the molecular design of imidazolium polymers and their emergent structural properties, which could lead to unique opportunities for creating polymer composites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Synthesis and Reactivity of Palladium(II) Alkyl Complexes that Contain Phosphine-cyclopentanesulfonate Ligands

The synthesis of the phosphine-cyclopentanesulfonate pro-ligands Li/K[2-PPh 2 -cyclopentanesulfonate] (Li/K[2a]), Li/K[2-P(2-OMe-Ph) 2 -cyclopentanesulfonate] (Li/K[2b]), and H[2b], and the corresponding Pd(II) alkyl complexes (κ 2 - P , O -2a)PdMe(pyridine) (3a) and (κ 2 - P , O -2b)PdMe(pyridine) (3b) is described herein. The sulfonate-bridged base-free dimer {(2b)PdMe} 2 (4b) was synthesized by abstraction of pyridine from 3b using B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 . The borane-coordinated base-free dimer [{2b·B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 }PdMe] 2 (5b), in which B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 binds to a sulfonate oxygen, was prepared by addition of 1 equiv of B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 per Pd to 4b or addition of 2 equiv of B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 to 3b. Compounds 3b, 4b, and 5b polymerize ethylene with low activity (up to 210 kg mol –1 h –1 at 250 psi and 80 °C) to linear polyethylene ( M n = 1950–5250 Da) with predominantly internal olefin placements. 3b and 4b copolymerize ethylene with methyl acrylate to linear copolymers that contain up to 11.7 mol % methyl acrylate, which is incorporated as –CH 2 CH(CO 2 Me)CH 2 – (80%) in-chain units and –CH 2 CH(CO 2 Me)Me (8%) and –CH 2 CH=CH(CO 2 Me) (12%) chain-end units. 3b and 4b also copolymerize ethylene with vinyl fluoride to linear copolymers that contain up to 0.41 mol % vinyl fluoride, which is incorporated as –CH 2 CHFCH 2 – (~80%) in-chain units and –CH 2 CF 2 H (7%), –CH 2 CHFCH 3 (5%), and –CH 2 CH 2 F (8%) chain-end units. Complexes 3b and 4b are more stable and active in ethylene polymerization than analogous (PAr 2 - CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 )PdR catalysts, but are less active than analogous (PAr 2 - arene sulfonate)PdR catalysts. Low-temperature NMR studies show that 4b reacts with ethylene below -10 °C to form the ethylene adduct cis - P , R -(2b)PdMe(ethylene) (7b), which undergoes ethylene insertion at 5 °C. DFT calculations for a model (PMe 2 -cyclopentanesulfonate)Pd(Pr)(ethylene) species show that ethylene insertion proceeds by cis - P , R / trans - P , R isomerization followed by migratory insertion, and that the lower activity of 3b and 4b vis-à-vis analogous (PAr 2 -arenesulfonate)PdR catalysts results from a higher barrier for migratory insertion of the trans - P , R isomer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Alkyl-Cyclens as Effective Sulfur- and Phosphorus-Free Friction Modifiers for Boundary Lubrication

Modern automotive engines operate at higher power densities than ever before, driving a need for new lubricant additives capable of reducing friction and wear further than ever before while not poisoning the catalytic converter. Reported in this paper is a new class of molecular friction modifier (FM), represented by 1,4,7,10-tetradodecyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (1a), designed to employ thermally stable, sulfur- and phosphorus-free alkyl-substituted nitrogen heterocycles with multiple nitrogen centers per molecule. The multiple nitrogen centers enable cooperative binding to a surface which provides strong surface adsorption and lubricant film durability in the boundary lubrication (BL) regime. A 1 wt % loading of the cyclen FM 1a in Group III base oil exhibits strong surface adsorption, leading to excellent reductions in friction (70%) and wear (95%) versus the pure Group III oil across a wide temperature range. The lubricant with the new FM additive also outperforms two commercially available noncyclic amine-based FMs and a fully formulated commercial 5W30 motor oil.

Desanker, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhancing Au/TiO 2 Catalyst Thermostability and Coking Resistance with Alkyl Phosphonic-Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers

Metal oxide-supported Au catalysts, particularly those with small Au nanoparticles, catalyze a variety of reactions including low-temperature CO oxidation and selective hydrogenation of alkynes. However, the facile nature of Au particle growth at even moderate temperatures poses significant challenges to maintaining catalyst activity under reaction conditions. In this paper, we present a method to reduce the rate of sintering and coke formation in TiO 2 -supported Au catalysts via the deposition of alkyl-phosphonic acid (PA) self-assembled monolayers. After surface modification with PAs, the resultant catalysts exhibited significantly improved resistance to Au sintering. PA deposition strongly suppressed CO oxidation rates, consistent with poisoning of active sites. In contrast, modification with PAs significantly improved the rate of C 2 H 2 hydrogenation on Au/TiO 2 . The enhanced activity was accompanied by a dramatically improved resistance to accumulation of surface carbonaceous species.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Alkyl-Substituted Polycaprolactone Poly(urethane-urea)s as Mechanically Competitive and Chemically Recyclable Materials

We report the mechanical performance and chemical recycling advantages of implementing alkyl-substituted poly(ε-caprolactones) (PCLs) as soft segments in thermoplastic poly(urethane-urea) (TPUU) materials. Poly(4-methylcaprolactone) (P4MCL) and poly(4-propylcaprolactone) (P4PrCL) were prepared, reacted with isophorone diisocyanate, and chain-extended with water to form TPUUs. The resulting materials’ tensile properties were similar or superior to a commercially available polyester thermoplastic poly(urethane) and had superior elastic recovery properties compared to a PCL analogue due to the noncrystalline nature of P4MCL and P4PrCL. Additionally, monomers were recovered from the TPUU materials in high yields via ring-closing depolymerization using a reactive distillation approach at an elevated temperature and a reduced pressure (240–260 °C, 25–140 mTorr) with zinc chloride (ZnCl 2 ) as the catalyst. The thermodynamics of polymerization were estimated using Van’t Hoff analyses for 4MCL and 4PrCL; these results indicated that the propyl group in 4PrCL results in a lower practical ceiling temperature (T c ) for P4PrCL.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

A Systematic Study on the Mesomorphic Behavior of Asymmetrical 1-Alkyl-3-dodecylimidazolium Bromides

To determine the essential parameters for mesophase formation in imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs), a library of 1-alkyl-3-dodecylimidazolium bromides was synthesized, abbreviated as CnC12, where 0 ≤ n ≤ 13, as the general notion is that a dodecyl side chain would guarantee the formation of an ionic liquid crystal (ILC). All salts were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Their thermal properties were recorded, and mesophase formation was assessed. An odd–even effect is observed for 5 ≤ n ≤ 10 in the temperatures of melting transitions. While the majority of this series, as expected, formed mesophases, surprisingly compounds C2C12 and C6C12 could not be classified as ILCs, the latter being a room temperature IL, while C2C12 is a crystalline solid with melting point at 37 °C. The single crystal structure of compound 1-ethyl-3-dodecylimidazolium bromide (C2C12) was successfully obtained. Remarkably, the arrangement of imidazolium cores in the structure is very complicated due to multiple nonclassical hydrogen bonds between bromide anions and imidazolium head groups. In this arrangement, neighboring imidazolium rings are forced by hydrogen bonds to form a “face-to-face” conformation. This seems to be responsible for the elimination of a mesophase. To conclude, the general view of a dodecyl chain being a functional group to generate a mesophase is not entirely valid.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Remarkably Robust Monomeric Alkylperoxyzinc Compounds from Tris(oxazolinyl)boratozinc Alkyls and O 2

Metal alkylperoxides are remarkable, highly effective, yet often thermally unstable, oxidants that may react through a number of possible pathways including O–O homolytic cleavage, M–O homolytic cleavage, nucleophilic O-atom transfer, and electrophilic O-atom transfer. Here we describe a series of zinc alkyl compounds of the type ToMZnR (ToM = tris(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate; R = Et, n-C3H7, i-C3H7, t-Bu) that react with O2 at 25 °C to form isolable monomeric alkylperoxides ToMZnOOR in quantitative yield. The series of zinc alkylperoxides is crystallographically characterized, and the structures show systematic variations in the Zn–O–O angle and O–O distances. The observed rate law for the reaction of ToMZnEt (2) and O2 is consistent with a radical chain mechanism, where the rate-limiting SH2 step involves the interaction of •OOR and ToMZnR. In contrast, ToMZnH and ToMZnMe are unchanged even to 120 °C under 100 psi of O2 and in the presence of active radical chains (e.g., •OOEt). This class of zinc alkylperoxides is unusually thermally robust, in that the compounds are unchanged after heating at 120 °C in solution for several days. Yet, these compounds are reactive as oxidants with phosphines. Additionally, an unusual alkylperoxy group transfer to organosilanes affords ToMZnH and ROOSiR3'.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optically Pure C 1 -Symmetric Cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene Ruthenium Complexes for Asymmetric Olefin Metathesis

An expedient access to the first optically pure ruthenium complexes containing C 1 -symmetric cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) ligands is reported. Furthermore, they demonstrate excellent catalytic performances in asymmetric olefin metathesis with high enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee). Preliminary mechanistic insights provided by DFT models highlight the origin of the enantioselectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Enzymatic Platform for Primary Amination of 1-Aryl-2-alkyl Alkynes

Propargyl amines are versatile synthetic intermediates with numerous applications in the pharmaceutical industry. An attractive strategy for efficient preparation of these compounds is nitrene propargylic C(sp 3 )–H insertion. However, achieving this reaction with good chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective control has proven to be challenging. Here, we report an enzymatic platform for the enantioselective propargylic amination of alkynes using a hydroxylamine derivative as the nitrene precursor. Cytochrome P450 variant PA-G8 catalyzing this transformation was identified after eight rounds of directed evolution. A variety of 1-aryl-2-alkyl alkynes are accepted by PA G8, including those bearing heteroaromatic rings. This biocatalytic process is efficient and selective (up to 2610 total turnover number (TTN) and 96% ee) and can be performed on preparative scale.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Carrier Transport in Films of Alkyl-Ligand-Terminated Silicon Nanocrystals

Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) have shown great promise for electroluminescent and photoluminescent applications. In order to optimize the properties of Si NC devices, however, electronic transport in Si NC films needs to be thoroughly understood. Here we present a systematic study of the temperature and electric field dependence of conductivity in films of alkyl-ligand-terminated Si NCs, which to date have shown the highest potential for device applications. Our measurements suggest that the conductivity is limited by the ionization of rare NCs containing donor impurities. At low bias, this ionization is thermally activated, with an ionization energy equal to twice the NC charging energy. As the bias is increased, the ionization energy is reduced by the electric field, as determined by the Poole-Frenkel effect. At large bias and sufficiently low temperature, we observe cold ionization of electrons from donor-containing NCs, with a characteristic tunneling length of about 1 nm. The temperature- and electric-field-dependent conductance measurements presented here provide a systematic and comprehensive picture for electron transport in lightly doped nanocrystal films.

Chen, Ting↗