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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Enhanced Optical Head Tracking for Cranial Radiation Therapy: Supporting Surface Registration by Cutaneous Structures

Purpose: To support surface registration in cranial radiation therapy by structural information. The risk for spatial ambiguities is minimized by using tissue thickness variations predicted from backscattered near-infrared (NIR) light from the forehead. Methods and Materials: In a pilot study we recorded NIR surface scans by laser triangulation from 30 volunteers of different skin type. A ground truth for the soft-tissue thickness was segmented from MR scans. After initially matching the NIR scans to the MR reference, Gaussian processes were trained to predict tissue thicknesses from NIR backscatter. Moreover, motion starting from this initial registration was simulated by 5000 random transformations of the NIR scan away from the MR reference. Re-registration to the MR scan was compared with and without tissue thickness support. Results: By adding prior knowledge to the backscatter features, such as incident angle and neighborhood information in the scanning grid, we showed that tissue thickness can be predicted with mean errors of <0.2 mm, irrespective of the skin type. With this additional information, the average registration error improved from 3.4 mm to 0.48 mm by a factor of 7. Misalignments of more than 1 mm were almost thoroughly (98.9%) pushed below 1 mm. Conclusions: For almost all cases tissue-enhanced matching achieved better results than purely spatial registration. Ambiguities can be minimized if the cutaneous structures do not agree. This valuable support for surface registration increases tracking robustness and avoids misalignment of tumor targets far from the registration site.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
NASA NTRS2004

Novel Biomedical Device Utilizing Light-Emitting Nanostructures Developed

Sketches and chemical diagrams of state-of-the-art device and novel proposed device are presented. Current device uses a diode laser that emits into a fluorescent fluid only one wavelength and a photodetector diode that detects only one wavelength. Only one type of bacteria can be detected. The proposed device uses a quantum dot array that emits into a fluorescent fluid multiple wavelengths and an NIR 512 spectrometer that scans 0.8- to 1.7-mm wavelengths. Hundreds of different bacteria and viruses can be detected. A novel biomedical device is being developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center in cooperation with the University of Michigan. This device uses nano-structured quantum dots that emit light in the near-infrared (IR) region. The nanostructured quantum dots are used as a source and excite fluorochrome polymers coupled with antibodies that seek out and attach to specific bacteria and viruses. The fluorochrome polymers/antibodies fluoresce at specific wavelengths in the near-IR spectrum, but these wavelengths are offset from the excitation wavelength and can be detected with a tunable spectrometer. The device will be used to detect the presence of viruses and bacteria in simple fluids and eventually in more complex fluids, such as blood. Current state-of-the-art devices are limited to single bacteria or virus detection and a considerable amount of time and effort is required to prepare samples for analysis. Most importantly, the devices are quite large and cumbersome, which prohibits them from being used on the International Space Station and the space shuttles. This novel device uses nanostructured quantum dots which, through molecular beam epitaxy and highly selective annealing processes, can be developed into an illumination source that could potentially generate hundreds of specific wavelengths. As a result, this device will be able to excite hundreds of antibody/fluorochrome polymer combinations, which in turn could be used to detect hundreds of bacteria and viruses in fluids. A novel sample preparation technique that exploits micromembrane filtration and centrifugation methods has been developed for this device. The technique greatly reduces the time required to prepare the sample and the amount of sample needed to perform an accurate and comprehensive analysis. Last, and probably most important, because of the nano-light-emitting source and the novel sample preparation technique, the overall size of the device could be reduced dramatically. This device will serve as a nanoscale lab-on-a-chip for in situ microorganism detection and will enable tests to be performed on a time scale of minutes rather than days. Thus, it is ideally suited for monitoring the environmental conditions onboard the International Space Station and the space shuttles, thereby enhancing the safety of the astronauts. In addition, the device has important commercial applications, such as detecting the presence of bacteria and viruses in water at food- and beverage-processing centers, water treatment plants, and restaurants. Also, this technology has the potential to be used to detect bacteria and viruses in more complex fluids, such as blood--which in all likelihood would revolutionize blood analysis as it is performed today. This project was made possible through the Director's Discretionary Fund and is ongoing. In addition, this project provides funding to Dr. Rachel Goldman of the University of Michigan for the research and development of nanostructured quantum dots.

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Terbium luminescence in alumina xerogel fabricated in porous anodic alumina matrix under various excitation conditions

Terbium-doped alumina xerogel layers are synthesized by the sol-gel method in pores of a porous anodic alumina film 1 {mu}m thick with a pore diameter of 150-180 nm; the film is grown on a silicon substrate. The fabricated structures exhibit terbium photoluminescence with bands typical of trivalent terbium terms. Terbium X-ray luminescence with the most intense band at 542 nm is observed for the first time for such a structure. Morphological analysis of the structure by scanning electron microscopy shows the presence of xerogel clusters in pore channels, while the main pore volume remains unfilled and pore mouths remain open. The data obtained confirm the promising applications of fabricated structures for developing matrix converters of X-rays and other ionizing radiations into visible light. The possibilities of increasing luminescence intensity in the matrix converter are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication and characterization of ZnO:In thin film as photoanode for DSSC using natural fruit dyes

Dye synthesized solar cell (DSSC) is the third generation solar cell and is considered as low cost solar cell as it does not involved neither complicated fabrication process nor expensive materials. DSSC is made of two conductive glasses, photoanode, counter electrode, electrolyte and dye. Previously, majority of the researchers have been using titanium dioxide and ruthenium as the photoanode and dye respectively. This project is carried out to produce a lower cost DSSC by using natural fruit as the dye and exploring the potential of zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium (In) as the photoanode. The morphology of the thin film surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy which shows that the increment of indium dopant changes the rough surface texture of the thin film and directly reduces the empty spaces between the particles. Theoretically, this structure can help to reduce the light reflection on the solar cell surface. The thin ZnO:In films are immersed in 3 different fruit dyes (plum, apple and orange). The electrical properties of the DSSCs are displayed in the I-V curves and from this research, it shows that the highest efficiency of DSSC is gained from the dopant combination of ZnO{sub 0.8}In{sub 0.2} for all the dyes. The best efficiency of this research is the DSSC using plum dye with 0.34% compared to apple dye and orange dye which give 0.23% and 0.19% respectively.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation over porous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} microspheres synthesized via a CPBr-assisted hydrothermal method

Graphical abstract: ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} porous microspheres were synthesized via a cetylpyridinium bromide (CPBr)-assisted hydrothermal method. It could be seen from the SEM image that the flowerlike microspheres were composed of numerous nanosheets. Many slit-like pores were formed among the curved nanosheets. The porous structure benefited the adsorption of reactants, the diffuseness of products, the charge separation on surface, the transfer of the interfacial charge carriers and the charge carrier trapping. And porous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} photocatalyst exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than nonporous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} material. Highlights: {yields} A series of unique flower-like porous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} microspheres of hexagonal crystal phase as efficient visible-light photocatalysts have been synthesized through CPBr-assisted hydrothermal method. {yields} The CPBr addition would visibly influence the self-assemble growing and the crystal structure including the position and intensity of some peaks. {yields} We also found that the pH value plays a crucial role in the formation of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} porous microspheres and the influence of the pH on the structure of product has been first reported in our paper. {yields} The results showed that our as-synthesized porous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} microspheres possessed a specific surface area of 165.4 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and performed higher visible-light photocatalytic activity than bulk ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} for hydrogen evolution. The maximum H{sub 2} evolution rate of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} reaches 1544.8 {mu}mol/(h g). -- Abstract: Hexagonal ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} porous microspheres were synthesized via a cetylpyridinium bromide (CPBr)-assisted hydrothermal method. The structure, morphology and optical property of these prepared products were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD), small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), UV-Vis diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) and nitrogen sorption analysis. The effects of CPBr and pH on the crystal structure, morphology and photocatalytic activity of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} products were studied. The results demonstrated that the flowerlike ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} microspheres, which were composed of numerous nanosheets, performed higher visible-light photocatalytic activity than bulk ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} for hydrogen evolution. The CPBr addition influenced the crystal structure including the position and intensity of some peaks. Furthermore, the pH played a crucial role in the formation of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} porous microspheres. The as-synthesized porous ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} microspheres possessed the specific surface area of 165.4 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and the slit-like porous configuration, which was beneficial to photocatalytic reaction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment for Enhanced Recovery of Highly Valued Critical REEs from Coal (Final Report)

The principle objective of this project was to develop a novel process flowsheet using low-temperature plasma treatment (LTP) integrated with conventional hydrometallurgical processes to recover rare earth elements (REEs), especially highly valued REEs (i.e. scandium and critical REEs), from coal and coal byproducts. LTP treatment was used to pretreat the solid feed material prior to leaching in an effort to improve the leaching characteristics of the REEs and potentially reduce acid consumption. Initially, a detailed experimental program was performed on a laboratory LTP furnace to identify a set of process parameter values to be used for assessing the enhanced leaching performance achieved on four specific gravity fractions of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse coal refuse materials. High-temperature oxidation (HTO)) was also evaluated as a means for improving REE leachability on the same fractions of both coal sources. The lixiviants used to assess leachability improvements included: i) untreated water, ii) 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and iii) 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 75°C. The laboratory data was used to develop multiple process flow sheets using HTO only to produce a rare earth oxide mix concentrate or utilizing both LTP and HTO treatment processes to generate a high purity heavy REO mix concentrate and a light REO mix concentrate. A techno-economic analysis was performed on each circuit. Low-temperature plasma oxidation was found to enhance REE leaching characteristics for all specific gravity (SG) fractions of the West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse material. The leaching recovery improvement was preferentially achieved for the heavy REEs with higher values obtained when treating the lower density fraction material. For example, the leaching recovery for the heavy REEs in the untreated 1.6 SG Float fraction material was 8% in a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution. After LTP treatment for 32 hours, heavy REE recovery increased to 33%. The corresponding recovery value for the light REEs was 10%. These findings indicate a strong affinity of the heavy REEs with the organic material, which is the component being reduced in content during the LTP treatment. Scanning electron micrographs showed the development of a honeycomb structure with increased LTP treatment with higher surface area as confirmed from BET measurements. Higher surface area promotes improved leaching efficiency due to enhance chemical interactions. When using 1.2 M sulfuric acid, the LTP treatment was found to provide a heavy REE recovery increase from 23% to 53% for the 1.6 SG Float fraction which corresponded to an ash content increase from around 20% to 35%. However, LTP treatment provided no improvement in leaching characteristic for the 2.2 SG sink material in the acid solution, which was likely due to the low organic content. The LTP treatment of the Fire Clay SG fractions provided no improvement in REE leaching characteristic, which may be due to the association with REE minerals such as monazite and REE-associated mineral matter such as clays. High temperature oxidation using temperatures in the range of 600-750OC was found to significantly enhance the leaching characteristics of both the light and heavy REEs for all density fractions in both coarse coal refuse materials. Generally, the increase in light REE recovery for the West Kentucky material was from 15% for the untreated material to 90% for the HTO treated material at 600°C. Recovery values dropped significantly when using temperatures below 600°C and above 750°C. The impact of the excessive temperatures was most likely a result of sintering. For the heavy REEs, HTO significantly improved recovery in the lighter SG fractions, which may be due to an affinity with the organic content. Only limited heavy REE recovery improvement was obtained for the denser SG fractions. Another benefit of HTO is the conversion of calcium-based minerals to a very soluble calcium oxide, which is removable using a mild acid solution, and the conversion of Fe minerals to relatively insoluble minerals such as hematite and magnetite. The pregnant leaching solution produced from the leaching of all SG fractions obtained from both coal sources was treated using two stages of solvent extraction procedurally modeling a rougher-cleaner circuit followed by oxalic acid precipitation. Rare earth oxide products having a purity greater than 97% was produced from nearly all of the SG fractions. A novel process flowsheet was developed based on the selective leaching of heavy REEs that was made possible through LTP treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse followed by salt leaching. In the flowsheet, coal refuse material is ground to a top size of 1mm and then treated by LTP. The treated material is mixed into a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and then filtered to produce a heavy REE enriched pregnant leach solution. The heavy REEs are concentrated by two stages of selective precipitation to produce a heavy REE mix oxalate and then roasted to obtain a heavy REO mix concentrate. The solid residues remaining after salt leaching is dried and then subjected to HTO treatment followed by concentration using selective precipitation and roasting to produce a light REO mix concentrate. An alternative circuit was developed using HTO treatment only to treat 100% of the coarse refuse material followed by selective precipitation and roasting to generate a high purity REO mix product. A techno-economic analysis performed for the treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse refuse based on a hypothetical 500-tph plant revealed that the net present value for all scenarios was significantly negative. Primary reasons include: i) a substantial decrease in the basket value of the final product relative to the feed and ii) high chemical costs relative to the amount of product generated. The basket value reduction was primarily due to little to no scandium recovery due to poor leaching characteristics when using low acid concentrations as necessitated by the low feed grades. Operating costs were primarily influenced by the chemical costs relative to the kilograms of concentrate produced and feed grade. For the Fire Clay coarse refuse material, the total operating cost was estimated to be $354 per kg of REO produced which was higher than the basket value of the REO product ($276/kg). Approximately 37% of the total cost was the sulfuric acid used during the leaching process. A comparative analysis performed to assess the economic viability of using low-temperature plasma furnaces found that market value enhancement for the generation of both heavy REO and light REO concentrates will be needed in addition to significant technology advancements to reduce the cost of plasma furnaces.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2018

High-speed raster-scanning synchrotron serial microcrystallography with a high-precision piezo-scanner

The Frontier Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography (FMX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II with its 1 µm beam size and photon flux of 3 × 10 12 photons s −1 at a photon energy of 12.66 keV has reached unprecedented dose rates for a structural biology beamline. The high dose rate presents a great advantage for serial microcrystallography in cutting measurement time from hours to minutes. To provide the instrumentation basis for such measurements at the full flux of the FMX beamline, a high-speed, high-precision goniometer based on a unique XYZ piezo positioner has been designed and constructed. The piezo-based goniometer is able to achieve sub-100 nm raster-scanning precision at over 10 grid-linepairs s −1 frequency for fly scans of a 200 µm-wide raster. The performance of the scanner in both laboratory and serial crystallography measurements up to the maximum frame rate of 750 Hz of the Eiger 16M's 4M region-of-interest mode has been verified in this work. This unprecedented experimental speed significantly reduces serial-crystallography data collection time at synchrotrons, allowing utilization of the full brightness of the emerging synchrotron radiation facilities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Comparison of the morphology of alkali–silica gel formed in limestones in concrete affected by the so-called alkali–carbonate reaction (ACR) and alkali–silica reaction (ASR)

The morphology of alkali–silica gel formed in dolomitic limestone affected by the so-called alkali–carbonate reaction (ACR) is compared to that formed in a siliceous limestone affected by alkali–silica reaction (ASR). The particle of dolomitic limestone was extracted from the experimental sidewalk in Kingston, Ontario, Canada that was badly cracked due to ACR. The siliceous limestone particle was extracted from a core taken from a highway structure in Quebec, affected by ASR. Both cores exhibited marked reaction rims around limestone particles. The aggregate particles were polished and given a light gold coating in preparation for examination in a scanning electron microscope. The gel in the ACR aggregate formed stringers between the calcite crystals in the matrix of the rock, whereas gel in ASR concrete formed a thick layer on top of the calcite crystals, that are of the same size as in the ACR aggregate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2010

Optical Structural Health Monitoring Device

This non-destructive, optical fatigue detection and monitoring system relies on a small and unobtrusive light-scattering sensor that is installed on a component at the beginning of its life in order to periodically scan the component in situ. The method involves using a laser beam to scan the surface of the monitored component. The device scans a laser spot over a metal surface to which it is attached. As the laser beam scans the surface, disruptions in the surface cause increases in scattered light intensity. As the disruptions in the surface grow, they will cause the light to scatter more. Over time, the scattering intensities over the scanned line can be compared to detect changes in the metal surface to find cracks, crack precursors, or corrosion. This periodic monitoring of the surface can be used to indicate the degree of fatigue damage on a component and allow one to predict the remaining life and/or incipient mechanical failure of the monitored component. This wireless, compact device can operate for long periods under its own battery power and could one day use harvested power. The prototype device uses the popular open-source TinyOS operating system on an off-the-shelf Mica2 sensor mote, which allows wireless command and control through dynamically reconfigurable multi-node sensor networks. The small size and long life of this device could make it possible for the nodes to be installed and left in place over the course of years, and with wireless communication, data can be extracted from the nodes by operators without physical access to the devices. While a prototype has been demonstrated at the time of this reporting, further work is required in the system s development to take this technology into the field, especially to improve its power management and ruggedness. It should be possible to reduce the size and sensitivity as well. Establishment of better prognostic methods based on these data is also needed. The increase of surface roughness with fatigue is closely connected to the microstructure of the metal, and ongoing research is seeking to connect this observed evidence of the fatigue state with microstructural theories of fatigue evolution to allow more accurate prognosis of remaining component life. Plans are also being discussed for flight testing, perhaps on NASA s SOFIA platform.

Buckner, Benjamin D.↗
DOE OSTI2012

Ball-milled CuPc/TiO{sub 2} hybrid nanocomposite and its photocatalytic degradation of aqueous Rhodamine B

Graphical abstract: This work reports on the synthesis of hybrid composites of titanium dioxide and copper phthalocyanine via ball-milling assisted process in combination with mechanical mixing process. Their structural properties and photocatalytic degradation of aqueous RhB were investigated. The significant enhancement of the photocatalytic performance of the composite may be related to the charge recombination suppression guiding to the increase of free functional radicals participated in degradation process. Highlights: ► CuPc/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite was synthesized by ball-milling assisted process and mechanical mixing method. ► Ball milling process can reduce CuPc size and assist the formation of well-dispersed composite. ► Loaded CuPc has inconsiderable influence on basic crystal structure of TiO{sub 2} matrix. ► The optical absorption properties of TiO{sub 2} in UV and visible light is improved with the existence of CuPc. ► CuPc/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite can efficiently heighten the catalytic performance of TiO{sub 2} in the photodegradation of RhB. -- Abstract: Hybrid composites of titanium dioxide and copper phthalocyanine were synthesized by ball-milling assisted process in combination with mechanically stirring method. Structural properties of as-synthesized composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XANES) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The optical absorbance of as-prepared composites and their photocatalytic activities were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy. XRD and XANES results confirm that CuPc/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite is still in the same structure of TiO{sub 2} and CuPc. SEM result reveals that the decreasing particle size of ball-milled CuPc has good dispersion on the surface of TiO{sub 2}. Absorptivity in UV region of the composites is heightened and shifted to visible light due to strong absorbance in blue-green spectrum of CuPc. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye solution using as-synthesized composites was investigated under ultraviolet irradiation. The optimized condition for RhB photodegradation was obtained for 1 wt.% CuPc/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite with efficiency of 87.5% and reaction rate of 0.15 min{sup −1}. The significant improvement in photocatalytic activity of the hybrid composite may be associated to the enhancement of optical absorption and the inhibition of electron–hole recombination caused by the presence of CuPc in TiO{sub 2} matrix.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1997

Ceramic Aerogel Composite Materials and Characterization

Aerogels a.k.a "Solid Smoke" are gels with the liquid phase replaced by gas, leaving behind a highly porous material with a nanoscale framework. Due to the porous, nanoscale structure, aerogels have the lowest known density and conductivity of solids. Aerogels have the potential for being a breakthrough material because of their extremely light weight and unique properties. In this paper, we address overcoming their most profound weaknesses: mechanical fragility and very high surface activity, which leads to a lowered sintering temperature. A matrix of ceramic aerogel composite materials was produced to investigate their properties and functionality. Mechanical property measurements and Scanning Electron Micrographs are used to identify trends and structure of these ceramic composite materials. Thermal cycling was used to identify the sintering points of the materials.

White, Susan↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spaceflight Effect on White Matter Structural Integrity

Recent reports of elevated brain white matter hyperintensity (WMH) counts and volume in postflight astronaut MRIs suggest that further examination of spaceflight's impact on the microstructure of brain white matter is warranted. To this end, retrospective longitudinal diffusion-weighted MRI scans obtained from 15 astronauts were evaluated. In light of the recent reports of microgravity-induced cephalad fluid shift and gray matter atrophy seen in astronauts, we applied a technique to estimate diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics corrected for free water contamination. This approach enabled the analysis of white matter tissue-specific alterations that are unrelated to fluid shifts, occurring from before spaceflight to after landing. After spaceflight, decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values were detected in an area encompassing the superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Increased radial diffusivity (RD) and decreased axial diffusivity (AD) were also detected within overlapping regions. In addition, FA values in the corticospinal tract decreased and RD measures in the precentral gyrus white matter increased from before to after flight. The results show disrupted structural connectivity of white matter in tracts involved in visuospatial processing, vestibular function, and movement control as a result of spaceflight. The findings may help us understand the structural underpinnings of the extensive spaceflight-induced sensorimotor remodeling. Prospective longitudinal assessment of the white matter integrity in astronauts is needed to characterize the evolution of white matter microstructural changes associated with spaceflight, their behavioral consequences, and the time course of recovery. Supported by a grant from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA NCC 9-58.

Lee, Jessica K.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Visible-light-driven Bi 2 O 3 /WO 3 composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Semiconductor heterojunctions (composites) have been shown to be effective photocatalytic materials to overcome the drawbacks of low photocatalytic efficiency that results from electron–hole recombination and narrow photo-response range. We prepared a novel visible-light-driven Bi 2 O 3 /WO 3 composite photocatalyst by hydrothermal synthesis. The composite was characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to better understand the structures, compositions, morphologies and optical properties. Bi 2 O 3 /WO 3 heterojunction was found to exhibit significantly higher photocatalytic activity towards the decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) and 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) under visible light irradiation compared to that of Bi 2 O 3 and WO 3 . A tentative mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the heterostructured composite is discussed based on observed activity, band position calculations, photoluminescence, and electrochemical impedance data. Our study provides a new strategy for the design of composite materials with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Synthesis of porous g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/La and enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol under visible light irradiation

A series of porous g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/La (PGCN/La) materials used as photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol were prepared by two steps. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), thermogravimetry (TG), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). From the TEM morphology, the porous structure of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} could be successfully controlled; from BET results, BET specific surface area of porous g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} (PGCN) sample increases with the increasing of urea mass ratio. Compared with PGCN material (PGCN-50), PGCN/La sample (PGCN-50/La-5) could exhibit an enhanced photocatalytic activity and has the best degradation efficiency of 98.6% within 50 min under visible light irradiation. Photocatalytic reaction follows the first-order model kinetics; and PGCN-50/La-5 photocatalyst shows the largest reaction rate among all samples which is nearly 2.96 times higher than that of pure PGCN-50. The present work illustrates that the photocatalytic activity of porous g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} was improved by the addition of La and PGCN-50/La-5 has potential application in the removal of phenol or other organic molecular from wastewater. - Graphical abstract: Porous g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/La photocatalyst is synthesized and its removal of phenol application has been explored. - Highlights: • Porous PGCN/La photocatalyst was prepared successfully by hydrothermal method. • PGCN/La has a highest degradation efficiency of 98.6% for phenol within 50 min. • The reaction rate of is nearly 2.96 times higher than that of pure PGCN. • As prepared material has potential application in removal of phenol from wastewater.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Particulate Generation on Surface of Iron Selenide Films by Air Exposure

Nanometer-sized particular structures are generated on the surfaces of FeSe epitaxial films directly after exposure to air; this phenomenon was studied in the current work because these structures are an obstacle to field-induced superconductivity in electric double-layer transistors using FeSe channel layers. Chemical analyses using field-effect scanning Auger electron spectroscopy revealed no clear difference in the chemical composition between the particular structures and the other flat surface region. This observation limits the possible origins of the particulate formation to light elements in air such as O, C, H, and N.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Site-specific nanoscale characterization of zirconium hydrides in the hydride rim structure of hydrogen-charged zircaloy-4 cladding

Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes were hydrogen-charged using a static pressure hydrogen charging method to experimentally produce a zirconium-hydride rim structure similar to that observed in Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes after operation in commercial light-water nuclear reactors. Detailed characterization was performed using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM). By mapping the position of the plasmon peak in the low-loss EELS spectrum, it was determined that the zirconium hydrides formed were predominantly solid δ-phase zirconium hydrides. 4D-STEM was used to generate phase and strain maps at nanoscale. The interactions between two zirconium hydride platelets less than 200 nm apart leads to the localized lattice rotations and possible phase change, revealing a potential hydride growth mechanism.

4D-STEM↗