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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 OSTI2026

Understanding the effect of organic coatings on 4-nitrostyrene hydrogenation selectivity over Pt/TiO 2 catalysts

The hydrogenation of 4-nitrostyrene was investigated over Pt/TiO 2 catalysts to understand the effects of different catalyst coatings on product selectivity and reaction rates. This reaction is a much-investigated selectivity probe due to difficulty in controlling reactivity between the nitro and vinyl groups of 4-nitrostyrene, with C=C reduction generally being more favorable. 4-Nitrostyrene hydrogenation reactions were carried out in a batch reactor using uncoated, organothiol coated, phosphonic acid (PA) coated, and ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) coated catalysts. Thiols form dense coatings on Pt surfaces, whereas PAs preferentially accumulate on TiO 2 ; ionomer binding preference is unknown for this type of catalyst. The coating densities of the thiols and PAs were varied to observe the effects of loading on catalytic activity and reaction selectivity relative to the uncoated catalyst. Changes in selectivity were observed for catalysts with all coatings, with thiol coatings shifting selectivity towards the nitro reduction product, 4-vinylaniline (4-VA), and both ionomer and PA coatings shifting towards 4-ethylnitrobenzene, the olefin hydrogenation product. It was observed that selectivity toward 4-VA increased with thiol coating density, where 1,2-benzenedithiol (BDT) coated catalysts exhibited a selectivity of >99%. These changes were attributed to the identity of the adsorption sites blocked by the different coatings: blocking of metal sites via thiols decreased the rate of C=C hydrogenation, whereas blocking of TiO 2 sites by PAs decreased the rate of nitro group hydrogenation. The changes observed for ionomer and PA coatings suggested that ionomers, like PAs, bind preferentially to the metal oxide support rather than the active metal. This work provides new support to the proposal that nitro group hydrogenation preferentially occurs on TiO 2 sites after hydrogen spillover and underscores how selection of ligand functionality can be used to tune catalyst selectivity.

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

Wetting Behavior of A -block- (B- random -C) Copolymers with Equal Block Surface Energies on Surfaces Functionalized with B- random -C Copolymers

To form nanopatterns with self-assembled block copolymers (BCPs), it is desirable to have through-film domains that are oriented perpendicular to the substrate. The domain orientation is determined by the interfacial interactions of the BCP domains with the substrate and with the free surface. Here, we use thin films of two different sets of BCPs with A-block-(B-random-C) architecture matched with a corresponding B-random-C copolymer nanocoating on the substrate to demonstrate two distinct wetting behaviors. The two sets of A-b-(B-r-C) BCPs are made by using thiol–epoxy click chemistry to functionalize polystyrene-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) with trifluoroethanethiol (TFET) and either 2-mercaptopyridine (2MP) or methyl thioglycolate (MTG). For each set of BCPs, the composition ratio of the two thiols in the BCP (φ 1 ) is found that results in the two blocks of the modified BCP having equal surface energies (Δγ air = 0). The corresponding B-r-C random copolymers were synthesized and used to modify the substrate, and the composition ratio (φ 2 ) values that resulted in the two blocks of the BCP having equal interfacial energy with the substrate (Δγ sub = 0) were determined with scanning electron microscopy. The correlation between each block’s γ sub value and the interaction parameter, χ, is employed to explain the different wetting behaviors of the two sets of BCPs. For the thiol pair 2MP and TFET, the values of φ 1 and φ 2 that lead to Δγ air = 0 and Δγ sub = 0, respectively, are significantly different. A similar difference was observed between the φ 1 and φ 2 values that lead to Δγ air = 0 and Δγ sub = 0 for the BCPs made with the thiol pair MTG and TFET. In the latter case, for Δγ sub = 0 two windows of φ 2 are identified, which can be explained by the thermodynamic interactions of the specific thiol pair and the A-b-(B-r-C) architecture.

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

Toxicity of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from black shale natural-gas wells influenced by well maturity and chemical additives

Hydraulic fracturing of deep shale formations generates large volumes of wastewater that must be managed through treatment, reuse, or disposal. Produced wastewater liberates formation-derived radionuclides and contains previously uncharacterized organohalides thought to be generated within the shale well, both posing unknown toxicity to human and ecological health. Here, we assess the toxicity of 42 input media and produced fluid samples collected from four wells in the Utica formation and Marcellus Shale using two distinct endpoint screening assays. Broad spectrum acute toxicity was assessed using a bioluminescence inhibition assay employing the halotolerant bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri, while predictive mammalian cytotoxicity was evaluated using a N-acetylcysteine (NAC) thiol reactivity assay. The acute toxicity and thiol reactivity of early-stage flowback was higher than later produced fluids, with levels diminishing through time as the natural gas wells matured. Acute toxicity of early stage flowback and drilling muds were on par with the positive control, 3,5-dichlorophenol (6.8 mg L -1 ). Differences in both acute toxicity and thiol reactivity between paired natural gas well samples were associated with specific chemical additives. Samples from wells containing a larger diversity and concentration of organic additives resulted in higher acute toxicity, while samples from a well applying a higher composition of ammonium persulfate, a strong oxidizer, showed greater thiol reactivity, predictive of higher mammalian toxicity. Both acute toxicity and thiol reactivity are consistently detected in produced waters, in some cases present up to nine months after hydraulic fracturing. These results support that specific chemical additives, the reactions generated by the additives, or the constituents liberated from the formation by the additives contribute to the toxicity of hydraulic fracturing produced waters and reinforces the need for careful consideration of early produced fluid management.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
NASA NTRS1987

The evolution of glutathione metabolism in phototrophic microorganisms

Of the many roles ascribed to glutathione (GSH) the one most clearly established is its role in the protection of higher eucaryotes against oxygen toxicity through destruction of thiol-reactive oxygen byproducts. If this is the primary function of GSH then GSH metabolism should have evolved during or after the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. That many bacteria do not produce GSH is consistent with this view. In the present study we have examined the low-molecular-weight thiol composition of a variety of phototrophic microorganisms to ascertain how evolution of GSH production is related to evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. Cells were extracted in the presence of monobromobimane (mBBr) to convert thiols to fluorescent derivatives, which were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Significant levels of GSH were not found in the green bacteria (Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum and Chloroflexus aurantiacus). Substantial levels of GSH were present in the purple bacteria (Chromatium vinosum, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and Rhodocyclus gelatinosa), the cyanobacteria [Anacystis nidulans, Microcoleus chthonoplastes S.G., Nostoc muscorum, Oscillatoria amphigranulata, Oscillatoria limnetica, Oscillatoria sp. (Stinky Spring, Utah), Oscillatoria terebriformis, Plectonema boryanum, and Synechococcus lividus], and eucaryotic algae (Chlorella pyrenoidsa, Chlorella vulgaris, Euglena gracilis, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii). Other thiols measured included cysteine, gamma-glutamylcysteine, thiosulfate, coenzyme A, and sulfide; several unidentified thiols were also detected. Many of the organisms examined also exhibited a marked ability to reduce mBBr to syn-(methyl,methyl)bimane, an ability that was quenched by treatment with 2-pyridyl disulfide or 5,5'-bisdithio-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prior to reaction with mBBr. These observations indicate the presence of a reducing system capable of electron transfer to mBBr and reduction of reactive disulfides. The distribution of GSH in phototrophic eubacteria indicates that GSH synthesis evolved at or around the time that oxygenic photosynthesis evolved.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
DOE OSTI2017

Efficient Mercury Capture Using Functionalized Porous Organic Polymer

The primary challenge in materials design and synthesis is achieving the balance between performance and economy for real-world application. Here, this issue is addressed by creating a thiol functionalized porous organic polymer (POP) using simple free radical polymerization techniques to prepare a cost-effective material with a high density of chelating sites designed for mercury capture and therefore environmental remediation. The resulting POP is able to remove aqueous and airborne mercury with uptake capacities of 1216 and 630 mg g -1 , respectively. The material demonstrates rapid kinetics, capable of dropping the mercury concentration from 5 ppm to 1 ppb, lower than the US Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water limit (2 ppb), within 10 min. Furthermore, the material has the added benefits of recyclability, stability in a broad pH range, and selectivity for toxic metals. These results are attributed to the material's physical properties, which include hierarchical porosity, a high density of chelating sites, and the material's robustness, which improve the thiol availability to bind with mercury as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure studies. Finally, the work provides promising results for POPs as an economical material for multiple environmental remediation applications.

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

Fatiguing contractions increase protein S-glutathionylation occupancy in mouse skeletal muscle

Protein S-glutathionylation is an important reversible post-translational modification implicated in redox signaling. Oxidative modifications to protein thiols can alter the activity of metabolic enzymes, transcription factors, kinases, phosphatases, and the function of contractile proteins. NADPH oxidase (NOX) associated reactive oxygen species (ROS), have been implicated in this redox signaling. However, the extent to which muscle contraction induces oxidative modifications in redox sensitive thiols is not known. In this study, we performed acute fatiguing contractions using an in vivo stimulation protocol on anesthetized CB6F1 (BALB/cBy x C57BL/6) mice. Contraction force and kinetics were monitored by a force transducer throughout the 15 minutes of fatiguing stimulations. The right (stimulated) and left (unstimulated) gastrocnemius were collected 60 minutes after the last stimulation and processed for redox proteomics assay for S-glutathionylation. Using a selective reduction with a glutaredoxin enzyme cocktail and resin-assisted capture technique, we quantified the levels of site-specific protein S-glutathionylation at rest and following fatiguing contractions in gastrocnemius muscles in adult mice. Redox proteomics revealed over 2,200 sites of S-glutathionylation modifications, of which 1290 were significantly increased after fatiguing contractions. Muscle contraction leads to the greatest increase in S-glutathionylation in the mitochondria and extracellular space and the smallest increase in the nucleus. Modification of proteins throughout the muscle fiber, including those associated with metabolism, muscle contraction, and stress response, are consistent with an important role for redox control of muscle physiology and adaptive processes. This study lays the groundwork for future investigation into the altered exercise adaptation associated with chronic conditions, such as sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function.

muscle contraction, Post-translational modificatio↗
DOE OSTI2021

Organic Modifiers Promote Furfuryl Alcohol Ring Hydrogenation via Surface Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions

Interactions between surface adsorbed species can affect catalyst reactivity, and thus, the ability to tune these interactions is of considerable importance. Deposition of organic modifiers provides one method of intentionally introducing controllable surface interactions onto catalyst surfaces. In this study, Pd/Al2O 3 catalysts were modified with either thiol or phosphonic acid (PA) ligands and tested in the hydrogenation of furanic species. The thiol modifiers were found to inhibit ring hydrogenation (RH) activity, with the degree of inhibition trending with the thiol surface coverage. This suggests that thiols do not strongly interact with the reactants and simply serve to block active sites on the Pd surface. PAs, on the other hand, were found to enhance RH when furfuryl alcohol (FA) was used as the reactant. Density functional theory calculations suggested that this enhancement was due to hydrogen-bonding interactions between FA-derived surface intermediates and PA modifiers. Here, installation of hydrogen-bonding groups on the Pd surface served to preferentially stabilize RH product states. Furthermore, the promotional effect on the RH of FA was observed to be greater when a higher-coverage PA was used, providing a rate more than twice that of the unmodified Pd/Al2O 3 . The results of this work suggest that organic ligands can be designed to impart tunable surface interactions on heterogeneous catalysts, providing an additional method of controlling catalytic performance.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Proteomic Identification and Quantification of S-glutathionylation in Mouse Macrophages Using Resin-Assisted Enrichment and Isobaric Labeling

Protein S-glutathionylation (SSG) is an important regulatory posttranslational modification of protein cysteine (Cys) thiol redox switches, yet the role of specific cysteine residues as targets of modification is poorly understood. We report a novel quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic method for site-specific identification and quantification of S-glutathionylation across different conditions. Briefly, this approach consists of initial blocking of free thiols by alkylation, selective reduction of glutathionylated thiols and enrichment using thiol affinity resins, followed by on-resin tryptic digestion and isobaric labeling with iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation) for MS-based identification and quantification. The overall approach was validated by application to RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages treated with different doses of diamide to induce glutathionylation. A total of 1071 Cys-sites from 690 proteins were identified in response to diamide treatment, with ~90% of the sites displaying >2-fold increases in SSG-modification compared to controls.. This approach was extended to identify potential SSG modified Cys-sites in response to H2O2, an endogenous oxidant produced by activated macrophages and many pathophysiological stimuli. The results revealed 364 Cys-sites from 265 proteins that were sensitive to S-glutathionylation in response to H2O2 treatment. These proteins covered a range of molecular types and molecular functions with free radical scavenging, and cell death and survival included as the most significantly enriched functional categories. Overall the results demonstrate that our approach is effective for site-specific identification and quantification of S-glutathionylated proteins. The analytical strategy also provides a unique approach to determining the major pathways and cell processes most susceptible to glutathionylation at a proteome-wide scale.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2018

Organosilane-assisted selective etching strategy for fabrication of hollow/rattle-type mesoporous organosilica nanospheres

Highlights: • Effective fabrication of organic hollow/rattle-type mesoporous organosilica. • The addition of CTES could increase the porosity of the materials. • Pore-making agent (CTES) could be removed by alkali treatment without additional step. - Abstract: A facile strategy to fabricate hollow or rattle-type mesoporous silica nanospheres (HMSNs or RMSNs) with organic functional groups and porous shell was developed. Herein, thiol-HMSNs were obtained via treating vinyl-SiO{sub 1.5} @cyano&thiol-SiO{sub 1.5} prepared by using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as organosilane precursor, vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) as sacrificial template precursor and cyanoethyltriethoxysilane (CTES) as pore-making agent. In this method, CTES was co-condensed with MPTMS to form hybrid shell and played an important role in the formation of pore structures. When the volume ratio of MPTMS to CTES was 1:1, well-defined thiol-HMSNs with a specific surface area of 295.6 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and pore volume of 0.51 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1} could be obtained. Moreover, [email protected] could also be synthesized through this method from three-layered structures (thiocyanato-SiO{sub 1.5} @vinyl-SiO{sub 1.5} @cyano&thiol-SiO{sub 1.5}). The as-prepared RMSNs presented good performance for the adsorption of 2, 4-dichloropheno in water. And this selective etching strategy was versatile and might be extended to fabricate more valuable organic hollow/rattle-type composites for different applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1984

Prebiotic formation of 'energy-rich' thioesters from glyceraldehyde and N-acetylcysteine

The 'energy-rich' thioester, N-acetyl-S-lactoylcysteine, is formed from low concentrations of glyceraldehyde and N-acetylcysteine under anaerobic conditions at ambient temperature in aqueous solutions of sodium phosphate (pH 7.0). Reactions with 2mM glyceraldehyde, 2mM N-acetylcysteine, and 500 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.0) convert about 0.3 percent/day of the glyceraldehyde to lactoyl thioester. The formation of lactoyl thioester in similar reactions with 500 mM imidazole hydrochloride (pH 7.0) is supported by the thiol-dependence of lactate formation, which is 3-fold greater in the presence of thiol (0.11 percent/day) than in the absence of thiol (0.04 percent/day). The formation of lactoly thioester is thought to proceed by the phosphate (or imidazole)-catalyzed dehydration of glyceraldehyde, which adds to the thiol to form a hemithioacetal that rearranges to the thioester. A limited amount of a second thioester, N-acetyl-S-glyceroyl-cysteine, is also formed at the beginning of these reactions. The significance of these reactions to the origin of life is discussed.

Weber, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Biogeochemistry of Sulfur in Hydrothermal Systems

The incorporation of sulfur into many biomolecules likely dates back to the development of the earliest metabolic strategies. Sulfur is common in enzymes and co-enzymes and is an indispensable structural component in many peptides and proteins. Early metabolism may have been heavily influenced by the abundance of sulfide minerals in hydrothermal systems. The incorporation of sulfur into many biomolecules likely dates back to the development of the earliest metabolic strategies. Sulfur is common in enzymes and co-enzymes and is an indispensable structural component in many peptides and proteins. Early metabolism may have been heavily influenced by the abundance of sulfide minerals in hydrothermal systems. Understanding how sulfur became prevalent in biochemical processes and many biomolecules requires knowledge of the reaction properties of sulfur-bearing compounds. We have previously estimated thermodynamic data for thiols, the simplest organic sulfur compounds, at elevated temperatures and pressures. If life began in hydrothermal environments, it is especially important to understand reactions at elevated temperatures among sulfur-bearing compounds and other organic molecules essential for the origin and persistence of life. Here we examine reactions that may have formed amino acids with thiols as reaction intermediates in hypothetical early Earth hydrothermal environments. (There are two amino acids, cysteine and methionine, that contain sulfur.) Our calculations suggest that significant amounts of some amino acids were produced in early Earth hydrothermal fluids, given reasonable concentrations H2, NH3, H2S and CO. For example, preliminary results indicate that glycine activities as high as 1 mmol can be reached in these systems at 100 C. Alanine formation from propanethiol is also a favorable reaction. On the other hand, the calculated equilibrium log activities of cysteine and serine from propanethiol are -21 and -19, respectively, at 100 C. These results indicate that while amino acid formation with thiols as intermediates is favored in some cases, other mechanisms may have been necessary to produce significant amounts of other amino acids. Coupled with our previous results for thiols, these studies imply that sulfur may have been easily incorporated into the organic geochemistry of early Earth hydrothermal systems, leading to its widespread use in biomolecules. Formation of more complex biomolecules in hydrothermal systems may have required sulfur-bearing organic compounds as reaction intermediates.

Schulte, Mitchell↗
DOE OSTI2026

TiO 2 Nanoparticles Enabling Photocatalytic Desulfurization for C–C Coupling Reaction Using Visible Light

We uncover a surface-mediated mechanism for visible-light-driven photocatalytic desulfurization of thiols on titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles under LED illumination (>420 nm). Combined diffuse reflectance, infrared, and cryogenic electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy verify the formation of a surface thiol–Ti charge-transfer complex that introduces visible-light absorption into an otherwise UV-active reaction system. Selective photoexcitation of this surface complex drives interfacial charge transfer, directly activating the adsorbed thiol and inducing C–S bond scission without the band gap excitation of TiO 2 . The resulting carbon-centered radical intermediates are intercepted by styrene to form C–C coupling products. These results uncover a distinct surface-mediated photocatalytic mechanism in which charge-transfer complex formation governs both light absorption and chemical activation, providing a mechanistic framework for extending visible-light reactivity to wide-bandgap metal oxide photocatalysts.

addition of carbon radical to vinyl groups↗
DOE OSTI2017

Synthesis of thioether-containing carbosilane dendrimers with sterically shielded sulfur atoms

Carbosilane thiols were synthesized as the first- and second-generation (in silicon) dendrons. It was demonstrated that the resulting bulky thiols successfully undergo the thiol—ene addition to third-generation polyallyl carbosilane dendrimer as a photoinitiated radical reaction to give the corresponding thioether-containing derivatives with sterically shielded sulfur atoms.

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

Gamma-glutamylcysteine protects ergothioneine-deficient Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutants against oxidative and nitrosative stress

Highlights: • EgtA is essential for gamma-glutamylcysteine biosynthesis. • EgtE is not essential for ergothioneine biosynthesis. • EgtC is partially compensated for in ergothioneine biosynthesis. • The production of gamma-glutamylcysteine is elevated in thiol-deficient M. tuberculosis mutants. • Gamma-glutamylcysteine protects thiol-deficient M. tuberculosis mutants. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb.), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), cannot synthesize GSH, but synthesizes two major low molecular weight thiols namely mycothiol (MSH) and ergothioneine (ERG). Gamma-glutamylcysteine (GGC), an intermediate in GSH synthesis, has been implicated in the protection of lactic acid bacteria from oxidative stress in the absence of GSH. In mycobacteria, GGC is an intermediate in ERG biosynthesis, and its formation is catalysed by EgtA (GshA). GGC is subsequently used by EgtB in the formation of hercynine-sulphoxide-GGC. In this study, M.tb. mutants harbouring unmarked, in-frame deletions in each of the fives genes involved in ERG biosynthesis (egtA, egtB, egtC, egtD and egtE) or a marked deletion of the mshA gene (required for MSH biosynthesis) were generated. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses (LC-MS) revealed that the production of GGC was elevated in the MSH-deficient and the ERG-deficient mutants. The ERG-deficient ΔegtB mutant which accumulated GGC was more resistant to oxidative and nitrosative stress than the ERG-deficient, GGC-deficient ΔegtA mutant. This implicates GGC in the detoxification of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in M.tb.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Furoxans (1,2,5-Oxadiazole-N-Oxides) as Novel NO Mimetic Neuroprotective and Procognitive Agents

Furoxans (1,2,5-oxadiazole-N-oxides) are thiol-bioactivated NO-mimetics that have not hitherto been studied in the CNS. Incorporation of varied substituents adjacent to the furoxan ring system led to modulation of reactivity toward bioactivation, studied by HPLC-MS/MS analysis of reaction products. Attenuated reactivity unmasked the cytoprotective actions of NO in contrast to the cytotoxic actions of higher NO fluxes reported previously for furoxans. Neuroprotection was observed in primary neuronal cell cultures following oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). Neuroprotective activity was observed to correlate with thiol-dependent bioactivation to produce NO{sub 2}{sup -}, but not with depletion of free thiol itself. Neuroprotection was abrogated upon cotreatment with a sGC inhibitor, ODQ, thus supporting activation of the NO/sGC/CREB signaling cascade by furoxans. Long-term potentiation (LTP), essential for learning and memory, has been shown to be potentiated by NO signaling, therefore, a peptidomimetic furoxan was tested in hippocampal slices treated with oligomeric amyloid-{beta} peptide (A{beta}) and was shown to restore synaptic function. The novel observation of furoxan activity of potential therapeutic use in the CNS warrants further studies.

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

Comparative electron paramagnetic resonance investigation of reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes with different chemical functionalities for quantum dot attachment

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has been applied to different chemically treated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A narrow EPR signal is visible at g = 2.0029 in both GO and CNT-Oxide from carbon-related dangling bonds. EPR signals became broader and of lower intensity after oxygen-containing functionalities were reduced and partially transformed into thiol groups to obtain thiol-functionalized reduced GO (TrGO) and thiol-functionalized CNT (CNT-SH), respectively. Additionally, EPR investigation of CdSe quantum dot-TrGO hybrid material reveals complete quenching of the TrGO EPR signal due to direct chemical attachment and electronic coupling. Our work confirms that EPR is a suitable tool to detect spin density changes in different functionalized nanocarbon materials and can contribute to improved understanding of electronic coupling effects in nanocarbon-nanoparticle hybrid nano-composites promising for various electronic and optoelectronic applications.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Transition voltages of vacuum-spaced and molecular junctions with Ag and Pt electrodes

The transition voltage of vacuum-spaced and molecular junctions constructed with Ag and Pt electrodes is investigated by non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory. Our calculations show that, similarly to the case of Au-vacuum-Au previously studied, the transition voltages of Ag and Pt metal-vacuum-metal junctions with atomic protrusions on the electrode surface are determined by the local density of states of the p-type atomic orbitals of the protrusion. Since the energy position of the Pt 6p atomic orbitals is higher than that of the 5p/6p of Ag and Au, the transition voltage of Pt-vacuum-Pt junctions is larger than that of both Ag-vacuum-Ag and Au-vacuum-Au junctions. When one moves to analyzing asymmetric molecular junctions constructed with biphenyl thiol as central molecule, then the transition voltage is found to depend on the specific bonding site for the sulfur atom in the thiol group. In particular agreement with experiments, where the largest transition voltage is found for Ag and the smallest for Pt, is obtained when one assumes S binding at the hollow-bridge site on the Ag/Au(111) surface and at the adatom site on the Pt(111) one. This demonstrates the critical role played by the linker-electrode binding geometry in determining the transition voltage of devices made of conjugated thiol molecules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗