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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 271 records · Page 15

Utah FORGE: Neubrex Well 16B(78)-32 Fiber Optics Reports - Stimulation and Circulation, 2024

This zip file contains reports discussing the use of fiber optics during well 16B(78)-32 stimulation and circulation tests in the summer of 2024. The reports cover the collection of strain rate and temperature change data during these well events. Theory, methods, and initial data visualizations are included in the reports, highlighting the value of these data types.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Post survey report for AOP Assignable Asset collection of Crested Butte, CO

This report contains details of the National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP) assignable asset (AA) flight over Crested Butte, Colorado (CO). The report is being prepared for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), the primary clients for the flights who contracted the NEON AOP for flights during June 2018. The report includes a summary of the acquired flight lines over the planned area, results of calibration surveys, and quality assurance (QA) results of the acquired data. Detailed reports on the acquired data and processing results were also delivered with the data. LBNL contracted the AA NEON AOP flights to observe watersheds of interest at Crested Butte with remotely sensed data including high resolution LiDAR, imaging spectroscopy, and high-resolution camera imagery. The remote sensing imagery acquired by the AOP intendeds to support LBNL on an interdisciplinary project on hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem functioning in the area surrounding the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), one of the most prominent ecological study sites in the United States.

2018 NEON and 2025 CHESS Campaigns↗

Ultra-high SERS detection of consumable coloring agents using plasmonic gold nanostars with high aspect-ratio spikes

Solution-based SERS detection by using a portable Raman instrument has emerged as an important tool due to its simplicity, and flexibility for rapid and on-site screening of analyte molecules. However, this method has several shortcomings, including poor sensitivity especially for weak-affinity analyte molecules, where there is no close contact between the plasmonic metal surface and analyte molecule. Examples of weak-affinity molecules include pigment molecules that are commonly used as a consumable coloring agent, such as allura red (AR), and sunset yellow (SY). As high consumption of colorant agents has been shown to cause adverse effects on human health, there is a strong need to develop a simple and practical sensing system with high sensitivity for these agents. Here we present a novel, highly sensitive solution-based SERS detection method for AR, and SY by using CTAC capped gold nanostars (GNS) having different aspect ratios (GNS-2, GNS-4, and GNS-5) without utilizing any aggregating agents which can enhance SERS signal however it reduces batch to batch reproducibility. The influence of the aspect ratio of GNS on SERS properties was investigated. We have achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of AR and SY as low as 0.5 and 1 ppb, respectively by using GNS-5 with the advantages of minimal sample preparation by just mixing the analyte solution into a well plate containing GNS solution. In addition, excellent colloidal stability and reproducibility have further enhanced the applicability in real-world samples. Altogether, our results evidence that the solution-based SERS detection platform using high aspect-ratio GNS can be applied for practical application to detect pigment molecules in real samples with satisfactory results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chlamydomonas cells transition through distinct Fe nutrition stages within 48 h of transfer to Fe-free medium

Low iron (Fe) bioavailability can limit the biosynthesis of Fe-containing proteins, which are especially abundant in photosynthetic organisms, thus negatively affecting global primary productivity. Understanding cellular coping mechanisms under Fe limitation is therefore of great interest. We surveyed the temporal responses of Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) cells transitioning from an Fe-rich to an Fe-free medium to document their short- and long-term adjustments. While slower growth, chlorosis and lower photosynthetic parameters are evident only after one or more days in Fe-free medium, the abundance of some transcripts, such as those for genes encoding transporters and enzymes involved in Fe assimilation, change within minutes, before changes in intracellular Fe content are noticeable, suggestive of a sensitive mechanism for sensing Fe. Promoter reporter constructs indicate a transcriptional component to this immediate primary response. With acetate provided as a source of reduced carbon, transcripts encoding respiratory components are maintained relative to transcripts encoding components of photosynthesis and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, indicating metabolic prioritization of respiration over photosynthesis. In contrast to the loss of chlorophyll, carotenoid content is maintained under Fe limitation despite a decrease in the transcripts for carotenoid biosynthesis genes, indicating carotenoid stability. These changes occur more slowly, only after the intracellular Fe quota responds, indicating a phased response in Chlamydomonas, involving both primary and secondary responses during acclimation to poor Fe nutrition. Overall design: Sampling of Chlamydomonas CC-4532 cells cultivated photoheterotrophically (TAP) under Fe-starvation condition (0 uM Fe-EDTA). Samples were collected at multiple timepoints from biological duplicate cultures after washing in TAP medium lacking Fe. Two time courses were collected. A short time course with t=0 (pre-wash), 0 (post-wash), 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min. A long time course with t= 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours. Please note that, for long time course, the GSE44611/PRJNA190650 samples were re-used/re-analyzed together with the short time course data: GSM1087792 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_0_hours SRX245324 SAMN01924672 GSM1087793 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_0.5_hours SRX245325 SAMN01924673 GSM1087794 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_1_hours SRX245326 SAMN01924674 GSM1087795 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_2_hours SRX245327 SAMN01924675 GSM1087796 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_4_hours SRX245328 SAMN01924676 GSM1087797 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_8_hours SRX245329 SAMN01924677 GSM1087798 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_12_hours SRX245330 SAMN01924678 GSM1087799 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_24_hours SRX245331 SAMN01924679 GSM1087800 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_48_hours SRX245332 SAMN01924680

Source record↗

Chlamydomonas cells transition through distinct Fe nutrition stages within 48 h of transfer to Fe-free medium

Low iron (Fe) bioavailability can limit the biosynthesis of Fe-containing proteins, which are especially abundant in photosynthetic organisms, thus negatively affecting global primary productivity. Understanding cellular coping mechanisms under Fe limitation is therefore of great interest. For this paper, we surveyed the temporal responses of Chlamydomonas ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ) cells transitioning from an Fe-rich to an Fe-free medium to document their short and long-term adjustments. While slower growth, chlorosis and lower photosynthetic parameters are evident only after one or more days in Fe-free medium, the abundance of some transcripts, such as those for genes encoding transporters and enzymes involved in Fe assimilation, change within minutes, before changes in intracellular Fe content are noticeable, suggestive of a sensitive mechanism for sensing Fe. Promoter reporter constructs indicate a transcriptional component to this immediate primary response. With acetate provided as a source of reduced carbon, transcripts encoding respiratory components are maintained relative to transcripts encoding components of photosynthesis and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, indicating metabolic prioritization of respiration over photosynthesis. In contrast to the loss of chlorophyll, carotenoid content is maintained under Fe limitation despite a decrease in the transcripts for carotenoid biosynthesis genes, indicating carotenoid stability. These changes occur more slowly, only after the intracellular Fe quota responds, indicating a phased response in Chlamydomonas, involving both primary and secondary responses during acclimation to poor Fe nutrition.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

CROCUS Sodar Measurements of Lower Atmospheric Wind Profiles at Argonne Testbed for Multiscale Observational Science (ATMOS) Site

The Scintec MFAS Sodar (Multiple-Frequency Acoustic Sounder) is an autonomous, ground-based acoustic remote sensing system designed to measure vertical profiles of horizontal wind speed, wind direction, and vertical velocity in the lower atmosphere. The instrument transmits sequences of acoustic pulses and detects the Doppler-shifted sound waves backscattered by small-scale temperature and velocity fluctuations caused by atmospheric turbulence. From these Doppler shifts, the system derives three-dimensional wind vectors by combining radial velocities from multiple beam orientations.The MFAS Sodar operates with a first usable range gate beginning at approximately 30 m above ground level and a configurable vertical resolution of 10 m. Under favorable acoustic conditions, the system provides wind profiles extending up to 600 m above ground level. Measurements are processed into 15-minute averaged profiles containing wind speed, direction, vertical velocity, and diagnostic quantities such as signal-to-noise ratio and echo strength.This dataset was collected at the Argonne Testbed for Multiscale Observational Science (ATMOS) facility in Lemont, Illinois, as part of DOE's CROCUS Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (UIFL) initiative. The purpose of these observations is to characterize the vertical wind structure and boundary-layer evolution across the urban–suburban gradient of the greater Chicago region. In particular, these data are intended to improve understanding of how local meteorology, such as lake-breeze penetration, nocturnal jets, and daytime mixing, varies between the densely built urban core and the suburban periphery. The MFAS observations provide critical context for evaluating high-resolution model simulations and for integrating with complementary lidar, radar, and in-situ meteorological measurements within the broader CROCUS UIFL network.All data are archived in NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) format and include wind and diagnostic parameters. The files can be accessed and analyzed using standard software that supports NetCDF, such as Python (e.g., xarray, netCDF4), MATLAB, R (e.g., ncdf4, raster), or Panoply (NASA’s NetCDF visualization application).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Backbone Stiffness‐Dependent Photoluminescence of Pendant Fluorophores in Organic Nanoparticles

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FoNPs) with backbone stiffness‐dependent photoluminescence were synthesized via microemulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2‐(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate (BiBEM), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and methacrylate monomers bearing pendant fluorophores, 1‐pyrenemethyl methacrylate (PyMMA), or 4‐(1,2,2‐triphenylethenyl)benzenemethyl methacrylate (TPEMMA). The crosslinking density precisely tuned the intraparticle rigidity, enabling systematic control over emission mechanisms. Pyrene‐containing FoNPs exhibited a rigidity‐dependent transition from excimer‐dominated to monomer‐dominated fluorescence, whereas TPE‐based FoNPs displayed aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) enhancement as intramolecular motion was restricted. Solvent‐dependent studies revealed that increased polarity and viscosity, particularly in benzyl alcohol and DMSO, promoted cooperative rigidification and enhanced emission intensity through specific polymer–solvent interactions. Furthermore, the retained alkyl bromide chain ends on FoNPs enabled dual roles as initiators and crosslinkers in UV‐induced polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) acrylates, forming luminescent FoNP–OEG hybrid gels with improved mechanical robustness. This work establishes a versatile platform for integrating tunable optical and mechanical properties into a single polymeric nanoparticle framework, offering new design principles for multifunctional soft materials and providing a platform for future sensing, imaging, and photonic applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A Polar Scaling Technique for the Regularization of Strongly Singular and Strongly Near-Singular Helmholtz Surface Integrals Evaluated Over 2-D Domains

The numerical integration of expressions containing strong singularities or strong near-singularities has long been a challenging problem in the electromagnetics community. Much attention has been paid to this problem, as strong $1/R^{{2}}$ singularities routinely appear when implementing electromagnetic simulation techniques like the method of moments (MoM). To date, several techniques, from singularity extraction to singularity cancellation (SC), have been employed to deal with problems that require the evaluation of 2-D strongly singular integrals. However, no single technique has been proposed that can deal with both strong singularities and strong near-singularities in a fully numerical manner for arbitrary 2-D domains. Moreover, it has been claimed that the Helmholtz-type strongly singular integral found in the MoM is convergent in a principal value sense, but this convergence value has yet to be proven mathematically. In this work, we will conduct the convergence proof and introduce a “polar scaling” change of variables method that may be used to evaluate Helmholtz integrals with both strong and weak singularities/near-singularities. The technique is fully numerical and can in principle be applied to any planar or curved polygon and any nonsingular basis function. We will also provide numerical results showing useful convergence behavior for integrals involving both exact and near-singularities.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Intelligent Proppants for Hydraulic Fracture Diagnostics

This Phase 1 Report details our Phase 1 progress in proving the feasibility of a highly integrated, highly miniaturized sensor ball. The ball contains sensors, analog to digital converters, memory, a clock, and an acoustic communications module all integrated onto a single silicon chip. Phase 2 is to focus on the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Phase 1 piecewise proves the feasibility of this innovation by examining a few critical subsystems including the communications module and inertial sensor performance. Acoustic simulations of an acoustically active and traceable proppant are also performed and summarized in this report.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Stable isotopes contain substantial additive information about terrestrial carbon and water cycling

Abstract Stable isotope ratios of H ( δ 2 H ), O ( δ 18 O), and C ( δ 13 C) are linked to key biogeochemical processes of the water and carbon cycles; however, the degree to which isotope-associated processes are reflected in macroscale ecosystem flux observations remains unquantified. Here through formal information assessment, new measurements of δ 13 C of net ecosystem exchange ( NEE ) as well as δ 2 H and δ 18 O of latent heat ( LH ) fluxes across the United States National Ecological Observation Network (NEON) are used to determine conditions under which isotope measurements are informative of environmental exchanges. We find all three isotopic datasets individually contain comparable amounts of information about NEE and LH fluxes as wind speed observations. Such information from isotope measurements, however, is largely unique. Generally, δ 13 C provides more information about LH as aridity increases or mean annual precipitation decreases. δ 2 H provides more information about LH as temperatures or mean annual precipitation decreases, and also provides more information about NEE as temperatures decrease. Overall, we show that the stable isotope datasets collected by NEON contribute non-trivial amounts of new information about bulk environmental fluxes useful for interpreting biogeochemical and ecohydrological processes at landscape scales. However, the utility of this new information varies with environmental conditions at continental scales. This study provides an approach for quantifying the value adding non-traditional sensing approaches to environmental monitoring sites and the patterns identified here are expected to aid in modeling and data interpretation efforts focused on constraining carbon and water cycles’ mechanisms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Multifunctional nanopore electrode array method for characterizing and manipulating single entities in attoliter-volume enclosures

Structurally regular nanopore arrays fabricated to contain independently controllable annular electrodes represent a new kind of architecture capable of electrochemically addressing small collections of matter—down to the single entity (molecule, particle, and biological cell) level. Furthermore, these nanopore electrode arrays (NEAs) can also be interrogated optically to achieve single entity spectroelectrochemistry. Larger entities such as nanoparticles and single bacterial cells are investigated by dark-field scattering and potential-controlled single-cell luminescence experiments, respectively, while NEA-confined molecules are probed by single molecule luminescence. By carrying out these experiments in arrays of identically constructed nanopores, massively parallel collections of single entities can be investigated simultaneously. The multilayer metal–insulator design of the NEAs enables highly efficient redox cycling experiments with large increases in analytical sensitivity for chemical sensing applications. NEAs may also be augmented with an additional orthogonally designed nanopore layer, such as a structured block copolymer, to achieve hierarchically organized multilayer structures with multiple stimulus-responsive transport control mechanisms. Finally, NEAs constructed with a transparent bottom layer permit optical access to the interior of the nanopore, which can result in the cutoff of far-field mode propagation, effectively trapping radiation in an ultrasmall volume inside the nanopore. Furthermore, the bottom metal layer may be used as both a working electrode and an optical cladding layer, thus, producing bifunctional electrochemical zero-mode waveguide architectures capable of carrying out spectroelectrochemical investigations down to the single molecule level.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Coastal typologies and surface and subsurface characteristics of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Coast

This dataset was generated to classify the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Coast (ABSC) into a set of distinct coastal typologies, to understand the surface and subsurface characteristics and variability of the ABSC, and to quantify relationships between these characteristics and historical rates of shoreline change. This geospatial dataset contains two csv files of points along the ABSC at a 50 m spacing, one for points sheltered by a barrier island and one for points exposed to the open ocean. Each point has a lat/lon location, and we have attributed to each point average values for elevation, historical long-term shoreline change rates, shoreline orientation, landcover, mean annual ground temperature, geomorphic unit, lithology, geology, ecological landscape unit, maximum thaw settlement potential, massive ice content, and segregated ice content. Each point is also assigned to one of 16 coastal typologies, determined by a hierarchical clustering algorithm on the elevation, shoreline change, orientation, and ground temperature data. There are 9 sheltered typologies and 7 exposed typologies, identified by an integer label in the last column of each csv file. The other two csv files contain the integer IDs and classes for the landcover and geomorphology datasets.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DEEPEN Data Catalog for Magmatic Geothermal Systems in the United States

This data catalog contains information related to the Training Site Analysis for the Geothermica project "DE-risking Exploration of geothermal Plays in magmatic ENvironments (DEEPEN)." The DEEPEN project aims to reduce exploration risk for geothermal fluids in magmatic systems by developing improved an improved framework for interpretation of exploration data using the Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) methodology. The Training Site Analysis performed for DEEPEN leverages existing datasets to develop a customized PFA approach to exploration for multiple geothermal resource types in magmatic systems (conventional hydrothermal resources, supercritical fluid and superheated steam resources, and superhot EGS resources). This data catalog contains links to publicly available data files related to 8 training sites in the United States. US training sites are: the Cascades/Aleutians PFA project; the Hawaii PFA project, the Oregon Cascades PFA project, the Snake River Plain, Idaho PFA project, the Washington State PFA project, Newberry Volcano, Coso Geothermal Field, and the Geysers Geothermal field. This database contains an overview of these training sites, data sources, and links to publicly available exploration datasets. For the five PFA projects, details on exploration data related to PFA components (heat, fluid, permeability, sometimes seal) are provided, including a summary of data weighting methodologies.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Landscape-scale Characterization of Arctic Tundra Vegetation Composition, Structure, and Function with a Multi-sensor Unoccupied Aerial System: Supporting Data.

Airborne remote sensing data collected using the Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) heavy-lift unoccupied aerial system (UAS) octocopter platform, the Osprey, operated by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Technology (TEST) group (https://www.bnl.gov/testgroup). This package includes data from three flights flown over the NGEE-Arctic Council, Kougarok and Teller sites in July, 2018. The Osprey is a multi-sensor UAS platform that simultaneously measures very high spatial resolution optical red/green/blue (RGB) and thermal infrared (TIR) surface 'skin' temperature imagery, as well as surface reflectance at 1 nm intervals in the visible to near-infrared spectral range 350 - 1000 nm measured at regular intervals along each flight path. Derived image products include ortho-mosaiced RGB and TIR images, an RGB-based digital surface model (DSM) using the structure from motion (SfM) technique, digital terrain model (DTM), and a canopy height model (CHM). In addition, a VNIR surface reflectance file is provided for the trigger locations collected during each flight campaign. Ancillary aircraft data, flight mission parameters, and general flight conditions provided by the onboard flight and data collection computers are also included. Unprocessed and processed data products are included in this package (processing levels 0-3). Data and metadata are provided as text (*.txt, *.json, *.kml, *hdr, *.enp), tabular (*.dat, *.csv, *.waypoint, ENVI format (no extension)), point cloud (*.laz) and image (*.jpg, *.tif, *png) formats. This metadata document contains flight campaign, instrument and file metadata, along with a description of data processing levels, data products and file naming scheme.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy?s Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

PERSIANN Dynamic Infrared–Rain Rate Model (PDIR) for High-Resolution, Real-Time Satellite Precipitation Estimation

Precipitation measurements with high spatiotemporal resolution are a vital input for hydrometeorological and water resources studies; decision-making in disaster management; and weather, climate, and hydrological forecasting. Moreover, real-time precipitation estimation with high precision is pivotal for the monitoring and managing of catastrophic hydroclimate disasters such as flash floods, which frequently transpire after extreme rainfall. While algorithms that exclusively use satellite infrared data as input are attractive owing to their rich spatiotemporal resolution and near-instantaneous availability, their sole reliance on cloud-top brightness temperature (T b ) readings causes underestimates in wet regions and overestimates in dry regions—this is especially evident over the western contiguous United States (CONUS). We introduce an algorithm, the Precipitation Estimations from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) Dynamic Infrared–Rain rate model (PDIR), which utilizes climatological data to construct a dynamic (i.e., laterally shifting) T b –rain rate relationship that has several notable advantages over other quantitative precipitation-estimation algorithms and noteworthy skill over the western CONUS. Validation of PDIR over the western CONUS shows a promising degree of skill, notably at the annual scale, where it performs well in comparison to other satellite-based products. Analysis of two extreme landfalling atmospheric rivers show that solely IR-based PDIR performs reasonably well compared to other IR- and PMW-based satellite rainfall products, marking its potential to be effective in real-time monitoring of extreme storms. This research suggests that IR-based algorithms that contain the spatiotemporal richness and near-instantaneous availability needed for rapid natural hazards response may soon contain the skill needed for hydrologic and water resource applications.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Directed Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle Superstructures Using Self-Assembling Peptoids Containing Metal-Bonding N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, with strong metal-binding affinity, offer a robust platform for constructing organic–inorganic nanohybrids with high stability and tunable properties. However, achieving precise structural control in a simple manner remains challenging. Here, we report a one-pot synthesis of nanohybrids using self-assembling peptoids functionalized with histidine-2-ylidene, which simultaneously enable peptoid assembly and NHC–metal binding. Histidine-2-ylidene-functionalized peptoids were designed to self-assemble and provide NHC binding sites, while AuNPs served as the inorganic component due to NHCs’ strong affinity for gold surfaces. The resulting peptoid-NHC@AuNPs form well-defined vesicles that are characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Importantly, the vesicle size and morphology can be tuned via the peptoid sequence or environmental conditions. Further experiments highlight the crucial role of the NHC sites in the formation and stabilization of these nanohybrids. This modular strategy offers a versatile route to fabricating functional NHC-based nanohybrids for potential applications in sensing.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A General Solution Route to Nanoporous Metal Oxide Films

Metal oxide semiconductors are of interest as efficient, stable, and low-cost photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting, but their characteristically poor charge transport properties remain a fundamental challenge to practical use. Nanoporous metal oxide films that feature open bicontinuous networks of nanocrystals and nanopores can overcome such inefficient charge transport to enable high-performance photoanodes. Here, this paper describes a general method to make high-quality nanoporous films of metal oxides by spin coating and calcining molecular inks that contain a porosity-generating block copolymer. Phase-pure nanoporous films of BiFeO 3 , FeWO 4 , WO 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 serve to demonstrate the versatility of the approach. It is demonstrated that the crystallite size, film porosity, and film thickness can be independently tuned by adjusting the ink composition and film processing conditions. The method is extended to fabricate core–shell nanoporous films consisting of a nanoporous film coated in a thin shell of a second metal oxide, using WO 3 –BiVO 4 and BiFeO 3 –BiVO 4 as examples. Given its simplicity and flexibility, this solution-phase route should prove useful for making nanoporous films of many different materials for a variety of applications, including energy conversion and storage, catalysis, and chemical sensing.

coating materials↗

Synthetic Biology of Plants and Microbes for Agriculture, Environment, and Future Applications

Agriculture is under pressure to provide food for a growing population and the feedstock required to drive the bioeconomy. Methods to breed and genetically modify plants are inadequate to keep pace. When engineering crops, traits are painstakingly introduced into plants one-at-a-time, combine unpredictably, and are continuously expressed. Synthetic biology is changing these paradigms with new genome construction tools, computer aided design (CAD), and artificial intelligence (AI). “Smart plants” contain circuits that respond to environmental change, alter morphology, or respond to threats. Further, the plant and associated microbes (fungi, bacteria, archaea) are now being viewed by genetic engineers as a holistic system. Historically, plant health has been enhanced by many natural and laboratory-evolved soil microbes marketed to enhance growth, provide nutrients, or confer pest/stress resistance. Synthetic biology has expanded the number of species that can be engineered, increased the complexity of engineered functions, controlled environmental release, and assembled stable consortia. New CAD tools will manage genetic engineering projects spanning multiple plant genomes (nucleus, chloroplast, mitochondrion) and the thousands of genomes of associated bacteria/fungi. Here, this review covers advanced genetic engineering techniques to drive the next agricultural revolution, as well as push plant engineering into new realms for manufacturing, infrastructure, sensing, and remediation.

Clauer, Phillip [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology↗