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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 289 records · Page 16

Sequestering Rare Earth Elements and Precious Metals from Seawater Using a Highly Efficient Polymer Adsorbent Derived from Acrylic Fiber

An amidoxime and carboxylate containing polymer adsorbent derived from acrylic fiber has shown extremely high efficiencies for extracting critical materials and precious metals from seawater. Among 50 extractable elements, the lanthanides, cobalt, and palladium were ranked near the top with KD values in the order of 107, about an order of magnitude higher than that of uranium. The KD value of the lanthanides increased linearly with the atomic number indicating charge density is a factor controlling trivalent lanthanide extractability in seawater. The data given in this report provides crucial information regarding the strategies of ocean mining of critical materials and precious metals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Highly Stable Fe/Co-TPY-MIL-88(NH 2 ) Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) in Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for Chemiluminescence-Based Detection of Extracellular Vesicles

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) can deliver many advantages when acting as enzyme mimics to assist with signal amplification in molecular detection: they have abundant active catalytic sites per unit volume of the material; their structures and elemental compositions are highly tunable, and their high specific surface area and porous property can assist with target separation and enrichment. In the present work, we have demonstrated that, by adding the pore partition agent, 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)pyridine (TPY) during synthesis of the bimetallic Fe/Co-MIL-88(NH 2 ) MOF to block the open metal sites, a highly porous MOF of Fe/Co-TPY-MIL-88(NH 2 ) can be produced. This material also exhibits high stability in basic solutions and biofluids and possesses high peroxidase-mimicking activity, which can be utilized to produce long-lasting chemiluminescence (CL) from luminol and H 2 O 2 . Moreover, acting as the peroxidase-mimic, the Fe/Co-TPY-MIL-88(NH 2 ) MOF can form the enzymatic cascade with glucose oxidase (GOx) for biomarker detection. Further, when applied to detect extracellular vesicles (EVs), the MOF material and GOx are brought to the proximity on the EVs through two surface proteins, which triggers the enzyme cascade to produce high CL from glucose and luminol. EVs within the concentration range of 5 × 10 5 - 4 ×10 7 particles/mL can be detected, and the method can be used to analyze EV contents in human serum without sample preparation and EV purification. Overall, our work demonstrates that the high versatility and tunability of the MOF structures could bring in significant benefits to biosensing and enable ultrasensitive detection of biomarkers with judicious material designs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

High-fidelity DNA ligation enforces accurate Okazaki fragment maturation during DNA replication

DNA ligase 1 (LIG1, Cdc9 in yeast) finalizes eukaryotic nuclear DNA replication by sealing Okazaki fragments using DNA end-joining reactions that strongly discriminate against incorrectly paired DNA substrates. Whether intrinsic ligation fidelity contributes to the accuracy of replication of the nuclear genome is unknown. Here, we show that an engineered low-fidelity LIG1 Cdc9 variant confers a novel mutator phenotype in yeast typified by the accumulation of single base insertion mutations in homonucleotide runs. The rate at which these additions are generated increases upon concomitant inactivation of DNA mismatch repair, or by inactivation of the Fen1 Rad27 Okazaki fragment maturation (OFM) nuclease. Biochemical and structural data establish that LIG1 Cdc9 normally avoids erroneous ligation of DNA polymerase slippage products, and this protection is compromised by mutation of a LIG1 Cdc9 high-fidelity metal binding site. Collectively, our data indicate that high-fidelity DNA ligation is required to prevent insertion mutations, and that this may be particularly critical following strand displacement synthesis during the completion of OFM.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Quality Control of Additively Manufactured Metallic Structures with Machine Learning of Thermography Images

Additive manufacturing (AM) of high-strength metals is currently based on the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process, which can introduce internal material flaws, such as pores and anisotropy. Quality control (QC) requires nondestructive evaluation of actual AM structures. Flash thermography is a potentially promising QC technique because it is scalable to arbitrary structure size. However, the detection sensitivity of this method is limited by noise. We investigate separation of signal from noise in thermography images using several machine learning (ML) methods, including new spatial–temporal blind source separation and spatial–temporal sparse dictionary learning methods. Performance of the ML methods is benchmarked using thermography data obtained from imaging stainless steel 316L and Inconel 718 specimens produced by the LPBF method with imprinted calibrated porosity defects. The ML methods are ranked by F-score and execution runtime. Finally, the ML methods with higher accuracy require a longer runtime. However, this runtime is sufficiently short to perform QC within a realistic time frame.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Insights into Defect-Mediated Nucleation of the Equilibrium B2 Phase in Face-Centered Cubic High-Entropy Alloys

A fine scale second phase distribution is important for strengthening metallic materials. High precipitate density is often difficult to achieve due to sluggish precipitation kinetics and limited nucleation sites. Based on the CALPHAD predictions, transition element-based complex concentrated alloys (CCAs)/ High Entropy Alloys (HEAs), have a highly stable face-centered cubic (FCC) phase and intermetallic B2 phase. The precipitation of the strengthening B2 phase is often limited to low fractions in these alloys due to a high nucleation barrier in the FCC matrix. Here, by illustrating in three different alloys, we present a defect mediated nucleation of a high fraction equilibrium B2 phase. The degree of cold work is used to manipulate the phase fraction, morphology, and distribution of B2 precipitates. Our approach synergistically improves the strength and ductility of these alloys and is widely applicable to many other complex alloys.

Sharma, Abhishek↗

Metallic and porous Ti nanorod arrays for visible-IR light absorption and dendrite-free stable lithium-metal batteries

It is still a challenging task to prepare highly porous nanorod arrays of metals formed on substrates for optical and energy storage applications. Herein, we demonstrate the design and synthesis of black color, metallic and highly porous Ti nanorod arrays as novel current collectors for dendrite-free and highly stable Li-metal anodes. The high porosity of metallic nanorod arrays provides numerous heterogeneous nucleation sites and huge contact area and large space for the accommodation of Li metal. The conductive metallic Ti nanorod arrays enhance electrode integration. Effectively, it eliminates formation Li dendrites and demonstrates superior cycling stability over 300 cycles. Additionally, the unique porous structures of the nanorod arrays can decrease the amplitude of forced vibration in narrow space leading to light absorption. Interestingly, the metal is black instead of metallic color. The black metallic nanorod arrays can absorb more than 96% of both visible and infra-red lights. Furthermore, this black color metallic porous nanorod arrays may find additional applications in aerospace, energy, biomedical, defence, and chemical industries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Hydrophobic Metal–Organic Frameworks Enable Superior High-Pressure Ammonia Storage through Geometric Design

Hydrophobic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically overlooked for ammonia storage due to weak host–guest interactions. Here, we demonstrate that four structurally analogous aluminum-based MOFs exhibit a counterintuitive behavior whereby framework geometry, rather than ligand hydrophilicity, determines high-pressure NH 3 adsorption performance. The hydrophobic CAU-23 achieved an exceptional capacity matching hydrophilic analogs despite its poor low-pressure uptake. This pressure-dependent enhancement stems from the unique 4-cis-4-trans geometry of CAU-23 compared to the purely cis arrangement of MIL-160 and KMF-1 and the alternating cis-trans configuration of MOF-303. Critically, CAU-23 retained 95% capacity over three high-pressure cycles, whereas hydrophilic MOFs suffered 39–46% irreversible losses due to strong NH 3 -framework interactions that compromise structural integrity. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations reveal that high pressure enables NH 3 clustering through intermolecular hydrogen bonding, bypassing the need for strong host–guest interactions. High-pressure powder X-ray diffraction measurements confirm the exceptional mechanical resilience of CAU-23, showing complete structural recovery upon decompression despite exhibiting the highest pressure sensitivity among the studied MOFs. An extended analog, HE-CAU-23, validates this design principle with further enhanced capacity. Furthermore, these findings reveal a paradigm shift toward hydrophobic MOFs with optimized geometry for high-performance and regenerable gas storage applications.

MOFs↗

Assessment of critical flaw sizes and crack driving forces during additive manufacturing of metallic materials

Additive manufacturing (AM) of complex engineering components is often plagued by a high susceptibility to cracking, particularly in high-strength metallic materials. While alloy design efforts have made progress in mitigating solidification defects, there remains a need for mechanistic guidelines to predict susceptibility to solid-state cracking. To address this gap, driving forces for the growth of melt pool cracks are calculated across a wide range of alloys using an efficient computational framework. Calculations are coupled with rapid single track laser experiments to elucidate trends in cracking from laser melting. The analyses conducted here highlight the important role of material properties in susceptibility to cracking, notably fracture toughness and elastic modulus. An important finding is that residual stresses that are limited in magnitude to the yield stress of the material are likely insufficient to drive cracking during cooling. Furthermore, the implications of these results are discussed in the context of alloy design for AM and residual stress accumulation during AM.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Method to synthesize metal halide perovskite particles with high luminescence and stability

The invention provides a convenient solution-based synthesis for metal halide perovskite particles. This method requires only mild conditions and can be easily scaled up. A ligand of a proper molecule size and an optimized precursor ratio are important to obtain pure phase particles. As an example, lead bromide perovskite particles exhibited a narrow monochromatic band gap, which can be tuned by partial halide substitution, and PLQY up to 75% making this material an excellent candidate for light emission and display applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Uncovering a CF 3 Effect on X‐ray Absorption Energies of [Cu(CF 3 ) 4 ] − and Related Copper Compounds by Using Resonant Diffraction Anomalous Fine Structure (DAFS) Measurements**

Abstract Understanding the electronic structures of high‐valent metal complexes aids the advancement of metal‐catalyzed cross coupling methodologies. A prototypical complex with formally high valency is [Cu(CF 3 ) 4 ] − (1), which has a formal Cu(III) oxidation state but whose physical analysis has led some to a Cu(I) assignment in an inverted ligand field model. Recent examinations of1by X‐ray spectroscopies have led previous authors to contradictory conclusions, motivating the re‐examination of its X‐ray absorption profile here by a complementary method, resonant diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS). From analysis of DAFS measurements for a series of seven mononuclear Cu complexes including1, here it is shown that there is a systematic trifluoromethyl effect on X‐ray absorption that blue shifts the resonant Cu K‐edge energy by 2–3 eV per CF 3 , completely accounting for observed changes in DAFS profiles between formally Cu(III) complexes like1and formally Cu(I) complexes like (Ph 3 P) 3 CuCF 3 (3). Thus, in agreement with the inverted ligand field model, the data presented herein imply that1is best described as containing a Cu(I) ion with d n count approaching 10.

Chemistry↗

Control of the Plasma-Material Interface for Long Pulse Optimization in EAST and KSTAR

This project's major goal was to understand and control the plasma-material interface to improve long pulse discharge and performance in the EAST and KSTAR devices, emphasizing the unique strengths of each machine. In particular, MIT has developed implanted depth markers to diagnose the net erosion of high-Z materials. The goals included the characterization and utilization of these markers in various high-Z materials of interest, including TZM, tungsten, and refractory metal base high entropy alloys.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Why Conventional Design Rules for C–H Activation Fail for Open-Shell Transition-Metal Catalysts

The design of selective and active C–H activation catalysts for direct methane-to-methanol conversion is challenging. Bioinspired complexes that form high-valent metal–oxo intermediates capable of hydrogen abstraction and rebound hydroxylation are promising candidates. This promise has made them a target for computational high-throughput screening, typically simplified through the use of linear free energy relationships (LFERs). However, their mid-row transition-metal centers have numerous accessible spin and oxidation states that increase the combinatorial scale of design efforts. Here, we carry out a computational design screen of over 2500 mid-row 3d transition-metal complexes with four metals in numerous spin and oxidation states. We demonstrate the importance of spin/oxidation state in dictating design principles, limiting the generalization of strategies derived for widely studied high-spin Fe(II) catalysts to other metals or spin/oxidation states. Combined assessment of the effect of ligand-field tuning on reaction step energetics and on the identity of the ground state allows us to propose refined design strategies for spin-allowed methane-to-methanol catalysis. We observe weak coupling of energetics and design principles between reaction steps (e.g., oxo formation vs methanol release), meaning that LFERs do not generalize across our larger catalyst set. To rationalize relative reactivity in known catalysts, we instead compute independent reaction energies and propose strategies for further improvements in catalyst design.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Solvation-protection-enabled high-voltage electrolyte for lithium metal batteries

To facilitate the practical application of lithium metal batteries (LMBs), stable interfaces between the electrolyte and the lithium metal must be achieved. Herein, we introduce a solvation protection strategy for designing a functional electrolyte for high-voltage LMBs. Fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) was introduced as a solvation protection solvent for the difluoroethylene carbonate (DFEC)/trifluoroethyl methyl carbonate (FEMC) electrolyte system to enable the cycling of lithium metal anode. The addition of FEC alters the structures of lithium complexes in solution because of its relatively high solvating power. Through the precise control of the solvation number (> 1) of fluorinated cyclic carbonate (i.e., FEC:DFEC > critical ratio), lithium complexes with Li + solvated solely by FEMC, which decompose on the lithium surface to form detrimental by-products, can be effectively eliminated. Here, the new ternary FEC/DFEC/FEMC system not only maintains the beneficial effect of DFEC in forming a robust solid-electrolyte interphase on the lithium anode, but also confers outstanding anodic stability provided by FEMC, while eliminating detrimental FEMC decomposition through the solvation protection effect of FEC. Clearly, this ternary system outperforms the FEC/FEMC and DFEC/FEMC binary systems in facilitating the stable cycling of LMBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Nucleation kinetics model for primary crystallization in Al–Y–Fe metallic glass

The high density of aluminum nanocrystals (>10 21 m -3 ) that develop during the primary crystallization in Al-based metallic glasses indicates a high nucleation rate (~10 18 m -3 s -1 ). Several studies have been advanced to account for the primary crystallization behavior, but none have been developed to completely describe the reaction kinetics. Recently, structural analysis by fluctuation electron microscopy has demonstrated the presence of the Al-like medium range order (MRO) regions as a spatial heterogeneity in as-spun Al 88 Y 7 Fe 5 metallic glass that is representative for the class of Al-based amorphous alloys that develop Al nanocrystals during primary crystallization. From the structural characterization, an MRO seeded nucleation configuration is established, whereby the Al nanocrystals are catalyzed by the MRO core to decrease the nucleation barrier. The MRO seeded nucleation model and the kinetic data from the delay time (τ) measurement provide a full accounting of the evolution of the Al nanocrystal density (N v ) during the primary crystallization under isothermal annealing treatments. Moreover, the calculated values of the steady state nucleation rates (J ss ) predicted by the nucleation model agree with the experimental results. Moreover, the model satisfies constraints on the structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic parameters, such as the critical nucleus size, the interface energy, and the volume-free energy driving force that are essential for a fully self-consistent nucleation kinetics analysis. In conclusion, the nucleation kinetics model can be applied more broadly to materials that are characterized by the presence of spatial heterogeneities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Uptake and speciation of trace metal inputs to Wetland Soils from Illinois and South Carolina and Stream Sediments from Tennessee

Metals occur in all ecosystems, although their concentrations vary depending on their natural geologic conditions and surrounding human activities. In addition to metals intrinsically present from the geology of a particular system, metals can enter environmental systems from a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic sources, such as sediment re-suspension, mining operations, industrial processes, agricultural activities, and atmospheric deposition. While metals can be toxic at high concentrations, some metals serve as essential micronutrients for biogeochemical processes. Metal transport and availability in engineered and natural water systems depend on processes of adsorption/desorption, oxidation/reduction, dissolution/precipitation, and ligand complexation. Insights into the speciation of metals and their bioavailability will also help advance understanding of the roles of metals in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients. We conducted batch experiments under anoxic conditions on soils and sediments collected from three different natural aquatic systems to understand their response to influxes of dissolved Cu, Ni and Zn. While soils and sediments from all sites could strongly bind added trace metals, there were substantial differences in trace metal uptake trends between different sites, especially for Cu. There was no distinct correlation between trace metal uptake and the total organic matter, iron, and sulfur content present in the samples. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that the speciation of the freshly added metals taken up by the solids differs substantially from the speciation of the metals originally present in unamended samples. Cu sulfides dominated speciation at low loadings (1 µmol/g), whereas complexation to thiol groups and formation of metallic Cu governed speciation at high loadings (10 µmol/g). For Ni and Zn, adsorption to mineral surfaces and organic matter governed their speciation in materials from most sites. This study suggests that the background speciation of metals in natural aquatic systems is a poor predictor of the speciation and lability of metals introduced to terrestrial aquatic systems from anthropogenic or natural processes. Our findings imply that geochemical processes controlling trace metal speciation may vary considerably with metal loading in different natural systems. Data are provided for marsh wetland soils at Argonne National Laboratory (Marsh 1 and Marsh 2), riparian wetland soils (Riparian 1 and Riparian 2) in the Tims Branch watershed at Savannah River National Laboratory, and stream bed sediments (Stream 1 and Stream 2) from East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Data package includes the results of trace metal uptake experiments conducted on the selected sites for determining their capacity to immobilize metals under different loadings. XANES spectra for Cu, Ni, ad Zn at different loadings are included in the package. The abundance of different trace metal species obtained using linear combination fitting in ATHENA are also included in the data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Quasi-One-Dimensional Metallicity in Compressed CsSnI 3

Low-dimensional metal halides exhibit strong structural and electronic anisotropies, making them candidates for accessing unusual electronic properties. Here, in this work, we demonstrate pressure-induced quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) metallicity in δ-CsSnI 3 . With the application of pressure up to 40 GPa, the initially insulating δ-CsSnI 3 transforms to a metallic state. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicate that the starting 1D chain structure of edge-sharing Sn–I octahedra in δ-CsSnI 3 is maintained in the high-pressure metallic phase while the SnI 6 octahedral chains are distorted. Our experiments combined with first-principles density functional theory calculations reveal that pressure induces Sn–Sn hybridization and enhances Sn–I coupling within the chain, leading to band gap closure and formation of conductive SnI 6 distorted octahedral chains. In contrast, the interchain I...I interactions remain minimal, resulting in a highly anisotropic electronic structure and quasi-1D metallicity. Our study offers a high-pressure approach for achieving diverse electronic platforms in the broad family of low-dimensional metal halides.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Design and Realization of Ohmic and Schottky Interfaces for Oxide Electronics

Understanding band alignment and charge transfer at complex oxide interfaces is critical to tailoring and utilizing their diverse functionality. Toward this goal, both Ohmic- and Schottky-like charge transfers at oxide/oxide semiconductor/metal interfaces are designed and experimentally validated. A method for predicting band alignment and charge transfer in ABO 3 perovskites is utilized, where previously established rules for simple semiconductors fail. The prototypical systems chosen are the rare class of oxide metals, SrBO 3 with B = V–Ta, when interfaced with the multifaceted semiconducting oxide, SrTiO 3 . For B = Nb and Ta, it is confirmed that a large accumulation of charge occurs in SrTiO 3 due to the higher energy Nb and Ta states relative to Ti. Furthermore, this gives rise to a high mobility metallic interface, which is an ideal epitaxial oxide/oxide Ohmic contact. On the contrary, for B = V, there is no charge transfer into the SrTiO 3 interface, which serves as a highly conductive epitaxial gate metal. Going beyond these specific cases, this work opens the door to integrating the vast phenomena of ABO 3 perovskites into a wide range of practical devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗