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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 325 records · Page 18

Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment

The search for organic matter on Mars has rapidly evolved in the past decade with simple aromatic, S-heterocycles, and aliphatic organic molecules detected in Gale crater. We report the in situ detection of >20 organic molecules from clay-bearing sandstones in the ~3.5-billion-year-old Knockfarrill Hill member of Glen Torridon, Gale crater, by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover. These molecules were liberated by the onboard tetramethylammonium hydroxide wet chemistry experiment. Diverse thermochemolysis products, including benzothiophene, methyl benzoate, and single and dicyclic aromatic molecules were released and detected by evolved gas analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicate the experiment successfully released molecules preserved in ancient macromolecular or free organic matter within Martian bedrock despite ~3.5 billion years of diagenesis and radiation exposure.

Amy J Williams↗

Non-platinum metal complexes for excimer based single dopant white organic light emitting diodes

Complexes and devices, such as organic light emitting devices and full color displays, including a compound of the formula wherein: M is Pd2+, Ir+, Rh+, or Au3+; each of V1, V2, V3, and V4 is coordinated to M and is independently N, C, P, B, or Si; each of L1, L2, L3, and L4 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, carbene, or N-heterocyclic carbene; and Z is O, S, NR, CR2, SiR2, BR, PR, where each R is independently substituted or unsubstituted C1-C4 alkyl or substituted or unsubstituted aryl.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Processing of perovskite films using inks with complexing agents

A method can comprise providing an ink comprising reactants, a complexing agent, and a solvent, depositing the ink onto a substrate to form a wet film, drying the wet film to form a precursor layer, and annealing the precursor layer to form a perovskite film. The reactants can comprise a first and a second cation, a first metal, and a first and a second anion, wherein the first and second cations are different from each other, and the first and second anions are different from each other. The complexing agent can comprise a heterocyclic donor material. The perovskite film can comprise a mixed-cation mixed-halide perovskite material, and less than 5% by mass of the complexing agent. The perovskite film can also be formed using a one-step process.

Bailie, Colin David↗

Product selectivity for CO 2 reduction

A CO 2 reduction system has a cathode in contact with a catholyte. The cathode includes a selectivity-determining layer on an electron conductor. The selectivity-determining layer includes a selectivity-determining component that includes a substituted heterocycle.

Han, Zhiji↗

Bipolar ionomer membrane

Provided are membranes useful for electrochemical or fuel cells. A membrane may be formed of or include a sulfonated polymer whereby the sulfonated polymer is covalently or ionically associated with a multi-nitrogen containing heterocyclic molecule. The resulting membranes possess excellent ion conductivity and selectivity.

Treger, Jack↗

Stabilization of a co-bound intermediate via molecular tuning promotes CO2-to-ethylene conversion

Aspects included herein include an electrolytic system for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, the system comprising: a cathode comprising: a porous gas-diffusion membrane permeable to CO 2 ; an electrocatalyst layer adjacent to a second side of the gas-diffusion membrane; the electrocatalyst layer comprising: an electrically conductive catalyst; and a selectivity-determining organic material attached to at least a portion of the electrically conductive catalyst; wherein: the organic material is formed of a plurality of oligomers; each oligomer comprises a plurality of covalently bonded base units; each base unit comprises at least one heterocyclic group having at least one nitrogen in its structure; and an anion exchange membrane adjacent to the electrocatalyst layer and positioned between the anode and the cathode; wherein anion exchange membrane is characterized by anion conductivity and the cathode is in ionic communication with the anode via the anion exchange membrane.

Agapie, Theodor↗

Ionic liquid electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries

The ionic liquids disclosed herein are salts comprising a nitrogen or phosphorus such as a quaternary ammonium ion, a quaternary phosphonium ion, or an N-alkylated nitrogen heterocycle, and which include at least one functional substituent, e.g., a fluoro, cyano, carbonate ester, an alkenyl group, or an alkynyl group bonded to a carbon atom the cation. In a preferred embodiment, the cation is represented by the structure of Formula (I) as described herein.

Zhang, Zhengcheng↗

A molecular dynamics study of chloride binding by the cryptand SC24

The capture of chloride from water by the tetraprotonated form of the spherical macrotricyclic molecule SC24 was studied using molecular dynamics simulation methods. This model ionophore represents a broad class of molecules which remove ions from water. Two binding sites for the chloride were found, one inside and one outside the ligand. These sites are separated by a potential energy barrier of approximately 20 kcal mol-1. The major contribution to this barrier comes from dehydration of the chloride. The large, unfavorable dehydration effect is compensated for by an increase in electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged chloride and cryptand, and by energetically favorable rearrangements of water structure. Additional assistance in crossing the barrier and completing the dehydration of the ion is provided by the shift of three positively charged hydrogen atoms of the cryptand towards the chloride. This structural rigidity is partially responsible for its selectivity.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of N ‐Heteroaromatic Alkyl Alcohols and Amines Facilitated by Dearomative Tautomerization

The oxidation of alcohols, amines, and halides is a fundamental transformation in organic chemistry with significant applications in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and natural products. Here we show that a broad variety of N-heteroarenes bearing hydroxymethyl, aminomethyl, or halomethyl groups are oxidatively dehydrogenated to their respective aldehydes by simply heating them in acidic or basic aqueous solution under ambient atmosphere. The quantitative oxidation of 9-acridinemethanol to 9-acridinecarboxaldehyde serves as an illustrative example, proceeding to completion within 3 hours in refluxing 5% aqueous acetic acid or even household vinegar. Quinoline derivatives may be similarly oxidized but require higher temperatures and longer reaction times, while indole derivatives are oxidized under basic conditions. Based on comprehensive regioselectivity screens, internal kinetic isotope competition, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we propose a mechanism in which migration of a methylene hydrogen to the pyridinic nitrogen by acid-catalyzed dearomative tautomerization yields an unstable enol or enamine intermediate that then irreversibly loses two hydrogen atoms to atmospheric oxygen. In addition to the simplicity and environmentally benign nature of our method, we observe no indication of any over-oxidation to carboxylic acids. Finally, we demonstrate the synthetic utility of this reaction through two different one-pot formylations of acridine.

Chemistry↗

Composite Correlated Molecular Orbital Theory Calculations of Ring Strain for Use in Predicting Polymerization Reactions

Strained ring systems play an important role in synthesis and can be characterized by the ring strain energy (RSE). The RSE of 3, 4, 5, and 6 membered saturated and unsaturated ring systems containing N, O, P, and S heteroatoms and H, F, SiMe 3 , and SO 2 Me substituents were calculated at the G3(MP2) composite correlated molecular orbital theory level using up to 5 models to predict the RSE. Generally, the RSE decreased as ring size increased with a substantial decrease from 4 to 5 membered rings. Replacement of a ring CH 2 with P or S reduced the RSE, consistent with less angle strain. The RSE for unsaturated systems were generally greater than for saturated systems due to increased angle strain. No general trends were found with respect to substituent effects. In conclusion, the RSE values suggest that 3-pyrroline and 2-pyrroline and their derivatives may be able to support ring opening metathesis polymerization and warrant further study.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Disentangling Acid‐Base Chemistry through Blue Shifting Hydrogen Bond Contributions

The blue shifting of vibrational frequencies in hydrogen bonded molecules, as observed in aqueous environments, has been attributed to local partial charge transfer from solvation. Here, in this study, we extrapolate the blue shift model to the stronger ionic interactions between hydrogen bond acceptors associated with protonation through augmented pH levels and competitive interactions with counter ion pairing. The chemical model we utilize in this work is the aqueous pyridine‐pyridinium equilibrium to characterize the blue shifts observed in the pyridinium chloride ionic system. The observed agreement between observed experimental and calculated spectral shifts shows that the blue shifting model can be extrapolated to stronger interactions and accurately describe the nature of the hydrogen bond.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spectroscopic and Chemical Properties of Ionic Liquids: Computational Study

A brief account is given of highlights of our computational efforts – often in collaboration with experimental groups – to understand spectroscopic and chemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs). Molecular dynamics, including their inhomogeneous character, responsible for key spectral features observed in dielectric absorption, infra-red (IR) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements are elucidated. Mechanisms of chemical processes involving imidazolium-based ILs are illustrated for CO 2 capture and related reactions, transesterification of cellulose, and Au nanocluster-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction with attention paid to differing roles of IL ions. A comparison with experiments is also made.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

First-Row Transition Metals Complexes with Fused Oxazolidine (FOX) Ligands

In this comprehensive study, we report the syntheses and crystal structures of 6 fused oxazolidine (FOX) bicycles and 22 complexes with FOX ligands. The structures are compared to the few FOX complexes found in literature. For our investigations, we developed synthetic strategies to selectively synthesize chiral or achiral FOX bicycles with pyridyl substituents. The coordination chemistry of the chiral and achiral FOX compounds with first-row transition metals is discussed in an indepth analysis of the crystal structures. We found that the binding modes of the ligands are dependent on the configuration of the FOX backbone and on the steric demand of the substituents which were introduced to the pyridyl groups. Here, the configuration of the FOX ligands is retained during the coordination of metal(II) ions such as Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ . Reactions of these metal ions with chiral FOX ligands lead to the formation of chiral complexes. In contrast, stronger Lewis acidic metal(III) ions, such as Fe 3+ or Al 3+ , induce an isomerization of the chiral FOX ligands to their achiral diastereomers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structure and Bonding of 1,2,4-Triazole Thiones Derived from Nitron

The molecular structures of two 1,2,4-triazole thiones derived from Nitron, namely Nitron(S) and Nitron(S) Me , have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Comparison with the structure of Nitron indicates that the formation of the thiones is accompanied by a shortening of the C–N bond within the 5-membered ring that is opposite to the thione group, and a lengthening of the exocyclic C–N bond. Analysis of the structures of Nitron, Nitron(S) and Nitron(S) Me , together with hypothetical versions in which the phenyl substituents are replaced by hydrogen, indicates that these changes are in accord with bond order differences predicted by natural bond orbital methods. Here, a similar evaluation of the thione groups of Nitron(S) and Nitron(S)Me indicates that the C–S bonds are composed of both covalent and ionic components and are best described by a combination of resonance structures that feature C=S double and C–S single bonds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Investigating Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectral Heterogeneity of Rhodamines Using High-Throughput Single-Molecule Spectroscopy

We experimentally investigated several intra-molecular coordinate and environmental changes as potential causes of single-molecule fluorescence spectral heterogeneities (smFSH). Here, we developed a high-throughput single-molecule spectroscopy technique to analyze more than 5,000 single-molecule emission spectra from each of nine commonly used fluorophores with different structural rigidities deposited on substrates with different polarities. We observed an unexpected high smFSH from structurally rigid Rhodamine B compared with a structurally flexible Cyanine dye - Alexa Fluor 647. Based on experimentally measured smFSH, we ruled out the system’s noise uncertainty, single-molecule spectral diffusion, and environmental polarity as the primary causes of the high smFSH. We found that the rotational flexibility of N, N-dialkylated groups contributed to the smFSH. With the high smFSH observed in structurally more rigid model fluorophores, we speculated that other intra-molecular coordinate and environmental changes might also contribute to the high smFSH in Rhodamines.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Extremely Bright, Near-IR Emitting Spontaneously Blinking Fluorophores Enable Ratiometric Multicolor Nanoscopy in Live Cells

New bright, photostable, emission-orthogonal fluorophores that blink without toxic additives are needed to enable multicolor, live-cell, single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). Here we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of Yale676sb, a photostable, near-IR-emitting fluorophore that achieves these goals in the context of an exceptional quantum yield (0.59). When used alongside HMSiR, Yale676sb enables simultaneous, live-cell, two-color SMLM of two intracellular organelles (ER + mitochondria) with only a single laser and no chemical additives.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Production and Evaluation of Fluorophore-Doped Polymer Substrates to Screen for Plastic-Degrading Enzymes

Fast and sensitive analytical methods are the key to efficient screening of plastic-degrading enzymes. Here, we present a streamlined and affordable approach to assess the enzymatic deconstruction of insoluble synthetic polymers by blending them with a fluorescent dye, rhodamine 6G, and we evaluate this screening method using poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as a model material. Our results indicate that enzymatic depolymerization of the rhodamine-doped PET can be observed in a high-throughput fashion by following release of the fluorophore. The fluorescence data obtained during the hydrolysis of rhodamine-doped PET by 14 PET hydrolases, produced with a robotic platform, correlated with the quantitative chromatographic analysis of PET degradation products. Remarkably, the use of the rhodamine-loaded PET substrate resulted in negligibly low background signals even when detecting PETase activity in crude cell lysates, suggesting suitability for screening of a wide variety of samples. Encouraged by these results, we next produced a selection of polyethylene- and nylon-based materials loaded with rhodamine 6G. While rapid leaching of fluorophore observed with nylon substrates limits the utility of the method for detecting nylonase activity, the rhodamine-loaded polyethylene showed promising performance in passive diffusion tests, indicating that this latter substrate may be used to screen for polyolefin-degrading enzymes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗