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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Ion traps fabricated in a CMOS foundry

We demonstrate trapping in a surface-electrode ion trap fabricated in a 90-nm CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) foundry process utilizing the top metal layer of the process for the trap electrodes. The process includes doped active regions and metal interconnect layers, allowing for co-fabrication of standard CMOS circuitry as well as devices for optical control and measurement. With one of the interconnect layers defining a ground plane between the trap electrode layer and the p-type doped silicon substrate, ion loading is robust and trapping is stable. We measure a motional heating rate comparable to those seen in surface-electrode traps of similar size. This demonstration of scalable quantum computing hardware utilizing a commercial CMOS process opens the door to integration and co-fabrication of electronics and photonics for large-scale quantum processing in trapped-ion arrays.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Plasmon-Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with Size-Controllable Gold Nanodot Arrays

Size-controllable Au nanodot arrays (50, 63, and 83 nm dot size) with a narrow size distribution (+/- 5%) were prepared by a direct contact printing method on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. Titania was added to the Au nanodots using TiO2 sols of 2-3 nm in size. This created a precisely controlled Au nanodot with 110 nm of TiO2 overcoats. Using these precisely controlled nanodot arrays, the effects of Au nanodot size and TiO2 overcoats were investigated for photoelectrochemical water splitting using a three-electrode system with a fiber-optic visible light source. From UV-vis measurement, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak energy (ELSPR) increased and the LSPR line width (G) decreased with decreasing Au nanodot size. The generated plasmonic enhancement for the photoelectrochemical water splitting reaction increased with decreasing Au particle size. The measured plasmonic enhancement for light on/off experiments was 25 times for the 50 nm Au size and 10 times for the 83 nm Au nanodot size. The activity of each catalyst increased by a factor of 6 when TiO2 was added to the Au nanodots for all the samples. The activity of the catalyst was proportional to the quality factor (defined as Q = E-LSPR/Gamma) of the plasmonic metal nanostructure. The enhanced water splitting performance with the decreased Au nanodot size is probably due to more generated charge carriers (electron/hole pair) by local field enhancement as the quality factor increases.

Kim, HJ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles (Final Technical Report)

The strong coupling between the different physical variables involved in the plasma transport phenomenon and the high complexity of its dynamics call for a model-based, multivariable approach to profile control where those predictive models could be exploited. The overall objective of this project has been to extend the existing body of work by investigating numerically and experimentally active control of unstable fluctuations, including fully developed turbulence and the associated cross-field particle transport, via manipulation of flow profiles in a magnetized laboratory plasma device. Fluctuations and particle transport can be monitored by an array of electrostatic probes, and E x B flow profiles can be controlled via a set of biased concentric ring electrodes that terminate the plasma column. The goals of the proposed research have been threefold: i- to develop a predictive code to simulate plasma transport in the linear HELCAT (HELicon-CAThode) plasma device at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where the experimental component of the proposed research has been carried out; ii- to establish the feasibility of using advanced model-based control algorithms to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles, iii- to investigate the fundamental nonlinear dynamics of turbulence and transport physics. Lehigh University (LU), including Prof. Eugenio Schuster and one full-time graduate student, has been primarily responsible for control-oriented modeling and model-based control design. Undergraduate students have also participated in this project through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program. The main goal of the LU Plasma Control Group has been to study the feasibility of controlling turbulence-driven transport by shaping the radial poloidal flow profile (i.e., by controlling flow shear) via biased concentric ring electrodes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Array-type NH.sub.3 sensor

An array-type sensor that senses NH.sub.3 includes non-Nernstian sensing elements constructed from metal and/or metal-oxide electrodes on an O.sub.2 ion conducting substrate. In one example sensor, one electrode may be made of platinum, another electrode may be made of manganese (III) oxide (Mn.sub.2O.sub.3), and another electrode may be made of tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3). Some sensing elements may further include an electrode made of La.sub.0.6Sr.sub.0.4Co.sub.0.2Fe.sub0.8O.sub.3 and another electrode made of LaCr.sub.0.95.Mg.sub.0.05O.sub.3.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hydration Mechanisms in Nanoparticle Interaction and Surface Energetics

Work on the project advanced molecular level understanding, prediction and control of nanoscale hydration in salt solutions under electric stimuli or ionic patterning. Permeation of nanoporous electrodes at preset voltage underlies the function of ultracapacitors. Transitory regulation of wetting in nanoporous media by electric field spans an array of applications in materials, energy storage, and separation sciences. The physically related modulation of nanoparticle solubility by surface charges can significantly extend the range of the nanomaterial applications, improve processing techniques, and potentially alleviate environmental concerns. Pore/solution equilibria, and activated kinetics of liquid gating by nanoconfined electrolytes are challenging problems at the forefront of experimental and theoretical research. Addressing these problems from a molecular perspective required the development of state-of-the-art simulation algorithms in statistical mechanics to capture complex processes in open systems under electric control. Parallel studies of wetting and dispersibility of polar and ionizing particles aim to uncover predictive relations between electrowetting, chemical functionalization, and geometry of nanomaterial particles. By nonequilibrium dynamic modeling, we elucidated electrolyte flow in nanochanels and associated electrokinetic energy conversion. Research on the program provided training opportunities for the next generation of scientists in computational chemistry. Insights, and methods from the project implicate broad segment of researchers in energy and nanosciences, materials and surface chemistry.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Electrochemical Sensors Based on Nanomaterials for Environmental Monitoring

This article review work relevant to the two fastest growing nanomaterials in electrochemical sensing of metal ions: organically modified ordered mesoporous silicas (OMSs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Nanostructured self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous silicas (SAMMS) materials are highly effective as electrode modifiers; they can be either mixed with conductive materials or spin-cast as a thin-film on electrode surface. The interfacial chemistry of SAMMS can be fine-tuned to selectively preconcentrate the specific metal ions of interest. The functional groups on SAMMS materials enable the preconcentration to be done without mercury, supporting electrolytes, applied potential, and solution degassing, all of which are often required in conventional adsorptive stripping voltammetric sensors. Since it was first introduced in 1991, CNTs have been widely investigated for electrochemical sensors of many important biomolecules because of their electrocatalytic and antifouling properties, biocompatibility, high surface, and mechanical strength. For trace metal analysis, CNT thin-film created by drop-coating of CNT-solvent suspensions on electrode surfaces has been explored in order to develop mercury-free sensors by exploiting the bulk properties of the CNTs. Array of low-site-density aligned carbon nanotubes has been grown on metal substrates by a non-lithographic method. Each CNT serves as a nanoelectrode which normally has greater mass transfer rate and higher mass sensitivity than conventional macroelectrodes. The array of millions of CNT nanoelectrodes provides magnified voltammetric signals for trace metal ions without the need for a signal amplifier.

Electrochemical Sensors↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of taste sensor system for differentiation of Indonesian herbal medicines

In Indonesia, herbal medicines are usually produced by small and medium enterprises which are relatively low in quality control. The purpose of this paper is to report that we have developed a taste sensor system with global selectivity, i.e., electronic tongue (e-tongue) for differentiation of Indonesian herbal medicines. The e-tongue was composed of five kinds of ion selective electrodes as working electrodes, data acquisition system, and pattern recognition system. Each ion selective electrode (ISE) was built by attaching lipid/polymer membrane. For this purpose, the five kinds of membranes were built by mixing lipid, plasticizer (nitrophenyl octyl ether/NPOE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and tetrahydrofuran (THF). In this study, we employed five kinds of lipid, namely oleic acid (OA), dioctyl phosphate (DOP), decyl alcohol (DA), dodecylamine (DDC), and trioctyl methyl ammonium chloride (TOMA). In this case, the membranes transform information of taste substances into electric signal. The five kinds of Indonesian herbal medicine were purchased from local supermarket in Yogyakarta, i.e., kunyit asam (made from turmeric and tamarind), beras kencur (made from rice and kencur), jahe wangi (made from ginger and fragrance), sirih wangi (made from betel leaf), and temulawak (made from Javanese ginger). Prior to detecting the taste from the Indonesian herbal medicine samples, each ion selective electrode was tested with five basic taste samples, i.e., for saltiness, sweetness, umami, bitterness, and sourness. All ISEs showed global selectivity to all samples. Furthermore, the array of ISEs showed specific response pattern to each Indonesian herbal medicine. For pattern recognition system, we employed principle component analysis (PCA). As a result, the e-tongue was able to differentiate five kinds of Indonesian herbal medicines, proven by the total variance of first and second principle components is about 93%. For the future, the e-tongue may be developed for quality control application in herbal medicine industries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Silicon-Copper Helical Arrays for New Generation Lithium Ion Batteries

The helical array (with 10 atom % Cu) exhibits 3130 mAh g–1 with 83% columbic efficiency and retains 83% of its initial discharge capacity after 100th cycle. Homogeneously distributed interspaces between the helical arrays accommodate high volumetric changes upon cycling and copper atoms form a conductive network to buffer the mechanical stress generated in the electrode while minimizing electrochemical agglomeration of Si. Also, ion assistance is believed to enhance the density of the helices at the bottom thus increasing the adhesion

anode↗
DOE OSTI2018

Three-Dimensional Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries Fabricated by Conformal Vapor-Phase Chemistry

Three-dimensional thin-film solid-state batteries (3D TSSB) were proposed by Long et al. in 2004 as a structure-based approach to simultaneously increase energy and power densities. Here, we report experimental realization of fully conformal 3D TSSBs, demonstrating the simultaneous power-and-energy benefits of 3D structuring. All active battery components—electrodes, solid electrolyte, and current collectors—were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto standard CMOS processable silicon wafers microfabricated to form arrays of deep pores with aspect ratios up to approximately 10. The cells utilize an electrochemically prelithiated LiV 2 O 5 cathode, a very thin (40–100 nm) Li 2 PO 2 N solid electrolyte, and a SnNx anode. The fabrication process occurs entirely at or below 250 °C, promising compatibility with a variety of substrates as well as integrated circuits. The multilayer battery structure enabled all-ALD solid-state cells to deliver 37 μAh/cm 2 ·μm (normalized to cathode thickness) with only 0.02% per-cycle capacity loss. Conformal fabrication of full cells over 3D substrates increased the areal discharge capacity by an order of magnitude while simulteneously improving power performance, a trend consistent with a finite element model. Furthermore, this work shows that the exceptional conformality of ALD, combined with conventional semiconductor fabrication methods, provides an avenue for the successful realization of long-sought 3D TSSBs which provide power performance scaling in regimes inaccessible to planar form factor cells.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tailoring Interfaces for Enhanced Methanol Production from Photoelectrochemical CO 2 Reduction

Efficient and stable photoelectrochemical reduction of CO 2 into highly reduced liquid fuels remains a formidable challenge, which requires an innovative semiconductor/catalyst interface to tackle. In this study, we introduce a strategy involving the fabrication of a silicon micropillar array structure coated with a superhydrophobic fluorinated carbon layer for the photoelectrochemical conversion of CO 2 into methanol. The pillars increase the electrode surface area, improve catalyst loading and adhesion without compromising light absorption, and help confine gaseous intermediates near the catalyst surface. The superhydrophobic coating passivates parasitic side reactions and further enhances local accumulation of reaction intermediates. Upon one-electron reduction of the molecular catalyst, the semiconductor–catalyst interface changes from adaptive to buried junctions, providing a sufficient thermodynamic driving force for CO 2 reduction. These structures together create a unique microenvironment for effective reduction of CO 2 to methanol, leading to a remarkable Faradaic efficiency reaching 20% together with a partial current density of 3.4 mA cm –2 , surpassing the previous record based on planar silicon photoelectrodes by a notable factor of 17. Furthermore, this work demonstrates a new pathway for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic CO 2 reduction through meticulous interface and microenvironment tailoring and sets a benchmark for both Faradaic efficiency and current density in solar liquid fuel production.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

A dielectric-barrier discharge enhanced plasma brush array at atmospheric pressure

This study developed a large volume cold atmospheric plasma brush array, which was enhanced by a dielectric barrier discharge by integrating a pair of DC glow discharge in parallel. A platinum sheet electrode was placed in the middle of the discharge chamber, which effectively reduced the breakdown voltage and working voltage. Emission spectroscopy diagnosis indicated that many excited argon atoms were distributed almost symmetrically in the lateral direction of the plasma. The concentration variations of reactive species relative to the gas flow rate and discharge current were also examined.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Using sensor arrays to decode NO x /NH 3 /C 3 H 8 gas mixtures for automotive exhaust monitoring

In this work, an array of four mixed-potential sensors is employed to identify and quantify gases in complex mixtures of unknown composition which mimic diesel engine exhaust. The sensors use dense metal and metal oxide electrodes with a porous ceramic electrolyte, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Since the sensors exhibit cross-specificity toward target gases, we develop a computational model for predicting gas concentrations in the mixtures. Our model is based on fundamental principles of gas-sensor interactions and, furthermore, takes into account the non-linearity of the observed sensor voltage response. Our approach enables accurate predictions of gas concentrations from the voltage output of the sensor array exposed to an extensive set of mixtures involving C 3 H 8 , NH 3 , NO and NO 2 . We find that our predictions remain accurate even if the model is trained using a reduced set of mixtures, or if the number of sensors is decreased to three or two. Finally, our experimental and computational framework can be used to decipher contents of complex gas mixtures of unknown composition in numerous industrial, automotive, and national security settings.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electrochemical polymer pen lithography

Disclosed herein is a massively parallel patterning tool for the deposition of single metals or metal alloys with size and composition control. Methods of the disclosure use a hydrogel array of pyramidal pen tips as a medium for localized electrodeposition, in conjunction with a scanning probe lithography platform and a three-electrode cell. This versatile technique can be used for high-throughput 3D printing, biomolecule patterning, or screening of catalyst nanoparticles or thin films.

Mirkin, Chad A.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measuring Magnetic Fields in Collisionless Experiments

Magnetic field and electron density diagnostics are critical tools in the characterization of high energy density laboratory plasmas. These plasma environments are complex and the magnetic fields and electron densities often exhibit significant spatial and temporal variation leading to significant challenges in these measurements. Even the most promising technique, Zeeman splitting, faces challenges under plasma conditions where broadening due to high density and temperature is greater than the Zeeman splitting. Here we propose and describe a diagnostic based on Zeeman broadening. The Zeeman broadening diagnostic relies on measuring the widths of multiplet components simultaneously. The method does not depend on resolved lines, but rather on measuring the difference in the widths of multiplet lines. Experiments were performed at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Terawatt Facility (NTF). The Zeeman broadening diagnostic gathered visible broadened multiplet spectra from laser produced plasmas, and plasmas generated from wire-arrays driven by the Zebra z-pinch pulsed power apparatus. The laser produced plasma, created by the Leopard pulsed laser (I>1014 W/cm 2 ), evolved in an external magnetic field (B<40T) generated by current driven through a solid electrode by the Zebra current pulse. For laser produced plasmas, observation of the magnetic field radial profile showed that the external field completely diffuses into the plasma after approximately 100 ns. Further, as the plasma continues to evolve, the field profiles within the plasma develop modulations that do not map the external field profile. For the wire array experiments, radial electron density, and magnetic field, profiles were measured. Here the Zeeman splitting was not resolved and the magnetic fields were determined from the difference between the widths of the multiplet line profiles. Thus, it has been demonstrated that Zeeman broadening may be used as a magnetic field diagnostic.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Capacitive deionization using carbon derived from an array of zeolitic-imidazolate frameworks

Capacitive deionization (CDI) represents one of the most thermodynamically efficient technologies for brackish water desalination. Its performance is highly reliant on the surface properties of carbon-based electrodes. Zeolitic-imidazolate framework (ZIF)-derived carbon materials have emerged among the most promising candidates owing to their high structural and compositional tuneability. However, the impacts of the precursory ZIF structure on the properties of the final carbon, and therefore, CDI capacity and efficiency remain to be further explored. In this work, four Zn-based ZIFs with different side-chain substitutions on the imidazolates were synthesized on a gram scale with high yields to produce N-doped carbons by pyrolysis. Next, the resulting carbons along with four commercial carbon blacks were characterized physically and electrochemically to explore the structure-performance relationship. We demonstrated that the imidazole side-chain substitution alters the ZIF's decomposition during pyrolysis, influencing the elemental compositions, surface properties, wettability and graphitization levels. The diverse carbon properties result in variable double layer capacitance and charge-transfer resistance, ultimately impacting the CDI performance. Among these carbons, Zn (4abIm)2-C afforded the greatest salt adsorption capacity of 14.19 mg NaCl $·g_C^{–1}$, while Zn (mIm) 2 -C showed the highest overall salt adsorption capacity and rate; both exceeded the performance of the commercial carbon blacks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗