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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Plasmon-Induced Resonance Energy Transfer in Hybrid Nanomaterials

Plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET) has emerged as a powerful mechanism for harnessing and redirecting plasmon energy before it dissipates into hot carriers or heat. By matching plasmon resonance frequencies with acceptor absorption bands, PIRET extends plasmon-driven processes beyond the charge transfer pathway, enabling selective energy flow into excitonic transitions. Here, this review highlights important progress in elucidating the fundamental plasmon decay processes and transitioning them into hybrid nanomaterials under PIRET. Employing specialized single-particle spectroscopic techniques based on scattering, extinction, and emission enables demonstration of PIRET in the face of competing mechanisms, such as interfacial charge transfer and thermalization. Finally, we complete this review by addressing strategies for active modulation of PIRET and present applications, ranging from plasmon photocatalysis to intracellular biochemical sensing.

Energy transfer↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assembled peptoid crystalline nanomaterials as carbonic anhydrase mimics for promoted hydration and sequestration of CO 2

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) mimics have received significant attention due to their promising applications in the enhanced hydration and sequestration of CO 2 . Herein, we report the assembly of sequence-defined peptoids into crystalline nanomaterials with controlled microenvironment of active sites as CA mimics for promoted hydration and sequestration of CO 2 . By incorporating specific ligands into self-assembling peptoids and coordinating these ligands with metal cations, we synthesize a variety of crystalline nanosheets and nanotubes as efficient CA mimics comparable to natural bovine CA. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the critical roles of peptoid-Zn 2+ binding energy and the active site local microenvironment on the catalytic performance of these CA mimics. CO 2 precipitation results show that these CA mimics promote the hydration and sequestration of CO 2 while retaining high thermal and chemical stabilities. This study offers essential guidance for the future design of high-performance CA-mimics suitable for applications in CO 2 capture and sequestration.

Chakma, Progyateg [Pacific Northwest National Labo↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deep-learning atomistic semi-empirical pseudopotential model for nanomaterials

The semi-empirical pseudopotential method (SEPM) has been widely applied to provide computational insights into the electronic structure, photophysics, and charge carrier dynamics of nanoscale materials. We present “DeepPseudopot”, a machine-learned atomistic pseudopotential model that extends the SEPM framework by combining a flexible neural network representation of the local pseudopotential with parameterized non-local and spin-orbit coupling terms. Trained on bulk quasiparticle band structures and deformation potentials from GW calculations, the model captures many-body and relativistic effects with very high accuracy across diverse semiconducting materials, as illustrated for silicon and group III-V semiconductors. DeepPseudopot’s accuracy, efficiency, and transferability make it well-suited for data-driven in silico design and discovery of novel optoelectronic nanomaterials.

Lin, Kailai [University of California, Berkeley, C↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plasmonic pathway to hybrid nanomaterials through energy transfer

Plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET) is a promising approach for plasmonic photocatalysis and energy conversion, but challenges include elucidating the mechanism and maximizing its efficiency, both of which are hampered by competing processes. Another challenge is demonstrating that PIRET can photoinitiate reactions that follow efficient pathways compared to bulk processes. We report a plasmon-induced route to plasmonic-polymer hybrid nanomaterials using in operando single-particle spectroelectrochemistry. An energy transfer efficiency of 40% is achievable when the spectral overlap between gold nanorod scattering and polymer absorption is maximized. We also show that PIRET-initiated polymerization proceeds through a different mechanism than bulk polymerization, supported by spectroscopic evidence and density functional theory calculations, highlighting efficient energy cascading from photon to plasmon to exciton and, lastly, to unconventional light-initiated chemistry.

Oh, Hyuncheol [University of Illinois Urbana-Champ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Green Synthesis of Multifunctional Nanomaterials

CONCLUSIONS • We demonstrate eco-friendly and green synthesis approaches of isotropic and anisotropic nanomaterials that meet our environmental stewardship needs: • Atom Economy: Maximize the incorporation of all materials used in a reaction into the final product. • Prevention: Prevent waste generation in the first place. • Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis: Use and generate substances with low toxicity to humans and the environment. • Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries: Avoid or minimize the use of hazardous solvents.

Murph, Simona E. [Savannah River National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2025

Establishing defect-property relationships for 2D-nanomaterials (Final technical report)

Studies of new families of two-dimensional nanomaterials (2DNMs) have established that they possess unique properties that diverge from those of their bulk counterparts. This project aimed to determine how tolerant 2DNMs are to extreme photon and particle fluxes and to identify the mechanisms governing their radiation response. Early work indicated that graphene is not as representative of other 2DNMs as previously assumed; however, the origin of this difference remained unclear. To address these knowledge gaps, this project investigated the physical processes occurring at multiple length scales in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and quantified their structural stability and property evolution under far-from-equilibrium conditions. In-situ and ex-situ ion and electron irradiations were performed to directly control and monitor defect formation in TMDs. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to elucidate the mechanisms of defect generation and evolution. The outcomes of this work established mechanistic understanding of irradiation-induced defect formation in 2DNMs, quantified the radiation tolerance of TMDs, and built a fundamental knowledge base for correlating defect structures with material properties. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the stability of low-dimensional materials in extreme environments and enable the predictive design of radiation-tolerant 2DNMs.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling Carbon-Based Nanomaterials (CNMs) and Derived Composites and Devices

A review of different modeling techniques, specifically in the framework of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs, including nanoparticles such as graphene and carbon nanotubes—CNTs) and the composites and devices that can be derived from them, is presented. The article emphasizes that the overall performance of these materials depends on mechanisms that operate across different time and spatial scales, requiring tailored approaches based on the material type, size, internal structure/configuration, and the specific properties of interest. Far from attempting to cover the entire spectrum of models, this review examines a wide range of analysis and simulation techniques, highlighting their potential use, some of their weaknesses and strengths, and presenting the latest developments and some application examples. In this way, it is shown how modeling can provide key information for tailoring or designing new materials for specific components or systems or to obtain certain functionalities. At the same time, it is revealed to be an area constantly undergoing development and improvement, as evidenced by the progress made by various of these techniques and the new modeling approaches that have emerged in recent years.

Chiminelli, Agustίn (ORCID:0000000230312107)↗
NASA NTRS2006

Nanomaterials for Advanced Life Support in Advanced Life Support in Space systems

A viewgraph presentation describing nanomaterial research at NASA Johnson Space Center with a focus on advanced life support in space systems is shown. The topics include: 1) Introduction; 2) Research and accomplishments in Carbon Dioxide Removal; 3) Research and Accomplishments in Water Purification; and 4) Next Steps

Allada, Rama Kumar↗
NASA NTRS2005

Nanomaterials Work at NASA-Johnson Space Center

Nanomaterials activities at NASA-Johnson Space Center focus on single wall carbon nanotube production, characterization and their applications for aerospace. Nanotubes are produced by arc and laser methods and the growth process is monitored by in-situ diagnostics using time resolved passive emission and laser induced fluorescence of the active species. Parametric study of both these processes are conducted to monitor the effect of production parameters including temperature, buffer gas, flow rate, pressure, laser fluence and arc current. Characterization of the nanotube material is performed using the NASA-JSC protocol developed by combining analytical techniques of SEM, TEM, UV-VIS-NIR absorption, Raman, and TGA. Efforts at JSC over the past five years in composites have centered on structural polymernanotube systems. Recent activities broadened this focus to multifunctional materials, supercapacitors, fuel cells, regenerable CO2 absorbers, electromagnetic shielding, radiation dosimetry and thermal management systems of interest for human space flight. Preliminary tests indicate improvement of performance in most of these applications because of the large surface area as well as high conductivity exhibited by SWCNTs.

Arepalli, Sivaram↗
NASA NTRS2008

Novel Carbon Dioxide Microsensor Based on Tin Oxide Nanomaterial Doped With Copper Oxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major indicators of fire and therefore its measurement is very important for low-false-alarm fire detection and emissions monitoring. However, only a limited number of CO2 sensing materials exist due to the high chemical stability of CO2. In this work, a novel CO2 microsensor based on nanocrystalline tin oxide (SnO2) doped with copper oxide (CuO) has been successfully demonstrated. The CuO-SnO2 based CO2 microsensors are fabricated by means of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and sol-gel nanomaterial-synthesis processes. At a doping level of CuO: SnO2 = 1:8 (molar ratio), the resistance of the sensor has a linear response to CO2 concentrations for the range of 1 to 4 percent CO2 in air at 450 C. This approach has demonstrated the use of SnO2, typically used for the detection of reducing gases, in the detection of an oxidizing gas.

Xu, Jennifer C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Nanomaterials for Electronics and Optoelectronics

Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes(CNTs), graphene, and inorganic nanowires(INWs) have shown interesting electronic, mechanical, optical, thermal, and other properties and therefore have been pursued for a variety of applications by the nanotechnology community ranging from electronics to nanocomposites. While the first two are carbon-based materials, the INWs in the literature include silicon, germanium, III-V, II-VI, a variety of oxides, nitrides, antimonides and others. In this talk, first an overview of growth of these three classes of materials by CVD and PECVD will be presented along with results from characterization. Then applications in development of chemical sensors, biosensors, energy storage devices and novel memory architectures will be discussed.

Koehne, Jessica E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Evaluation of Nanomaterial Approaches to Damping in Epoxy Resin and Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite Structures by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Vibration mitigation in composite structures has been demonstrated through widely varying methods which include both active and passive damping. Recently, nanomaterials have been investigated as a viable approach to composite vibration damping due to the large surface available to generate energy dissipation through friction. This work evaluates the influence of dispersed nanoparticles on the damping ratio of an epoxy matrix. Limited benefit was observed through dispersion methods, however nanoparticle application as a coating resulting in up to a three-fold increase in damping.

Miller, G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigating the impact of donor atoms of single-source precursors on f-element nanomaterial formation and mechanisms of initial bond cleavage

Nanotechnology is advancing exponentially, with novel discoveries and applications emerging every day across various fields, including environmental remediation, biomedicine, electronics, and textiles. Nanoparticles (NPs) are defined as particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm, and their properties are influenced by factors such as composition, phase, size, and shape. Single-source precursors (SSPs) offer a promising method for controlling the synthesis of phase-pure nanoparticles with the desired stoichiometry and have been successfully applied to prepare transition metal and lanthanide NPs. SSPs are molecular compounds that contain all the necessary components to form the final nanomaterial and decompose under mild conditions, such as heating, to create the solid-state product. The objective of this work was to garner a mechanistic understanding of cerium oxide NP formation from cerium SSPs. To achieve these goals, first, ligands with oxygen and sulfur donor atoms were synthesized; among the array of ligands synthesized, some were novel. These ligands were then chelated to cerium ions to synthesize cerium precursors. Initially, known cerium alkoxide precursors were synthesized. Subsequently, these basic cerium complexes were further manipulated through acid-base protonolysis reactions to install a diverse set of ligands. Within this body of work, 10 novel cerium precursors were successfully synthesized. The ligands and the SSPs were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC). These SSPs were then introduced to a collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometer (CID-MS), and their dissociation pathways were studied.

37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗
DOE OSTI2026

Non‐Equilibrium Synthesis Methods to Create Metastable and High‐Entropy Nanomaterials

Stabilizing multiple elements within a single phase enables the creation of advanced materials with exceptional properties arising from their complex composition. However, under equilibrium conditions, the Hume–Rothery rules impose strict limitations on solid-state miscibility, restricting combinations of elements with mismatched crystal structures, atomic radii, valence states, or electronegativities. This severely narrows the accessible compositional space for creating new inorganic materials. In this review, we highlight how non-equilibrium synthesis methods, featuring ultrafast heating and quenching, can overcome these thermodynamic barriers, enabling integration of immiscible elements into metastable and high-entropy nanostructures. The resulting materials benefit from both kinetic trapping and stabilization by high configurational entropy, leading to enhanced phase stability. These materials can exhibit unique structural and functional properties that are needed for advancing catalysis, energy storage, thermoelectrics, and sensing. Furthermore, the ability of non-equilibrium methods to generate unconventional compositions and structures expands the material design space dramatically, offering rich datasets for AI-guided materials discovery. When combined with their inherent high-throughput and scalable characteristics, these approaches enable rapid, iterative optimization and accelerate the development and industrial production of next-generation inorganic materials.

high-entropy materials↗
NASA NTRS2018

Carbon Nanomaterials for Biosensing Applications

A sensor platform based on vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (CNFs) has been developed. Their inherent nanometer scale, high conductivity, wide potential window, good biocompatibility and well-defined surface chemistry make them ideal candidates as biosensor electrodes. Here, we report two studies using vertically aligned CNF nanoelectrodes for biomedical applications. CNF arrays are investigated as neural stimulation and neurotransmitter recording electrodes for application in deep brain stimulation (DBS). Polypyrrole coated CNF nanoelectrodes have shown great promise as stimulating electrodes due to their large surface area, low impedance, biocompatibility and capacity for highly localized stimulation. CNFs embedded in SiO2 have been used as sensing electrodes for neurotransmitter detection. Our approach combines a multiplexed CNF electrode chip, developed at NASA Ames Research Center, with the Wireless Instantaneous Neurotransmitter Concentration Sensor (WINCS) system, developed at the Mayo Clinic. Preliminary results indicate that the CNF nanoelectrode arrays are easily integrated with WINCS for neurotransmitter detection in a multiplexed array format. In the future, combining CNF based stimulating and recording electrodes with WINCS may lay the foundation for an implantable “smart” therapeutic system that utilizes neurochemical feedback control while likely resulting in increased DBS application in various neuropsychiatric disorders. In total, our goal is to take advantage of the nanostructure of CNF arrays for biosensing studies requiring ultrahigh sensitivity, high-degree of miniaturization, and selective biofunctionalization.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Biosensing Applications↗
DOE OSTI2024

Facile Tensile Testing Platform for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy of Nanomaterials

In situ tensile testing using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful technique to probe structure-property relationships of materials at the atomic scale. In this work, a facile tensile testing platform for in situ characterization of materials inside a transmission electron microscope is demonstrated. The platform consists of: 1) a commercially available, flexible, electron-transparent substrate (e.g., TEM grid) integrated with a conventional tensile testing holder, and 2) a finite element simulation providing quantification of specimen-applied strain. The flexible substrate (carbon support film of the TEM grid) mitigates strain concentrations usually found in free-standing films and enables in situ straining experiments to be performed on materials that cannot undergo localized thinning or focused ion beam lift-out. The finite element simulation enables direct correlation of holder displacement with sample strain, providing upper and lower bounds of expected strain across the substrate. The tensile testing platform is validated for three disparate material systems: sputtered gold-palladium, few-layer transferred tungsten disulfide, and electrodeposited lithium, by measuring lattice strain from experimentally recorded electron diffraction data. The results show good agreement between experiment and simulation, providing confidence in the ability to transfer strain from holder to sample and relate TEM crystal structural observations with material mechanical properties.

2D materials↗