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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 OSTI2019

Recent Advances in the Design of Ionenes: Toward Convergence with High–Performance Polymers

Ionenes, condensation polymers wherein the charge (typically cationic) lies directly within the polymer backbone, have been known for over 85 years. Historically, ionenes have been synthesized from 3° diamines and α,ω-dihaloalkanes, forming chains of ammonium cations tethered by flexible hydrocarbon linkages with “free” halide anions. However, the requisite building blocks of ionenes are by no means limited only to such molecules. In recent years, ionenes with more sophisticated backbone chemistries have been produced, with a trend toward the use of functionalities associated with classical “high-performance” condensation polymers such as polyimides and polyarylamides. The expansion of ionenes is also catalyzed by the rapid growth of research in imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs), wherein the combination of ionenes with ILs can yield unexpected behaviors. Furthermore, when considering the largely unexplored experimental space in anionic ionenes, the opportunities for new materials are virtually endless. Furthermore, this review primarily focuses on developments in ionenes published in the scientific literature since 2010, but also includes some older examples that may not have received sufficient attention at the time of their original publication yet can provide some key lessons for the future of ionene design.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Recent experimental explorations of non-classical nucleation

Nucleation, the early stage of crystallization, is a key step in producing functional materials, but nucleation processes have yet to be understood in detail. Recent advanced characterization techniques, especially atomic force microscopy, liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryo-TEM, enable scientists to observe previously inaccessible nucleation details at the nanoscale. In this review, we summarize newly suggested non-classical nucleation models with respect to mechanistic understanding from experimental views, which highlight multi-step nucleation mechanisms. Different intermediated phases such as clusters at the pre-nucleation stage, liquid-like precursors, amorphous phases and even oligomers have been revealed, which play vital roles in nucleation and structure control. Moreover, these intermediated phases practically contribute in general to the structural variances of materials for nanoscience and nanotechnology. Overall, these studies ultimately enable us to control nucleation processes for materials synthesis.

Jin, Biao↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structural and functional ramifications of antigenic drift in recent SARS-CoV-2 variants

Defenses against SARS-CoV-2 variants Our key defense against the COVID-19 pandemic is neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus elicited by natural infection or vaccination. Recent emerging viral variants have raised concern because of their potential to escape antibody neutralization. Wang et al . identified four antibodies from early-outbreak convalescent donors that are potent against 23 variants, including variants of concern, and characterized their binding to the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Yuan et al . examined the impact of emerging mutations in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein on binding to the host receptor ACE2 and to a range of antibodies. These studies may be helpful for developing more broadly effective vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. —VV

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Physics-Dynamics Coupling in Weather, Climate, and Earth System Models: Challenges and Recent Progress

Geophysical models of the atmosphere and ocean invariably involve parameterizations. These represent two distinct areas: a) Subgrid processes which the model cannot (yet) resolve, due to its discrete resolution, and b) sources in the equation, due to radiation for example. Hence coupling between these physics parameterizations and the resolved fluid dynamics and also between the dynamics of the different fluids in the system (air and water) is necessary. This coupling is an important aspect of geophysical models. However, often model development is strictly segregated into either physics or dynamics. Hence, this area has many more unanswered questions than in-depth understanding. Furthermore, recent developments in the design of dynamical cores (significant increase of resolution, move to non-hydrostatic equation sets etc), extended process physics (prognostic micro physics, 3D turbulence, non-vertical radiation etc) and predicted future changes of the computational infrastructure (Exascale with its need for task parallelism, data locality and asynchronous time stepping for example) is adding even more complexity and new questions.

Gross, Markus↗
DOE OSTI2021

LHCb: Recent Results and Future Plans

In this overview contribution we introduce the most recent results in high-multiplicity $pp$ and heavy ion collisions obtained by the LHCb experiment, detector developments and plans for the future heavy ion program. Some of the highlights include the study of double charm production, nuclear modification of B-hadrons, quarkonia and Z-bosons in pPb and the suppression of prompt X(3872) hadrons in high multiplicity $pp$ events. On the detector side, we bring to attention the preparation for the upcoming Run III in LHC and the fixed target program.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Recent developments in catalyst-related PEM fuel cell durability

Cost and durability remain the two major barriers to the widespread commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)-based power systems, especially for the most impactful but challenging fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) application. Commercial FCEVs are now on the road; however, their PEMFC systems do not meet the cost targets established by the U.S. Department of Energy, primarily due to the high platinum loading needed on the cathode to achieve the requisite performance and lifetime. Furthermore, while the activities of a number of commercial Pt-based alloy cathode catalysts exceed the beginning-of-life (BOL) targets, these activities, and the overall cathode performance, degrade via a variety of mechanisms described herein. Degradation is mitigated in current FCEVs by utilizing a cathode catalyst with a lower BOL activity (e.g., much lower transition metal alloy content and larger BOL nanoparticle size), necessitating higher catalyst loadings, and through the utilization of system controls that avoid conditions known to exacerbate degradation processes, such as limiting the fuel cell stack voltage range. The design and development of active and robust materials and eliminating the need for vehicle mitigation strategies would greatly simplify the operating system, allowing for greater transient operation, avoiding large hybridization, and curtailing of fuel cell power. Although system mitigation strategies have provided the near-term pathway for FCEV commercialization, material-specific solutions are required to further reduce costs and improve operability and efficiency. Future material developments should focus on stabilization of the electrode structure and minimization of the catalyst particle susceptibility to dissolution caused by oxide formation and reduction over PEMFC cathode-relevant operating potentials plus minimization of support corrosion. Ex situ accelerated stress tests have provided insight into the processes responsible for material and performance degradation and will continue to provide useful information on the relative stability of materials and benchmarks for robust and stable materials-based solutions not requiring system mitigation strategies to achieve adequate lifetime.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗