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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Electrotransport purification of thorium under low pressure conditions

It was demonstrated that the ultrapurification of refractory metals by electrotransport refining could best be accomplished in the noncontaminating environment of an orbiting low density materials laboratory such as the Molecular Shield Device. Refining experiments were performed at 2 x 10 to the -12th Torr which resulted in the preparation of small quantities of the World's purest thorium metal. The microgravity occurring in orbit was simulated electromagnetically and shown to be advantageous in eliminating grain-sliding caused by the plastic deformation of the sample at high temperature. The electrotransport sample assembly was tested in several environments including simulated solar irradiation, coldness and darkness and under various pressure conditions. Ultrapure single crystals of alpha thorium were also prepared and characterized. Laboratory electronics for the experiment were developed and a totally automatic control system was used to heat the specimens.

Schmidt, F. A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

An atypical BRCT–BRCT interaction with the XRCC1 scaffold protein compacts human DNA Ligase IIIα within a flexible DNA repair complex

The XRCC1–DNA ligase IIIα complex (XL) is critical for DNA single-strand break repair, a key target for PARP inhibitors in cancer cells deficient in homologous recombination. Here, we combined biophysical approaches to gain insights into the shape and conformational flexibility of the XL as well as XRCC1 and DNA ligase IIIα (LigIIIα) alone. Structurally-guided mutational analyses based on the crystal structure of the human BRCT–BRCT heterodimer identified the network of salt bridges that together with the N-terminal extension of the XRCC1 C-terminal BRCT domain constitute the XL molecular interface. Coupling size exclusion chromatography with small angle X-ray scattering and multiangle light scattering (SEC-SAXS–MALS), we determined that the XL is more compact than either XRCC1 or LigIIIα, both of which form transient homodimers and are highly disordered. The reduced disorder and flexibility allowed us to build models of XL particles visualized by negative stain electron microscopy that predict close spatial organization between the LigIIIα catalytic core and both BRCT domains of XRCC1. Together our results identify an atypical BRCT–BRCT interaction as the stable nucleating core of the XL that links the flexible nick sensing and catalytic domains of LigIIIα to other protein partners of the flexible XRCC1 scaffold.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unraveling the Origin of Glassy Thermal Transport in Medium-Entropy Semiconductors: From Nanoscale Phase Segregation to Atomic-Scale Lattice Distortion

Thermoelectric (TE) materials can directly and reversibly convert heat into electricity, offering a promising pathway for reshaping the global energy landscape. The performance of thermoelectric materials is evaluated using the figure of merit, zT = S 2 σT/κ, which can be optimized by improving Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity (σ) while suppressing the thermal conductivity (κ) at the operating temperature (T). Here, we introduce a medium-entropy metal chalcogenide that exhibits phonon-glass electron-crystal behavior. The conventional perspective hypothesizes that the suppression of thermal transport arises solely from disordered atomic occupation, which enhances alloy scattering mechanisms for phonon transport. However, emerging evidence suggests the presence of structural and chemical inhomogeneity at multiple length scales in entropy-engineered materials, a phenomenon that has rarely been investigated in detail.

Liu, Yukun [Northwestern Univ]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Chirality transfer from chiral perovskite to molecular dopants via charge transfer states

Chiral perovskites are semiconductors with broken mirror symmetries. Their photo responses are often constrained in the UV range. In this work, we demonstrate that doping 2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane in the chiral perovskite matrix introduces a visible light absorption feature through the emerging charge-transfer electronic states. These charge-transfer states exhibits circular dichroism inherited from the chiral host, indicating effective chirality transfer from host to guest component via electronic coupling. Quantum-chemical modeling identifies a strong wave function overlap between an electron and a hole of the guest-host in a closely packed crystal configuration promoting the charge transfer state’s optical activity. We further integrate the doped chiral perovskite film into photodetectors and demonstrate a selective detection of circularly polarized light in both UV and visible regions. Our results suggest a universal approach of introducing visible photo absorption states to the chiral matrix to broaden the optical active range while enhancing the electrical conductivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigating the non-classical M-H 2 bonding in OsClH 3 (PPh 3 ) 3

Dihydrogen ligation to metal centers results in a wide range of metal-hydrogen interactions. Compounds containing non-classical dihydrogen ligands in which the H-H contacts are significantly longer than the 0.74 A distance found in solid H 2 are classified as Kubas-like compounds, stretched dihydrogen ligands, or compressed dihydrides, depending on the H-H contact length. Compounds containing stretched dihydrogen and compressed dihydride ligands are somewhat rare. Developing a more complete understanding of the metal-hydrogen and hydrogen-hydrogen interactions in these species may provide insights into the mechanisms for the oxidative addition reaction and hydrogen storage. Here, we use diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements, paired with both molecular and solid-state density functional theory (DFT), to fully characterize the nature of the metal-hydrogen and hydrogen-hydrogen interactions in a previously reported compound, OsClH 3 (PPh 3 ) 3 . In that report, the H-H distance was measured as 1.48(2) A by single-crystal neutron diffraction and was described as a "stretched" dihydrogen. The INS-generated phonon density of states is well described by the DFT calculations, including those normal modes dominated by the vibrational motions of the three Os-ligated hydrogen atoms. Additionally, the resulting calculated electron charge density landscape indicates that there is no remnant bonding character between the Os-ligated hydrogen atoms in the compound. Based on these findings, we update the understanding of the metal-hydrogen bonding in this complex and reclassify it as a compressed dihydride. As such, OsClH 3 (PPh 3 ) 3 represents a rare example of a non-classical compressed dihydride species.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crystal structure of domain of unknown function 507 (DUF507) reveals a new protein fold

The crystal structure of the domain of unknown function family 507 protein from Aquifex aeolicus is reported (AaDUF507, UniProt O67633, 183 residues). The structure was determined in two space groups (C222 1 and P3 2 21) at 1.9 Å resolution. The phase problem was solved by molecular replacement using an AlphaFold model as the search model. AaDUF507 is a Y-shaped α-helical protein consisting of an anti-parallel 4-helix bundle base and two helical arms that extend 30-Å from the base. The two crystal structures differ by a 25° rigid body rotation of the C-terminal arm. The tertiary structure exhibits pseudo-twofold symmetry. The structural symmetry mirrors internal sequence similarity: residues 11–57 and 102–148 are 30% identical and 53% similar with an E-value of 0.002. In one of the structures, electron density for an unknown ligand, consistent with nicotinamide or similar molecule, may indicate a functional site. Docking calculations suggest potential ligand binding hot spots in the region between the helical arms. Structure-based query of the Protein Data Bank revealed no other protein with a similar tertiary structure, leading us to propose that AaDUF507 represents a new protein fold.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Layered supramolecular hydrogels from thioglycosides

Low molecular weight hydrogels are made of small molecules that aggregate via noncovalent interactions. Here, comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of hydrogels made from thioglycolipids of the disaccharides lactose and cellobiose with simple alkyl chains is reported. While thiolactoside hydrogels are robust, thiocellobioside gels are metastable, precipitating over time into fibrous crystals that can be entangled to create pseudo-hydrogels. Rheology confirms the viscoelastic solid nature of these hydrogels with storage moduli ranging from 10–600 kPa. Additionally, thiolactoside hydrogels are thixotropic which is a desirable property for many potential applications. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of xerogels shows layers of stacked sheets that are entangled into networks. These structures are unique compared to the fibers or ribbons typically reported for hydrogels. Differential scanning calorimetry provides gel-to-liquid phase transition temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 °C. Prodan fluorescence spectroscopy allows assignment of phase transitions in the gels and other lyotropic phases of high concentration samples. Phase diagrams are estimated for all hydrogels at 1–10 wt% from 5 to ≥ 80 °C. In conclusion, these hydrogels represent a series of interesting materials with unique properties that make them attractive for numerous potential applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Epitaxial PbGeSe thin films and their photoluminescence in the mid-wave infrared

PbSe is a narrow bandgap IV–VI compound semiconductor with application in mid-wave infrared optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, and quantum devices. Alkaline-earth or rare-earth elements such as Sr and Eu can substitute Pb to widen the bandgap of PbSe in heterostructure devices, but they come with challenges such as deteriorating optical and electronic properties, even in dilute concentrations due to their dissimilar atomic nature. We substitute Pb instead with column IV Ge and assess the potential of rocksalt phase PbGeSe as a wider bandgap semiconductor in thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. Low sticking of GeSe adatoms requires synthesis temperatures below 260 °C to incorporate Ge, but this yields poor structural and compositional uniformity as determined by x-ray diffraction. Consequently, as-grown films in the range Pb0.94Ge0.06Se–Pb0.83Ge0.17Se (6%–17% Ge) show much less bandgap widening in photoluminescence than prior work on bulk crystals using absorption. We observe that post-growth rapid thermal annealing at temperatures of 375–450 °C improves the crystal quality and recovers bandgap widening. Rapid interdiffusion of Ge during annealing, however, remains a challenge in harnessing such PbGeSe materials for compositionally sharp heterostructures. Annealed 17% Ge films emit light at 3–3.1 μm with a minimal shift in wavelength vs temperature. These samples are wider in bandgap than PbSe films by 55 meV at room temperature, and the widening increases to 160 meV at 80 K, thanks to sharply different dependence of bandgap on temperature in PbSe vs PbGeSe.

Xiao, Kelly (ORCID:0000000321000838)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimization of La 2–x Sr x CuO 4 Single Crystal Film Growth via Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE) combined with ozone is one of the best methods to fabricate single-crystal thin films of complex oxides. Cuprate such as La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 (LSCO) is a representative complex-oxide high-temperature superconductor (HTS) material. Our group utilizes this method to produce high-quality single-crystal HTS films with atomically smooth surfaces and interfaces. In addition, ALL-MBE enables us to engineer multilayer heterostructures with atomic precision. This allows the fabrication of tunnel junctions, various nanostructures, and other HTS devices of interest for superconducting electronics. We have synthesized over three thousand LSCO thin films in the past two decades. These films’ structural and electronic properties have been studied and characterized by various methods. Here, we distill the extensive experience we accumulated into a step-by-step protocol to fabricate atomically perfect LSCO films. The recipe includes substrate preparation, ozone generation and distillation, source calibration, the in situ monitoring of the film synthesis, post-growth annealing, and ex situ characterization. It discloses a reproducible way to fabricate single-crystal LSCO films for basic research and HTS electronic applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evidence for In-Plane Electrical Polarization in 3R-β’-In 2 Se 3 Thin Films Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

β-In 2 Se 3 has been identified as a potential ferroelectric. This work describes the growth of β-In 2 Se 3 via molecular beam epitaxy along with a description of its properties, including the search for switchable polarization in 3R-β’-In2Se3. The thin-film morphology, crystal structure, and phase maps of β-In 2 Se 3 on Si(111) and Al 2 O 3 (0001) were evaluated by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy as a function of the atomic Se/In flux ratio and growth temperature. Smooth β-In 2 Se 3 thin films were successfully realized on Si(111) at a substrate temperature of 150 °C using a Se/In flux ratio of 5.7, as well as on Al 2 O 3 (0001) at 450 °C using a Se/In flux ratio of 5.5. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) confirms the 3R polytype of β-In 2 Se 3 in films on both substrates, with a minor disorder associated with the 2H polytype at the interface. Indications of in-plane Se atom displacements characteristic of the 3R-β’-In 2 Se 3 polytype were found by STEM and second harmonic generation analysis in films on Al 2 O 3 (0001), but not in films on Si(111). Furthermore, attempts at electrical polarization switching did not produce compelling evidence for ferroelectricity. Instead, electrical transport measurements demonstrated locally varying anisotropic responses with the applied electric fields along different in-plane directions, with some hysteresis associated with the trapping of charges.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Amplified spontaneous emission from europium-based molecular complexes coupled to photonic crystal cavities

Rare-earth ion-based materials bear many remarkable optical properties that render them highly appealing for lighting and quantum-related applications. However, their small oscillator strength and weak emission often pose limitations. Here, in this work, we synthesize and couple Eu(III)-based molecular complexes to nanobeam photonic crystals supporting air modes. A reasonable spatial overlap between the molecular complexes and cavity modes leads to an average spontaneous emission coupling efficiency of 0.19. Our pump power-dependent photoluminescence measurements evidence amplified spontaneous emission from the molecular complexes with an amplification threshold as low as 4.4 W/cm 2 , likely benefiting from the efficient coupling. These findings suggest that integrating rare-earth ion-based molecular complexes with photonic structures could be a viable approach for regulating their emission characteristics for particular applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tuning of electronic properties in highly lattice-mismatched epitaxial SmN

Here, we establish the relationship between native N vacancies, introduced through varying growth parameters, and the structural and transport properties in SmN thin films grown via molecular beam epitaxy grown on MgO(001). The varying levels of N vacancies introduced by varying the ratio of Sm to N atoms during deposition creates excess carriers that radically transform the electrical behavior of the film, over a range of five orders of magnitude, from highly resistive to highly conductive, and unlocking a phase transition evidenced by the presence of a ferromagnetic feature in resistivity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that this effect is much less pronounced when varying the available nitrogen species. These samples retain a highly crystal quality despite being grown on a substrate with a lattice mismatch of 20%, alleviating the strain by forming a highly strained SmO oxide layer. The integration between SmN and several transition metal nitride compounds has the potential to unlock new architectures for Josephson junction devices.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Theoretical examination of nuclear spin diffusion in light-induced spin coherences in photosystem I

Microsecond coherence times are predicted in spin dynamics calculations of a donor–acceptor electron spin pair P + A 1A - created upon light excitation of photosystem I (PSI). The effects of nuclear spin diffusion (NSD) due to the anisotropic protein environment on the predicted coherence times T M are studied. Closely positioned pairs and triples of protons located 5–8 Å from the electron spin are shown to largely control T M . Additionally, knowledge of the crystal structure of PSI allows for spin dynamics calculations where specific cofactors and amino acid residues are removed or replaced and the identification of anisotropic environmental features controlling electronic decoherence. Finally, we show that NSD alone cannot explain the >3× shorter experimentally observed coherence times and suggest that methyl groups at key protein sites may explain this discrepancy.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Superconductivity in CH 4 and BH – 4 containing compounds derived from the high-pressure superhydrides

Inspired by the synthesis of the high-pressure Fm3m LaH 10 superconducting superhydride, systematic density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to study ternaries that could be derived from it by replacing two of the hydrogen atoms with boron or carbon and varying the identity of the electropositive element. Though many of the resulting alkali-metal and alkaline-earth MC 2 H 8 phases are predicted to be dynamically stable at mild pressures, their superconducting critical temperatures (T c s) are low because their metallicity results from the filling of an electride-like band. Substitution with a trivalent element leads to phases with substantial metal d- character at the Fermi level whose T c s are typically above 40 K. Here, among the MB 2 H 8 phases examined, KB 2 H 8 , RbB 2 H 8 and CsB 2 H 8 are predicted to be dynamically stable at very mild pressures, and their stability is rationalized by a DFT-Chemical Pressure analysis that elucidates the role of the M atom size. Quantum anharmonic effects strongly affect the properties of KB 2 H 8 , the highest predicted T c compound, near 10 GPa, but molecular dynamics simulations reveal it would decompose below its T c at this pressure. Nonetheless, at ca. 50 GPa KB 2 H 8 is predicted to be thermally stable with a superconducting figure of merit surpassing that of the recently synthesized LaBeH 8 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Jahn–Teller-driven phase segregation in Mn x Co 3–x O 4 spinel thin films

Transition metal spinel oxides comprised of earth-abundant Mn and Co have long been explored for their use in catalytic reactions and energy storage. However, understanding functional properties can be challenging due to differences in sample preparation and the ultimate structural properties of the materials. Epitaxial thin film synthesis provides a novel means of producing precisely controlled materials to explore the variations reported in the literature. In this work, Mn x Co 3–x O 4 samples from x = 0 to x = 1.28 were synthesized through molecular beam epitaxy and characterized to develop a material properties map as a function of stoichiometry. Here, films were characterized via in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and polarized K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Mn cations within this range were found to be octahedrally coordinated, in line with an inverse spinel structure. Samples largely show mixed Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ character with evidence of phase segregation tendencies with the increasing Mn content and increasing Mn 3+ formal charge. Phase segregation may occur due to structural incompatibility between cubic and tetragonal crystal structures associated with Mn 4+ and Jahn–Teller active Mn 3+ octahedra, respectively. Our results help in explaining the reported differences across samples in these promising materials for renewable energy technologies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Symmetry-breaking in double gyroid block copolymer films by non-affine distortion

Soft-matter bicontinuous networks find a double gyroid structure from block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly. A gyroid structure composed of dissimilar blocks has proven its potential as a soft crystal capable of tuning structural periodicity and symmetry, of which the lattice dimension is variable with molecular weight of the polymer. Using an asymmetric polystyrene- b -poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS- b -PMMA), in this study we show that the self-assembled gyroid films formed via a solvent vapor annealing (SVA) process undergo unique structural distortion due to directional deformation immediately upon deswelling. During the SVA process with PS- b -PMMA films, transient cylinders developed from the as-cast morphology transform into a cubic gyroid structure in a swollen state. Rapid and spontaneous deswelling processes -the manners in which the films contract along the z-direction while retaining an enlarged lateral dimension of the cubic form -lead to triclinic gyroid structures with z-directional contraction ratios ( C z ) of 2.5 and 2.0, respectively. Our X-ray analysis reveals that the deswelling process of the swollen gyroid films produces a notable symmetry-breaking in non-affine gyroid structure that elicits several forbidden reflections such as {110} and {200} reflections. For further characterization of the symmetry-breaking, we delineate the structural features of noncubic gyroid films by computing electron-density difference maps assisted with X-ray measurements. Level-set approach is accordingly developed to quantitate the structural characteristics of the maps in terms of inversion symmetry-breaking, suggesting its possible application to optical Weyl photonic crystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evidence for nitrogen binding to surface defects for topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3

Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy and theoretical simulations we have studied the effects of nitrogen gas exposure on the electronic density of states of Bi 2 Se 3 , a well-studied topological insulator. In carefully controlled measurements, Bi 2 Se 3 crystals were initially cleaved in a helium gas environment and then exposed to a 22 SCFH flow of ultra-high purity N 2 gas. We observe a resulting change in the spectral curves, with the exposure effect saturating after approximately 50 min, ultimately bringing the Dirac point about 50 meV closer to the Fermi level. Furthermore, these results are compared to density functional theory calculations, which support a picture of N 2 molecules physisorbing near Se vacancies. Furthermore, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations aided by a Blue Moon ensemble method reveal the dissociative adsorption of N 2 molecules which then bind strongly to Se vacancies at the surface. In this scenario, the binding of the N atom to a Se vacancy site removes the surface defect state created by the vacancy and changes the position of the Fermi energy with respect to the Dirac point.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗