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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

NH3-SCR on Cu, Fe and Cu+Fe exchanged Beta and SSZ-13 catalysts: hydrothermal aging and propylene poisoning effects

Cu, Fe and Cu+Fe ion exchanged Beta and SSZ-13 catalysts were prepared by solution ion exchange using commercial NH4/Beta, and NH4/SSZ-13 that was prepared in-house. To study hydrothermal aging effects, Beta supported catalysts were aged hydrothermally at 700 C and SSZ-13 supported catalysts were aged at 750 C. In order to reveal the effects of Fe addition in the co-exchanged catalysts, these catalysts were characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), 27Al-nuclear magnetic resonance (27Al-NMR) and propylene coking followed with temperature programmed reaction (TPR), and further tested with standard NH3-SCR with and without the presence of propylene. Collectively, the catalyst characterizations and reaction testing indicated minor beneficial effects of Fe addition in Cu,Fe/Beta, where NH3-SCR activity, N2 selectivity and hydrothermal stability were all slightly improved. In contrast, Fe addition did not show apparent beneficial effects in low-temperature SCR for the Cu,Fe/SSZ-13 case. At elevated reaction temperatures, however, the presence of Fe indeed considerably improved NO conversion and N2 selectivity for the hydrothermally aged Cu,Fe/SSZ-13 catalyst in the presence of propylene. The authors from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office for the support of this work. The research described in this paper was performed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a national scientific user facility sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at PNNL. PNNL is operated for the US DOE by Battelle. The authors from East China University of Science and Technology acknowledge support from National Basic Research Program of China (2013CB933200), National Natural Science Foundation of China (21577035, 21577034), Commission of Science and Technology of Shanghai Municipality (15DZ1205305) and 111 Project (B08021). Aiyong Wang also gratefully acknowledges the China Scholarship Council for a Joint-Training Scholarship Program with PNNL.

Wang, Aiyong↗
DOE OSTI2017

Structural Effects of Lanthanide Dopants on Alumina

Lanthanide (Ln 3+ ) doping in alumina has shown great promise for stabilizing and promoting desirable phase formation to achieve optimized physical and chemical properties. However, doping alumina with Ln elements is generally accompanied by formation of new phases (i.e. LnAlO3, Ln2O3), and therefore inclusion of Ln-doping mechanisms for phase stabilization of the alumina lattice is indispensable. In this study, Ln-doping (400 ppm) of the alumina lattice crucially delays the onset of phase transformation and enables phase population control, which is achieved without the formation of new phases. The delay in phase transition (θ → α), and alteration of powder morphology, particle dimensions, and composition ratios between α- and θ-alumina phases are studied using a combination of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, electron microscopy, digital scanning calorimetry, and high resolution X-ray diffraction with refinement fitting. Loading alumina with a sparse concentration of Ln-dopants suggests that the dopants reside in the vacant octahedral locations within the alumina lattice, where complete conversion into the thermodynamically stable α-domain is shown in dysprosium (Dy)- and lutetium (Lu)-doped alumina. This study opens up the potential to control the structure and phase composition of Ln-doped alumina for emerging applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Sobering Examination of the Feasibility of Aqueous Aluminum Batteries

Recent reports on aqueous aluminum (Al) batteries boast encouraging metrics including high energy density, nonflammability, and low raw material cost. However, the poorly understood solvation environment around the trivalent aluminum ions (Al3+) raises uncertainty regarding their feasibility. Furthermore, the corrosiveness of the acidic solutions and degree of hydration of aluminum trifluoromethanesulfonate (Al(OTf)3) salt is routinely mischaracterized. This study provides a rigorous examination of aqueous Al electrolytes, with the first compelling evidence for a dynamic octahedral solvation structure around Al3+ dominated by labile water and OH-, without Al-OTf contact ion pairs, at high concentrations. This solvation behavior and the concomitant electrostatic hydrolysis differs greatly from previously reported water-in-salt electrolytes, and occurs due to the high charge density of the Lewis acidic Al3+. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other physicochemical measurements quantitatively reveal how species activity evolves with concentration. The high proton activity observed in transport and electrochemical measurements constitutes a prohibitive barrier to the feasibility of rechargeable aluminum batteries with aqueous electrolyte.

Pastel, Glenn R.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Suppression of electron correlations in the collapsed tetragonal phase of CaFe2As2 under ambient pressure demonstrated by As75 NMR/NQR measurements

The static and the dynamic spin correlations in the low-temperature collapsed tetragonal and the high-temperature tetragonal phase in CaFe2As2 have been investigated by As75 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements. Through the temperature (T) dependence of the nuclear spin lattice relaxation rates (1/T1) and the Knight shifts, although stripe-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin correlations are realized in the high-temperature tetragonal phase, no trace of the AFM spin correlations can be found in the nonsuperconducting, low-temperature, collapsed tetragonal (cT) phase. Given that there is no magnetic broadening in As75 NMR spectra, together with the T-independent behavior of magnetic susceptibility χ and the T dependence of 1/T1Tχ, we conclude that Fe spin correlations are completely quenched statically and dynamically in the nonsuperconducting cT phase in CaFe2As2.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Physiochemical Characterization of Lignocellulosic Biomass Dissolution by Flowthrough Pretreatment

Comprehensive understanding of biomass solubilization chemistry in aqueous pretreatment such as water-only and dilute acid flowthrough pretreatment is of fundamental importance to achieve the goal of valorizing biomass to fermentable sugars and lignin for biofuels production. In this study, poplar wood was flowthrough pretreated by water-only or 0.05% (w/w) sulfuric acid at different temperatures (220-270 °C), flow rate (25 mL/min), and reaction times (8-90 min), resulting in significant disruption of the lignocellulosic biomass. Ion chromatography (IC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and solid state cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were applied to characterize the pretreated biomass whole slurries in order to reveal depolymerization as well as solubilization mechanism and identify unique dissolution structural features during these pretreatments. Results showed temperature-dependent cellulose decrystallization in flowthrough pretreatment. Crystalline cellulose was completely disrupted, and mostly converted to amorphous cellulose and oligomers by water-only operation at 270 °C for 10 min and by 0.05 wt % H2SO4 flowthrough pretreatment at 220 °C for 12 min. Flowthrough pretreatment with 0.05% (w/w) H2SO4 led to a greater disruption of structures in pretreated poplar at a lower temperature compared to water-only pretreatment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

WO x supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 with different morphologies as model catalysts for alkanol dehydration

The distinctive morphological and surface characteristics of platelet-like γ-Al2O3 were compared to a regular, commercial γ-Al2O3. γ-Al2O3 platelets display dominant (110) surface facets and higher densities of coordinative unsaturated penta-coordinate Al3+ (Al3+penta) sites than regular γ-Al2O3, as measured by solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR). Such Al3+penta sites are also the preferred surface anchoring sites for tungsten oxide (WOx) species consistent with NMR analysis indicating that these sites are consumed upon WOx adsorption. The higher Al3+penta density on γ-Al2O3 platelets leads to greater WOx dispersion (or smaller WOx clusters), as demonstrated by scanning transmission electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and WOx species at intermediate WOx surface concentration are the most active for the probe reaction of 2-butanol dehydration. WOx on γ-Al2O3 platelets approaches the highest turnover rates at higher surface densities than WOx on regular γ-Al2O3, yet with similar highest rate values for both series of catalysts. This indicates that different Al2O3 supports mainly affect the dispersion of supported WOx rather than the intrinsic reactivity of individual WOx clusters with similar size.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aliphatic Amines from Waste Polyolefins by Tandem Pyrolysis, Hydroformylation, and Reductive Amination

Pyrolysis of waste plastics can produce a product mixture with a high concentration of olefins (>50 wt%). The olefins, as building blocks in the petroleum industry, are potential precursors for valuable commodity chemicals with higher values (>$2000 per ton). In this work, we produce aldehydes by hydroformylation of the olefins present in pyrolysis oil from colored post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (PCR-HDPE). The obtained aldehydes in the oil are then converted into aliphatic amines via reductive amination with a Ru/C catalyst. The aminated oil was characterized by multiple analytical chemistry techniques including elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with a Polyarc flame ionization detector. The concentration of metals in the PCR-HDPE and oil changes during the tandem processes, showing limited effects of these elements (e.g., Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Ti, Zn) on hydroformylation and reductive amination. Additionally, we demonstrated that reductive amination of aldehydes with varied carbon numbers and branching properties can be achieved in the presence of a complex mixture, including paraffins and aromatics. The results indicate that waste plastics have the potential to serve as a renewable source for mono and di aliphatic amines, thereby diminishing reliance on fossil feedstocks as the current primary amine source.

aliphatic amines↗
DOE OSTI2018

Clay Swelling in Dry Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Effects of Interlayer Cations on the Structure, Dynamics, and Energetics of CO 2 Intercalation Probed by XRD, NMR, and GCMD Simulations

In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments combined with molecular dynamics simulations using the grand canonical ensemble [grand canonical molecular dynamics (GCMD)] show that the cation size, charge, and solvation energy play critical roles in determining the interlayer expansion of smectite clay minerals when exposed to dry supercritical scCO2 (scCO2) under conditions relevant to petroleum reservoirs and geological CO2 sequestration conditions. The GCMD results show that the smectite mineral, hectorite, containing interlayer alkali and alkaline earth cations with small ionic radii and high solvation energies (e.g., Na+ and Ca2+) does not intercalate CO2 and that the fully collapsed interlayer structure is the most energetically stable configuration. With Cs+ and Ba2+, the monolayer structure is the stable configuration, and CO2 should spontaneously enter the interlayer. With Cs+, there is not even an energy barrier for CO2 intercalation, in agreement with the XRD and NMR results. 13C NMR and simulations show that the average orientation of the intercalated CO2 is with their O-C-O axes parallel to the basal clay surface and that they undergo a rapid rotation about an axis perpendicular to the main molecular axis. The simulations show that the strength of the interaction between the exchangeable cation and the clay structure dominates the intercalation energetics in dry scCO2.

Loganathan, Narasimhan (ORCID:0000000302515430)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Flowthrough Pretreatment of Softwood under Water-only and Alkali Conditions

Flowthrough pretreatment provides valuable insight in the fundamentals of deconstruction of plant biomass. In this study, the potential softwood degradation pathways under water-only and alkali conditions were determined by elucidating the deconstructed biomass-derived products at 0-270 °C for 2-10 min at a flow rate of 25 mL/min with water-only or alkaline at initial pH of 8, 9, 11, and 12, respectively. Results indicated that the initial pH value was a convenient indicator along with the severity parameter to control biomass degradation through the non-oxidative (pH<9) and oxidative (pH=9) pathways. Up to 100 % of hemi-sugars, 90 % of cellulose, and 70 % of lignin were derived from softwood under non-oxidative conditions at severity parameter LogR0 around 5.5, respectively. On the contrary, at pH 12, the oxidative degradation resulted in pretreated hydrolysate rich in monomeric and oligomeric phenolic products as well as glycolic acid, acetic acid, and formic acid from carbohydrates. The two dimensional 1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis revealed that non-oxidative degradation at initial pH values lower than 9 mainly cleaved ß-O-4, all of the ß-ß, and ß-5/a-O-4 linkages, whereas substantial aromatic ring structures with limited ß-O-4 structures remaining at pH 12 through oxidative degradation.

Zhang, Libing↗
DOE OSTI2018

In-Situ 27Al NMR Spectroscopy of Aluminate in Sodium Hydroxide Solutions Above and Below Saturation with Respect to Gibbsite

Aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3, gibbsite) dissolution and precipitation processes in alkaline environments play a commanding role in aluminum refining and nuclear waste processing, yet mechanistic aspects underlying sluggish kinetics during crystallization have remained obscured due to a lack of in situ probes capable of isolating incipient ion pairs. At a molecular level Al is cycling between tetrahedral (Td) coordination in solution to octahedral (Oh) in the solid. We explored dissolution of Al(OH)3 that prepared variably saturated aluminate (Al(OH)4 -)-containing solutions under alkaline conditions (pH > 13) with in-situ 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and interrogated the results with ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations complemented with chemical shift calculations based on high level theory. The collective results highlight the overall stability of the solvation structure for Td Al in the Al(OH)4 - oxyanion as a function of both temperature and Al concentration. The observed chemical shift did not change significantly even when the Al concentration in solution became supersaturated upon cooling and limited precipitation of the octahedral Al(OH)3 phase occurred. However, subtle changes in Al(OH)4 - speciation correlated with the dissolution/precipitation reaction were found. AIMDinformed chemical shift calculations indicate that measurable perturbations should begin when the Al(OH)4 -?Na+ distance is less than 6 Å, increasing dramatically at shorter distances, coinciding with appreciable changes to the electrostatic interaction and reorganization of the Al(OH)4 - solvation shell. The integrated findings thus suggest that, at conditions incipient to and concurrent with gibbsite crystallization, nominally expected contact ion pairs are insignificant and instead medium-range (4 – 6 Å) solvent-separated Al(OH)4 -?Na+ pairs predominate. Moreover, the fact that these medium-range interactions bear directly on resulting gibbsite characteristics was demonstrated by detailed microscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis, and by progressive changes in the FWHM of the Oh resonance, as measured by in-situ NMR. Sluggish gibbsite crystallization may arise from the activation energy associated with disrupting this robust medium-range ion pair interaction.

Graham, Trenton R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Origin of Unusual Acidity and Li+ Diffusivity in a Series of Water-in-Salt Electrolytes.

Superconcentrated aqueous electrolytes ("water-in-salt" electrolytes, or WiSEs) enable various aqueous battery chemistries beyond the voltage limits imposed by the Pourbaix diagram of water. However, their detailed structural and transport properties remain unexplored and could be better understood through added studies. Here, we report on our observations of strong acidity (pH 2.4) induced by lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) at superconcentration (at 20 mol/kg). Multiple nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and pulsed-field gradient (PFG) diffusion NMR experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that such acidity originates from the formation of nanometric ion-rich structures. The experimental and simulation results indicate the separation of water-rich and ion-rich domains at salt concentrations >= 5 m and the acidity arising therefrom is due to deprotonation of water molecules in the ion-rich domains. As such, the ion-rich domain is composed of hydrophobic -CF3 (of TFSI-) and hydrophilic hydroxyl (OH-) groups. At 20 m concentration, the tortuosity and radius of water diffusion channels are estimated to be similar to 10 and similar to 1 nm, respectively, which are close to values obtained from hydrated Nafion membranes that also have hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) backbones and hydrophilic channels consisting of SO3- ion cluster networks providing for the transport of ions and water. Thus, we have discovered the structural similarity between WiSE and hydrated Nafion membranes on the nanometer scale.

Han, Kee Sung↗
DOE OSTI2015

Multiple Redox Modes in the Reversible Lithiation of High-Capacity, Peierls-Distorted Vanadium Sulfide

Vanadium sulfide VS4 in the patronite mineral structure is a linear chain compound comprising vanadium atoms coordinated by disulfide anions [S2]2–. 51V NMR shows that the material, despite having V formally in the d1 configuration, is diamagnetic, suggesting potential dimerization through metal–metal bonding associated with a Peierls distortion of the linear chains. This is supported by density functional calculations, and is also consistent with the observed alternation in V–V distances of 2.8 and 3.2 Å along the chains. Partial lithiation results in reduction of the disulfide ions to sulfide S2–, via an internal redox process whereby an electron from V4+ is transferred to [S2]2– resulting in oxidation of V4+ to V5+ and reduction of the [S2]2– to S2– to form Li3VS4 containing tetrahedral [VS4]3– anions. On further lithiation this is followed by reduction of the V5+ in Li3VS4 to form Li3+xVS4 (x = 0.5–1), a mixed valent V4+/V5+ compound. Eventually reduction to Li2S plus elemental V occurs. Despite the complex redox processes involving both the cation and the anion occurring in this material, the system is found to be partially reversible between 0 and 3 V. The unusual redox processes in this system are elucidated using a suite of short-range characterization tools including 51V nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), S K-edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES), and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of X-ray data.

Britto, Sylvia↗
DOE OSTI2016

Exploring Lithium-Cobalt-Nickel Oxide Spinel Electrodes for ≥3.5 V Li-Ion Cells

Recent reports have indicated that a manganese oxide spinel component, when embedded in a relatively small concentration in layered xLi2MnO3(1-x)LiMO2 (M=Ni, Mn, Co) electrode systems, can act as a stabilizer that increases their capacity, rate capability, cycle life, and first-cycle efficiency. These findings prompted us to explore the possibility of exploiting lithiated cobalt oxide spinel stabilizers by taking advantage of (1) the low mobility of cobalt ions relative to manganese and nickel ions in close-packed oxides and (2) their higher potential (~3.6 V vs. Li0) relative to manganese oxide spinels (~2.9 V vs. Li0) for the spinel-to-lithiated spinel electrochemical reaction. In particular, we have revisited the structural and electrochemical properties of lithiated spinels in the LiCo1-xNixO2 (0x0.2) system, first reported almost 25 years ago, by means of high-resolution (synchrotron) X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrochemical cell tests, and theoretical calculations. The results provide a deeper understanding of the complexity of intergrown layered/lithiated spinel LiCo1-xNixO2 structures, when prepared in air between 400 and 800 C, and the impact of structural variations on their electrochemical behavior. These structures, when used in low concentration, offer the possibility of improving the cycling stability, energy, and power of high energy (≥3.5 V) lithium-ion cells.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2015

Intramolecular Proton Transfer Boosts Water Oxidation Catalyzed by a Ru Complex

We introduce a new family of complexes with the general formula [Run(tda)(py)2]m+ (n = 2, m = 0, 1; n = 3, m = 1, 2+; n = 4, m = 2, 32+), with tda2– being [2,2':6',2''-terpyridine]-6,6''-dicarboxylate, including complex [RuIV(OH)(tda-κ-N3O)(py)2]+, 4H+, which we find to be an impressive water oxidation catalyst, formed by hydroxo coordination to 32+ under basic conditions. The complexes are synthesized, isolated, and thoroughly characterized by analytical, spectroscopic (UV–vis, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance), computational, and electrochemical techniques (cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, coulometry), including solid-state monocrystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In oxidation state IV, the Ru center is seven-coordinated and diamagnetic, whereas in oxidation state II, the complex has an unbonded dangling carboxylate and is six-coordinated while still diamagnetic. With oxidation state III, the coordination number is halfway between the coordination of oxidation states II and IV. Species generated in situ have also been characterized by spectroscopic, computational, and electrochemical techniques, together with the related species derived from a different degree of protonation and oxidation states. 4H+ can be generated potentiometrically, or voltammetrically, from 32+, and both coexist in solution. While complex 32+ is not catalytically active, the catalytic performance of complex 4H+ is characterized by the foot of the wave analysis, giving an impressive turnover frequency record of 8000 s–1 at pH 7.0 and 50 000 s–1 at pH 10.0. Density functional theory calculations provide a complete description of the water oxidation catalytic cycle of 4H+, manifesting the key functional role of the dangling carboxylate in lowering the activation free energies that lead to O–O bond formation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effects of Al:Si and (Al+Na):Si Ratios on the Properties of the International Simple Glass, Part II: Structure

High-alumina containing high-level waste (HLW) will be vitrified at the Waste Treatment Plant at the Hanford Site. The resulting glasses, high in alumina, will have distinct composition-structure-property (C-S-P) relationships compared to previously studied HLW glasses. These C-S-P relationships determine the processability and product durability of glasses and therefore must be understood. The main purpose of this study is to understand the detailed structural changes caused by Al:Si and (Al+Na):Si substitutions in a simplified nuclear waste model glass (ISG, International Simple Glass) by combining experimental structural characterizations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The structures of these two series of glasses were characterized by neutron total scattering and 27Al, 23Na, 29Si, and 11B solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, MD simulations were used to generate atomistic structural models of the borosilicate glasses and simulation results were validated by the experimental structural data. Short-range (e.g., bond distance, coordination number, etc.) and medium-range (e.g., oxygen speciation, network connectivity, polyhedral linkages) structural features of the borosilicate glasses were systematically investigated as a function of the degree of substitution. The results show that bond distance and coordination number of the cation-oxygen pairs are relatively insensitive to Al:Si and (Al+Na):Si substitutions with the exception of the B-O pair. Additionally, the Al:Si substitution results in an increase of tri-bridging oxygen species, while (Al+Na):Si substitution creates non-bridging oxygen species. Charge compensator preferences were found for Si-[NBO] (Na+), [3]B-[NBO] (Na+), [4]B (mostly Ca2+), [4]Al (nearly equally split Na+ and Ca2+), and [6]Zr (mostly Ca2+). The network former-BO-network former linkages preferences were also tabulated; Si-O-Al and Al-O-Al were preferred at the expense of lower Si-O-[3]B and [3]B-O-[3]B linkages. These results provide insights on the structural origins of property changes such as glass transition temperature caused by the substitutions, providing a basis for future improvements of theoretical and computer simulation models.

Lu, Xiaonan↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effects of management and pore characteristics on organic matter composition of macroaggregates: evidence from characterization of organic matter and imaging

Macroaggregates are of interest because of their fast response to land management and their role in the loss or restoration of soil organic carbon (SOC). The study included two experiments. In Experiment I, we investigated the effect of long-term (27 years) land management on the chemical composition of organic matter (OM) of macroaggregates. Macroaggregates were sampled from topsoil under conventional cropping, cover cropping and natural succession systems. The OM of macroaggregates from conventional cropping was more decomposed than that of cover cropping and especially natural succession, based on larger δ 15 N values and decomposition indices determined by multiple magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C CP/MAS NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Previous research at the sites studied suggested that this was mainly because of reduced diversity and activity of the decomposer community, change in nutrient stoichiometry from fertilization and contrasting formation pathways of macroaggregates in conventional cropping compared with cover cropping and, specifically, natural succession. In Experiment II, we investigated the relation between OM composition and pore characteristics of macroaggregates. Macroaggregates from the natural succession system only were studied. We determined 3-D pore-size distribution of macroaggregates with X-ray microtomography, for which we cut the macroaggregates into sections that had contrasting dominant pore sizes. Then, we characterized the OM of macroaggregate sections with FTIR and δ 15 N methods. The results showed that within a macroaggregate, the OM was less decomposed in areas where the small (13–32 µm) or large (136–260 µm) pores were abundant. This was attributed to the role of large pores in supplying fresh OM and small pores in the effective protection of OM in macroaggregates. Finally, previous research at the site studied had shown increased abundance of large and small intra-aggregate pores following adoption of less intensive management systems. It appears that land management can alter the OM composition of macroaggregates, partly by the regulation of OM turnover at the intra-aggregate scale.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗