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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 433 records · Page 24

Hydrogen activation by rhodium under the cover of a copper oxide thin film

Here, the activation of reactants by catalytically active metal sites at metal-oxide interfaces is important for understanding the effect of metal-support interactions on nanoparticle catalysts and for tuning activity and selectivity. Using a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we studied the activation of H 2 and the effect of CO poisoning on isolated Rh atoms completely or partially covered by a copper oxide (Cu 2 O) thin film. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments conducted in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) show that neither a partially nor a fully oxidized Cu 2 O layer grown on a Rh/Cu(111) single-atom alloy can activate hydrogen in UHV. However, in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) experiments performed at elevated H 2 pressures reveal that Rh significantly accelerates the reduction of these Cu 2 O thin films by hydrogen. Remarkably, the fastest reduction rate is observed for the fully oxidized sample with all Rh sites covered by Cu 2 O. Both TPD and AP-XPS data demonstrate that these covered Rh sites are inaccessible to CO, indicating that Rh under Cu 2 O is active for H 2 dissociation but cannot be poisoned by CO. In contrast, an incomplete oxide film leaves some of the Rh sites exposed and accessible to CO, and hence prone to CO poisoning. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that unlike many reactions in which hydrogen activation is rate limiting, the rate-determining step in the dissociation of H 2 on thin-film Cu 2 O with Rh underneath is the adsorption of H 2 on the buried Rh site, and once adsorbed, the dissociation of H 2 is barrierless. These calculations also explain why H 2 can only be activated at higher pressures. Together, these results highlight how different the reactivity of atomically dispersed Rh in Cu can be depending on its accessibility through the oxide layer, providing a way to engineer Rh sites that are active for hydrogen activation but resilient to CO poisoning.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Computational descriptor for electrochemical currents of carbon dioxide reduction on Cu facets

Computation screening is crucial for designing efficient electrochemical catalysts for carbon dioxide (CO 2 R) reduction that produce valuable hydrocarbons and oxygenates. In this work, leveraging density functional theory calculations for the CO adsorption energy ΔE CO on seventeen Cu terminations, we discover a strong linear correlation between ΔE CO and the experimentally measured CO 2 R electrochemical currents (ACS Catal. 2022, 12, 11, 6578–6588). Examining ab initio thermodynamics of early critical intermediates CO*, COH*, and CHO*, we find that CO* → CHO* is the thermodynamically controlling step. Beyond the general CO adsorption energy that only shows a linear trend with CO 2 R activity, we show that the reaction free energy of CO* → CHO* is the descriptor for the overall CO 2 R activity for Cu facets, as it displays a volcano relationship with the experimental current. Importantly, we show that high step and kink density of the Cu terminations not only enhances CO adsorption strength but also modulates the CO* → CHO* pathway, as respectively exemplified in the (941) and (741) facets. In addition, we explain that the high activity of (741) is due to its relatively low hydrogen evolution reaction activity compared with the other Cu surfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

PFOA catalytic reaction mechanisms on zerovalent iron (Fe 0 ): A DFT investigation

In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations with dispersion corrections are employed to investigate catalytic reactions of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) onto zerovalent iron (Fe 0 ). The main goal of this investigation is to explain the reaction mechanisms, including bond dissociation energies, activation barriers, and rate-determining steps (RDSs), of PFOA degradation. Additionally, we aim to reveal the catalytic effects of Fe 0 by comparing the reaction energy profile for the degradation of PFOA both in solution (i.e., isolated) and after adsorption on Fe 0 . Along with investigating previously reported pathways, this study proposes a new PFOA degradation pathway on Fe0. Overall, the results revealed that Fe 0 plays a key role in the catalytic degradation of PFOA, significantly affecting the RDSs and increasing defluorination rates. For instance, the activation barrier for the decarboxylation step significantly decreased from 3.08 eV to 1.11 eV over the Fe0 surface, while the activation barrier for F dissociation decreased from ∼5 eV to 0.54 eV. Additionally, the proposed pathway in this study (i.e., successive defluorination) was found to be the most favorable pathway for PFOA degradation on Fe 0 . Taken together, the DFT results are consistent with reported experimental findings and provide critical insights that will help advance the design of catalysts for PFAS degradation.

Catalysis↗

Physicochemical control of solvation and molecular assembly of charged amphiphilic oligomers at air-aqueous interfaces

Hypothesis : Understanding the rules that control the assembly of nanostructured soft materials at interfaces is central to many applications. We hypothesize that electrolytes can be used to alter the hydration shell of amphiphilic oligomers at the air-aqueous interface of Langmuir films, thereby providing a means to control the formation of emergent nanostructures. Experiments : Three representative salts – (NaF, NaCl, NaSCN) were studied for mediating the self-assembly of oligodimethylsiloxane methylimidazolium (ODMS-MIM + ) amphiphiles in Langmuir films. The effects of the different salts on the nanostructure assembly of these films were probed using vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy and Langmuir trough techniques. Experimental data were supported by atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. Findings : Langmuir trough surface pressure – area isotherms suggested a surprising effect on oligomer assembly, whereby the presence of anions affects the stability of the interfacial layer irrespective of their surface propensities. In contrast, SFG results implied a strong anion effect that parallels the surface activity of anions. These seemingly contradictory trends are explained by anion driven tail dehydration resulting in increasingly heterogeneous systems with entangled ODMS tails and appreciable anion penetration into the complex interfacial layer comprised of headgroups, tails, and interfacial water molecules. These findings provide physical and chemical insight for tuning a wide range of interfacial assemblies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Evaporation from thin porous Coatings: Pore size effects and predictive equation for homogeneous coatings

Evaporation of small water droplets on solids is hindered because surface tension pulls the droplet into a spherical cap that has a small perimeter. Our solution is to coat a solid with a very thin, porous layer into which the droplet flows to create a large-area disk with concomitant high rate of evaporation. We investigate evaporation by varying factors that have not been previously considered: pore size and distribution, contact angle, temperature, and relative humidity (RH). A larger pore size resulted in faster evaporation, which we explain through faster transport within the coating. Even faster evaporation occurred for a bilayer structure with small particles on the air side and larger particles on the solid side. Further, the water advancing contact angle had an insignificant effect in the range from < 10° through to 60°. Our results for different pore sizes, temperature, humidity, and contact angle all collapse onto a single curve when appropriately normalized. This validates an equation that can be used for the evaporation from a homogeneous coating that depends only one empirical factor and the droplet volume. Since the volume is often user-controlled, we envisage that this equation can be used to predict evaporation and guide design of fast-drying coatings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Water-induced surface ordering facilitating the microcutting of ductile metals

Metal cutting is a crucial process in modern manufacturing. Enhancing the machinability of metals can significantly improve their production efficiency and surface integrity. Coating surface-active media (SAM) on the free surface of the metals before cutting is an easy method to improve machinability, which usually pertains to the category of the renowned Rehbinder effect. However, the existing SAM is usually hazardous and complex materials. Besides, the effect of SAM on the local structure of the metal surface remains unclear. In this study, water is employed as a simple yet often overlooked SAM in the microcutting of copper. Using water as SAM also allows the employment of X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) to study the local structure of copper with and without water coating. Results show that water coating on the free surface of copper can significantly reduce the cutting force and chip thickness, and improve the surface finish. Interestingly, removing the water coating enables the recovery of the cutting force, demonstrating a reversible effect. Based on the XAFS results and molecular dynamics simulation, a water-induced surface ordering mechanism is proposed to explain the findings from the microcutting experiments. This mechanism suggests that water molecules can induce surface ordering in copper, resulting in reduced surface energy and fracture toughness of copper, thus enhancing machinability. In conclusion, this work provides valuable insights into the comprehension of the Rehbinder effect and shows that picometer-scale modifications of the surface atom arrangement can considerably alter the deformation mode of metals, paving the way for the development of new manufacturing processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hourglass control in staggered-grid hydrodynamics using virtual element stabilization techniques

Numerical simulations using the staggered-grid hydrodynamics (SGH) discretization suffer from hourglass instabilities. In this work, we develop a stabilization method to suppress the hourglass instabilities using techniques from the virtual element method (VEM). The stiffness matrix of the VEM consists of two terms: the consistency matrix which is rank deficient and the stability matrix. Here, we first show that in two dimensions and on general polygons, the stiffness matrix of the SGH is identical to the consistency matrix of the linear VEM for both the diffusion equation and the linear elasticity equation. These analyses explain the origin of the hourglass instabilities of the SGH discretization method, and establish a theoretical foundation for our proposed stabilization method by augmenting the stiffness matrix of the SGH discretization using the VEM stability matrix. Then, we present numerical examples using Lagrangian SGH simulations. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed VEM stabilization method is effective at eliminating hourglass modes in the SGH discretization.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Epitaxial columnar growth of strain-free antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Mn 3 Sn on wurtzite c -plane GaN/Al 2 O 3 (0001)

Weyl semimetal thin films with excellent crystalline quality are of great interest for antiferromagnetic spintronics. Mn 3 Sn is one Weyl semimetal with great properties and promise for exciting science and applications. It has proven very challenging, however, to grow Mn 3 Sn thin films with smooth surfaces, negligible strain, and excellent crystallinity. In this work, we discuss the successful preparation of epitaxial Mn 3 Sn (0001)-oriented thin films via molecular beam epitaxial growth on c -plane wurtzite GaN which was grown by MBE on Al 2 O 3 (0001). We present the reflection high energy electron diffraction analysis along with x-ray diffraction in order to demonstrate the crystalline quality of the film, and we give atomic models to explain the epitaxial orientation relationships between the crystal lattices of the substrate, GaN layer, and Mn 3 Sn layer. Importantly, we discuss the film lattice parameters as compared to expected values, demonstrating negligible strain both in-plane and out-of-plane . Atomic force microscopy reveals an epitaxial columnar growth mode characterized by flat-top-mesa islands, while scanning tunneling microscopy shows the atomically smooth surfaces of the mesa-top structures. Finally, Rutherford backscattering informs the stoichiometry of the film as well as the layer thicknesses.

Chiral antiferromagnetic material↗

Data driven investigation to understand the influence of total solids on biological biogas upgrading

In situ biogas upgrading achieves CO 2 conversion to CH 4 via hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis; however, gas-liquid mass transfer constraints limit the upgrading performance. Recognizing that optimization studies often underrepresent the effects of total solids (TS) and organic loading rate (OLR), this study undertook a holistic, statistics driven assessment of operating conditions for in situ H 2 assisted biogas upgrading, centering the analysis on TS and OLR. A dataset of 31 studies was compiled and comprised 99 observations. A rigorous analytical framework was employed, combining data standardization, fixed- and random-effects (REML) weighted regressions with cluster-robust errors, stratified analyses, and machine learning. Mixed-effects meta regression indicated that TS was the main factor explaining differences of methane fraction (CH 4 %) when considering the between studies heterogeneity. Focusing on a near-stoichiometric subset (H 2 /CO 2 ≈ 4:1), TS remained significant. Stratified results showed a stronger negative relationship between TS and CH 4 % in UASB reactors than in CSTRs, with a negative effect under mesophilic conditions and no significant effect under thermophilic conditions. A Random Forest model corroborated the statistical findings, consistently ranking H 2 /CO 2 ratio, OLR, TS, and hydrogen injection rate (HIR) as the most influential predictors. These findings delineate trends across increasing TS levels, particularly between 1% and 10%, and provide preliminary insights for TS above 15% in in situ biogas upgrading. They further provide insights for the influence of TS by reactor type and temperature, thereby advancing the evidence base for implementing biological CO 2 conversion to CH 4 in practice.

In situ biogas upgrading↗

Incorporating civilian radioxenon background estimates in anomaly detection

A nuclear explosion screening exercise in 2023 (Maurer et al., 2023) found challenges with discerning anomalous radioxenon activity concentrations relative to elevated background concentrations. Research has continued into methods to detect anomalous radioxenon concentrations by comparing samples to estimates of atmospheric radioxenon background concentrations caused by releases at nuclear reactors or medical isotope production facilities. A new approach estimates the sample concentrations using time-varying radioxenon release rates obtained using optimization techniques that constrain the facility release rates to plausible amounts based on historical data or facility knowledge. The purpose of the optimization is to determine whether any combination of plausible release rates from emitting facilities can explain a series of radioxenon measurements at one or more sampling stations. A case study uses radioxenon data collected at three locations in western Europe for a month in 2021 and considers releases from 77 locations. Fewer samples are identified as being anomalous using a simplistic flagging rule than from an application of the current International Monitoring System (IMS) activity concentration-level rule.

Environmental sciences↗

Quantifying the long-term changes of terrestrial water storage and their driving factors

Global warming is expected to cause changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) across the land surface, with widespread impacts on ecosystems and society. Although extensive research has been performed to analyze TWS changes and possible drivers during the post-2000 period, longer-term evolution of TWS and associated environmental forcings remain relatively unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the Energy Exascale Earth System model (E3SM) land model ELM version 1 (ELM v1) in simulating global TWS, and used factorial simulations of ELMv1 to quantify global TWS changes and their drivers during 1948–2012. We found that ELM’s agreed best with existing satellites and reconstruction datasets in temperate regions unaffected by irrigation. Biome- and climate zone-averaged TWS mainly increased at rates between 0 and 10 mm/year over 1948–2012, but the second half of that period saw smaller positive trends than the first half or even negative trends. Climate change explained >80 % of the TWS trends across most biomes and climate zones, followed by land use and land cover change. The physiological and phenological effects of CO2 primarily induced noticeable TWS trends in the more humid biomes and climate zones across different latitudes. In contrast, nitrogen deposition and aerosol deposition generally had smaller and negative impacts across the biomes and climate regions. Among the meteorological drivers analyzed, the long-term average imbalance between precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (E), and runoff (Q) contributed >50 % of the TWS trends in most biomes and climate zones, with nonlinearity being induced by spatially heterogenous changes in E/P and Q/P ratios. The accumulated detrended anomalies in P, E, and Q also often contributed substantially, while the trends difference between P, E, and Q contributed little. Together, these findings unveiled an intensification of the global TWS and its diverse patterns of climate change and different non-withdrawal human-induced alterations, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding and projection of the global water cycle.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Urban wash-off of tire wear particles

Tire wear particles (TWPs) are an important class of microplastics due to their toxicity and abundance. Because most TWPs are generated on impervious road surfaces, urban wash-off is the critical first phase of waterborne transport from their zone of production to stormwater drainage. However, little is known about the driving factors behind their mobilization. In this study, we use a rainfall simulator to investigate how surface roughness, rainfall intensity, and surface slope affect wash-off behaviors of TWPs. We also analyze how the size and shape of mobilized TWPs change over the course of simulated storm events. We found that low surface roughness, high rainfall intensity (most significant factor), and low slope result in the most rapid conveyance of TWP load. On average, large particles (>1000 µm) travelled faster than small particles (<125 µm). Particle shape explained a very small amount of variance in TWP wash-off velocity but was found to be more important under higher surface roughness conditions. In addition to wash-off velocity, we found similar conditions controlled the percent mobilization of TWPs. Low surface roughness and high rainfall intensity resulting in higher TWP wash-off rates is consistent with mineral sediment wash-off behavior. Conversely, low surface slope and large particle size leading to faster conveyance is directly opposed to mineral sediment wash-off. Our findings suggest drag-dominated flow and that sufficient runoff depth is the most important parameter governing TWP wash-off. These findings are important first steps to understanding wash-off behaviors of TWPs and informing future modeling efforts and mitigation strategies.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Spatial mapping of the localized corrosion behavior of a magnesium alloy AZ31B tungsten inert gas weld

Sections of a magnesium alloy, AZ31B, joined with tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, were examined with scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) to investigate corrosion mechanisms by correlating observed corrosion behavior with weld-affected microstructural variations. Insight into the changing nature of the galvanic couples between weld zones and at localized microgalvanic sites were investigated using SECM and SKPFM to map both electrochemically active regions and Volta potential differences across the weld-affected zones. The formation of an Al-Zn solidification network in the fusion zone (FZ) at and near the TIG weld epicenter differs from the outer heat-affected zone (HAZ), where intermetallic particles (IMPs) are the notable secondary phase from the magnesium matrix. These microstructures were mapped with SKPFM before and after brief exposure to a salt solution, revealing micro-galvanic couples as the main driving force to corrosion initiation and propagation within each zone. The IMPs and Al-Zn solidification network act as strong cathodes and govern the corrosion processes. The galvanic coupling and evolution of the intrinsic corrosion behavior between the weld zones is explained by monitoring the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with SECM over time. Anodically induced cathodic activation is confirmed for this welded material, as micro-galvanic couples between microstructural features are found to transition over time to broad electrochemically active areas within the weld-affected zones, resulting in polarity reversal as time of exposure proceeds.

Anodically induced cathodic activation↗

Optimizing Bendability and Hardness of Age-Hardenable Aluminum Sheets through Local Thermo-Mechanical Processing

This paper introduces a novel thermo-mechanical process to modify the local mechanical properties of 6xxx aluminum (Al-Mg-Si-Cu) alloy sheets. In this process, two pairs of rollers travel along the length of a sheet while locally bending and unbending it so that the final shape and thickness of the sheet remains unchanged. Room temperature bending/unbending (B/U) produces a deformation gradient through thickness and local hardening in both T4 and T6 sheets (with 41% and 18% greater Vickers hardness, respectively). High temperature bending/unbending performed at ~ 500°C via induction heating, produces significant improvements in local formability as measured by bend testing. Formability levels equivalent to the as-received T4 temper are achieved within the processed zones of T6 sheets with bend angles of ~ 150°, without disturbing the T6 temper in the remainder of the sheet. Finite element simulations and characterization explained the mechanical property improvements and the heterogenous microstructure with weakened Cube texture. Due to its similarity with the roller hemming process, and its compact dimensions, the apparatus developed for B/U has the potential for seamless integration with roller hemming robots to selectively process high strength aluminum sheet materials within mass-production settings.

Efe, Mert [BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)]↗

Link statistics of dislocation network during strain hardening

Dislocations are line defects in crystals that multiply and self-organize into a complex network during strain hardening. The length of dislocation links, connecting neighboring nodes within this network, contains crucial information about the evolving dislocation microstructure. By analyzing data from Discrete Dislocation Dynamics (DDD) simulations in face-centered cubic (fcc) Cu, we characterize the statistical distribution of link lengths of dislocation networks during strain hardening on individual slip systems. Here, our analysis reveals that link lengths on active slip systems follow a double-exponential distribution, while those on inactive slip systems conform to a single-exponential distribution. The distinctive long tail observed in the double-exponential distribution is attributed to the stress-induced bowing out of long links on active slip systems, a feature that disappears upon removal of the applied stress. We further demonstrate that both observed link length distributions can be explained by extending a one-dimensional Poisson process to include different growth functions. Specifically, the double-exponential distribution emerges when the growth rate for links exceeding a critical length becomes super-linear, which aligns with the physical phenomenon of long links bowing out under stress. This work advances our understanding of dislocation microstructure evolution during strain hardening and elucidates the underlying physical mechanisms governing its formation.

Crystal plasticity↗

In-situ HRTEM observations of intermediate phase transformation in lattice reorientation in HCP rhenium

In-situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is performed to investigate the deformation behavior of hexagonal close-packed rhenium (Re) which is compressed along the $\langle1\overline{1}00\rangle$ direction. Atomistic simulations are also conducted to better understand the deformation mechanisms. Two types of lattice reorientation are observed during compression. The first type involves the reorientation of one lattice by ~90° around $\langle1\overline{1}00\rangle$, which is accomplished by the formation of an intermediate face-center-cubic (FCC) phase at the interface. This transformation sequence can be described as {$1\overline{1}00$} matrix → {$111$} FCC → ($0001$) twin . In the second type, a new grain is formed but does not satisfy any known twin relationship with the matrix, and an intermediate FCC phase is also formed. The transformation sequence can be described as {$1\overline{1}00$} matrix → {$111$} FCC → ($0001$) grain . Mechanisms responsible for the observed lattice reorientation and sequential phase transitions are analyzed by conducting lattice correspondence analyses on the simulation results. Strain accommodation is also analyzed to explain the mechanisms for lattice reorientation and the intermediate phase transformations. In conclusion, the results provide new insight into the deformation behavior of HCP metals

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mechanisms of ion irradiation induced ordering in amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes: Effects of ion mass and energy

Here, amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes were irradiated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) with Kr + ions at energies of 46 keV, 150 keV, and 1 MeV and with 46 keV Xe + ions, to investigate the structural and morphological evolution of the nanotubes under irradiation. At all irradiation conditions, amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes exhibited significant morphological instability, and tended to undergo volumetric swelling with increasing ion counts, often until collapse of the original nanotube structure. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed that irradiation-induced defects can explain the observed swelling. Structurally, nanotubes remain amorphous following all Kr + irradiation conditions, but irradiation with 46 keV Xe + leads to the formation of anatase nanocrystallites. Importantly, through systematically varying ion energy and ion species, we try to elucidate the influence of nuclear and electronic stopping power on ion irradiation induced changes. By contextualizing these results within the existing literature, we propose that the observed changes in TiO 2 nanotube morphology and structure could be due to a competition between two mechanisms: (1) disorder-induced swelling and (2) irradiation-induced amorphous-to-crystalline transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructural evolution in doped high entropy alloys NiCoFeCr-3X (X=Pd/Al/Cu) under irradiation

Commonly studied equatomic single-phase FCC high entropy alloys based on 3d transition metals like NiCoFeCr do not provide adequate strength and radiation resistance at high doses for nuclear structural applications. In the current study, the major alloying effects like lattice distortion, ordering and clustering tendencies were investigated by adding low concentration of Pd, Al, or Cu respectively to study the doping effects on the ion irradiation response of NiCoFeCr alloy. The alloys were irradiated with 3 MeV Ni 2+ ions at 500 °C to a fluence of 1 × 10 17 /cm 2 at a beam flux of approximately 2.8 × 10 12 ions/cm 2 /s. The microstructural evolution upon irradiation i.e., formation of dislocation networks, radiation induced segregation and precipitation, and void formation were studied in detail. Further, post-irradiation characterization results showed that a Pd addition leads to a high void nucleation rate but controlled void growth, which may be attributed to increased lattice distortion. In Al added HEA, our microstructural analysis indicates that radiation induced ordered L1 2 precipitates do not affect void swelling significantly. Cu addition led to Cu precipitation that drastically suppressed dislocation density and void swelling of the alloy. Additionally, a model was developed to qualitatively describe the trend in void swelling of typical FCC alloys under ion irradiation. This model was able to qualitatively explain the suppression and reappearance of void swelling in ion irradiated alloys that generally occurs near the region with peak implanted ion concentration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗