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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 685 records · Page 38

RKKY Exchange Bias Mediated Ultrafast All-Optical Switching of a Ferromagnet

The discovery of ultrafast helicity-independent all-optical switching (HI-AOS), as well as picosecond all-electrical switching of a ferrimagnet, has inspired the ultrafast spintronics community to explore ultrafast switching of a ferromagnet to achieve practical ultrafast storage and memory devices. Two explored mechanisms of HI-AOS of a ferromagnet in ferromagnet-ferrimagnet heterostructure are: a) exploiting the indirect exchange coupling with and b) injection of non-local spin current originated from a switching ferrimagnet. Here, in this manuscript, exchange mediated HI-AOS of a Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) exchange coupled “[Co/Pt]-multilayers/Pt spacer/CoGd” heterostructure is demonstrated. The authors have measured layer-resolved static magnetic properties, single-shot HI-AOS, and magnetization dynamics of the ferromagnetic Co/Pt multilayers (MLs), that are ferromagnetically or antiferromagnetically coupled with ferrimagnetic CoGd layers. Time-resolved magnetization dynamics reveal a 3.5 ps switching time of the Co/Pt MLs, which is the fastest switching of a ferromagnet reported to date. Employing an extended microscopic three-temperature model, the temporal dynamics of the exchange coupled ferromagnet–ferrimagnet heterostructure are simulated, qualitatively and quantitatively explaining the experimental switching phenomena. This work experimentally as well as theoretically establishes the mechanism of exchange mediated all-optical switching of ferromagnet-ferrimagnet heterostructures, which can be integrated with a magnetic tunnel junction for efficient reading after ultrafast energy-efficient switching.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrical Energy Storage by Poly(ionic Liquids)

Abstract Manipulating van der Waals (vdW) and ionic interactions in polymers enable energy storage and formations of active or passive components of electrical circuits. The energy storage is achieved by electrically activating ion pairs containing polymers, which create ergotropically favorable non‐equilibrium gradient states. Molecular‐level events responsible for this behavior involve concurrent ion pairs' polarization‐depolarization gradients and conformational changes of aliphatic tails that collectively contribute to lowering local disorder states. Manipulating ionic and vdW interactions stabilizes polarized anion‐cation pairs, thus maintaining electrical energy storage for extended periods. These transparent and easily moldable materials require no multilayered assemblies, and their functional features depend upon polarization conditions and ionic‐vdW interactions, making them applicable in energy storage and other devices transcending classical time intricacy limits.

Liu, Jiahui [Department of Materials Science and E↗

Electrical Energy Storage by Poly(ionic Liquids)

Abstract Manipulating van der Waals (vdW) and ionic interactions in polymers enable energy storage and formations of active or passive components of electrical circuits. The energy storage is achieved by electrically activating ion pairs containing polymers, which create ergotropically favorable non‐equilibrium gradient states. Molecular‐level events responsible for this behavior involve concurrent ion pairs' polarization‐depolarization gradients and conformational changes of aliphatic tails that collectively contribute to lowering local disorder states. Manipulating ionic and vdW interactions stabilizes polarized anion‐cation pairs, thus maintaining electrical energy storage for extended periods. These transparent and easily moldable materials require no multilayered assemblies, and their functional features depend upon polarization conditions and ionic‐vdW interactions, making them applicable in energy storage and other devices transcending classical time intricacy limits.

Liu, Jiahui [Department of Materials Science and E↗

NiFe Nanoparticle Nest Supported on Graphene as Electrocatalyst for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Abstract Designing cost‐efffective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds significant importance in the progression of clean energy generation and efficient energy storage technologies, such as water splitting and rechargeable metal–air batteries. In this work, an OER electrocatalyst is developed using Ni and Fe precursors in combination with different proportions of graphene oxide. The catalyst synthesis involved a rapid reduction process, facilitated by adding sodium borohydride, which successfully formed NiFe nanoparticle nests on graphene support (NiFe NNG). The incorporation of graphene support enhances the catalytic activity, electron transferability, and electrical conductivity of the NiFe‐based catalyst. The NiFe NNG catalyst exhibits outstanding performance, characterized by a low overpotential of 292.3 mV and a Tafel slope of 48 mV dec −1 , achieved at a current density of 10 mA cm − 2 . Moreover, the catalyst exhibits remarkable stability over extended durations. The OER performance of NiFe NNG is on par with that of commercial IrO 2 in alkaline media. Such superb OER catalytic performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect between the NiFe nanoparticle nests and graphene, which arises from their large surface area and outstanding intrinsic catalytic activity. The excellent electrochemical properties of NiFe NNG hold great promise for further applications in energy storage and conversion devices.

Chemistry↗

Molecular dynamics simulations of the first charge of a Li-ion—Si-anode nanobattery

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the most popular devices for energy storage but still a lot of research needs to be done to improve their cycling and storage capacity. Silicon has been proposed as an anode material because of its large theoretical capacity of ~3600 mAh/g. Therefore, focus is needed on the lithiation process of silicon anodes where it is known that the anode increases its volume more than 300%, producing cracking and other damages. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics atomistic simulations to study the swelling, alloying, and amorphization of a silicon nanocrystal anode in a full nanobattery model during the first charging cycle. A dissolved salt of lithium hexafluorophosphate in ethylene carbonate was chosen as the electrolyte solution and lithium cobalt oxide as cathode. External electric fields are applied to emulate the charging, causing the migration of the Li-ions from the cathode to the anode, by drifting through the electrolyte solution, thus converting pristine Si gradually into Li 14 Si 5 when fully lithiated. When the electric field is applied to the nanobattery, the temperature never exceeds 360 K due to a temperature control imposed resembling a cooling mechanism. The volume of the anode increases with the amorphization of the silicon as the external field is applied by creating a layer of LiSi alloy between the electrolyte and the silicon nanocrystal and then, at the arrival of more Li-ions changing to an alloy, where the drift velocity of Li-ions is greater than the velocity in the initial nanocrystal structure. Charge neutrality is maintained by concerted complementary reduction-oxidation reactions at the anode and cathode, respectively. Also, the nanobattery model developed here can be used to study charge mobility, current density, conductance and resistivity, among several other properties of several candidate materials for rechargeable batteries and constitutes the initial point for further studies on the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase in the anode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Stochastic nature of magnetic processes studied by full-field soft X-ray microscopy

In nanomagnetism, one of the crucial scientific questions is whether magnetic behaviors are deterministic or stochastic on a nanoscale. Apart from the exciting physical issue, this question is also of paramount highest relevance for using magnetic materials in a wealth of technological applications such as magnetic storage and sensor devices. In the past, the research on the stochasticity of a magnetic process has been mainly done by macroscopic measurements, which only offer ensemble-averaged information. To give more accurate answer for the question and to fully understand related underlying physics, the direct observation of statistical behaviors in magnetic structures and magnetic phenomena utilizing advanced characterization techniques is highly required. One of the ideal tools for such study is a full-field soft X-ray microscope since it enables imaging of magnetic structures on the large field of view within a few seconds. Here in this paper, we review the stochastic behaviors of various magnetic processes including magnetization reversal process in thin films, magnetic domain wall motions in nanowires, and magnetic vortex formations in nanodisks studied by full-field soft X-ray microscopy. The origin triggering the stochastic nature witnessed in each magnetic process and the way to control the intrinsic nature are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Observation of skyrmion bubbles in multilayer [Pt/Co/Cu] n using spin-polarized STM

Magnetic multilayers are a promising platform for storage and logic devices based on skyrmion spin textures, due to the large materials phase space for tuning properties. Epitaxial superlattice structures of [Pt/Co/Cu]n thin films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at room temperature. Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) of these samples was used to probe the connection between surface structure and skyrmion morphology with nanoscale spatial resolution. Irregular-shaped skyrmion bubbles were observed, with effective diameters from 20 to 200 nm that are much larger than the nanoscale grain structure of the surface topography. Nucleation, annihilation, and motion of skyrmion bubbles could be driven using the stray field of the ferromagnetic tip in repeated imaging, and spin-polarized current/voltage pulses. Furthermore, our detailed comparison of STM topography and differential conductance images shows that there are no surface defects or inhomogeneities at length scales that could account for the range in skyrmion bubble size or shape observed in the measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Design of non-fluorinated proton exchange membranes from Poly(Terphenyl fluorenyl isatin) with fluorene-linked sulfonate groups and microblock structures

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are essential components in energy storage and conversion devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. Here, in this study, we developed a series of non-fluorinated PEMs from poly(terphenyl fluorenyl isatin) with fluorene-pendent disulfonate groups. These polymers feature a microblock structure composed of hydrophobic blocks, hydrophilic blocks, and alternating blocks, arising from the differences in reactivity, concentration, and solubility between the hydrophobic p-terphenyl and hydrophilic disulfonated fluorene monomers. As a result, the sulfonic acid groups are unevenly distributed along the polymer chains, forming densely charged regions (IEC = 3.52 meq/g) with large ion clusters and lightly charged regions (IEC = 2.16 meq/g) with small ion clusters. This microstructure, combined with the degree of sulfonation, significantly influences the overall properties of the membranes, including robust mechanical strength (47.1–63.2 MPa), high thermal stability (up to 270 °C), low swelling ratio (18–25% at 80 °C), and high proton conductivity (136–169 mS/cm in deionized water at 80 °C). The PFLSH60 membrane demonstrated comparable fuel cell performance to Nafion 212. Its hydrogen crossover current density was more than two times lower (0.86 mA/cm 2 for PFLSH60 compared to 1.83 mA/cm 2 for Nafion 212) under testing conditions of 80 °C and 100% RH. This significantly reduced crossover improves fuel utilization in fuel cell stacks. This work offers valuable insights into the design of robust, high-performance PEMs by systematically analyzing the relationships between membrane structure, properties, and performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Unveiling X-ray absorption signatures of boron nitride via first-principles simulation and machine learning

Boron nitride (BN) allotropes hold great promise in many advanced applications ranging from optical and photonic devices to energy storage and battery systems to tribological components. The diverse functionalities of this material stem from BN’s highly tunable structural and electronic properties, which are governed by the versatile boron–nitrogen bonding configurations. Exploring the structural landscape of BN can unveil novel structures possessing unique properties suited for specific applications, therefore accelerating the design of next-generation advanced functional materials. In this work, we leverage boron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) as an effective probe for local structural features and chemical environments. A total of 210 BN crystal structures are generated via analogies to the extensive array of carbon allotropes, and XAS is simulated for each unique local motif within the resulting collection of structures. A mapping between structural features and spectral signatures was established by synergizing first-principle simulations with data-driven based post-analysis approaches. Specifically, we developed a neural network model that can satisfactorily predict spectra line shapes from local structural descriptors. Toward automatic spectroscopic interpretation of any new BN structures, supervised machine learning models, trained on this structure–spectrum dataset, can accurately infer local coordination environments from simulated XAS, highlighting the strength of this unique approach of combining high-fidelity first-principles simulation and machine-learning to accelerate target design of novel BN materials via rational understanding of local structure-spectrum correlations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Advanced Pt-Based Core–Shell Electrocatalysts for Fuel Cell Cathodes

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are highly efficient energy storage and conversion devices. Thus, the platinum group metal (PGM)-based catalysts which are the dominant choice for the PEMFCs have received extensive interest during the past couple of decades. However, the drawbacks in the existing PGM-based catalysts (i.e., high cost, slow kinetics, poor stability, etc.) still limit their applications in fuel cells. The Pt-based core–shell catalysts potentially alleviate these issues through the low Pt loading with the associated low cost and the high corrosion resistance and further improve the oxygen reduction reaction’s (ORR’s) activity and stability. This Account focuses on the synthetic strategies, catalytic mechanisms, factors influencing enhanced ORR performance, and applications in PEMFCs for the Pt-based core–shell catalysts. We first highlight the synthetic strategies for Pt-based core–shell catalysts including the galvanic displacement of an underpotentially deposited non-noble metal monolayer, thermal annealing, and dealloying methods, which can be scaled-up to meet the requirements of fuel cell operations. Subsequently, catalytic mechanisms such as the self-healing mechanism in the Pt monolayer on Pd core catalysts, the pinning effect of nitrogen (N) dopants in N-doped PtNi core–shell catalysts, and the ligand effect of the ordered intermetallic structure in L10-Pt/CoPt core–shell catalysts and their synergistic effects in N-doped L10-PtNi catalysts are described in detail. Additionally, the core–shell structure in the Pt-based catalysts have two main effects for enhanced ORR performance: (i) the interaction between Pt shells and core substrates can tune the electronic state of the surface Pt, thus boosting the ORR activity and stability, and (ii) the outer Pt shell with modest thickness can enhance the oxidation and dissolution resistance of the core, resulting in improved durability. We then review the recent attempts to optimize the ORR performance of the Pt-based core–shell catalysts by considering the shape, composition, surface orientation, and shell thickness. The factors influencing the ORR performance can be grouped into two categories: the effect of the core and the effect of the shell. In the former, PtM core–shell catalysts which use different non-PGM element cores (M) are summarized, and in the latter, Pt-based core–shell catalysts with different shell structures and compositions are described. The modifications of the core and/or shell structure can not only optimize the intermediate-binding energetics on the Pt surface through tuning the strain of the surface Pt, which increases the intrinsic activity and stability, but also offer a significantly decreased catalyst cost. Finally, we discuss the membrane electrode assembly performance of Pt-based core–shell catalysts in fuel cell cathodes and evaluate their potential in real PEMFCs for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle applications. Even though some challenges to the activity and lifetime in the fuel cells remain, the Pt-based core–shell catalysts are expected to be promising for many practical PEMFC applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Catalytic activity and stability of oxides: The role of near-surface atomic structures and compositions

Electrocatalysts play an important role in catalyzing the kinetics for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions for many air-based energy storage and conversion devices, such as metal$-$air batteries and fuel cells. Although noble metals have been extensively used as electrocatalysts, their limited natural abundance and high costs have motivated the search for more cost-effective catalysts. Oxides are suitable candidates since they are relatively inexpensive andhave shown reasonably high activity for various electrochemical reactions. However, a lack of fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanisms has been a major hurdle toward improving electrocatalytic activity. Here, detailed studies of the oxide surface atomic structure and chemistry (e.g.,cation migration) can provide much needed insights for the design of highly efficient and stable oxide electrocatalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Wood-Derived Materials for Green Electronics, Biological Devices, and Energy Applications

With the arising of global climate change and resource shortage, in recent years, increased attention has been paid to environmentally friendly materials. Trees are sustainable and renewable materials, which give us shelter and oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Trees are a primary resource that human society depends upon every day, for example, homes, heating, furniture, and aircraft. Wood from trees gives us paper, cardboard, and medical supplies, thus impacting our homes, school, work, and play. All of the above-mentioned applications have been well developed over the past thousands of years. However, trees and wood have much more to offer us as advanced materials, impacting emerging high-tech fields, such as bioengineering, flexible electronics, and clean energy. Wood naturally has a hierarchical structure, composed of well-oriented microfibers and tracheids for water, ion, and oxygen transportation during metabolism. At higher magnification, the walls of fiber cells have an interesting morphology--a distinctly mesoporous structure. Moreover, the walls of fiber cells are composed of thousands of fibers (or macrofibrils) oriented in a similar angle. Nanofibrils and nanocrystals can be further liberated from macrofibrils by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods. The obtained nanocellulose has unique optical, mechanical, and barrier properties and is an excellent candidate for chemical modification and reconfiguration. Wood is naturally a composite material, comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Wood is sustainable, earth abundant, strong, biodegradable, biocompatible, and chemically accessible for modification; more importantly, multiscale natural fibers from wood have unique optical properties applicable to different kinds of optoelectronics and photonic devices. Today, the materials derived from wood are ready to be explored for applications in new technology areas, such as electronics, biomedical devices, and energy. The goal of this study is to review the fundamental structures and chemistries of wood and wood-derived materials, which are essential for a wide range of existing and new enabling technologies. The scope of the review covers multiscale materials and assemblies of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin as well as other biomaterials derived from wood, in regard to their major emerging applications. Structure-properties-application relationships will be investigated in detail. Understanding the fundamental properties of these structures is crucial for designing and manufacturing products for emerging applications. Today, a more holistic understanding of the interplay between the structure, chemistry, and performance of wood and wood-derived materials is advancing historical applications of these materials. This new level of understanding also enables a myriad of new and exciting applications, which motivate this review. There are excellent reviews already on the classical topic of woody materials, and some recent reviews also cover new understanding of these materials as well as potential applications. This review will focus on the uniqueness of woody materials for three critical applications: green electronics, biological devices, and energy storage and bioenergy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Integrating Ab Initio Simulations and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: Toward A Realistic Description of Oxidized Solid/Liquid Interfaces

Many energy storage and conversion devices rely on processes that take place at complex interfaces, where structural and chemical properties are often difficult to probe under operating conditions. A primary example is solar water splitting using high-performance photoelectrochemical cells, where surface chemistry, including native oxide formation, affects hydrogen generation. In this Perspective, we discuss some of the challenges associated with interrogating interface chemistry, and how they may be overcome by integrating high-level first-principles calculations of explicit interfaces with ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and direct spectroscopic simulations. We illustrate the benefit of this combined approach toward insights into native oxide chemistry at prototypical InP/water and GaP/water interfaces. Lastly, this example suggests a more general roadmap for obtaining a realistic and reliable description of the chemistry of complex interfaces by combining state-of-the-art computational and experimental techniques.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ion Transport and Mechanical Properties of Non-Crystallizable Molecular Ionic Composite Electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes show promise as alternatives to conventional electrolytes in energy storage and conversion devices but have been limited due to their inverse correlation between ionic conductivity and modulus. In this study, we examine surface morphology, linear viscoelastic, dielectric and diffusive properties of molecular ionic composites (MICs), materials produced through the combination of a rigid and charged double helical polymer, known as poly(2,2’)-disulfonyl-4,4’benzidine terepthalamide (PBDT), with ionic liquids (ILs). To probe temperature extremes, we incorporate a non-crystallizable IL to allow measurements from to -90 to 200°C. As we increase PBDT weight percentage (wt%), shear moduli increase and do not decay up to 200°C while maintaining room temperature ionic conductivity within a factor of two of the neat IL. We connect diffusion coefficients of IL ions with ionic conductivity through the Haven ratio across a wide temperature range and analyze trends in ion transport based on a relatively high and composition-dependent static dielectric constant. This behavior may result from collective rearrangement of IL ions in these networks. We propose that these properties are driven by a two-phase system in MICs corresponding to IL-rich “puddles” and PBDT-IL associated “bundles” where IL ions form alternating sheaths of cations and anions around each PBDT rod. Furthermore, these polymer-based MIC electrolytes show great promise for use in electrochemical devices that require fast ion transport, high modulus, and a broad thermal window.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Charged Ferroelectric Domain Walls for Deterministic ac Signal Control at the Nanoscale

The direct current (dc) conductivity and emergent functionalities at ferroelectric domain walls are closely linked to the local polarization charges. Depending on the charge state, the walls can exhibit unusual dc conduction ranging from insulating to metallic-like, which is leveraged in domain-wall-based memory, multilevel data storage, and synaptic devices. In contrast to the functional dc behaviors at charged walls, their response to alternating currents (ac) remains to be resolved. Here, we reveal ac characteristics at positively and negatively charged walls in ErMnO 3 , distinctly different from the response of the surrounding domains. By combining voltage-dependent spectroscopic measurements on macroscopic and local scales, we demonstrate a pronounced nonlinear response at the electrode-wall junction, which correlates with the domain-wall charge state. The dependence on the ac drive voltage enables reversible switching between uni- and bipolar output signals, providing conceptually new opportunities for the application of charged walls as functional nanoelements in ac circuitry.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Metal-Confined Synthesis of ZnS 2 Monolayer Catalysts for Dinitrogen Electroreduction

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials are of great significance in catalytic, energy storage, and electronic devices. So far, such materials are limited to several categories with layered structures. Herein, we predict an unusual atomically thin ZnS2 monolayer and exploit a metal-confined chemical vapor deposition strategy for the successful preparation of such an unprecedented 2D material, where a sulfide monolayer was first grown on metal nanosheets to form a sulfide/metal/sulfide sandwich structure, and then, the metal core was etched out to obtain freestanding sulfide monolayers. As shown in this work, the ZnS 2 monolayer possesses unique electron-deficient properties related to the atomic structure and exhibits high catalytic activity for dinitrogen electroreduction. Our work will enable creating 2D TMD materials that were previously inexistent or inaccessible.

2D Materials↗

Beyond Local Solvation Structure: Nanometric Aggregates in Battery Electrolytes and their Effect on Electrolyte Properties

Electrolytes are an essential component of all electrochemical storage and conversion devices, such as batteries. In the history of battery development, the complex nature of electrolytes has often been a bottleneck. Fundamental knowledge of electrolyte systems encompasses elucidation of structure-property relationships of the solution species. Recently, nanometric aggregates have been observed in several classes of electrolytes, including super-concentrated, redox-flow, multivalent, polymer, and ionic liquid-based electrolytes. Compared with the well-studied local solvation structures such as contact ion pairs and solvent-separated ions, these aggregates impose unique effects on the ion distribution and transport both within bulk electrolytes and at electrode/electrolyte interfaces. This Perspective highlights the discovery of the aggregates in various battery electrolytes and their impact on electrolyte properties. We also present an outlook for future studies of this emerging field of nanometric aggregates and the need for the development of new experimental and computational tools to study their properties.

Yu, Zhou↗

Two-dimensional skyrmion bags in liquid crystals and ferromagnets

Reconfigurable, ordered matter offers great potential for future low-power computer memory by storing information in energetically stable configurations. Among these, skyrmions—which are topologically protected, robust excitations that have been demonstrated in chiral magnets and in liquid crystals—are driving much excitement about potential spintronic applications. These information-encoding structures topologically resemble field configurations in many other branches of physics and have a rich history, although chiral condensed-matter systems so far have yielded realizations only of elementary full and fractional skyrmions. Here we describe stable, high-degree multi-skyrmion configurations where an arbitrary number of antiskyrmions are contained within a larger skyrmion. We call these structures skyrmion bags. We demonstrate them experimentally and numerically in liquid crystals and numerically in micromagnetic simulations either without or with magnetostatic effects. Finally, we find that skyrmion bags act like single skyrmions in pairwise interaction and under the influence of current in magnetic materials, and are thus an exciting proposition for topological magnetic storage and logic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗