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At least 73 records · Page 4

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DOE OSTI2026

High-entropy 1D halide perovskite piezoelectrics found by megalibrary synthesis and rapid nonlinear optical screening

Piezoelectric molecular crystals offer excellent compositional and structural tunability and sustainable processability. However, their discovery is slow, primarily due to the serial synthesis and screening processes used. Here, we report an approach that combines massively parallel megalibrary synthesis with scanning second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy for rapid screening of piezoelectric molecular crystals. Megalibraries consisting of more than 1,000,000 compositionally distinct but positionally encoded TMCM x TMA (1–x) Cd y Pb (1–y) ClzBr (3–z) (TMCM: trimethylchloromethylammonium, TMA: tetramethylammonium; 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1, 0 ≤ z ≤ 3) nanocrystals were synthesized. The megalibraries were rapidly screened by SHG microscopy to identify notable noncentrosymmetric structures, which were then tested for piezoelectricity, facilitating discovery of a high-entropy noncentrosymmetric material with a large d 33 (TMCM 0.75 TMA 0.25 Cd 0.75 Pb 0.25 Cl 1.5 Br 1.5 , 42.8 picocoulombs per newton). Furthermore, this approach enabled systematic investigation of the Curie temperature (T C )–composition relationship in the TMCMCdCl z Br (3–z) system, facilitating reverse design of materials with targeted T C . Our work establishes a powerful approach to accelerate the discovery and design of unusual piezoelectrics for next-generation electronics and optics.

Li, Jun [Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Un↗

DOE OSTI2025

Searching for a Pulse: Evaluating the Use of Rapid DC Pulses for Diagnosing Battery Health, State-of-Charge, and Safety

Rapid electrochemical diagnostics, like DC pulse sequences or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, are known to be useful for capacity prediction. However, it is unclear how previous results will map to different cell types and use cases and whether rapid diagnostics are useful for remaining useful life prediction or for detecting potential safety issues. To that end, we have collected a data set with ∼50,000 DC pulse measurements from four types of commercial lithium-ion batteries to enable training of state-of-charge, health, and safety diagnostic models via machine-learning. We demonstrate that 120-second DC pulse sequences can be used to predict capacity with 2%–9% average error, which can separate high- from low-capacity cells with only a 0.3% false positive rate but is not accurate enough to estimate remaining useful life. We also find that no safety related targets can be accurately predicted, highlighting the critical need for other non-invasive methods to diagnose battery safety.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Rapid measurement of soluble xylo-oligomers using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and multivariate statistics: calibration model development and practical approaches to model optimization

Rapid monitoring of biomass conversion processes using techniques such as near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can be substantially quicker and less labor-, resource-, and energy-intensive than conventional measurement techniques such as gas or liquid chromatography (GC or LC) due to the lack of solvents and preparation methods, as well as removing the need to transfer samples to an external lab for analytical evaluation. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of rapid monitoring of a biomass conversion process using NIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical modeling, and to examine the impact of (1) subsetting the samples in the original dataset by process location and (2) reducing the spectral range used in the calibration model on model performance. We develop multivariate calibration models for the concentrations of soluble xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), monomeric xylose, and total solids at multiple points in a biomass conversion process which produces and then purifies XOS compounds from sugar cane bagasse. A single model using samples from multiple locations in the process stream showed acceptable performance as measured by standard statistical measures. However, compared to the single model, we show that separate models built by segregating the calibration samples according to process location show improved performance. We also show that combining an understanding of the sample spectra with simple multivariate analysis tools can result in a calibration model with a substantially smaller spectral range that provides essentially equal performance to the full-range model. We demonstrate that real-time monitoring of soluble xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), monomeric xylose, and total solids concentration at multiple points in a process stream using NIR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate statistics is feasible. Segregation of sample populations by process location improves model performance. Models using a reduced spectral range containing the most relevant spectral signatures show very similar performance to the full-range model, reinforcing the importance of performing robust exploratory data analysis before beginning multivariate modeling.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Data for Rapid and High-Throughput Determination of Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) Biomass Composition using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

Compositional characterization of biomass is vital for the biofuel industry. Traditional wet chemistry-based methods for analyzing biomass composition are laborious, time-consuming, and require extensive use of chemical reagents as well as highly skilled personnel. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to quickly assess the composition of above-ground vegetative biomass from 113 diverse, photoperiod-sensitive, biomass-type sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) accessions cultivated under field conditions in Central Illinois. Biomass samples were analyzed using NIR spectra collected in the spectral range of 867–2536 nm, with their chemical compositions determined following the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) protocol. Advanced spectral pre-treatment and band selection techniques were utilized to develop calibration models using partial least squares regression (PLSR). The models’ effectiveness was assessed through cross-validation and independent data tests. The predictions for moisture, ash, extractives, glucan, xylan, acid-soluble lignin (ASL), acid-insoluble lignin (AIL), and total lignin were accurate and reliable, demonstrating the capability of NIR spectroscopy to provide rapid and precise characterization of sorghum biomass. The results demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy is an efficient tool for rapidly characterizing sorghum biomass, making it a sustainable option for screening desirable feedstock for biofuel or bioproduct production.

Biomass Analytics↗

DOE OSTI2024

A cell-based Papain-like Protease (PLpro) activity assay for rapid detection of active SARS-CoV-2 infections and antivirals

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants are a continuous threat to human life. An urgent need remains for simple and fast tests that reliably detect active infections with SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in the early stage of infection. Here we introduce a simple and rapid activity-based diagnostic (ABDx) test that identifies SARS-CoV-2 infections by measuring the activity of a viral enzyme, Papain-Like protease (PLpro). The test system consists of a peptide that fluoresces when cleaved by SARS PLpro that is active in crude, unprocessed lysates from human tongue scrapes and saliva. Test results are obtained in 30 minutes or less using widely available fluorescence plate readers, or a battery-operated portable instrument for on-site testing. Proof-of-concept was obtained in a study on clinical specimens collected from patients with COVID-19 like symptoms who tested positive (n = 10) or negative (n = 10) with LIAT RT-PCR using nasal mid turbinate swabs. When saliva from these patients was tested with in-house endpoint RT-PCR, 17 were positive and only 5 specimens were negative, of which 2 became positive when tested 5 days later. PLpro activity correlated in 17 of these cases (3 out of 3 negatives and 14 out of 16 positives, with one invalid specimen). Despite the small number of samples, the agreement was significant (p value = 0.01). Two false negatives were detected, one from a sample with a late Ct value of 35 in diagnostic RT-PCR, indicating that an active infection was no longer present. The PLpro assay is easily scalable and expected to detect all viable SARS-CoV-2 variants, making it attractive as a screening and surveillance tool. Additionally, we show feasibility of the platform as a new homogeneous phenotypic assay for rapid screening of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs and neutralizing antibodies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Scalable Data Center Capacity for DOE's AI Prototype: A Rapidly Available Gigawatt Data Center for DOE

The multilaboratory Gigawatt Data Center working group was commissioned to identify approaches to rapidly establish federal data centers with scalable capacities up to 1,000 MW. These state-of-the-art facilities will serve as hubs for interdisciplinary collaboration, industry partnerships, and transformative applications of artificial intelligence. The proposed strategic shift includes facilitating multilaboratory collaboration, prioritizing operational efficiency, expanding public–private partnerships, optimizing investments, ensuring long-term contractual flexibility, supporting open science and secure data enclaves, and exploiting high-speed national networks. Owing to their extensive experience and best practices, the US Department of Energy national laboratories are uniquely positioned to lead this initiative. We recommend conducting a feasibility analysis to rapidly identify the optimal sites for this initiative, and the effort will likely involve private industry for design, construction, financing, and operational integration. We also propose establishing multiple geographically diverse sites to ensure energy resilience, high operational reliability, and a diverse user base, thereby effectively addressing the nation’s critical needs.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Rapid Sensing to Facilitate Purification of Rare Earth Element-Containing Process Streams Produced Through Membrane-Assisted Solvent Extraction

The development of an economically competitive domestic supply of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) is necessary for our nation’s economic growth and national security. The achievement of a secure domestic supply of REY requires not only the development of effective processes for recovery of REY from naturally occurring materials and/or recycled products, but also the development of downstream processes for the ultimate production of high-REY content solids. An impediment to the development of such processes is the scarcity of analytical methods that provide rapid determination of the process stream compositions. In this work, a membrane-based extraction process was used to selectively recover REYs from a dilute solution in the presence of much higher concentrations of Ca and Al. In tandem, the use of a portable spectrometer equipped with an immobilized zinc adeninate benzene tricarboxylate metal-organic framework sensing material makes possible the rapid detection of the presence of ppm concentrations of Tb and Eu in both weakly acidic and strongly acidic process streams within minutes. A solvent extraction processing time of 15-60 min maximized REY selectivity over gangue ions while achieving up to 80% REY and minimal gangue ion recovery. Taken together, these experiments highlight not only an innovative method for REY purification but also the importance of inexpensive, portable characterization methods for near real-time analysis of REY content.

Membrane-assisted solvent extraction↗

DOE OSTI2025

Rapid Cycling ReBCO Dipole Magnet Concept for Muon Acceleraion

We present a concept of the rapid-cycling 1.7 T ReBCO magnet for 1 to 10 kT/s ramping range as required for muon acceleration in a future muon collider presently under study. This approach is based on the 6 kA CORC-like cable constructed with 12 superconducting ReBCO tapes of 2 mm width. Based on theoretical prediction there is a linear scaling of the ReBCO cable hysteresis loss with the crossing magnetic field possibly generating power loss independent of the magnetic field ramping speed. This feature makes this ReBCO cable suitable for the construction of rapid-cycling magnets. In this work we outline the design of a dipole magnet for 1.7 T gap magnetic field and discuss the helium coolant parameters for the minimal electric power.

Piekarz, Henryk [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000194225662↗

DOE OSTI2025

LandScan Mosaic Rapid Population Update: Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa (V1)

During a natural disaster such as Hurricane Melissa, understanding where people are located is critical for situational awareness, operational planning and humanitarian support and consequence assessment. Traditional population datasets focus on mapping populations based on residential, or "business-as-usual" scenarios. However, natural disasters can create disruptions in daily routines of population in addition to the magnitude of the population displacement, depending on the type, duration, context, and location of the event. The Geospatial Science and Human Security Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) produced this latest LandScan Mosaic Rapid Population Update for Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Jamaica on October 28 2025. This Rapid Population Update captures the immediate population displacement following the hurricane using a combination of open-source building damage assessment data from Microsoft, flood exposure data from the Global Flood Monitoring service, reported population displacement information, and humanitarian shelter locations from the Jamaican Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the underlying LandScan Mosaic Jamaica as a base population.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2026

Rapid T cell engineering to counter emerging threats (Full Technical Report)

Instead of genetic engineering, we sought to determine if a rapid method of membrane protein delivery could generate functional CAR-T cells in a rapid, safer, cost-effective manner. Using cell free protein synthesis, we generated CAR proteins embedded in a nanodisc, and thus effectively solubilized the protein. We demonstrated the first functional CAR proteins outside of a cellular context. We next tested uptake into immune cells and found extremely high uptake into T cells and multiple other populations of immune cells. We found some evidence of cytotoxicity in vitro conferred by the nanodisc delivered protein.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Rapid Electrochemical Carburization of Mild Steel

Next-generation iron production generates iron with 0 wt.% C, in contrast to contemporary blast furnace production of iron with 1 - 5 wt.% C. This makes new iron feedstocks difficult to use as a drop-in replacement in current steelmaking. We report results of an emissions-negative approach of carburizing iron or mild steel using molten salt electrochemistry and CO2. Electrochemical carburization of mild steel via molten carbonate salt electrolyte and CO2 bubbling shows rapid carbide development tunable by applied electric potential. Mild steel rods, serving as the cathode, show pearlite development at the surface after exposure to applied voltage in a LiKCO3 molten carbonate salt bath at 715 degrees C. The thickness of the pearlitic layer could be varied by changing the applied potential, with a strong difference in microstructure observed between an applied potential of -1.8 V and -2.4 V. This rapid carburization has multiple applications for enhancing steel production by upgrading the carbon content of low-carbon feedstocks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Consideration of REBCO Rapid-Cycling Diple Magnet for Staged Muon Acceleration

A possible application of the HTS (ReBCO) rapid-cycling dipole magnet [1] in the first stages of muon acceleration consisting of Recirculating Linear Accelerator (RLA) and followed-up first Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS-1) is presented. The projected ReBCO magnet hysteresis loss is discussed in terms of the liquid helium coolant choice and the option with the striated ReBCO conductor for the further significant reduction of the hysteresis power loss.

Piekarz, Henryk [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000194225662↗

DOE OSTI2025

An Educational Guide for 2D Stellar Structure Calculations of Rapidly Rotating Stars using the ESTER code

The Evolution STEllaire en Rotation (ESTER) code is the first 2D stellar structure code to be made open-source and freely available to the astronomy and astrophysics community. An important and novel advancement of this code is that it can reproduce the distorted shape and observable signatures (e.g., gravity darkening) of rapidly rotating stars. ESTER also calculates the steady-state large-scale flows within the star, namely their differential rotation and associated meridional circulation. In this report, we explore and document the physics implemented within version 1.1.0rc2 of the ESTER code, in a way that complements published descriptions. We illustrate this physics by plotting how stellar structure parameters vary through stellar interiors at a range of latitudes and at different angular velocities. We investigate how the thin convective envelopes of intermediate mass stars vary with latitude when rapidly rotating, becoming deeper and thicker near the equator. Simple comparisons of ESTER model predictions (e.g., central temperature and density, luminosity) with the output from the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) code [Paxton et al., 2010] shows generally good agreement. Additional comparisons provide important benchmarking and verification for ESTER as a comparatively young code. Finally, we provide a guide for installing and running the code on our local university cluster, aimed at helping students to begin work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

An Innovative High Throughput Genome Releaser for Rapid and Efficient PCR Screening

High-throughput PCR screening is vital in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering as it allows researchers to rapidly analyze and detect numerous targeted genetic mutation in the genome. Current challenges for high-throughput PCR screening in synthetic biology include efficiently preparing genomic DNA, optimizing protocols for diverse sample types, managing contamination risks, and effectively analyzing the large volumes of data generated while ensuring consistent and accurate results. In this study, we present the development of a High Throughput Genome Releaser (HTGR), an innovative device addressing common challenges in screening PCR. This genome DNA releaser is designed based on a squash method for rapid, cost-effective, and efficient DNA release, optimized for subsequent PCR reactions. After experimenting with various synthetic materials, we selected a plastic that closely replicates the smooth surface and compression properties of microscope slides, ensuring reliable performance. We engineered a device featuring a 96-Well Plate and a shear applicator, operable both manually and automatically, and compatible with standard liquid-handling robot platform. This compatibility enhances ease of use in high-throughput PCR workflows. Additionally, we developed software to support its automatic functions. Our results demonstrated that the specially engineered 96-Well Plate and HTGR can effectively squash fungal spores , which release enough genome DNA for PCR screening. The genome releaser facilitates the preparation of PCR-amplifiable genomic DNA substrate from 96 samples within minutes, eliminates the need for extraction buffers, and is adaptable to a wide range of microorganisms and cells, which could significantly advance biomanufacturing processes.

Yuan, Guoliang [BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)]↗

DOE OSTI2025

Rapid Screening of Liquid Metal Wetting for a Materials Compatibility Library

Wetting behavior of molten metals on solid substrates is a critical phenomenon influencing numerous industrial applications, including welding, anti-corrosion coatings, and metal additive manufacturing (AM). In particular, molten metal jetting (MMJ), an emerging AM technology, requires that the molten metal remain pinned at the nozzle exit. Thus, each new metal requires a specific nozzle material to ensure consistent droplet ejection and deposition, making it important to rapidly identify the appropriate wetting combinations. However, traditional measurements of wetting angles require expensive equipment and only allow one combination of materials to be investigated at a time which can be time consuming. This work introduces a rapid screening method based on sessile droplet experiments to evaluate wetting profiles across multiple metal–substrate combinations simultaneously. This study investigates the wetting interactions of molten Al alloy (Al4008), Cu, and Sn on various ceramic and metal substrates to identify optimal material combinations for MMJ nozzle designs. Results demonstrate that Al4008 achieves wetting on ceramic substrates such as AlN, TiO 2 , and SiC, with varying mechanisms including chemical reactions and weak surface interactions. Additionally, theoretical predictions regarding miscibility gaps and melting point differences were verified for Cu and Sn on refractory metals like Mo and W. Findings from this study contribute to the establishment of a materials compatibility library, enabling the selection of wetting/non-wetting combinations for stable MMJ operation. This resource not only advances MMJ technologies but also provides valuable insights for broader applications such as welding, coating, and printed electronics.

Materials science↗

DOE OSTI2024

Rapid Prototyping for Nanoparticle-Based Photonic Crystal Fiber Sensors

The advent of nanotechnology has motivated a revolution in the development of miniaturized sensors. Such sensors can be used for radiation detection, temperature sensing, radio-frequency sensing, strain sensing, and more. At the nanoscale, integrating the materials of interest into sensing platforms can be a common issue. One promising platform is photonic crystal fibers, which can draw in optically sensitive nanoparticles or have its optical properties changed by specialized nanomaterials. However, testing these sensors at scale is limited by the the need for specialized equipment to integrate these photonic crystal fibers into optical fiber systems. Having a method to enable rapid prototyping of new nanoparticle-based sensors in photonic crystal fibers would open up the field to a wider range of laboratories that could not have initially studied these materials in such a way before. This manuscript discusses the improved processes for cleaving, drawing, and rapidly integrating nanoparticle-based photonic crystal fibers into optical system setups. The method proposed in this manuscript achieved the following innovations: cleaving at a quality needed for nanoparticle integration could be done more reliably (≈100% acceptable cleaving yield versus ≈50% conventionally), nanoparticles could be drawn at scale through photonic crystal fibers in a safe manner (a method to draw multiple photonic crystal fibers at scale versus one fiber at a time), and the new photonic crystal fiber mount was able to be finely adjusted when increasing the optical coupling before inserting it into an optical system (before, expensive fusion splicing was the only other method).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Full-Length ASFV B646L Gene Sequencing by Nanopore Offers a Simple and Rapid Approach for Identifying ASFV Genotypes

African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, highly hemorrhagic viral disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease is caused by African swine fever virus, a double stranded DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family. ASF can be classified into 25 different genotypes, based on a 478 bp fragment corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of the B646L gene, which is highly conserved among strains and encodes the major capsid protein p72. The C-terminal end of p72 has been used as a PCR target for quick diagnosis of ASF, and its characterization remains the first approach for epidemiological tracking and identification of the origin of ASF in outbreak investigations. Recently, a new classification of ASF, based on the complete sequence of p72, reduced the 25 genotypes into only six genotypes; therefore, it is necessary to have the capability to sequence the full-length B646L gene (p72) in a rapid manner for quick genotype characterization. Here, we evaluate the use of an amplicon approach targeting the whole B646L gene, coupled with nanopore sequencing in a multiplex format using Flongle flow cells, as an easy, low cost, and rapid method for the characterization and genotyping of ASF in real-time.

Virology↗

DOE OSTI2025

Rapid-cycling ReBCO dipole magnet concept for muon acceleration

Piekarz, Henryk [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000194225662↗