Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Nanoengineering”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

80 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Low-Power, Chip-Scale, CO2 Gas Sensors for Spacesuit Monitoring

N5 Sensors, Inc. and NASA through a STTR program are jointly developing ultra-small, low-power carbon dioxide (CO2) gas sensors, suited for monitoring CO2 levels inside the spacesuits. Due to the unique environmental conditions within the spacesuits, such as high humidity, large temperature and operating pressure swings, measurement of key gases relevant to astronaut's safety and health such as carbon dioxide, is quite challenging. Conventional non-dispersive infrared absorption based CO2 sensors cannot be effectively implemented inside the spacesuits due to their sizes, weights, and power constraints. Metal-oxide based sensors have been effectively miniaturized for several applications, however detection of CO2 utilizing metal-oxide based sensors is challenging due to the chemical inertness and high stability of CO2 at room-temperatures. To mitigate these limitations, unique chip-scale, nanoengineered chemiresistive gas-sensing architecture has been developed - to allow the Metal-oxide sensors to operate in space-suite environmental conditions. Unique design combining the selective adsorption properties of the nanophotocatalytic clusters of metal-oxides and metals, provides selective detection of CO2 in high relative humidity conditions. All electronic design provides a compact and low-power solution, which can be implemented for multipoint detection of CO2 inside the spacesuits. This paper will describe a novel approach in refining the sensor architecture, development of new photocatalytic material for better sensor performance.

Thomson, Brian↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pseudocapacitive Titanium Oxynitride Nanowires for Ultrahigh Capacitance Supercapacitors

High-quality, multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) titanium oxynitide (TiNO) thin films and one-dimensional (1D) TiNO nanowires have been synthesized using a pulsed laser deposition, a simple, fast, and congruent evaporation method. First-principles calculations as a function of surface orientation and termination indicate that surface oxidation of TiNO nanowires can stabilize the (110) orientation observed experimentally. The specific capacitance value for the TiNO nanowire samples (2725 mF/cm 2 ) has been found to be nearly six times more than that of the TiNO thin film samples (400 mF/cm 2 ), which is attributed to the high packing density of TiNO nanowires over a given area. The nanowire samples have also been found to exhibit a significantly higher energy density (1.35 μWh/cm 2 ) than the TiNO thin-film samples (0.33 μWh/cm 2 ). Thus, the TiNO material system in thin-film and nanowire forms has been demonstrated to be a promising candidate for use as an electrode material in supercapacitors and other charge-storage applications.

capacitors↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tuning Interface Electronic Properties via Chiral Two‐Dimensional Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Control over structural symmetries in nanomaterials offers a powerful approach to engineer electronic properties. For instance, breaking of mirror symmetries in two-dimensional (2D) materials with a hexagonal lattice can lead to nontrivial electronic topologies and correlated-electron phenomena. Yet, the impact of structural chirality on the electronic properties of 2D materials and interfaces remains underexplored. Here, how chiral phases of a 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) with a hexagonal lattice—consisting of hexaazatriphenylene molecules coordinated to Cu atoms—scatter, confine, and perturb the Shockley surface state (SS) electrons of an underlying Ag(111) substrate is investigated. Via low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, and numerical calculations based on an electronic plane-wave expansion method, modifications of the Ag(111) SS band structure are shown and quantified, including gap openings and lifts of band degeneracies, driven exclusively by the structural chirality of the 2D MOF phases. These findings highlight how structural symmetries, in particular chirality, affect electronic states at material interfaces, expanding on the toolkit for designing 2D materials with tailored electronic properties.

band structure engineering↗
DOE OSTI2025

Expanding the interlayer spacing of MXene through nanoarchitecture design

MXenes, a diverse class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides with distinct surface chem istries, offer remarkable electrochemical and physicochemical properties. Yet, their performance can be hindered by the intrinsic restacking of layers, which restricts surface activity. This review outlines recent advances in interlayer spacing modulation strategies designed to overcome this limitation. A wide range of guest spe cies–including mono- and polyatomic ions, small molecules, low-dimensional nanomaterials, and polymers–are discussed with respect to their intercalation mechanisms, structural effects, and capacity to introduce functional enhancements. These intercalating species interact with MXene via electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, redox reactions, or covalent linkages, resulting in stable, expanded nanoarchitectures. The influence of expanded spacing on capacitive behavior is briefly highlighted to illustrate its practical relevance. Although Ti 3 C 2 T x is currently the most extensively investigated MXene, applying these interlayer engineering strategies to other MXene compositions will be essential for accessing a wider range of properties and functionalities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nanoindentation’s imprint on an advanced society: Toward application conditions at the extremes

Abstract As society strives for a more sustainable future, key technologies depend on advanced materials development. Nanoindentation enables highly localized nanoscale measurement of mechanical properties, crucial for optimizing the performance of functional materials. Coupled with chemical charging, variable temperatures, or high deformation speeds, it offers insights into pressing materials science challenges necessary for sustainable energy transitions. This article explores the role of nanoindentation in advancing vital next-generation technologies. Graphical abstract

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Atomic-Layer Engineering of La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 —La 2-x Sr x ZnO 4 Heterostructures

The fabrication of trilayer superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) Josephson junctions with high-temperature superconductor (HTS) electrodes requires atomically perfect interfaces. Therefore, despite great interest and efforts, this remained a challenge for over three decades. Here, we report the discovery of a new family of metastable materials, La 2-x Sr x ZnO 4 (LSZO), synthesized by atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE). We show that LSZO is insulating and epitaxially compatible with an HTS compound, La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 (LSCO). Since the “parent” compound La 2-x Sr x ZnO 4 (LZO) is easier to grow, here we focus on this material as our insulating layer. Growing LZO at very low temperatures to reduce cation interdiffusion makes LSCO/LZO interfaces atomically sharp. We show that in LSCO/LZO/LSCO trilayers, the superconducting properties of the LSCO electrodes remain undiminished, unlike in previous attempts with insulator barriers made of other materials. This opens prospects to produce high-quality HTS tunnel junctions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2022

Layer by layer thin film fabrication with in-process laser patterning

A modification of the traditional layer by layer process where the substrate is irradiated with laser light during the polycation and/or polyanion dipping cycles is described. By adjusting the laser irradiation time during dipping, irradiation power, number of bilayers, and the location and speed of laser irradiation, a variety of structures with controlled thicknesses can be fabricated. Laser patterned multilayer PAH/PTEBS polymer thin films were fabricated and characterized with absorbance mapping to demonstrate several patterning approaches. Results for 1) two laser patterned tracks, 2) single laser patterned track with varied average laser power across the sample from a continuously variable neutral density filter, and 3) laser patterning using a beam sent through multiple circular apertures are described. Based on the variable neutral density filter laser pattern, for 20 bilayer PAH/PTEBS films, an absorbance difference between off and on pattern of 0.1 requires an average laser power of less than 15 mW at 405 nm. The patterns produced are on the scale of several millimeters, though they could be made much smaller by focusing the laser used for patterning.

Nanoengineering↗