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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Laser-saturated fluorescence measurements in laminar sooting diffusion flames

The hydroxyl radical is known to be one of the most important intermediate species in the combustion processes. The hydroxyl radical has also been considered a dominant oxidizer of soot particles in flames. In this investigation the hydroxyl concentration profiles in sooting diffusion flames were measured by the laser-saturated fluorescence (LSF) method. The temperature distributions in the flames were measured by the two-line LSF technique and by thermocouple. In the sooting region the OH fluorescence was too weak to make accurate temperature measurements. The hydroxyl fluorescence profiles for all four flames presented herein show that the OH fluorescence intensities peaked near the flame front. The OH fluorescence intensity dropped sharply toward the dark region of the flame and continued declining to the sooting region. The OH fluorescence profiles also indicate that the OH fluorescence decreased with increasing height in the flames for all flames investigated. Varying the oxidizer composition resulted in a corresponding variation in the maximum OH concentration and the flame temperature. Furthermore, it appears that the maximum OH concentration for each flame increased with increasing flame temperature.

Wey, Changlie↗
NASA NTRS1994

Measurement of the fluorescence of crop residues: A tool for controlling soil erosion

Management of crop residues, the portion of a crop left in the field after harvest, is an important conservation practice for minimizing soil erosion and for improving water quality. Quantification of crop residue cover is required to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation tillage practices. Methods are needed to quantify residue cover that are rapid, accurate, and objective. The fluorescence of crop residue was found to be a broadband phenomenon with emission maxima at 420 to 495 nm for excitations of 350 to 420 nm. Soils had low intensity broadband emissions over the 400 to 690 nm region for excitations of 300 to 600 nm. The range of relative fluorescence intensities for the crop residues was much greater than the fluorescence observed of the soils. As the crop residues decompose their blue fluorescence values approach the fluorescence of the soil. Fluorescence techniques are concluded to be less ambiguous and better suited for discriminating crop residues and soils than reflectance methods. If properly implemented, fluorescence techniques can be used to quantify, not only crop residue cover, but also photosynthetic efficiency in the field.

Daughtry, C. S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Preparation and Characterization of Fluorescent Derivatives of Lysozyme

Fluorescence is one of the most versatile and powerful tools for the study of macromolecules. However, its use in macromolecular crystal growth studies is hampered by the necessity of preparing fluorescent derivatives where the probe does not markedly affect the crystal packing. Alternatively, one can prepare derivatives of limited utility if it is known that they will not affect the specific goals of a given study. We have prepared a number of fluorescent derivatives of chicken egg white lysozyme, covalently attaching fluorescent probes to two different sites on the protein molecule. The first site is the side chain carboxyl group of ASP 101. Amine containing probes such as lucifer yellow, cascade blue, and 5- (2-aminoethyl) aminonapthalene-l-sulfonic acid (EDANS) have been attached using a carbodiimide coupling procedure. ASP 101 lies within the active site cleft, and it is believed that the probes are "buried" within that cleft. This is supported by the fact that all such derivatives have been found to crystallize, with the crystals being fluorescent. Tetragonal crystals of the lucifer yellow derivative have been found to diffract to at least 1.9 A resolution. X-ray diffraction data has been acquired and we are now working on the structure of this derivative. The second group of derivatives is to the N-terminal amine group. The derivatization reaction is performed by using a succinimidyl ester of the probe to be attached. Fluorescent probes such as pyrene acetic acid, 5-carboxyfluorescein, and Oregon green have been attached to this site. We have had little success in crystallizing these derivatives, probably because this site is part of the contact region between the 43 helix chains. However, these sites do not interfere with formation of the 43 helices and the derivatives are suitable for study of their formation in solution. The derivatives are being characterized by steady state and lifetime fluorescence methods, and the presentation will discuss these results.

Smith, Lori↗
NASA NTRS2000

Development of Highly Fluorescent Materials Based on Thiophenylimidazole Dyes

Organic fluorescent materials are expected to find many potential applications in optical devices and photo-functionalized materials. Although many investigations have been focused on heterocyclic compounds such as coumarins, bipyridines, rhodamines, and pyrrole derivatives, little is known for fluorescent imidazole materials. We discovered that one particular class of imidazole derivatives is highly fluorescent. A series of monomeric and polymeric based fluorescent dyes were prepared containing a thiophene unit at the second position of the imidazole ring. Dependence of fluorescence efficiency on parameters such as solvent polarity and substituent groups has been investigated. It was found that a formyl group at the 2-position of the thiophene ring dramatically enhance fluorescence properties. Ion recognition probes indicated their potential as sensor materials. These fluorophores have flexibility for introduction of versatile substituent groups that could improve the fluorescence efficiency and sensor properties.

Santos, Javier↗
NASA NTRS1996

Monitoring the Photosynthetic Apparatus During Space Flight: Interspecific Variation in Chlorophyll Fluorescence Signatures Induced by Different Root Zone Stresses

Chlorophyll fluorescence has been used extensively as a tool to indicate stress to the photosynthetic apparatus in green plants. A rise in fluorescence has been attributed to the blockage of photosystem II photochemistry, and patterns of fluorescence decay (quenching) from dark adapted leaves can be related to specific photochemical and non-photochemical deexcitation pathways of light trapped by the photosynthetic apparatus and thus result in characteristically different fluorescence signatures. Four distantly related plant species, Hypocharis radicata (Asteraceae), Brassica rapa (Brassicaceae), Spinacea oleracea (Chenopodiaceae) and Triticum aestivum (Poaceae), were grown hydroponically for three weeks before the initiation of three different root zone stresses (10 mM Cu, 100 mM NaCl and nitrogen deficient nutrition). After 10 days, characteristic fluorescence signatures for each stress could be noted although the degree varied between species. Fast kinetics analysis showed a reduction in plastoquinone pool size for copper and nitrogen stress for all species but a more species specific result with NaCl stress. Photochemical quenching kinetics varied between species and stress treatments from no quenching in S. oleracea in copper treatments to increased photochemical quenching in NaCl treatments. Non-photochemical quenching kinetics demonstrated a distinct pattern between stresses for all species. Copper treatments characteristically exhibited a shallow, flat non-photochemical quenching profile suggesting a general blockage of electron transport whereas NaCl treatments exhibited a slow rising profile that suggested damage to thylakoid acidification kinetics and nitrogen deficiency exhibited a fast rising and declining profile that suggested an altered state 1-state 2 transition regulated by the phosphorylation of LHCII. These results demonstrate characteristic fluorescence signatures for specific plant stresses that may be applied to different, unrelated plant species. In addition, the potential use of chlorophyll fluorescence for both basic research and diagnostic physiology in space biology is presented.

Bubenheim, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Validation of fluorescent-labeled microspheres for measurement of relative blood flow in severely injured lungs

The aim of the study was to validate a nonradioactive method for relative blood flow measurements in severely injured lungs that avoids labor-intensive tissue processing. The use of fluorescent-labeled microspheres was compared with the standard radiolabeled-microsphere method. In seven sheep, lung injury was established by using oleic acid. Five pairs of radio- and fluorescent-labeled microspheres were injected before and after established lung injury. Across all animals, 175 pieces were selected randomly. The radioactivity of each piece was determined by using a scintillation counter. The fluorescent dye was extracted from each piece with a solvent without digestion or filtering. The fluorescence was determined with an automated fluorescent spectrophotometer. Perfusion was calculated for each piece from both the radioactivity and fluorescence and volume normalized. Correlations between flow determined by the two methods were in the range from 0.987 +/- 0.007 (SD) to 0.991 +/- 0.002 (SD) after 9 days of soaking. Thus the fluorescent microsphere technique is a valuable tool for investigating regional perfusion in severely injured lungs and can replace radioactivity.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2011

Filling-In of Broad Far-Red Solar Lines by Terrestrial Fluorescence and Atmospheric Raman Scattering as Detected by SCIAMACHY Satellite Measurements

Global mapping of terrestrial vegetation fluorescence from space has recently been accomplished with high spectral resolution measurements from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). These data are of interest because they can potentially provide global information on the functional status of vegetation including light use efficiency and global primary productivity that can be used for global carbon cycle modeling. Quantifying the impact of fluorescence on the O2-A band is important as this band is used for cloud- and aerosol-characterization for other trace-gas retrievals including CO2. Here, we demonstrate that fluorescence information can be derived from space using potentially lower-cost hyperspectral instrumentation, i.e., more than an order of magnitude less spectral resolution than GOSAT, with a relatively simple algorithm. As a demonstration, we use the filling-in of one of the few wide and deep solar Fraunhofer lines in the red and far-red chlorophylla fluorescence bands, the calcium II line near 866 nm, to retrieve fluorescence with the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) satellite instrument. Although the signal from vegetation fluorescence is extremely weak at 866 nm, our results suggest that useful information may be obtained after adjustments are made to the observed spectra to correct for instrumental artifacts. We compare fluorescence from SCIAMACHY with that retrieved at 758 and 770 nm from similarly-corrected GOSAT data as well with the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We also show that filling-in occurs at 866 nm over barren areas, possibly originating from luminescent minerals in rock and soil.

Joiner, J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fluorescent compositions

A fluorescent composition includes at least one of a fluorescent sensor compound and organic reporter molecules encapsulated in a microsphere structure. When encapsulated, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are distributed in a liquid organic matrix. When non-encapsulated, the remaining one of the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules reside in the matrix. In response to a force applied to the composition sufficient to break at least a portion of the microsphere structure, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are transformed into a non-reversible fluorescent state exhibiting a quantum yield greater than 0.2. The fluorescent state is objectively visually verifiable without physically contacting the composition.

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

Fluorescent compositions

An article that includes a fluorescent composition having at least one of a fluorescent sensor compound and organic reporter molecules encapsulated in a microsphere structure. When encapsulated, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are distributed in a liquid organic matrix. When non-encapsulated, the remaining one of the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules reside in the matrix. In response to a force applied to the composition sufficient to break at least a portion of the microsphere structure, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are transformed into a non-reversible fluorescent state exhibiting a quantum yield greater than 0.2. The fluorescent state is objectively visually verifiable without physically contacting the composition.

Smartt, Heidi A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fluorescent compositions

An article that includes a fluorescent composition having at least one of a fluorescent sensor compound and organic reporter molecules encapsulated in a microsphere structure. When encapsulated, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are distributed in a liquid organic matrix. When non-encapsulated, the remaining one of the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules reside in the matrix. In response to a force applied to the composition sufficient to break at least a portion of the microsphere structure, the fluorescent sensor compound and the organic reporter molecules are transformed into a non-reversible fluorescent state exhibiting a quantum yield greater than 0.2. The fluorescent state is objectively visually verifiable without physically contacting the composition.

Smartt, Heidi A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fluorescence Enhancement in the Solid State by Isolating Perylene Fluorophores in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as perylene, pyrene, and their derivatives are highly emissive fluorophores in solution. Furthermore, the practical applications of these materials in the field of molecular electronic and light emitting devices are often hindered by self-quenching effects due to the formation of non-fluorescent aggregates in concentrated solutions or in the solid state. Herein, we demonstrate that aggregation caused quenching of perylenes can be minimalized by molecular incorporation into metalorganic frameworks (MOFs). This study utilized a stable Zr 6 cluster-based MOF, UiO-67, as a matrix. Linear linkers containing the photo-responsive moieties were designed and incorporated into the parent UiO-67 scaffold through the partially replacement of the non-fluorescent linkers of a similar length, forming mixed-linker MOFs. Here, the average distance between perylene moieties was tuned by changing the linker ratios, thus controlling the fluorescence intensity, emission wavelength, and quantum yield. Molecular modeling was further adopted to correlate the number of isolated perylene linkers within the framework to the ratio between the two linkers, therefore rationalizing the change in the observed fluorescent properties. Taking advantage of the tunable fluorescence, inherent porosity, and high chemical stability of this MOF platform, it was applied as a fluorescent sensor for oxygen detection in the gas phase, a model reaction, showing fast response and good recyclability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Imaging of multiple fluorescent proteins in canopies enables synthetic biology in plants

Reverse genetics approaches have revolutionized plant biology and agriculture. Phenomics has the prospect of bridging plant phenotypes with genes, including transgenes, to transform agricultural fields. Genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs) have revolutionized plant biology paradigms in gene expression, protein trafficking and plant physiology. While the first instance of plant canopy imaging of green fluorescent protein (GFP) was performed over 25 years ago, modern phenomics has largely ignored fluorescence as a transgene expression device despite the burgeoning FP colour palette available to plant biologists. Here, we show a new platform for stand-off imaging of plant canopies expressing a wide variety of FP genes. The platform-the fluorescence-inducing laser projector (FILP)-uses an ultra-low-noise camera to image a scene illuminated by compact diode lasers of various colours, coupled with emission filters to resolve individual FPs, to phenotype transgenic plants expressing FP genes. Each of the 20 FPs screened in plants were imaged at >3 m using FILP in a laboratory-based laser range. We also show that pairs of co-expressed fluorescence proteins can be imaged in canopies. The FILP system enabled a rapid synthetic promoter screen: starting from 2000 synthetic promoters transfected into protoplasts to FILP-imaged agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana plants in a matter of weeks, which was useful to characterize a water stress-inducible synthetic promoter. FILP canopy imaging was also accomplished for stably transformed GFP potato and in a split-GFP assay, which illustrates the flexibility of the instrument for analysing fluorescence signals in plant canopies.

abiotic stress↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advances in multi-dimensional cellulose-based fluorescent carbon dot composites

Recently, fluorescent materials composed of carbon dots (CDs) have attracted increasing attention in diverse fields, including the environment, food, biology, and medicine. Cellulose has emerged as a promising class of materials for carriers due to its low cost, fascinating biodegradability, and various morphologies, especially in available different dimensions. By taking advantage of the respective superiority of fluorescent materials and cellulose carriers, the performance of fluorescence composite materials can be optimized and their application may be extended. Here, in this review, the study emphasizes the synthesis and applications of cellulose-based fluorescent materials with different dimensions. Moreover, some effective strategies and potential challenges for further development of cellulose-based fluorescent materials are discussed. A deeper understanding will provide a guide for the materials with ideal fluorescent performances.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fluorescence Signatures of Rare Earth Metals during Precipitation in Various Conditions

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely used sensor methodology that analyzes light emitted from a compound or element as it decays from an excited state. This technique is very sensitive and selective, which is ideal to characterize analytes at lower limits of detection. Key example targets of significant industry and research interest include rare earth elements (REEs) such as dysprosium (Dy) and europium (Eu). These are widely used in advanced technologies including semiconductors, electric vehicle motors, lasers, and permanent magnets. Identifying new sources and responsible reutilization of REEs is essential, and new approaches to extract and recycle REEs could be notably enhanced through the integration of on-line sensors. The sensors can support faster process design, informed scale-up, and cost-effective deployment. This study covers the initial exploration of applying fluorescence-based on-line monitoring to REEs within a precipitation process. This study demonstrates the successful scale-up of a fluorescence -based sensing approach, from stationary cuvettes and small-volume microfluidic devices to continuous flow systems operating at the bench scale (10-25mL). This work also provides initial insight into the challenges of signal’s effects and utility within a turbid environment. Using a modular design for monitoring flowing solutions in a flow tube, fluorescence can be characterized for a variety of analytical targets. In this study, detection performance parameters between the cuvette and flow tube system were compared. Additionally, the response of Dy during precipitation by sodium bicarbonate in the two measurement designs was explored. This letter represents a starting point to bridge the gap between traditional fluorescence sensor measurements in a cuvette to future developments that explore the ability to integrate fluorescence sensors into extraction and separation processes at industrially relevant scales.

fluorescence↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fluorescence Enhancement of Lignin-Based Carbon Quantum Dots by Concentration-Dependent and Electron-Donating Substituent Synergy and Their Cell Imaging Applications

Black liquor is an important pollutant in the pulp industry, but it also has the potential for high-value utilization. In this study, lignin extracted from black liquor was hydrothermally prepared into lignin-based carbon quantum dots (L-CQDs) using a one-pot method. Physicochemical characterization suggested that the L-CQDs exhibited a lamellar core–shell multilayered graphene structure surrounded by oxygen-containing functional groups. Here, the fluorescence intensity of the L-CQDs was strengthened depending on their own concentration dependence and the doping of external groups. The fluorescence intensity of L-CQDs varied between 89.09 and 183.66 under different concentrations, and the most intense fluorescence (183.66) was obtained at 0.1 mg mL –1 . At hydroxyl and amino adsorption capacities of 11.08 and 0.98 mmol g –1 , the hydroxylated RL-CQDs-5 and aminated NL-CQDs-3 exhibited the highest fluorescence intensities at 689.22 and 605.39, respectively. Moreover, when pristine L-CQDs were sequentially aminated and hydroxylated, the NRL-CQDs’ fluorescence intensity reached 1224.92. Cell imaging experiments proved that cells cultivated with NRL-CQDs have brighter fluorescence compared with L-CQDs. The results will render L-CQDs more suitable for practical applications.

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

Excitation spectral microscopy for highly multiplexed fluorescence imaging and quantitative biosensing

The multiplexing capability of fluorescence microscopy is severely limited by the broad fluorescence spectral width. Spectral imaging offers potential solutions, yet typical approaches to disperse the local emission spectra notably impede the attainable throughput. Here we show that using a single, fixed fluorescence emission detection band, through frame-synchronized fast scanning of the excitation wavelength from a white lamp via an acousto-optic tunable filter, up to six subcellular targets, labeled by common fluorophores of substantial spectral overlap, can be simultaneously imaged in live cells with low (~1%) crosstalks and high temporal resolutions (down to ~10 ms). The demonstrated capability to quantify the abundances of different fluorophores in the same sample through unmixing the excitation spectra next enables us to devise novel, quantitative imaging schemes for both bi-state and Förster resonance energy transfer fluorescent biosensors in live cells. We thus achieve high sensitivities and spatiotemporal resolutions in quantifying the mitochondrial matrix pH and intracellular macromolecular crowding, and further demonstrate, for the first time, the multiplexing of absolute pH imaging with three additional target organelles/proteins to elucidate the complex, Parkin-mediated mitophagy pathway. Together, excitation spectral microscopy provides exceptional opportunities for highly multiplexed fluorescence imaging. The prospect of acquiring fast spectral images without the need for fluorescence dispersion or care for the spectral response of the detector offers tremendous potential.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Speckle contrast of interfering fluorescence X-rays

With the development of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), producing pulses of femtosecond durations comparable with the coherence times of X-ray fluorescence, it has become possible to observe intensity–intensity correlations due to the interference of emission from independent atoms. This has been used to compare durations of X-ray pulses and to measure the size of a focused X-ray beam, for example. Here it is shown that it is also possible to observe the interference of fluorescence photons through the measurement of the speckle contrast of angle-resolved fluorescence patterns. Speckle contrast is often used as a measure of the degree of coherence of the incident beam or the fluctuations of the illuminated sample as determined from X-ray diffraction patterns formed by elastic scattering, rather than from fluorescence patterns as addressed here. Commonly used approaches to estimate speckle contrast were found to suffer when applied to XFEL-generated fluorescence patterns due to low photon counts and a significant variation of the excitation pulse energy from shot to shot. A new method to reliably estimate speckle contrast under such conditions, using a weighting scheme, is introduced. The method is demonstrated by comparing the speckle contrast of fluorescence observed with pulses of 3 fs to 15 fs duration.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nanomechanical and Fluorescence Characterizations of Weathered PV Module Encapsulation

Nanoindentation and fluorescence spectroscopy provide spatially resolved mechanical and chemical characterization for degradation of poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) encapsulants aged under accelerated weathering and in field deployed photovoltaic (PV) modules. For the accelerated weathering tests, two different EVA formulations in the glass/EVA/glass-laminated coupons were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light for 180 days at three different temperatures (40, 60, and 80 °C) and UV intensities (0.4, 2.2, and 2.9 W/m2/nm at 340 nm). The fluorescence spectra and moduli were uniform through the cross section of both EVA formulations at the lowest temperature and UV intensity; however, under the highest temperature and UV intensity, the UV irradiated sides showed lower moduli and higher fluorescence compared to the opposite sides. For EVA obtained from PV modules deployed 27 years in Sacramento, CA, USA, changes in fluorescence intensity across the thickness were relatively greater than changes in modulus. On the other hand, for EVA obtained from the same type of module stored in the shed for 27 years, no fluorescence was observed, and a uniform modulus was seen through the EVA layer, but with substantially higher values than those obtained from the field-deployed modules. The different extent of changes between laboratory and field exposures suggests the importance of considering effects of temperature and UV intensity for designing a reliable accelerated testing. This study uniquely demonstrates the capability of microscale characterization using nanoindentation and fluorescence microscopy to monitor mechanical and chemical degradation of EVA encapsulants in PV modules.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗