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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 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Potential ecological impacts of climate intervention by reflecting sunlight to cool Earth

As the effects of anthropogenic climate change become more severe, several approaches for deliberate climate intervention to reduce or stabilize Earth’s surface temperature have been proposed. Solar radiation modification (SRM) is one potential approach to partially counteract anthropogenic warming by reflecting a small proportion of the incoming solar radiation to increase Earth’s albedo. While climate science research has focused on the predicted climate effects of SRM, almost no studies have investigated the impacts that SRM would have on ecological systems. The impacts and risks posed by SRM would vary by implementation scenario, anthropogenic climate effects, geographic region, and by ecosystem, community, population, and organism. Complex interactions among Earth’s climate system and living systems would further affect SRM impacts and risks. We focus here on stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI), a well-studied and relatively feasible SRM scheme that is likely to have a large impact on Earth’s surface temperature. We outline current gaps in knowledge about both helpful and harmful predicted effects of SAI on ecological systems. Desired ecological outcomes might also inform development of future SAI implementation scenarios. In addition to filling these knowledge gaps, increased collaboration between ecologists and climate scientists would identify a common set of SAI research goals and improve the communication about potential SAI impacts and risks with the public. Without this collaboration, forecasts of SAI impacts will overlook potential effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services for humanity.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural and morphological modifications of polymer thin film in the presence of nonsolvent

Thin films of sodium poly(acrylic acid) salt (Na-PAA) have been investigated to obtain the modification of the out-of-plane structure and surface morphology in the presence of toluene which is considered as nonsolvent for Na-PAA. X-ray reflectivity analysis show that the out-of-plane thickness of the Na-PAA film increases if the film is kept for longer time inside the toluene. For the thicker film the effect of toluene is more pronounced than the thinner one. Surface morphology obtained from the atomic force microscopy shows that the top surface becomes relatively rough after the dipping of the Na-PAA film inside toluene. Although toluene is nonsolvent for Na-PAA molecules, however, the effect of restructuring of the nanometer-thick polymer film cannot be ignored. The reason for such structural modification has been proposed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Comparative study of 3C-SiC layers sublimation-grown on a 6H-SiC substrate

n-3C-SiC/n-6H-SiC heterostructures grown by vacuum sublimation on CREE commercial 6H-SiC substrates are studied. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that a transitional layer of varying thickness, composed of a mixture of 3C- and 6H-SiC polytypes, is formed on the substrate. A 3C polytype layer was obtained on the interlayer. Cathodoluminescence study of the surface of the film demonstrated that defects in the form of inclusions of another phase (6H-polytype), stacking faults, and twin boundaries (separating domains of cubic modification, grown in various orientations) are found on the surface and in the surface layer with a thickness on the order of 100 {mu}m. Varying the growth conditions changes the concentration of various types of defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Current rectification for transport of room-temperature ionic liquids through conical nanopores

Here, we studied the transport of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) through charged conical nanopores using a Landau-Ginzburg-type continuum model that takes steric effect and strong ion-ion correlations into account. When the surface charge is uniform on the pore wall, weak current rectification is observed. When the charge density near the pore base is removed, the ionic current is greatly suppressed under negative bias voltage while nearly unchanged under positive bias voltage, thereby leading to enhanced current rectification. These predictions agree qualitatively with prior experimental observations, and we elucidated them by analyzing the different components of the ionic current and the structural changes of electrical double layers (EDLs) at the pore tip under different bias voltages and surface charge patterns. These analyses reveal that the different modifications of the EDL structure near the pore tip by the positive and negative bias voltages cause the current rectification and the observed dependence on the distribution of surface charge on the pore wall. The fact that the current rectification phenomena are captured qualitatively by the simple model originally developed for describing EDLs at equilibrium conditions suggests that this model may be promising for understanding the ionic transport under nonequilibrium conditions when the EDL structure is strongly perturbed by external fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural modification in the formation of starch – silver nanocomposites

Polymer based nanocomposites have gained wide applications in field of battery technology. Starch is a naturally occurring polysaccharide with sustainable properties such as biodegradable, non toxic, excellent film forming capacity and it also act as reducing agent for the metal nanoparticles. In our research various concentration of silver nitrate (AgNO{sub 3}) was added to the starch solution and films were obtained using solution casting method. Surface electron microscope (SEM) of the films shows modifications depending upon the concentration of AgNO{sub 3}. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) analysis showed that addition of silver nitrate modifies the starch to disc like structures and with increasing the AgNO{sub 3} concentration leads to the formation of fractals. This research could benefit battery technology where solid polymer membranes using starch is used.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pore surface engineering in a zirconium metal–organic framework via thiol-ene reaction

A porous olefin-functionalized Zr(IV)-based metal–organic framework, denoted as UiO-68-allyl, has been constructed. Our results clearly demonstrated that the surface of UiO-68-allyl could be decorated with organic molecule (ethanethiol) via thiol-ene reaction. More importantly, the crystallinity of the framework were maintained during the post-synthetic modification process. However, the microporosity of the framework is retained but the surface area decreased, due to the grafting of ethylthio groups into the pores. From our studies, we can conclude that the strategy of post-synthetic modification of UiO-68-allyl via thiol-ene reaction may be general. Furthermore, we may anchor other desired functional group onto the pore walls in Zr-MOFs via thiol-ene reaction, enabling more potential applications. - graphical abstract: In this manuscript, we reported the post-synthetic modification of an olefin-functionalized Zr(IV)-based metal–organic framework via thiol-ene reaction. - Highlights: • A porous olefin-functionalized Zr(IV)-based metal–organic framework has been constructed. • The surface of olefin-functionalized Zr-MOF could be decorated with organic molecules via thiol-ene reaction. • The crystallinity and permanent porosity of the framework were maintained during the post-synthetic modification process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Equivalent ambipolar carrier injection of electrons and holes with Au electrodes in air-stable field effect transistors

Carrier injection from Au electrodes to organic thin-film active layers can be greatly improved for both electrons and holes by nano-structural surface control of organic semiconducting thin films using long-chain aliphatic molecules on a SiO{sub 2} gate insulator. In this paper, we demonstrate a stark contrast for a 2,5-bis(4-biphenylyl)bithiophene (BP2T) active semiconducting layer grown on a modified SiO{sub 2} dielectric gate insulator between two different modifications of tetratetracontane and poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films. Important evidence that the field effect transistor (FET) characteristics are independent of electrode metals with different work functions is given by the observation of a conversion of the metal-semiconductor contact from the Schottky limit to the Bardeen limit. An air-stable light emitting FET with an Au electrode is demonstrated.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tuning the surface reactivity of oxides by peroxide species

The Mars–van Krevelen mechanism is the foundation for oxide-catalyzed oxidation reactions and relies on spatiotemporally separated redox steps. Herein, we demonstrate the tunability of this separation with peroxide species formed by excessively adsorbed oxygen, thereby modifying the catalytic activity and selectivity of the oxide. Using CuO as an example, we show that a surface layer of peroxide species acts as a promotor to significantly enhance CuO reducibility in favor of H 2 oxidation but conversely as an inhibitor to suppress CuO reduction against CO oxidation. Together with atomistic modeling, we identify that this opposite effect of the peroxide on the two oxidation reactions stems from its modification on coordinately unsaturated sites of the oxide surface. By differentiating the chemical functionality between lattice oxygen and peroxide, these results are closely relevant to a wide range of catalytic oxidation reactions using excessively adsorbed oxygen to activate lattice oxygen and tune the activity and selectivity of redox sites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hybrid Graphene Ribbon/Carbon Electrodes for High‐Performance Energy Storage

Abstract The utility of supercapacitors for both fixed and portable energy storage would be greatly enhanced if their energy density could be increased while maintaining their high power density, fast charging time, and low cost. This study describes a simple, solution‐phase, scalable modification of carbon materials by a covalently bonded “brush” of hydrogen‐terminated graphene ribbons (GRs) with layer thicknesses of 2–20 nm, resulting in a 20–100 times increase in the areal capacitance of the unmodified electrode surface. On a flat sp 2 carbon surface modified by GRs, the capacitance exceeds 1200 µF cm −2 in 0.1 m H 2 SO 4 due to a distinct type of pseudocapacitance during constant current charge/discharge cycling. Modification of high surface area carbon black electrodes with GRs yields capacitances of 950–1890 F g −1 , power densities >40 W g −1 , and minimal change in capacitance during 1500 charge/discharge cycles at 20 A g −1 . A capacitance of 1890 F g −1 affords an energy density of 318 Wh kg −1 operating at 1.1 V and 590 Wh kg −1 at 1.5 V. The projected energy density of a hybrid GR/carbon supercapacitor greatly exceeds the current 10 Wh kg −1 for commercial supercapacitors and approaches that of lithium ion batteries.

Farquhar, Anna K.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Reconfigurable modified surface layers using plasma capillaries around the neutral inclusion regime

We show both theoretically and experimentally reconfigurable properties achieved by plasma inclusions placed in modified surface layers generally used to tailor the transmission and beaming properties of electromagnetic bandgap based waveguiding structures. A proper parametrization of the plasma capillaries allows to reach the neutral inclusion regime, where the inclusions appear to be electromagnetically transparent, letting the surface mode characteristics unaltered. Varying the electron density of the plasma inclusions provoques small perturbations around this peculiar regime, and we observe significant modifications of the transmission/beaming properties. This offers a way to dynamically select the enhanced transmission frequency or to modify the radiation pattern of the structure, depending on whether the modified surface layer is placed at the entrance/exit of the waveguide.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chemical structure–property relationships in nanocelluloses

Abstract Nanocelluloses, nanoscale cellulosic particles or fibrils, are an appealing class of nanomaterials with enormous potential for sustainable development. They have great promise to target some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. Nanocelluloses are derived from the most abundant biopolymer in the world, cellulose, which have multiple hydroxyl groups on their surface, enabling a vast range of chemical modifications. The interplay between the chemical structure and physicochemical properties of nanocelluloses is crucial to engineering the next generation of green, functional nanomaterials. In this review paper, we provide a comprehensive account of the structure–property relationships in nanocelluloses, which may establish the basis for the design of precision bio‐based materials. Chemical modifications of nanocelluloses, including hydrolysis, oxidation, esterification, amidation, and polymer grafting, provide an array of chemical and physical properties that open opportunities in a diverse spectrum of applications. We review how chemical modifications affect the physicochemical properties of nanocelluloses, such as thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and dispersibility in nonpolar media. Understanding nanocellulose chemical structure–property relationships is integral to the development of sustainable material platforms based on the most renewable biopolymer on earth.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Novel nucleocytoplasmic protein O -fucosylation by SPINDLY regulates diverse developmental processes in plants

Here, in metazoans, protein O-fucosylation of Ser/Thr residues was only found in secreted or cell surface proteins, and this post-translational modification is catalyzed by ER-localized protein O-fucosyltransferases (POFUTs) in the GT65 family. Recently, a novel nucleocytoplasmic POFUT, SPINDLY (SPY), was identified in the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana to modify nuclear transcription regulators DELLAs, revealing a new regulatory mechanism for gene expression. The paralog of AtSPY, SECRET AGENT (SEC), is an O-link-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) transferase (OGT), which O-GlcNAcylates Ser/Thr residues of target proteins. Both AtSPY and AtSEC are tetratricopeptide repeat-domain-containing glycosyltransferases in the GT41 family. The discovery that AtSPY is a POFUT clarified decades of miss-classification of AtSPY as an OGT. SPY and SEC play pleiotropic roles in plant development, and the interactions between SPY and SEC are complex. SPY-like genes are conserved in diverse organisms, except in fungi and metazoans, suggesting that O-fucosylation is a common mechanism in modulating intracellular protein functions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

A family of tubular pili from harmful algal bloom forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Cyanobacteria are vital photosynthetic prokaryotes, but some form harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) that disrupt ecosystems and produce toxins. The mechanisms by which these blooms form have yet to be fully understood, particularly the role of extracellular components. Here, we present a 2.4 Å cryo-EM structure of a pilus, termed the cyanobacterial tubular (CT) pilus, found in the cyanoHAB-forming Microcystis aeruginosa. The pilin exhibits a unique protein fold, forming a tubular pilus structure with tight, double-layer anti-parallel β-sheet interactions. We show that CT pili are essential for buoyancy by facilitating the formation of micro-colonies, which increases drag force and prevents sinking. The CT pilus surface is heavily glycosylated with ten monosaccharide modifications per pilin. Furthermore, CT pili can enrich microcystin, potentially enhancing cellular resilience, and co-localize with iron-enriched extracellular matrix components. Thus, we propose that this pilus plays an important role in the proliferation of cyanoHABs. This just discovered pilus family appears to be widely distributed across several cyanobacterial orders. Our structural and functional characterization of CT pili provide insights into cyanobacterial cell morphology, physiology, and toxin interactions, and identify potential targets for disrupting bloom formation.

Cryoelectron microscopy↗
DOE OSTI2015

Transmission electron microscopy studying of structural features of NiTi B2 phase formed under pulsed electron-beam impact

By transmission electron microscopy method the evolution of structural-phase states on a depth of close to equiatomic NiTi modified layer has been studied. Modification performed by pulse impact on its surface low-energy high-current electron beam (beam energy density 10 J/sm{sup 2}, 10 pulses, pulse duration 50mks). It is established that during the treatment in the layer thickness of 8–10 μm, the melting of primary B2 phase and contained therein as Ti2Ni phase particles occurs. The result is change in the concentration ratio of titanium and nickel in the direction of increasing titanium content, which was confirmed by X-ray analysis in the form of increased unit cell parameter B2 phase. Analysis of the electron diffraction pattern showed that the modified layer is characterized as a highly distorted structure on the basis of bcc lattice. Lattice distortions are maximal near the surface and extends to a depth of melt. In subjacent layer there is gradual decline lattice distortions is observed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Epitaxial growth and thermodynamic stability of SrIrO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} heterostructures

Obtaining high-quality thin films of 5d transition metal oxides is essential to explore the exotic semimetallic and topological phases predicted to arise from the combination of strong electron correlations and spin-orbit coupling. Here, we show that the transport properties of SrIrO{sub 3} thin films, grown by pulsed laser deposition, can be optimized by considering the effect of laser-induced modification of the SrIrO{sub 3} target surface. We further demonstrate that bare SrIrO{sub 3} thin films are subject to degradation in air and are highly sensitive to lithographic processing. A crystalline SrTiO{sub 3} cap layer deposited in-situ is effective in preserving the film quality, allowing us to measure metallic transport behavior in films with thicknesses down to 4 unit cells. In addition, the SrTiO{sub 3} encapsulation enables the fabrication of devices such as Hall bars without altering the film properties, allowing precise (magneto)transport measurements on micro- and nanoscale devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

A master equation simulation for the • OH + CH 3 OH reaction

A combined (fixed-J) two-dimensional master-equation / semi-classical transition state theory / variational Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (2DME/SCTST/vRRKM) approach has been used to compute reaction rate coefficients of •OH with CH 3 OH over a wide range of temperatures (10 - 2500 K) and pressures (10 -1 -10 4 Torr) based on a potential energy surface that has been constructed using a modification of the HEAT thermochemical protocol. The calculated results show that the title reaction is nearly pressure-independent when T > 250 K, but depends strongly on pressure at lower temperatures. Also, the preferred mechanism and rate constants are found to be very sensitive to temperature. The reaction pathway CH 3 OH + • OH → CH 3 O • + H 2 O proceeds exclusively through tunneling at exceedingly low temperatures (T ≤50 K) typical of those established in interstellar environments. In this regime, the rate constant is found to increase with decreasing temperature, which agrees with low-temperature experimental results. The thermodynamically favored reaction pathway CH 3 OH + • OH → • CH 2 OH + H 2 O becomes dominant at higher temperatures (T ≥ 200 K), such as those found in Earth’s atmosphere as well as combustion environments. By modifying the ab initio barrier heights slightly, experimental rate constants from 200 to 1250 K can be satisfactorily reproduced.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP2-05: Can Automatic Delineation of Cardiac Substructures On Noncontrast CT Be Used for Cardiac Toxicity Analysis?

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using an automatic segmentation tool to delineate cardiac substructures from computed tomography (CT) images for cardiac toxicity analysis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after radiotherapy. Methods: A multi-atlas segmentation tool developed in-house was used to delineate eleven cardiac substructures including the whole heart, four heart chambers, and six greater vessels automatically from the averaged 4DCT planning images for 49 NSCLC patients. The automatic segmented contours were edited appropriately by two experienced radiation oncologists. The modified contours were compared with the auto-segmented contours using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean surface distance (MSD) to evaluate how much modification was needed. In addition, the dose volume histogram (DVH) of the modified contours were compared with that of the auto-segmented contours to evaluate the dosimetric difference between modified and auto-segmented contours. Results: Of the eleven structures, the averaged DSC values ranged from 0.73 ± 0.08 to 0.95 ± 0.04 and the averaged MSD values ranged from 1.3 ± 0.6 mm to 2.9 ± 5.1mm for the 49 patients. Overall, the modification is small. The pulmonary vein (PV) and the inferior vena cava required the most modifications. The V30 (volume receiving 30 Gy or above) for the whole heart and the mean dose to the whole heart and four heart chambers did not show statistically significant difference between modified and auto-segmented contours. The maximum dose to the greater vessels did not show statistically significant difference except for the PV. Conclusion: The automatic segmentation of the cardiac substructures did not require substantial modification. The dosimetric evaluation showed no statistically significant difference between auto-segmented and modified contours except for the PV, which suggests that auto-segmented contours for the cardiac dose response study are feasible in the clinical practice with a minor modification to the PV vessel.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗