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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

In situ mineralogical-chemical analysis of Martian materials at landing/roving sites by active and passive remote sensing methods

Remote sensing of the Martian surface from the ground and from orbiting spacecraft has provided some first-order insight into the mineralogical-chemical composition and the weathering state of Martian surface materials. Much more detailed information can be gathered from performing such measurements in situ at the landing sites or from a rover in combination with analogous measurements from orbit. Measurements in the wavelength range of approximately 0.3 to 12.0 micrometers appear to be suitable to characterize much of the physical, mineralogical, petrological, and chemical properties of Martian surface materials and the weathering and other alteration processes that have acted on them. It is of particular importance to carry out measurements at the same time over a broad wavelength range since the reflectance signatures are caused by different effects and hence give different and complementing information. It appears particularly useful to employ a combination of active and passive methods because the use of active laser spectroscopy allows the obtaining of specific information on thermal infrared reflectance of surface materials. It seems to be evident that a spectrometric survey of Martian materials has to be focused on the analysis of altered and fresh mafic materials and rocks, water-bearing silicates, and possibly carbonates.

Neukum, G.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with Pt Catalysts

Coating the catalyst with a nanoporous layer has been demonstrated to be an effective approach to improve catalyst stability. Herein, we systematically investigate two types of core-shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a platinum nanocatalyst using a variety of characterization methods. One of the mesoporous particles has a unique amine ring structure in the middle of a shell (Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 ), and the other one has no ring structure (mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 ). Brunauer–Emmett–Teller/Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BET/BJH) presented a similar surface area for both particles, and the pore size was 2.4 nm. Ultra-Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (USAXS)/ Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) showed the size of mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 and Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 were 420 nm and 272 nm, respectively. It also showed that the ring structure was 30 nm above the silica core. Using high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), it was found that the platinum nanoparticles are loaded evenly on the surface of the silica. In situ SAXS heating experiments and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) indicated that the mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 were more stable during the high temperature, while the Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 had more change in the particle.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1979

Gravitational spectra from direct measurements

A simple rapid method is described for determining the spectrum of a surface field (in spherical harmonics) from harmonic analysis of direct (in situ) measurements along great circle arcs. The method is shown to give excellent overall trends (smoothed spectra) to very high degree from even a few short arcs of satellite data. Three examples are taken with perfect measurements of satellite tracking over a planet made up of hundreds of point masses using (1) altimetric heights from a low-orbiting spacecraft, (2) velocity (range rate) residuals between a low and a high satellite in circular orbits, and (3) range rate data between a station at infinity and a satellite in a highly eccentric orbit. In particular, the smoothed spectrum of the earth's gravitational field is determined to about degree 400(50-km half wavelength) from 1 x 1 deg gravimetry and the equivalent of 11 revolutions of GEOS 3 and Skylab altimetry. This measurement shows that there is about 46 cm of geoid height (rms worldwide) remaining in the field beyond degree 180.

Wagner, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Northern Hemisphere Surface Freeze-Thaw Product from Aquarius L-Band Radiometers

In the Northern Hemisphere, seasonal changes in surface freeze–thaw (FT) cycles are an important component of surface energy, hydrological and eco-biogeochemical processes that must be accurately monitored. This paper presents the weekly polar-gridded Aquarius passive L-band surface freeze–thaw product (FT-AP) distributed on the Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid version 2.0, above the parallel 50 N, with a spatial resolution of 36 km36 km. The FT-AP classification algorithm is based on a seasonal threshold approach using the normalized polarization ratio, references for frozen and thawed conditions and optimized thresholds. To evaluate the uncertainties of the product, we compared it with another satellite FT product also derived from passive microwave observations but at higher frequency: the resampled 37 GHz FT Earth Science Data Record (FTESDR). The assessment was carried out during the overlapping period between 2011 and 2014. Results show that 77.1% of their common grid cells have an agreement better than 80 %. Their differences vary with land cover type (tundra, forest and open land) and freezing and thawing periods. The best agreement is obtained during the thawing transition and over forest areas, with differences between product mean freeze or thaw onsets of under 0.4 weeks. Over tundra, FT-AP tends to detect freeze onset 2–5 weeks earlier than FT-ESDR, likely due to FT sensitivity to the different frequencies used. Analysis with mean surface air temperature time series from six in situ meteorological stations shows that the main discrepancies between FT-AP and FT-ESDR are related to false frozen retrievals in summer for some regions with FT-AP. The Aquarius product is distributed by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at https://nsidc.org/data/aq3_ft/versions/5 with the DOI https://doi.org/10.5067/OV4R18NL3BQR.

Prince, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2020

In situ , in vivo , and in operando imaging and spectroscopy of liquids using microfluidics in vacuum

This review offers a succinct overview of the development of a vacuum-compatible microfluidic reactor system for analysis at the liquid vacuum interface (SALVI), and its diverse applications in in situ, in vivo, and in operando imaging of liquid surfaces as well as the air-liquid (a-l), liquid-liquid (l-l), and solid-liquid (s-l) interfaces in the past decade. SALVI is one of the first microfluidics-based reactors that has enabled direct analysis of volatile liquids in vacuum surface tools such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Its integration into ambient and vacuum spectroscopy and microscopy is illustrated. Several applications are highlighted including (1) imaging nanoparticles in liquid using in situ SEM; (2) mapping the evolving l-l interface using in situ x-ray absorption spectroscopy and ToF-SIMS; (3) following complex a-l interfacial oxidation reaction products using in situ ToF-SIMS; (4) capturing biological interfaces of cells and microbes via in vivo multimodal and correlative imaging; and (5) monitoring the dynamic solid electrode and liquid electrolyte interface using in operando molecular imaging. Finally, outlook and recommendations are presented. Besides showing the holistic information volume obtained by real-time multiplexed imaging, this review intends to convey the importance of tool development in revolutionizing surface and interface analysis using vacuum platforms previously limited to solid surfaces. Microfluidics is manifested to be not limited to ambient conditions in many examples in this review. Moreover, fundamental interfacial phenomena underpinning mass and charge transfer can now be pursued in real time via innovated chemical imaging and spectroscopy.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2006

Use of In Situ Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Extinction, and Aerosol Size Distribution Measurements to Test a Method for Retrieving Cloud Condensation Nuclei Profiles From Surface Measurements

If the aerosol composition and size distribution below cloud are uniform, the vertical profile of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration can be retrieved entirely from surface measurements of CCN concentration and particle humidification function and surface-based retrievals of relative humidity and aerosol extinction or backscatter. This provides the potential for long-term measurements of CCN concentrations near cloud base. We have used a combination of aircraft, surface in situ, and surface remote sensing measurements to test various aspects of the retrieval scheme. Our analysis leads us to the following conclusions. The retrieval works better for supersaturations of 0.1% than for 1% because CCN concentrations at 0.1% are controlled by the same particles that control extinction and backscatter. If in situ measurements of extinction are used, the retrieval explains a majority of the CCN variance at high supersaturation for at least two and perhaps five of the eight flights examined. The retrieval of the vertical profile of the humidification factor is not the major limitation of the CCN retrieval scheme. Vertical structure in the aerosol size distribution and composition is the dominant source of error in the CCN retrieval, but this vertical structure is difficult to measure from remote sensing at visible wavelengths.

Ghan, Stephen J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Machine Learning Enabled Sensor Fusion for In-Situ Defect Detection in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) Additive Manufacturing (AM) is among the metal 3D printing technologies most broadly adopted by the manufacturing industry. The current industry qualification paradigm for critical-application L-PBF parts relies heavily on expensive non-destructive inspection techniques such as X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT), which significantly limits the use-cases of L-PBF. In situ monitoring of the process promises a less expensive alternative to ex situ testing, but existing sensor technologies and data analysis techniques struggle to detect sub-surface flaws (e.g., porosity and cracking) on production-scale L-PBF printers. RTX Technologies Research Center (RTRC) has licensed ORNL’s Peregrine software package – a printer- and camera-agnostic data analytics tool designed specifically for detecting process anomalies using in situ data collected during powder bed printing. The goal of this project was to feed temporally rich, multi-modal sensor data, including visible light, integrated near infrared (NIR), and spatially mapped co-axial melt pool thermal emission data into Peregrine to enable detection of subsurface flaws. XCT data was used as ground truth training data to allow Peregrine’s deep learning algorithms to recognize anomalies in these complex data streams in both test artifacts and industrially relevant geometries. Completion of this program has seen the successful implementation of multi-modal, multi-layer sensor data footprints for training of machine learning models in Peregrine. Flaws detected in XCT data have been successfully detected directly from this in situ data footprint, and initial analyses of the in situ probability-of-detection has been conducted, showing performance levels commensurate with traditional non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods. The in situ monitoring methodology was then applied to an industrially relevant component that was using post-build NDE, highlighting the utility of the proposed method for hard-to-inspect AM components. As a direct result of this program, two journal manuscripts [1], [2] have been published in Additive Manufacturing, with additional manuscripts planned following program completion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2004

Investigation of the Seasonal Freeze/Thaw Cycle of Soils in the GAPP Regions

The objective of this project is to understand the current and future impacts and feedbacks of seasonally frozen ground on the regional and global climate system and the ecosystem as a whole. More specifically, we proposed to: investigate the dynamics of the seasonally freezing and thawing processes and their relations to current climatic conditions through in situ data analysis and numerical modeling; develop a comprehensive algorithm to detect surface soil freeze/thaw status for snow-free land surface using passive microwave remote sensing data and for snow-covered land surface using numerical modeling, and validate the algorithm and numerical model using available ground-based measurements; investigate seasonal and inter-annual variations of frozen soils in the GAPP regions using data generated from the new validated algorithm and their relations to the environmental factors such as air temperature, snow cover, surface morphology, soil type and soil moisture; generate a frozen soil data set which describes the timing, duration, thickness, and area extent of seasonally frozen ground for the period from 1978 to present. The proposed research will be accomplished through data analysis, remote sensing, and numerical modeling.

FREEZE-THAW TESTS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Airborne boundary layer flux measurements of trace species over Canadian boreal forest and northern wetland regions

Airborne heat, moisture, O3, CO, and CH4 flux measurements were obtained over the Hudson Bay lowlands (HBL) and northern boreal forest regions of Canada during July - August 1990. The airborne flux measurements were an integral part of the NASA/Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE) 3B field experiment executed in collaboration with the Canadian Northern Wetlands Study (NOWES). Airborne CH4 flux measurements were taken over a large portion of the HBL. The surface level flux of CH4 was obtained from downward extrapolations of multiple-level CH4 flux measurements. Methane source strengths ranged from -1 to 31 mg m(exp -2)/d, with the higher values occurring in relatively small, isolated areas. Similar measurements of the CH4 source strength in the boreal forest region of Schefferville, Quebec, ranged from 6 to 27 mg m(exp -2)/d and exhibited a diurnal dependence. The CH4 source strengths found during the ABLE 3B expedition were much lower than the seasonally averaged source strength of 51 mg m(exp -2)/d found for the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region of Alaska during the previous ABLE 3A study. Large positive CO fluxes (0.31 to 0.53 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) m/s) were observed over the inland, forested regions of the HBL study area, although the mechanism for the generation of these fluxes was not identified. Repetitive measurements along the same ground track at various times of day near the Schefferville site also suggested a diurnal dependence for CO emissions. Measurements of surface resistance to the uptake of O3 (1.91 to 0.80 s/cm) for the HBL areas investigated were comparable to those observed near the Schefferville site (3.40 to 1.10 s/cm). Surface resistance values for the ABLE 3B study area were somewhat less than those observed over the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta during the previous ABLE 3A study. The budgets for heat, moisture, O3, CO, and CH4 were evaluated. The residuals from these budget studies indicated, for the cases selected, a moderate net photochemical production of O3 present in the boundary layer over the HBL that coincided with an in situ destruction of CO, although the mechanism responsible for the destruction of CO was not identified. Results from the O3 budget analysis indicate the importance of in situ photochemical production and its possible dominance over surface deposition to the local O3 budget at the Schefferville site. Measurements of the in situ production of O3 indicated a direct relationship between the presence of biomass burning or large-scale pollution effects. Residuals from budget calculations for conserved quantities (heat, moisture, and CH4) were compared with their respective surface fluxes to provide a measure of the internal self-consistency of the flux measurements.

Ritter, John A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

High-Rate, Selective Electrosynthesis of Cyclohexanone Oxime via In Situ Generation and Release of Hydroxylamine on Bismuth

Oxime compounds are key industrial intermediates for nylon precursors and commodity chemicals. However, conventional routes rely on multistep reactions and hydroxylamine (NH 2 OH) salts, raising significant safety and sustainability concerns. Although electrosynthesis offers an alternative, oxime formation on d-block transition metals suffers from poor selectivity, as nitrogen oxyanion intermediates bind strongly to the surface and are readily over-reduced to ammonia. Here, we report morphology-controlled p-block bismuth rhombic dodecahedra (Bi RDs) that promote in situ NH 2 OH generation and its desorption into the electrolyte, enabling an electrochemical-chemical decoupled route for cyclohexanone oxime (CHO) synthesis. Bi RDs deliver nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency (FE) at −0.5 V vs. RHE and a yield of 1.4 mmol h –1 cm –2 at −0.9 V vs. RHE in an H-cell, while maintaining a CHO selectivity of nearly 100% at 100 mA cm –2 in a flow cell. Under identical conditions, d-block electrodes (Cu, Pd, Ag) show FE below 30%. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Bi 6p orbital-derived surface states weaken intermediate binding and facilitate NH 2 OH desorption, suppressing over-reduction. Kinetic analysis, post-addition trapping experiments, and in situ ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy suggest the following reaction mechanism: NH 2 OH is selectively generated at the electrode surface, released as a freely diffusing intermediate, and undergoes homogeneous condensation with cyclohexanone in the bulk electrolyte, bypassing the surface-confined Langmuir–Hinshelwood pathway. These findings demonstrate that regulating intermediate desorption through p-block orbital chemistry provides a general strategy for achieving high selectivity in electro-organic nitrogen synthesis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crystallographic Insight of Reduced Lattice Volume Expansion in Mesoporous Cu 2+ -Doped TiNb 2 O 7 Microspheres during Li + Insertion

TiNb 2 O 7 represents a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but its practical applications are currently hampered by the non-negligible volumetric expansion and contraction during the charge/discharge process and the sluggish ion/electron kinetics. Here a combination technique is reported by systematically optimizing the porous and spherical morphology, crystal structure, and surface decoration of mesoporous Cu 2+ -doped TiNb 2 O 7 microspheres to enhance the electrochemical Li + storage performance and stability simultaneously. The Cu 2+ dopants preferentially replace Ti 4+ in crystal lattices, which decreases the Li + diffusion barrier and increases the electronic conductivity, as confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and demonstrated by diverse electrochemical characterizations. The successful Cu 2+ doping significantly reduces the lattice expansion coefficient from 7.26% to 4.61% after Li + insertion along the b-axis of TiNb 2 O 7 , as visualized from in situ and ex situ XRD analysis. The optimal 5% Cu 2+ -doped TiNb 2 O 7 with surface coating of N-doped carbon exhibits significantly enhanced specific capacity and rate and cyclic performances in both half- and full-cell configurations, demonstrating an excellent electrochemical behavior for fast-charging LIB applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2022

In Situ Measurements of Surface Texture with Virtual Environments Support Science-Driven Human Surface Operations on the Moon and Beyond

Visualization tools enabling real-time scientific analysis are important for supporting future astronaut operations on the lunar surface. Such tools can be built into virtual environments to support scientific investigations, as well as situational awareness, real-time decision making, and efficient communication between astronauts and ground and support systems. Understanding how these tools can be optimized for science is essential for upcoming Artemis missions. In this contribution, we discuss how measurements of surface texture at multiple length scales can greatly enhance in situ science on/of the Moon, and eventually Mars, asteroids, and beyond. Roughness measurements at various wavelengths directly support objectives defined in the Artemis Science Plan, including (O1) “understanding planetary processes,” (O2) “understanding volatile cycles,” and (O3) “interpreting the impact history of the Earth-Moon system” . Key scientific analyses enabled by texture measurements at different length scales include: ● Sub-centimeter scales: Texture measurements can help constrain lava flow crystallinity, lava rheology, emplacement flow dynamics, and cooling histories (O1). Measurements of lacunarity (voids in fractal fill space) can shed light on eruptive volatile content, residence time of migrating volatiles, and near-surface volume available for micro-cold trapping of volatiles (O1, O2). ● Centimeter–meter scales: Texture measurements can be used for the differentiation of individual lava flows, the reconstruction of local stratigraphies and emplacement sequences, characterization of post-emplacement surface modification processes (O1, O3). Derived roughness (polarization) metrics can be used in the detection of water ice and characterization of ice properties (e.g., purity, grade, depth, abundance). ● Hectometer–Kilometer scales: Texture measurements can be used to differentiate major geologic surface units and surface structures (O1), constrain the presence of abundant ground ices (O2), and analyze surface modification and estimate surface age (O3). Real-time measurements of surface texture across these multiple length scales will enable efficient sample identification and scientific investigations by future astronauts. To support these investigations and the objective classification of surface texture, virtual environments employed by astronauts should be able to instantaneously convert raw data into processed data (e.g., digital terrain and elevation models) and derived metrics (e.g., RMS, std, Hurst, CPR) and perform statistical analyses (e.g., PCA, outliers, correlation matrices). Such tools are being developed and tested by the Resource Exploration and Science of our Cosmic Environment (RESOURCE) team, a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), and are an excellent example of the powerful synergies of human and robotic ground assets critical in the return of humans to the Moon.

Ariel N. Deutsch↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structural and chemical evolutions of a magnesium vanadium oxide cathode under electrochemical cycling in magnesium batteries

The design of cathode materials that remain chemically and structurally stable during repetitive ion insertion and extraction poses a significant challenge in developing multivalent batteries. The cycling stability of traditional metal oxide-based cathode is challenged by sluggish diffusion of multivalent cations and parasitic reactivity at interfacial regimes, including the cathode electrolyte interphase layer (CEI). Understanding the reactions at the cathode-electrolyte interface, particularly those induced by non-stoichiometric surface layers, is a crucial design parameter for both cathode materials and electrolytes. Here, in this study, we employed multimodal analysis, including in situ and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to examine the surface reactions and subsequent structural and chemical evolutions of the CEI on high voltage magnesium vanadium oxide (MgV 2 O 4 ) spinel cathode during the Mg 2+ insertion/extraction processes. The results revealed that the presence of non-stoichiometric surface layers in the magnesium vanadium oxide cathode drive the decomposition of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI - ) anion, leading to the formation of the CEI layer. The CEI layer could inhibit the Mg 2+ ion transfer processes. Accompanying this reactivity-driven degradation, the magnesium vanadium oxide cathode undergoes pulverization, forming clusters of nanosized particles. This process likely improves cycling ability by creating new intercalation sites and shortening the diffusion pathway for the Mg 2+ cations. This study demonstrates that controlling surface stoichiometry and engineering morphological properties are critical design parameters for high performance cathodes for multivalent batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the Prediction of Surface Melt Over the Greenland Ice Sheet at NWP and S2S Timescales

Greenland surface melt “events” – encompassing large swaths of the ice sheet over approximately 4-10 day periods – have occurred with increasing frequency in the 21st Century. Surface processes are significant to the ice sheet’s overall contribution to sea level. In addition, the sudden onset of widespread surface melt produces hazardous conditions for researchers and for communities adjacent to the ice sheet. The mechanisms producing melt events, their associated large-scale forcing, and timescales of interest are highly variable and poorly understood. Here we examine the predictability of melt events in a numerical weather prediction system (NWP) and a subseasonal-to-seasonal system (S2S). The NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office forward processing (GMAO-FP) is an NWP system that incorporates an evolving, global hybrid 4D ensemble–variational (4DEnVar) data assimilation system and a state-of-the-art model that is run twice-daily with forecasts out to five and ten days. The GMAO S2S system is a hindcast-anomaly, coupled-model prediction system initialized with an atmospheric analysis, and in situ and satellite ocean data assimilation. Both systems represent ice sheet surface hydrology and snowpack processes. We examine the performance of the systems over the period 2018-2023, a span that includes approximately nine significant events, against analyses and satellite-derived melt extent. In addition to extent, we examine related conditions and their role in the melt forecast, including the onset of both omega and Rex atmospheric blocking patterns, sea surface temperatures, sea ice extent, water vapor transport, precipitation, and surface preconditioning. We further examine the tendency for false-alarm events in each system and assess reasons for the forecast performance. North Atlantic atmospheric blocking patterns leading to surface melt are well forecast by the NWP system out to around eight days, while the S2S system generally underestimates the magnitude of such events at monthly lead times. These systems suggest that while short term forecasts of ice sheet melt and melt events are relatively robust, S2S predictions of surface conditions are highly dependent on the ability of a coupled system to generate the short-term atmospheric conditions associated with surface melt events.

Richard Cullather↗
NASA NTRS1991

A silicone column for GC analysis of polar and nonpolar chemicals

The investigation of the Saturnian System is being proposed jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The mission is scheduled for a launch in 1996. The mission provides an opportunity for close observation and exploration of Saturn's atmosphere, the complex Saturnian System of satellites and rings, Titan (Saturn's planet-sized moon), and Saturn's magnetosphere. The mission gives special attention to Titan which is blanketed by a thick, opaque atmosphere. An atmospheric probe will be deposited into the Titan Atmosphere for in situ measurement during a slow, three hour descent to the surface. The results from this analysis may provide the information which is important to the research of chemical evolution, and the origin of life. An analytical system was developed as a part of the Titan Aerosol Gas Experiment (TAGEX), a proposed experiment for the Cassini Mission. This system will use two highly sensitive detectors, the Metastable Ionization Detector (MID) and the Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS). Unfortunately, when commercial columns are utilized with these highly sensitive detectors, volatile components continuously bleed from the column and interfere with the detector. In addition, light columns must be able to separate polar and nonpolar organic chemicals within 10-15 minutes under isothermal conditions for the Titan Mission. Therefore, a highly crosslinked silicone polymeric packed column was developed which is able to efficiently separate amines, alcohols, and hydrocarbons with retention times less that 15 minutes at 100 C isothermal condition.

Shen, T. C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermal Stability of Au Rhombic Dodecahedral Nanocrystals Can Be Greatly Enhanced by Coating Their Surface with an Ultrathin Shell of Pt

Rhombic dodecahedral nanocrystals have been considered particularly difficult to synthesize because they are enclosed by {110}, a low-index facet with the greatest surface energy. Recently, we demonstrated the use of seed-mediated growth for the facile and robust synthesis of Au rhombic dodecahedral nanocrystals (AuRD). While the unique shape and surface structure of AuRD are desirable for potential applications in plasmonics and catalysis, respectively, their high surface energy makes them highly susceptible to thermal degradation. Here we demonstrate that it is feasible to greatly improve the thermal stability with some sacrifice to the plasmonic properties of the original AuRD by coating their surface with an ultrathin shell made of Pt. Our in situ electron microscopy analysis indicates that the ultrathin Pt coating can increase the thermal stability from 60 up to 450 °C, a trend that is also supported by the results from a computational study.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1993

Studies of the net surface radiative flux from satellite radiances during FIFE

Studies of the net surface radiative flux from satellite radiances during First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) are presented. Topics covered include: radiative transfer model validation; calibration of VISSR and AVHRR solar channels; development and refinement of algorithms to estimate downward solar and terrestrial irradiances at the surface, including photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and surface albedo; verification of these algorithms using in situ measurements; production of maps of shortwave irradiance, surface albedo, and related products; analysis of the temporal variability of shortwave irradiance over the FIFE site; development of a spectroscopy technique to estimate atmospheric total water vapor amount; and study of optimum linear combinations of visible and near-infrared reflectances for estimating the fraction of PAR absorbed by plants.

Frouin, Robert↗