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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Aerosol Thermodynamics (Aerosol Liquid Water Concentration and Aerosol pH) at S2 during CoURAGE

These data report aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) and aerosol pH for the S2 (Mt. Airy) site during CoURAGE for April - June 2025. The ISORROPIA-II aerosol thermodynamic equilibrium model was used to compute ALWC and pH. The model was run in forward mode, with solids formation disabled (metastable mode), according to Pye et al. (Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2020). Information about the model can be found at https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lapi/models-and-software/isorropia/, and in Fountoukis and Nenes (Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2007). Inputs to the model were: (1) measured Temperature and relative humidity, both from the DoE ARM “metwxt” data products at S2, (2) aerosol chemical composition from the ARM ACSM, and (3) gas-phase ammonia concentrations. For ISORROPIA-II, ambient RH values above 0.995 were input to the model as 0.995; therefore, caution should be exercised interpreting ALWC when RH was above 0.995. Aerosol composition or NH3(g) concentrations below the LOD were input into the model as 0.5*LOD. Model runs were only conducted for data points at 30-min resolution with all three inputs (meteorology, ACSM, and NH3). If any of the three model inputs were missing, aerosol thermodynamic outputs are flagged as -999. Similarly, aerosol thermodynamic outputs are flagged as -999 if measured NH3(g) and aerosol ammonium (NH4+) were simultaneously below the respective LODs. The ALWC includes liquid water from inorganic aerosol components, calculated directly by ISORROPIA-II, as well as liquid water from organics, estimated from the ACSM organics assuming a kappa value of 0.12 according to Guo et al. (Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2015).

Aerosol Liquid Water Content↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct Numerical Simulation of Flame-Wall Interaction for Low-Carbon Gas Turbine Combustion

Green hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3) are emerging as carbon free alternatives to hydrocarbon fuels. In gas turbines, flames interact with the combustor liner (wall), which affects the pollutant emissions, the burning efficiency, and the thermal load on the liner. We lack understanding of this important flame-wall interaction (FWI) for alternative fuels. FWI occurs at the scale of the flame thickness, and such scales are only resolved by direct numerical simulation. Here, we resolve the FWI for NH3 and H2 flames. Preliminary results of two distinct projects are presented: 2D laminar anchored V-flame, and 3D turbulent swirling flame. For the laminar flame, we show flame quenching at the wall and resulting leakage of NH3 and increased N2O, but decreased NO emissions. For the swirling flame, we show CO emissions, and comparison of flame shapes and location to experimental measurements. Ultimately we show that quenching and pollutant emissions strongly affected by fuel/air ratio, and that an inclined wall can stabilize very lean turbulent CH4/H2 flames, but prone to large CO emissions.

adaptive mesh refinement↗
DOE OSTI2022

Protonic Ceramics for Energy Storage & Electricity Generation with Ammonia (Final Report)

The commercial product resulting from this R&D project will enable cost-effective synthesis of the Carbon Neutral Liquid Fuel (CNLF) ammonia, a common chemical, at a small scale for energy and industrial applications using only intermittent renewable energy, water, and air as feedstocks. These products are also capable of producing electrical energy from the CNLF in a fuel cell mode of operation. Thus, the eventual commercial product enables both single direction production of either CLNF or electricity, or alternatively functions as a fully reversible, self-contained energy storage device. The renewed interest in developing electrolysis systems is driven, in part, by the burgeoning renewable, solar, and wind industries and the need for an energy conversion and storage technology that can convert intermittent solar and wind energy into the production of hydrogen. Electrolysis systems integrated into both distributed and central renewable power plants would utilize solar and wind energy as their primary power source to produce renewably generated hydrogen for local energy storage or chemical feedstock purposes. Ammonia is an excellent surrogate for hydrogen transportation. NH3 presents an attractive alternative to hydrogen as a working fluid in reversible devices towards a sustainable green energy-oriented future. Ammonia can be easily liquefied at room temperature at about 8 bar or at -33°C at ambient pressure. In contrast, the liquefaction temperature of hydrogen is -253°C at ambient pressure. NH3 has a significantly higher volumetric energy density (12.7 MJ/L) than compressed hydrogen (4.5 MJ/L at ~70 MPa) or liquefied hydrogen (8.5 MJ/L). Additionally, ammonia is a widely used raw material for agriculture fertilizer and thus has well-established storage, transport, and handling processes (about 180 million tons of ammonia are produced annually). Techno-economic analysis suggests ammonia is the least expensive fuel among hydrogen, gasoline, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and methanol.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Synergizing Fe 2 O 3 Nanoparticles on Single Atom Fe‐N‐C for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia at Industrial Current Densities

The electrochemical reduction of nitrates (NO 3 − ) enables a pathway for the carbon neutral synthesis of ammonia (NH 3 ), via the nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 RR), which has been demonstrated at high selectivity. However, to make NH 3 synthesis cost-competitive with current technologies, high NH 3 partial current densities (j NH3 ) must be achieved to reduce the levelized cost of NH 3 . Here, the high NO 3 RR activity of Fe-based materials is leveraged to synthesize a novel active particle-active support system with Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles supported on atomically dispersed Fe–N–C. The optimized 3×Fe 2 O 3 /Fe–N–C catalyst demonstrates an ultrahigh NO 3 RR activity, reaching a maximum j NH3 of 1.95 A cm −2 at a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for NH 3 of 100% and an NH 3 yield rate over 9 mmol hr −1 cm −2 . Operando XANES and post-mortem XPS reveal the importance of a pre-reduction activation step, reducing the surface Fe 2 O 3 (Fe 3+ ) to highly active Fe 0 sites, which are maintained during electrolysis. Durability studies demonstrate the robustness of both the Fe 2 O 3 particles and Fe–N x sites at highly cathodic potentials, maintaining a current of −1.3 A cm −2 over 24 hours. This work exhibits an effective and durable active particle-active support system enhancing the performance of the NO 3 RR, enabling industrially relevant current densities and near 100% selectivity.

active support↗
DOE OSTI2020

Estimation of abatement potentials and costs of air pollution emissions in China

Understanding the air pollution emission abatement potential and associated control cost is a prerequisite to design cost ef?cient control policies. In this study, a linear programming algorithm model, International Control Cost Estimate Tool, was updated with cost data for applications of 56 types of end-of-pipe technologies and ?ve types of renewable energy in 10 major sectors namely power generation, industry combustion, cement pro-duction, iron and steel production, other industry processes, domestic combustion, transportation, solvent use, livestock rearing, and fertilizer use. The updated model was implemented to estimate the abatement potential and marginal cost of multiple pollutants in China. The total maximum abatement potentials of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), primary particulate matter (PM2.5), non-volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), and ammonia (NH3) in China were estimated to be 19.2, 20.8, 9.1, 17.2 and 8.6 Mt, respectively, which accounted for 89.7%, 89.9%, 94.6%, 74.0%, and 80.2% of their total emissions in 2014, respectively. The associated control cost of such reductions was estimated as 92.5, 469.7, 75.7, 449.0, and 361.8 billion CNY in SO2, NOx, primary PM2.5, NMVOCs and NH3, respectively. Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces exhibited large abatement potentials for all pollutants. Provincial disparity analysis shows that high GDP regions tend to have higher reduction potential and total abatement costs. End-of-pipe technologies tended be a cost-ef?cient way to control pollution in industries processes (i.e., cement plants, iron and steel plants, lime production, building ceramic production, glass and brick production), whereas such technologies were less cost- effective in fossil fuel-related sectors (i.e., power plants, industry combustion, domestic combustion, and transportation) compared with renewable energy. The abatement potentials and marginal abatement cost curves developed in this study can further be used as a crucial component in an integrated model to design optimized cost-ef?cient control policies.

Zhang, Fenfen↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluating Ru-RuO 2 @BN as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for the Nitrogen Reduction Reaction and the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Electrochemical approaches toward clean energy production have been the focus of significant attention. Here, the nitrogen (N 2 ) reduction reaction (NRR) and the hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution reaction (HER) offer a promising method for producing NH 3 and H 2 , respectively. Nevertheless, practical obstacles that must be overcome in creating optimal catalysts are the sluggish kinetics and low selectivity of NRR and HER. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a Ru-RuO 2 -decorated boron nitride (BN) catalyst that shows excellent activity toward NRR. A rate of NH3 formation (V NH3 ) of 16.8 μg h -1 mg -1 and a corresponding Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 52.9% were noted at a potential of −0.5 V in 0.1 M HCl. However, the HER activity of Ru-RuO 2 @BN was found to be highly suppressed in 0.1 M HCl and did not yield a reasonable overpotential value. Thus, the capability of this material toward NRR suggests its viability as a promising catalyst for clean NH 3 production.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of Minimum NOx Emission From Ammonia Combustion

Abstract Ammonia (NH3) is being explored as a hydrogen carrier with no carbon emissions. However, if burned directly as NH3, rather than being completely decomposed back to N2/H2, the fuel-bound nitrogen comes with a potentially significant NOx emissions penalty. Indeed, several existing studies are showing ammonia combustion NOx emissions that exceed current natural gas fueled, DLN technologies by one to two orders of magnitude. Therefore, it is important to establish the theoretical minimum NOx emissions for an ammonia combustor, to determine how much NOx levels can be reduced via further technology development. In other words, the purpose of this work is not to analyze the performance of a specific combustor but, rather, the fundamental limits of what is achievable. This study quantifies this minimum NOx level for a two-stage combustor system for a given combustor exit temperature and residence time, with a constraint on unburned fuel levels. As expected, the optimum configuration is a rich front end combustor to burn and crack ammonia with significant H2 production, followed by an NO relaxation reactor, followed by a lean stage that consumes the remaining H2. The optimum residence time and stoichiometry of each zone are determined in the fast mixing limit, which essentially balances between NOx production in the primary and secondary zones. These results show minimum NOx levels are in 200–400 ppm range at 1 bar, but drop to levels of ∼25 ppm at 20 bar. These NOx emissions are dominated by NOx production in the primary stage which relaxes to equilibrium levels quite slowly. As processes controlling NOx relaxation to equilibrium in the primary stage dominate overall NO emission levels, combustor NOx sensitivities are essentially opposite that of natural gas fired, DLN systems. Specifically, NOx values drop with increased combustor residence time, increased pressure, and increased combustor exit temperature. These results also suggest that the most important strategy for NOx minimization is to provide sufficient relaxation time after the primary zone for NOx to approach equilibrium—this can be done via kinetic means to accelerate this relaxation rate, such as enhancing pressure or temperature, or increasing residence times. Indeed, this work shows that low pressure combustors specifically optimized for ammonia will have residence times that are one to two orders of magnitude larger than current natural gas systems. By doing so, NOx levels below 10 ppm may be achievable. Finally, we discuss the sensitivity of these values to uncertainties in ammonia kinetics.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lightweight Solid Oxide Cell Design for Ammonia-fed SOFC Systems

A lightweight solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was developed by OxEon Energy that demonstrates the potential for increased specific power (kW/g) suitable for the requirements of electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) applications. Fuel flexibility was demonstrated in button cells and stacks using both legacy electrolyte-supported SOFC structure and the lightweight structure. Button cell and stack performance was nearly identical among hydrogen, ammonia, and reformed natural gas. Durability testing shows similarly stable performance in each fuel. A button cell test in ammonia at 800 °C using the lightweight cell structure measured area specific resistance (ASR) of 0.25 Ω-cm2 in H2/N2 and NH3 fuel feeds and showed a peak power density of 0.98 W/ cm2 in NH3 fuel. Short term hold at 0.7 V showed stable performance.

Pike, Jenna↗
DOE OSTI2026

Plant-Nitrifier Interactions in Topsoil and Subsoil

Plants can influence soil microbes through resource acquisition and interference competition, with consequences for ecosystem function such as nitrification. However, how plants alter soil conditions to influence nitrifiers and nitrification rates remains poorly understood, especially in the subsoil. Here, coupling the 15N isotopic pool dilution technique, high throughput sequencing and in situ soil O2 monitoring, we investigated how a deep-rooted perennial grass, miscanthus, versus an adjacent shallow-rooted turfgrass reference shapes nitrifier assembly and function along 1 m soil profiles. In topsoil, the suppression of ammonia (NH3) oxidizing archaea (AOA) and gross nitrification rates in miscanthus relative to the reference likely resulted from nitrifiers being outcompeted by plant roots and heterotrophic bacteria for ammonium (NH4+). The stronger tripartite competition under miscanthus may have been caused in part by the lower soil organic matter (SOM) content, which supported lower gross nitrogen (N) mineralization, the major soil process that produces NH4+. In contrast, below 10 cm soil depth, significantly greater gross nitrification rates were observed in miscanthus compared to the reference. This was likely driven by the significantly lower oxygen (O2) in miscanthus than reference subsoil, which selected against aerobic heterotrophic bacteria but in favor of AOA. Overall, we found that plants can regulate AOA community structure and function through different mechanisms in topsoil and subsoil, with suppression of nitrification in topsoil and enhancement of nitrification in subsoil.

Field Data↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on CuH6CN2O3 by Materials Project

Cu(NH3)2CO3 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is one-dimensional and consists of two Cu(NH3)2CO3 ribbons oriented in the (0, 0, 1) direction. Cu2+ is bonded in a distorted square pyramidal geometry to two N3- and three O2- atoms. There are one shorter (2.01 Å) and one longer (2.03 Å) Cu–N bond lengths. There are a spread of Cu–O bond distances ranging from 2.00–2.49 Å. C4+ is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to three O2- atoms. There is one shorter (1.26 Å) and two longer (1.32 Å) C–O bond length. There are two inequivalent N3- sites. In the first N3- site, N3- is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Cu2+ and three H1+ atoms. There is one shorter (1.02 Å) and two longer (1.03 Å) N–H bond length. In the second N3- site, N3- is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Cu2+ and three H1+ atoms. All N–H bond lengths are 1.03 Å. There are six inequivalent H1+ sites. In the first H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the second H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the third H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the fourth H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the fifth H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the sixth H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. There are three inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to one Cu2+ and one C4+ atom. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted single-bond geometry to one Cu2+ and one C4+ atom. In the third O2- site, O2- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to one Cu2+ and one C4+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on SiH6(NF2)2 by Materials Project

Si(NH3)2F4 is alpha Po structured and crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of two Si(NH3)2F4 clusters. Si4+ is bonded in an octahedral geometry to two equivalent N3- and four F1- atoms. Both Si–N bond lengths are 1.92 Å. There is two shorter (1.70 Å) and two longer (1.72 Å) Si–F bond length. N3- is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Si4+ and three H1+ atoms. All N–H bond lengths are 1.03 Å. There are three inequivalent H1+ sites. In the first H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the second H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the third H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. There are two inequivalent F1- sites. In the first F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Si4+ atom. In the second F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Si4+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on MgH6(NCl)2 by Materials Project

Mg(NH3)2Cl2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Imma space group. The structure is one-dimensional and consists of two Mg(NH3)2Cl2 ribbons oriented in the (1, 0, 0) direction. Mg2+ is bonded to two equivalent N3- and four equivalent Cl1- atoms to form edge-sharing MgN2Cl4 octahedra. Both Mg–N bond lengths are 2.17 Å. There are two shorter (2.57 Å) and two longer (2.60 Å) Mg–Cl bond lengths. N3- is bonded to one Mg2+ and three H1+ atoms to form distorted corner-sharing NMgH3 tetrahedra. There is one shorter (1.02 Å) and two longer (1.03 Å) N–H bond length. There are two inequivalent H1+ sites. In the first H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the second H1+ site, H1+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. Cl1- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to two equivalent Mg2+ atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Li(H3N)4 by Materials Project

Li(NH3)4 is Silicon tetrafluoride-derived structured and crystallizes in the cubic I-43d space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of sixteen Li(NH3)4 clusters. Li1+ is bonded in a tetrahedral geometry to four N+2.75- atoms. There are three shorter (2.12 Å) and one longer (2.13 Å) Li–N bond lengths. There are two inequivalent N+2.75- sites. In the first N+2.75- site, N+2.75- is bonded to one Li1+ and three equivalent H+0.83+ atoms to form distorted corner-sharing NLiH3 tetrahedra. All N–H bond lengths are 1.03 Å. In the second N+2.75- site, N+2.75- is bonded to one Li1+ and three H+0.83+ atoms to form distorted corner-sharing NLiH3 tetrahedra. All N–H bond lengths are 1.03 Å. There are four inequivalent H+0.83+ sites. In the first H+0.83+ site, H+0.83+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N+2.75- atom. In the second H+0.83+ site, H+0.83+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N+2.75- atom. In the third H+0.83+ site, H+0.83+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N+2.75- atom. In the fourth H+0.83+ site, H+0.83+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N+2.75- atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on LiBH7N by Materials Project

Li(NH3)BH4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pnma space group. The structure is one-dimensional and consists of two Li(NH3)BH4 ribbons oriented in the (1, 0, 0) direction. Li1+ is bonded in a 7-coordinate geometry to one N3- and four H+0.71+ atoms. The Li–N bond length is 2.07 Å. There are a spread of Li–H bond distances ranging from 2.03–2.11 Å. B3- is bonded in a tetrahedral geometry to four H+0.71+ atoms. All B–H bond lengths are 1.23 Å. N3- is bonded in a distorted tetrahedral geometry to one Li1+ and three H+0.71+ atoms. There is two shorter (1.02 Å) and one longer (1.03 Å) N–H bond length. There are five inequivalent H+0.71+ sites. In the first H+0.71+ site, H+0.71+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the second H+0.71+ site, H+0.71+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the third H+0.71+ site, H+0.71+ is bonded in a water-like geometry to one Li1+ and one B3- atom. In the fourth H+0.71+ site, H+0.71+ is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to one Li1+ and one B3- atom. In the fifth H+0.71+ site, H+0.71+ is bonded in a water-like geometry to one Li1+ and one B3- atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on BP(H3N)3 by Materials Project

BP(NH3)3 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four BP(NH3)3 clusters. B3- is bonded in a distorted tetrahedral geometry to one P5+ and three H+0.78+ atoms. The B–P bond length is 1.89 Å. All B–H bond lengths are 1.22 Å. P5+ is bonded in a distorted tetrahedral geometry to one B3- and three N3- atoms. There is one shorter (1.67 Å) and two longer (1.68 Å) P–N bond length. There are three inequivalent N3- sites. In the first N3- site, N3- is bonded in a trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one P5+ and two H+0.78+ atoms. Both N–H bond lengths are 1.02 Å. In the second N3- site, N3- is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one P5+ and two H+0.78+ atoms. Both N–H bond lengths are 1.02 Å. In the third N3- site, N3- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one P5+ and two H+0.78+ atoms. Both N–H bond lengths are 1.02 Å. There are nine inequivalent H+0.78+ sites. In the first H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one B3- atom. In the second H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one B3- atom. In the third H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one B3- atom. In the fourth H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the fifth H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the sixth H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the seventh H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the eighth H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. In the ninth H+0.78+ site, H+0.78+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Combined TDLAS and chemiluminescence imaging in a flat flame burner operated with NH3/H2 blends

Ammonia is viewed as a viable hydrogen carrier due to favorable storage and transport characteristics. While it can be re-converted to hydrogen at point-of-use via thermal catalytic cracking, direct utilization in combustion systems can result in reduced costs and improved efficiency. A major barrier to this approach is the low flammability and potential for high nitrogen oxide emissions, driven by fuel-bound nitrogen and complex kinetic pathways. While a number of kinetic mechanisms currently exist for simulating ammonia combustion, a major need continues to be direct information about species profiles in easy-to-model systems capable of isolating chemical kinetics from multi-dimensional fluid dynamic effects. This paper reports on recent species measurements made in a flat flame burner using a combined tunable-diode-laser-absorption-spectroscopy (TDLAS) and chemiluminescence imaging approach. Three flame conditions were included representative of NH3/H2 blends, partially cracked NH3 (inc. N2), and 100% NH3 with enhanced air (30% oxygen). Two NIR distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes were used to determine H2O concentration and temperature (via ratio thermometry) at various radial and axial positions, after which an inverse Abel transform was used to infer centerline values. Companion images were collected using a Princeton Instrument PI-MAX intensified camera equipped with a 105mm UV lens and multiple filter sets targeting OH*, NH*, and NH2* emission. Results were compared to companion Cantera burner-stabilized flame simulations using various kinetic mechanisms. A recent mechanism including excited species chemistry was also included, to investigate whether excited and ground state profiles exhibit significant differences.

ammonia combustion↗
DOE OSTI2022

Airborne flux measurements of ammonia over the Southern Great Plains using chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is an abundant trace gas in the atmosphere and an important player in atmospheric chemistry, aerosol formation and the atmosphere-surface exchange of nitrogen. It is recognized as a major source of aerosol pollution, and it may limit the formation of cloud nuclei in remote or cold parts of the atmosphere. For soil and plants, NH 3 -mediated nitrogen can act as a harmful pollutant or as a desirable nutrient, mostly in natural and agricultural settings, respectively. Agriculture is also the main source of atmospheric NH 3 via volatilization from fertilizers and manure processing in livestock farming. The accurate determination of NH 3 emission rates remains a challenge, partly due to the propensity of NH 3 to interact with instrument surfaces leading to high detection limits and slow response times. In this paper, we present a new method for quantifying ambient NH 3 , using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) with deuterated benzene cations as reagents. The setup aimed at limiting sample-surface interactions and achieved a 1-σ precision of 10–20 pptv and an immediate 1/e response rate < 0.4 s, which compares favorably to the existing state of the art. The sensitivity exhibited an inverse humidity dependence, in particular in relatively dry conditions. Background of up to 10 % of the total signal required consideration as well, as it responded on the order of a few minutes. To showcase the method’s capabilities, we quantified NH3 mixing ratios from measurements obtained during deployment on a Gulfstream I aircraft during the HI-SCALE (Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols and Land Ecosystems) field campaign in rural Oklahoma during May 2016. Typical mixing ratios were 1–10 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) for the boundary layer and 0.1–1 ppbv in the lower free troposphere. Sharp plumes of up to 10s of ppbv of NH3 were encountered as well. We identified two of their sources as a large fertilizer plant and a cattle farm, and our mixing ratio measurements yielded upper bounds of 350 ± 50 and 0.6 kg NH 3 h –1 for their respective momentary source rates. The fast response of the CIMS also allowed us to derive vertical NH 3 fluxes within the turbulent boundary layer via eddy covariance, for which we chiefly used the continuous wavelet transform technique. As expected for a region dominated by agriculture, we observed predominantly upward fluxes, implying net NH 3 emissions from surface. The corresponding analysis focused on the most suitable flight, which contained two straight-and-level legs at ~300 m above ground. We derived NH 3 fluxes between –4 and 18 mol km –2 h –1 for these legs, at an effective spatial resolution of 1–2 km. The analysis demonstrated how flux measurements benefit from suitably arranged flight tracks with sufficiently long straight-and-level legs, and explores the detrimental effect of measurement discontinuities. Following flux footprint estimations, comparison to the NH 3 area emissions inventory provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency indicated overall agreement, but also the absence of some sources, for instance the identified cattle farm. Our study concludes that high-precision CIMS measurements are a powerful tool for in-situ measurements of ambient NH 3 mixing ratios, and even allow for the airborne mapping of the air-surface exchange of NH 3 .

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Critical roles of Cu(OH)2 in low-temperature moisture-induced degradation of Cu-SAPO-34 SCR catalyst: Correlating reversible and irreversible deactivation

Cu-SAPO-34 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst deactivates upon exposure to water vapor at temperatures lower than 100 °C, which deteriorates its application prospects. The deactivation under cycled aging-regeneration conditions can be categorized into two stages, namely reversible and irreversible deactivation. Based on SCR reaction tests, and characterizations with diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), NH3 temperature-programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), it is concluded that the transformation of SCR active isolated Cu(II) ions to Cu(OH)2 is critical to both types of deactivation. Within the frame of reversible deactivation, Cu(OH)2 is converted back to SCR active Cu(II) ions by interacting with Brønsted acid sites during high-temperature regeneration. However, interactions between Cu(OH)2 and hydrolyzed framework Al lead to the formation of CuAl2O4-like species, causing permanent loss of active Cu(II) ions and thus, irreversible deactivation. The authors from Tsinghua University would like to acknowledge the financial support from projects of China Science and Technology Exchange Centre (No. 2016YFE0126600) and the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFC0211102). YM also acknowledges Tsinghua Scholarship for Overseas Graduate Studies for a visit to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy (DOE) under contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. FG is supported by DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office.

Cu-SAPO-34, low-temperature deactivation, reversib↗