Search NASASearch

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “crystal structure optimization”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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

At least 109 records · Page 6

Thermal Stability of the Dot-in-Well Gain Medium for Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers

Self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) embedded in InGaAs quantum wells (QWs) are used as active regions for photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs). An epitaxial regrowth method is developed to fabricate the dot-in-well (DWELL) PCSELs. Here, the epitaxial regrowth starts with the growth of a partial laser structure containing bottom cladding, waveguide, active region, and the photonic crystal (PC) layer. The PC layer is patterned to realize the cavity. Subsequently a top cladding layer is regrown to complete the laser structure. During the regrowth of the top cladding layer, the partial laser structure is subjected to high growth temperatures in excess of 600 °C resulting in an unintentional annealing of the active region. This annealing of the active region can alter the QDs by changing their size resulting in a blue shift in photoluminescence (PL) and narrowing PL emission. This effect results in the misaligning of the gain peak and the cavity resonance, resulting in sub-optimal lasing performance. DWELL active regions are known to have better thermal stability compared to both QDs and QWs and could be an ideal candidate for regrown PCSELs. We successfully demonstrate an optically-pumped epitaxially-regrown DWELL PCSEL with an emission wavelength of 1230 nm operating at room temperature. Furthermore, the DWELL active region shows excellent emission wavelength stability and intensity despite the high temperature regrowth process.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

On the engulfment of antifreeze proteins by ice

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are remarkable biomolecules that suppress ice formation at trace concentrations. To inhibit ice growth, AFPs must not only bind to ice crystals, but also resist engulfment by ice. The highest supercooling, ΔT*, for which AFPs are able to resist engulfment is widely believed to scale as the inverse of the separation, L, between bound AFPs, whereas its dependence on the molecular characteristics of the AFP remains poorly understood. By using specialized molecular simulations and interfacial thermodynamics, here, we show that in contrast with conventional wisdom, ΔT* scales as L –2 and not as L –1 . We further show that ΔT* is proportional to AFP size and that diverse naturally occurring AFPs are optimal at resisting engulfment by ice. By facilitating the development of AFP structure–function relationships, we hope that our findings will pave the way for the rational design of AFPs.

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Dark-field X-ray microscopy with structured illumination for three-dimensional imaging

Dark-field X-ray microscopy is a lens-based technique that enables real-space imaging of heterogeneous micro- and meso-scale ordered materials. However, achieving accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction often requires meticulous sample alignment or rastering, requiring complex rotational setups and extended acquisition times. To address these challenges, we introduce a structured illumination technique optimized for 3D imaging of ordered materials at sub-micrometer length scales. Our approach employs a coded aperture to spatially modulate the incident X-ray beam, enabling 3D structural reconstruction from images captured at various aperture positions. Unlike current 3D imaging approaches, which often rely on rotational or rastering methods, our technique uses scanning X-ray silhouettes of the coded aperture for depth resolution along the diffraction axis. This eliminates the need for sample rotation or rastering, resulting in a highly stable and efficient imaging modality. We validated the efficacy of this approach through experimental imaging of an isolated twin domain within a bulk single crystal of an iron pnictide using a dark-field X-ray microscope. This advancement aligns with the enhanced brightness upgrades of modern synchrotron radiation facilities, unlocking new possibilities for high-resolution imaging of ordered materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Chemical factors controlling the behaviour of oxide cathodes in batteries

Oxide cathodes enable high-energy lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, with their performances fundamentally governed by three interrelated chemical factors: electronic configuration, chemical bonding, and chemical reactivity. Here, we illustrate how these factors dictate the redox energy, structural stability, ionic and electronic transport, and interfacial behavior in both layered oxide and polyanion oxide cathodes. We discuss how crystal-field effects and octahedral-site stabilization energies influence cation migration, and how inductive effects tune bond covalency and operating voltages. We also explain how chemical bonding governs thermal stability, gas evolution, and first-cycle capacity loss, and how alignment of transition-metal redox band with the oxygen 2p band determines electrolyte reactivity. Comparison between lithium and sodium layered oxides further reveals how differences in Li-O and Na-O bond ionicity affect chemical reactivity. Finally, we outline strategies including compositional tuning, surface doping, and electrolyte optimization, and emphasize how high-throughput, data-driven approaches in guiding the design of next-generation oxide cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE

Band Gap Engineering and Metastable Phase Discovery in Cu 2 BaSnS 4– x Se x Nanocrystals via Topotactic Anion Exchange

Earth-abundant multinary inorganic chalcogenides, such as Cu 2 BaSnS 4–x Se x (CBTSSe), have emerged as promising absorbers for next-generation solar cells. However, accessing colloidal CBTSSe nanocrystals, including metastable polymorphs with more favorable optoelectronic properties, remains a critical synthetic challenge. Herein, we report the first use of topotactic anion exchange to access metastable crystal structures in soft chemistry syntheses. By varying the stoichiometry of selenium precursors, we directly synthesize Cu 2 BaSnS 4–x Se x (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) nanocrystals with a broad band gap tunability of 1.51–2.04 eV. At x = 4, a new metastable trigonal phase of Cu 2 BaSnSe 4 is isolated. This phase arises via an in-situ topotactic anion exchange from sulfur-rich Cu 2 BaSnS 4–x Se x intermediates, while retaining both the cation sublattice and overall nanocrystal morphology. The trigonal Cu 2 BaSnSe 4 exhibits a nearly direct band gap that is 280 meV lower than its thermodynamically stable orthorhombic counterpart, aligning more closely with the optimal band gap for single-junction solar cells. In contrast, a post-synthetic anion exchange route leads to the thermodynamically preferred orthorhombic polymorph, pointing to the critical nature of the in-situ transformation. Our findings open a versatile pathway for both polymorphic and morphological control in colloidal nanocrystals, expanding the synthetic design space for new optoelectronic materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

Accelerating the identification of novel secondary metabolites in bioenergy plant root exudates using MicroED

Small molecule metabolites drive inter- and intraspecies communication and dependencies in diverse biological systems, yet a large proportion of these important chemical compounds remain uncharacterized in plants and microbes. Approximately 90% of the metabolites in root exudate profiles are unknown compounds, despite the importance of root exudate composition in plant-microbe interactions. We need advanced analytical capabilities that will support rapid discovery and structural elucidation of metabolites from biological samples that may be limited in quantity and high in complexity. To fill this gap, this project aimed to develop an integrated workflow involving metabolite extraction, separation, and crystallization from plant root exudates followed by characterization using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). Using crude root exudates from sorghum, this project successfully developed higher throughput exudate fractionation strategies to obtain pure compounds for crystallization and identified crystals in multiple fractions that diffracted. Additional efforts to increase the throughput of high-quality crystal generation for MicroED, such as crystallization screening and crystallization chaperone exploration, will be needed to further advance root exudate metabolite identification. The overall optimized sample preparation process can then be integrated with the existing data collection and data analysis pipelines for MicroED at PNNL to facilitate more rapid natural product discovery.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Nanocrystal Assemblies: Current Advances and Open Problems

Here we explore the potential of nanocrystals (a term used equivalently to nanoparticles) as building blocks for nanomaterials, and the current advances and open challenges for fundamental science developments and applications. Nanocrystal assemblies are inherently multiscale, and the generation of revolutionary material properties requires a precise understanding of the relationship between structure and function, the former being determined by classical effects and the latter often by quantum effects. With an emphasis on theory and computation, we discuss challenges that hamper current assembly strategies and to what extent nanocrystal assemblies represent thermodynamic equilibrium or kinetically trapped metastable states. We also examine dynamic effects and optimization of assembly protocols. Finally, we discuss promising material functions and examples of their realization with nanocrystal assemblies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

Characterization of n-Type Iodine-Doped and Indium-Doped CdTe/Cd-Se-Te Thin Films Fabricated by Close-Spaced Sublimation Epitaxy

In this study, n-type CdTe thin films, specifically iodine-doped CdTe (CdTe:I), indium-doped CdTe (CdTe:In), and indium-doped Cd-Se-Te (CST:In), were synthesized using close-spaced sublimation epitaxy (CSSE). Characterization techniques secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), Hall-effect measurements, and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) were employed to analyze the chemical, structural, and electronic properties of these materials. The results indicated epitaxial single crystal CSSE films grew on the single crystal substrates, with carrier density ranging from 10^14 - 10^16 cm -3 , and after post-annealing, the minority-carrier lifetimes reach near the radiative limit. Additionally, a preliminary exploration of homojunction structures with an n- type (CdTe:In /CST:In /CdTe:I) /CdTe:P /Cu /Mo configuration was performed. The best device performance was achieved with CdTe:I including CdS aiding in band alignment, resulting in a power conversion efficiency (..eta..) of 2.61% with open circuit voltage (Voc) of 850 mV, fill factor (FF) of 47.8%, and short-circuit current (Jsc) of 6.44 mA/cm 2 . The observed low Jsc and efficiency may be attributed to a buried junction and a poor interface, due to dopant interdiffusion. Consequently, further investigations focusing on interface optimization, diffusion blocking, and reduced recombination through passivation, are crucial to enhancing the efficiency of CSSE CdTe homojunction devices in the future.

cadmium compounds

High–Performance NiCo 2 O 4 /Graphene Quantum Dots for Asymmetric and Symmetric Supercapacitors with Enhanced Energy Efficiency

For the sustainable growth of future generations, energy storage technologies like supercapacitors and batteries are becoming more and more common. However, reliable and high-performance materials’ design and development is the key for the widespread adoption of batteries and supercapacitors. Quantum dots with fascinating and unusual properties are expected to revolutionize future technologies. However, while the recent discovery of quantum dots honored with a Nobel prize in Chemistry, their benefits for the tenacious problem of energy are not realized yet. In this context, herein, chemical-composition tuning enabled exceptional performance of NiCo 2 O 4 (NCO)/graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is reported, which outperform the existing similar materials, in supercapacitors. A comprehensive study is performed on the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance evaluation of highly functional NCO/GQDs in supercapacitors delivering enhanced energy efficiency. The high-performance, functional NCO/GQDs electrode materials are synthesized by the incorporation of GQDs into NCO. The effect of variable amount of GQDs on the energy performance characteristics of NCO/GQDs in supercapacitors is studied systematically. In-depth structural and chemical bonding analyses using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic studies indicate that all the NCO/GQDs composites crystallize in the spinel cubic phase of NiCo 2 O 4 while graphene integration evident in all the NCO/GQDs. The scanning electron microscopy imaging analysis reveals homogeneously distributed spherical particles with a size distribution of 5–9 nm validating the formation of QDs. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that the NCOQDs are anchored on graphene sheets, which provide a high surface area of 42.27 m 2 g –1 and high mesoporosity for the composition of NCO/GQDs-10%. In addition to establishing reliable electrical connection to graphene sheets, the NCOQDs provide reliable 3D-conductive channels for rapid transport throughout the electrode as well as synergistic effects. Chemical-composition tuning, and optimization yields NCO/GQDs-10% to deliver the best specific capacitance of 3940 Fg –1 at 0.5 Ag –1 , where the electrodes retain ≈98% capacitance after 5000 cycles. The NCO/GQD-10%//AC asymmetric supercapacitor device demonstrates outstanding energy density and power density values of 118.04 Wh kg –1 and 798.76 W kg –1 , respectively. The NCO/GQDs-10%//NCO/GQDs-10% symmetric supercapacitor device delivers excellent energy and power density of 24.30 Wh kg –1 and 500 W kg –1 , respectively. These results demonstrate and conclude that NCO/GQDs are exceptional and prospective candidates for developing next-generation high-performance and sustainable energy storage devices.

25 ENERGY STORAGE

Non‐Equilibrium Synthesis Methods to Create Metastable and High‐Entropy Nanomaterials

Stabilizing multiple elements within a single phase enables the creation of advanced materials with exceptional properties arising from their complex composition. However, under equilibrium conditions, the Hume–Rothery rules impose strict limitations on solid-state miscibility, restricting combinations of elements with mismatched crystal structures, atomic radii, valence states, or electronegativities. This severely narrows the accessible compositional space for creating new inorganic materials. In this review, we highlight how non-equilibrium synthesis methods, featuring ultrafast heating and quenching, can overcome these thermodynamic barriers, enabling integration of immiscible elements into metastable and high-entropy nanostructures. The resulting materials benefit from both kinetic trapping and stabilization by high configurational entropy, leading to enhanced phase stability. These materials can exhibit unique structural and functional properties that are needed for advancing catalysis, energy storage, thermoelectrics, and sensing. Furthermore, the ability of non-equilibrium methods to generate unconventional compositions and structures expands the material design space dramatically, offering rich datasets for AI-guided materials discovery. When combined with their inherent high-throughput and scalable characteristics, these approaches enable rapid, iterative optimization and accelerate the development and industrial production of next-generation inorganic materials.

high-entropy materials

Cryogenic light detectors with thermal signal amplification for 0 νββ search experiments

As a step towards the realization of cryogenic-detector experiments to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (such as CROSS, BINGO, and CUPID), we investigated a batch of 10 Ge light detectors (LDs) assisted by Neganov-Trofimov-Luke (NTL) signal amplification. Each LD was assembled with a large cubic light-emitting crystal (45 mm side) using the recently developed CROSS mechanical structure. The detector array was operated at milli-Kelvin temperatures in a pulse-tube cryostat at the Canfranc underground laboratory in Spain. We achieved good performance with scintillating bolometers from CROSS, made of Li 2 100 MoO 4 crystals and used as reference detectors of the setup, and with all LDs tested (except for a single device that encountered an electronics issue). No leakage current was observed for 8 LDs with an electrode bias up to 100 V. Operating the LDs at an 80 V electrode bias applied in parallel, we obtained a gain of around 9 in the signal-to-noise ratio of these devices, allowing us to achieve a baseline noise RMS of O(10 eV). Thanks to the strong current polarization of the temperature sensors, the time response of the devices was reduced to around half a millisecond in rise time. The achieved performance of the LDs was extrapolated via simulations of pile-up rejection capability for several configurations of the CUPID detector structure. Despite the sub-optimal noise conditions of the LDs (particularly at high frequencies), we demonstrated that the NTL technology provides a viable solution for background reduction in CUPID.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Multi‐Stage Optimization of Pore Size and Shape in Pore‐Space‐Partitioned Metal–Organic Frameworks for Highly Selective and Sensitive Benzene Capture

Abstract Compared to exploratory development of new structure types, pushing the limits of isoreticular synthesis on a high‐performance MOF platform may have higher probability of achieving targeted properties. Multi‐modular MOF platforms could offer even more opportunities by expanding the scope of isoreticular chemistry. However, navigating isoreticular chemistry towards best properties on a multi‐modular platform is challenging due to multiple interconnected pathways. Here on the multi‐modular pacs (partitioned acs) platform, we demonstrate accessibility to a new regime of pore geometry using two independently adjustable modules (framework‐forming module 1 and pore‐partitioning module 2). A series of new pacs materials have been made. Benzene/cyclohexane selectivity is tuned, progressively, from 4.5 to 15.6 to 195.4 and to 482.5 by pushing the boundary of the pacs platform towards the smallest modules known so far. The exceptional stability of these materials in retaining both porosity and single crystallinity enables single‐crystal diffraction studies of different crystal forms (as‐synthesized, activated, guest‐loaded) that help reveal the mechanistic aspects of adsorption in pacs materials.

Chen, Yichong

Generalized representative structures for atomistic systems

A new method is presented to generate atomic structures that reproduce the essential characteristics of arbitrary material systems, phases, or ensembles. Previous methods allow one to reproduce the essential characteristics (e.g. the chemical disorder) of a large random alloy within a small crystal structure. The ability to generate small representations of random alloys, along with the restriction to crystal systems, results from using the fixed-lattice cluster correlations to describe structural characteristics. A more general description of the structural characteristics of atomic systems is obtained using complete sets of atomic environment descriptors. These are used within for generating representative atomic structures without restriction to fixed lattices. A general data-driven approach is provided here utilizing the atomic cluster expansion (ACE) basis. The N-body ACE descriptors are a complete set of atomic environment descriptors that span both chemical and spatial degrees of freedom and are used within for describing atomic structures. The generalized representative structure (GRS) method presented within generates small atomic structures that reproduce ACE descriptor distributions corresponding to arbitrary structural and chemical complexity. It is shown that systematically improvable representations of crystalline systems on fixed parent lattices, amorphous materials, liquids, and ensembles of atomic structures may be produced efficiently through optimization algorithms. With the GRS method, we highlight reduced representations of atomistic machine-learning training datasets that contain similar amounts of information and small 40–72 atom representations of liquid phases. The ability to use GRS methodology as a driver for informed novel structure generation is also demonstrated. The advantages over other data-driven methods and state-of-the-art methods restricted to high-symmetry systems are highlighted.

atomic cluster expansion

Multi–Stage Optimization of Pore Size and Shape in Pore–Space–Partitioned Metal–Organic Frameworks for Highly Selective and Sensitive Benzene Capture

Compared to exploratory development of new structure types, pushing the limits of isoreticular synthesis on a high-performance MOF platform may have higher probability of achieving targeted properties. Multi-modular MOF platforms could offer even more opportunities by expanding the scope of isoreticular chemistry. However, navigating isoreticular chemistry towards best properties on a multi-modular platform is challenging due to multiple interconnected pathways. Here on the multi-modular pacs (partitioned acs) platform, we demonstrate accessibility to a new regime of pore geometry using two independently adjustable modules (framework-forming module 1 and pore-partitioning module 2). A series of new pacs materials have been made. Benzene/cyclohexane selectivity is tuned, progressively, from 4.5 to 15.6 to 195.4 and to 482.5 by pushing the boundary of the pacs platform towards the smallest modules known so far. The exceptional stability of these materials in retaining both porosity and single crystallinity enables single-crystal diffraction studies of different crystal forms (as-synthesized, activated, guest-loaded) that help reveal the mechanistic aspects of adsorption in pacs materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

Nanoscopic strain evolution in single-crystal battery positive electrodes

Single-crystal Ni-rich layered oxides (SC-NMC) with a grain-boundary-free configuration have effectively addressed the long-standing cracking issue of conventional polycrystalline Ni-rich materials (PC-NMC) in lithium-ion batteries, prompting a shift in optimization strategies. However, continued reliance on anisotropic lattice volume change—a well-established failure indicator in PC-NMC—as a metric for understanding strain and guiding compositional design for SC-NMC becomes controversial. Here, in this study, by leveraging multiscale diagnostic techniques, we unravelled the distinct nanoscopic strain evolution in SC-NMC during battery operation, challenging the conventional composition-driven strategies and mechanical degradation indicators used for PC-NMC. Through particle-level chemomechanical analysis, we reveal a decoupling between mechanical stability and lattice volume change in SC-NMC, identifying that structural instability in SC materials is primarily driven by multidimensional lattice distortions induced by kinetics-driven reaction heterogeneity and progressively deactivating chemical phases. Using this mechanical failure mode, we redefine the roles of cobalt and manganese in maintaining mechanical stability. Unlike cobalt’s detrimental role in PC-NMC, we find cobalt to be critical in enhancing the longevity of SC-NMC by mitigating localized strain along the extended diffusion pathway, whereas manganese exacerbates mechanical degradation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Modeling Single-Crystal Battery Materials: From Fundamental Understanding to Performance Evaluation

The performance of rechargeable batteries is fundamentally influenced by the physicochemical properties and microstructural features of their key material components. Recent experimental advancements have highlighted the potential of single-crystal (SC) morphologies to address inherent limitations of polycrystalline (PC) electrodes and solid-state electrolytes, offering tunable charge transport kinetics and improved cell cycling performance. Here, this review examines how state-of-the-art computational modeling, from atomistic and mesoscale to continuum-level approaches, including machine learning methodologies, has been utilized to investigate the critical factors governing the electrochemical behavior of SC battery materials. We explore how predictive modeling can elucidate the processing–structure–property–performance relationships of SC cathodes, anodes, and solid-state electrolytes, with a focus on unique SC characteristics such as crystallographic anisotropy, size effects, and facet-dependent properties. Additionally, we identify limitations in commonly used modeling techniques and discuss strategies to address these challenges. By integrating high-fidelity simulations with experimental insights, this review aims to outline a clear path for the rational design and optimization of SC battery components, paving the way for accelerated advancements in energy storage technologies.

Materials science

Enhancing HT-WGS catalyst performance with stable monovalent copper species via electron supply from defect-induced MgO

Magnesium oxide (MgO) exhibits excellent synergy with cerium oxide (CeO2), serving as either textural or electronic promoters during catalytic reactions. However, achieving well-dispersed CeO2-MgO is technically challenging because they are known not to form solid solutions, and the crystal growth of CeO2 suppresses the structure formation of MgO, leading to MgO being in an inhomogeneous amorphous state within CeO2-MgO. For this reason, most of research groups have been struggling with synthesizing well-dispersed CeO2-MgO. This leads them to focusing on the interaction between the active metal and cerium, overlooking the true role of magnesium. In this study, we successfully synthesized well-dispersed CeO2-MgO via a spray pyrolysis-assisted evaporation-induced self-assembly method, followed by the impregnation of Cu. The location and dispersion of Cu nanoparticles were highly dependent on the MgO distribution. Additionally, we revealed that this significantly influenced the catalytic activity and stability towards the HTS reaction and furthermore supplies electrons to monovalent Cu species, helping maintain the stable electron structure and oxidation state of Cu species considered as active sites. These findings suggest that optimizing the MgO distribution in CeO2-MgO is a promising strategy for developing efficient catalysts for the HTS reaction, emphasizing the role of MgO in designing high-performance catalysts.

Kim, Min-Jae

Identifying the Role of Magnesium Content in Assessing the Electrochemical Performance of (CoCuMgNiZn)O

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) featuring 5 or more metals in approximately equimolar ratios, such as the prototypical rock-salt-structured (CoCuMgNiZn)O, have attracted interest for their potential to display material properties superior to oxides with combinations of 4 or fewer of the component metals. In particular, (CoCuMgNiZn)O has shown promise as an anode for lithium-ion batteries with a high specific capacity retention over extended cycling. Previous studies have suggested that magnesium, despite being electrochemically inert, provides a crucial contribution to the favorable performance of this HEO by stabilizing the crystal structure through repeated charge–discharge cycles. This paper probes the extent and mechanism of the magnesium effect by using a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis method to vary the level of Mg content. Moreover, we extensively characterized the product with techniques such as 4D-STEM and ICP-OES, which have not previously been applied in combination with this material, in order to elucidate the relationships among chemical composition, nanostructure, and performance. Here, we show that the level of Mg incorporation is positively correlated with long-term stability and negatively correlated with rate capacity, and that the latter effect yields a stronger influence upon the overall performance, with the best-performing sample possessing a Mg quantity equivalent to ∼1/5 that of an equimolar concentration. This finding demonstrates not only that the variation of individual elemental levels offers a promising and relatively unexplored avenue to optimize the electrochemical performance of HEO materials but also that it should not be assumed that equimolar compositions of constituent elements are necessarily the best.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE