Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Kinetics”

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 1,171 records · Page 65

Capture Instead of Release: Defect-Modulated Radionuclide Leaching Kinetics in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Comparison of defect-controlled leaching-kinetics modulation of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous functionalized silica-based materials was performed on the example of a radionuclide and radionuclide surrogate for the first time, revealing an unprecedented readsorption phenomenon. On a series of zirconium-based MOFs as model systems, we demonstrated the ability to capture and retain >99% of the transuranic 241 Am radionuclide after 1 week of storage. Here, we report the possibility of tailoring radionuclide release kinetics in MOFs through framework defects as a function of postsynthetically installed organic ligands including cation-chelating crown ether-based linkers. Based on comprehensive analysis using spectroscopy (EXAFS, UV–vis, FTIR, and NMR), X-ray crystallography (single crystal and powder), and theoretical calculations (nine kinetics models and structure simulations), we demonstrated the synergy of radionuclide integration methods, topological restrictions, postsynthetic scaffold modification, and defect engineering. This combination is inaccessible in any other material and highlights the advantages of using well-defined frameworks for gaining fundamental knowledge necessary for the advancement of actinide-based material development, providing a pathway for addressing upcoming challenges in the nuclear waste administration sector.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Disentangling the Physical Processes Responsible for the Kinetic Complexity in Interfacial Electron Transfer of Excited Ru(II) Polypyridyl Dyes on TiO 2

Interfacial electron transfer at titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is investigated herein for a series of surface bound ruthenium-polypyridyl dyes whose metal-to-ligand charge-transfer state (MLCT) energetics are tuned through chemical modification. The 12 complexes are of the form Ru II (bpy-A)(L) 2 2+ , where bpy-A is a bipyridine ligand functionalized with phosphonate groups for surface attachment to TiO 2 . Functionalization of ancillary bipyridine ligands (L) enables the potential of the excited state Ru III/ * couple, E + / *, in 0.1 M perchloric acid (HClO 4 (aq)) to be tuned from –0.69 to –1.03 V vs NHE. Each dye is excited by a 200 fs pulse of light in the visible region of the spectrum and probed with a time-delayed supercontiuum pulse (350–800 nm). Decay of the MLCT excited-state absorption at 376 nm is observed without loss of the ground-state bleach, which is a clear signature of electron injection and formation of the oxidized dye. The dye-dependent decays are biphasic with time constants in the 3–30 and 30–500 ps range. The slower injection rate constant for each dye is exponentially distributed relative to E + / *. The correlation between the exponentially diminishing density of TiO 2 sub-band acceptor levels and injection rate is well described using Marcus–Gerischer theory, with the slower decay components being assigned to injection from the thermally equilibrated state and the faster components corresponding to injection from higher energy states within the 3 MLCT manifold. These results and detailed analyses incorporating molecular photophysics and semiconductor density of states measurements indicate that the multiexponential behavior that is often observed in interfacial injection studies is not due to sample heterogeneity. Rather, this work shows that the kinetic heterogeneity results from competition between excited-state relaxation and injection as the photoexcited dye relaxes through the 3 MLCT manifold to the thermally equilibrated state, underscoring the potential for a simple kinetic model to reproduce the complex kinetic behavior often observed at the interface of mesoporous metal oxide materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Theoretical validation of chemical kinetic mechanisms : combustion of methanol.

A new technique is proposed that uses theoretical methods to systematically improve the performance of chemical kinetic mechanisms. Using a screening method, the chemical reaction steps that most strongly influence a given kinetic observable are identified. The associated rate coefficients are then improved by high-level quantum chemistry and transition-state-theory calculations, which leads to new values for the coefficients and smaller uncertainty ranges. This updating process is continued as new reactions emerge as the most important steps in the target observable. The screening process employed is a global sensitivity analysis that involves Monte Carlo sampling of the full N-dimensional uncertainty space of rate coefficients, where N is the number of reaction steps. The method is applied to the methanol combustion mechanism of Li et al. (Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 2007, 39, 109.). It was found that the CH{sub 3}OH + HO{sub 2} and CH{sub 3}OH + O{sub 2} reactions were the most important steps in setting the ignition delay time, and the rate coefficients for these reactions were updated. The ignition time is significantly changed for a broad range of high-concentration methanol/oxygen mixtures in the updated mechanism.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

Crystallization Kinetics and Excess Free Energy of H2O and D2O Nanoscale Films of Amorphous Solid Water

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) are used to investigate the crystallization kinetics and measure the excess free energy of metastable amorphous solid water films (ASW) of H2O and D2O grown using molecular beams. The desorption rates from the amorphous and crystalline phases of ASW are distinct, and as such, crystallization manifests can be observed in the TPD spectrum. The crystallization kinetics were studied by varying the TPD heating rate from 0.001 to 3 K/s. A coupled desorptioncrystallization kinetic model accurately simulates the desorption spectra and accurately predicts the observed temperature shifts in the crystallization. Isothermal crystallization studies using RAIRS are in agreement with the TPD results. Furthermore, highly sensitive measurements of the desorption rates were used to determine the excess free energy of ASW near 150 K. The excess entropy obtained from these data are consistent with there being a thermodynamic continuity between ASW and supercooled liquid water.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A multi-step nucleation process determines the kinetics of prion-like domain phase separation

Compartmentalization by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as a ubiquitous mechanism underlying the organization of biomolecules in space and time. Here, we combine rapid-mixing time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) approaches to characterize the assembly kinetics of a prototypical prion-like domain with equilibrium techniques that characterize its phase boundaries and the size distribution of clusters prior to phase separation. We find two kinetic regimes on the micro- to millisecond timescale that are distinguished by the size distribution of clusters. At the nanoscale, small complexes are formed with low affinity. After initial unfavorable complex assembly, additional monomers are added with higher affinity. At the mesoscale, assembly resembles classical homogeneous nucleation. Careful multi-pronged characterization is required for the understanding of condensate assembly mechanisms and will promote understanding of how the kinetics of biological phase separation is encoded in biomolecules.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Allosteric control of olefin isomerization kinetics via remote metal binding and its mechanochemical analysis

Abstract Allosteric control of reaction thermodynamics is well understood, but the mechanisms by which changes in local geometries of receptor sites lower activation reaction barriers in electronically uncoupled, remote reaction moieties remain relatively unexplored. Here we report a molecular scaffold in which the rate of thermal E-to-Z isomerization of an alkene increases by a factor of as much as 10 4 in response to fast binding of a metal ion to a remote receptor site. A mechanochemical model of the olefin coupled to a compressive harmonic spring reproduces the observed acceleration quantitatively, adding the studied isomerization to the very few reactions demonstrated to be sensitive to extrinsic compressive force. The work validates experimentally the generalization of mechanochemical kinetics to compressive loads and demonstrates that the formalism of force-coupled reactivity offers a productive framework for the quantitative analysis of the molecular basis of allosteric control of reaction kinetics. Important differences in the effects of compressive vs. tensile force on the kinetic stabilities of molecules are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Kinetics Study of Solid Ammonia Borane Hydrogen Release – Modeling and Experimental Validation for Chemical Hydrogen Storage

Ammonia borane (AB), NH3BH3, is a promising material for chemical hydrogen storage with 19.6 wt% gravimetric hydrogen capacity of which 16.2 wt% hydrogen can be utilized below 200°C. We have investigated the kinetics of hydrogen release from AB and from an AB-methyl cellulose (AB/MC) composite at temperatures of 160-300°C using both experiments and modeling. The purpose of our study was to show safe hydrogen release without thermal runaway effects and to validate system model kinetics. AB/MC released hydrogen at ~20°C lower than neat AB and at a rate that is two times faster. Based on the experimental results, the kinetics equations were revised to better represent the growth and nucleation process during decomposition of AB. We explored two different reactor concepts; Auger and fixed bed. The current Auger reactor concept turned out to not be appropriate, however, we demonstrated safe self-propagation of the hydrogen release reaction of solid AB/MC in a fixed bed reactor.

ammonia borane↗

H-Abstraction reactions by OH, HO 2 , O, O 2 and benzyl radical addition to O 2 and their implications for kinetic modelling of toluene oxidation

Here, alkylated aromatics constitute a significant fraction of the components commonly found in commercial fuels. Toluene is typically considered as a reference fuel. Together with n-heptane and iso-octane, it allows for realistic emulations of the behavior of real fuels by the means of surrogate mixture formulations. Moreover, it is a key precursor for the formation of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, which are of relevance to understanding soot growth and oxidation mechanisms. In this study the POLIMI kinetic model is first updated based on the literature and on recent kinetic modelling studies of toluene pyrolysis and oxidation. Then, important reaction pathways are investigated by means of high-level theoretical methods, thereby advancing the present knowledge on toluene oxidation. H-Abstraction reactions by OH, HO 2 , O and O 2 , and the reactivity on the multi well benzyl-oxygen (C 6 H 5 CH 2 + O 2 ) potential energy surface (PES) were investigated using electronic structure calculations, transition state theory in its conventional, variational, and variable reaction coordinate forms (VRC-TST), and master equation calculations. Exploration of the effect on POLIMI model performance of literature rate constants and of the present calculations provides valuable guidelines for implementation of the new rate parameters in existing toluene kinetic models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Curium(iii) radiation-induced reaction kinetics in aqueous media

Insight into the effects of radiolytic processes on the actinides is critical for advancing our understanding of their solution chemistry because the behaviour of these elements cannot be easily separated from the influence of their inherent radiation field. However, minimal information exists on the radiation-induced redox behaviour of curium (Cm), a key trivalent transuranic element present in used nuclear fuel and frequently used as an alpha radiation source. Here we present a kinetic study on the aqueous redox reactions of Cm(III) with radicals generated through the radiolysis of aqueous media. In particular, we probe reaction kinetics in nitric acid solutions that are used as the aqueous phase component of used nuclear fuel reprocessing solvent systems. Second-order rate coefficients (k) were measured for the reaction of Cm(III) with the hydrated electron (e aq - , k = (1.25 ± 0.03) × 10 10 M -1 s -1 ), hydrogen atom (H˙, k = (5.16 ± 0.37) × 10 8 M -1 s -1 ), hydroxyl radical (˙OH, k = (1.69 ± 0.24) × 10 9 M -1 s -1 ), and nitrate radical (NO 3 ˙, k = (4.83 ± 0.09) × 10 7 M -1 s -1 ). Furthermore, the first-ever Cm(II) absorption spectrum (300–700 nm) is also reported. These kinetic data dispel the status quo notion of Cm(III) possessing little to no redox chemistry in aqueous solution, and suggest that the resulting Cm(II) and Cm(IV) transients could exist in irradiated aqueous solutions and be available to undergo subsequent redox chemistry with other solutes.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Delineating the kinetic limitations of Mn 2+/3+ redox in LiMn x Fe 1−x PO 4 cathodes for lithium-ion batteries

LiMn x Fe 1−x PO 4 (LMFP) cathodes offer higher energy density than LiFePO 4 due to a higher operating voltage. However, the kinetic limitations of the Mn 2+/3+ redox couple in LMFP restrict its practically achievable capacity and hinder the ability to achieve high energy density. While the shortcomings of Mn 2+/3+ redox are recognized, its behavior and the factors that impact it remain to be fully understood. We present here an in-depth kinetics study of LMFP by utilizing novel techniques, such as chronoamperometry and galvanostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared to moderate-Mn LMFP (40–60% Mn), high-Mn LMFP (80% Mn) experiences reduced capacity, poor rate capability, and heightened impedance during Mn 2+/3+ redox. The oxidation of Mn 2+ to Mn 3+ becomes more resistive during charge due to the formation of Jahn–Teller active Mn 3+ and the increasing charge-transfer insulating behavior of Mn x Fe 1−x PO 4 . However, the impedance associated with Mn 3+ to Mn 2+ reduction remains constant during discharge in the entire region. The protracted Mn2+ oxidation in high-Mn LMFP results in excessive impedance compared to that in moderate-Mn LMFP, even at low C-rates and high cycling temperatures. Despite the promise of high energy density, the extreme kinetic limitations inherent to high-Mn LMFP present a barrier.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

A Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook-like Model Kinetic Equation for a Granular Gas of Inelastic Rough Hard Spheres

The Boltzmann collision operator for a dilute granular gas of inelastic rough hard spheres is much more intricate than its counterpart for inelastic smooth spheres. Now the one-body distribution function depends not only on the translational velocity v of the center of mass but also on the angular velocity {omega} of the particle. Moreover, the collision rules couple v and {omega}, involving not only the coefficient of normal restitution {alpha} but also the coefficient of tangential restitution {beta}. The aim of this paper is to propose an extension to inelastic rough particles of a Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook-like kinetic model previously proposed for inelastic smooth particles. The Boltzmann collision operator is replaced by the sum of three terms representing: (i) the relaxation to a two-temperature local equilibrium distribution, (ii) the action of a nonconservative drag force F proportional to v-u(u being the flow velocity), and (iii) the action of a nonconservative torque M equal to a linear combination of {omega} and {Omega}({Omega} being the mean angular velocity). The three coefficients in F and M are fixed to reproduce the Boltzmann collisional rates of change of {Omega} and of the two granular temperatures (translational and rotational). A simpler version of the model is also constructed in the form of two coupled kinetic equations for the translational and rotational velocity distributions. The kinetic model is applied to the simple shear flow steady state and the combined influence of {alpha} and {beta} on the shear and normal stresses and on the translational velocity distribution function is analyzed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Wave kinetics of relativistic quantum plasmas

A quantum kinetic equation, valid for relativistic unmagnetized plasmas, is derived here. This equation describes the evolution of a quantum quasi-distribution, which is the Wigner function for relativistic spinless charged particles in a plasma, and it is exactly equivalent to a Klein-Gordon equation. Our quantum kinetic equation reduces to the Vlasov equation in the classical limit, where the Wigner function is replaced by a classical distribution function. An approximate form of the quantum kinetic equation is also derived, which includes first order quantum corrections. This is applied to electron plasma waves, for which a new dispersion relation is obtained. It is shown that quantum recoil effects contribute to the electron Landau damping with a third order derivative term. The case of high frequency electromagnetic waves is also considered. Its dispersion relation is shown to be insensitive to quantum recoil effects for equilibrium plasma distributions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Fluid and drift-kinetic description of a magnetized plasma with low collisionality and slow dynamics orderings. II. Ion theory

The ion side of a closed, fluid and drift-kinetic theoretical model to describe slow and macroscopic plasma processes in a fusion-relevant, low collisionality regime is presented. It follows the ordering assumptions and the methodology adopted in the companion electron theory [Ramos, Phys. Plasmas 17, 082502 (2010)]. To reach the frequency scale where collisions begin to play a role, the drift-kinetic equation for the ion distribution function perturbation away from a Maxwellian must be accurate to the second order in the Larmor radius. The macroscopic density, flow velocity and temperature are accounted for in the Maxwellian, and are evolved by a fluid system which includes consistently the gyroviscous part of the stress tensor and second-order contributions to the collisionless perpendicular heat flux involving non-Maxwellian fluid moments. The precise compatibility among these coupled high-order fluid and drift-kinetic equations is made manifest by showing that the evolution of the non-Maxwellian part of the distribution function is such that its first three velocity moments remain equal to zero.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Decay kinetics of the excited S{sub 1} state of the cyanine dye Cy{sup +}I{sup -} (thiacarbocyanine iodide): The computation of quantum yields for different pathways

This work explains the unordinary solvent effect which was observed in the photochemical decay kinetics for the cyanine dye thiacarbocyanine iodide (Cy{sup +}I{sup -}) in binary solvent mixtures toluene/dimethylsulfoxide. The interpretation is formulated in terms of the probability density F(R) describing the distribution of interionic distances R in the ion pair Cy{sup +}I{sup -} and depending on the solvent composition. The proper normalization of this distribution is expressed via the degree of association {alpha} for the ion pair in a given solvent mixture. The {alpha} values are, in turn, extracted by means of the mass action law from the ionic association constants computed in a separate publication. The detailed kinetic scheme includes the empirical parametrization of the R-dependent kinetic constants for different decay channels. The multiparameter fitting procedure represents, with the reasonable parameter values, the dependence of the observed quantum yields on the solvent composition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spatial redistribution of turbulent and mean kinetic energy

The turbulent spatial redistribution of turbulent and mean kinetic energy and its exchange is investigated in the framework of an K-{epsilon} model in a magnetized plasma column. The kinetic energy is transferred from the turbulence into the zonal flow around the shear layer. The Reynolds stress profile adjusts to the shear layer, which results in a transport of mean kinetic energy from the region around the shear layer into the shear layer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Coupling of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of surface reactions to transport in a fluid for heterogeneous catalytic reactor modeling

We have developed a method to couple kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of surface reactions at a molecular scale to transport equations at a macroscopic scale. This method is applicable to steady state reactors. We use a finite difference upwinding scheme and a gap-tooth scheme to efficiently use a limited amount of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. In general the stochastic kinetic Monte Carlo results do not obey mass conservation so that unphysical accumulation of mass could occur in the reactor. We have developed a method to perform mass balance corrections that is based on a stoichiometry matrix and a least-squares problem that is reduced to a non-singular set of linear equations that is applicable to any surface catalyzed reaction. The implementation of these methods is validated by comparing numerical results of a reactor simulation with a unimolecular reaction to an analytical solution. Furthermore, the method is applied to two reaction mechanisms. The first is the ZGB model for CO oxidation in which inevitable poisoning of the catalyst limits the performance of the reactor. The second is a model for the oxidation of NO on a Pt(111) surface, which becomes active due to lateral interaction at high coverages of oxygen. This reaction model is based on ab initio density functional theory calculations from literature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Kinetic theory of nonlinear transport phenomena in complex plasmas

In contrast to the prevalent use of the phenomenological theory of transport phenomena, a number of transport properties of complex plasmas have been evaluated by using appropriate expressions, available from the kinetic theory, which are based on Boltzmann's transfer equation; in particular, the energy dependence of the electron collision frequency has been taken into account. Following the recent trend, the number and energy balance of all the constituents of the complex plasma and the charge balance on the particles is accounted for; the Ohmic loss has also been included in the energy balance of the electrons. The charging kinetics for the complex plasma comprising of uniformly dispersed dust particles, characterized by (i) uniform size and (ii) the Mathis, Rumpl, and Nordsieck power law of size distribution has been developed. Using appropriate expressions for the transport parameters based on the kinetic theory, the system of equations has been solved to investigate the parametric dependence of the complex plasma transport properties on the applied electric field and other plasma parameters; the results are graphically illustrated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A general moment expansion method for stochastic kinetic models

Moment approximation methods are gaining increasing attention for their use in the approximation of the stochastic kinetics of chemical reaction systems. In this paper we derive a general moment expansion method for any type of propensities and which allows expansion up to any number of moments. For some chemical reaction systems, more than two moments are necessary to describe the dynamic properties of the system, which the linear noise approximation is unable to provide. Moreover, also for systems for which the mean does not have a strong dependence on higher order moments, moment approximation methods give information about higher order moments of the underlying probability distribution. We demonstrate the method using a dimerisation reaction, Michaelis-Menten kinetics and a model of an oscillating p53 system. We show that for the dimerisation reaction and Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics system higher order moments have limited influence on the estimation of the mean, while for the p53 system, the solution for the mean can require several moments to converge to the average obtained from many stochastic simulations. We also find that agreement between lower order moments does not guarantee that higher moments will agree. Compared to stochastic simulations, our approach is numerically highly efficient at capturing the behaviour of stochastic systems in terms of the average and higher moments, and we provide expressions for the computational cost for different system sizes and orders of approximation. We show how the moment expansion method can be employed to efficiently quantify parameter sensitivity. Finally we investigate the effects of using too few moments on parameter estimation, and provide guidance on how to estimate if the distribution can be accurately approximated using only a few moments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗