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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

Porous Structured Ni–Fe–P Nanocubes Derived from a Prussian Blue Analogue as an Electrocatalyst for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Exploring nonprecious metal electrocatalysts to replace the noble metal-based catalysts for full water electrocatalysis is still an ongoing challenge. In this work, porous structured ternary nickel–iron–phosphide (Ni–Fe–P) nanocubes were synthesized through one-step phosphidation of a Ni–Fe-based Prussian blue analogue. The Ni–Fe–P nanocubes exhibit a rough and loose porous structure on their surface under suitable phosphating temperature, which is favorable for the mass transfer and oxygen diffusion during the electrocatalysis process. As a result, Ni–Fe–P obtained at 350 °C with poorer crystallinity offers more unsaturated atoms as active sites to expedite the absorption of reactants. Additionally, the introduction of nickel improved the electronic structure and then reduced the charge-transfer resistance, which would result in a faster electron transport and an enhancement of the intrinsic electrocatalytic activities. Benefiting from the unique porous nanocubes and the chemical composition, the Ni–Fe–P nanocubes exhibit excellent hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities in alkaline medium, with low overpotentials of 182 and 271 mV for delivering a current density of 10 mA cm–2, respectively. Moreover, the Ni–Fe–P nanocubes show outstanding stability for sustained water splitting in the two-electrode alkaline electrolyzer. Furthermore, this work not only provides a facile approach for designing bifunctional electrocatalysts but also further extends the application of metal–organic frameworks in overall water splitting.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strain wave pathway to semiconductor-to-metal transition revealed by time-resolved X-ray powder diffraction

One of the main challenges in ultrafast material science is to trigger phase transitions with short pulses of light. Here we show how strain waves, launched by electronic and structural precursor phenomena, determine a coherent macroscopic transformation pathway for the semiconducting-to-metal transition in bistable Ti 3 O 5 nanocrystals. Employing femtosecond powder X-ray diffraction, we measure the lattice deformation in the phase transition as a function of time. We monitor the early intra-cell distortion around the light absorbing metal dimer and the long range deformations governed by acoustic waves propagating from the laser-exposed Ti 3 O 5 surface. We developed a simplified elastic model demonstrating that picosecond switching in nanocrystals happens concomitantly with the propagating acoustic wavefront, several decades faster than thermal processes governed by heat diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Numerical simulation of temperature field, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of HSS during hot stamping

The hot stamping of boron steels is widely used to produce ultra high strength automobile components without any spring back. The ultra high strength of final products is attributed to the fully martensitic microstructure that is obtained through the simultaneous forming and quenching of the hot blanks after austenization. In the present study, a mathematical model incorporating both heat transfer and the transformation of austenite is presented. A FORTRAN program based on finite element technique has been developed which permits the temperature distribution and microstructure evolution of high strength steel during hot stamping process. Two empirical diffusion-dependent transformation models under isothermal conditions were employed respectively, and the prediction capability on mechanical properties of the models were compared with the hot stamping experiment of an automobile B-pillar part.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of oxygen annealing on the multiferroic properties of Ca{sup 2+} doped BiFeO{sub 3} nanoceramics

The high leakage current in divalent ion doped BiFeO{sub 3} systems is limiting their large scale application. It is clearly shown that the methodology of oxygen annealing will prove to be an effective procedure for suppressing the detrimental consequences that originate from the oxygen vacancies. The samples annealed under oxygen also show different particle morphologies and packing density that can help in tuning the relevant physical properties, viz., magnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric. The difference in magnetic behaviour in samples annealed in air and oxygen can be explained in terms of the modification in the Fe-O-Fe bonds, domain wall pinning centres, and crystal anisotropy. Another important observation is the stabilization of a dielectric anomaly near the magnetic transition temperature. This observation can make this multiferroic system very interesting for application in sensors where the change in the magnetic parameters can be observed by monitoring the electrical parameters. Detailed analysis of the dielectric and impedance curves indicate towards the presence of non-Debye type processes in samples obtained by annealing in air or oxygen. From the calculated activation energy values, the vacancy related relaxation mechanism is predominant in air annealed samples, while the oxygen annealed samples show the presence of two type of relaxation processes, viz., electron hopping mechanism stabilizes at low temperature while, at higher temperatures, the process associated with the diffusion of doubly ionized oxygen ions predominates. The ac-conductivity data suggests that the correlated barrier tunnelling mechanism, where single electron or two electrons hopping through neighbouring lattice sites leads to ac-conduction.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

On the study of threshold intensity dependence on the gain and loss processes in laser induced spark ignition of molecular hydrogen

In the present work, a numerical analysis is performed to investigate the comparative contribution of the mechanisms responsible for electron gain and losses in laser spark ignition and plasma formation of H{sub 2}. The analysis considered H{sub 2} over pressure range 150 -3000 torr irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser radiation at wavelengths 1064 and 532 nm with pulse length 5.5 ns. The study based on a modified electron cascade model by one of the authors which solves numerically the time dependent Boltzmann equation as well as a set of rate equations that describe the rate of change of the excited states population. The model includes most of the physical processes that might take place during the interaction. Computations of The threshold intensity are performed for the combined and separate contribution of each of the gain and loss processes. Reasonable agreement with the measured values over the tested pressure range is obtained only for the case of the combined contribution. Basing on the calculation of the electron energy distribution function, the determined relations of the time evolution of the electrons density for selected values of the tested gas pressure region revealed that photo-ionization of the excited states could determine the time of electron generation and hence spark ignition. Collisional ionization contributes to this phenomenon only at the high pressure regime. Loss processes due to electron diffusion, vibrational excitation are found to have significant effect over examined pressure values for the two applied laser wavelengths.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Entropic barriers in the kinetics of aqueous proton transfer

Aqueous proton transport is uniquely rapid among aqueous processes, mediated by fluctuating hydrogen bond reorganization in liquid water. In a process known as Grotthuss diffusion, the excess charge diffuses primarily by sequential proton transfers between water molecules rather than standard Brownian motion, which explains the anomalously high electrical conductivity of acidic solutions. Employing ultrafast IR spectroscopy, we use the orientational anisotropy decay of the bending vibrations of the hydrated proton complex to study herein the picosecond aqueous proton transfer kinetics as a function of temperature, concentration, and counterion. We find that the orientational anisotropy decay exhibits Arrhenius behavior, with an apparent activation energy of 2.4 kcal/mol in 1M and 2M HCl. Interestingly, acidic solutions at high concentration with longer proton transfer time scales display corresponding decreases in activation energy. We interpret this counterintuitive trend by considering the entropic and enthalpic contributions to the activation free energy for proton transfer. Halide counteranions at high concentrations impose entropic barriers to proton transfer in the form of constraints on the solution’s collective H-bond fluctuations and obstruction of potential proton transfer pathways. The corresponding proton transfer barrier decreases due to weaker water-halide H-bonds in close proximity to the excess proton, but the entropic effects dominate and

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Injection of κ-like suprathermal particles into diffusive shock acceleration

We consider a phenomenological model for the thermal leakage injection in the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) process, in which suprathermal protons and electrons near the shock transition zone are assumed to have the so-called κ-distributions produced by interactions of background thermal particles with pre-existing and/or self-excited plasma/MHD waves or turbulence. The κ-distribution has a power-law tail, instead of an exponential cutoff, well above the thermal peak momentum. So there are a larger number of potential seed particles with momentum, above that required for participation in the DSA process. As a result, the injection fraction for the κ-distribution depends on the shock Mach number much less severely compared to that for the Maxwellian distribution. Thus, the existence of κ-like suprathermal tails at shocks would ease the problem of extremely low injection fractions, especially for electrons and especially at weak shocks such as those found in the intracluster medium. We suggest that the injection fraction for protons ranges 10{sup –4}-10{sup –3} for a κ-distribution with 10 ≲ κ {sub p} ≲ 30 at quasi-parallel shocks, while the injection fraction for electrons becomes 10{sup –6}-10{sup –5} for a κ-distribution with κ {sub e} ≲ 2 at quasi-perpendicular shocks. For such κ values the ratio of cosmic ray (CR) electrons to protons naturally becomes K {sub e/p} ∼ 10{sup –3}-10{sup –2}, which is required to explain the observed ratio for Galactic CRs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DISPERSAL OF G-BAND BRIGHT POINTS AT DIFFERENT LONGITUDINAL MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTHS

G-band bright points (GBPs) are thought to be the foot-points of magnetic flux tubes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relation between the diffusion regimes of GBPs and the associated longitudinal magnetic field strengths. Two high resolution observations of different magnetized environments were acquired with the Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope. Each observation was recorded simultaneously with G-band filtergrams and Narrow-band Filter Imager (NFI) Stokes I and V images. GBPs are identified and tracked automatically, and then categorized into several groups by their longitudinal magnetic field strengths, which are extracted from the calibrated NFI magnetograms using a point-by-point method. The Lagrangian approach and the distribution of diffusion indices approach are adopted separately to explore the diffusion regime of GBPs for each group. It is found that the values of diffusion index and diffusion coefficient both decrease exponentially with the increasing longitudinal magnetic field strengths whichever approach is used. The empirical formulas deduced from the fitting equations are proposed to describe these relations. Stronger elements tend to diffuse more slowly than weak elements, independently of the magnetic flux of the surrounding medium. This may be because the magnetic energy of stronger elements is not negligible compared with the kinetic energy of the gas, and therefore the flows cannot perturb them so easily.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Photo-exfoliation of MoS 2 quantum dots from nanosheets: an in-situ transmission electron microscopy study

Fabrication of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) quantum dots (QDs) is complex and requires submerging of powders in binary solvents and the constant tuning of wavelength and pulsed frequency of light to achieve a desired reaction. Here,iInstead of liquid state photoexfoliation, we utilize infrared laser irradiation of free-standing MoS 2 flakes in transmission electron microscope (TEM) to achieve solid-state multi-level photoexfoliation of QDs. By investigating the steps involved in photochemical reaction between the surface of MoS 2 and the laser beam, we gain insight into each step of the photoexfoliation mechanism and observe high yield production of QDs, led by an inhomogeneous crystalline size distribution. Additionally, by using a laser with a lower energy than the indirect optical transition of bulk MoS 2 , we conclude that the underlying phenomena behind the photoexfoliation is from multi-photon absorption achieved at high optical outputs from the laser source. These findings provide an environmentally friendly synthesis method to fabricate QDs for potential applications in biomedicine, optoelectronics, and fluorescence sensing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Bremsstrahlung gamma rays from light dark matter

We discuss the often-neglected role of bremsstrahlung processes on the interstellar gas in computing indirect signatures of Dark Matter (DM) annihilation in the Galaxy, particularly for light DM candidates in the phenomenologically interesting O(10) GeV mass range. Especially from directions close to the Galactic Plane, the γ-ray spectrum is altered via two effects: directly, by the photons emitted in the bremsstrahlung process by energetic electrons which are among the DM annihilation byproducts; indirectly, by the modification of the same electron spectrum, due to the additional energy loss process in the diffusion-loss equation (e.g. the resulting inverse Compton emission is altered). We quantify the importance of the bremsstrahlung emission in the GeV energy range, showing that it is sometimes the dominant component of the γ-ray spectrum. We also find that, in regions in which bremsstrahlung dominates energy losses, the related γ-ray emission is only moderately sensitive to possible large variations in the gas density. Still, we stress that, for computing precise spectra in the (sub-)GeV range, it is important to obtain a reliable description of the Galaxy gas distribution as well as to compute self-consistently the γ-ray emission and the solution to the diffusion-loss equation. For example, these are crucial issues to quantify and interpret meaningfully γ-ray map 'residuals' in the inner Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Atomistic Mechanism Underlying the Si ( 111 ) - ( 7 × 7 ) Surface Reconstruction Revealed by Artificial Neural-Network Potential

The 7×7 reconstruction of the Si(111) surface represents arguably the most fascinating surface reconstruction so far observed in nature. Yet, the atomistic mechanism underpinning its formation remains unclear after it was discovered sixty years ago. Experimentally, it is observed post priori so that analysis of its formation mechanism can only be carried out in analogy with archaeology. Theoretically, density-functional theory (DFT) correctly predicts the Si(111)-(7×7) ground state but is impractical to simulate its formation process; while empirical potentials failed to produce it as the ground state. Developing an artificial neural-network potential of DFT quality, we carried out accurate large-scale simulations to unravel the formation of the Si(111)-(7×7) surface. We reveal a possible step-mediated atom-pop rate-limiting process that triggers massive nonconserved atomic rearrangements, most remarkably, a critical process of collective vacancy diffusion that mediates a sequence of selective dimer, corner-hole, stacking-fault, and dimer-line pattern formation, to fulfill the 7×7 reconstruction. Our findings may not only solve the long-standing mystery of this famous surface reconstruction but they also illustrate the power of machine learning in studying complex structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dissolved Organic Carbon 14C in Southern Nevada Groundwater and Implications for Groundwater Travel Times

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) carbon-14 ( 14 C) ages must be corrected for complex chemical and physical reactions and processes that change the amount of 14 C in groundwater as it flows from recharge to downgradient areas. Because of these reactions, DIC 14 C can produce unrealistically old ages and long groundwater travel times that may, or may not, agree with travel times estimated by other methods. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 14 C ages are often younger than DIC 14 C ages because there are few chemical reactions or physical processes that change the amount of DOC 14 C in groundwater. However, there are several issues that create uncertainty in DOC 14 C groundwater ages including limited knowledge of the initial (A 0 ) DOC 14 C in groundwater recharge and potential changes in DOC composition as water moves through an aquifer. This study examines these issues by quantifying A 0 DOC 14 C in recharge areas of southern Nevada groundwater flow systems and by evaluating changes in DOC composition as water flows from recharge areas to downgradient areas. The effect of these processes on DOC 14 C groundwater ages is evaluated and DOC and DIC 14 C ages are then compared along several southern Nevada groundwater flow paths. Twenty-seven groundwater samples were collected from springs and wells in southern Nevada in upgradient, midgradient, and downgradient locations. DOC 14 C for upgradient samples ranged from 96 to 120 percent modern carbon (pmc) with an average of 106 pmc, verifying modern DOC 14 C ages in recharge areas, which decreases uncertainty in DOC 14 C A 0 values, groundwater ages, and travel times. The HPLC spectra of groundwater along a flow path in the Spring Mountains show the same general pattern indicating that the DOC compound composition does not change along this flow path. Although DOC concentration decreases from recharge-area to downgradient groundwater, the organic compounds are similar, indicating that DOC 14 C is unaffected by other processes such as microbial degradation. A small amount of organic carbon was leached from crushed volcanic and carbonate aquifer outcrop rock in rock-leaching experiments. The leached DOC was high in 14 C (75 pmc carbonate rocks, 91 pmc volcanic) suggesting that the leached DOC likely came from microbes in the rock samples. The small amount of DOC and high 14 C indicates that the amount of old organic carbon in these rocks is low so there should be minimal impact on groundwater DOC 14 C ages. Based on the results from this study, DOC 14 C ages do not require additional corrections. Several correction models were applied to DIC 14 C ages to correct for water-rock reactions along two carbonate and two volcanic flow paths and the corresponding travel times were compare to DOC 14 C travel times. The DOC 14 C travel times were hundreds to thousands of years shorter than uncorrected and corrected DIC 14 C travel times except for the upper section of one carbonate flow path. DOC 14 C travel times ranged from 400 to 5,400 years as compared to DIC 14 C that ranged from modern to 20,900 years. The DIC 14 C ages are greatly influenced by carbonate mineral and gas reactions and other processes such as matrix diffusion, isotope exchange, or adsorption, which are not always adequately accounted for in DIC 14 C groundwater age correction models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Spatial and temporal dynamics of receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, integrins, and actin cytoskeleton as probed with fluorescence-based imaging techniques

Systematic spatial and temporal fluctuations are a fundamental part of any biological process. For example, lateral diffusion of membrane proteins is one of the key mechanisms in their cellular function. Lateral diffusion governs how membrane proteins interact with intracellular, transmembrane, and extracellular components to achieve their function. Herein, fluorescence-based techniques are used to elucidate the dynamics of receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) and integrin membrane proteins. RAGE is a transmembrane protein that is being used as a biomarker for various diseases. RAGE dependent signaling in numerous pathological conditions is well studied. However, RAGE lateral diffusion in the cell membrane is poorly understood. For this purpose, effect of cholesterol, cytoskeleton dynamics, and presence of ligand on RAGE lateral diffusion is investigated.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Predictive Integrated Modeling of Heated Tokamak Plasmas (Final Technical Report)

The research carried out by the Lehigh University fusion group during this reporting period: (1) Self-consistent predictive core-pedestal ITER scenario modeling; (2) Microtearing instabilities and electron thermal transport in standard and spherical tokamak discharges; (3) Neural network model of the Multi-Mode anomalous transport module; (4) Anomalous transport in KSTAR, JET, EAST, Alcator C-Mod and DIII-D discharges; (5) Theory for transport in magnetized plasmas; (6) Control-oriented modeling of the q-profile dynamic response in preparation for advanced scenario control in KSTAR and in EAST; (7) Modeling of edge harmonic oscillation in DIII-D QH mode discharges; (8) Elucidating plasma dynamics in Hasegawa-Wakatani turbulence by information geometry; (9) Non-linear Langevin and Fractional Fokker–Planck equations for anomalous diffusion by Levy stable processes; and (10) Investigation of the plasma shaping effects on the H-mode pedestal structure.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Collaboration on SBIR/TTO Phase II Project for Optical QC Device and Collaboration on SBIR/TTO Phase II-b Project for Advanced Quality Inspection Device Development: Cooperative Research and Development CRADA Number CRD-16-00652 (Final Report)

The overall goal of this program is to develop and commercialize a turnkey quality control solution for the entire PEM fuel cell manufacturing process including membrane, gas diffusion layers, catalyst, and assembled systems. This quality control solution is unique to each customer’s specific needs but includes a suite of in-line quality control systems for roll-to-roll manufacturing that can target thin, transparent membrane as well as opaque membrane, catalyst, and GDLs. The Phase II developed the CPNUVV system for thin, transparent membrane that operates using polarized filters to enhance defect resolution and determine thickness. However, PEM material manufacturers want a complete, turnkey solution for all components of the PEM fuel cell. In the Phase IIB, Mainstream will partner with NREL, and transition reflectance technology NREL developed (US Patent 9,234,843) to operate in real-time on a web-line to develop a total solution to PEM quality control. The device will identify and mark defects as well as monitor materials thickness in real-time to improve line efficiency and to reduce waste. The research performed at NREL under this CRADA increases the basis of knowledge about optical inspection methods, how they perform with regards to fuel cell component materials, and how they can be implemented in in-line, real-time configurations to provide quality inspection for roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing. Methods explored were found to be sensitive to catalyst loading in electrodes on both membrane and gas diffusion media substrates and to membrane thickness, across a broad range of thickness. The latter capability is novel and now patented and provides a previously unstudied and undemonstrated capability for R2R manufacturing of membranes.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Universal Solvent Viscosity Reduction via Hydrogen Bonding Disruptors

Liquid Ion Solutions LLC (DBA RoCo Global) in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University and Carbon Capture Scientific LLC, has performed lab-scale development and evaluation of novel additives that lower the viscosity of water-lean amine solvents for post-combustion carbon dioxide capture. This project focuses on developing additives that minimize the formation of long-range electrostatic and hydrogen bonding (HB) networks, decreasing the solvent viscosity, improving diffusion, and improving the process economics. The project objectives included: 1) performing computer simulation to understand the molecular interactions of the additive molecules in water-lean CO 2 capture solvents, 2) design and synthesis of HB disruptors additives, 3) performance testing with additive molecules on model amine solvents, and 4) demonstration of the effectiveness of the optimized additives in the presence of synthetic flue gas. To meet the abovementioned objectives, the project team utilized a holistic approach that combines molecular simulation, experimental testing, and economic analysis studies. The project team developed ab initio molecular model and then perform computer simulation to develop relationship between hydrogen bonding, viscosity, and performed quantitative analysis of additive on the viscosity of the solvent. The team completed computational comparative study on a range of organic functional groups such as ethers, esters, cyclic carbonates, alkanes, and ammonium salts for their effect on viscosity gaining key insights into molecular interactions and the impact of various functional groups and molecular shapes on viscosity. Assisted with molecular simulation insights, the project team conducted additive synthesis and testing, including a proof-of-concept study, additive screening, optimization, and synthetic flue gas testing. The experimental proof-of-concept study proved that the hydrogen bonding acceptors result in significant decrease of viscosities. Detailed additive screening (exploring various functionalities and molecular structures) has been performed. Several promising additives showed excellent reduction in viscosity (30-41%) at 5% additive loading, and over 50% viscosity reduction at 10% additive loading for the model solvents. The team also performed complex screening studies on additive loadings and mixing effect among additives using the design of experiments. Based on multiple screening experiments, one additive-solvent candidate was down-selected for synthetic flue gas testing. A 100-hour continuous absorption/desorption study was conducted under simulated flue gas using a lab-scale continuous capture and separation system. No degradation (for both solvent and additive) was observed based on the GC results of the solvent samples collected from the continuous study. The team conducted preliminary engineering analyses and cost-benefit analyses to quantify the potential economic benefits of the additive approach for solvent viscosity reduction. Based on the experimental data, CO 2 capture cost savings from the capital and operating cost savings are estimated at $\$$4.7/tonne and $\$$0.3/tonne CO 2 captured, respectively. Considering the additive cost, the net benefit is estimated to be between $\$$4.32~$\$$4.86/tonne CO 2 captured.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Kinetics and Mechanism of Tetravalent Cerium Extraction by Di-2-Ethylhexyl Isobutyramide (DEHiBA)

DEHiBA is a fully-incinerable, CHON extractant with a high selectivity for hexavalent actinides. However, as a recently-developed ligand, much remains unknown about its physical and chemical properties, including its extraction and phase disengagement rates. Here, we present data on the phase transfer kinetics of Ce(IV) extraction and stripping by both DEHiBA and TBP collected using microfluidic devices. Ce(IV) was selected as a surrogate for Pu(IV) and Np(IV) in the initial tests of the microfluidics system prior to testing with the actinides. Pseudo first-order reaction rate constants are determined for both systems, and the corresponding Damköhler numbers (Da) are calculated to establish whether the extraction and stripping processes are kinetically or diffusion controlled. The stoichiometry of the extracted Ce(IV)-DEHiBA complex is determined, and the phase disengagement properties under extraction conditions are assessed using the dimensionless dispersion number. A possible explanation for the favorable extraction of Ce(IV) by DEHiBA, which is known to poorly extract many tetravalent cations, is presented.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗