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

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At least 1,495 records · Page 83

Using Hyperoptimized Tensor Networks and First-Principles Electronic Structure to Simulate the Experimental Properties of the Giant {Mn 84 } Torus

The single-molecule magnet {Mn 84 } is a challenge to theory because of its high nuclearity. Here, we directly compute two experimentally accessible observables, the field-dependent magnetization up to 75 T and the temperature-dependent heat capacity, using parameter-free theory. In particular, we use first-principles calculations to derive short- and long-range exchange interactions and compute the exact partition function of the resulting classical Potts and Ising spin models for all 84 Mn S = 2 spins to obtain observables. The latter computation is made possible by using hyperoptimized tensor network contractions, a technique developed to simulate quantum supremacy circuits. We also synthesize the magnet and measure its heat capacity and magnetization, observing qualitative agreement between theory and experiment and identifying an unusual bump in the heat capacity and a plateau in the magnetization. Our work also identifies some limitations of current theoretical modeling in large magnets, such as sensitivity to small, long-range exchange couplings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Physisorption of Water on Graphene: Subchemical Accuracy from Many-Body Electronic Structure Methods

According to the article, wet carbon interfaces are ubiquitous in the natural world and exhibit anomalous properties, which could be exploited by emerging technologies. However, progress is limited by lack of understanding at the molecular level. Remarkably, even for the most fundamental system (a single water molecule interacting with graphene), there is no consensus on the nature of the interaction. We tackle this by performing an extensive set of complementary state-of-the-art computer simulations on some of the world’s largest supercomputers. From this effort a consensus on the water–graphene interaction strength has been obtained. Our results have significant impact for the physical understanding, as they indicate that the interaction is weaker than predicted previously. They also pave the way for more accurate and reliable studies of liquid water at carbon interfaces.

Chemistry↗

Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Metalloradical Iron Complexes Containing Redox Noninnocent α-Diimine-Type Ligands: Synthesis, Molecular, and Electronic Structures

The synthesis and characterization of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl iron complexes bearing the redox non-innocent α-diimine (N,N'-dimesitylbutane-2,3-diimine, Mes DI) and α-iminopyridine (N-mesityl(pyridin-2-yl)ethanimine Mes PI) ligands were explored. One-pot reduction and complexation of the cyclopentadienyl ring was accomplished by treatment of (κ 2 -N,N')FeCl 2 (N,N'= Mes DI or Mes PI) pre-cursors with [C 5 Me 5 ]Li. The resulting iron compounds were characterized by paramagnetic 1 H NMR spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements, zero-field 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, low-temperature EPR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The combined spectroscopic, structural and DFT computational data supported low-spin iron(III) compounds (S Fe = ½) with π-acidic, formally doubly-reduced chelating ligands.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Active Site and Electronic Structure Elucidation of Pt Nanoparticles Supported on Phase-Pure Molybdenum Carbide Nanotubes

Here, we recently showed that phase-pure molybdenum carbide nanotubes can be durable supports for platinum (Pt) nanoparticles in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this paper we further characterize surface properties of the same Pt/β-Mo 2 C catalyst platform using carbon monoxide (CO)-Pt and CO-Mo 2 C bond strength of different Pt particle sizes in the <3 nm range. Results from diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and temporal analysis of products (TAP) revealed the existence of different active sites as Pt particle size increases. Correlation between the resultant catalyst activity and deposited Pt particle size was further investigated using water–gas-shift (WGS) as a probe reaction, suggesting that precise control of particle diameter and thickness is needed for optimized catalytic activity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Insights into the Surface Electronic Structure and Catalytic Activity of InO x /Au(111) Inverse Catalysts for CO 2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

In this article, the direct conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into methanol (CH 3 OH) via low-temperature hydrogenation is crucial for recycling anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and producing fuels or high value chemicals. Nevertheless, it continues to be a great challenge due to the trade-off between selectivity and catalytic activity. For CO 2 hydrogenation, In 2 O 3 catalysts are known for their high CH 3 OH selectivity. Subsequent studies explored depositing metals on In 2 O 3 to enhance CO 2 conversion. Despite extensive research on metal (M) supported In 2 O 3 catalysts, the role of In-M alloys and M/In 2 O 3 interfaces in CO 2 activation and CH 3 OH selectivity remains unclear. In this work, we have examined the behavior of In/Au(111) alloys and InO x /Au(111) inverse systems during CO 2 hydrogenation using synchrotron-based ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) and catalytic tests in a batch reactor. Indium forms alloys with Au(111) after deposition. The In-Au(111) alloys display high reactivity towards CO 2 and can dissociate the molecule at room temperature to generate InO x nanostructures. At very low coverages of In (≤ 0.05 ML), the InO x nanostructures are not stable under CO 2 hydrogenation conditions and the active In-Au(111) alloys produces mainly CO and little methanol. An increase in indium coverage to 0.3 ML led to stable InOx nanostructures under CO 2 hydrogenation conditions. These InO x /Au(111) catalysts displayed a high selectivity (~ 80 %) towards CH 3 OH production and an activity for CO 2 conversion that was at least 10 times larger than that of plain In 2 O 3 or Cu(111) and Cu/ZnO(000$\overline{1)}$ benchmark catalysts. The results of AP-XPS show that InO x /Au(111) produces methanol via methoxy intermediates. Inverse oxide/metal catalysts containing InOx open up a possibility for improving CO 2 → CH 3 OH conversion in processes associated with the control of environmental pollution and the production of high value chemicals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗