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At least 163 records · Page 9

Large-scale synthesis of metal/nitrogen Co-doped carbon catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction

In this work, we report a facile approach for synthesizing M–N–C catalysts (M = Co, Fe, Ni) at a commercial scale without employing organic solvents. Our characterization efforts indicate that single atomic catalysts with high surface areas were successfully obtained. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that, among the three synthesized catalysts, Ni–N–C exhibits the highest performance in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to carbon monoxide (CO), affording 80% Faradaic efficiency (FE) of CO production at –0.49 V RHE with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 57,379 h –1 . Large-scale synthesis coupled with high performance allows moving forward with the practical implementation of M–N–C catalysts for industrially relevant CO 2 RR.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effect of Electrode/Electrolyte Coupling on Birnessite (δ-MnO 2 ) Mechanical Response and Degradation

Understanding the deformation of energy storage electrodes at a local scale and its correlation to electrochemical performance is crucial for designing effective electrode architectures. In this work, the effect of electrolyte cation and electrode morphology on birnessite (δ-MnO 2 ) deformation during charge storage in aqueous electrolytes was investigated using a mechanical cyclic voltammetry approach via operando atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In both K 2 SO 4 and Li 2 SO 4 electrolytes, the δ-MnO 2 host electrode underwent expansion during cation intercalation, but with different potential dependencies. When intercalating Li + , the δ-MnO 2 electrode presents a nonlinear correlation between electrode deformation and electrode height, which is morphologically dependent. Further, these results suggest that the stronger cation–birnessite interaction is the reason for higher local stress heterogeneity when cycling in Li 2 SO 4 electrolyte, which might be the origin of the pronounced electrode degradation in this electrolyte.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

High-Resolution Comonomer Sequencing of Blocky Brominated Syndiotactic Polystyrene Copolymers Using 13C NMR Spectroscopy and Computer Simulations

This work demonstrates the first high-resolution comonomer sequencing of Blocky brominated syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS-co-sPS-Br) copolymers based on pentad assign- ments of the quaternary carbon region of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum. Copolymers containing p-bromostyrene (Br-Sty) units were prepared in matched sets using postpolymerization bromination methods carried out in the heterogeneous gel state (Blocky) and homogeneous solution state (Random). Quantitative information from the quaternary carbon spectra, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation spectroscopy, electronic structure calculations, and simulated statistically random copolymers was correlated to confirm the carbon resonance assignments for all 20 possible pentad comonomer sequences. Using the experimental pentad sequence prevalences, a computer code was developed to simulate chains with microstructures typical of each sample as a means to visually represent the copolymer blockiness with quantitative precision. Based on the microstructure and distribution of run lengths in these chains, the simulations revealed that the Blocky copolymers contain a high degree of blockiness. By comparing the run lengths in the simulated chains to the average number of styrene units in a crystalline segment of sPS (found by small-angle X-ray scattering), copolymer crystallizability was predicted. For the simulated Blocky B-21% (21 mol % Br-Sty) chain, the probability of randomly selecting a styrene unit in a crystallizable block was 25.8%, while that in the simulated Random R-18% was zero, in excellent agreement with the experimental crystallization behavior measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Additionally, these predictions confirmed that the simulated chains accurately represent the ensemble of chains in their respective copolymer samples. Furthermore, each simulated Blocky chain contained one or more long sPS blocks that paralleled the measured 38-40 styrene units spanning a crystalline segment within the sPS/CCl4 gel. This finding affirmed that the long sPS segments originated from the precise lamellar structure within the heterogeneous gel morphology (i.e., block length is correlated with lamellar thickness). Overall, the ability to tailor the copolymer microstructure through control of the semicrystalline gel morphology opens the door to synthesizing ordered copolymers by postpolymerization functionalization processes with unprecedented levels of compositional control.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Pulsed-Laser Irradiation Space Weathering Of A Carbonaceous Chondrite

Grains on the surfaces of airless bodies experience irradiation from solar energetic particles and melting, vaporization and recondensation processes associated with micrometeorite impacts. Collectively, these processes are known as space weathering and they affect the spectral properties, composition, and microstructure of material on the surfaces of airless bodies, e.g. Recent efforts have focused on space weathering of carbonaceous materials which will be critical for interpreting results from the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 missions targeting primitive, organic-rich asteroids. In addition to returned sample analyses, space weathering processes are quantified through laboratory experiments. For example, the short-duration thermal pulse from hypervelocity micrometeorite impacts have been simulated using pulsed-laser irradiation of target material e.g. Recent work however, has shown that pulsed-laser irradiation has variable effects on the spectral properties and microstructure of carbonaceous chondrite samples. Here we investigate the spectral characteristics of pulsed-laser irradiated CM2 carbonaceous chondrite, Murchison, including the vaporized component. We also report the chemical and structural characteristics of specific mineral phases within the meteorite as a result of pulsed-laser irradiation.

Thompson, M. S.↗

The Features of Self-Assembling Organic Bilayers Important to the Formation of Anisotropic Inorganic Materials in Microgravity Conditions

There is a growing need for inorganic anisotropic particles in a variety of materials science applications. Structural, optical, and electrical properties can be greatly augmented by the fabrication of composite materials with anisotropic microstructures or with anisotropic particles uniformly dispersed in an isotropic matrix. Examples include structural composites, magnetic and optical recording media, photographic film, certain metal and ceramic alloys, and display technologies including flat panel displays. While considerable progress has been made toward developing an understanding of the synthesis of powders composed of monodispersed, spherical particles, these efforts have not been transferred to the synthesis of anisotropic nanoparticles. The major objective of the program is to develop a fundamental understanding of the growth of anisotropic particles at organic templates, with emphasis on the chemical and structural aspects of layered organic assemblies that contribute to the formation of anisotropic inorganic particles.

Talham, Daniel R.↗

Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Sr Permeation in CeO 2 -Based Barrier Layers for Solid-Oxide Electrolyzer Cells

Solid-oxide electrolyzer cells (SOECs) convert steam to hydrogen efficiently at high temperatures. However, during operation, the diffusion of cations or impurities through the cells due to electrode degradation can cause unwanted secondary phases to form, which may degrade device performance. Here, in this study, we use atomistic and mesoscale simulations coupled with experimental analysis to study the diffusion of Sr through the Gd-doped CeO 2 (GDC) barrier layer used to protect the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte in SOECs. From our atomistic calculations, we find Sr diffusion to be negligibly slow in bulk GDC; however, surface diffusion is much more favorable. Subsequent mesoscale simulations show that Sr diffusion is activated when the porosity of GDC exceeds ∼10% and significantly exceeds diffusion in bulk and grain boundary regions. We also find that SrO-based species can accumulate at GDC surfaces; however, SrO aggregation and coarsening will be limited by the large lattice mismatch between GDC and SrO. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron diffraction confirm that Sr can accumulate within GDC pores and form disperse Sr-containing secondary phases. Altogether, Sr diffusion in dense GDC is unlikely to give rise to thick SrO layers, which would severely limit device performance. The formation of Sr-containing secondary phases can largely be avoided by restricting the porosity of the GDC layer as much as possible.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of Photon Recycling, Grain Boundaries, and Nonlinear Recombination on Energy Transport in Semiconductors

Energy carrier transport and recombination in semiconductors can be directly monitored with optical microscopy, revealing key insights into fundamental photophysics and informs efficient optoelectronic device design. Oftentimes, energy transport is measured by monitoring a time-resolved expanding carrier profile after optical excitation under a focused laser beam. Although this approach has gained widespread adoption, the presence of competing dynamic processes, such as diffusion and photon recycling, has made it difficult to accurately extract and understand important semiconductor properties. Here, we develop and apply a new framework for modeling energy transport in both excitonic and free carrier semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate that processes such as nonlinear recombination and photon recycling can have a significant impact on the apparent energy carrier profiles, especially for excitonic materials with short radiative lifetimes. Additionally, we find that film microstructure can lead to unique transport profiles that strongly depends on material boundary behavior and the difference between feature size and diffusion length. Here, these findings provide a deeper understanding of energy transport in semiconducting materials and provide new strategies for the design and optimization of electronic and optoelectronic devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structures Self-Assembled Through Directional Solidification

Nanotechnology has created a demand for new fabrication methods with an emphasis on simple, low-cost techniques. Directional solidification of eutectics (DSE) is an unconventional approach in comparison to low-temperature biomimetic approaches. A technical challenge for DSE is producing microstructural architectures on the nanometer scale. In both processes, the driving force is the minimization of Gibb's free energy. Selfassembly by biomimetic approaches depends on weak interaction forces between organic molecules to define the architectural structure. The architectural structure for solidification depends on strong chemical bonding between atoms. Constituents partition into atomic-level arrangements at the liquid-solid interface to form polyphase structures, and this atomic-level arrangement at the liquid-solid interface is controlled by atomic diffusion and total undercooling due to composition (diffusion), kinetics, and curvature of the boundary phases. Judicious selection of the materials system and control of the total undercooling are the keys to producing structures on the nanometer scale. The silicon-titanium silicide (Si-TiSi2) eutectic forms a rod structure under isothermal cooling conditions. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, directional solidification was employed along with a thermal gradient to promote uniform rods oriented with the thermal gradient. The preceding photomicrograph shows the typical transverse microstructure of a solidified Si-TiSi2 eutectic composition. The dark and light gray regions are Si and TiSi2, respectively. Preferred rod orientation along the thermal gradient was poor. The ordered TiSi2 rods have a narrow distribution in diameter of 2 to 3 m, as shown. The rod diameter showed a weak dependence on process conditions. Anisotropic etch behavior between different phases provides the opportunity to fabricate structures with high aspect ratios. The photomicrographs show the resulting microstructure after a wet chemical etch and a dry plasma etch. The wet chemical etches the silicon away, exposing the TiSi2 rods, whereas plasma etching preferentially etches the Si-TiSi2 interface to form a crater. The porous architectures are applicable to fabricating microdevices or creating templates for part fabrication. The porous rod structure can serve as a platform for fabricating microplasma devices for propulsion or microheat exchangers and for fabricating microfilters for miniatured chemical reactors. Although more work is required, self-assembly from DSE can have a role in microdevice fabrication.

Dynys, Frederick W.↗

Amorphous 1-D nanowires of calcium phosphate/pyrophosphate: A demonstration of oriented self-growth of amorphous minerals

Amorphous inorganic solids are traditionally isotropic, thus, it is believed that they only grow in a non-preferential way without the assistance of regulators, leading to the morphologies of nanospheres or irregular aggregates of nanoparticles. However, in the presence of (ortho)phosphate (Pi) and pyrophosphate ions (PPi) which have synergistic roles in biomineralization, the highly elongated amorphous nanowires (denoted ACPPNs) form in a regulator-free aqueous solution (without templates, additives, organics, etc). Based on thorough characterization and tracking of the formation process (e.g., Cryo-TEM, spherical aberration correction high resolution TEM, solid state NMR, high energy resolution monochromated STEM-EELS), the microstructure and its preferential growth behavior are elucidated. In ACPPNs, amorphous calcium orthophosphate and amorphous calcium pyrophosphate are distributed at separated but close sites. The ACPPNs grow via either the preferential attachment of ~2 nm nanoclusters in a 1-dimension way, or the transformation of bigger nanoparticles, indicating an inherent driving force-governed process. Here, we propose that the anisotropy of ACPPNs microstructure, which is corroborated experimentally, causes their oriented growth. This study proves that, unlike the conventional view, amorphous minerals can form via oriented growth without external regulation, demonstrating a novel insight into the structures and growth behaviors of amorphous minerals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Investigating the Role of Incident Ion Flux in Solar Wind Space Weathering of Carbon-Rich Asteroidal Regolith Via H+ and He+ Irradiation of the Murchison Meteorite

We present results from a set of low and high flux 1 keV/amu H + and He + irradiation experiments performed on slabs of the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite. The low flux conditions for H + and He + irradiation were ~1-1.5 orders of magnitude lower than the high flux conditions, and each experiment was irradiated to a total fluence between ~3 × 10 16 to ~6 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 . Irradiation-induced changes in the surface chemistry and optical properties of the Murchison samples were evaluated using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIR). We characterized the microstructure and composition of ion damaged rims in focused ion beam (FIB) cross-sections extracted from olivine and matrix material in each irradiated Murchison slab using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XPS results suggest that both low flux and high flux H + and He + irradiation cause minor sputtering of surface carbon as well as a reduction in the valence state of iron, from Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ . Slope bluing is observed in VNIR spectra of the irradiated samples which may reflect carbonization and dehydrogenation of organic species and contrasts with reddening trends associated with npFe 0 formation. Although we do not observe a strong flux-dependence on the crystallinity of ion-damaged olivine, TEM analyses reveal a variety of microstructures in all olivine FIB-sections, suggesting that crystallographic orientation affects amorphization efficiency. Analyses of matrix FIB-sections indicate that phyllosilicate alteration is mainly driven by He+ irradiation, where the higher incident flux leads to greater amorphization and the formation of more distinct ion-damaged layers, similar to smooth layers in returned Ryugu particles. TEM results also provide some evidence that higher ion flux leads to greater vesiculation, with He + irradiation being more efficient at vesiculation than H + irradiation, and that higher ion flux may promote the segregation of Mg and Si into laterally extensive lenses and layers in olivine samples. We discuss the implications of these findings for constraining the role that ion flux plays in the development of space weathering characteristics in silicate phases present in carbonaceous asteroidal regoliths. These results will be important for understanding the complexity of this process and how it operates on carbon-rich airless bodies like asteroids Bennu and Ryugu.

meteorites↗

Chrome-free qandilite (Mg 2 TiO 4 ) refractory aggregates: Role of titania source and evaluation of thermal expansion coefficient

As used chrome-based refractories may contain toxic Cr 6+ , the chrome-free Mg 2 TiO 4 phase is being considered which is known to improve hot strength and resistance to thermal shock and slag corrosion. As in situ Mg 2 TiO 4 formation generates porosity, preformed aggregates are desirable. Dilatometric studies revealed that when dead burned magnesia is combined with industrial anatase instead of rutile, it expanded less (1% versus 7.2%) and the reaction occurred earlier (965°C compared to 1120°C). After sintering at 1,600°C, rutile produced an aggregate with 3.8% open porosity, whereas anatase led to 0 % porosity and a bulk density of 3.24g/cm 3 with a thermal expansion coefficient (70–1,600°C) of 13.5×10 -6 K -1 . Moreover, replacing rutile by anatase eliminates the undesirable MgTiO 3 phase. The anatase-based aggregate consisted of a Mg 2 TiO 4 matrix with residual unreacted MgO and an intergranular, refractory CaTiO 3 phase. In conclusion, the rutile-based aggregate was deemed unsuitable due to a low-melting microstructure of forsterite contiguous with CaTiO 3 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Impact of cobalt doping on structural and magnetic properties of zinc oxide nanocomposites synthesized by mechanical ball-milling method

A series of zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductor nanocomposite samples doped with different concentrations of cobalt (Co) were successfully synthesized via simple and highly effective mechanical ball-milling method using suitable precursors. All doped nanocomposites crystallized in hexagonal wurtzite formation of ZnO. No alteration in the wurtzite structure, with no evidence of any segregated secondary phase(s) was detected with increasing doping concentrations. This result unambiguously verified the substitution of Zn 2+ sites by Co 2+ ions in the ZnO host lattice for different doping concentrations. Moreover, room temperature ferromagnetic behavior was observed in all doped nanocomposite samples in the reported work. Present study clearly shows that mechanical ball-milling is a facile, inexpensive, eco-friendly method to synthesize crystalline and magnetic Co doped ZnO nanocomposites for next generation spin-based devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Link statistics of dislocation network during strain hardening

Dislocations are line defects in crystals that multiply and self-organize into a complex network during strain hardening. The length of dislocation links, connecting neighboring nodes within this network, contains crucial information about the evolving dislocation microstructure. By analyzing data from Discrete Dislocation Dynamics (DDD) simulations in face-centered cubic (fcc) Cu, we characterize the statistical distribution of link lengths of dislocation networks during strain hardening on individual slip systems. Here, our analysis reveals that link lengths on active slip systems follow a double-exponential distribution, while those on inactive slip systems conform to a single-exponential distribution. The distinctive long tail observed in the double-exponential distribution is attributed to the stress-induced bowing out of long links on active slip systems, a feature that disappears upon removal of the applied stress. We further demonstrate that both observed link length distributions can be explained by extending a one-dimensional Poisson process to include different growth functions. Specifically, the double-exponential distribution emerges when the growth rate for links exceeding a critical length becomes super-linear, which aligns with the physical phenomenon of long links bowing out under stress. This work advances our understanding of dislocation microstructure evolution during strain hardening and elucidates the underlying physical mechanisms governing its formation.

Crystal plasticity↗

Bayesian Learning of Adatom Interactions from Atomically Resolved Imaging Data

Atomic structures and adatom geometries of surfaces encode information about the thermodynamics and kinetics of the processes that lead to their formation, and which can be captured by a generative physical model. In this work, we develop a workflow based on a machine-learning-based analysis of scanning tunneling microscopy images to reconstruct the atomic and adatom positions, and a Bayesian optimization procedure to minimize statistical distance between the chosen physical models and experimental observations. We optimize the parameters of a 2- and 3-parameter Ising model describing surface ordering and use the derived generative model to make predictions across the parameter space. For concentration dependence, we compare the predicted morphologies at different adatom concentrations with the dissimilar regions on the sample surfaces that serendipitously had different adatom concentrations. The proposed workflow can be used to reconstruct the thermodynamic models and associated uncertainties from the experimental observations of materials microstructures. The code used in the manuscript is available at https://github.com/saimani5/Adatom_interactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electro-carburization of mild steel through two-step reaction in molten-salt electrolyte

The rapid carburization of mild steel is demonstrated via the electrochemical deposition of solid carbon, followed by thermochemical iron-carbon (Fe-C) reaction using a molten lithium-potassium carbonate (LiKCO 3 ) salt electrolyte and carbon dioxide as the carbon source. Depth-dependent microstructural and compositional changes in the steel are shown to be controlled by the applied cell voltage and reaction temperatures. Reaction temperatures above the Fe-C eutectoid temperature promote faster carburization due to carbon dissolution into austenite. The carbon deposition rate is regulated by the applied cell voltage: At - 2.4 V, carbon deposition occurs much faster than its diffusion into the steel, resulting in the accumulation of a carbon-rich layer exceeding 1 mm, which does not diffuse into the steel. In contrast, at - 1.8 V, all deposited carbon effectively diffuses into the steel, leaving a minimal external deposit. In both cases, carbon ingress forms a carbide-rich surface layer and precipitates additional carbides along the grain boundaries within the steel electrode. This method offers a potential approach to increase the carbon content of mild or low-carbon steel feedstocks, such as scrap or direct reduced iron, for industrial applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Investigating Space Weathering Effects on Carbonaceous Asteroids Using High-flux and Low-flux Ion Irradiation of the Murchison Meteorite

Airless planetary bodies are continuously altered by space weathering processes such as solar wind irradiation and micrometeoroid bombardment. These processes change the microstructural, chemical, and optical properties of planetary regoliths and, in turn, complicate interpretations of surface composition from remote sensing data. Previous space weathering investigations have focused primarily on lunar and ordinary chondrite materials, the latter of which have been directly linked to S-type asteroids [1]. However, relatively little is known about space weathering of primitive carbonaceous chondrites, which contain a combination of hydrous silicate and organic phases and are hypothesized to be fragments of C-complex asteroids [2]. To address this knowledge gap and maximize the science return of missions targeting C-complex asteroids (e.g., NASA OSIRIS-REx targeting Bennu and JAXA Hayabusa2 targeting Ryugu)[3-4], we examine the spectral, microstructural, and chemical effects of simulated solar wind weathering on a carbonaceous asteroid analog material. Here, we present the results from coordinated analyses of Murchison (CM2) meteorite slabs irradiated with 1 keV/amu H+ and He+ ions.

space weathering↗

Entropy-Driven Charge Separation: A Potential Explanation for the Low Energy Loss Found in OPVs with Non-fullerene Acceptors

The recent development of non-fullerene acceptors (NFA) has led to an abrupt increase in the organic photovoltaic (OPV) efficiency from ~12% to ~20%. NFA OPVs can generate photocurrent efficiently without much energy loss, which contrasts with the large energy loss often needed for generating free charges from excitons in fullerene OPVs. Here, we argue that entropy-driven charge separation, which allows excitons to spontaneously gain heat from the environment, is responsible for the exceptionally low energy loss found in NFA OPVs. The entropic driving force is maximized when the delocalized electron and hole wave functions in the CT exciton intersect each other via pointlike junctions. Furthermore, these pointlike junctions are abundant in the polymer/NFA bulk heterojunction which consists of intertwined, stringlike donor and acceptor domains in which electron delocalizes anisotropically. Such microstructure favors entropy-driven charge separation, which can enable charge separation with a minimal energy loss.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dislocation cross-slip in precipitation hardened Mg–Nd alloys

An integrated experimental characterization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach was used to explore the dislocation-precipitate interactions in a dilute Magnesium–Neodymium (Mg–Nd) precipitation hardened alloy. In situ indentation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and postmortem TEM characterization of deformed samples and MD simulations revealed that basal < a > type dislocations interacted differently with β 1 (Mg 3 Nd) and β"(Mg 3-7 Nd) precipitates. For β" precipitates, the basal dislocations directly shear the precipitates. For β 1 precipitates, such shearing becomes much more difficult because it requires the creation of antiphase boundaries in the ordered lattice of β 1 precipitates. Screw dislocations were observed to cross-slip from basal to the prismatic plane, which could be parallel to the broad facet of β 1 precipitates. It is postulated that double cross-slip (basal to prismatic to basal) via the Hirsch mechanism may enable screw dislocations to overcome the β 1 precipitates. MD simulations also revealed that an edge dislocation is unable to bypass the precipitate via the generation of screw dislocation segments plus the double cross-slip mechanism. The edge dislocation can bow around the precipitate, and the segment that adopts a screw character can cross-slip to the prismatic plane but with increasing applied stress, cross-slips back to the original basal plane to continue glide via precipitate shearing. Finally, the implication of glide dislocation - β 1 -precipitate interaction mechanisms on the strength and ductility of β 1 precipitate dominant microstructures is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗