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Results for “Structural stability”

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 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Lower Length Scale Characterization and Validation of Formation and Stability of Helium Bubbles in Nano-structured Ferritic Alloys under Irradiation

In order to extend the operating license of current light water reactors (LWRs) in the United States and other countries to as many as 80 years or longer, it is demanding to identify potential materials for many of the internal structural components and fasteners. We proposed that 14YWT iron alloy can be adopted in such applications with its excellent material properties, such as high-temperature strength, low creep rate, and high irradiation resistance. Application with 14YWT would improve the void/helium swelling characteristics of the LWR fuels, extend the burn-up limits with the tolerant temperature up to 800oC and reduce the hydrogen production. One key feature of 14YWT material property enhancement is the ultrafine high density of 2-4nm Y-Ti-O enriched nanoclusters (NCs) within the 14YWT iron matrix. The NCs can effectively pin the ultra-fine grain boundaries and dislocations, which significantly enhance mechanical properties of the alloy. Moreover, these nanoclusters remain stable with no coarsening after a large dose of ion irradiation. After ion irradiation, the helium bubbles are observed extremely uniform in size (1nm) and quite homogeneously distributed within the 14YWT matrix, which indicates that the microstructure of 14YWT remains remarkably tolerance to radiation damage. However, there is a lack of understanding of 14YWT both theoretically and experimentally in order to understand the mechanism behind the material property enhancement and to further develop and design a new generation of advanced structural material for current LWR applications and future fusion applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1989

The effects of stabilizing and destabilizing longitudinal curvature on the structure of turbulent, two-stream mixing layers

The construction and development of the multi-component traversing system and associated control hardware and software are presented. A hydrogen bubble/laser sheet flow visualization technique was developed to visually study the characteristics of the mixing layers. With this technique large-scale rollers arising from the Taylor-Gortler instability and its interaction with the primary Kelvin-Helmholtz structures can be studied.

Plesniak, Michael W.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Functional in vitro diversity of an intrinsically disordered plant protein during freeze–thawing is encoded by its structural plasticity

Intrinsically disordered late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play a central role in the tolerance of plants and other organisms to dehydration brought upon, for example, by freezing temperatures, high salt concentration, drought or desiccation, and many LEA proteins have been found to stabilize dehydration-sensitive cellular structures. Their conformational ensembles are highly sensitive to the environment, allowing them to undergo conformational changes and adopt ordered secondary and quaternary structures and to participate in formation of membraneless organelles. In an interdisciplinary approach, we discovered how the functional diversity of the Arabidopsis thaliana LEA protein COR15A found in vitro is encoded in its structural repertoire, with the stabilization of membranes being achieved at the level of secondary structure and the stabilization of enzymes accomplished by the formation of oligomeric complexes. We provide molecular details on intra- and inter-monomeric helix–helix interactions, demonstrate how oligomerization is driven by an α-helical molecular recognition feature (α-MoRF) and provide a rationale that the formation of noncanonical, loosely packed, right-handed coiled-coils might be a recurring theme for homo- and hetero-oligomerization of LEA proteins.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Stabilization of Lithium Transition Metal Silicates in the Olivine Structure

While olivine LiFePO 4 shows amongst the best electrochemical properties of Li-ion positive electrodes with respect to rate behavior owing to facile Li + migration pathways in the framework, replacing the [PO 4 ] 3- polyanion with a silicate [SO 4 ] 4- moitie in olivine is desirable. This would allow additional balancing alkali content and hence electron transfer, and increase the capacity. We demonstrate the first stabilization of a lithium transition-metal silicate (as a pure silicate) in the olivine structure type. Using LiInSiO 4 and LiScSiO 4 as the parent materials, transition metal (Mn, Fe, Co) substitutions on the In/Sc site were investigated by computational modelling via atomic scale simulation. Transition metal substitution was found to be only favourable for Co, a finding confirmed by the successful solid state synthesis of olivine LixInyCo 2-x-y SiO 4 . Finally, the stabilization of the structure was achieved by entropy provided by cation disorder.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chemical interactions that govern the structures of metals

Most metals adopt simple structures such as body-centered cubic (BCC), face-centered cubic (FCC), and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structures in specific groupings across the periodic table, and many undergo transitions to surprisingly complex structures on compression, not expected from conventional free-electron-based theories of metals. First-principles calculations have been able to reproduce many observed structures and transitions, but a unified, predictive theory that underlies this behavior is not yet in hand. Discovered by analyzing the electronic properties of metals in various lattices over a broad range of sizes and geometries, a remarkably simple theory shows that the stability of metal structures is governed by electrons occupying local interstitial orbitals and their strong chemical interactions. The theory provides a basis for understanding and predicting structures in solid compounds and alloys over a broad range of conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chaperone-tip adhesin complex is vital for synergistic activation of CFA/I fimbriae biogenesis

Colonization factor CFA/I defines the major adhesive fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and mediates bacterial attachment to host intestinal epithelial cells. The CFA/I fimbria consists of a tip-localized minor adhesive subunit, CfaE, and thousands of copies of the major subunit CfaB polymerized into an ordered helical rod. Biosynthesis of CFA/I fimbriae requires the assistance of the periplasmic chaperone CfaA and outer membrane usher CfaC. Although the CfaE subunit is proposed to initiate the assembly of CFA/I fimbriae, how it performs this function remains elusive. Here, we report the establishment of an in vitro assay for CFA/I fimbria assembly and show that stabilized CfaA-CfaB and CfaA-CfaE binary complexes together with CfaC are sufficient to drive fimbria formation. The presence of both CfaA-CfaE and CfaC accelerates fimbria formation, while the absence of either component leads to linearized CfaB polymers in vitro. We further report the crystal structure of the stabilized CfaA-CfaE complex, revealing features unique for biogenesis of Class 5 fimbriae.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatiotemporal Control over Polynucleotide Brush Growth on DNA Origami Nanostructures

Abstract DNA nanotechnology provides an approach to create precise, tunable, and biocompatible nanostructures for biomedical applications. However, the stability of these structures is severely compromised in biological milieu due to their fast degradation by nucleases. Recently, we showed how enzymatic polymerization could be harnessed to grow polynucleotide brushes of tunable length and location on the surface of DNA origami nanostructures, which greatly enhances their nuclease stability. Here, we report on strategies that allow for both spatial and temporal control over polymerization through activatable initiation, cleavage, and regeneration of polynucleotide brushes using restriction enzymes. The ability to site‐specifically decorate DNA origami nanostructures with polynucleotide brushes in a spatiotemporally controlled way provides access to “smart” functionalized DNA architectures with potential applications in drug delivery and supramolecular assembly.

Yang, Yunqi↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatiotemporal Control over Polynucleotide Brush Growth on DNA Origami Nanostructures

DNA nanotechnology provides an approach to create precise, tunable, and biocompatible nanostructures for biomedical applications. However, the stability of these structures is severely compromised in biological milieu due to their fast degradation by nucleases. Recently, we showed how enzymatic polymerization could be harnessed to grow polynucleotide brushes of tunable length and location on the surface of DNA origami nanostructures, which greatly enhances their nuclease stability. Here, in this study, we report on strategies that allow for both spatial and temporal control over polymerization through activatable initiation, cleavage, and regeneration of polynucleotide brushes using restriction enzymes. The ability to site‐specifically decorate DNA origami nanostructures with polynucleotide brushes in a spatiotemporally controlled way provides access to “smart” functionalized DNA architectures with potential applications in drug delivery and supramolecular assembly.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning the critical Li intercalation concentrations for MoX 2 (X = S, Se, or Te) bilayer phase transitions

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), such as MoS 2 , are known to undergo a structural phase transformation as well as a change in the electronic conductivity upon Li intercalation. These properties make them candidates for charge-tunable ion-insertion materials that could be used in electro-chemical devices. In this work we study the phase stability and electronic structure of H and T’ Li-intercalated MoX 2 bilayers with X=S, Se, or Te. Here, using first-principles calculations in combination with classical and machine learning modeling approaches, we find that the H phase is more stable at low Li concentration for all X, and the critical Li concentration at which the T’→H transition occurs decreases with increasing mass of X. Furthermore the relative free energy of the two phases becomes less sensitive to Li insertion with increasing atomic mass of the chalcogen atom X. While the electronic conductivity increases with increasing ion concentration at low concentrations, we do not observe a (positive) conductivity jump at the phase transition from H to T’.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chemical and structural origin of hole states in yttria-stabilized zirconia

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has important electrochemical applications as a fast oxygen ion conductor and is the state-of-the-art electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel/electrolyzer cells. While much attention has been paid to the fast oxygen ion conduction, the electronic conductivity and especially hole carriers are not well understood, yet essential for the electrochemical stability, conduction kinetics and microstructural evolution in YSZ. The present work uses first-principles calculations to illustrate the chemical nature and local structural features of hole states in oxidized YSZ. Three types of hole states have been identified, including delocalized hole states on normal oxygen ions, localized hole states on special oxygen ions with extreme local structures, and peroxide-like groups. In conclusion, the implications on various experimental observations are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Boosting Superior Lithium Storage Performance of Alloy-Based Anode Materials via Ultraconformal Sb Coating–Derived Favorable Solid-Electrolyte Interphase

Alloy materials such as Si and Ge are attractive as high-capacity anodes for rechargeable batteries, but such anodes undergo severe capacity degradation during discharge-charge processes. Compared to the over-emphasized efforts on the electrode structure design to mitigate the volume changes, understanding and engineering of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) are significantly lacking. This work demonstrates that modifying the surface of alloy-based anode materials by building an ultraconformal layer of Sb can significantly enhance their structural and interfacial stability during cycling. Combined experimental and theoretical studies consistently reveal that the ultraconformal Sb layer is dynamically converted to Li 3 Sb during cycling, which can selectively adsorb and catalytically decompose electrolyte additives to form a robust, thin, and dense LiF-dominated SEI, and simultaneously restrain the decomposition of electrolyte solvents. Hence, the Sb-coated porous Ge electrode delivers much higher initial Coulombic efficiency of 85% and higher reversible capacity of 1046 mAh g -1 after 200 cycles at 500 mA g -1 , compared to only 72% and 170 mAh g -1 for bare porous Ge. The present finding has indicated that tailoring surface structures of electrode materials is an appealing approach to construct a robust SEI and achieve long-term cycling stability for alloy-based anode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Low temperature stabilization process for production of carbon fiber having structural order

A method for producing a carbon fiber, the method comprising: (i) subjecting a continuous carbon fiber precursor having a polymeric matrix in which strength-enhancing particles are incorporated to a stabilization process during which the carbon fiber precursor is heated to within a temperature range ranging from the glass transition temperature to no less than 20.degree. C. below the glass transition temperature of the polymeric matrix, wherein the maximum temperature employed in the stabilization process is below 400.degree. C., for a processing time within said temperature range of at least 1 hour in the presence of oxygen and in the presence of a magnetic field of at least 1 Tesla, while said carbon fiber precursor is held under an applied axial tension; and (ii) subjecting the stabilized carbon fiber precursor, following step (i), to a carbonization process. The stabilized carbon fiber precursor, resulting carbon fiber, and articles made thereof are also described.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Non-proteinaceous hydrolase comprised of a phenylalanine metallo-supramolecular amyloid-like structure

Enzymatic activity is crucial for various technological applications, yet the complex structures and limited stability of enzymes often hinder their use. Hence, de novo design of robust biocatalysts that are much simpler than their natural counterparts and possess enhanced catalytic activity has long been a goal in biotechnology. Here, we present evidence for the ability of a single amino acid to self-assemble into a potent and stable catalytic structural entity. Spontaneously, phenylalanine (F) molecules coordinate with zinc ions to form a robust, layered, supramolecular amyloid-like ordered architecture (F–Zn(ii)) and exhibit remarkable carbonic anhydrase-like catalytic activity. Furthermore, amongst the reported artificial biomolecular hydrolases, F–Zn(ii) displays the lowest molecular mass and highest catalytic efficiency, in addition to reusability, thermal stability, substrate specificity, stereoselectivity and rapid catalytic CO 2 hydration ability. Thus, this report provides a rational path towards future de novo design of minimalistic biocatalysts for biotechnological and industrial applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1991

In-space technology flight experiments: Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) and Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE)

The topics addressed are covered in viewgraph form. The objective of the Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) programs is to study gravity dependent nonlinearities associated with fluid slosh and truss structure dynamics. MODE provides a reusable facility for on-orbit dynamics testing of small scale test articles in the shirt sleeve environment on the Shuttle middeck. Flight program objective of Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE) is to study gravity effects on the performance and stability of controlled structures.

Venneri, Samuel L.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Realization of ordered magnetic skyrmions in thin films at ambient conditions

Magnetic skyrmions have captivated physicists due to their topological nature and novel physical properties. In addition, skyrmions hold significant promise for future information technologies. A key barrier to realizing skyrmion-based devices has been stabilizing these spin structures under ambient conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate that the tunable magnetic properties of amorphous Fe/Gd mulitlayers enable the formation of skyrmion lattices which are stable over a large temperature and magnetic field parameter space, including room temperature and zero magnetic field. These skyrmions, having a hybrid nature displaying both Bloch-type and Néel-type characteristics, are stabilized by dipolar interactions rather than Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, typically considered a requirement for the generation of skyrmions. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used in combination with soft x-ray microscopy to provide a unique, multiscale probe of the local and long-range order of these structures. The hexagonal lattice seen in SANS results from the hybrid skyrmion picture obtained with micromagnetic simulations. Furthermore, these results identify a pathway to engineer controllable skyrmion phases in thin film geometries which are stable at ambient conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗