Analysis of electron-ion mixing in ion engines Final report, 30 Apr. 1964 - 30 Jun. 1965
Computer program for analysis of electron-ion mixing in ion engine
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Computer program for analysis of electron-ion mixing in ion engine
Oxygen non-stoichiometry is a fundamental feature of mixed ion and electron conductors (MIECs). In this work a general electrochemical method for determining non-stoichiometry in thin film MIECs, via measurement of the chemical capacitance, is demonstrated using ceria and ceria-zirconia (Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 2-δ ) as representative materials. A.C. impedance data are collected from both materials at high temperature (750-900 °C) under reducing conditions with oxygen partial pressure (pO 2 ) in the range 10-13 to 10-20 atm. Additional measurements of ceria-zirconia films are made under relatively oxidizing conditions with pO 2 in the range 0.2 to 10 -4 atm and temperatures of 800-900 °C. Under reducing conditions, the impedance spectra are described by a simple circuit in which a resistor is in series with a resistor and capacitor in parallel, and thickness dependent measurements are used to resolve the capacitance into interfacial and chemical terms. Under more oxidizing conditions, the impedance spectra (of Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 2-δ ) reveal an additional diffusional feature, which enables determination of the ionic resistance of the film in addition to the capacitance, and hence the transport properties. A generalized mathematical formalism is presented for recovering the non-stoichiometry from the chemical capacitance, without recourse to defect chemical models. The ceria non-stoichiometry values are in good agreement with literature values determined by thermogravimetric measurements but display considerably less scatter and are collected on considerably shorter timescales. Here, the thermodynamic analysis of Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 2-δ corroborates earlier findings that introduction of Zr into ceria enhances its reducibility.
Recent experimental studies of the ion-mixing phenomenon are summarized. Ion mixing is differentiated from ion implantation and shown to be a useful technique for overcoming the sputter-dependent limitations of implantation processes. The fundamental physical principles of ion/solid interactions are explored. The basic experimental configurations currently in use are characterized: bilayered samples, multilayered samples, and samples with a thin marker layer. A table listing the binary systems (metal-semiconductor or metal-metal) which have been investigated using each configuration is presented. Results are discussed, and some sample data are plotted. The prospects for future application of ion mixing to the alteration of solid surface properties are considered. Practical applications are seen as restricted by economic considerations to the production of small, expensive components or to fields (such as the semiconductor industry) which already have facilities for ion implantation.
The formation of CrSi2 by ion mixing was studied as a function of temperature, silicide thickness and irradiated interface. Samples were prepared by annealing evaporated couples of Cr on Si and Si on Cr at 450 C for short times to form Si/CrSi2/Cr sandwiches. Xenon beams with energies up to 300 keV and fluences up to 8 x 10 to the 15th per sq cm were used for mixing at temperatures between 20 and 300 C. Penetrating only the Cr/CrSi2 interface at temperatures above 150 C induces further growth of the silicide as a uniform stoichiometric layer. The growth rate does not depend on the thickness of the initially formed silicide at least up to a thickness of 150 nm. The amount of growth depends linearly on the density of energy deposited at the interface. The growth is temperature dependent with an apparent activation energy of 0.2 eV. Irradiating only through the Si/CrSi2 interface does not induce silicide growth. It is concluded that the formation of CrSi2 by ion beam mixing is an interface-limited process and that the limiting reaction occurs at the Cr/CrSi2 interface.
Anomalously fast ion mixing is observed in a hybrid code simulation (particle ions and a massless electron fluid) of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a collisionless plasma. While the traditional view predicts that the ion mixing occurs on a time scale longer than the roll-up time T(v) of the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex by a factor of (velocity shear scale length)/(ion Larmor radius), the simulation results show that the mixing occurs within a time scale comparable to T(v). It is shown that this fast mixing is due to the scattering of ions by unsteady electromagnetic fields.
A rule is formulated which establishes a sufficient condition that an amorphous binary alloy will be formed by ion mixing of multilayered samples when the two constituent metals are of different crystalline structure, regardless of their atomic sizes and electronegativities. The rule is supported by the experimental results obtained on six selected binary metal systems, as well as by the previous data reported in the literature. The amorphization mechanism is discussed in terms of the competition between two different structures resulting in frustration of the crystallization process.
Measurements of sputtering yields and composition profiles have been carried out using backscattering spectrometry for samples of CrSi2 on Si irradiated wth 200-keV Xe ions. When the CrSi2 layer is thinner than the ion range, the sputtering yield ratio of Si to Cr increases from 3.5 for room-temperature irradiation to 65 at 290 C. For a thick sample, the corresponding increase is from 2.4 to 4.0 only. These changes are explained in terms of a rise in the Si surface concentration ot 290 C. The driving force for this process seems to be the establishment of stoichiometric CrSi2 compound. Transport of Si to the surface is by ion mixing in the thin sample and thermal diffusion through the thick layer.
Conjugated polymers have promising applications in electronics and energy storage due to the polymer's tunable conductivity and redox activity. For example, the conductivity of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is heavily dependent upon the doping level and the dopant type. This feature becomes especially important when considering P3HT or similar conjugated polymers for devices that require switching between electronic states (conductive vs. insulating). In this study, the mechanism of mixed ion-electron transfer studied using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (EQCM-D) is discussed. During cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge experiments, the mass change of a P3HT film is monitored in real time. Distinct mass transfer regions are quantified as a function of doping level and potential, which are then correlated to changes with in situ conductance and spectroelectrochemical response. To identify the time scale at which the doping reaction transitions from kinetic to diffusion control, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is coupled with EQCM-D. Finally, this work gives valuable insight into the nature of mixed ion–electron transfer, including its time scale, as it relates to the electronic properties of P3HT.
We discuss how typical design strategies for mixed ion-electron conduction in polymers have focused on overall ionic conductivity, without specificity for anion vs. cation conduction. Here, we demonstrate that side chain chemistry can be used to control Li+ conductivity in semiconducting polymers. This design principle is significant for applications which require Li+ specific transport, such as Li-ion batteries. We show that a polythiophene functionalized with an ionic liquid side chain demonstrates higher conductivity and lithium transference than a more commonly studied ether-functionalized P3AT derivative. Poly(3-(6’-(N-methylimidazolium) hexyl)thiophene TFSI–) (P3HT-Im+TFSI–) can solvate and conduct ions up to salt concentrations of r=1.0 (where r = [moles of salt]/[moles of monomer]) while achieving ionic conductivity of ≈10–3 S/cm at 80°C, and a lithium transference number of 0.36. On the other hand, poly(3¬-(methoxyethoxyethoxymethyl) thiophene) (P3MEEMT) shows a peak conductivity of ≈10–5 S/cm at r=0.05 and 80°C, with near zero lithium transport. This work shows that multiple high dielectric moieties can be used to drive ion conduction in semiconducting polymers, but diffuse, cationic side chains such as imidazolium are preferred for Li-ion conduction.
The linear stability properties of collisionless drift instabilities are analyzed in a Harris equilibrium model of the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL). The strearmng ions with drift-type instabilities driven in the PSBL are considered. The fluid approximation leads to growth but predicts that the mode width approaches the gyroradius of the energetic ions. Thus an integral equation theory for the modes is developed taking into account that in the PSBL the curvature drift is weak compared with the grad-B drift. The exact wave particle resonance is kept in the nonlocal response functions. Plasma density, temperature, and magnetic gradient drift motions are taken into account. The drift modes produce an anomalous cross-field momentum transport mixing the PSBL ions on the time scale of tens of seconds. A nonlinear simulation is performed which shows the coalescence of the small scale, fast growing modes into large-scale vortices. The relation between these collective modes and plasma sheet transport phenomena is discussed including the comparison with the competing plasma mixing from single-particle stochasticity.
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The mixing of Ti, Cr, and Ni thin films with SiO2 by low-temperature (- 196-25 C) irradiation with 290 keV Xe has been investigated. Comparison of the morphology of the intermixed region and the dose dependences of net metal transport into SiO2 reveals that long range motion and phase formation probably occur as separate and sequential processes. Kinetic limitations suppress chemical effects in these systems during the initial transport process. Chemical interactions influence the subsequent phase formation.
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Ionic liquids (ILs) are attractive media for CO 2 capture but remain limited by viscosity and cost. Blending ILs with ethylene glycol (EG) is a practical route to mitigate these constraints, yet the molecular origins of cosolvent effects and their dependence on composition are not well resolved. We combine Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy with quantum-chemical (DFT) analysis to elucidate how the IL:EG molar ratio modulates intermolecular interactions and electronic structure. Computed vibrational frequencies enable mode assignment and deconvolution of overlapping bands, revealing systematic, ratio-dependent shifts and broadenings in (i) EG O–H stretching, (ii) cation and EG C–H stretchings (imidazolium C2–H, C4–H, C5–H, methyl and ethyl groups, -CH2 of EG), (iii) anion signature modes (e.g., CN motifs), and (iv) EG C–O and C–C stretchings, consistent with the redistribution of hydrogen-bonding networks. Molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) maps quantify attenuation of extreme potential regions with increasing EG, indicating progressive screening of cation–anion electrostatic interactions. Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) identifies emergent bond critical points between EG and the IL ions, while Reduced Density Gradient–Noncovalent Interaction (RDG–NCI) analysis differentiates strong directional hydrogen bonds from dispersive contacts across compositions. Together, these results show that EG fraction controls a switch from predominantly ion–ion to mixed ion–EG coordination, altering local polarity and polarizability that underlie the observed FT-IR trends. The framework provides composition–structure–spectrum relationships that can guide rational selection of IL:EG ratios to balance favorable molecular interactions with practical performance targets in scalable CO 2 capture systems.
The removal of toxic heavy metal ions from water resources is crucial for environmental protection and public health. In this study, we address this challenge by developing a surface functionalization technique for the selective adsorption of these contaminants. Our approach involves atomic layer deposition (ALD) followed by vapor-phase silanization of porous substrates. We utilized porous silica gel powder (similar to 100 mu m particles, 89 m 2 /g surface area, similar to 30 nm pores) as an initial substrate. This powder was first coated with similar to 0.5 nm ALD Al 2 O 3 , followed by vapor-phase grafting of a thiol-functional silane. The modified powder, particularly in acidic conditions (pH = 4), showed high selectivity in adsorbing Cd(II), As(V), Pb(II), Hg(II), and Cu(II) heavy metal ions in mixed ion solutions over common benign ions (e.g., Na, K, Ca, and Mg). Langmuir adsorption isotherms and breakthrough adsorption studies were conducted to assess heavy metal binding affinity and revealed the order of Cd(II) < Pb(II) < Cu(II) < As(V) < Hg(II), with a significantly higher affinity for As(V) and Hg(II) ions. Time-dependent uptake studies demonstrated rapid removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous environments, with Hg(II) exhibiting the fastest adsorption kinetics on thiol-modified surfaces. Finally, these findings highlight the potential of ALD and vapor-phase silanization to create effective adsorbents for the targeted removal of hazardous contaminants from water.
Energetic ions present in the diverse plasma conditions in space play a significant role in the formation and modification of solid phases found in environments ranging from the interstellar medium (ISM) to the surfaces of airless bodies such as asteroids and the Moon. These effects are often referred to as space radiation processing, a term that encompasses changes induced in natural space-exposed materials that may be only structural, such as in radiation-induced amorphization, or may involve ion-induced nanoscale to microscale chemical changes, as occurs in preferential sputtering and ion-beam mixing. Ion sputtering in general may also be responsible for partial or complete erosion of space exposed materials, in some instances possibly bringing about the complete destruction of free-floating solid grains in the ISM or in circumstellar nebular dust clouds. We report here on two examples of the application of high-resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to problems in space radiation processing. The first problem concerns the role of space radiation processing in controlling the overall fate of Fe sulfides as hosts for sulfur in the ISM. The second problem concerns the known, but as yet poorly quantified, role of space radiation processing in lunar space weathering.
Amorphous sulfides are among the most promising candidates for solid electrolytes (SEs) owing to their excellent deformability and acceptable Li-ion conductivity (σion) at room temperature. However, the complex atomic structure of these amorphous materials without long-range ordering results in a lack of structural understanding and difficulties in tuning material properties. Here, in this study, we performed structural mapping of glassy sulfide SEs composed of various anion clusters using a combinatorial atomic level analysis of synchrotron X-ray-based pair distribution function (PDF) and reverse Monte-Carlo (RMC) methods, demonstrating the potential to tune σ ion in glass SEs. First, we prepared a new glassy sulfide with a mixed anion framework of two halogens (Br and I) as atomic anions, with PS 4 3- molecular anions in a Li 2 S–P 2 S 5 -based glass SE. At a specific Br content, [(Li 2 S) 0.658 (LiI 0.9 LiBr 0.1 ) 0.342 ] 0.825 [P 2 S 5 ] 0.175 recorded a σ ion of 2.27 mS cm -1 , the highest value for any glass sulfides reported to date; however, its elastic modulus was still suppressed to 14.48 GPa. PDF and RMC calculations successfully provided structural mapping of anion clusters, including two halogens. Molecular dynamics simulations of each composition confirmed that flexible coordination caused by the rattling of small polarizable Br ions in the mixed halogens of glassy SEs contributed to the superior σ ion . Our results may provide new insights into the design of superior glassy SEs that play key roles in all-solid-state batteries requiring fast Li-ion conduction and high deformability.