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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Interpreting the Operando XANES of Surface-Supported Subnanometer Clusters: When Fluxionality, Oxidation State, and Size Effect Fight.

X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is widely used for operando catalyst characterization. We show that, for highly fluxional supported nanoclusters, the customary extraction of the oxidation state of the metal from the XANES data by fitting to the bulk standards is highly questionable. The XANES signatures as well as the apparent oxidation state for such clusters arise from a complex combination of many factors, and not only from the chemical composition in reaction conditions (e.g., oxygen content in oxidizing atmosphere). The thermally accessible isomerization and population of several structurally distinct cluster forms, cluster-support interaction, and intrinsic size effects all impact the metal oxidation state and XANES signal. We demonstrate this on copper oxide clusters with different compositions, Cu4Ox(x = 2-5) and Cu5Oy (y = 3, 5), deposited on amorphous alumina and ultrananocrystalline diamond, for which we computed the XANES spectra and compare the results to the experiment. We show in addition that fitting the experimental spectrum to calculated spectra of supported clusters can, in contrast, provide good agreement and insight into the spectrum-composition-structure relation. Experimental XANES interpreted using the proposed fitting scheme shows the partial reduction of Cu oxide clusters at rising temperatures, and pinpoints the specific stoichiometries that dominate in the ensemble of cluster states as the temperature changes.

Zandkarimi, Borna↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evolution of Chain Dynamics and Oxidation States with Increasing Chain Length for a Donor–Acceptor-Conjugated Oligomer Series

While it is known that the chain length strongly affects the properties of π-conjugated polymers, the effects of chain length on the molecular structure, chain conformation, and oxidation state properties in donor–acceptor-type conjugated structures remain unclear. This limits our understanding of how the polymer molecular weight impacts material properties. Here, a discrete and monodisperse oligomer series (n = 3, 5, 7, 9, 15, and 21) and polymers (nPB), composed of the donor 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT), the acceptor benzothiadiazole (BTD), and methylthio end-capping groups, are synthesized by C–H-activated cross-coupling. The molecular structure, molecular weight, and dispersity of each oligomer/polymer are thoroughly characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and gel permeation chromatography. This series reveals a rod-to-coil transition at n = 15 and coil formation at polymer length scales of ~28 units via solution small-angle neutron scattering characterization. The oxidation states are deciphered via cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry, and density functional theory calculations. Oligomers 3–9 undergo successive one-electron oxidation steps, while 15 and higher undergo multielectron oxidations per step in CH 2 Cl 2 –TBAPF6 at a Pt ultramicroelectrode. The electronic transition of each oxidation state (1+, 2+, 3+, etc.) is tracked by absorption spectroscopy, revealing a “bipolaron to di-polaron” transition at n = 7 at which shorter oligomers prefer bipolaron formation and longer oligomers prefer di-polaron formation in their dication states. Furthermore, oxidized 15 has a lower electronic transition energy compared to its polymer homologue, as shown by spectroelectrochemistry, revealing a synergy between the chain length and the oxidation state properties. This study proves that the convergence limit between small molecule and polymer behavior occurs at approximately 15 units and highlights the property transitions that occur as a function of chain length for a donor–acceptor class of conjugated organic materials.

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

Surface Analysis Insight Note: Observations relating to photoemission peak shapes, oxidation state, and chemistry of titanium oxide films

It is common practice to describe the coordination of metal atoms in a binding configuration with their nearest neighbors in terms of oxidation state, a measure by which the number of electrons redistributed between atoms forming chemical bonds. In XPS terms, change to an oxidation state is commonly inferred by correlating photoemission signal with binding energy. The assumption, when classifying photoemission signals into distinct spectral shapes, is that a distribution of intensities shifted to lower binding energy is evidence of a reduction in oxidation state. In this Insight note, we raise the prospect that changes in photoemission peak shape may occur without obvious changes, determined by XPS in stoichiometry for a material. It is well known that TiO 2 measured by XPS yields reproducible Ti 2p photoemission peaks. However, on exposing TiO 2 to ion beams, Ti 2p photoemission evolves to complex distributions in intensity, which are particularly difficult to analyze by traditional fitting of bell-shaped curves to these data. For these reasons, in this Insight note, a thin film of TiO 2 deposited on a silicon substrate is chosen for analysis by XPS and linear algebraic techniques. Alterations in spectral shapes created from modified TiO 2 , which might be interpreted as the change in oxidation state, are assessed in terms of relative proportions of titanium to oxygen. It is found through detailed analysis of spectra that quantification by XPS, using procedures routinely used in practice, is not in accord with the typical interpretations of photoemission shapes. The data processing methods used and results presented in this work are of particular relevance to elucidating fundamental phenomena governing the surface evolution of materials-enabled energy processes where cyclic/non-steady usage changes the nature of bonding, especially in the presence of contaminants.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing Acidic Oxygen Evolution Activity by Controlling Oxidation State of Iridium

Iridium oxides with high oxidation states have been reported to be effective in enhancing the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. Herein, we develop ultrasmall IrO x nanoparticles (NPs) over titanium nitride (TiN), which undergoes surface oxidation under oxidative conditions to form oxygen-modified TiN (oxi-TiN), enabling the formation of highly oxidized Ir δ+ (δ > 4). This IrO x /oxi-TiN catalyst delivers higher Ir mass activity than commercial IrO 2 , while comparable stability is maintained. The superior OER activity of IrO x /oxi-TiN is further demonstrated in a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE), requiring only 1.88 V to reach 3 A cm −2 , achieving the U.S. Department of Energy 2025 target (1.90 V at 3 A cm −2 ). In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirms that the superior OER activity of IrO x /oxi-TiN originates from highly oxidized Ir δ+ under OER conditions. Further, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a general correlation between the oxidation state of Ir and OER overpotential. Specifically, the introduction of interfacial oxygen at the Ir/TiN interface increases the oxidation state of deposited Ir δ+ from δ < 4 to δ > 4, decreasing the OER overpotential. This study highlights the critical role of high oxidation states of Ir δ+ in enhancing OER activity, providing guidance for the development of advanced acidic OER catalysts.

In situ measurements↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing Acidic Oxygen Evolution Activity by Controlling Oxidation State of Iridium

Iridium oxides with high oxidation states have been reported to be effective in enhancing the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. In this work, we develop ultrasmall IrO x nanoparticles (NPs) over titanium nitride (TiN), which undergoes surface oxidation under oxidative conditions to form oxygen‐modified TiN (oxi‐TiN), enabling the formation of highly oxidized Ir δ+ (δ > 4). This IrO x /oxi‐TiN catalyst delivers higher Ir mass activity than commercial IrO 2 , while comparable stability is maintained. The superior OER activity of IrO x /oxi‐TiN is further demonstrated in a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE), requiring only 1.88 V to reach 3 A cm −2 , achieving the U.S. Department of Energy 2025 target (1.90 V at 3 A cm −2 ). In situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirms that the superior OER activity of IrO x /oxi‐TiN originates from highly oxidized Ir δ+ under OER conditions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a general correlation between the oxidation state of Ir and OER overpotential. Specifically, the introduction of interfacial oxygen at the Ir/TiN interface increases the oxidation state of deposited Ir δ+ from δ < 4 to δ > 4, decreasing the OER overpotential. This study highlights the critical role of high oxidation states of Ir δ+ in enhancing OER activity, providing guidance for the development of advanced acidic OER catalysts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1993

Microanalysis of iron oxidation state in iron oxides using X Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES)

An exploratory application of x ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis using the synchrotron x ray microprobe was undertaken to obtain Fe XANES spectra on individual sub-millimeter grains in conventional polished sections. The experiments concentrated on determinations of Fe valence in a suite of iron oxide minerals for which independent estimates of the iron speciation could be made by electron microprobe analysis and x ray diffraction.

Sutton, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Oxidation State of Nakhlites as inferred from Fe-Ti oxide Equilibria and Augite/Melt Europium Partitioning

Recent studies have shown that Martian magmas had wide range of oxygen fugacities (fO2) and that this variation is correlated with the variation of La/Yb ratio and isotopic characteristics of the Martian basalts, shergottite meteorites. The origin of this correlation must have important information about mantle sources and Martian evolution. In order to understand this correlation, it is necessary to know accurate value of oxidation state of other Martian meteorite groups. Nakhlites, cumulate clinopyroxenites, are another major group of Martian meteorites and have distinctly different trace element and isotopic characteristics from shergottites. Thus, estimates of oxidation state of nakhlites will give us important insight into the mantle source in general. Several workers have estimated oxidation state of nakhlites by using Fe-Ti oxide equilibrium. However, Fe-Ti oxides may not record the oxidation state of the parent melt of the nakhlite because it is a late-stage mineral. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive study which analyzed all nakhlite samples at the same time. Therefore, in this study (1) we reduced the uncertainty of the estimate using the same electron microprobe and the same standards under the same condition for Fe-Ti oxide in 6 nakhlites and (2) we also performed crystallization experiments to measure partition coefficients of Eu into pyroxene in the nakhlite system in order to estimate fO2 when the pyroxene core formed (i.e. Eu oxybarometer [e.g. 2,6]).

Makishima, J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Interfacial Charge Transfer and Substrate-Dependent Oxidation States Drive SMSI Enhancements in Cobalt Oxide Films

Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying strong metal-support interactions in CO oxidation using model systems where noble metal crystals support reducible, monolayer-thick CoO x films. The effect of the Co oxidation state, film thickness, and substrate identity were studied in varying reaction conditions using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At low O 2 pressures, the same oxide phase forms on both Pt(111) and Au(111) surfaces. But when heated at higher O 2 pressures, the oxide phase depends on the substrate. We found that CoO x /Pt is more active for the CO oxidation reaction than CoO x /Au, even when both surfaces stabilize the same oxide phase. DFT calculations on these and related noble-metal-supported CoO x films reveal an SMSI-induced reactivity enhancement that strongly depends on the oxide film thickness and which is mediated by charge transfer between the metal and oxide. Charge transfer is also found to correlate with the reaction energy and activation barrier for CO oxidation. This effect was found to be greatest for oxide films on Pt, decreasing on other noble metal supports in the order Pt > Pd > Au > Ag, in agreement with the experiments. The role of charge transfer in the activation barriers and reaction energies provides insight into the nature of SMSI-induced catalytic activity, and suggests that the noble metal work function can serve as an indicator for the strength of SMSI effects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plutonium Oxidation State Distribution in the Presence of WIPP-Relevant Organics and Iron Corrosion Products

The oxidation state and solubility of plutonium (Pu) in high ionic strength synthetic WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) brines as a function of pC H+ in the presence and absence of WIPP-relevant organic ligands (EDTA [Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid], oxalate, citrate, acetate) and iron corrosion products (magnetite and metallic iron) at 𝑇 = 23 ± 2 ∘C was thoroughly studied by long-term batch solubility experiments (between approximately 800-1,100 days) from an undersaturation approach. The oxidation state of Pu in the WIPP environment has been a topic of interest since the initial Compliance Certification Application (CCA). This study aims to investigate the solubility of Pu under the expected WIPP conditions and to determine the oxidation state of the solid phase that will control the solubility. One of the most important results of this study is that the Pu oxidation state was analyzed both from the surface area of the corrosion products and in the precipitated solid. The analysis of the Pu oxidation state on the surface of the iron mineral from the ongoing undersaturated experiments is more relevant to the performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal than short term batch (plutonium-iron phase) experiments. The X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) analysis showed that Pu oxidation state is different on the metal surface and in the precipitated solid. Pu(III) is the dominant oxidation state in the metallic iron (Fe 0 ) system in the presence and absence of organics. Pu(IV) is the dominant oxidation state in the magnetite system in the presence and absence of organics. Also, organics stabilize Pu(IV) in the magnetite system. Analysis of Pu in the precipitated solid by Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) analysis showed that Pu formed an inner-sphere complex with iron with minor amounts of PuO 2 present. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that metallic iron and magnetite did not oxidize in three years in the alkaline and high ionic strength system. Under these conditions (8 < pC H+ < 10 at T = (22 ± 2) °C under nitrogen atmosphere, the solubility of Pu changes by up to three orders of magnitude (10 -5 and 10 -8 M). The spread in solubility is highest at pC H+ = 9. Pu(III) and Pu(IV) showed different solubility behavior in the synthetic WIPP brine. A summary of the data collected in this report will be submitted to Sandia National Laboratories as part of a parameter update report which will outline the changes to the OXSTAT parameter for the 2026 Compliance Recertification Application (CRA-2026). The experiments performed were done according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approved Test Plan entitled “Effects of Radiolysis, Organic Complexation, and Redox Conditions on the Speciation and Oxidation State Distribution of Pu(III/IV)” (LCO-ACP-25). All data reported were obtained under the Los Alamos National Laboratory-Carlsbad Office (LANL-CO) Quality Assurance Program, which is compliant with the DOE Carlsbad Field Office, Quality Assurance Program Document (CBFO/QAPD).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1988

Oxidation state in chondrites

An evaluation is made of extant data on chondrite oxidation states and intrinsic O fugacities. A variety of oxidation states are exhibited by the chondritic meteorites; petrologic and chemical data may be used to arrange the major chondrite groups in order of oxidation state. The intrinsic O fugacity measurements on chondrite whole-rock samples are noted to display a corresponding ordering of oxidation states. Metamorphosed chondrites and igneous meteorites that were substantially altered by metamorphic reactions, outgassing, and igneous processes may preserve information on the oxidation state and size of their parent bodies.

Rubin, Alan E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Praseodymium in the formal +5 oxidation state

Praseodymium in the +5 oxidation state is a long-sought connection between lanthanide, early-transition and actinide metal redox chemistries. Unique among the lanthanide series, evidence for molecular pentavalent praseodymium species has been observed in the gas phase and noble gas matrix isolation conditions. Here we report the low-temperature synthesis and characterization of a molecular praseodymium complex in the formal +5 oxidation state, [Pr 5+ (NP t Bu 3 ) 4 ][X − ] (where t Bu = tert -butyl and X − = tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate or hexafluorophosphate). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, solution-state spectroscopic, solution magnetometric, density functional theory and multireference wavefunction-based methods indicate a highly multiconfigurational singlet ground state. Finally, an inverted ligand field drives this unique electronic structure, which establishes a critical link in understanding the bonding of high-valent metal complexes across the periodic table.

chemical bonding↗
DOE OSTI2020

Facing the Challenges of Borderline Oxidation State Assignments Using State-of-the-Art Computational Methods.

The oxidation state (OS) of metals and ligands in inorganic complexes may be defined by carefully curated rules, such as from IUPAC, or by computational procedures such as the effective oxidation state (EOS) or localized orbital bonding analysis (LOBA). Such definitions typically agree for systems with simple ionic bonding and innocent ligands but may disagree as the boundary between ionic and covalent bonds is approached, or as the role of ligand noninnocence becomes nontrivial, or high oxidation states of metals are supported by heavy dative bonding, and so on. This work systematically compares IUPAC, EOS, and LOBA across a series of complexes where OS assignment is challenging. These systems include high-valent transition metal oxides, transition metal complexes with noninnocent ligands such as dithiolate and nitrosyl, metal sulfur dioxide adducts, and two transition metal carbene complexes. The differences in OS assignment by the three methods are carefully discussed, demonstrating the synergy between EOS and LOBA. In addition, a clarity index for LOBA OS assignments is introduced that provides an indication of whether or not its predictions are close to the ionic-covalent boundary.

Gimferrer, Martí↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatial variability of aerosol iron mineralogy and oxidation states over the Arctic Ocean

The mineralogy and oxidation state of aerosol iron (Fe) play important roles in controlling aerosol Fe solubility and consequent bioavailability in seawater. In this study, the spatial variability of Fe mineralogy and oxidation states in aerosols collected during the US GEOTRACES Western Arctic cruise (GN01) were determined using synchrotronbased X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Both Fe(II) minerals (biotite, ilmenite) and Fe (III) minerals (ferrihydrite, hematite, Fe(III) phosphate) were found in these samples. However, aerosol Fe mineralogy and solubility observed during this cruise varied spatially and can be grouped into three clusters based on the air masses that affected aerosols collected in different regions: (1) biotite-enriched particles (87 % biotite, 13 % hematite) with the air masses passing over Alaska, showing relatively low Fe solubility (4.0 +/- 1.7 %); (2) ferrihydrite-enriched particles (82 % ferrihydrite, 18 % ilmenite) collected in the remote Arctic air, showing relatively high Fe solubility (9.6 +/- 3.3 %); (3) the fresh dust derived from North America and Siberia, primarily dominated by hematite (41 % hematite, 25 % Fe(III) phosphate, 20 % biotite, 13 % ferrihydrite), showing relatively low Fe solubility (5.1 +/- 3.5). A significant positive correlation was found between Fe oxidation state and Fe fractional solubility, suggesting that long-range transport could modify iron (hydr) oxide such as ferrihydrite through atmospheric processing, influencing aerosol Fe solubility and consequently Fe bioavailability in the remote Arctic Ocean.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗