Projects

Characterization of U(VI) speciation in samples from laboratory batch and column experiments

Lead Institution

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Jiamin Wan

Project type

Exploratory Research

Our DOE funded projects under the EMSP and NABIR programs focus on the biogeochemical properties of U(VI) in contaminated subsurface environments. Our laboratory batch and column experiments are…

Electrical and Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Single Crystal Bismuth Vanadate

Lead Institution

University of Texas at Austin

Principal Investigator

C. Buddie Mullins

Project type

Exploratory Research

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a promising electrode material in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Recently, it has been shown that doping with Mo and W dramatically improves its performance, but the…

Characterization of partially soluble copper oxide nanoparticles for evaluating the role of deposited dose rate in respiratory tract target cell responses

Lead Institution

University of Rochester

Principal Investigator

Alison Elder

Project type

Exploratory Research

The increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs < 100 nm in at least one dimension) in industrial settings has led to a greater concern about the potential for human exposures. Although there are several…

Interface-Specific Radiation Induced Segregation in Nanocrystalline Alloys

Lead Institution

Drexel University

Principal Investigator

Mitra Taheri

Project type

Exploratory Research

The aim of the proposed project is to provide a fundamental understanding of how metallic nanocrystalline alloys can be utilized as radiation tolerant materials in future nuclear reactors. This aim…

Quantifying selective toxicity of nanoparticles in zebrafish xenograft through advanced microscopy

Lead Institution

Oregon State University

Principal Investigator

Robert Tanguay

Project type

Exploratory Research

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) possess a 28-35 fold preferential cytotoxicity toward cancerous T cells in culture. We hypothesize that this cell dependent selective cytotoxicity extends to other…

Natural Organic Matter Composition and its Influence on Microbial Dynamics and Biogeochemical Processes at the Catchment Scale

Lead Institution

University of New Hampshire

Principal Investigator

Paula Mouser

Project type

Exploratory Research

Natural organic material (NOM) present in surface and subsurface environments is able to drive biogeochemical cycles, with implications for carbon flux, nutrient flow, and contaminant metal…

Engineered nano-scale interfaces in scandia stabilized zirconia and samaria doped ceria multi-layer hetero-structures

Lead Institution

Western Michigan University

Principal Investigator

Asghar Kayani

Project type

Exploratory Research

Recent studies showed a colossal enhancement in the oxygen ionic conductivity of multi-layer oxide thin films compared to most commonly used solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolytes. It has been…

The Mechanism of the Hammerhead Ribozyme RNA Cleavage Reaction: Determining Optimized Free Energy Reaction Paths from QM/MM Simulations

Lead Institution

University of California, San Diego

Principal Investigator

John Weare

Project type

Exploratory Research

Ribonucleic acids (RNA) play a central role in the transmission of genetic information. However, the identification of additional non-coding roles of RNA polymers continues to grow. An important…

Interfacial and Multiphase Characterization of Next Generation Inorganic Resists Synthesized Through Sustainable Materials Chemistries

Lead Institution

Oregon State University

Principal Investigator

Liney Arnadottir

Project type

Exploratory Research

Transformation of small molecular precursors into inorganic solid-state compounds via solution methods has mainly focused on sol-gel techniques involving hydrolysis and condensation reactions of…

First-principles modeling of charge transfer in fullerene organic photovoltaics

Lead Institution

University of California, Los Angeles

Principal Investigator

Daniel Neuhauser

Project type

Exploratory Research

Organic photovoltaics have emerged as an inexpensive alternative to more traditional solar energy. Organic solar cells have long utilized fullerene derivatives as electron acceptors in devices,…

Cryogenic Deuteron Solid-state NMR Spectroscopy of Ultra-low Barrier Rotors for "Inertial" Crystalline Molecular Machines Assembled via Metal-organic Frameworks

Lead Institution

University of California, Los Angeles

Principal Investigator

Miguel Garcia-Garibay

Project type

Exploratory Research

Condensed-phase artificial molecular machines are an extremely promising platform for the development of stimuli-responsive bulk materials. By choosing well-characterized molecular "parts"…

Effect of Re on W Grain Boundary Cohesion

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Richard Kurtz

Project type

Exploratory Research

Due to its excellent mechanical and thermal properties, W receives a considerable attention as materials for divertor applications in advanced fusion reactors. However, its usage is critically…

Investigating NOy and Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation Chemistry in the Colorado Front Range: WRF/Chem Model Studies In Support of the Beachon 2011 Field Campaign

Lead Institution

Reed College

Principal Investigator

Juliane Fry

Project type

Exploratory Research

The chemistry of an urban plume interacting downwind with a high-monoterpene emitting forest, including particular focus on atmospheric particle formation, will be explored by a large, collaborative…

Investigating the Effects of Geologic CO2 Sequestration on Microbial Physiology, Metabolism and Functionality.

Lead Institution

Colorado State University

Principal Investigator

Michael Wilkins

Project type

Exploratory Research

The injection of greenhouse gases into deep geologic formations offers a promising strategy for reducing emissions into the atmosphere that contribute to global warming. The injection of CO2 as a…

Toward the chemical conversion of CO2: understanding the interaction of CO2 with model metal/metal-oxide systems

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Janos Szanyi

Project type

Exploratory Research

Environmental concerns about the increasing level of atmospheric CO2, a major greenhouse gas component, have prompted research efforts in two major directions: sequestration and chemical conversion…

High Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Radialene

Lead Institution

Oregon State University

Principal Investigator

Joseph Nibler

Project type

Exploratory Research

The structures and physical properties of small organic strained-ring systems are of interest to both experimental and theoretical chemists. The objective of the proposed research is to apply high…

Multiscale Processes of Heteroepitaxial Nucleation and Growth at Mineral-Water Interfaces

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Sebastien Kerisit

Project type

Exploratory Research

The goal of the proposed research is to elucidate the mechanisms and quantify the rates of heteroepitaxial nucleation and growth at mineral-water interfaces. Despite several examples of heteroepitaxy…

Light Source Photocathode Performance and Development

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Wayne Hess

Project type

Exploratory Research

Accelerator photocathode technology must be advanced to meet the needs of fourth generation light sources. The ultimate output characteristics and cost of next-generation ultraviolet or x-ray…

Experimental and Computational Characterization of the Structure and Electronic Properties of Novel Porphyrins for Solar Cells

Lead Institution

Portland State University

Principal Investigator

Carl Wamser

Project type

Exploratory Research

The proposed project will be primarily computational studies carried out in collaboration with Dr. Niri Govind, Dr. Kenneth Lopata, and Dr. Karol Kowalski (PNNL/EMSL Molecular Science Computing). …

Modeling Conduction in Organic-Fullerene and Titania-Fullerene Solar Cells

Lead Institution

University of California, Los Angeles

Principal Investigator

Daniel Neuhauser

Project type

Exploratory Research

Organic solar cells have recently attracted much research attention, though little is known about the specific electron transfer mechanism in these cells, and due to the size of the systems,…