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Improving the Cycling Life of Aluminum and Germanium Thin Films for use as Anodic Materials in Li-Ion Batteries

Hudak, Nicholas H.; Huber, Dale L.; Gulley, Gerald G.

The cycling of high-capacity electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries results in significant volumetric expansion and contraction, and this leads to mechanical failure of the electrodes. To increase battery performance and reliability, there is a drive towards the use of nanostructured electrode materials and nanoscale surface coatings. As a part of the Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) last summer, we examined the ability of aluminum oxide and gold film surface coatings to improve the mechanical and cycling properties of vapor-deposited aluminum films in lithium-ion batteries. Nanoscale gold coatings resulted in significantly improved cycling behavior for the thinnest aluminum films whereas aluminum oxide coatings did not improve the cycling behavior of the aluminum films. This summer we performed a similar investigation on vapor-deposited germanium, which has an even higher theoretical capacity per unit mass than aluminum. Because the mechanism of lithium-alloying is different for each electrode material, we expected the effects of coating the germanium surface with aluminum oxide or gold to differ significantly from previous observations. Indeed, we found that gold coatings gave only small or negligible improvements in cycling behavior of germanium films, but aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coatings gave significant improvements in cycling over the range of film thicknesses tested.

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TYPE Other Report YEAR 2014
OSTIDOI

Non-resonant Nanoscale Extreme Light Confinement

Subramania, Ganapathi S.; Huber, Dale L.

A wide spectrum of photonics activities Sandia is engaged in such as solid state lighting, photovoltaics, infrared imaging and sensing, quantum sources, rely on nanoscale or ultrasubwavelength light-matter interactions (LMI). The fundamental understanding in confining electromagnetic power and enhancing electric fields into ever smaller volumes is key to creating next generation devices for these programs. The prevailing view is that a resonant interaction (e.g. in microcavities or surface-plasmon polaritions) is necessary to achieve the necessary light confinement for absorption or emission enhancement. Here we propose new paradigm that is non-resonant and therefore broadband and can achieve light confinement and field enhancement in extremely small areas [~(λ/500)^2 ]. The proposal is based on a theoretical work[1] performed at Sandia. The paradigm structure consists of a periodic arrangement of connected small and large rectangular slits etched into a metal film named double-groove (DG) structure. The degree of electric field enhancement and power confinement can be controlled by the geometry of the structure. The key operational principle is attributed to quasistatic response of the metal electrons to the incoming electromagnetic field that enables non-resonant broadband behavior. For this exploratory LDRD we have fabricated some test double groove structures to enable verification of quasistatic electronic response in the mid IR through IR optical spectroscopy. We have addressed some processing challenges in DG structure fabrication to enable future design of complex sensor and detector geometries that can utilize its non-resonant field enhancement capabilities.].

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TYPE Other Report YEAR 2014
OSTIDOI

Conceptual designs of 300-TW and 800-TW pulsed-power accelerators

Stygar, William A.; Fowler, William E.; Gomez, Matthew R.; Harmon, Roger L.; Herrmann, Mark H.; Huber, Dale L.; Hutsel, Brian T.; Bailey, James E.; Jones, Michael J.; Jones, Peter A.; Leckbee, Joshua L.; Lee, James R.; Lewis, Scot A.; Long, Finis W.; Lopez, Mike R.; Lucero, Diego J.; Matzen, M.K.; Mazarakis, Michael G.; McBride, Ryan D.; McKee, George R.; Nakhleh, Charles N.; Owen, Albert C.; Rochau, G.A.; Savage, Mark E.; Schwarz, Jens S.; Sefkow, Adam B.; Sinars, Daniel S.; Stoltzfus, Brian S.; Vesey, Roger A.; Wakeland, P.; Cuneo, M.E.; Flicker, Dawn G.; Focia, Ronald J.

Abstract not provided.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2013
OSTI

Thermally programmable pH buffers

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Van Gough, Dara; Bunker, B.C.; Roberts, Mark E.; Huber, Dale L.; Zarick, Holly F.; Austin, Mariah J.; Wheeler, Jill S.; Moore, Diana; Spoerke, Erik D.

Many reactions in both chemistry and biology rely on the ability to precisely control and fix the solution concentrations of either protons or hydroxide ions. In this report, we describe the behavior of thermally programmable pH buffer systems based on the copolymerization of varying amounts of acrylic acid (AA) groups into N-isopropylacrylamide polymers. Because the copolymers undergo phase transitions upon heating and cooling, the local environment around the AA groups can be reversibly switched between hydrophobic and hydrophilic states affecting the ionization behavior of the acids. Results show that moderate temperature variations can be used to change the solution pH by two units. However, results also indicate that the nature of the transition and its impact on the pH values are highly dependent on the AA content and the degree of neutralization. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2012
ScopusOSTI
Results 51–75 of 118
Results 51–75 of 118