Publications

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Sequence-specific polymers are the basis of the most promising approaches to bottom-up programmed assembly of nanoscale materials. Examples include artificial peptides and nucleic acids. Another class is oligo(N-functional glycine)s, also known as peptoids, which permit greater sidegroup diversity and conformational control, and can be easier to synthesize and purify. We have developed a set of peptoids that can be used to make inorganic nanoparticles more compatible with biological sequence-specific polymers so that they can be incorporated into nucleic acid or other biologically based nanostructures. Peptoids offer degrees of modularity, versatility, and predictability that equal or exceed other sequence-specific polymers, allowing for rational design of oligomers for a specific purpose. This degree of control will be essential to the development of arbitrarily designed nanoscale structures.

We report on the novel room temperature method of synthesizing advanced nuclear fuels; a method that virtually eliminates any volatility of components. This process uses radiolysis to form stable nanoparticle (NP) nuclear transuranic (TRU) fuel surrogates and in-situ heated stage TEM to sinter the NPs. The radiolysis is performed at Sandia's Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) 60Co source (3 x 10{sup 6} rad/hr). Using this method, sufficient quantities of fuels for research purposes can be produced for accelerated advanced nuclear fuel development. We are focused on both metallic and oxide alloy nanoparticles of varying compositions, in particular d-U, d-U/La alloys and d-UO2 NPs. We present detailed descriptions of the synthesis procedures, the characterization of the NPs, the sintering of the NPs, and their stability with temperature. We have employed UV-vis, HRTEM, HAADF-STEM imaging, single particle EDX and EFTEM mapping characterization techniques to confirm the composition and alloying of these NPs.

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Cell membranes are dynamic substrates that achieve a diverse array of functions through multi-scale reconfigurations. We explore the morphological changes that occur upon protein interaction to model membrane systems that induce deformation of their planar structure to yield nanotube assemblies. In the two examples shown in this report we will describe the use of membrane adhesion and particle trajectory to form lipid nanotubes via mechanical stretching, and protein adsorption onto domains and the induction of membrane curvature through steric pressure. Through this work the relationship between membrane bending rigidity, protein affinity, and line tension of phase separated structures were examined and their relationship in biological membranes explored.

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Nanoporous materials have maximum practical surface areas for electrical charge storage; every point in an electrode is within a few atoms of an interface at which charge can be stored. Metal-electrolyte interfaces make best use of surface area in porous materials. However, ion transport through long, narrow pores is slow. We seek to understand and optimize the tradeoff between capacity and transport. Modeling and measurements of nanoporous gold electrodes has allowed us to determine design principles, including the fact that these materials can deplete salt from the electrolyte, increasing resistance. We have developed fabrication techniques to demonstrate architectures inspired by these principles that may overcome identified obstacles. A key concept is that electrodes should be as close together as possible; this is likely to involve an interpenetrating pore structure. However, this may prove extremely challenging to fabricate at the finest scales; a hierarchically porous structure can be a worthy compromise.

Room temperature radiolysis, density functional theory, and various nanoscale characterization methods were used to synthesize and fully describe Ni-based alloy nanoparticles (NPs) that were synthesized at room temperature. These complementary methods provide a strong basis in understanding and describing metastable phase regimes of alloy NPs whose reaction formation is determined by kinetic rather than thermodynamic reaction processes. Four series of NPs, (Ag-Ni, Pd-Ni, Co-Ni, and W-Ni) were analyzed and characterized by a variety of methods, including UV-vis, TEM/HRTEM, HAADF-STEM and EFTEM mapping. In the first focus of research, AgNi and PdNi were studied. Different ratios of Ag{sub x}- Ni{sub 1-x} alloy NPs and Pd{sub 0.5}- Ni{sub 0.5} alloy NP were prepared using a high dose rate from gamma irradiation. Images from high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) show that the Ag-Ni NPs are not core-shell structure but are homogeneous alloys in composition. Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) maps show the homogeneity of the metals in each alloy NP. Of particular interest are the normally immiscible Ag-Ni NPs. All evidence confirmed that homogeneous Ag-Ni and Pd-Ni alloy NPs presented here were successfully synthesized by high dose rate radiolytic methodology. A mechanism is provided to explain the homogeneous formation of the alloy NPs. Furthermore, studies of Pd-Ni NPs by in situ TEM (with heated stage) shows the ability to sinter these NPs at temperatures below 800 C. In the second set of work, CoNi and WNi superalloy NPs were attempted at 50/50 concentration ratios using high dose rates from gamma irradiation. Preliminary results on synthesis and characterization have been completed and are presented. As with the earlier alloy NPs, no evidence of core-shell NP formation occurs. Microscopy results seem to indicate alloying occurred with the CoNi alloys. However, there appears to be incomplete reduction of the Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4} to form the W{sup 2+} ion in solution; the predominance of WO{sup +} appears to have resulted in a W-O-Ni complex that has not yet been fully characterized.

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Nanoporous palladium powders are synthesized on milligram to gram scales by chemical reduction of tetrachloro complexes by ascorbate in a concentrated aqueous surfactant at temperatures between -20 and 30 C. Particle diameters are approximately 50 nm, and each particle is perforated by 3 nm pores, as determined by electron tomography. These materials are of potential value for storage of hydrogen isotopes and electrical charge; producing them at large scales in a safe and efficient manner will help realize this. A slightly modified procedure also results in nanoporous platinum.

Nano-structured palladium is examined as a tritium storage material with the potential to release beta-decay-generated helium at the generation rate, thereby mitigating the aging effects produced by enlarging He bubbles. Helium retention in proposed structures is modeled by adapting the Sandia Bubble Evolution model to nano-dimensional material. The model shows that even with ligament dimensions of 6-12 nm, elevated temperatures will be required for low He retention. Two nanomaterial synthesis pathways were explored: de-alloying and surfactant templating. For de-alloying, PdAg alloys with piranha etchants appeared likely to generate the desired morphology with some additional development effort. Nano-structured 50 nm Pd particles with 2-3 nm pores were successfully produced by surfactant templating using PdCl salts and an oligo(ethylene oxide) hexadecyl ether surfactant. Tests were performed on this material to investigate processes for removing residual pore fluids and to examine the thermal stability of pores. A tritium manifold was fabricated to measure the early He release behavior of this and Pd black material and is installed in the Tritium Science Station glove box at LLNL. Pressure-composition isotherms and particle sizes of a commercial Pd black were measured.

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Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have shown great promise in novel applications in molecular electronics, biohazard detection, and composite materials. Commercially synthesized nanotubes exhibit a wide dispersion of geometries and conductivities, and tend to aggregate. Hence the key to using these materials is the ability to solubilize and sort carbon nanotubes according to their geometric/electronic properties. One of the most effective dispersants is single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), but there are many outstanding questions regarding the interaction between nucleic acids and SWNTs. In this work we focus on the interactions of SWNTs with single monomers of nucleic acids, as a first step to answering these outstanding questions. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the binding energy of six different nucleotide monophosphates (NMPs) to a (6,0) single-wall carbon nanotube in aqueous solution. We find that the binding energies are generally favorable, of the order of a few kcal/mol. The binding energies of the different NMPs were very similar in salt solution, whereas we found a range of binding energies for NMPs in pure water. The binding energies are sensitive to the details of the association of the sodium ions with the phosphate groups and also to the average conformations of the nucleotides. We use electronic structure (Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Moller-Plesset second order perturbation to uncorrelated Hartree Fock theory (MP2)) methods to complement the classical force field study. With judicious choices of DFT exchange correlation functionals, we find that DFT, MP2, and classical force field predictions are in qualitative and even quantitative agreement; all three methods should give reliable and valid predictions. However, in one important case, the interactions between ions and metallic carbon nanotubes--the SWNT polarization-induced affinity for ions, neglected in most classical force field studies, is found to be extremely large (on the order of electron volts) and may have important consequences for various SWNT applications. Finally, the adsorption of NMPs onto single-walled carbon nanotubes were studied experimentally. The nanotubes were sonicated in the presence of the nucleotides at various weight fractions and centrifuged before examining the ultraviolet absorbance of the resulting supernatant. A distinct Langmuir adsorption isotherm was obtained for each nucleotide. All of the nucleotides differ in their saturation value as well as their initial slope, which we attribute to differences both in nucleotide structure and in the binding ability of different types or clusters of tubes. Results from this simple system provide insights toward development of dispersion and separation methods for nanotubes: strongly binding nucleotides are likely to help disperse, whereas weaker ones may provide selectivity that may be beneficial to a separation process.