Nutrients such as phosphorus (P) play an essential role as fertilizers in production of high crop yields. However, most of the P fertilizer is derived from imported phosphate rock, which are extracted from non-renewable deposits. State of the art removal and recovery systems face limitations in selectivity and regeneration, thus, there is a need to develop ion-selective systems for phosphorus recovery. We aim to investigate the behavior of selective redox-polymer interfaces in the presence of Phosphate (PO4x-) anions; in particular, we will address the following points: (i) does solvation of the anion and interface play a role in determining selectivity (e.g., solvent volume fraction entering in the film); (ii) how does polymer structure affect redox-mediated reversibility and solvation (e.g., what is the impact on solvation and ion ingression by adding/removing hydrophilic/hydrophobic moieties to the polymer structure). The flow-cell setup available at ISIS will be essential for screening of electrolytes with different phosphate concentration and pH, allowing to map the redox-polymer response to changes in electrolyte composition within the same experiment.

Nutrients such as phosphorus (P) play an essential role as fertilizers in production of high crop yields. However, most of the P fertilizer is derived from imported phosphate rock, which are extracted from non-renewable deposits. State of the art removal and recovery systems face limitations in selectivity and regeneration, thus, there is a need to develop ion-selective systems for phosphorus recovery. We aim to investigate the behavior of selective redox-polymer interfaces in the presence of Phosphate (PO4x-) anions; in particular, we will address the following points: (i) does solvation of the anion and interface play a role in determining selectivity (e.g., solvent volume fraction entering in the film); (ii) how does polymer structure affect redox-mediated reversibility and solvation (e.g., what is the impact on solvation and ion ingression by adding/removing hydrophilic/hydrophobic moieties to the polymer structure). The flow-cell setup available at ISIS will be essential for screening of electrolytes with different phosphate concentration and pH, allowing to map the redox-polymer response to changes in electrolyte composition within the same experiment.

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Cardiolipin (CL) is a structurally unique dimeric phospholipid localized in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is known to provide essential structural and functional support to proteins involved in mitochondrial bioenergetics. The interaction between CL and cytochrome c (Cytc) regulates the binding states of Cytc to the membrane and, therefore, directly affect the electron transport function of Cytc in mitochondrial respiration. A loss of CL content, alterations in its acyl chain composition have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction leading to bioenergetic diseases, including Alzheimer, heart failure, and aging. This proposal aims to resolve the structures of CL-bound Cytc utilizing remodeled CL to mimics pathological conditions, in comparison with the obtained structures for the healthy states.

Consisting of a positive and negative electrode, conventional batteries undergo a range of static and dynamic processes that originate at the electrode surface. As such, controlling the chemistries that take place at these highly-reactive surfaces is paramount to developing high-performance battery technologies capable of high reliability, extended cycle life, and increased safety metrics. The works proposed herein are targeted at developing unique surface treatments/architectures that will facilitate improved cycle efficiencies for silicon and tin based anodes by mitigating parasitic reactions that occur at the electrode surface throughout normal charge/discharge operation.

One of the rapidly developing frontiers in research is focused on the design of materials that have targeted functionalities and tunable responses to external stimuli. A chief obstacle to achieving this capability is the lack of a fundamental understanding of how chemical structure and morphology give rise to macromolecular properties. Our research explores how polymer structure, counterion species, and film morphology affects the electromechanical response of ionic block copolymers when exposed to external electric fields using neutron reflectometry. The study proposed here focuses on understanding how these factors drive the electrostatic and mechanical stresses that result in material deformation.

One of the rapidly developing frontiers in research is focused on the rational design of polymeric materials that have targeted functionalities and tunable responses to external stimuli. A chief obstacle to achieving this capability is the lack of a fundamental understanding of how chemical structure and morphology give rise to macromolecular properties. Considering this, the research proposed here aims to investigate how polymer structure and counterion identity affects the electromechanical response of materials when exposed to external electric fields. Our previous results have confirmed that neutron reflectometry is an ideal tool for monitoring the motion of both the polymer backbone and counterions. This proposal builds on those findings and will focus on understanding how film rigidity and counter-anion size restricts or enhances the system response to an applied electric field.