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In Situ High Temperature Fiber-Optic Raman Sensor For Industrial Applications, Bohong Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Continuous casting in steel production uses specially developed oxyfluoride glasses (mold fluxes) to lubricate a mold and control the solidification of the steel in the mold. The composition of the flux impacts properties, including basicity, viscosity, and crystallization rate, all of which affect the stability of the casting process and the quality of the solidified steel. However, mold fluxes interact with steel during the casting process, resulting in flux chemistry changes that must be considered in the flux design. Currently, the chemical composition of mold flux must be determined by extracting flux samples from the mold during casting and then …

Synthesis Of Quasi-Freestanding Graphene Films Using Radical Species Formed In Cold Plasmas, Michael A. Mathews Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

For over a decade, the Stinespring laboratory has investigated scalable, plasma assisted synthesis (PAS) methods for the growth of graphene films on silicon carbide (SiC). These typically utilized CF₄-based inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with reactive ion etching (RIE) to selectively etch silicon from the SiC lattice. This yielded a halogenated carbon-rich surface layer which was then annealed to produce the graphene layers. The thickness of the films was controlled by the plasma parameters, and overall, the process was readily scalable to the diameter of the SiC wafer.

The PAS process reproducibly yielded two- to three-layer thick graphene films …

Structure And Morphology Of Photoreactive Monomer–Nanoparticle Mixtures Under Patterned Irradiation, Shreyas Pathreeker

Dissertations - ALL

Establishing processing–structure relationships is central to materials science. In this work, we seek answers to whether morphology can be controlled during Light–Induced Self–Writing (LISW) in polymer composite materials, and if yes, how? LISW is based on the ability of light to undergo divergence–free propagation in photoreactive media due to photopolymerization–induced rise in refractive index of the medium. Notably, LISW in polymeric materials has found use predominantly for the fabrication of optical waveguides but has not been explored in polymer–inorganic mixtures. Using through–mask projection which creates a spatially periodic array of optical beams, this work extends LISW to nanoparticle–monomer mixtures to …

Near-Earth Ion Irradiation Effects On Functional Ceramic Materials: A Combined Experimental-Monte Carlo Approach, William J. Sands

All Theses

The near-Earth space radiation environment is a complex system that creates a harmful environment for materials to operate in. Motivated by the search for using optical defects as an indicator of radiation damage, five single-crystal functional ceramic materials were selected to undergo ion irradiation at conditions found in the near-Earth space environment. Due to the complex nature of ion irradiation effects in ceramic materials, a host of calculations and experimental characterization methods were used. Calculations using the 2013 SRIM code were used to evaluate the ion projected range and the type and number of defects (vacancies) created by ion irradiation. …

Combinatorial Cuni Alloy Thin Film Catalysts For Layer Number Regulation In Cvd Grown Graphene, Sumeer Khanna

Masters Theses

In this work, synthesis of combinatorial library of Cu_xNi_1-x (copper nickel) alloy thin films via co-sputtering from Cu (copper) and Ni (nickel) targets as catalysts for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene is reported. The gradient alloy morphology, composition and microstructure were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Subsequently, the Cu_xNi_1-x alloy thin films were used to grow graphene in a CH₄-Ar-H₂ (methane-argon-hydrogen) ambient in thermal CVD tube furnace. The underlying rationale is to adjust the Cu_xNi_{1-x …}

Branched Chain Amino Acid Strain State Monitoring With Raman Spectroscopy And Plasmonic Bowtie Nanoantenna Devices For Early Disease Detection, Caroline A. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

This work centers on the development and the down-selection of nano-manufactured devices to be used in conjunction with Raman spectroscopy for probing a branched chain amino acid. The nano-manufactured devices integrate plasmonic nanoantennas for the purpose of amplifying molecular fingerprints, which are otherwise difficult to detect, through Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Plasmonic nanostructures can be utilized for a variety of biomedical and biochemical applications to detect the characteristic fingerprint provided by Raman Spectroscopy. The nano-manufactured devices create an electric field that amplifies minute perturbations and raises the signal above background noise. This may provide a deeper understanding of signal …

Simulation And Fabrication Of All Oxide-Based Ito/Tio2/Cuo/Au Heterostructure For Solar Cell Applications, Sajal Islam

MSU Graduate Theses

Oxide heterostructures have drawn great attention lately, due to their environment-friendly properties and potential applications in optoelectronic devices. In this work, a simulation study of a heterojunction solar cell was performed with SCAPS (a solar cell simulator) using TiO2 as an n-type and CuO as a p-type layer. The thickness and the dopant-dependent simulations have shown that the solar cell operates at a maximum efficiency of 19.2% when the thickness of the TiO2/CuO layers is chosen 1.4µm/1.2µm compared to the 11.5% efficiency when FTO is replaced with ITO. An indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) vs fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) comparison study …

Exploring Fused Deposition Modeling (Fdm) Three-Dimensional Printing Tablet Design Options For Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms, Guluzar Gorkem Buyukgoz

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the use of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) based three-dimensional (3D) printing approach for developing patient-specific dosage forms and addressing related technical challenges in such drug delivery systems. The first main objective is to explore pharmaceutical tablet design options using novel FDM 3D printing technology as the drug delivery platform such that drug form and tablet properties are tailored by considering patient age-specific formulations and dissolution control. Of the five different design options, two proposed options meet the main objective of providing similar drug release, whereas the popular option of fixed drug concentration but differing tablet size could …

Lithium Compound Characterization Via Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy And Raman Spectroscopy, James T. Stofel

Theses and Dissertations

Industries such as lithium-ion battery producers and the nuclear industry community seek to produce and store lithium in pure chemical forms. However, these lithium compounds are reactive with the atmosphere and quickly degrade into less desirable forms. Therefore, industry desires a fast and effective quality control approach to quantify the ingrowth of these secondary lithium chemical forms. This research presents a novel approach using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy in tandem to enhance lithium compound characterization beyond what is achieved by either technique alone. The resulting spectral data are aggregated using data fusion and analyzed using chemometrics for …

Raman Spectroscopic Investigation Of The Speciation Of Uranyl (Vi) And Thorium (Iv) Ions In Chloride-Bearing Aqueous Solutions Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Nadib Akram

MSU Graduate Theses

Raman spectra were acquired for a uranyl chloride aqueous solution at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 500°C at the chloride concentration of 6M and uranium (vi) concentration of 0.05M. The measurements were taken by sealing the sample in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) which enabled spectra acquisition at non-ambient conditions. The pressure inside the cell was measured by estimating the liquid-vapor homogenization temperature (T_H) and using the isochoric equation of state diagram of water. The acquired spectra were then fitted to determine the speciation distribution of the various uranyl chloride species for the mentioned concentration. The developed …

Protecting Crops From Abiotic Stress: Copper Oxide Nanoparticle Effects On Wheat And A Beneficial Rhizobacterium, Matthew Potter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) are defined as particles less than 100 nm in at least one dimension. CuO NPs have possible applications in agriculture as micronutrient sources, pesticides, and enhancers of crop stress tolerance. Here, three aspects of CuO NP agricultural applications are studied: 1) the potential of CuO NPs to prevent wheat lodging-when crops irreversibly fall over; 2) CuO NP-induced drought tolerance in wheat seedlings; and 3) the effects of CuO NPs on outer membrane vesicle (OMV) production by Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6), a plant-health promoting bacterium.

Wheat grown 7 d exposed to CuO NPs in the growth matrix …

Fabrication Of Multifunctional Carbon Coated Cobalt Ferrite Core/Shell Nanostructures By Pulsed Laser Ablation, Joy Roy

MSU Graduate Theses

Considerable research work is going on worldwide among the therapeutic scientific communities to use magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) as a controlled drug delivery system. Challenges to use those NPs for such in-vivo applications successfully are mainly biocompatibility and the functionality of those NPs. Addressing the needs, in this project, we synthesized carbon-coated cobalt ferrite (CFO) core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPS) by ablating a solution of toluene and CFO NPs with varying number of pulsed laser shots. The structure of the CSNPs then investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and also with the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XRD analysis shows that …

Modification Of The Optical Response Of Alpha Quartz Via The Deposition Of Gold Nanoparticles In Etched Ion Tracks, Maria C. Garcia Toro

Doctoral Dissertations

”This study addresses the experimental methods used to develop and characterize plasmonic devices capable of modifying the optical response of alpha quartz via the deposition of gold nanoparticles in etched ion tracks. In the first part of the research, the microstructural characterization of latent and etched ion tracks produced in alpha quartz (α-SiO₂) is presented. Single crystals of α-SiO₂ were irradiated with two highly energetic ions to different nominal fluences. As expected, the morphology of the resulting ion tracks depends on the energy of the incident ion and their stopping powers within the target material. Subsequent chemical …

Demonstration Of Visible And Near Infrared Raman Spectrometers And Improved Matched Filter Model For Analysis Of Combined Raman Signals, Alexander Matthew Atkinson

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analysis technique that has found applications in fields such as analytical chemistry, planetary sciences, and medical diagnostics. Recent studies have shown that analysis of Raman spectral profiles can be greatly assisted by use of computational models with achievements including high accuracy pure sample classification with imbalanced data sets and detection of ideal sample deviations for pharmaceutical quality control. The adoption of automated methods is a necessary step in streamlining the analysis process as Raman hardware becomes more advanced. Due to limits in the architectures of current machine learning based Raman classification models, transfer from pure …

Potential For On-Site, Prosecutorial Evidence From Drug Residues Collected On Plasmonic Paper: A Pilot Study For Sers-Psi-Ms, Daniel S. Burr

Theses and Dissertations

Given the potential impact of improvements to on-site drug testing, as well as recent, successful displays of paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PSI-MS) in this regard, this thesis pilots the implementation of Raman spectroscopy as a compliment to MS for field-based confirmatory drug testing. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is utilized for applications to trace detection. Two-tiered analysis of individual drug samples is enabled using triangularly-cut plasmonic papers, from which both SERS and PS-MS analysis may be performed. Several drug compounds, representative of traditional and emerging drug types, are examined by these techniques, both separately and as a fully integrated, …

An In-Situ Study Of The Aqueous Speciation Of Uranium (Vi) Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Diwash Dhakal

MSU Graduate Theses

Rigorous study of the speciation distribution of uranyl-chloride bearing solutions under hydrothermal conditions is important to understand the transport mechanism of uranium underground, which is of uttermost interest to parties studying the geological uranium deposits and those studying the possibilities of geological repositories for spent nuclear waste. I report an in-situ Raman spectroscopic study of the speciation distribution of aqueous uranyl-chloride complexes upto 500°C conducted using a HDAC as the high PT spectroscopic cell. The samples studied contained the species UO₂²⁺, UO₂Cl⁺, UO₂Cl₂⁰ and UO₂Cl₃^{- …}

Probing Quantized Excitations And Many-Body Correlations In Transition Metal Dichalcogenides With Optical Spectroscopy, Shao-Yu Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted great interests in recent years due to their physical properties manifested in different polytypes: Hexagonal(H)-TMDC,which is semiconducting, exhibits strong Coulomb interaction and intriguing valleytronic properties; distorted octahedral(T’)-TMDC,which is semi-metallic, is predicted to exhibit rich nontrivial topological physics. In this dissertation,we employ the polarization-resolved micron-Raman/PL spectroscopy to investigate the optical properties of the atomic layer of several polytypes of TMDC. In the first part for polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy, we study the lattice vibration of both H and T’-TMDC, providing a thorough understanding of the polymorphism of TMDCs. We demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is a …

Cvd Molybdenum Disulfide : Material And Device Engineering, Eui Sang Song

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a semiconducting 2D layered material that has attracted a lot of attention due to its material properties for electronics and optoelectronics device applications. These include a layer-dependent band gap, an indirect to direct energy transition at monolayer state, and strong light-matter interaction. A large majority of 2D materials and devices have been studied through micromechanical exfoliation for extraction and electron beam lithography for device fabrication. These methodologies while able to generate high quality materials and precisely fabricated devices, are not suitable for large scale production. Efforts have been made to make MoS2 and other 2D materials …

The Use Of Microfluidics And Dielectrophoresis For Separation, Concentration, And Identification Of Bacteria, Cynthia Hanson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Typical bacterial analysis involves culturing and visualizing colonies on an array of agar plates. The growth patterns and colors among the array are used to identify the bacteria. For fast growing bacteria such as Escherichia coli, analysis will take one to two days. However, slow growing bacteria such as mycobacteria can take weeks to identify. In addition, there are some species of bacteria that are viable but nonculturable. This lengthy analysis time is unacceptable for life-threatening infections and emergency situations. It is clear that to decrease the analysis of the bacteria, the culturing and growth steps must be avoided. …

Optimal Sintering Temperature Of Ceria-Doped Scandia Stabilized Zirconia For Use In Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Amanda K. Assuncao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Carbon emissions are known to cause decay of the Ozone layer in addition to creating pollutant, poisonous air. This has become a growing concern among scientists and engineers across the globe; if this issue is not addressed, it is likely that the Earth will suffer catastrophic consequences. One of the main culprits of these harmful carbon emissions is fuel combustion. Between vehicles, power plants, airplanes, and ships, the world consumes an extraordinary amount of oil and fuel which all contributes to the emissions problem. Therefore, it is crucial to develop alternative energy sources that minimize the impact on the environment. …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Ion Tracks On Α-Quartz, Bryant Alan Kanies

Masters Theses

"The passage of a swift heavy ion through a material can cause columnar, amorphous nano-structures known as ion tracks. Swift heavy ions are present in a number of applications ranging from nuclear reactors to nuclear waste storage and onboard spacecraft. The study of ion tracks has been ongoing since the late 1950s and has led to several technological advancements. In fact, ion beams have been used to enhance material properties and aid in the production of electrical components. Ion beams, and their resultant ion tracks, can therefore be seen as a method to purposefully alter material properties such as thermal …

Comparative Study Of Cv3 Carbonaceous Chondrites Allende And Bali Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy And Sem/Eds, Raka Paul

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The birth of the solar system (over 4 billion years) is speculated to have happened from a nebula, swirling and compacting in localized regions to eventually form the Sun and planets. This complex process consists of numerous changes and intermediary steps, yet to be fully understood. Carbonaceous chondritic meteorites are relics of that process and therefore have potential to reveal information about the formation history. Several theories have been formulated linking their composition to planet formation. This study focusses on two carbonaceous chondritic specimens, Allende and Bali, both of the group CV and petrologic type 3. CV meteorites are abundant …

Development Of A Novel Printed And Flexible Surface Enhanced Raman Specopy (Sers) Substrate For Detection Of Cocaine, Farah Mazin Aljanabi

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author focuses on the design and fabrication of a novel surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate that could potentially be employed for the detection of illicit drugs. Raman spectroscopy based optical detection has been extensively employed as a qualitative and quantitative analytical method.

The author has worked on two research projects, which are both focused on the development of printed SERS substrate for the detection of cocaine. The first project is based on gravure printing of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) based ink on flexible and stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate. The fabricated substrate dimensions are 1.5 × …

Study Of Iron Ion Transit Through Three-Fold Channel Of Ferritin Cage, Shah Alam Limon

MSU Graduate Theses

Ferritin is an iron-storage globular protein with an ability to uptake, mineralize and release iron ions in a controllable manner. The globular hollow shell allows storage of mineralized iron, with several channels responsible for the transit of ions into the shell and out of it. Understanding of the detailed molecular functioning of ferritin is required for rational design of biomimetic conjugate nano-biosystems containing ferritin-like constituents. In this work, ferritin was investigated both numerically by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and experimentally by Raman spectroscopy. Molecular dynamic simulations of a model system comprising iron ions (Fe2+) and a ferritin trimer expressing …

Application Of Raman Spectroscopy To Study Of Biological Systems, Neva Agarwala

MSU Graduate Theses

Raman spectroscopy is an important tool of molecular characterization based on inelastic scattering of monochromatic light by molecules. Since Raman spectra reflect unique vibrational properties of materials, the method offers a potential of selective molecular identification. Furthermore, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) also is capable of a high sensitivity, since inelastic scattering of light from the molecules is strongly enhanced when Raman-active molecules are located close to roughened noble metal surfaces. In this thesis, Raman characterization protocols of liquid biological samples are optimized. Raman spectra of two different cell cultures, yeast cells and HeLa cells, were collected and interpreted. The potentiality …

Investigation Of Residual Stresses In Melt Infiltrated Sic/Sic Ceramic Matrix Composites Using Raman Spectroscopy, Kaitlin Noelle Kollins

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Ceramic matric composites (CMCs) are being developed for use in extreme operating conditions. Specifically, there is interest to replace superalloys with Silicon Carbide/Silicon Carbide (SiC/SiC) CMCs in the hot section of gas turbine engines because of their lower densities, high temperature performance, and oxidation resistance. Residual stresses in SiC/SiC CMCs are a direct result of the high temperature processing conditions, a mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion between composite constituents, and silicon crystallization expansion upon cooldown. Understanding the residual stress state and magnitudes of these stresses will enable better prediction of behavior and life performance in application environments. This …

A Study On The Synthesis And Properties Of Gold Nanoparticles And Their Applications To Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Daniel Robert Soden

MSU Graduate Theses

Surface enhanced Raman substrates represent a critical step in the sensitivity augmentation of Raman spectroscopy, but due to the time and expertise currently required in the synthesis process, they have not been fully realized within an industrial setting. This thesis aims to investigate a new technique in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate fabrication designed to decrease synthesis time and map the most effective growth parameters for a successful Raman intensity boost. Sputter physical vapor deposition was utilized to deposit a gold (Au) layer on an insulating substrate, and annealing treatments were applied to agglomerate the Au atoms into the …

Fabrication Of Cu2Znsnse4 Thin-Film Solar Cells By A Two-Stage Process, Yejiao Wang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Copper zinc tin selenide (Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ or CZTSe) is a quaternary compound semiconductor material that has attained more and more attention for thin film photovoltaic applications. CZTSe is only comprised of abundant and non-toxic elements. People have concerns about availability and cost of indium from CIGS and tellurium from CdTe, also about cadmium’s toxicity. These concerns have promoted CZTSe as an alternative thin film solar cell material. The major issues about CZTSe absorber fabrication are: tin loss during selenization process and existence of secondary phases. Recent improvements of CZTSe absorber have increased the efficiency of CZTSe thin film …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Kesterite Cu2znsns4 (Czts) Thin Films For Solar Cell Application, Mohamed M.A. Abusnina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The quaternary compound Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) gained considerable attention in the last decade due to its potential as an active-layer semiconductor for low-cost thin-film solar cells. The material is composed of nontoxic and Earth-abundant constituents, has optical properties suitable for photovoltaic application, and can be synthesized using a wide variety of methods.

Polycrystalline CZTS was grown in this work using vacuum-based deposition to first deposit metal films (precursors) of Cu, Zn, and Sn. In a subsequent step, the precursors underwent an annealing treatment in sulfur vapor environment (sulfurization) to form CZTS. Using sputtering, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) …

Degradation And Exciton Energy Transfer Studies In Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Bundles, Abhishek Gottipati

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) due to their unique optical behavior, large surface area, robust mechanical strength and electrical properties make them one of the ideal candidates for sensing and opto-electronic applications. In this work, we explore the energy transfer (exciton energy transfer-EET) phenomena occurring between nanotubes in bundles, using resonance Raman spectroscopy.