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Advancing Methods To Measure The Atmospheric Co2 Sink From Carbonate Rock Weathering, Devon Salley Mr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

With rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations, a detailed understanding of processes that impact atmospheric CO2 fluxes is required. While a sink of atmospheric carbon from the continents to the ocean from carbonate mineral weathering is, to some degree, offset by carbonate mineral precipitation in the oceans, efforts are underway to make direct measurements of these fluxes. Measurement of the continental sink has two parts: 1) measurement of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) flux leaving a river basin, and 2) partitioning the inorganic carbon flux between the amount removed from the atmosphere and the portion from the bedrock. This study attempted to …

Colloidal Self-Assembly Of Multi-Fluorescent Silsesquioxane Microparticles, Niharika Neerudu Sreeramulu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Self-assembly of colloidal microparticles is one of the strategies for making characteristic patterns. These versatile self-assemblies provide a route to elevate the efficiency of an electronic device. Silsesquioxane particles with various functionalities were synthesized by a modified Stöber condensation method. This thesis describes the synthesis of benzylchloride silsesquioxanes, benzylchloride-amine silsesquioxanes and amine-functionalized silsesquioxane particles with multi-fluorescent tags. The size and morphology of the particles were controlled by varying the concentration of base and anhydrous ethanol (solvent). The size distribution of particles was controlled by adjusting the molar ratios of organotrialkoxy silane, base, and ethanol concentrations. Through selective post-functionalization with fused …

Enhancing The Photovoltaic Efficiency Of A Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cell, Swapnil Ashok Sahare

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Active layer morphology of polymer-based solar cells plays an important role in improving power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this thesis, the focus is to improve the device efficiency of polymer-based solar cells. In the first objective, active layer morphology of polymer-solar cells was optimized though a novel solvent annealing technique. The second objective was to explore the possibility of replacing the highly sensitive aluminum cathode layer with a low-cost and stable alternative, copper metal. Large scale manufacturing of these solar cells is also explored using roll-to-roll printing techniques.

Poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl (PCBM) were used as the …

Technique Comparisons For Estimating Fragility Analysis In The Central Mid-West, Kimberly Ann Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Climate change studies and examinations of increasing sea levels and temperatures show storm intensity and frequency are increasing. As these storms are increasing in intensity and frequency, the effects of these storms must be monitored to determine the probable damages or impacts to critical infrastructure [2, 35]. These storms suddenly create new demands and requirements upon already stressed critical infrastructure sectors [1]. A combined and interdisciplinary effort must be made to identify these stresses and to mitigate any failures. This effort is needed so that the 21st Century Smart Grid is robust and resilient enough to ensure that the grid …

Reservoir Study And Facies Analysis Of The Big Clifty Sandstone In South Central Kentucky, Tyler S. Bodine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Big Clifty (Jackson) Sandstone Member of the Golconda Formation is the most important of the Mississippian (Chesterian) heavy-oil reservoirs in the southeastern Illinois Basin. Heavy oil reservoirs, or asphalt rock deposits, have been studied extensively in south central and western Kentucky, and ~2 billion barrels of original oil in place (OOIP) have been proposed to occur in the Big Clifty Sandstone. Despite high OOIP estimates, heterogeneities in the reservoir negatively impact the production of heavy oil deposits. Heterogeneities related to depositional facies changes are poorly understood in the Big Clifty Sandstone of Kentucky, where it has been mostly described …

Visible-Light-Responsible Co-Catalysts Enhanced By Graphene For Solar Energy Harvesting, Chen Ying

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses on the visible light response of hetero-structures of TiO2-graphene- MoS2 for solar energy harvestings. The commercial P25 TiO2 nano-particles, and selfprepared layered reduced graphene oxides (RG) and MoS2 were assembled for the targeted hetero-structure materials as visible-light responsible solar harvesting cocatalysts. The hydrothermal method was applied for nano-material synthesis, the reduction of graphene oxides, and bonding formation. Multiple characterization methods (SEM-TEM, XRD, XPS, UV-VIS, PL, FT-IR, TGA) have been applied to understand the electron-hole pair separation and recombination, and performance tuning in their visible-light photo-catalysis rhodamine B (Rh.B) degradations process

Compared to TiO2, an obvious red shift …