Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Cobalt-Based Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Non-Noble Metal Catalysts For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Meng-Xiu Jiang, Jing Zhang, Yue-Hua Li, Rong Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Transition metal-nitrogen co-doped carbon catalysts have attracted significant attention because of their reasonable activity and remarkable selectivity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as cathodic reaction in fuel cells. However, the role of transition metal in the active sites of the catalysts still is uncertain. In this work, the Co_x-N_y/C-T catalysts were prepared with BP2000 as a carbon source, urea (Ur) as a nitrogen source and Co(OAc)₂•4H₂O as a metal precursor by a simple chemical method. Meanwhile, in order to optimize the ORR activity, the catalysts were synthesized with different amounts of Co …

Core-Shell Pd@Pt Ultrathin Nanowires As Durable Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts, Xin Wang, Yun-Jie Xiong, Liang-Liang Zou, Qing-Hong Huang, Zhi-Qing Zou, Hui Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

This paper describes a simple CO-assisted reduction approach for the controllable synthesis of ultrathin Pd nanowires along the one-dimensional (1D) direction. Ultrathin Pt films from one to several atomic layers were successfully decorated onto ultrathin Pd nanowires by utilizing Cu UPD deposition, and followed by in-situ redox replacement reaction of UPD Cu by Pt. The core–shell structure and composition of the Pd@Pt ultrathin nanowires have been verified using transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The core–shell Pd@Pt ultrathin nanowires exhibited comparative electrocatalytic activity and improved durability for the oxygen reduction reaction in comparison with commercial Pt black. The …

Kinetics And Mechanism Toward Electrochemical Reductions Of Sodium Bromide And Methanol Over Iron Electrodes, Qun Liao, Shu-Feng Zhang, Wen-Hua Leng

Journal of Electrochemistry

It is of technological value and scientific interest to the electro-synthesis of ferrocene, conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and organic electro-synthesis in non-aqueous solutions by investigating the kinetics and mechanism toward electrochemical reductions of sodium bromide (NaBr) and methanol over iron electrodes. However, few reports in the related researches are available. In this article, the kinetics and mechanism toward electrochemical reductions of NaBr and methanol over iron electrodes were examined in detail by carrying out the polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements. The results showed that methanol was the reactant, while Na⁺ ions were functioned only …

Electroactivities Of Pd/Fe3O4-C Catalysts For Electro-Oxidation Of Methanol, Ethanol And Propanol, Tao Zou, Qing-Feng Yi, Yuan-Yuan Zhang, Xiao-Ping Liu, Guo-Rong Xu, Hui-Dong Nie, Xiu-Lin Zhou

Journal of Electrochemistry

Development of palladium (Pd) catalysts with high electroactivity for alcohol oxidation is significant for alcohol fuel cells. In this work, Pd nanoparticles were formed by sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) reduction method and subsequently deposited on the surface of carbon supported ferriferrous oxide (Fe₃O₄/C) composites to obtain the Pd/Fe₃O₄-C catalysts with different Fe₃O₄ loadings. Their transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images show that the Pd nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the Fe₃O₄/C. Electroactivities of the prepared Pd/Fe₃O₄-C catalysts toward oxidations of C1-C3 …

Effect Of Fe2+/Fe3+Interconvertion On Reduction Behavior Of Fe3+ In Acidic Electrolytes, Jian-Xin Qin, Feng Lin, Wen-Ping Liu, Chao Chen, Meng-De Ren

Journal of Electrochemistry

The influences of ferrous/ferric (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺) interconvertion on electrochemical reduction and electrode reaction of Fe³⁺ were investigated by using linear sweep voltammetry, potentiostatic method and cyclic voltammetry (CV) in acidic electrolytes containing chloride ion (Cl^- ) and sulfate ion (SO₄^2-). It was shown that the reduction process of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ would take place in two independent stages: (1) the reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ at E=0.35V and (2) the co-precipitation of Fe²⁺ by forming Fe(OH)₂ (E≤-0.3 V) instead of Fe. The major effect of Fe^{2+ …}

Adaption Of Catechol And Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer (Raft) Chemistries For Water-Based Applications, Olabode Oyeneye

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Incorporating the binding chemistry of catechol functionality with RAFT chemistry offers a facile and simplified approach for developing a suite of new 2D and 3D hybrid materials with tailored morphologies. Leveraging both chemistries by synthesizing catechol-end functionalized RAFT agents and catechol-containing monomeric species for RAFT (co)polymerization, this dissertation examined a new series of advanced materials that were designed for water-based applications including model flocculants, thermoresponsive hydrogels, adsorbents and underwater adhesives.

To prepare the RAFT agents, novel trithiocarbonates with several catechol end R groups (as postpolymerization anchors) were synthesized that differ in their carbonyl α-substituents (Dopa-CTAs). These materials were evaluated for …

The Role Of Catalytic Residue PKA On The Hydrolysis/Transglycosylation Partition In Family 3 Β-Glucosidases, Inacrist Geronimo, Christina M. Payne, Mats Sandgren

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

β-Glucosidases (βgls) primarily catalyze the hydrolysis of the terminal glycosidic bond at the non-reducing end of β-glucosides, although glycosidic bond synthesis (called transglycosylation) can also occur in the presence of another acceptor. In the final reaction step, the glucose product or another substrate competes with water for transfer to the glycosyl-enzyme intermediate. The factors governing the balance between the two pathways are not fully known; however, the involvement of ionizable residues in binding and catalysis suggests that their pK_a may play a role. Through constant pH molecular dynamics simulations of a glycoside hydrolase Family 3 (GH3) βgl, we …

Spray-Dried Cellulose Nanofibril-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites For Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, Lu Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compared to conventional manufacturing process, additive manufacturing (AM) offers free-form design, lighter and more ergonomic products, short lead time and less waste. Extrusion-based AM can be used to print thermoplastics. However, extrusion-based AM has processing challenges in printing semi-crystalline thermoplastics, for instance, polypropylene (PP). Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are one type of cellulose nanofibers that are produced from pulp fibers. CNF has extraordinary properties which make it an ideal candidate to reinforce polymers. Spray-dried CNF (SDCNF) is able to be incorporated into thermoplastic matrices without modifying conventional processing procedures.

The mechanical properties of 3D printed plastic parts have been considered significantly …

Fabrication And Modification Of Titania Nanotube Arrays For Harvesting Solar Energy And Drug Delivery Applications, Ahmed El Ruby Abdel Rahman Mohamed

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The fast diminishing of fossil fuels in the near future, as well as the global warming caused by increasing greenhouse gases have motivated the urgent quest to develop advanced materials as cost-effective photoanodes for solar light harvesting and many other photocatalytic applications. Recently, titania nanotube arrays (TNTAs) fabricated by anodization process has attracted great interest due to their excellent properties such as: high surface area, vertically oriented, highly organized, one-dimensional, nanotubular structure, photoactivity, chemical stability and biocompatibility. This unique combination of excellent properties makes TNTAs an excellent photoanode for solar light harvesting. However, the relatively wide band gap energy of …

Layer-By-Layer Assembled Membranes With Immobilized Porins, Sebastián Hernández, Cassandra Porter, Xinyi Zhang, Yinan Wei, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

New and advanced opportunities are arising for the synthesis and functionalization of membranes with selective separation, reactivity, and stimuli-responsive behavior. One such advancement is the integration of bio-based channels in membrane technologies. By a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolytes, outer membrane protein F trimers (OmpF) or “porins” from Escherichia coli with central pores ∼2 nm in diameter at their opening and ∼0.7 × 1.1 nm at their constricted region are immobilized within the pores of poly(vinylidene fluoride) microfiltration membranes, in contrast to traditional ruptured lipid bilayer or vesicle processes. These OmpF-membranes demonstrate selective rejection of non-charged organics over ionic solutes, …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Thermoresponsive Hydrogels Based On N-Isopropylacrylamide Crosslinked With 4,4′-Dihydroxybiphenyl Diacrylate, Shuo Tang, Martha Floy, Rohit Bhandari, Manjula Sunkara, Andrew J. Morris, Thomas D. Dziubla, J. Zach Hilt

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

A novel crosslinker [4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl diacrylate (44BDA)] was developed, and a series of temperature-responsive hydrogels were synthesized through free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with 44BDA. The temperature-responsive behavior of the resulting gels was characterized by swelling studies, and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the hydrogels was characterized through differential scanning calorimetry. Increased content of 44BDA led to a decreased swelling ratio and shifted the LCST to lower temperatures. These novel hydrogels also displayed resiliency through multiple swelling–deswelling cycles, and their temperature responsiveness was reversible. The successful synthesis of NIPAAm-based hydrogels crosslinked with 44BDA has led to a …

Innovation Of Hydrocarbon Investigation Using Audio-Magnetotelluric In Cepu Field, Indonesia, Iqbal Fauzi Aditama, Widodo Widodo

Makara Journal of Technology

An audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) survey has been performed at Cepu oil field located in Indonesia. The objective of this research is to detect resistivity structures of this important hydrocarbon rock. This research can be classified as an innovation in application of the AMT method for hydrocarbon exploration. The lack of seismic resolution has been provided by the AMT method, especially in the location of sub-basalt and sub-salt plays. In additional, the cost of AMT survey is quite low compared to seismic. The forward modelling is included in this research to understand the measurement data response from a mathematical model. In the …

Adsorption Of Cu(Ii) Ions In Aqueous Solution Onto Limonia Acidissima Shellbased Activated Carbon: Kinetic And Isotherm Studies, Abrar Muslim, Syahiddin Dahlan Said, Gita Suci Hariati, Siti Fajar Karina, Fauzi Muhammad Djuned, Rizka Mulyawan

Makara Journal of Technology

Adsorption of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution using activated carbon prepared from Limonia acidissima fruit shell (LAFS-AC) was conducted in batch mode experiments at pH 5 (±0.15), 100 rpm and 1 atm. The effects of contact time, initial Cu(II) ions concentration, KOH concentration, and adsorption temperature on Cu(II) ions adsorption capacity were investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses were performed to investigate the active site and surface morphology of the LAFS-AC, respectively. The Cu(II) ions adsorption was fitted very well (R2 = 0.94 on average) to the pseudo second-order adsorption kinetic with the adsorption capacity and …

Experimental Study Of The Chimney Height Variation Against Double Pots Biomass Stove Performance, Faisal Faisal, Adi Setiawan, Wusnah Wusnah, Khairil Khairil, Luthfi Luthfi, Mona Fajriana

Makara Journal of Technology

This research aims to get optimal chimneys height of double pots biomass stove. Optimal chimneys height needs to provide best performance of the stove. Experimental study was done by varied the chimney heights. Water boiling test as the standard method was used to obtained stove performance for each chimney height variation. The results showed that best performance stove was the one with 1.65 cm chimney height, with thermal efficiency at 37.66%.

Indonesia’S Municipal Solid Waste 3r And Waste To Energy Programs, Farizal Farizal, Radityo Aji, Amar Rachman, Nasruddin Nasruddin, Teuku Meurah Indra Mahlia

Makara Journal of Technology

Like most cities in the world, population in Indonesia continues to grow every year. Problems that can arise from this are the increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) production and the growing demand for electricity. To deal with the problems, Indonesian government runs 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and WTE (Waste to Energy) Programs simultaneously. 3R program aims to reduce the number of waste, while WTE program aims to generate electricity as an alternative energy source. This study aims to find out the optimal proportion of MSW treated through the 3R and WTE programs. For the purpose, a goal …

Energy Potentials Of Briquette Produced From Tannery Solid Waste, Olatunde Ajani Oyelaran, Faralu Muhammed Sani, Olawale Monsur Sanusi, Olusegun Balogun, Adeyinka Okeowo Fagbemigun

Makara Journal of Technology

The vast quantity of waste generated from industries is one of the serious outcomes of unplanned development, resulting into quantum of hazardous organic and inorganic waste generating daily. Proper waste management is a challenging issue that must be addressed adequately. This is, therefore, carried out with a view of assessing the energy and combustion quality of tannery solid waste with a view of converting them into briquettes for cooking, heating and small home industries and reducing the menace caused by tannery waste disposal. The results of the experiments showed that the combustion rate ranged between 0.171 and 0.217 g/min, the …

Study On Semiconductor Properties Of Acetylide-Thiourea Fabricated Onto Interdigitated Electrodes (Ides) Platform Towards Application In Gas Sensing Technology, Adibah Izzati Daud, Wan M. Khairul, M. I. N. Isa, Khairul Anuar Abdul Wahid

Makara Journal of Technology

In the past few decades, the unique properties of acetylide and thiourea moieties individually have attracted great attention from researchers in various fields to be developed in numerous applications in advanced materials technology, especially as an active layer in gas sensing devices. The molecular systems of acetylide and thiourea provide a wide range of electronic properties as they possess rigid π-systems in their designated structures. In this study, a derivative of acetylide-thiourea featuring N-(4[4-aminophenyl] ethynyl benzonitrile)-N’-(4-ethyl benzoyl) thiourea (TCN) has been synthesised with the general formula of ArC(O)NHC(S)NHC≡C)Ar adopted the system of D-π-A for the significant development of conductive materials. …

Assessment On Heck-Immine Derivatives As Organic Semiconductor Materials, Rafizah Rahamathullah, Lim Keemi, Wan M. Khairul

Makara Journal of Technology

This paper reports the synthetic, characterization and theoretical evaluation of new class of hybrid Heck-immine system involving mixed moieties of vinylene (C=C) and azomethines (CH=N) which has been successfully integrated into an addition of organic semiconducting materials. The assessment of 4-[(hexyloxyphenyl)methylene]amino)-4’-chloro-stilbene (HEXCS) based on Donor (D)-π-Acceptor (A) was evaluated as active semiconductor material candidates via several spectroscopic and analytical techniques. In turn, the investigation of its potential as dopant system in conductive film was successfully deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated substrate via spin coating method. The relationship between electronic and optical properties, chemical modelling at molecular interactions and …

Experimental Study On Automatic Control For Collision Avoidance Of Ships, Daeng Paroka, Muhammad Fahmi Kamil, Andi Haris Muhammad

Makara Journal of Technology

Automatic control system is widely applied to control the ship direction or heading angle in accordance with the decided trajectory. Several methods for improving performance of control system have been developed such as Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control and fuzzy logic based control. Within the last decade, application of automatic control system is not only for ship navigation but also for avoiding collision risk of ships in seaways. This paper discusses the application of automatic control system for avoiding ship collision by free running experiment. Fuzzy logic based control was developed using Mamdani Centroid method to estimate the necessary rudder angle in …

Transport Of Water And Ions Through Single-Walled Armchair Carbon Nanotubes: A Molecular Dynamics Study, Michelle Patricia Aranha

Doctoral Dissertations

The narrow hydrophobic interior of a carbon nanotube (CNT) poses a barrier to the transport of water and ions, and yet, unexpectedly, numerous experimental and simulation studies have confirmed fast water transport rates comparable to those seen in biological aquaporin channels. These outstanding features of high water permeability and high solute rejection of even dissolved ions that would typically require a lot of energy for separation in commercial processes makes carbon nanotubes an exciting candidate for desalination membranes. Extending ion exclusion beyond simple mechanical sieving by the inclusion of electrostatics via added functionality to the nanotube bears promise to not …

A High Quality And Quantity Hybrid Perovskite Quantum Dots (Cspbx3, X= Cl, Br And I) Powders Synthesis Via Ionic Displacement, Yuhang Yin, Weiling Luan, Chengxi Zhang, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Recently, all-inorganic perovskites CsPbX₃ (X= Cl, Br and I) quantum dots (QDs) have drawn great attentions because of their PL spectra tunable over the whole visible spectral region (400-700 nm) and adjustable bandgap, which revealed a promising potential on the field of photoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, LEDs and sensors. In this paper, CsPbX₃ QDs and hybrid QDs, CsPbClxBr3-x and CsPbBrxI3-x were synthesized via one-step and two-step methods comparably. The optical bandgaps of CsPbCl₃, CsPbBr₃, and CsPbI₃, were calculated as 3.08, 2.36, and 1.73eV, respectively, based on the Tauc's equation and …

Artificial Olfactory System For Multi-Component Analysis Of Gas Mixtures., Alexander Aleksandrovich Larin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gas analysis is an important part of our world and gas sensing technology is becoming more essential for various aspects of our life. A novel approach for gas mixture analysis by using portable gas chromatography in combination with an array of highly integrated and selective metal oxide (MOX) sensors has been studied. We developed a system with small size (7 x 13 x 16 inches), low power consumption (~10 W) and absence of special carrier gases designed for portable field analysis (assuming apriori calibration). Low ppb and even sub-ppb level of detection for some VOCs was achieved during the analysis …

Ptfe-Based Microreactor System For The Continuous Synthesis Of Full-Visible-Spectrum Emitting Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals, Chengxi Zhang, Weiling Luan, Yuhang Yin, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Colloidal perovskite nanocrystals comprised of all inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbX₃, X = Cl, Br, I or a mixture thereof) have potential as optical gain materials due to their high luminescence efficiency. In this work, cesium lead halide nanocrystals are continuously synthesized via a microreactor system consisting of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) capillaries. The synthesized nanocrystals possess excellent optical properties, including a full width at half maximum of 19–35 nm, high fluorescence quantum yield of 47.8–90.55%, and photoluminescence emission in the range of 450–700 nm. For the same precursor concentrations, the photoluminescence emission peak generally increases with increasing reaction temperature, …

Effect Of Oxide On Surface Tension Of Molten Metal, Chunkai Li, Yu Shi, Yufen Gu, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Oxides as one of the commonly activating fluxes used in active tungsten inert gas welding (A-TIG welding) can dramatically increase the penetration depth to 2–4 times that of conventional welding. Using the oscillation principle of inviscid fluid, a robust method is developed to measure the average surface tension of molten metal during A-TIG welding for four different oxide activating fluxes of B₂O₃, TiO₂, SiO₂, and MgO. The experimental results suggest that the oxygen released from the decomposition of oxides is the dominant factor contributing to the change of the surface tension, which …

The Rheology And Roll-To-Roll Processing Of Shear-Thickening Particle Dispersions, Sunilkumar Khandavalli

Doctoral Dissertations

Particle dispersions are ubiquitous in our daily lives ranging from food and pharmaceutical products to inks. There has been great interest in the recent years in formulation of functional inks to fabricate myriad flexible electronic devices through high-throughput roll-to-roll technologies. The formulations often contain several functional additives or rheological modifiers that can affect the microstructure, rheology and processing. Understanding the rheology of formulations is important for tuning the formulation for optimal processing. This thesis presents investigations on the rheology of particle dispersions and their impact on roll-to-roll technologies. Shear-thickening behavior is common in particle dispersions, particularly, concentrated particulate inks. We …

The Role Of Chain Configuration In Governing The Rational Design Of Polymers For Adhesion, Onyenkachi Wamuo

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT THE ROLE OF CHAIN CONFIGURATION IN GOVERNING THE RATIONAL DESIGN OF POLYMERS FOR ADHESION SEPTEMBER 2017 ONYENKACHI C. WAMUO, B.Eng., FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI (FUTO), NIGERIA M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Shaw Ling Hsu The chain configurational control of polymers used in adhesion can be utilized as a means of tuning the cohesive properties of hot melt adhesives (HMAs). The cohesive properties control the solidification, strength, setting speed. Propylene-Ethylene copolymers (PP-co-PE) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) were studied. In the first project, the effects of sequence distribution of the two types …

Computational Studies Of Structure–Function Relationships Of Supported And Unsupported Metal Nanoclusters, Hongbo Shi

Doctoral Dissertations

Fuel cells have been demonstrated to be promising power generation devices to address the current global energy and environmental challenges. One of the many barriers to commercialization is the cost of precious catalysts needed to achieve sufficient power output. Platinum-based materials play an important role as electrocatalysts in energy conversion technologies. In order to improve catalytic efficiency and facilitate rational design and development of new catalysts, structure–function relationships that underpin catalytic activity must be understood at a fundamental level. First, we present a systematic analysis of CO adsorption on Pt nanoclusters in the 0.2-1.5 nm size range with the aim …

Analyses Of Densely Crosslinked Phenolic Systems Using Low Field Nmr, Jigneshkumar Patel

Doctoral Dissertations

A uniform dispersion of reactants is necessary to achieve a complete reaction involving multi-components, especially for the crosslinking of rigid high-performance materials. In these reactions, miscibility is crucial for curing efficiency. This miscibility is typically enhanced by adding a third component, a plasticizer. For the reaction of the highly crystalline crosslinking agent hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) with a strongly hydrogen-bonded phenol formaldehyde resin, furfural has been traditionally used as the plasticizer. However, the reason for its effectiveness is not clear. In this doctoral thesis work, miscibility and crosslinking efficiency of plasticizers in phenolic curing reactions are studied by thermal analysis and spectroscopic …

Development Of Novel N-Isopropylacrylamide (Nipaam) Based Hydrogels With Varying Content Of Chrysin Multiacrylate, Shuo Tang, Martha Floy, Rohit Bhandari, Thomas D. Dziubla, J. Zach Hilt

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

A series of novel temperature responsive hydrogels were synthesized by free radical polymerization with varying content of chrysin multiacrylate (ChryMA). The goal was to study the impact of this novel polyphenolic-based multiacrylate on the properties of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) hydrogels. The temperature responsive behavior of the copolymerized gels was characterized by swelling studies, and their lower critical solution temperature (LCST) was characterized through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was shown that the incorporation of ChryMA decreased the swelling ratios of the hydrogels and shifted their LCSTs to a lower temperature. Gels with different ChryMA content showed different levels of response to …

Computational Materials Characterization, Discovery, And Design With High Performance Computing, Qunfei Zhou, Xiaotao Liu, Tyler Maxwell, Thomas John Balk, Matthew J. Beck

Commonwealth Computational Summit

No abstract provided.