Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Achieving High Catalytic Activity And Redox Stability Of Doped Ceria Through A Novel Sol Gel Synthesis, Christopher Riley

Shared Knowledge Conference

Ceria is widely studied in catalysis because of its high oxygen mobility and storage capacity. These properties are enhanced by the incorporation of dopant atoms into the ceria crystal structure. However, creating a homogenously doped structure requires a suitable synthesis technique. Otherwise, dopant atoms form an oxide phase on the ceria surface, which blocks highly active catalytic sites. Traditional production methods allow for cerium and dopant ions to segregate during synthesis. In this work, we demonstrate a novel sol gel synthesis method for producing homogeneously doped ceria. The method is easy and avoids the use of hazardous chemicals. Higher dopant …

Investigating Scalable Manufacturing Of High-Conductivity Wires And Coatings From Ultra-Long Carbon Nanotubes, Pouria Khanbolouki

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising candidate for next generation of electrical wirings and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials due to their exceptional mechanical and electrical properties. Wires and coatings from ultralong nanotubes that are highly crystalline, well-aligned and densely packed can achieve this goal. High-performance CNT conductors will be relatively lightweight and resistant to harsh conditions and therefore can potentially replace current conductors in many industries including aerospace, automotive, gas and oil.

This thesis investigates a new manufacturing approach, based on conventional solution coating and wire drawing methods, to fabricate high conductivity wires and coatings from ultra-long carbon nanotubes. …

Graphite And Graphene-Oxide Based Pgm-Free Model Catalysts For The Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Joseph Henry Dumont

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

The world currently relies heavily on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are non-renewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. One alternative source of energy are fuel cells, electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity. They can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, stationary, portable and emergency power sources. Their development has been slowed by the high cost of PGM electrocatalysts needed at both electrodes as well as sluggish …