Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Electrocatalytic Activity Of Palladium Nanocatalysts Supported On Carbon Nanoparticles In Formic Acid Oxidation, Jie Huang, Zhiyou Zhou, Yang Song, Xiongwu Kang, Ke Liu, Wancheng Zhou, Shaowei Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Palladium nanostructures were deposited onto carbon nanoparticle surface by a chemical reduction method. Transmission electron microscopic studies showed that whereas the resulting metal-carbon (Pd-CNP) nanocomposites exhibited a diameter of 20 to 30 nm, the metal components actually showed a cauliflower-like surface morphology that consisted of numerous smaller Pd nanoparticles (3 to 8 nm). Electrochemical studies showed that the effective surface area of the Pd-CNP nanoparticles was about 40% less than that of Pd black, possibly because the Pd nanoparticles were coated with a layer of carbon nanoparticles; yet, the Pd-CNP nanocomposites exhibited marked enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity in formic …

Electrochemical Performance Of Screen-Printed Composite Coatings Of Conducting Polymers And Carbon Nanotubes On Titanium Bipolar Plates In Aqueous Asymmetrical Supercapacitors, Xiaohang Zhou, George Z. Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Composites of conducting polymers (polypyrrole and polyaniline) with acid treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes were formulated into printable aqueous inks, with the aid of functional additives (benzethonium chloride as a surfactant with or without polyvinyl alcohol as a binder). The inks were screen-printed as fairly uniform coatings of various mass loading densities and areas (up to 75 mg cm^-2 and 100 cm²) on thin titanium plates (0.1 mm in thickness). These screen-printed plates were used to fabricate both unit cell and multi-cell stack of asymmetrical supercapacitors with screen-printed negative electrodes of activated carbon (pigment black) in aqueous electrolytes …

Adsorption And Electrooxidation Of Carbon Monoxide On Platinum Surfaces Modified With Sulfur, A. Mattox Mathew, W. Henney Matthew, Johnson Adam, Zou Shouzhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Adsorbed sulfur is commonly considered as a reaction poison. However, small amounts of sulfur on platinum significantly increase the surface reactivity toward carbon monoxide (CO) electrooxidation. For the solution CO oxidation, the onset potential was shifted up to over 300 mV negative to that on S-free surface, and the extent of the negative potential shift increases with the sulfur coverage (X_s) up to about 0.6. The enhanced CO oxidation also depends on the solution pH. For the adsorbed CO, at low sulfur coverages (X_s < 0.3), the oxidation peak potential is about 40 mV negative to that of the corresponding clean Pt. However, at higher coverages, the peak potential is about 30 mV more positive. Surface-enhanced Raman spectra show that the adsorption of sulfur significantly redshifts the Pt-CO stretching frequency. These observations are explained by the weakening of the Pt-CO bond and the hindrance of CO diffusion by Sads.

Kinetic Study Of Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Of Lignin Model Compounds On Tio2 Nanotubes, Min Tian, Daniel Liba, Aicheng Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this study, TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared via the electrochemical oxidation of titanium substrates in a non-aqueous electrolyte and their morphology and microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photoelectrochemical oxidation of two lignin model compounds, 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanediol (DMP) and 3-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanone (HDM), was investigated. A new band appeared at ~304 nm during the photoelectrochemical oxidation of DMP. The rate of DMP intermediate formation was amplified with the increase of initial concentrations, while it was diminished with increased temperature. Despite the similarity in structure between HDM and DMP, there are only small increases in absorbance …

Controlled Synthesis Of One Dimensional Nanostructured Materials And Their Applications As Catalyst Supports In Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Mohammad Norouzi Banis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Nanomaterials have attracted significant interest in the past decade due to their unique structure and properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Nanomaterials-based solutions can address challenges in various technologies such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). PEMFC is an innovative energy conversion technology to directly convert chemical energy to electrical energy by using hydrogen as fuel. However, the current PEMFC system still faces significant technological roadblocks which have to be overcome before the system can become economically viable. A major impediment to the commercialization of PEMFC is the high cost of materials and manufacturing and stability, which is primarily …

Quantum Dot Deposition Into Pdms And Application Onto A Solar Cell, Christopher Marcus Botros, Richard N. Savage

Master's Theses

Research to increase the efficiency of conventional solar cells is constantly underway. The goal of this work is to increase the efficiency of conventional solar cells by incorporating quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles in the absorption mechanism. The strategy is to have the QDs absorb UV and fluoresce photons in the visible region that are more readily absorbed by the cells. The outcome is that the cells have more visible photons to absorb and have increased power output. The QDs, having a CdSe core and a ZnS shell, were applied to the solar cells as follows. First, the QDs were synthesized …

Silica Nanoparticle-Based Coatings With Superhydrophilic And Superhydrophobic Properties, Robert Andrew Fleming

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces have potential for implementation into a variety of fields, including self-cleaning surfaces, anti-fogging transparent materials, and biomedical applications. In this study, sandblasting, oxygen plasma treatments, silica nanoparticle films, and a low surface energy fluorocarbon film were employed to change the natural surface wettability of titanium, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, with an aim to produce superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic behavior. The effects of these surface modifications are characterized by water contact angles (WCAs), surface wetting stability, surface morphology and roughness, surface elemental composition, and optical transmittance measurements. The results show that stable superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces …

The Impact Of Controlled Solvent Exposure On The Morphology, Structure And Function Of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells, Raghavendra R. Hegde Dr

Raghavendra R Hegde Dr

Films of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were controllably exposed to CS2 vapor in a column with a linear solvent vapor pressure gradient. Changes in the morphology of the P3HT:PCBM thin film were monitored and correlated to the ability of this thin film to act as the active layer in an organic solar cell. The results show that the crystallinity and crystal size of the P3HT increase initially with solvent vapor pressure and annealing time, but longer exposure to solvent decreases P3HT crystallinity and photovoltaic efficiency. Neutron reflectivity indicates that the PCBM segregates to the Si substrate …

Development Of Nano-Zro2 Reinforced Self-Flowing Low And Ultra Low Cement Refractory Castables, Cem Gogtas

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this research is to develop high strength high toughness nano-ZrO2 reinforced self flow low cement (5%) and ultra low cement (3 and 1%) castables based on tabular alumina. In processing these castables, the Andreassen model was used to obtain optimum self flow properties in both, low and ultra low castables. The castables thus produced were fired at 110 and 1000, 1300 and 1500oC and the phases obtained were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) including energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). In addition, the other castable properties …

Design, Fabrication, Testing Of Cnt Based Isfet And Characterization Of Nano/Bio Materials Using Afm, Zhuxin Dong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A combination of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Ion Selective Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) is designed and experimentally verified in order to develop the next generation ion concentration sensing system. Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) fabrication techniques, such as photolithography, diffusion, evaporation, lift-off, packaging, etc., are required in the fabrication of the CNT-ISFET structure on p-type silicon wafers. In addition, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) based surface nanomachining is investigated and used for creating nanochannels on silicon surfaces. Since AFM based nanomanipulation and nanomachining is highly controllable, nanochannels are precisely scratched in the area between the source and drain of the FET where …

Pulse Sharpening Effects Of Thin Film Ferroelectric Transmission Lines, Robert J. Sleezer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advances in material science have resulted in the development of electrically nonlinear high dielectric thin film ferroelectrics, which have led to new opportunities for the creation of novel devices. This dissertation investigated one such device: a low voltage nonlinear transmission line (NLTL). A finite element simulation of ferroelectric transmission lines showed that NLTLs are capable of creating shockwaves. Additionally, if the losses are kept sufficiently low, it was shown that voltage gain should be possible. Furthermore, a method of accounting for material dispersion was developed. Results from simulations including material dispersion showed that temporal solitons might be possible from a …

Magnetic Properties Of Gamnas Nanodot Arrays Fabricated Using Porous Alumina Templates, S. Bennett, L. Menon, D. Heiman

Donald Heiman

Ordered arrays of GaMnAs magnetic semiconductor nanodots have been fabricated using anodic porous alumina templates as etch masks. The magnetic behavior is studied for prepared arrays with 40 nm dot diameter, 15 nm dot thickness, and 80 nm periodicity. The disklike nanodots exhibit an easy axis for fields applied in the radial direction and a hard axis in the smaller direction. In the radial direction superparamagnetism is observed with a blocking temperature of 30 K. The fabrication technique is convenient for preparing nanodot arrays of compound semiconductors that cannot be formed by self-assembly techniques.

Magnetic Properties Of Gamnas Nanodot Arrays Fabricated Using Porous Alumina Templates, S. P. Bennett, L. Menon, D. Heiman

Latika Menon

Ordered arrays of GaMnAs magnetic semiconductor nanodots have been fabricated using anodic porous alumina templates as etch masks. The magnetic behavior is studied for prepared arrays with 40 nm dot diameter, 15 nm dot thickness, and 80 nm periodicity. The disklike nanodots exhibit an easy axis for fields applied in the radial direction and a hard axis in the smaller direction. In the radial direction superparamagnetism is observed with a blocking temperature of 30 K. The fabrication technique is convenient for preparing nanodot arrays of compound semiconductors that cannot be formed by self-assembly techniques.

The Oxidation Of Hydrogen Peroxide On Nanostructured Rhodium Microelectrodes, N. Bartlett Philip, F. Esterle Thomas

Journal of Electrochemistry

Mesoporous Rh films were deposited onto platinum microelectrodes from the H₁ lyotropic liquid crystalline phase of C₁₂EO₈ (octaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether). The electrodes show well defined voltammetry for the oxidation and the reduction of hydrogen peroxide at low concentrations (<10 mmol•L-1) with excellent stability for operation at neutral pH. Based on the hysteresis in the current and the potential dependence the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide occurs through a CEE mechanism involving Rh(OH)₃ on the mesoporous Rh electrode surface. At higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations the current reaches a plateau that is due to either saturation of the binding sites for hydrogen peroxide or limitation of the reaction due to acidification of the solution within the pores. For the thin films (below 200 nm) the hydrogen peroxide calibration curves we …

Electrochemical Synthesis Of Silver-Tetracyanoquinodimethane Nanorods At Agar Supported Water/1,2-Dichloroethane Interface, Li Huang, Yixian Wang, Michael V. Mirkin, Bin Ren, Dongping Zhan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Silver-tetracyanoquinodimethane (AgTCNQ) is an important charge transfer salt due to its high conductivity and other electronic properties. In this communication, we report the synthesis of AgTCNQ at the liquid/liquid interface. Agar was used as a gelling agent to support water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface. Silver ions were transferred from the hydrogel into DCE phase, where they combined with TCNQ^- to form AgTCNQ nanorods. The developed method can provide a new route for synthesis of functional materials based on the electrochemistry at the liquid/liquid interface.

In Situ Pm-Irras Studies Of A Floating Bilayer Lipid Membrane At Au(111) Electrode Surface, Su Zhangfei, Kycia Annia, Jay Leitch J., Lipkowski Jacek

Journal of Electrochemistry

In situ Polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) was used to study the structure of a DMPC + cholesterol + GM1 floating bilayer lipid membrane (fBLM) at a Au(111) surface. 1-thio-beta-D-glucose (beta-Tg) was self-assembled onto the Au electrode to increase the overall hydrophilicity of the surface. The fBLM was deposited on the beta-Tg self-assembled monolayer (SAM) using a combination of Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir-Schaefer (LB/LS) techniques. The carbohydrate headgroups of the GM1 molecules were physically adsorbed to the beta-Tg SAM forming a water rich cushion between the fBLM and the modified gold substrate. The PM-IRRAS spectra indicate that the DMPC molecules within …

Naf-M (M = Fe, Cu) Nanocomposites As Conversion Cathode Materials For Sodium Ion Batteries, Ting Li, Zhong-Xue Chen, Yu-Liang Cao, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The NaF-M (M = Fe, Cu) nanocomposites were prepared by high-energy ball milling using TiN grinding nanoparticles and investigated as cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. The experimental results demonstrated that NaF-Fe and NaF-Cu nanocomposites can go through electrochemical conversion reaction with Na⁺ uptake or removal, delivering a reversible capacity of ~ 150 mAh.g^-1, even through a reversed conversion from initial discharged state to a charged state. These results reveal the possibility to realize a conversion reaction as long as NaF and elemental metal particles are intimately contacted to form active nanocomposites at nanodomain, which suggests a …

Carbon Nanotubes With Ni2P Nanoparticles As A Counter Electrode In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Yan-Ye Dou, Nan-Fu Yan, Guo-Ran Li, Xue-Ping Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported by Ni₂P nanoparticles are prepared and used as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. The CNTs-Ni₂P composite was prepared by the heat treatment of a mixed precursor including nickel chloride, sodium hypophosphite and CNTs in argon atmosphere. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the as-prepared sample consists of hexagonal Ni2P and carbon nanotubes. No peaks of other nickel phosphides are observed in the XRD pattern. Microstructure of the Ni₂P-CNTs composite was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that the Ni …

Electrochemical Performances Of Layered Polypyrrole/Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites As Supercapacitor Electrodes, Si-Zhe Xu, Xue-Jiao Zhou, Kun Wu, Yong-Qiang Yang, Hai-Xia Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nanocomposites of polypyrrole (Ppy) and chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO), Ppy/CRGO, have been fabricated through in-situ polymerization of pyrrole on graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The as-synthesized Ppy/CRGO composites were characterized complementarily using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). By controlling the initial ratio of the GO to pyrrole, the layered composites could be obtained and their thickness could be tuned properly. The Ppy/CRGO electrodes were prepared using a mechanical compressing technique and their electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties were characterized systematically. We demonstrated that as electrodes for supercapacitor, the Ppy/CRGO composites with Ppy …

Electrochemical Corrosion And Protection Of Copper Foil Treated By Surface Siloxane Filming, Wei-Jun Miao, Yu-Bao Zhang, Ning-Yu Gu, Feng Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Copper foil specimens were immersed in hydro-alcoholic solution of 3-amino-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (γ-APS) to prepare a protective self-assembled siloxane membrane on the surface. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic tests were performed in 0.1 mol.L^-1 NaCl to evaluate the effects of the self-assembled siloxane membranes prepared at different pH of γ-APS on corrosion of copper foil. The surface morphology of siloxane membrane was studied by SEM. Experimental results revealed that the γ-APS self-assembled siloxane membranes effectively inhibited the corrosion of copper foil and the optimum anti-corrosion effect was found when the pH value of the silane solution was 7.

Electrochemical Sensing Of Guanine And Adenine Based On The Boron-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Modified Electrode, Ya-Lin Xia, Chun-Yan Deng, Juan Xiang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, the boron-doped carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was simply fabricated, and the electrochemical oxidation behaviors of guanine and adenine at the BCNTs/GC electrode were investigated. Compared with the bare GC and CNTs/GC electrodes, the BCNTs-modified electrode exhibited extraordinary electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidations of guanine and adenine as indicated by the obvious increase in current responses. Moreover, the peak separation between guanine and adenine was large enough for their potential recognition in mixture without any separation or pretreatment. Therefore, the simultaneous determination of guanine and adenine was successfully achieved. The BCNTs/GC electrode showed high …

Semiconductor Nanocrystals: From Quantum Dots To Quantum Disks, Zheng Li

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bottom-up colloidal synthesis opened up the possibility of finely tuning and tailoring the semiconductor nanocrystals. Numerous recipes were developed for the preparation of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, especially the traditional quantum dots. However, due to the lack of thorough understanding to those systems, the synthesis chemistry is still on the empirical level. CdS quantum dots synthesis in non-coordinating solvent were taken as a model system to investigate its molecular mechanism and formation process, ODE was identified as the reducing agent for the preparation of CdS nanocrystals, non-injection and low-temperature synthesis methods developed. In this model system, we not only proved …

Probing And Controlling Fluid Rheology At Microscale With Magnetic Nanorods, Alexander Tokarev

All Dissertations

This Dissertation is focused on the development of new methods for characterization and control of fluid rheology using magnetic nanorods. This Dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter, we review current microrheologial methods and develop a Magnetic Rotational Spectroscopy (MRS) model describing nanorod response to a rotating magnetic field. Using numerical modeling, we analyze the effects of materials parameters of nanorods and fluids on the MRS characteristic features. The model is designed for a specific experimental protocol. We introduce and examine physical parameters which can be measured experimentally. The model allows identification of MRS features enabling the calculation …

Multidentate Resorcinarene Surfactants For The Phase Transfer Of Metal Nanoparticles And Nanodiamonds: Applications In Catalysis And Diamond Film Growth, Vara Prasad Sheela

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

One main objective of the present work is to functionalize cuboctahedral platinum nanoparticles with various multidentate resorcinarene surfactants and study their influence in determining their catalytic activity. We hypothesized that catalytically active and recyclable catalysts can be achieved by incomplete yet strong passivation of the nanoparticle surfaces by using multidentate resorcinarene surfactants. We have developed phase transfer protocols for functionalizing cuboctahedral platinum nanoparticles with resorcinarene thiol or amine. Fluorescence assay confirmed that both these nanoparticles contained almost comparable unpassivated metal area. The activity of such phase transferred nanoparticles was tested in the catalytic hydrogenation of allyl alcohol. The conversion of …

Preparation And Electrochemical Performance Of Tio2/Gns Nanocomposite As Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Lin-Lin Qin, Huan Zhang, Xiao-Jing Liu, Jian-Hui Xu, Yi-Ning Shi, Ming-Sen Zheng, Quan-Feng Dong

Journal of Electrochemistry

The honeycomb-like porous TiO2/graphenes (TiO2/GNs) nanocomposite was prepared by a reflux method. SEM and TEM results showed that nanosized anatase TiO2 (about 5~10 nm) were dispersed uniformly on the surface of the GNs. The TiO2/GNs composite showed excellent rate and cycling performance: A stable charge capacity of 169.5 mAh?g-1 was obtained at 30C, and can restore to 241.7 mAh?g-1 while current went back to 1C. The stable charge capacity of TiO2/GNs nanocomposite electrode up to 201.9 mAh?g-1 was achieved at 10C in the first cycle, and could be maintained at 181.4 mAh?g-1 after 300 times of cycling.

Preparation And Characterization Of Prussian Blue Modified Nanoelectrode, Wei Wang, Bao-Fa Su, Dong-Ping Zhan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Pt nanoelectrodes were fabricated by using a laser-based pipet puller and the recessed nanoelectrodes were prepared by etching of disk Pt nanoelectrodes wtih high frequency ac voltage. Prussian blue microcrystal was synthesized electrochemically on the both disk and recessed Pt nanoelectrodes. The strength of mechanical adhesion for the Prussian blue microcrystal on the nanoelectrode was enhanced. A novel method for the controllable synthesis of single particle is proposed, which has potential applications in modified electrodes and single particle electrocatalysis.

Detection Of Pml/Rarî± Fusion Gene Using Gold Nanopaticles Modified Electrode By Chronocoulometry, Li-Man Wang, Li-Qing Lin, Shao-Huang Weng, Xin-Hua Lin, Yuan-Zhong Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

potential. The sulfydryl modified probe was immobilized onto surface of gold nanoparticles via Au-S covalent bond and hybridized with complementary target DNA sequences, then the DNA sensor was fabricated for the detection of PML/RARα fusion gene by chronocoulometry in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the surface morphology of gold nanoparticles and the constructing process of sensor. With hexaammineruthenium(Ⅲ) chloride (RuHex) as a novel electrochemical indicator, the chronocoulometric DNA biosensor was employed to monitor artificial APL PML/RARα fusion gene fragment．Experimental results showed that the gold nanoparticles amplified the detection …

Size-Dependent Metal-Insulator Transition In Pt-Dispersed Sio2 Thin Film: A Candidate For Future Non-Volatile Memory, Albert B. Chen

Albert B Chen

Non-volatile random access memories (NVRAM) are promising data storage and processing devices. Various NVRAM, such as FeRAM and MRAM, have been studied in the past. But resistance switching random access memory (RRAM) has demonstrated the most potential for replacing flash memory in use today. In this dissertation, a novel RRAM material design that relies upon an electronic transition, rather than a phase change (as in chalcogenide Ovonic RRAM) or a structural change (such in oxide and halide filamentary RRAM), is investigated. Since the design is not limited to a single material but applicable to general combinations of metals and insulators, …

Active Response Of Polymer Materials From External Stimuli – Solvents And Light; Grafting Reactions On Perovskite Layers, Jianxia Zhang

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The active response of a series of polymeric materials was investigated. Both solvent activated and light activated thin films and wire systems show dynamic behaviors when exposed to different stimuli.

Solvent mediated fluxional behavior of polymer thin films involved extensive, rapid curling both on infusion and evaporation of good solvents. These films can be either lab-fabricated ones or commercial ones, and the curling behavior can be as fast as seconds. Conditions including polymer materials, chosen solvents, and film geometry can affect the behavior.

Methods that allowed for the creation and retention of distorted wire structures were also developed; the asymmetric …

Nanocharacterization Of Porous Materials With Atomic Force Microscopy, Yasemin Kutes

Master's Theses

Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques have proven very useful in the investigation of porous nanostructured surfaces. Especially, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been widely used due to its compatibility with non-conducting surfaces. In particular, AFM often complements other techniques like scanning and transmission electron microscopy by providing quantitative surface information coupled with nanoscale spatial resolution. Its ability to operate in fluid is also important, as this allows researchers to mimic the physiological environment of biological materials and systems. In this work, two main types of porous materials are studied with AFM, including Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) electrode catalyst layers, and …