Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Quantum Dot Band Gap Measurements, John Ryan Peterson

Student Works

This presentation was given during the summer of 2016 as part of the BYU REU program funded by the NSF. Here I give a brief explanation of our quantum dot synthesis as well as explain the use of absorption spectroscopy to measure indirect band gap energies of semiconductors. Our experimental setup is shown and recent improvements are explained. We report indirect band gaps of quantum dots containing varying amounts of cobalt oxide and manganese oxide and synthesized in the protein ferritin. The data show that the band gap can be tuned arbitrarily in a certain range by varying the concentrations …

Quantitative Analysis Of Acetylsalicylic Acid By Q-Nmr (Quantitative-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), Charles Flemming Jr.

All Student Theses

Quantitative analysis is an important step during pharmaceutical drug development. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry uses high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantitative analysis of organic compounds as the preferred technique. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique has an inherent ability to quantify a given analyte and may be used to quantify organic compounds. Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (q-NMR) of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) was conducted using tert-butyl alcohol (tert-butanol) as the internal standard and deuterated chloroform (CDCl₃) as the solvent. Preparations of ASA solutions in low and high concentration ranges, 1.0 mM – 10.1 …

The Spectral Variability Of Astronomical Pahs, Matthew Shannon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly abundant molecules found throughout the universe. Illuminated by ultraviolet photons, they can emit up to 10% of the total power output of star-forming galaxies and are involved in many important physical and chemical processes (e.g., gas heating). They produce prominent emission bands between 3-20 μm which vary strongly in intensity and spectral profile. The origins of these variations are not fully understood, which limits the use of PAHs as (ubiquitous) diagnostic tracers of physical conditions. To characterize their variability, we studied the relative intensities and profiles of the 10-20 μm PAH bands in a …

Ultraviolet And Infrared Spectroscopy Of Synthetic Foldamers, Aib Homopeptides, And Solvated 1,2-Diphenylethane In The Gas Phase, Joseph R. Gord

Open Access Dissertations

The work presented here implements a supersonic jet expansion source to funnel the population of model peptides and solvated-bichromophore clusters into their low lying structural minima and to collisionally cool these minima to their respective zero-point vibrational levels. Single-conformation ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy techniques are then used to probe these systems and investigate their electronic properties and uncover their intrinsic conformational preferences in the gas phase.

Model β/γ-peptides known as synthetic foldamers and aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) homopeptides incorporate structural constraints that are designed/known to impose particular structural motifs. Here the ability of a β/γ-dipeptide to replicate the backbone length of …

Single-Conformation Spectroscopy Of Hydrogen Bonding Networks: Solvation, Synthetic Foldamers, And Neurodegenerative Diseases, Patrick S. Walsh

Open Access Dissertations

The hydrogen bond is one of the most important interactions in natural processes ranging from protein folding to chemical reactions. Two complementary methodologies are applied to understanding this important interaction: top-down and bottom-up. Top-down methods use large molecules, such as proteins, revealing secondary structure information. Bottom-up experiments are performed on small molecules, utilizing high-resolution spectroscopy to reveal underlying quantum mechanical effects. The complexity gap is formed between these two experimental regimes; between large and small molecules; between bulk and individual solvent molecules; between classical mechanics calculations and quantum chemical calculations. This dissertation will focus on the application of gas phase, …

Novel Pathways To High-Efficiency Chalcopyrite Photovoltaic Devices: A Spectroscopic Investigation Of Alternative Buffer Layers And Alkali-Treated Absorbers, Michelle Mezher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Within the past few years, breakthroughs in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGSe) thin-film photovoltaic device efficiencies (on a laboratory scale) were achieved utilizing alkali-treated (KF) absorbers. Na incorporation in the CIGSe absorber, either diffused from the substrate or deliberately deposited, affects the surface electronic properties of the CIGSe absorber. The role of Na, however, is still not fully understood with some studies suggesting that Na also passivates defects at the grain boundaries. Replacing Na with K offered an efficiency boost resulting in KF treatments becoming the new “hot topic” in the chalcopyrite field, both in terms of understanding how the treatment changes …

Rotational And Hyperfine Analysis Of Aus, Ian A. Wyse

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Gas phase diatomic gold sulfide, AuS, was analyzed using optical spectroscopy. High-resolution spectra were collected and characterized and a global fit of the A²∑⁺-X²∏_3/2 (0,0), B²∑^–-X²∏_3/2 (0,0), and C²Δ_3/2-X²∏_1/2 (0,0) transitions at 15570 cm^-1, 16290 cm^-1, and 17670 cm^-1 was compiled and resulted in rotational constant determinations for the A²∑⁺((2σ)¹(4π)⁴), B²∑^–((2σ)²(4π)²(2σ*)¹), and C²Δ_{3/2 …}

Searching To Distinguish Defects And The Presence Of Negative Capacitance, Thaddeus Cox

Senior Theses

In the search for solar cells with lower manufacturing costs, thin film technology was developed. These thin films are only micrometers thick and are grown at relatively low temperatures, resulting in films with imperfections known as defects. Defects can cause thin film solar cells to have lower efficiencies than their single crystalline counterparts. In order to create more efficient thin film solar cells the physical mechanisms behind defects need to be investigated by sensitive techniques. Capacitance measurements of solar cells detect minute changes in charge in the material. For that reason, capacitance is used to electrically characterize the solar cell. …

Mining Uranium From Seawater: A Coordination Chemistry Approach, Nada Mehio

Doctoral Dissertations

Poly(acrylamidoxime) fibers are the current state-of-the-art adsorbent for mining uranium from seawater. However, the amidoxime group is not perfectly selective towards the uranyl cation, in particular, competition with transition metal cations remains a major challenge. In order for subsequent generations of chelating polymer adsorbents to be improved, the coordination chemistry of amidoxime-uranyl and -transition metal cation complexes needs to be better understood. While the coordination mode of amidoxime-uranyl complexes has been established in the literature, a number of amidoxime-transition metal cation complex binding motifs can be observed on the Cambridge Structrural Database. Likewise, the formation constants, or log K values, …

Development Of Novel Analytical Methods With The Aim Of Forensic Analyte Detection Using Ultra-Thin Layer Chromatography, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, And Magneto-Elastic Wire Sensing, Nichole Ann Crane

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop analytical methods that aid in the detection of forensic analytes. Forensic analytes require methods with increased sensitivity and low limit of detection capabilities. Improvements in separation techniques, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic techniques, and wire-less gas sensing can each assist in the detection of trace evidence.

When surface enhanced Raman is coupled with thin-layer chromatography a mixture of compounds can be separated and transferred to a metal substrate to be detected using Raman spectroscopy. Surface enhanced Raman scattering enhances the Raman signal intensity by placing a metal substrate in close proximity to an …

Elucidating The Electronic Origins Of Intermolecular Forces In Crystalline Solids, Michael Thomas Ruggiero

Dissertations - ALL

It is not possible to study almost any physical system without considering intermolecular forces (IMFs), no matter how insignificant they may appear relative to other energetic factors. Countless studies have shown that IMFs are responsible for governing a wide variety of physical properties, but often the atomic-origins of such interactions elude experimental detection. A considerable amount of work throughout the course of this research was therefore placed on using quantum mechanical simulations, specifically density functional theory (DFT), to calculate the electronic properties of solid-materials. The goal of these calculations was a better understanding of the precise origins of interatomic energies, …

Ultracold Trimer Ion Formation Of Rb And K, Michael Cantara

University Scholar Projects

The cooling of molecules into the ultracold regime allows for high resolution laser spectroscopy that reveals their complex rotational and vibrational structure. As the temperature is lowered towards absolute zero, the kinetic energy of the particles approaches zero, and therefore the Doppler shift approaches zero. With the Doppler shift negligibly small, spectral resolution is now primarily limited by the natural linewidth of the molecular peaks. Further, ultracold temperatures make possible the production of atoms or molecules that will reside in the lowest few states of the system. The high population in a few select states provides stronger and less congested …

Thermal Neutron Analysis For Improvised Explosive Device Detection, Matthew David Marziale

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation, the design of a system to detect improvised explosive devices is considered. The technique utilized is thermal neutron analysis. In this method, thermal neutrons are used to interrogate a volume for the presence of nitrogen, which is used as an indicator of explosive, given its unusual high energy line in the gamma ray spectrum generated by thermal capture reactions on explosive material. The performance of the system is then considered for a number of devices used to represent an improvised explosive device, including a 155 mm shell, an antitank mine, and a air to surface bomb. The …

Microwave Measurements Of The Tropolone-Formic Acid Doubly Hydrogen Bonded Dimer, Aaron M. Pejlovas, Agapito Serrato, Wei Lin, Stephen G. Kukolich

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The microwave spectrum was measured for the doubly hydrogen bonded dimer formed between tropolone and formic acid. The predicted symmetry of this dimer was C2v(M), and it was expected that the concerted proton tunneling motion would be observed. After measuring 25 a- and b-type rotational transitions, no splittings which could be associated with a concerted double proton tunneling motion were observed. The calculated barrier to the proton tunneling motion is near 15 000 cm-1, which would likely make the tunneling frequencies too small to observe in the microwave spectra. The rotational and centrifugal distortion constants determined from the measured transitions …

Dissolved Organic Matter In Subarctic Streams And Rivers: Direct And Proxy Measures Of Quantity, Quality, And Mercury, Tara M. Despault

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The drainage network of the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) peatland complex regulates the transport of freshwater and solutes, including dissolved organic matter (DOM) and mercury, to Hudson Bay. Due to the remoteness and areal extent of the HBL, traditional, campaign-based sampling programs are unable to fully elucidate the region’s hydrology and biogeochemistry. This study investigated seasonal variability of DOM quantity and quality in two distinct stream orders to explore DOM sources to surface waters in the region, and assessed optical measurements as proxies for riverine DOM and mercury. In-stream primary production and enhanced microbial processing influenced DOM characteristics during base …

Observations Of The High Vibrational Levels Of The B′′B̄ 1Σu+ State Of H2, Alexander M. Chartrand, W. Duan, R. C. Ekey, Elizabeth Mccormack

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Double-resonance laser spectroscopy via the E F ¹Σ_g⁺, v'=6, J'=0-2 state was used to probe the high vibrational levels of the B"B-bar ¹Σ_u⁺ state of molecular hydrogen. Resonantly-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectra were recorded by detecting ion production as a function of energy using a time of flight mass spectrometer. New measurements of energies for the v=51-66 levels for the B"B-bar state of H₂ are reported, which, taken with previous results, span the v=46-69 vibrational levels. Results for energy levels are compared to theoretical close-coupled calculations [L. Wolniewicz, T. …

Vespucci: A Free, Cross-Platform Software Tool For Spectroscopic Data Analysis And Imaging, Daniel Patrick Foose

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Vespucci is a software application developed for imaging and analysis of hyperspectral datasets. Vespucci offers several advantages over other software packages, including a simple user interface, no cost, and less restrictive licensing. Vespucci incorporates several analysis techniques including univariate imaging, principal components analysis, partial-least-squares regression, vertex components analysis and k- means clustering. Additionally, Vespucci can perform a number of useful data-processing operations, including filtering, normalization, baseline correction, and background subtraction. Datasets that consist of spatial or temporal data with a corresponding digital signal, including spectroscopic images, mass spectrometric images, and X-ray diffraction data can be processed in this software. The …

The Virtual Atomic And Molecular Data Centre (Vamdc) Consortium, Marie-Lise Dubernet, B. K. Antony, Ernesto Quintas-Sánchez, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre (VAMDC) Consortium is a worldwide consortium which federates atomic and molecular databases through an e-science infrastructure and an organisation to support this activity. About 90% of the inter-connected databases handle data that are used for the interpretation of astronomical spectra and for modelling in many fields of astrophysics. Recently the VAMDC Consortium has connected databases from the radiation damage and the plasma communities, as well as promoting the publication of data from Indian institutes. This paper describes how the VAMDC Consortium is organised for the optimal distribution of atomic and molecular data for …

3d Printing Applications Within Spectrophotometry, Eric J. Stanczyk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is a tool used throughout the field of chemistry and in chemical labs across the world. Spectrophotometers are a core technology in analytical chemistry, and are used to obtain accurate data on solution concentration. Unfortunately spectrophotometers can be difficult to obtain due to their high cost and low availability outside of a laboratory; this is especially true in either high school or lower grades where buying a spectrophotometer could be considered unreasonable due to price. There are ways to obtain cheaper spectrophotometers, but they can have a high initial cost or low overall quality. This paper will discuss …

Identification Of Photocurrents In Topological Insulators, Derek A. Bas, Rodrigo A. Muniz, Sercan Babakiray, David Lederman, J. E. Sipe, Alan D. Bristow

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Optical injection and detection of charge currents is an alternative to conventional transport and photoemission measurements, avoiding the necessity of invasive contact that may disturb the system being examined. This is a particular concern for analyzing the surface states of topological insulators. In this work one- and two-color sources of photocurrents are isolated and examined in epitaxial thin films of Bi2Se3. We demonstrate that optical excitation and terahertz detection simultaneously captures one- and two-color photocurrent contributions, which has not been required for other material systems. A method is devised to extract the two components, and in doing so each can …

Issues In Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy For Measurements In The Deep Ocean And Other High-Pressure Environments, Joseph C. Bonvallet

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes fundamental and applied studies that have advanced the understanding and application laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to the deep-ocean environment and to operation on a deep-ocean submersible. Chapter one is an overview of LIBS including a brief history, LIBS theory, the instrumentation typically used, and a specific application. Chapter two analyzes the effect that monodisperse suspended particles have on LIBS emission intensity and on the formation of a LIBS plasma. This chapter demonstrates that for particle concentrations similar to those found in the neutrally buoyant regions around hydrothermal vents there is little effect on the LIBS emission …

Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Analysis As A Viable Analytical Chemical Sensing Technique, Robert M. Schueler

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The ability to quantify trace chemicals in human breath enables the possibility of identifying breath biomarkers to aid in diagnosis. The vast majority of the studies in the analytical breath analysis rely on GC-MS techniques for quantification of the human breath composition1,2,3,4. THz spectroscopy of breath is rapid, sensitive, and highly specific molecular identification in complex mixtures containing 10-100 analytes with near `absolute' specificity. THz spectroscopic breath analyzers require chemical preconcentration. A newly developed custom preconcentrator was constructed and compared in its performance to a commercial system. Unlike the commercial counterpart, the new system does not require cryogenic liquids, is …

A Simple And Efficient Approach For Preconcentration Of Some Heavy Metals In Cosmetic Products Before Their Determinations By Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Nai̇l Altunay, Ramazan Gürkan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In the current study, a simple and efficient analytical method for preconcentration and determination of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Sn(II) in some cosmetic samples, using ultrasonic assisted-cloud point extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, was developed. The method is based on the ternary complex formations of Sn(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II), which are available in the form of neutral and/or anionic hydroxo complexes (Sn(OH)$_{3}^{-}$, Pb(OH)$_{3}^{-}$, Cd(OH)$_{2}$, and/or Cd(OH)$_{3}^{-})$, with Victoria Pure Blue BO (VPB$^{+})$ in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride at pH 8.5, and then extraction of the formed ternary complexes into the micellar phase of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (Tween 60). Using …

Excitonic States In Crystalline Organic Semiconductors: A Condensed Matter Approach, Lane Wright Manning

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In this work, a new condensed matter approach to the study of excitons based on crystalline thin films of the organic molecule phthalocyanine is introduced. The premise is inspired by a wealth of studies in inorganic semiconductor ternary alloys (such as AlGaN, InGaN, SiGe) where tuning compositional disorder can result in exciton localization by alloy potential fluctuations. Comprehensive absorption, luminescence, linear dichroism and electron radiative lifetime studies were performed on both pure and alloy samples of metal-free octabutoxy-phthalocyanine and transition metal octabutoxy-phthalocyanines, where the metal is Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu. Varying the ratios of the metal to metal-free phthalocyanines …