Physics Commons^™

Electronic And Local Structures Of Pt-Based Bimetallic Alloy And Core-Shell Systems, Jiatang Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis investigates the electronic structure of Pt for catalysis applications. The importance of the Pt 5d band is discussed in terms of the bonding capability of Pt. The oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells is chosen as the catalytic reaction model to illustrate the effect of Pt 5d states on Pt-O interaction. Pt-based bimetallic systems are introduced as a solution for the high price and limited resources of Pt. Despite lower usage of Pt, the tuning capability to optimize the Pt 5d band in bimetallic catalysts is supposed to provide superior catalytic activity. Advanced synchrotron X-ray …

Characterization And Computational Modelling For The Garnet Oxide Solid State Electrolyte Ta-Llzo, Colin A. Versnick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The all-solid-state-battery (ASSB) serves as a promising candidate for next generation lithium ion batteries for significant improvements in battery safety, capacity, and longevity. Of the material candidates researched to replace the conventionally used liquid electrolyte, the garnet oxide Ta-LLZO (Li_6.4La₃Zr_1.4Ta_0.6O₁₂) has received much attention thanks to its high chemical and electrochemical stability, and ionic conductivity which rivals that of liquid electrolytes. While much investigation has taken place regarding the electrochemical performance of Ta-LLZO, much less is known about the micromechanics, including microstructural characterization, stress and strain development, and material failure …

Gamma-Radiation Induced Corrosion Of Alloy 800, Mojtaba Momeni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis presents a newly developed mechanism and predictive model for the corrosion of Alloy 800. The Fe-Cr-Ni Alloy (Incoloy 800) is mainly used for steam generator (SG) tubing in CANDU and PWR reactors and is a candidate material for the proposed Canadian Supercritical Water Reactor (SCWR) in which it will be exposed to extreme conditions of high radiation flux and large temperature gradients. The influence of gamma radiation and water chemistry conditions on the corrosion behaviour of Alloy 800 are studied in this work. Ionizing radiation creates reducing (•e_aq^–, •H, •O₂^-) and oxidizing …

Carbon Nitride And Conjugated Polymer Composite Materials, Josh Byers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The semiconductor and photovoltaic properties of carbon nitride (CNx) thin films prepared using a reactive magnetron sputtering technique were investigated both individually and as composites with the organic conjugated polymers polybithiophene (PBT) and poly(3-hextlthiophene) (P3HT). At low nitrogen content, the film structure was dominated by graphitic sp² percolation networks, whereas at higher nitrogen contents CNx films started to demonstrate semiconductor properties, as evidenced by the occurrence of photoconductivity and the development of a space charge region. When CNx was deposited onto a PBT substrate, it was found to function as an acceptor material improving the photocurrent generation both in …

Phase Field Crystal Approach To The Solidification Of Ferromagnetic Materials, Niloufar Faghihi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The dependence of the magnetic hardness on the microstructure of magnetic solids is investigated, using a field theoretical approach, called the Magnetic Phase Field Crystal model. We constructed the free energy by extending the Phase Field Crystal (PFC) formalism and including terms to incorporate the ferromagnetic phase transition and the anisotropic magneto-elastic effects, i.e., the magnetostriction effect. Using this model we performed both analytical calculations and numerical simulations to study the coupling between the magnetic and elastic properties in ferromagnetic solids. By analytically minimizing the free energy, we calculated the equilibrium phases of the system to be liquid, non-magnetic …

Electronic And Magnetic Excitations In Graphene And Magnetic Nano-Ribbons, Maher Zakaria Ahmed Selim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The discovery of graphene - a 2D material with superior physical properties - in 2004 was important for the intensive global research to find alternatives to three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor materials in industry. At the same time there have been exciting advances for 2D magnetic materials on the nanometer scale. The superior properties of graphene are mainly attributed to its crystal structure and its relatively short-range interactions. These properties show that natural and artificial 2D materials are promising for new applications.

In this thesis we have carried out a comprehensive investigation of the effects of the 2D lattice structures, the roles …