Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Surface Modification Of Tin Oxide Nanoparticles By Atomic Layer Deposition For Enhanced Electrochemical Performance, Sai Abhishek Palaparty

Masters Theses

"Atomic Layer Deposition is a robust technique used to deposit high quality, conformal, and size-tunable ultrathin films on a substrate. This technique can be used to coat protective films on battery anode and cathode materials for enhanced performance. In the case of cathodes, the ultrathin film provides a protective barrier preventing cationic dissolution. In the case of anodes, the film acts as a supporting matrix reducing strain caused by volume expansions. In these study, we use this technique to coat an optimally thick conductive iron oxide film on tin oxide particles to improve its electrochemical performance at high current densities …

Correlation Anaylsis Of Magnesite Dissolution Rate And Magnesite Spatial Distribution, Yao Wang

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents a correlation analysis of the spatial distribution and permeability of magnesite dissolution and focuses on its overall rate and average porosity. Magnesite dissolution is affected by several aspects.

A reservoir's large spatial distribution can make capturing the magnesite dissolution difficult, so in this study, a variogram was built in Petrel using a percentage variation of magnesite and sand. The variogram also handles different major and minor directions in anisotropy. After building the magnesite model, simulation of magnesite dissolution was achieved in Cruch Flow to get the magnesite dissolution rate and average porosity.

For correlation analysis, a regression …

Bioactive Poly(Beta-Amino Ester) Biomaterials For Treatment Of Infection And Oxidative Stress, Andrew L. Lakes

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Polymers have deep roots as drug delivery tools, and are widely used in clinical to private settings. Currently, however, numerous traditional therapies exist which may be improved through use of polymeric biomaterials. Through our work with infectious and oxidative stress disease prevention and treatment, we aimed to develop application driven, enhanced therapies utilizing new classes of polymers synthesized in-house. Applying biodegradable poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) polymers, covalent-addition of bioactive substrates to these PBAEs avoided certain pitfalls of free-loaded and non-degradable drug delivery systems. Further, through variation of polymer ingredients and conditions, we were able to tune degradation rates, release profiles, cellular …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Antioxidant Conjugated Poly(Βeta-Amino Ester) Micro/Nanogels For The Suppression Of Oxidative Stress, Prachi Gupta

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Oxidative stress is a pathophysiological condition defined by an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can result in the growth arrest of cells followed by cell disintegration or necrosis. A number of small molecule antioxidants (e.g. curcumin, quercetin and resveratrol) are capable of directly scavenging ROS, thereby short-circuiting the self-propagating oxidative stress state. However, poor solubility and rapid 1^st pass metabolism results in overall low bioavailability and acts as a barrier for its use as a drug to suppress oxidative stress efficiently.

To overcome this limitation, these small molecule antioxidants were covalently conjugated into poly(β-amino ester) (PβAE) …

Peptide-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy Applications, Anastasia K. Hauser

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Radiation and chemotherapy are conventional treatments, but they result in serious side effects and the probability of tumor recurrence remains high. Therefore, there is an increasing need to enhance the efficacy of conventional treatments. Magnetic nanoparticles have been previously studied for a variety of applications such as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, anemia treatment, magnetic cell sorting and magnetically mediated hyperthermia (MMH). In this work, dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles were developed and functionalized with peptides to target the nanoparticles to either the extracellular matrix …

Design Of Highly Stable Low-Density Self-Assembled Monolayers Using Thiol-Yne Click Reaction For The Study Of Protein-Surface Interactions, Leila Safazadeh Haghighi

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Protein adsorption on solid surfaces is a common yet complicated phenomenon that is not fully understood. Self-assembled monolayers have been utilized in many studies, as well-defined model systems for studying protein-surface interactions in the atomic level. Various strategies, including the use of single component SAMs[1, 2], combinations of long and short alkanethiolates with methyl- and hydroxyl- terminal groups[3, 4], and using mixtures of alkanethiolates with similar chain length and varying terminal functional group [5] have been used to effectively control the surface wettability and determine the effect of surface composition and wettability on protein adsorption. In this dissertation we report …

Synthesis Of Titania Thin Films With Controlled Mesopore Orientation: Nanostructure For Energy Conversion And Storage, Suraj R. Nagpure

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

This dissertation addresses the synthesis mechanism of mesoporous titania thin films with 2D Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) cylindrical nanopores by an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method with Pluronic surfactants P123 and F127 as structure directing agents, and their applications in photovoltaics and lithium ion batteries. To provide orthogonal alignment of the pores, surface modification of substrates with crosslinked surfactant has been used to provide a chemically neutral surface. GISAXS studies show not only that aging at 4°C facilitates ordered mesostructure development, but also that aging at this temperature helps to provide orthogonal orientation of the cylindrical micelles which assemble into an …

Smart Fabrics For Colorimetric Detection, Breland Edwards

UROP Posters

Due to the prevalence of chemical warfare, soldiers often carry chemical sensing devices, to warn of oncoming nerve agents. However, these devices are cumbersome. A lightweight, wearable chemical sensing fabric that doubles as a protectant against toxins would be beneficial. This fabric can be created by incorporating (1) organophosphate hydrolase, an enzyme capable of degrading organophosphates and releasing an acidic by product, and (2) polyaniline, a color changing polymer that changes from purple to green in the presence of acid, into nylon or polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers. The first step is to produce fabrics containing polyaniline and demonstrate that the fabrics …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Aripiprazole-Loaded Ph-Modulated Solid Dispersion Via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Haley Mcfall

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to prepare aripiprazole (ARI)-loaded solid dispersions (SDs) to enhance solubility and dissolution via hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology. ARI was chosen due to its poorly water-soluble properties. Solubility screenings of various polymers and acidifiers were performed to select appropriate excipients for the SD. Succinic acid (SA) and Kollidon 12 PF (PVP) were selected as the acidifier and the polymer, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to determine the miscibility, interactions, and thermal stability of the drug and selected excipients. MODDE 8.0 is a design of experiment software that was implemented to produce …

Biological Activity Of Garcinia Kola On Hepatitis C, Madeline Dwyer

Honors Theses

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to the World Health Organization, hepatitis C infections affect between 130-150 million people worldwide. It is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, and approximately 500,000 people die from hepatitis C infections or related complications each year. Although new treatments are 90% effective at curing chronic hepatitis C infections, they cost tens of thousands of dollars. Available treatments are incredibly cost prohibitive, especially considering that the regions most affected by hepatitis C are Africa and central and eastern Asia (Hepatitis C). This creates a …

G-Quadruplex Mediated Splicing Of P53 Mrna, Melissa Holy

Honors Theses

The protein p53 is a master regulator of the cell cycle and its mutation/inactivation is associated with over 50% of cancer cases. Mutations in p53 are associated with worse survival rates, resistance to therapies, and other risk factors in breast cancer specifically. p53 is encoded by the TP53 gene and is expressed as several transcripts. In the G-rich portion of intron 3, secondary DNA structures known as G-quadruplexes are able to form. The stabilization of these G-quadruplexes leads to correct splicing of intron 2, thus making a functional p53 protein. A known quadruplex-stabilizing compound (TMPyP4) was tested to determine its …

The Effects Of Genistein, Thymoquinone, Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate,5-Fluorouracil, And Low Level Laser Therapy On Fadu Hypopharyngeal And Laryngeal Carcinoma Cells, Osasu Adah

Honors Theses

Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma are two types of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. The location of the tumor makes it hard to detect without complex tests. Overall, these types of cancer are not common, and there are no simple screening tests for such cancers. Due to this issue, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma are usually diagnosed when signs and symptoms occur, such as sore throat, trouble swallowing, and constant coughing. With the use of FaDu, a head and neck cancer cell line of the hypopharyngeal origin, experimentation can be performed in order to initiate possible treatments. The standard treatments for …

Design And Synthesis Of Dual Opioids/Npff Ligands As Novel Analgesics With Reduced Tolerance Potential, John N. Yi

Honors Theses

Opioid use has become prevalent in today's culture. As a treatment for acute and chronic pain, opioids permeate in the public sphere as a seemingly easy solution. However, problems that come from the increased use of opiates, especially in the last fifteen years, have shown detrimental effects in society. Not only are all opioid-based analgesics considered addictive, but the nature of such painkillers also enables a phenomenon known as tolerance, where the body adapts to the use of exogenous opioids. This creates a situation where a more potent dose of painkiller is required for the same analgesic effect. The focus …

Eliminating Magnetic Forces From The Surface Tension Measurement Of Magnetic Surfactants, Emily Koehler

Honors Theses

Surfactants have many applications due to their ability to reduce the surface tension between two phases. Magnetic surfactants, a relatively new form of surfactants, offer the possibility of further controlling a surfactant system by using an external magnetic field to induce alignment on the molecular level. One method of studying a magnetic field's effect on the magnetic surfactant system involves analyzing the change in surface tension at varied solution concentrations both in and outside a magnetic field. The pendent drop method uses the downward gravitational force on a droplet suspended from a needle to find the surface tension based on …

Methane Separation And Purification Via Pressure Swing Adsorption, Lutfi Erden

Theses and Dissertations

Investigations on alternative energy sources have gained increasing attention due to significant shortage in the fossil fuel reserves and increase on the usage of internal combustion engines. Natural gas which mainly consists of Methane has a significant role in short term solution of this issue. Although methane as a greenhouse gas is over 20 times more potent by weight than carbon dioxide, if released directly into the atmosphere, it is a valuable energy source. However, methane is not extracted % 100 pure from the source. Natural gas generally contains many other contaminants such as water, other hydrocarbons, Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen, …

Simulation Studies For Relative Importance Of Unconventional Reservoir Subgrid Scale Physics Parameters, Yaakoub Youssef El Khamra

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this endeavor we attempt to better understand gas transport in shale gas reservoirs, specifically the impact and effects of different physical phenomena. We start by documenting the nature of the reservoirs and the need for accurate modeling of various physical phenomena in multiple interconnected continua. The physical phenomena of interest include non-linear Forchheimer flow, Knudsen diffusion in the form of slip "Klinkenberg" flow and adsorption/desorption. The numerical methods used in the reservoir simulator are also introduced, along with a derivation of the main equations used. Various verification and validation results are compared against manufactured and analytical solutions and finally …

Development Of Single-Well Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage Process For Enhanced Oil Recovery, Bikash Deep Saikia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

EOR application in prolific deepwater Gulf of Mexico (DGOM) reservoirs has remained a challenge. Exorbitant well cost (>200M$) precludes having extensive injection patterns and very characteristics of the reservoirs themselves are partly to blame for negligible EOR activity in DGOM. We have been able to develop and demonstrate a novel design in the form of Single Well – Gas Assisted Gravity Drainage (SW-GAGD) process, which is potentially cost effective, at the same time ensuring very high oil recoveries. In this design, a single well acts as an injector as well as a producer, thereby minimizing well cost. The efficacy …

Molecular Simulation Studies Of Hydrophobins Near Gas, Oil And Water Interfaces, Yuwu Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation contains fundamental, classical molecular simulation studies of the properties of hydrophobins (a unique family of surface-active proteins produced by filamentous fungi in soil) near interfaces involving gas, oil, water, organic solvents and polymers. These studies are relevant to possibly using hydrophobins as natural oil dispersants and in processing of polymers. Preliminary studies by the Russo group suggest that these small surface-active proteins can encapsulate oil, gases and polymers in cylindrical structures. We have performed classic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and potential of mean force (PMF) calculations of a class I hydrophobin EAS using both all-atom and coarse-grained representations. …

Growth Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons During The Supercritical Pyrolysis Of N-Decane, Subramanian Venkateswaran Kalpathy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In order to serve a dual role as a propellant and as a coolant, fuels in the pre-combustion environment of future high-speed aircraft will be exposed to temperatures and pressures of up to 700 °C and 130 atm—conditions that are supercritical for jet fuels. Under such conditions, fuel can undergo pyrolytic reactions leading to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are precursors to fuel-line solid deposits that can hinder safe operation of the aircraft. Therefore, to prevent solid deposit formation, it is extremely important to understand the PAH formation pathways in the supercritical fuel pyrolysis environment. To better …

Cobalt-Based Catalysts For The Conversion Of Biomass-Derived Syngas To Ethanol And Higher Oxygenates, Zi Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Higher oxygenates synthesis by catalytic conversion of synthesis gas are the potential approaches to replace fossil fuels and produce chemicals for pharmaceutical manufacture, detergents and polymer industry. Cobalt-based catalysts are the most promising catalysts to replace noble metal catalysts for producing ethanol, acetaldehyde and higher oxygenates via CO hydrogenation. The formation of higher oxygenates requires active sites that can adsorb CO non-dissociatively and insert to the alkyl intermediate. The hydrogenation of the CO-inserted intermediates yields C2 and C2+ oxygenates. The main focus of this study is to investigate the active site for non-dissociative CO adsorption, and the modification of the …

Process Monitoring And Data Mining With Chemical Process Historical Databases, Michael Carl Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Modern chemical plants have distributed control systems (DCS) that handle normal operations and quality control. However, the DCS cannot compensate for fault events such as fouling or equipment failures. When faults occur, human operators must rapidly assess the situation, determine causes, and take corrective action, a challenging task further complicated by the sheer number of sensors. This information overload as well as measurement noise can hide information critical to diagnosing and fixing faults. Process monitoring algorithms can highlight key trends in data and detect faults faster, reducing or even preventing the damage that faults can cause. This research improves tools …

Modelling Hydraulic Fracturing Propagation In Heterogeneous Reservoirs Using Cohesive Zone Methods, Miguel Alejandro Gonzalez-Chavez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The recent success in exploiting low permeability shale reservoirs has heavily relied on hydraulic fracturing to produce hydrocarbons economically in disadvantaged reservoir conditions. Although horizontal drilling significantly increases the contact area between the wellbore and the reservoir, the objective of hydraulic fracturing is set on creating further expanded conductive flow paths into the reservoir. This research uses cohesive zone method to numerically simulate hydraulic fracture propagation in the presence of natural fractures in two- and three-dimensional model. The Cohesive element approach limits fracture propagation to some predefined paths. However, in highly fractured formations since hydraulic fractures are growing through a …

Protein Sequence-Structure-Function Relationship: Testing Ke-50 Modification On Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein (Acgfp), Anna E. Burkey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Protein modification shows promise for improving the effectiveness of protein therapy, including the use of Interferon-beta-1b for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The addition of a chain of 50 lysine and glutamic acid residues (also called a KE50 modification) was tested on green fluorescent protein (AcGFP) to determine its effect on the bioactivity of the protein. Standard transformation protocol was used to grow the normal and modified proteins in E.Coli, and the bioactivity of the protein was measured using quantum yield and extinction coefficients to determine the reduction in brightness from the native form to the modified form. The …

Molecular Simulation Study Of Oil Hydrocarbons, Dispersants And Other Organics In Atmospheric Air/Water Interfaces, Zenghui Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main objective of this dissertation is to study the interfacial properties of organic contaminants, in particular green leaf volatiles (GLVs), oil hydrocarbons [mainly intermediate-volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs)], as well as surfactant species (i.e. DOSS and Span 80) from Corexit dispersants at atmospheric air/water and air/seawater interfaces. All these compounds can significantly contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Furthermore, our simulation work on IVOCs, SVOCs and Corexit surfactants, combining with experiments from the Valsaraj group, suggests that these compounds can be adsorbed on the surface of seawater droplets and aerosolized into the …

Impacts Of Rock-Brine Interactions On Petrophysical Properties Of A Sandstone Reservoir, Utilizing Geochemical And Pore Network Modeling, Masoud Safari-Zanjani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unfavorable consequences of geochemical reactions, such as calcite and silica scaling, in geothermal power plant surface facilities have been discussed in many recent studies. However, the impact of brine-rock interactions related to geothermal projects on reservoir properties has not been addressed fully. In this study, interactions between geothermal fluid and reservoir rocks in two fields located in Vermilion Parish, LA, and Chocolate Bayou, TX, are examined using geochemical modeling. The studied reservoir belongs to the Frio formation. In the geochemical models, the brine is cooled down to the estimated output temperature of a geothermal heat exchanger and re-equilibrated. Then, brine-rock …

Carinata Fame Production Process And Biofuel Oxidation, Benoit Kindo

Honors College Theses

In this experiment, the contribution of a standard production method for biofuels on their oxidative stability was investigated. Peroxide values were measured at different steps of the production process of Brassica carinata and peanut-based biofuels. The washing and drying steps in this production method showed significant increases in peroxide values for both biofuels and was identified as a major contributor of biofuel oxidation. Further analyses of the physical and thermal properties showed a more pronounced affect in the biofuel from Bassica carinata, and indicated an unusual composition much higher in saturated fatty acids much longer than those found in peanut. …

Application Of The Variational Fracture Model To Hydraulic Fracturing In Poroelastic Media, Chukwudi Chukwudozie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hydraulic fracturing has persisted through the use of simple numerical models to describe fracture geometry and propagation. Field tests provide evidence of interaction and merging of multiple fractures, complex fracture geometry and propagation paths. These complicated behaviors suggest that the simple models are incapable of serving as predictive tools for treatment designs. In addition, other commonly used models are designed without considering poroelastic effects even though a propagating hydraulic fracture induces deformation of the surrounding porous media. A rigorous hydraulic fracturing model capable of reproducing realistic fracture behaviors should couple rock deformation, fracture propagation and fluid flow in the both …

Design And Analysis Of Geothermal Wellbore Energy Conversion System Working On Zero Mass Withdrawal Principle, Ildar Akhmadullin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project is sponsored by the Department of Energy of the United States and dedicated to development of electricity production from the low-enthalpy geothermal reservoirs. The prime interest are reservoirs that are characterized by low temperature of heat source located in deep saline aquifers with high permeable rock. Usually energy production from these resources are not economical by using a conventional binary power plant approach. The presented PhD work is a study of a new system that utilizes a single-well technology and working on supercritical power cycle (PC). The wellbore energy conversion system is operating with Zero Mass Withdrawal (ZMW) …

Design And Commissioning Of A Community Scale Solar Powered Membrane-Based Water Purification System In Haiti, Shavin Pinto, Yung Wong, Kyle Fennesy, Yan Tang, Marc Compere

Publications

This paper presents the design and commissioning of a solar powered water purification system at the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti. This system supplies clean drinking water to the 200 children who live and go to school at REHC and also to the community in the form of a micro-business. This micro-business is the mechanism for income generation for sustainable system operation. The purifier uses a three stage filtration system with a disc-type sediment filter, a 0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane, and an ultraviolet light for disinfection. The backwash cycle extends the life of the ultrafiltration membrane …

Cement Based Batteries And Their Potential For Use In Low Power Operations, Aimee Byrne, Niall Holmes, Brian Norton

Articles

This paper presents the development of an innovative cement-electrolyte battery for low power operations such as cathodic protection of reinforced concrete. A battery design was refined by altering different constituents and examining the open circuit voltage, resistor loaded current and lifespan. The final design consisted of a copper plate cathode, aluminium plate anode, and a cement electrolyte which included additives of carbon black, plasticiser, Alum salt and Epsom salt. A relationship between age, temperature and hydration of the cell and the current it produced was determined. It was found that sealing the battery using varnish increased the moisture retention and …