Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Polyethersulfone Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membrane Embedded With Amine-Functionalized Graphene Oxide For Desalination Applications, Ahmed Bahaeldin

Theses and Dissertations

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) desalination membranes were prepared based on a polyethersulfone (PES) support, where the polyamide (PA) layer was embedded with amine-functionalized graphene oxide (GO). The effect of adding various concentrations of functionalized and un-functionalized GO on the desalination performance, hydrophilicity, and morphology of the membranes was additionally assessed throughout this work. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements were used to assess the morphology of the membranes in combination with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Contact angle measurements were used to gauge the hydrophilicity of the synthesized membranes. The membrane with the best desalination performance contained 1x10^-3 wt/vol% of functionalized GO in …

Non-Equilibrium Colloidal Phenomena In Magnetic Fields And Photoillumination: From Controlling Living Microbots To Understanding Microplastics, Ahmed Al Harraq

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Colloids are a ubiquitous class of materials composed of microscopic particles suspended in a continuous phase which are found in everyday products and in nature. Colloids are also useful models for studying the spontaneous arrangement of matter from individual building blocks to mesophases. Standard treatment of colloid science is based on the assumption of equilibrium conditions, as defined in traditional thermodynamics. However, novel assembly mechanisms and motility are unlocked by pushing colloids away from equilibrium using external energy. In addition, many colloids in nature and in industrial applications exchange energy and mass with the surrounding environment thus behaving in a …

Application Of Multi-Scale Computational Techniques To Complex Materials Systems, Mujan N. Seif

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The applications of computational materials science are ever-increasing, connecting fields far beyond traditional subfields in materials science. This dissertation demonstrates the broad scope of multi-scale computational techniques by investigating multiple unrelated complex material systems, namely scandate thermionic cathodes and the metallic foam component of micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shielding. Sc-containing "scandate" cathodes have been widely reported to exhibit superior properties compared to previous thermionic cathodes; however, knowledge of their precise operating mechanism remains elusive. Here, quantum mechanical calculations were utilized to map the phase space of stable, highly-faceted and chemically-complex W nanoparticles, accounting for both finite temperature and chemical …

Exploring Strategies To Protect Nonprofit Organizations’ Assets From Fraud, Georjean W. Trinkle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community action agencies serve low-income individuals, families, and communities. Community action agencies may be at risk of fraud if they do not have board members with the knowledge to implement effective governance strategies to protect the organization's assets from fraud. Grounded in agency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective governance strategies that some community action board members use to protect their organization's assets from fraud. The participants were three board members of two community action agencies in New Jersey who implemented effective governance strategies to protect the organization's assets from fraud. Data were …

Development Of High Kinetic Inductance Superconducting Nanowire Devices On High Permittivity Strontium Titanate Substrates, Jamie Timmons

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis involves the fabrication and characterization of devices made from two different superconducting materials: yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO), a high-TC complex oxide, and niobium nitride (NbN), a low-TC transition metal nitride. Both types of devices are fabricated on strontium titanate substrates, which provides a good lattice match to YBCO and also an extremely large permittivity at low temperature. We demonstrate that wet etching of YBCO thin films via bromine can be a viable microfrabriation technique for the material. Using approximately 35 nm thick epitaxially grown YBCO on an STO substrate, we were able to fabricate YBCO “microwires” with …

Developing Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Based Stimuli-Responsive Nanocarriers For Delivery Of Small Molecule Therapeutics Against Colon Cancer Cells, Nisitha Lakmal Wellala Wijewantha

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation delves into the innovative application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for targeted drug delivery in colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer worldwide. The initial focus of the research is on developing enzyme-responsive MSNs loaded with veratridine (VTD), an alkaloid derived from natural sources that demonstrates potent anticancer activity. The nanoparticles have been engineered to deliver VTD selectively to CRC cells, releasing the payload upon being exposed to specific enzymes primarily secreted by these cells. This strategy has dual advantages of amplifying the anticancer effects while minimizing potential side effects on healthy …

Effect Of Decorating Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles With Silver Nanoparticles On Their Magneto-Photo Thermal Heating Efficiency, Anthony Joseph Afful

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cancer treatment is rather dangerous to the body, often involving many secondary effects, including nausea, hair loss, and weight fluctuations. The search for non-invasive, highly efficient, and targetable treatments ameliorates these issues. Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONS) have been used for other medical purposes such as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent and is being extensively studied as a potential candidate for many cancer therapeutic and diagnostic approaches due to its biocompatibility and superior magnetic properties. When subjected to an external alternating magnetic field SPIONS generate heat mainly due to the friction of the SPIONS against the fluid it is …

Novel Development Of A Low-Cost, Micrometer-Scale Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy System, John Yates

Theses and Dissertations

Modern scientific instruments are significant capital investments for universities. These investments can be outside of the funding capabilities of some smaller universities or departments and can be a significant barrier in the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs. This project aims to provide a template for universities or research groups to upgrade, at a reasonable price, an existing Raman spectroscopy system to a Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) system. This system can serve as a permanent upgrade to an existing system or as a bridge necessary to prove the viability of a research path before significant capital investment in a commercial TERS system. …

Synthesis Of Quasi-Freestanding Graphene Films Using Radical Species Formed In Cold Plasmas, Michael A. Mathews Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

For over a decade, the Stinespring laboratory has investigated scalable, plasma assisted synthesis (PAS) methods for the growth of graphene films on silicon carbide (SiC). These typically utilized CF₄-based inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with reactive ion etching (RIE) to selectively etch silicon from the SiC lattice. This yielded a halogenated carbon-rich surface layer which was then annealed to produce the graphene layers. The thickness of the films was controlled by the plasma parameters, and overall, the process was readily scalable to the diameter of the SiC wafer.

The PAS process reproducibly yielded two- to three-layer thick graphene films …

Roles Of Mtorc1 And Mtorc2 In Epilepsy And Network Changes Induced By Pten Loss, Erin R. Cullen

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Gene variants that hyperactivate the mTOR signaling pathway are a major cause of treatment-resistant epilepsy. The mTOR pathway influences neuron function through two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Pten loss of function (LOF) hyperactivates both mTOR complexes, and is thus a useful model for testing the effects of independent mTORC1 or mTORC2 hyperactivity on epilepsy and underlying neuropathology. Here, we evaluated the impact of genetic inactivation of the mTOR complexes in two mouse models of Pten LOF-driven epilepsy. In a germline GFAP-driven Pten LOF model targeting neurons in the dentate gyrus and cerebellum, a mild epilepsy phenotype was not rescued …

Carrier Transport Engineering In Wide Bandgap Semiconductors For Photonic And Memory Device Applications, Ravi Teja Velpula

Dissertations

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors play a crucial role in the current solid-state lighting technology. The AlGaN compound semiconductor is widely used for ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), however, the efficiency of these LEDs is largely in a single-digit percentage range due to several factors. Until recently, AlInN alloy has been relatively unexplored, though it holds potential for light-emitters operating in the visible and UV regions. In this dissertation, the first axial AlInN core-shell nanowire UV LEDs operating in the UV-A and UV-B regions with an internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 52% are demonstrated. Moreover, the light extraction efficiency of this …

Faceted Nanomaterial Synthesis, Characterizations And Applications In Reactive Electrochemical Membrane Filtration, Qingquan Ma

Dissertations

Facet engineering of nanomaterials, especially metals and metal oxides has become an important strategy for tuning catalytic properties and functions from heterogeneous catalysis to electrochemical catalysis, photocatalysis, biomedicine, fuel cells, and gas sensors. The catalytic properties are highly related to the surface electronic structures, surface electron transport characteristics, and active center structures of catalysts, which can be tailored by surface facet control. The aim of this doctoral dissertation research is to study the facet-dependent properties of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles using multiple advanced characterization techniques. Specifically, the novel atomic force microscope-scanning electrochemical microscope (AFM-SECM) and density functional theory (DFT) …

Engineering The Spectrum Of Near-Field Thermal Radiation, Saman Zare

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thermal emission observed at sub-wavelength distances from the thermal source is referred to as near-field thermal radiation. Thermal radiation in the near-field regime can exceed Planck’s blackbody limit by orders of magnitude and be quasi-monochromatic. Due to these unique properties, near-field thermal radiation is very promising for several thermal management and energy harvesting applications. Many of these applications, such as nanogap thermophotovoltaics and thermal rectification, require near-field spectra that are not found among natural materials. Artificial metamaterials, which are engineered at the sub-wavelength scale, have been theoretically proposed for tuning the spectrum of near-field thermal radiation. However, engineering the near-field …

The Role Of The Neurodevelopmental Disorder Gene Myt1l In Mammalian Brain Development, Jiayang Chen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent human genetic studies have associated mutations in a gene called Myelin Transcription Factor 1 Like (MYT1L) with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Patients with MYT1L loss of function (LoF) mutations (MYT1L Syndrome patients) demonstrate shared symptoms such as microcephaly, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obesity. Despite prior studies showing MYT1L overexpression facilitates neuronal differentiation in vitro, its functions in vivo, especially in the mammalian brain, and how its mutation leads to human disease pathology remains poorly understood. Here, I established the first mouse model of MYT1L Syndrome mimicking a patient specific LoF mutation. I found mice with Myt1l heterozygous …

Functionalized Plasmonic Nanostructures For Ultrasensitive Single Cell Analysis, Priya Rathi

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasensitive detection and quantification of soluble, secreted and cell surface-bound proteins is critical for advancing our understanding of cellular systems, enabling effective drug development, novel therapies, and bio-diagnostics. However, exiting technologies are largely limited by their sensitivity, making the detection and quantification of low-abundant proteins extremely challenging. This forms a major barrier in various fields of biology and biomedical sciences. In this work, we introduce novel cellular analysis methodologies based on plasmon-enhanced fluorescence for analyzing cell structure and probing surface and secreted proteins from cells. In the first part, we introduce plasmon-enhanced expansion microscopy and demonstrate the effectiveness of employing …

Fabrication, Characterization, And Simulation Of Graphene-Copper Electrical Conductors, Raju Prasad Ghimire

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

The addition of nanocarbons to copper (Cu), specifically in the form of graphene (GN), has been shown to enhance copper's properties. GN-Cu nanocomposites can potentially achieve higher electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties compared with copper. These characteristics make GN-Cu materials interesting for several applications including but not limited to interconnects, high voltage lines, and rotating machines. Copper’s microstructure and nanoscale interfacial phenomena between the GN and Cu control charge conduction in GN-Cu materials. In this work, we investigated the possibilities of conductivity enhancement in multi-layered GN-Cu composites both theoretically (classical, quantum, and atomistic models) and experimentally.

Additionally, our work elucidates …

Achieving Safe Use Of Advanced Materials In Drinking Water Through Novel Nano Analytics And Enabling Electrification Using Green Catalyst, Kenneth Ray Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The accumulation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in environmental sectors will continue to increase as more applications are discovered for their unique properties and characteristics. Additionally, the presence of nanomaterials in the environment becomes exacerbated as more consumer products containing nanoparticles are approved for use. It is debated whether the toxic effects of nanoparticles stem from the particles themselves, ionic species, or formation of secondary particles. Therefore, understanding the behavior of nanoparticles in the environment becomes key to discerning the toxicological effects of nanoparticles. Many advancements have been made with ICP-MS to understand the behavior of nanoparticles in the environmental systems, …

Carbon Fibers From Bio-Based Precursors Derived From Renewable Sources, Sagar Kanhere

All Dissertations

Carbon fibers have the highest strength and modulus among all known fibers and are used as reinforcements in high-performance composites [1]. Carbon fibers also have a very low density relative to metals. Therefore, carbon fibers possess ultrahigh specific strength and modulus, which make them desirable for high-performance light-weight composites. A vast majority of commercial carbon fibers are produced from PAN precursors that are expensive, which limits the use of PAN-derived carbon fibers to aerospace applications (e.g., airplanes). However, for costsensitive applications, there is a need for low-cost, moderate performance carbon fibers. Lignin is a low-cost by-product of pulping and biorefining …

Nano-Engineered Soft Magnets: Potential Application In Water Treatment, Hyperthermia And Molecular (Organic) Magnets, Yohannes Weldemariam Getahun

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Scrutinizing the remarkable and tunable properties of magnetic materials at a nanoscale size "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom..." Richard Feynman, this study attempts to find sustainable solutions to some of the deteriorating environmental, health, and energy problems the world is encountering. Due to their simple preparation, surface adaptability, and tunable magnetic and optical properties, magnetic nanoparticles have been extensively investigated in water treatment, cancer therapy, data storage, and more. However, relying on non-reusable and chemical-based treatment agents in water, complex and costly cancer treatment procedures and molecular magnets that operate far below room temperature limited those attempts from …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Iron-Based Catalysts For The Dehydrogenation Of Fossil Fuels, Victoria Isabel Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For a prosperous and sustainable future, hydrogen is an encouraging solution due to its simple transition for industrial decarbonization and synergy for economic development. Paradoxically, current hydrogen production pathways release substantial amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere contributing to climate change. To keep up with increasing demand, hydrogen could be produced through microwave-assisted thermocatalytic dehydrogenation of fossil fuels without emitting carbon dioxide. This requires specified catalysts to meet the requirements of hydrogen yield and selectivity. The objective of the present research is to fabricate, characterize, and compare iron-based alumina (FeAl_x O_y) catalysts produced via solution combustion synthesis and iron-based …

Gate-Controlled Quantum Dots In Two-Dimensional Tungsten Diselenide And One-Dimensional Tellurium Nanowires, Shiva Davari Dolatabadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work focuses on the investigation of gate-defined quantum dots in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide tungsten diselenide (WSe2) as a means to unravel mesoscopic physical phenomena such as valley-contrasting physics in WSe2 flakes and its potential application as qubit, as well as realizing gate-controlled quantum dots based on elementaltellurium nanostructures which may unlock the topological nature of the host material carriers such as Weyl states in tellurium nanowires.The fabrication and characterization of gate-defined hole quantum dots in monolayer and bilayer WSe2 are reported. The gate electrodes in the device design are located above and below the WSe2 nanoflakes to accumulate …

Development Of Nucleic Acid Diagnostics For Targeted And Non-Targeted Biosensing, Christopher William Smith

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The field of nucleic acid technology is rapidly expanding with new impactful discoveriesbeing made each year. Starting from the discovery of the double-helix structure, cloning, gene editing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), CRISPR technology, and even the late mRNA vaccines; nucleic acid technology is at the forefront of improving medicine. Nucleic acid technology is extremely versatile due to its easy programmability, automated cheap synthesis, and even its catalog for numerous chemical modifications that can be used to alter structure stability. For example, the number of permutations that can be made with DNA just by altering the code for adenine (A), cytosine …

Quantification Of Flows Emerging From Small Pores In Plane Walls, Matia Peter Edwards

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Current membrane separation processes are limited in high production and high purity settings due to a trade-off between selectivity and permeance. Methods of creating nanoscale geometries in 2D materials are emerging and present an opportunity for fast, size selective mass transport that can be tailored to a wide array of applications. This thesis develops a method for quantifying flow through small pores in plane walls based on the behaviour of a solute dispersed in a downstream reservoir. This method is validated for a range of micropore diameters, for which flow rates can be calculated with confidence, and is shown to …

Characterization Of Materials Properties In Additively Manufactured Aisi-420 Martensitic Steel Deposited By Laser Engineered Net Shaping, Md Mehadi Hassan

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology enabling the fabrication of complex and near-net-shaped parts by adding material layer-wise. It offers reduced lead production time. AM processes are finding applications in many industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and mold tooling. Despite the tremendous advantages of AM, some challenges still prevent this technology's adoption in high-standard applications. Anisotropy and inhomogeneity in the mechanical properties of the as-built parts and the existence of pores and lack-of-fusion defects are considered the main issues in directed energy deposition (L-DED) parts. Laser-engineered net shaping LENS® offers excellent possibilities to fabricate metal tools …

Material Characterization And Comparison Of Sol-Gel Deposited And Rf Magnetron Deposited Lead Zirconate Titanate Thin Films, Katherine Lynne Miles

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been a material of interest for sensor, actuator, and transducer applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This is due to their favorable piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties. While various methods are available to deposit PZT thin films, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was selected to provide high quality PZT films with the added capability of batch processing. These sputter deposited PZT films were characterized to determine their internal film stress, Young’s modulus, composition, and structure. After characterization, the sputtered PZT samples were poled using corona poling and direct poling methods. As a means of comparison, commercially …

Design Of Arbitrary Planar Optical Devices With Full Phase Control Using Nanoimprinting Of Refractive Index, Matthew Panipinto

All Theses

Planar optical devices offer a lightweight solution to the constraints found in traditional optical devices. While subwavelength patterning of optics offers attractive performance and size, traditional fabrication methods demand a trade-off between resolution and throughput that presents a significant hurdle for the widespread use of subwavelength devices. Nanoimprinting of refractive index (NIRI) is a novel fabrication method pioneered in previous work that offers promise in mitigating the throughput issues that hamstring traditional fabrication methods. However, NIRI has not been shown to impart full $2\pi$ phase control in planar optical devices, nor has a method for fabricating arbitrary designs using the …

Enabling Nanoimprint Lithography Techniques Across Multiple Manufacturing Processes, Vincent Einck

Doctoral Dissertations

Advanced nanooptics in the areas of flat lenses, diffractive elements, and tunable emissivity require a route to high throughput manufacturing. Nanooptics are often demanding of high refractive index materials, nanometer precision and ease of fabrication. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a low-cost, high throughput manufacturing technique beginning to be realized in commercial industry.^1,2 The NIL process is an ideal manufacturing candidate due to its ability to have a fast process time, efficient use of materials, repeatability and high precision while also having wide diversity of potential structures and material choices. Appling NIL techniques to other facets of manufacturing enable the …

Modeling Of Two-Dimensional And Biological Materials Towards Diverse Nano-Systems Applications, Jatin Kashyap

Dissertations

This dissertation studies the demonstration of materials ranging from two-dimensional (2D) materials to small bio-molecules using various atomistic/molecular and sub-atomic particles (electron, hole, excitons) modeling techniques for multi-domain applications. Three categories of materials/systems are investigated as follows: 2D materials, biological materials, and complexes of 2D and biological materials.

The first problem demonstrates wrinkles' ubiquitous presence in two-dimensional materials significantly alters their properties. It is observed that water molecules, sourced from ambient humidity or transfer method, can get diffused in between Graphene and the substrate during the Graphene growth. The water diffusion causes/assists wrinkle formation in Graphene, which influences its properties. …

Biobased Packaging Materials From Cellulose Nanofibrils Produced From Virgin Wood Pulp Or Recycled Cardboard Pulp, Md Ikramul Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Self-standing cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films are regarded as one of the promising alternatives to current petroleum-based packaging materials. The mechanical and barrier properties of CNF films are not yet up to the mark for certain applications, especially at high relative humidity. Those properties of CNF films can be tuned by the drying methods of films, degree of fibrillation, cross-linking, and controlled shrinkage. A comprehensive understanding of these processes and their influence on the structure and properties of CNF films have been presented in this thesis.

First, we prepared CNF films from CNF suspensions with two different degrees of fibrillation- standard …

Synthesis And Consolidation Of Metal Oxide Nanocrystals Via Nonthermal Plasma, Austin Cendejas

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nonthermal plasmas offer a unique nonequilibrium environment that has been leveraged in a wide variety of applications in the fields of material processing, lighting, and waste management to name a few. In all of these cases, the plasma serves as a source of high energy electrons, ions, reactive gas species, and radicals that interact in several ways with surfaces brought into contact with the plasma. Specifically, nonthermal plasmas have been shown to be very successful in achieving continuous, high-throughput, monodisperse nanocrystals of a wide variety of materials. The crystallinity of nanoparticles synthesized in nonthermal plasmas can be attributed to the …