Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Establishing Chemical Mechanisms And Estimating Phase State Of Secondary Organic Aerosol From Atmospherically Relevant Organic Precursors, Shashank Jain

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Organic aerosol (OA) is a ubiquitous component of atmospheric particulate that influences both human health and global climate. A large fraction of OA is secondary in nature (SOA), being produced by oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Despite the integral role of SOA in atmospheric processes, there remains a limited scientific understanding of the chemical and physical changes induced in SOA as it ages in the atmosphere. This thesis describes work done to increase the knowledge of processes and properties of atmospherically relevant SOA.

In the work presented in this thesis, I have worked …

Investigating The Influence Of Gold Nanoparticles On The Photocatalytic And Catalytic Reactivity Of Porous Tungsten Oxide Microparticles, Daniel P. Depuccio

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Tungsten oxide (WO3) is a semiconducting transition metal oxide with interesting electronic, structural, and chemical properties that have been exploited in applications including catalysis, gas sensing, electrochromic displays, and solar energy conversion. Nanocrystalline WO3 can absorb visible light to catalyze heterogeneous photooxidation reactions. Also, the acidity of the WO3 surface makes this oxide a good thermal catalyst in the dehydration of alcohols to various industrially relevant chemicals. This dissertation explores the photocatalytic and thermal catalytic reactivity of nanocrystalline porous WO3 microparticles. Furthermore, investigations into the changes in WO3 reactivity are carried out after modifying the porous WO3 particles with gold …