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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Materials Chemistry

University of Kentucky

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Electrochemistry

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Biomimetic Devices To Drive A Thermodynamically Uphill Reaction Using Light And To Degrade Industrial Waste Stream Components, Madison Joanne Sloan Jan 2017

Biomimetic Devices To Drive A Thermodynamically Uphill Reaction Using Light And To Degrade Industrial Waste Stream Components, Madison Joanne Sloan

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Given the amount of industrial waste produced each year, as well as the accruing amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere produced by the burning of fossil fuels, it is imperative that humanity develop environmentally-sustainable sources of energy and methods of remediation. Nature achieves both of these by use of enzymes as catalysts, inspiring interest in designing biomimetic systems capable of harnessing clean energy and remediating industrial waste. This study examined the ability of enzymes in electrochemical and convective flow systems to achieve these tasks. The first portion studied the incorporation of enzymes into an electrochemical system to drive the …


Plasma Treated Mesoporous Tio2 Thin Films For Energy Storage Applications, Allen D. Reed Jan 2015

Plasma Treated Mesoporous Tio2 Thin Films For Energy Storage Applications, Allen D. Reed

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Mesoporous TiO2 films treated with N2/argon plasma or H2 plasma were studied for use in photoelectrochemical water splitting and electrochemical supercapacitors, respectively. Cubic-ordered mesoporous thin films were prepared by a templated sol-gel method. UV-Vis absorbance spectra indicated that nitrogen plasma treatment significantly reduced the band gap of the TiO2. XPS analysis showed that nitrogen atoms are incorporated into substitutional sites, rather than interstitial. Photocatalytic activity of nitrogen-doped TiO2 films was evaluated by chronoamperometry and linear sweep voltammetry. Compared to pristine TiO2, plasma-treated films showed remarkable photocurrent enhancement (up to 240 times) …