Browsing by Subject "Catalysis."

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Open Access
BaOx
(2011) Emmez, Emre
In this work, formation anddecomposition pathways of of Ba(NO3)2 on BaOBaO2 /Pt(111) surfaces were investigated at the molecular levelfordifferent BaOBaO2coverages starting from small 2D islands of 0.5 MLE (MLE: monolayer equivalent) to thick multilayers of 10 MLE via temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). BaOxoverlayerswith a surface coverage of ~ 1 MLEreveallong range ordering with (2×2) and/or (1×2) structures while BaOx films with a surface coverage of1.5 MLEyields aBaO(110) termination and thicker films ( ≥ 5 MLE) were observed to be amorphous. Saturation of thick (10 MLE) BaOxoverlayers with NO2 leads to the formation of nitrates. Nitrate thermal decomposition was demonstrated to proceed through nitrite intermediates. In TPD experimentstwo major pathwaysfornitrate decomposition were observed: 1) nitrate decomposition yielding only NO evolutionat ~650 K, and 2) nitrate decomposition withNO + O2evolutionat ~700 K. This multi-step decomposition behavior was explained by BaO2 formation during the first stage. The influence of the BaOxdeposition method on the morphology of the BaOxoverlayers were established: when a thick BaOx layer is prepared using NO2 for Ba oxidation, BaOx overlayer efficiently wets the Pt(111) substrate forming a well-dispersed film. On the other hand, ifa thick BaOx layer is heated in O2 (to 873 K), BaOx overlayer agglomerates into 3D clusters, resulting in the formation of exposed (uncovered) Pt sites. BaOxoverlayers with uncoveredPt sitescan be “cured” by nitration – thermal decomposition procedures. When the BaOx layer coverage is below 2.5 MLE, nitrate decomposition temperature is observed at significantly lower temperatures, demonstrating the catalytic influence of the Pt sites facilitating the nitrate decomposition. It is proposed that initially, Ba(NO3)2 decomposesatthe boundary/peripheralsites of the Pt/BaOx interface, followed by the nitrate decomposition originating from 2D BaOx islands, and eventually from the 3D BaOx agglomerates. Catalytic deactivation of TiO2-promoted NOx-storage reduction (NSR) catalysts due to thermal aging effects was investigated using a BaO/TiO2/Pt(111) model catalyst system. At room temperature, metallic Ba overlayers on TiO2/Pt(111) was found to be very reactive towards oxide ions on TiO2/Pt(111) resulting in the formation of BaOx and partial reduction of TiO2. Ba films adsorbed on TiO2/Pt(111) that are further oxidized in O2 at 523 K lead to BaO and BaO2 surface domains which can efficiently adsorb both NO2 and CO2. Thermal treatment of BaOBaO2/TiO2/Pt(111) surface at T ≥ 300 K leads to a monotonic decrease in the surface Ba/Ti atomic ratio indicating the diffusion of BaO-BaO2 domains into the underlying TiO2 framework. Solid state reactions between BaOx and TiO2 particularly within 473-873K facilitate the formation of BaTiO3/Ba2TiO4/BaxTiyOz overlayers. After oxidation at higher temperatures (T > 873 K), surface becomes Badeficient and the enrichment of the surface with the Ti4+ sites results in a TiO2- terminated surface. Diffusion of BaOx into the TiO2 matrix and the enrichment of the surface with Ti sites drastically suppress the NO2 and CO2 adsorption/storage capacity of the model NOx storage system. These results reveal a direct evidence for the structural changes associated with the thermal deactivation of TiO2-promoted NSR catalysts.
Open Access
BaOx/ Pt(111) AND BaOx/ TiO2/ Pt(111) MODEL CATALYSTS FOR UNDERSTANDING NOx STORAGE-REDUCTION (NSR) CATALYSIS AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL
(2011) Emmez, Emre
In this work, formation anddecomposition pathways of of Ba(NO3)2 on BaOBaO2 /Pt(111) surfaces were investigated at the molecular levelfordifferent BaOBaO2coverages starting from small 2D islands of 0.5 MLE (MLE: monolayer equivalent) to thick multilayers of 10 MLE via temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). BaOxoverlayerswith a surface coverage of ~ 1 MLEreveallong range ordering with (2×2) and/or (1×2) structures while BaOx films with a surface coverage of1.5 MLEyields aBaO(110) termination and thicker films ( ≥ 5 MLE) were observed to be amorphous. Saturation of thick (10 MLE) BaOxoverlayers with NO2 leads to the formation of nitrates. Nitrate thermal decomposition was demonstrated to proceed through nitrite intermediates. In TPD experimentstwo major pathwaysfornitrate decomposition were observed: 1) nitrate decomposition yielding only NO evolutionat ~650 K, and 2) nitrate decomposition withNO + O2evolutionat ~700 K. This multi-step decomposition behavior was explained by BaO2 formation during the first stage. The influence of the BaOxdeposition method on the morphology of the BaOxoverlayers were established: when a thick BaOx layer is prepared using NO2 for Ba oxidation, BaOx overlayer efficiently wets the Pt(111) substrate forming a well-dispersed film. On the other hand, ifa thick BaOx layer is heated in O2 (to 873 K), BaOx overlayer agglomerates into 3D clusters, resulting in the formation of exposed (uncovered) Pt sites. BaOxoverlayers with uncoveredPt sitescan be “cured” by nitration – thermal decomposition procedures. When the BaOx layer coverage is below 2.5 MLE, nitrate decomposition temperature is observed at significantly lower temperatures, demonstrating the catalytic influence of the Pt sites facilitating the nitrate decomposition. It is proposed that initially, Ba(NO3)2 decomposesatthe boundary/peripheralsites of the Pt/BaOx interface, followed by the nitrate decomposition originating from 2D BaOx islands, and eventually from the 3D BaOx agglomerates. Catalytic deactivation of TiO2-promoted NOx-storage reduction (NSR) catalysts due to thermal aging effects was investigated using a BaO/TiO2/Pt(111) model catalyst system. At room temperature, metallic Ba overlayers on TiO2/Pt(111) was found to be very reactive towards oxide ions on TiO2/Pt(111) resulting in the formation of BaOx and partial reduction of TiO2. Ba films adsorbed on TiO2/Pt(111) that are further oxidized in O2 at 523 K lead to BaO and BaO2 surface domains which can efficiently adsorb both NO2 and CO2. Thermal treatment of BaOBaO2/TiO2/Pt(111) surface at T ≥ 300 K leads to a monotonic decrease in the surface Ba/Ti atomic ratio indicating the diffusion of BaO-BaO2 domains into the underlying TiO2 framework. Solid state reactions between BaOx and TiO2 particularly within 473-873K facilitate the formation of BaTiO3/Ba2TiO4/BaxTiyOz overlayers. After oxidation at higher temperatures (T > 873 K), surface becomes Badeficient and the enrichment of the surface with the Ti4+ sites results in a TiO2- terminated surface. Diffusion of BaOx into the TiO2 matrix and the enrichment of the surface with Ti sites drastically suppress the NO2 and CO2 adsorption/storage capacity of the model NOx storage system. These results reveal a direct evidence for the structural changes associated with the thermal deactivation of TiO2-promoted NSR catalysts.
Open Access
Ceria promoted NOx storage and reduction materials
(2011) Say, Zafer
In the current work, the effect of CeO2 promotion on the NOx storage materials and NOx storage-reduction (NSR) catalysts is studied. Synthesized materials were prepared using different baria and ceria loadings in order to investigate the influence of the surface composition on the NOx storage process. Synthesized materials were also thermally treated in the temperature range within 300 - 1273 K to mimic the thermal aging effects on the material structure. Structural properties of the synthesized materials were investigated via spectroscopic and diffraction techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET (Brunauer, Emmett, ve Teller) surface area analysis. These ex-situ characterization studies revealed that materials containing Pt showed indications of sintering after thermal treatment at elevated temperatures where Pt sites grew in size and were partially covered by BaO domains. Pt addition to the BaO/Al2O3 system facilitated the formation of the undesired BaAl2O4 phase, particularly at high baria loadings. Decomposition of the Ba(NO3)2 species took place at lower temperatures for Pt containing materials. An indication for a strong-metal-support interaction (SMSI) between Pt and CeO2 sites was observed in Raman spectroscopic data, resulting in the formation of a new mixed oxide phase on the surface. BET results indicated that the specific surface area (SSA) of the synthesized materials monotonically decreased with increasing temperature and increasing BaO and CeO2 loadings. The behavior of the synthesized materials in NOx and SOx adsorption experiments were also investigated via temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and in-situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Ceria promotion had no significant influence on the nature of the adsorbed nitrate species and the NOx uptake ability of the alumina support material. On the other hand, addition of Pt to CeO2/Al2O3 binary and BaO/CeO2/Al2O3 ternary systems was observed to enhance the NOx storage. For the ternary mixed oxide NOx storage systems (BaO/CeO2/Al2O3), increasing BaO or CeO2 loadings results in a decrease in the specific surface area values, which in turn leads to decreasing NOx uptake. SO2 (g) + O2 (g) interaction with a selected set of samples were also investigated via in-situ FTIR spectroscopy. These experiments reveal that ceria promotion and platinum addition assisted the formation of surface sulfate species. Furthermore, the presence of ceria also resulted in a decrease in the thermal stability of sulfates and enabled easier regeneration.
Open Access
Forecasting selectivity of Au-based partial oxidation catalysts via temperature programmed desorption studies on the Au(111) model catalyst
(2014-09) Shah, Syed Asad Ali
Gold-based heterogeneous catalysts have attracted significant attention due to their selective partial oxidation capabilities which are comparable to that of the industrial homogeneous benchmark catalysts. In the current study, a planar Au(111) single crystal model catalyst surface was utilized to understand the behavior of different organic compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, esters etc.) in conjunction to the partial oxidation reactions. Stability of different organic compounds were investigated on the Clean Au(III) surface. The stability of a particular organic compound on the Au(III) model catalyst surface was found to be closely related to the variety of generated products. Surface sensitive analytical techniques such as Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) were used to investigate the interaction of organic compounds with the clean Au(111) single crystal surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. Organic compounds were dosed onto atomically clean Au(III) surfaces at the liquid nitrogen temperature. All organic compounds desorbed non-dissociatively on the clean Au(111) surface. All organic compounds reveal monolayer and multilayer desorption signals but in the case of aldehydes, desorption is quite different, as they lead to polymerization on the surface with high desorption temperatures. Zeroth order desorption kinetics was observed for multilayers, while 1st order desorption was seen for the monolayer. In most cases, the multilayer feature can be observed with two distinct desorption peaks associated with amorphous and crystalline phases. In this work, it is confirmed that majority of the studied compounds have relatively low adsorption energies on Au(111). The species with lower desorption energies on Au(111) tend to undergo partial oxidation rather than total oxidation. Thus, desorption energy appears as an important descriptor for predicting the extent of oxidation in partial/total oxidation in oxidative coupling reactions.
Open Access
Identification, stability and reactivity of NOx adsorbed species on titania-supported manganese catalysts
(2001) Küçükkal, Mustafa U.
The needs of improved fuel economy, and lower emission of green-house gases such as CO2, is projected to increase the demand for diesel engines through the world. These engines operate at air/fuel ratio higher than stoichiometric (lean-burn conditions). This results in relatively low hydrocarbon/NOx ratio in the exhaust and an additional amount of reductant (typically about 2-3% of additional fuel) should be fed upstream of de-NOx catalyst. For this reason, it is important to study the interaction of NOx species produced upon adsorption of NO/O2 mixtures on the catalyst surface with long chain saturate hydrocarbons, which are typical for diesel fuel.In recent years many de-NOx lean-burn catalysts have been proposed among which supported metal oxides have been taken in consideration for their potential thermal stability and large composition variability. Subjects of this study are titania (anatase)-supported manganese catalysts, prepared by impregnation and ion-exchange from aqueous solutions of Mn2+ ions. TiO2 (anatase) is stable in SO2 containing atmosphere, typical for the exhaust gases in diesel engines. The identification of the NOx species formed during the adsorption of NO, NO/O2 mixtures and NO2 is performed by in situ FTIR Spectroscopy. the thermal stability and reactivity of the surface NOx forms towards n-decane is followed by application of the same technique. It is established that adsorption of NO on the support and manganese-containing catalysts is reactive and leads to linearly adsorbed NO and formation of anionic nitrosyl, NO− and NO3 − species. Contrary to the impregnated catalyst, the ion-exchanged catalyst does not contain NO− species coordinated to Ti4+ ions. This experimental fact is in agreement with the high dispersion of Mn3+ ions concluded from the CO adsorption experiments.The NO/O2 co-adsorption on the anatase and catalysts studied results in formation of NO3 − species differing in the mode of their coordination. Under these conditions no NO− species are detected. The surface nitrates formed on the manganesecontaining catalysts possess lower thermal stability than those on the pure support. This difference explains the higher reactivity of the former toward the n-decane. The nitrates formed upon NO/O2 co-adsorption on the manganese-containing catalysts are able to activate and oxidize the hydrocarbon at temperatures as low as 373 K. The latter process gives rise to adsorbed CO2, formic acid and isocyanate species. The NCO species is considered as an important intermediate in the formation of nitrogen. The extent of oxidation of n-decane is higher on the ion-exchanged catalyst. It is concluded that this catalyst can be promising in the selective catalytic reduction of NO by longer-chain saturated hydrocarbons.
Open Access
Nanofibrous nanocomposites via electrospinning
(2011) Deniz, Ali Ekrem
In recent years, numerous studies have been reported for fabrication of composite nanofibers from polymeric and inorganic materials by using electrospinning method. In the first part of this study, TiO2 and ZnO inorganic nanofibers were produced by electrospinning from their precursors by using polymeric carrier matrix and their photocatalytic activity of these metal oxide nanofibers were studied. Moreover, electrospun TiO2 nanofibers were crushed into short nanofibers (TiO2-SNF) and embedded in electrospun polymeric nanofiber matrixes such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Different weight loading of TiO2-SNF ranging from 2% to 8% (w/w, respect to polymer) incorporated into PVDF nanofibrous matrix was applied and the structural and morphological changes along with their photocatalytic activities were also examined. In the second part, metallic nanoparticles produced by laser ablation method were incorporated into nanofibrous polymeric matrix by using electrospinning technique. For example, gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) were produced from their metallic sources by laser ablation method directly in the polymer solutions. The NPs/polymer mixtures were electrospun and surface plasmon resonance effect of Au-NPs and Ag-NPs on optical properties of the nanofibers was studied. In addition, germanium nanocrystals produced by means of laser ablation were mixed with PVDF polymer solution and consequently electrospun into composite polymeric nanofiber matrix.
Open Access
Photocatalytic nanocomposites for increased optical activity
(2008) Tek, Sümeyra
To combat environmental pollution, photocatalytic decomposition provides degradation of organic and inorganic contaminants near the surface of the photocatalyst nanoparticles by converting optical energy of the absorbed light into chemical energy for the redox reactions. However, photocatalytic activities of such semiconductor metal-oxide nanoparticles are limited with their bandgap energy that allows for optical absorption typically in the ultraviolet spectral range. Yet another limitation is that the photocatalytic activity of these semiconductor nanoparticles is substantially reduced when they are immobilized in solid thin films, resulting from their effectively decreased active surface area. But such immobilized nanoparticles are much more desired in industrial applications, e.g., for mass environmental decontamination and outdoors/indoors self-cleaning on large surfaces. To address these issues, in this thesis, we investigated and demonstrated the spectral behavior and time evolution of optical activity curves of immobilized TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles. We studied the nanoparticle size effect for the optical activity and demonstrated significant increase in the resulting photocatalysis with decreasing the size of such immobilized nanoparticles for the first time. We obtained optimal excitation conditions for TiO2 and ZnO nanocomposite films separately. We achieved maximum optical recovery levels of 93% for TiO2 nanoparticles and 55% for ZnO nanoparticles at the excitation wavelengths of 310 nm and 290 nm, respectively, after optical irradiation with an excitation density of 7.3 J/cm2 , where we observed no optical recovery for their respective negative control groups (with no nanoparticles). In these comparative spectral studies, we showed strong correlation between the differential optical recovery and the photocatalytic activity. For further substantial enhancement in the near ultraviolet and visible spectral ranges, we also proposed and demonstrated the use of a unique combination of TiO2-ZnO nanoparticles integrated together into the same resin. In this novel approach, we observed higher levels of photocatalytic activity under optical irradiation at and above 380 nm compared to the cases of only TiO2 or only ZnO nanocomposite films with the same total metal-oxide nanoparticle density. At 400 nm in the visible, we accomplished an optical recovery level of ~30% with the combination of TiO2-ZnO nanoparticles together while this level was only ~14% for the TiO2 nanoparticles alone and ~3% for the ZnO nanoparticles alone under identical conditions. Even at 440 nm, we obtained ~20% optical recovery using the TiO2-ZnO photocatalytic synergy, despite the optical activity of the single type of nanoparticles alone close to the zero base-line of their control group. These proof-of-concept experimental demonstrations indicate that such TiO2-ZnO combined nanocomposite films hold great promise for efficient environmental decontamination in daylight.
Open Access
Structure and NOx uptakr properties of Fe-Ba/Al2O3 as a model NOx storage material
(2009) Kayhan, Emine
The composition-effect of iron (5 and 10 wt. % Fe) on the nature of the NOx species and NOx storage properties of (8 and 20 wt. %) BaO/γ-Al2O3 was investigated. Nitrate-loaded samples, which were synthesized by incipient-wetness impregnation with nitrate precursors, were further treated at elevated temperatures (323 K-1273 K) in order to monitor the thermally induced structural changes. In the first part of this study, diffraction (X-ray Diffraction, XRD), BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) surface area measurement, spectroscopy (Raman and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, XPS) and microscopy (Transmission Electron Microscopy, TEM and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy, EELS) techniques were used for investigating the thermally induced structural changes on the sample surfaces. In the second part of the text, NO2 (g) adsorption experiments were performed on the NOx-free samples. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy technique was used to monitor the NOx species stored on the samples. To illustrate the desorption behavior of the adsorbed NOx on 8Ba/Al sample, Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) technique was also exploited. For the as prepared (nitrated) samples, the surface distribution and the thermal stability of the deposited Ba-nitrates were found to depend strongly on the interaction with the Fe-containing domains and the γ-Al2O3 support material. It was observed that deposited nitrates have a different thermal stability on the Fe/Ba/Al samples in comparison to the Fe-free Ba/Al samples. Besides, XRD data revealed that BaAl2O4 formation at elevated temperatures was diminished to a certain extent in the presence of Fe. Moreover, the presence of Fe in the form of α- Fe2O3 in the Fe/Al and BaFe/Al systems depressed the γ-Al2O3 → α-Al2O3 phase transformation temperature and favored the corundum formation above 1073 K. Relative surface dispersions of the Fe- and Ba-species on the 10Fe/20Ba/Al sample were also analyzed via TEM and EELS where the dispersion of barium species were found to be relatively higher than that of iron. FTIR experiments revealed that NO2 (g) adsorption at 323 K leads to the formation of nitrites for all of the samples at the initial introduction of NO2 (g). In addition, iron containing samples indicate nitrosyl formation as well. With further doses of NO2 (g), nitrite bands were converted into nitrate signals. NO2 (g) adsorption on 5(10)Fe/8(20)Ba/Al system resulted in the accentuation of the surface/bidentate nitrates. Temperature dependent FTIR experiments showed that ionic (bulk) nitrates were thermally more stable than the surface nitrates in 8(20)Ba/Al and 5(10)Fe/8(20)Ba/Al systems. TPD profile for the 8Ba/Al sample was also found to be in line with the FTIR results, indicating that the high-temperature decomposition of bulk nitrates were in the form of NO (g) and O2 (g) while the surface nitrates decomposed at lower temperatures and mostly as NO2 (g). In the presence of Fe (5 and 10 wt %) thermal stability of the nitrates were found to decrease.
Open Access
Sulfur tolerance of Fe promoted BaO/Al2O3 systems as NOx storage materials
(2011) Parmak, Emrah
Ternary mixed oxide systems in the form of BaO/FeOx/Al2O3 were studied with varying compositions as an alternative to the conventional NOx storage materials (i.e. BaO/Al2O3). NOx uptake properties of the freshly prepared samples, sulfur adsorption and NOx storage in the presence of sulfur were investigated in order to elucidate the sulfur tolerance of these advanced NOx storage systems in comparison to their conventional counterparts. The structural characterization of the poisoned NOx storage materials was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performance and sulfur tolerance of these materials upon SOx adsorption were monitored by in-situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Addition of FeOx domains to the conventional BaO/Al2O3 system was observed to introduce additional NOx storage sites and tends to increase the total NOx uptake capacity. SO2+O2 adsorption on the investigated samples was found to lead to the formation of sulfites at low temperatures which are converted into surface and bulk sulfates with increasing temperatures. After annealing at 1173 K in vacuum most of the sulfates can be removed from the surface and the samples can be regenerated. However, for Fe/Ba/Al samples formation of various highly-stable sulfite and sulfate species were also observed which survive on the surface even after annealing at elevated temperatures (1173 K). Sulfur poisoning on 5(10)Fe/8Ba/Al samples leads to preferential poisoning of the FeOx, Al2O3 and surface BaO sites where bulk BaO sites seems to be more tolerant towards sulfur poisoning. In contrast, sulfur poisoning occurs in a rather non-preferential manner on the 5(10)Fe/20Ba/Al samples influencing all of the NOx storage sites. Thermal stability of the sulfate species seem to increase in the following order: surface alumina sulfates < surface Ba sulfates ≈ Fe sulfates < bulk Ba sulfates ≈ bulk alumina sulfates < highly stable sulfates and sulfites on Fe/Ba/Al surfaces. In overall, it can be argued that the Fe promotion has a positive influence on the NOx storage capacity as well as a positive effect on the sulfur tolerance when the Ba loading is equal to 8 wt% (i.e. 5(10)Fe/8Ba/Al). For these samples, even the surface uptakes more SOx than conventional 8Ba/Al system, NOx uptake properties as well as thermal regeneration properties seem slightly improved. On the other hand, for higher Ba loadings (i.e. 5(10)Fe/20Ba/Al) Fe promotion has a minor positive effect on NOx uptake capacity and SOx tolerance for 5 wt% Fe promotion while 10 wt% Fe promotion seems to have no positive influence.
Open Access
Synthesis of mesoporous silica particles controlling the CTABr-pluronic assembly
(2009) Poyraz, Altuğ Süleyman
In the synthesis of mesoporous silica materials, self-assembly of a charged surfactant (cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide, CTABr) and a pluronic (PEOx-PPOy-PEOx where PEO is CH2CH2O and PPO is CH(CH3)CH2O) into micelles have key. By controlling the hydrophilic-hydrophobic character of the CTABr-Pluronic micelles, mesoporous silica particles can be synthesized with different morphologies (sphere, wormlike, crystal-like etc.). The particles generally have 2D hexagonal mesostructure with a high surface area (as high as 800 m2 /g). Shape of the micelles as well as the morphology of the particles depend on the hydrophobic nature of the pluronic surfactant and the CTABr amount. The CTABr amount is carefully adjusted to control the morphology and structural order of the particles. The self-assembly of the CTABr-Pluronic micelles and silica species has been achieved by adjusting pH of the synthesis medium to 1.0 in order to produce mesoporous particles with a distinct morphology and mesostructure. Nature of the CTABr-Pluronic micelles can be influenced by adding organic and inorganic additives to the reaction media. The effect of the lyotropic (F- , SO4 2- and Cletc.) and hydrotropic (NO3 - , SCNetc.) anions on the micellization of P85 has been first investigated in the aquoues media using UV-Vis Spectroscopy and ethyl orange dye. Then these inorganics and organic (Benzene) additives, in the synthesis of mesoporous silica, have been used to control the micellization of the CTABr-P123 couples as well as the morphology and the pore structure of the silica particles. Highly ordered particles with larger pores and various pore structures have been synthesized using lyotropic anions in the CTABr-P123 system. Furthermore, the hydrotropic anions control the CTABr content of the CTABr-P123 micelles. Increasing CTABr amount in the CTABr-P123 micelles decreases the wall thickness of the silica particles. The hydrophobic character of the micelles can also be enhanced by adding water insoluble organic additives (benzene). The silica particles, synthesized using CTABr-P123-Benzene system, are well structured, where the higher order X-ray diffraction lines can also be observed. Finally, the catalytic role of Fions on the polymerization of the silica has been studied in the CTABr-Pluronic system. Addition of Fion to the reaction medium speeds up the formation process and producing spherical and uniform mesoporous particles less than 20 minutes. The effect of each of the reaction component, Fion, CTABr and P123 molecules, to the assembly rate has also been investigated by determining the turbidity point (due to the formation of silica particles) of the solutions. A correlation between the particle size and reaction rate has also been brought out. The mesoporous silica particles synthesized in this thesis have been characterized using PXRD, FT-IR and Raman Spectroscopy, SEM, TEM and N2 sorption measurements.
Open Access
Synthesis of mesoporous silica particles using SDS-Pluronic couples
(2010) Sayın, Mustafa
Controlling the cooperative self assembly and micellization of pluronics and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)are pivotal for the synthesis of mesoporous silica particles. The pH and temperature of the synthesis media, SDS/Pluronic mole ratio, TMOS (tetramethyl orthosilicate)amount, alkali salt amount of the synthesis solution are the parameters, which play significant roles on the micellization and self assembly of surfactants. The synthesis of mesoporous silica particles with distinct morphologies is possible with the precise optimizations of these parameters. In this thesis we have investigated the synthesis of mesoporous silica particles with a well defined morphology and structure using SDS-Pluronic couple as the template. The pore size can be tuned by changing the aggregation number of the surfactant molecules in the micelles, also by changing the pluronic type. The morphological control is achieved mainly by changing the pH and temperature of the synthesis media. At different temperatures and pHs, rods, spheres, muffin and ‘s’ shaped particles have been obtained. The addition of inorganic salts, such as NaNO3, NaCl, and KCl, has also effects on the morphology and meso-structure. Addition of a small amount of NaNO3 changes spherical particles to amorphous silica however, addition of large amount of NaNO3 gives well defined muffin shaped and worm-like particles. The concentration of nitrate ion also affects the pore size and wall thickness of the synthesized particles. The KCl or NaCl salts also have similar effects on the morphology of the silica particles, the morphological transitions have been observed but the role of Cl- ion is minor on the control of pore size. The SDS concentration has important effects on the micellization of pluronics, changing the SDS/Pluronic mole ratio (between 0.05 and 5.0) in the reaction media changes the structure of the mesoporous silica particles. Particularly the SDS concentration has important effects on the surface area of the synthesized particles. The surface area of the samples changes between 100 m2 /g and 700 m2 /g and the pore size of the particles changes between 3.0 and 6.0 nm by changing the SDS/Pluronic mole ratio. This ratio is also effective on the micropore amount of the samples together with mesopores. The tunable particle size (between 0.2µ to 1000µ) and morphology (spheres, rods, muffin and ‘s’ shaped.) can be achieved by changing the SDS concentration. Furthermore, the low reaction temperature (below RT) is essential for the synthesis of mesoporous silica particles in SDS-Pluronic system. However, the low temperature is a problem for micellization. This problem was overcome by using P123, which has low critical micellization concentration (CMC) and critical micellization temperature (CMT) values or by using Hofmeister ions to decrease the pluronic surfactant solubility and the CMC and CMT of the pluronics used. Decreasing solubility of the pluronics causes effective micellization of the surfactants. The well defined micelles are the templates for the synthesis of mesoporous silica particles. Overall , the effects of SDS/Pluronic mole ratio, pH and temperature of the synthesis solution, TMOS concentration, and the additives (alkali salts) have been investigated by synthesis of more than 300 samples that were analyzed using PXRD, SEM, TEM, POM, and N2 sorption techniques.
Open Access
Titanium dioxide nanostructures for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications
(2008) Çakır, Deniz
In this thesis, TiO2 nanostructures and their photocatalytic and photovoltaic ap- plications have been investigated by using the ¯rst-principles calculations based on density functional theory. We have concentrated on three di®erent systems, namely TiO2 clusters, nanowires and surfaces. TiO2 is widely used in various applications, since it is chemically stable in di®erent conditions, ¯rm under il- lumination, non toxic, and relatively easy and cheap to produce. Most of the technological applications such as photovoltaic and photocatalytic of TiO2 are mainly related to its optical properties. First of all, structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of small (TiO2)n (n=1{10) clusters have been studied. Various initial geometries for each n have been searched to ¯nd out the ground state geometries. In general, it has been found that the ground state structures (for n=1{9) have at least one dangling or pendant O atom. Only the lowest lying structure of n=10 cluster does not have any pendant O atom. In the ground state structures, Ti atoms are at least 4{fold coordinated for n ¸ 4. Clusters prefer to form three{dimensional and compact structures. All clusters have singlet ground state. The formation energy and HOMO{LUMO gap have also been calculated as a function of the number of TiO2 unit to study the stability and electronic properties. The formation energy increases with increasing size of the cluster. This means that clusters become stronger as their size grows. The interaction of the ground state structure of each (TiO2)n cluster with H2O has been investigated. The binding energy Eb of H2O molecule decreases and oscillates as the cluster size increases. The interaction of the ground state structure of n=3, 4, 10 clusters with more than one H2O molecule has also been studied. We have calculated Eb per adsorbed molecule and we have shown that it decreases with increasing number of adsorbed H2Omolecule (N). When N ¸ 2 for n=3 and N ¸3 for n=4 clusters, H2O molecules bind more strongly to n=10 cluster. The adsorption of transition metal (TM) atoms such as V, Co, and Pt on n=10 cluster has been studied as well. All these elements interact with the cluster forming strong chemisorption bonds, and the permanent magnetic moment is induced upon the adsorption of Co or V atoms. Second of all, structural, electronic and magnetic properties of very thin TiOx (x=1,2) nanowires have been presented. All stoichiometric TiO2 nanowires ex- hibit semiconducting behavior and have non{magnetic ground state. There is a correlation between binding energy (Eb) and the energy band gap (Eg) of these TiO2 nanowires. In general, Eb increases with Eg. In non-stoichiometric TiO nanowires, we have both metallic and semiconducting nanowires. In addition to non{magnetic TiO nanowires, we have also ferromagnetic nanowires. Three{ dimensional (3D) structures are more energetic than planar ones for both stoi- chiometries. The stability of TiOx nanowires is enhanced by the increase of the size and coordination number of Ti and O atoms which tend to possess at least four and two nearest neighbors, respectively. We have also studied the structural and electronic properties of rutile (110) nanowires obtained by cutting bulk ru- tile along the [110] direction with a certain cross section. The bulk nanowires are more energetic than the thin nanowires after a certain diameter. Like thin TiO2 nanowires, all bulk wires are semiconducting and Eg oscillates with the cross section of these (110) nanowires. Third of all, we have studied the interaction of perylenediimide (PDI){based dye compounds (BrPDI, BrGly, and BrAsp) with both the unreconstructed (UR) and reconstructed (RC) anatase TiO2 (001) surfaces. All dye molecules form strong chemical bonds with the surface in the most favorable adsorption struc- tures. The lowest binding energy is 2.60 eV which has been obtained in the adsorption of BrPDI dye on the UR surface. In UR{BrGly, RC{BrGly and RC{ BrAsp cases, we have observed that HOMO and LUMO levels of the adsorbed molecules appear within the band gap and conduction band regions, respectively. Moreover, we have obtained a gap narrowing upon adsorption of BrPDI on the RC surface. Because of the reduction in the e®ective band gap of the surface{dye system and possibly achieved the visible light activity, these results are valuable for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. We have also considered the e®ects of the hydration of surface on the binding of BrPDI. It has been found that the binding energy drops signi¯cantly for the completely hydrated surfaces.Fourth of all, we have considered the interaction of BrPDI, BrGly, and BrAsp dye molecules with defect free rutile TiO2 (110) surfaces. All dye molecules form moderate chemical bonds with surface in the most stable adsorption structures. The average binding energy of dye molecules is about 1 eV. Regardless of the type of dye molecules, HOMO and LUMO levels of the adsorbed dye appear within the gap and the conduction band region of defect free surface, respectively. The e®ect of the slab thickness on the interaction strength between the dye and the surface has also been examined. Unlike the four layers slab, BrGly and BrAsp molecules are dissociatively adsorbed on the three layers slab. The interaction between BrPDI and partially reduced rutile (110) as well as platinized surface has been also considered in order to ¯gure out the e®ects of O vacancy and preadsorbed small Ptn (n=1, 3 and 5 ) clusters on the binding, electronic, and structural properties of the dye{surface system. It has been found that BrPDI dye prefers to bind to the O vacancy site for the partially reduced surface case. Transition metal deposition on metal oxides plays a crucial role in various industrial areas such as catalysts and photovoltaic cells. Finally, an extensive study of the adsorption of small Ptn (n=1{8) and bimetallic Pt2Aum (m=1{5) clusters on partially reduced rutile TiO2 (110) has been presented. The e®ect of surface O vacancies on the adsorption and growth of Pt and bimetallic Pt{Au clusters over the defective site of the 4£2 rutile surface has been studied. Struc- tures, energetics and electronic properties of adsorbed Ptn and Pt2Aum clusters have been analyzed. The surface O vacancy site has been found to be the most active site for a single Pt monomer. Other Pt clusters, namely dimer, trimer and so on, tend to grow around this monomer. As a result, O vacancy site behaves as a nucleation center for the clustering of Pt atoms. Small Pt clusters interact strongly with the partially reduced surface. Eb per adsorbed Pt atom is 3.38 eV for Pt1 case and Eb increases as the cluster size grows due to the formation of strong Pt{Pt bonds. Pt clusters prefer to form planar structures for n = 1{6 cases. The calculated partial density of states of Ptn{TiO2 surface has revealed that the surface becomes metallic when n ¸ 3. In the case of bimetallic Pt-Au clusters, Aum clusters have been grown on the Pt2{TiO2 surface. Previously ad- sorbed Pt dimer at the vacancy site of the reduced surface acts as a clustering center for Au atoms. This Pt2 cluster also inhibits sintering of the Au clusters on the surface. The interaction between the adsorbed Au atoms and titania surface as well as previously adsorbed Pt dimer is weak compared to Pt{TiO2 surface interactions. Since charge state of the clusters adsorbed on the oxide surfaces iscrucial for catalysis applications of these clusters, total charge on each atom of the metal clusters has also been calculated. Charge transfer among the cluster atoms and underlying oxide surface is more pronounced for Ptn clusters. Furthermore, the absolute value of total charge on the clusters is greater for Ptn than that of bimetallic Pt{Au case.