Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:21:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1985017 bytes, checksum: d2b42e6316873e9c73d1d84ea20f59d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This work reports the synthesis of the SBA-15 mesoporous silica the acidic hydrolisis of the tetraethylortosilicate (TEOS), and using the P123 pluronic copolymer (EO20PO70EO20). The precursor matrix was organically modified by silanization with the 3- trimethoxypropylsilyldiethylenetriamine, named as SBA-15-3N. The solids were characterized by low angle X-ray diffraction, CHN elemental analysis, N2 adsorption/dessorption measurements, absorption infrared spectroscopy, 29Si and 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Elemental analysis data indicated the amount of 1.53 mmol of nitrogen per gram of silica, which was confirmed by the infrared spectra. 29Si NMR showed the prevalence of T2 and T3 species in the solid SBA-15-3N. These data demonstrated the efficiency of the organofunctionalization of the SBA-15. The measurements of zeta potential showed that the SBA-15-3N has null surface charge at pH 9.2, favoring the adsorption of anionic dyes in a wide pH range. Finally, the SBA-15-3N was applied in the retention of the anionic dyes RN remazol blue and RG remazol yellow, using a factorial design to evaluate the agitation time, temperature and pH. The results showed that the SBA 15-3N was an efficient adsorbent for removing of the reactive dyes from aqueous solution. The use of experimental design was important to establish the optimized conditions, where the maximum retention capacities were 514 and 370 mg/g for RN remazol blue and RG remazol yellow, respectively, and both processes were fitted to Langmuir modified adsorption model. / Neste trabalho, foi realizada a síntese da sílica SBA-15 pela hidrólise ácida do tetraetilortossilicato (TEOS) utilizando o copolímero plurônico P123 (EO20PO70EO20). A matriz precursora foi modificada organicamente por silanização com 3- trimetoxipropilsilildietilenotriamino, sendo denominada SBA-15-3N. Os sólidos foram caracterizados através das técnicas de difratometria de raios-X a baixo ângulo, análise elementar de CHN, medidas de adsorção/dessorção de nitrogênio, espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, ressonância magnética nuclear no estado sólido de 29Si e 13C e microscopias eletrônicas de varredura e transmissão. A análise elementar indicou o ancoramento de 1,53 mmol de nitrogênio por grama de sílica, cuja presença foi confirmada nos espectros de infravermelho. Os dados de RMN de 29Si indicaram a prevalência de grupos T2 e T3 na amostra SBA-15-3N, e demonstraram a eficiência da funcionalização da sílica SBA-15. O estudo do potencial zeta mostrou que a SBA-15-3N apresenta carga superficial igual a zero em pH de 9,2, favorecendo a adsorção de corantes aniônicos em uma ampla faixa de pH. Finalmente, a matriz SBA-15-3N foi aplicada na retenção dos corantes reativos aniônicos azul de remazol RN e amarelo de remazol RG, utilizando um planejamento fatorial, para avaliar os efeitos dos fatores tempo de contato, temperatura e pH. Os resultados mostraram que a SBA-15-3N foi um adsorvente eficiente para a remoção de corantes reativos em solução aquosa. O uso do planejamento fatorial foi importante para estabelecer as condições experimentais otimizadas de adsorção, nas quais a capacidade máxima de retenção foi de 514 e de 370 mg/g para os corantes azul de remazol RN e amarelo de remazol RG, respectivamente, sendo que ambos os processos se ajustaram ao modelo de adsorção de Langmuir.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Interaction processes of the anionic dyes, remazol yellow (AMR), remazol blue (AZR) and remazol red (VMR) with scales of the fish Piau (Leporinus elongatus) have been evaluated by kinetic and thermodynamic studies. Raw scales and containing the adsorbed dyes were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy and X- ray diffraction. The point of zero charge (PCZ) of the scale was determined and the found value of 6,98 indicated that the surface of the scales is protonated in acidic medium. Kinetic studies were carried out in order to evaluate the influence of the structures of the dyes, pH and temperature. It was observed that the material presented a higher affinity for anionic dyes, whose adsorbed amounts decreased with increasing temperature, suggesting exothermic processes. The obtained data fitted to the model of pseudo-second-order. In order to obtain thermodynamic parameters, the processes of interaction of the anionic dyes AZR, AMR, VMR with the scales were evaluated by isothermal calorimetry, using the membrane breaking technique. The data were applied to the linear regression model of Langmuir. From this model, values of enthalpy change in the formation of monolayer, ΔmonH, change of the Gibbs free energy of formation of the monolayer, ΔmonG, and entropy change of the formation of the monolayer, ΔmonS, were determined. The obtained values of ΔmonH, ΔmonG and ΔmonS were, respectively, -83,28 kJ mol-1, -17,92 kJ mol-1; -219,22 JK-1mol-1 for the AZR dye, -199,68 kJ mol-1, -20,97 kJ mol-1; -599,40 JK-1mol-1 for AMR dye and -120,87 kJ mol-1, -22,48 kJ mol-1, -330, 00 JK-1mol-1 for the VMR dye. / Processos de interação dos corantes aniônicos, amarelo de remazol (AMR), azul de remazol (AZR) e vermelho de remazol (VMR) com escamas do peixe Piau (Leporinus elongatus) foram avaliados através de estudo cinético e termodinâmico. Escamas puras e contendo os corantes adsorvidos foram caracterizadas por análise termogravimétrica, espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho e difração de raios-X. Também foram realizadas medidas para determinar o ponto de carga zero (PCZ), cujo valor encontrado de 6,98 indicou que a superfície das escamas está protonada em meio ácido. Estudos cinéticos foram realizados com o intuito de avaliar a influência das estruturas dos corantes, do pH e da temperatura nos processos de interação. Observou-se que as escamas apresentaram maiores afinidades por corantes aniônicos, cujas quantidades adsorvidas diminuíram com o aumento da temperatura, sugerindo processos exotérmicos. Os dados cinéticos obtidos ajustaram-se ao modelo de pseudo-segunda-ordem. A fim de se obter parâmetros termodinâmicos, os processos de interação dos corantes aniônicos AZR, AMR, VMR com as escamas foram avaliados por calorimetria isotérmica, utilizando o sistema de quebra de membrana. Os dados obtidos foram aplicados ao modelo da regressão linear de Langmuir. A partir desse modelo, foram determinados os valores de variação de entalpia na formação da monocamada, ΔmonH, variação da energia livre de Gibbs na formação da monocamada, ΔmonG, e variação de entropia na formação da monocamada, ΔmonS. Os valores de ΔmonH, ΔmonG e ΔmonS obtidos foram, respectivamente, -83,28 kJ mol-1; -17,92 kJ mol-1; -219,22 JK-1mol-1, para o corante AZR, -199,68 kJ mol-1; -20,97 kJ mol-1; -599,40 JK-1mol-1, para o corante AMR e -120,87 kJ mol-1 ; -22,48 kJ mol-1; -330,00 JK-1mol-1, para o corante VMR.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-15T15:52:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese de Doutorado - Tarsila Maíra Nogueira de Paiva.pdf: 3172020 bytes, checksum: ef23b24c900292b0481d7b9950ba0f46 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-15T15:52:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese de Doutorado - Tarsila Maíra Nogueira de Paiva.pdf: 3172020 bytes, checksum: ef23b24c900292b0481d7b9950ba0f46 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-11-16 / CAPEs / O potencial das conchas de mariscos anomalocardia brasiliana e ostras crassostrea rhizophorae calcinadas para remoção de corantes têxteis aniônicos foi avaliado e sua eficiência comparada com o carvão ativado comercial. Foi investigado também o tratamento de um efluente real de indústria têxtil, com as conchas, o carvão ativado e um coagulante comercial. Os corantes utilizados foram o Drimaren azul CL-R (CD), o Indosol amarelo SF-2RL (IA), o Lanasyn violeta F-BL 180 (CL) e o Indosol azul turquesa (CI). As conchas e o carvão ativado foram caracterizados através da área superficial, volume e diâmetro médio dos poros, difração e fluorescência de Raios-X, MEV-EDS e pHPCZ. A influência da quantidade de massa e granulometria do adsorvente, salinidade da solução e agitação do processo sobre a capacidade de remoção do sistema foram estudados através de um planejamento experimental. As conchas calcinadas são formadas por 98% de cálcio na forma de óxido de cálcio, suas áreas superficiais estão em torno de 2,0 m2.g-1. O pH em que a carga superficial é zero (pHPCZ) é de 13,0 e 11,5 para as conchas de mariscos e de ostras, respectivamente. O cálcio das conchas interagem com os grupos sulfônicos dos corantes mediante uma reação de simples troca, seguida de precipitação dos corantes. Realizou-se um ajuste não linear para o estudo cinético com as conchas e o carvão ativado, bem como os ajustes de equilíbrio de adsorção com o carvão ativado. O modelo cinético de pseudo-segunda ordem se ajustou bem aos dados experimentais da adsorção. A capacidade máxima de adsorção com o carvão ativado prevista pelo modelo de Langmuir-Freundlich a 30 ºC foi de 157; 361 e 405 mg.g-1 para os corantes CI, CD e Cl, respectivamente. O estudo termodinâmico para o carvão ativado demonstrou que o processo de remoção dos corantes é espontâneo, endotérmico e que a desordem do sistema aumenta com o aumento da temperatura. A eficiência de remoção dos corantes pelas conchas de mariscos e ostras calcinadas em efluentes sintéticos ficou acima de 97 % e 90%, respectivamente aos 5 minutos de reação. A eficiência de adsorção dos corantes utilizando carvão ativado foi acima de 96% no primeiro minuto. No estudo com o efluente real, a quantidade de massa necessária de conchas de ostras calcinadas para remoção de 92,6% foi de 2.000 mg.L-1. Para o carvão ativado atingir esta eficiência, a quantidade requerida foi de 20.000 mg.L-1. As conchas de ostras obtiveram melhor comportamento na remoção de parâmetros como cor, turbidez e demanda química de oxigênio (DQO) quando comparadas a um coagulante comercial e ao carvão ativado. Um tratamento primário é aconselhável antes do descarte ou reuso do efluente tratado para adequação dos níveis da DBO, da DQO e dos ST, aliado ao tratamento secundário com as conchas de mariscos ou ostras calcinadas, para redução da cor e outros parâmetros. A correção do pH é necessária visto que as conchas são de natureza alcalina. As conchas de mariscos e ostras calcinadas mostraram ser materiais eficientes e promissores para remoção de alta concentração de corantes aniônicos comparados com adsorventes ou coagulantes comercias. Elas possuem a vantagem de ser um material natural e necessitar de uma quantidade relativamente pequena para alcançar boa eficiência de remoção. As conchas de mariscos e ostras revelaram-se uma opção atraente na aplicação de tratamento de águas residuais. / The potential of shells brasiliana Anomalocardia clams and oysters Crassostrea rhizophorae calcined to remove anionic textile dyes was assessed and its effectiveness compared with commercial activated carbon. It was also investigated the treatment of a real effluent from the textile industry, with the shells, activated carbon and a commercial coagulant. The dyes used were blue Drimaren CL-R (CD), yellow Indosol SF-2RL (IA), Lanasyn Violet F-BL 180 (CL) and the turquoise Indosol (IC). The shells and activated carbon were characterized by surface area, volume, and average pore diameter, X-rays diffraction and fluorescence, SEM-EDS and pHPCZ. The influence of the amount of mass and particle size of the adsorbent, the solution salinity and bustle of the process on the system removal capacity were studied using an experimental design. The calcined shells are formed by 98% of calcium as calcium oxide, their surface areas are around 2.0 m2.g-1. The pH at which the surface charge is zero (pHPCZ) is 13.0 and 11.5 for the shells of clams and oysters, respectively. The calcium from the shells interact with sulfonic acid groups of the dyes through a single displacement reaction, followed by precipitation of the dyes. We carried out a non-linear fit to the kinetic study with shells and activated carbon, and the adsorption equilibrium adjustments with activated charcoal. The kinetic model of pseudo-second order fits well to the experimental adsorption data. The maximum adsorption capacity with the activated carbon provided by the Langmuir-Freundlich model at 30 °C was 157; 361 and 405 mg.g-1 to IC, CD and CI dyes, respectively. The thermodynamic stud for the activated carbon has shown that the dye removal process is spontaneous, endothermic and that system disorder increases with increasing temperature. The removal efficiency of the dyes by shells of clams and oysters calcined in synthetic wastewater was above 97% and 90% respectively after 5 minutes of reaction. The adsorption efficiency of the dyes using activated carbon was above 96% in the first minute. In the study of the real effluent, the amount of mass needed of calcined oyster shell for removal of 92.6% was 2,000 mg L-1. For the activated carbon to achieve this efficiency, the amount required was 20,000 mg L-1. The oyster shells obtained better performance in the removal of parameters such as color, turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) as compared to a commercial coagulant and activated carbon. A primary treatment is advisable before disposal or reuse of treated wastewater for adequacy of BOD, the COD and ST levels, combined with secondary treatment with the shells of clams or oysters calcined, to reduce color and other parameters. The pH correction is necessary as the shells are of alkaline nature. The shells of clams and oysters calcined showed to be efficient and promising materials for removing high concentration of anionic dyes compared with adsorbents or commercial coagulants. They have the advantage of being a natural material and require a relatively small amount to achieve good removal efficiency. The shells of clams and oysters proved to be an attractive option in the application of wastewater treatment.

Photo-initiated reactions involve the use of ultraviolet (UV) or visible light radiation to effect chemical transformations. Some of the advantages of photo-initiated reactions over thermal or high pressure reactions include mild reaction conditions like ambient temperature and pressure, good control over the reaction by the simple switching on/off the light source, and faster reaction kinetics. Usually, semiconductor photocatalysts or oxidizing agents are used to enhance the rate of photo reactions. “Photocatalysis” involves the generation of valence band holes and conduction band electrons by the band gap excitation of a semiconductor photocatalyst. These charge carriers produce reactive hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, which mediate oxidation and reduction reactions. However, the oxidizing agents are decomposed by the incident radiation to generate reactive radicals, which accelerate the photo reaction. Today, photocatalysis and photo-oxidative reactions are widely being practiced for environmental pollution abatement, synthesis of fine chemicals, synthesis of polymers, generation of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, and in anti-fogging and self-cleaning surface treatments. The present investigation focuses on elucidating the mechanism and kinetics of environmentally and synthetically relevant photo-initiated reactions for a better understanding of the fundamental aspects of the photo processes. The different photo-initiated reactions studied in this dissertation can be grouped under the broad categories of (i) photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds like dyes and phenols, and reduction of metal ions, (ii) photocatalytic degradation of polymers, (iii) selective photocatalytic oxidation of cyclohexane, (iv) sonophotocatalytic degradation of dyes, (v) photopolymerization, and (vi) sonophotooxidative degradation of polymers. Nano-sized TiO2, synthesized by solution combustion technique (henceforth denoted as CS TiO2), was used as the photocatalyst for most of the above reactions, except for the last two polymer reactions, where organic initiators were used. Invariably, the photocatalytic activity of CS TiO2 was compared with the commercially available Degussa P-25 TiO2 (DP25). Based on the experimental results, detailed mechanisms were proposed for the different reactions, kinetic models were derived, and the rate coefficients signifying the importance of the underlying reaction steps were evaluated. Pd2+ substituted and Pd0 impregnated TiO2 were synthesized by solution combustion and reduction techniques, respectively, and characterized by powder XRD, XPS, TEM, BET surface area, UV/visible, TGA, FT-IR and photoluminescence measurements. While the above catalysts are known to be more active compared to CS TiO2 for the gas phase NO reduction and NO decomposition reactions, it was found in this study, that these catalysts exhibit lower activity for the degradation of organic compounds like dyes, phenol and 4-chlorophenol, in the aqueous phase. The decrease in activity was correlated with a reduction in surface area and photoluminescence intensity of these catalysts, compared to CS TiO2. Ag+ substituted (Ag sub) and Ag0 impregnated (Ag imp) nano-TiO2 were synthesized by solution combustion and reduction techniques, respectively, and characterized by the above standard measurements. These catalysts were used for the photodegradation of dyes, and the selective photooxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone. For the photocatalytic degradation of dyes, unsubstituted CS TiO2 exhibited the highest activity, followed by 1% Ag imp and 1% Ag sub. However, for the photooxidation of cyclohexane, the total conversion of cyclohexane and the selectivity of cyclohexanone followed the order: 1% Ag sub > DP-25 > CS TiO2 > 1% Ag imp. The kinetics of photodegradation of the dyes and the photooxidation of cyclohexane was modeled using Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate equation, and a free radical mechanism, respectively. This study proves that the photoactivity of a catalyst is not solely determined by a single physical property, but rather by a number of variables including the surface area, band gap, surface hydroxyl content, oxide ion vacancy and surface charge of the catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of five anionic, eight cationic and three solvent dyes, containing different functional groups, was evaluated. The degradation of the dyes was quantified using the initial rate of decolorization and overall percent mineralization. The decolorization of the anionic dyes with CS TiO2 followed the order: Indigo Carmine > Eosin Y > Amido Black 10B > Alizarin Cyanine Green > Orange G. The decolorization of the cationic dyes with DP-25 followed the order: Malachite Green > Pyronin Y > Rhodamine 6G > Azure B > Nile Blue Sulfate > Auramine O ≈ Acriflavine ≈ Safranin O. CS TiO2 exhibited higher rates of decolorization and mineralization for all the anionic dyes, while DP-25 was better in terms of decolorization for most of the cationic dyes. The solvent dyes exhibited adsorption dependent decolorization. The observed results were rationalized based on the molecular structure and degradation pathway of the dyes. The simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of phenolic compounds like phenol and 4-nitrophenol, and the reduction of metal ions like copper (Cu2+) and chromium (Cr6+) were studied. It was found that the presence of phenol accelerated the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+, and the presence of phenol and 4-nitrophenol accelerated the adsorption of Cr6+ onto CS TiO2. A detailed dual-cycle, multi-step reaction mechanism was proposed for the simultaneous degradation and reduction, and a model was developed using the network reduction technique. The kinetic rate constants in the model were evaluated for the systems studied. The simultaneous UV and ultrasound (US) degradation of anionic dyes was carried out in presence of CS TiO2. The rates of degradation and mineralization of the dyes were higher for the sonophotocatalytic process compared to the individual photo-and sonocatalytic processes. The effect of dissolved gases and US intensity on the sonophotocatalytic degradation of the dyes was evaluated. A dual-pathway network mechanism of sonophotocatalytic degradation was proposed for the first time, and the rate equations were modeled using the network reduction technique. The kinetic rate coefficients of the individual steps were evaluated for all the systems by fitting the model with the experimental data. Eosin Y and Fluorescein dye sensitized visible light degradation of phenol, 4chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was studied. A detailed mechanism of sensitized degradation was proposed, and a mechanistic model for the rate of degradation of the phenolic compound was derived by using the pyramidal network reduction technique to evaluate the rate coefficients. An important conclusion of this study indicates that at low initial dye concentrations, the rate of degradation of the phenolic compound is first order in the concentration of the dye, while at high initial dye concentrations, the rate is first order in the concentration of the phenolic compound. The different phenolic and dye intermediates that were formed during degradation were identified by mass spectrometry, and a most probable pathway of degradation was proposed. The solution photopolymerization of methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-and hexylmethacrylates in presence of benzoyl peroxide as the initiator was studied. The effect of initiator and monomer concentrations on the time evolution of polymer concentration, number average molecular weight (Mn) and polydispersity (PDI) was examined. The reversible chain addition and β-scission, and primary radical termination steps were included in the mechanism along with the classical initiation, propagation and termination steps. The rate equations were derived using continuous distribution kinetics and solved numerically to fit the experimental data. The model predicted the instantaneous increase of Mn and PDI of the polymers to steady state values. The rate coefficients exhibited a linear increase with the size of the alkyl chain of the alkyl methacrylates. Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) copolymers of different compositions were synthesized and characterized. The copolymers were statistical with a relatively high percentage of acrylamide units, as determined by 13C-NMR. The aqueous phase photolytic and photocatalytic degradation of the copolymers and the homopolymers was conducted. The degradation was modeled using continuous distribution kinetics. The degradation followed a two step mechanism, wherein the rapid first step comprised of the scission of weak acrylic acid units along the chain, which was followed by the breakage of the relatively strong acrylamide units. The rate constants for the weak and strong links followed a linear trend with the percentage of acrylic acid and acrylamide in the copolymer, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of the copolymers of methyl methacrylate with butyl methacrylate (MMA-BMA), ethyl acrylate (MMA-EA) and methacrylic acid (MMA-MAA) was carried out in toluene. The copolymers and the corresponding homopolymers degraded randomly along the chain. The degradation rate coefficient was determined using continuous distribution kinetics. The time evolution of the hydroxyl and hydroperoxide stretching vibration in the FT-IR spectra of the copolymers indicated that the degradation rate follows the order: MMA-MAA > MMA-EA > MMA-BMA. The photodegradation rate coefficients were compared with the activation energy of pyrolytic degradation. The observed contrast in the order of thermal stability compared to the photostability of these copolymers was attributed to the two different mechanisms governing the scission of the polymers and the evolution of the products. The mechano-chemical degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl methacrylate) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate) using US and UV radiation, in presence of benzoin as the photoinitiator, was carried out. A degradation mechanism that included the decomposition of the initiator, generation of polymer radicals by hydrogen abstraction of the initiator radicals, and reversible chain transfer between the stable polymer and the polymer radicals, was proposed. The mechanism assumed mid-point chain scission due to US and random chain scission due to UV radiation. The steady state evolution of PDI was successfully predicted by the continuous distribution kinetics model. The rate coefficients of polymer scission due to US and UV radiation exhibited a linear increase and decrease with the size of the alkyl group of the poly(alkyl methacrylate)s, respectively.

The present thesis is focused on the synthesis and environmental applications of polyaniline and its nanocomposites. It is organized in six chapters and brief discussions of the contents of the individual chapters are given below. Chapter 1 reviews two important water purification methods: adsorption and photocatalysis, which are widely discussed in literature. A general introduction to conducting polymers has been given and their photocatalytic activity has been described. Chapter 2 reports the application of polyaniline emeraldine salt for the removal of anionic dyes from aqueous solutions by adsorption. A possible mechanism for the anionic dye adsorption by PANI emeraldine salt has been proposed. The electrostatic interaction between the positively charged PANI backbone and dye anions is responsible for significant dye adsorption. The kinetic parameters for the adsorption of anionic dyes on PANI have also been determined. In Chapter 3, we investigate the adsorption and desorption of anionic dyes from aqueous solution by PANI doped with different protonic acids. PANI with three dopants, namely p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA), camphor sulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) were used to adsorb various dyes. The adsorbed dyes were desorbed from the polymer by using a basic aqueous solution. It was found that the adsorption of dye is dependent on the size and nature of the dopant acids. The influence of different dopants on the adsorption and desorption kinetic parameters was also examined. In chapter 4, the inherent property of PANI to adsorb dyes has been explored for the detection of dyes by electrochemical method. The changes in the CV of PANI film coated on Pt electrodes on addition of dye have been employed for detection of dye in aqueous solution. Furthermore, PANI coated stainless steel (SS) electrodes show a change in current intensity of Fe2+/Fe3+ redox peaks due to addition of dye in the electrolyte solution. Chapter 5 describes the synthesis and characterization of polyaniline-grafted-chitosan (CPANI) with different grafting ratios. The mechanical properties and the crystallinity of CPANI were investigated by means of nanoindentation and X-ray diffraction experiments, respectively. CPANI has been further self-assembled into multilayer thin film via versatile and simple layer-by-layer (LbL) approach. Negatively charged hyaluronic acid (HUA) was used as complementary polyelectrolyte for the self-assembly. LbL growth of the multilayer thin films has been monitored with UV-vis spectral analysis as well as by AFM. The formation of thin film has been further characterized by SEM. The pH responsive behavior of CPANI/HUA multilayer thin film has been investigated. Reusability of this thin film has been investigated by repeating the pH responsive experiments for 10 cycles. Chapter 6 is focused on the preparation of nanocomposite thin films of CPANI/PSS/TiO2 via LbL approach. LbL growth of this self-assembly was monitored by UV-vis spectral analysis and porous nature was observed from SEM images. Poly (styrene sulfonate) (PSS) was used as bridging layer between TiO2 nanoparticles and CPANI for the multilayer self-assembly. Incorporation of CPANI within this LbL self-assembly enhanced the dye degradation ability of the thin film by increasing the availability of dye molecules around the TiO2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, CPANI may act as a sensitizer to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The effects of surface area of the multilayer thin film and amount of catalysts (TiO2 nanoparticles) incorporated in the self-assembly were described based on the kinetics of the dye degradation reactions. The same multilayer thin film can be efficiently used for dye degradation several times. The work presented in this thesis utilizes unique dye adsorption properties of PANI and its copolymers. The change in conductivity of PANI after dye adsorption and the electrochemical dye detection in aqueous medium promise the potential of PANI as a dye sensing material in waste water at very low concentration. The nanocomposites of CPANI/PSS/TiO2 present a novel material for photocatalysis.

Plasma-based surface modifications offer many interesting possibilities for the production of high value-added polymeric materials. In this work, different plasma-based synthetic concepts were employed to endow poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics with accessible amine functionalities. These concepts were compared to find out the appropriate engineering methods, which can be further accepted by textile industries to overcome the limited reactivity of PET fabric surfaces, while the bulk characteristics are kept unaffected. Amine functionalities were introduced onto the surface of PET fabrics using either low-pressure ammonia plasma treatment or coating oxygen plasma-treated PET fabric with cationic polyelectrolytes. Two different cationic polyelectrolytes were used in this study namely poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as an example of strong polyelectrolytes and poly(vinyl amine-co-vinyl amide) as an example of weak polyelectrolytes. The modified surfaces were characterized by a combination of various surface-sensitive techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrokinetic measurements and time-dependent contact angle measurements. Furthermore, the amine functionalities introduced by different surface modifications were used for the subsequent immobilization of various classes of anionic dyes to evaluate the efficiency of different surface modifications. Color strength (K/S) and fastness measurements of colored fabrics were also explored. Their results can be taken as a measure of the extent of the interaction between different modified surfaces and anionic dyes. Finally, it was demonstrated that anchoring poly(vinyl amine-co-vinyl amide) layer onto PET fabric surfaces modified with low-pressure oxygen plasma is an efficient approach to improve coloration behavior and to overcome different problems related to PET fabrics coloration, such as coloration of PET/wool blend fabric with a single class of dyes. This is a crucial step towards the substrate independent surface coloration, which becomes dependent on the properties of the top layer rather than chemical structure of the fibers.

Plasma-based surface modifications offer many interesting possibilities for the production of high value-added polymeric materials. In this work, different plasma-based synthetic concepts were employed to endow poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics with accessible amine functionalities. These concepts were compared to find out the appropriate engineering methods, which can be further accepted by textile industries to overcome the limited reactivity of PET fabric surfaces, while the bulk characteristics are kept unaffected. Amine functionalities were introduced onto the surface of PET fabrics using either low-pressure ammonia plasma treatment or coating oxygen plasma-treated PET fabric with cationic polyelectrolytes. Two different cationic polyelectrolytes were used in this study namely poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as an example of strong polyelectrolytes and poly(vinyl amine-co-vinyl amide) as an example of weak polyelectrolytes. The modified surfaces were characterized by a combination of various surface-sensitive techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrokinetic measurements and time-dependent contact angle measurements. Furthermore, the amine functionalities introduced by different surface modifications were used for the subsequent immobilization of various classes of anionic dyes to evaluate the efficiency of different surface modifications. Color strength (K/S) and fastness measurements of colored fabrics were also explored. Their results can be taken as a measure of the extent of the interaction between different modified surfaces and anionic dyes. Finally, it was demonstrated that anchoring poly(vinyl amine-co-vinyl amide) layer onto PET fabric surfaces modified with low-pressure oxygen plasma is an efficient approach to improve coloration behavior and to overcome different problems related to PET fabrics coloration, such as coloration of PET/wool blend fabric with a single class of dyes. This is a crucial step towards the substrate independent surface coloration, which becomes dependent on the properties of the top layer rather than chemical structure of the fibers.