Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries. It has a high theoretical specific capacity (170 mAh/g) and operating potential (3.45 V vs. Li+/Li). Additionally, the material is extremely stable thermally and electrochemically at ambient conditions, which is very suitable to be used in electric vehicles. However, the electronic and ionic conductivities of the material are quite low, which limits the power performance of the batteries. In the last decade, extensive work was reported on various methods to improve the electronic conductivity extrinsically, for example carbon coating, metallic additives and molecular wiring. Nevertheless, energy density of the cells will be reduced because of non-electrochemically active nature of the additives. In principle, electronic and ionic conductivities can be boosted intrinsically. One of the methods is to increase the number of charge carriers in the material, for instance in two-phase solid solution system LiαFePO4/Li1-βFePO4 or single solid solution phase LixFePO4. Since the formation of solid solution has been reported to be size dependent, it is highly desired to know how to synthesize LiFePO4 particles with different sizes. In this study, we have used hydrothermal synthesis and polyol process to control the size of LiMPO4 (M: Fe, Mn, and Co) particles. We will present how we prepare particles with different sizes. Moreover, the solid solution properties of various sizes of LiMPO4 (M: Mn and Fe) were studied. The result will be presented. Part of the preliminary findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journals or conference presentations: 1) Journal of Materials Chemistry [Ellis B.; Kan W. H.; Makahnouk W. R. M.; Nazar L. F. J. Mater. Chem. 2007, 17 (30) 3248., 2) Journal of the American iv Chemical Society [Lee K. T.; Kan W. H.; Nazar L. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. (submitted)], 3) Material Research Society Meeting [Kan W. H.; Maunders C.; Badi S.; Ellis B.; Botton G.; Nazar L. F. MRS Fall Meeting 2008 in Boston]

In the present study the effects of addition of organically functionalized boehmite nano-particles on the mechanical properties of epoxy polymers were analyzed. Nanosize platelets of boehmite powders were produced via a hydrothermal process from the raw material aluminum trihydroxide Al(OH)3 provided by a a chemical supplier, but which in future studies can be replaced by local resources of aluminum trihydroxide available in Seydisehir, Turkey. The ground aluminum trihydroxide particles were submitted to a two-step preliminary ageing procedure in different pH media. Particles were then converted to boehmite nanoparticles via hydrothermal ageing at high pressure and temperature. The product&lsquo / s chemical identity, size, structure and morphology were characterized with XRD, FT-IR, SEM and PSA analyses. By controlling the pH and the ageing time as parameters, hexagonal shaped nanoplatelets were obtained with dimensions ranging from 100 to 500 nm. Aiming at using these nanoparticles into surface coating polymers, the most favorable shape is the plate-like morphology, leading to adopting the last hydrothermal condition in the rest of the study. v The boehmite crystal surfaces are furnished with hydroxyls which can potentially be reacted with epoxy monomers of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether with the help of tin (II) chloride as catalyst through ring-opening reactions. The FT-IR and quantitative analyses indicated that this surface functionalization is possible under a temperature 80 oC and a weight ratio of 5:1 epoxy monomer to boehmite powder These novel inorganic/organic hybrid materials were then mixed with epoxy/hardener resin mixture to obtain nanocomposites. The properties of the composites were characterized accordingly with tensile, impact, micro hardness, micro-scratch tests, DMA analysis and observed with SEM analysis. A deterioration of the tensile strength from the neat polymer was observed, with a distinct trend between the functionalized and non-functionalized boehmite-epoxy polymers. The functionalized polymers showed a less deteriorative character. The tensile modulus instead showed a little improvement of (4%) in 5wt% loaded polymers. DMA analysis results revealed an improved glass transition temperature in the nanocomposites as well as in storage and loss modulus. As aimed in this work, the functionalized boehmite-epoxy polymers displayed a clear improvement in comparison to both non-functionalized and neat polymers in surface coating properties in hardness and scratch resistance.

Borophosphates are intermediate compounds of systems MxOy–B2O3–P2O5–(H2O) (M = main group or transition metal) which contain complex anionic structures built of interconnected trigonal–planar BO3 and / or BO4 and PO4 groups and their partially protonated species. The main objective of the present work was to synthesize, characterize and to study the properties of new selected 3d transition metal borophosphates. The selected four elements are scandium (Sc), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) due to their interesting contributions to borophosphate structural chemistry. The mild hydrothermal method was employed for the syntheses. During the investigation of borophosphates containing alkali–metals and scandium, the following three compounds were prepared and structurally characterized: MISc[BP2O8(OH)] (MI = K, Rb), CsSc[B2P3O11(OH)3] The anionic partial structure of MISc[BP2O8(OH)] (MI = K, Rb) consists of the well known open–branched four–membered rings of alternating borate and phosphate tetrahedra (a loop–branched hexamer with B : P = 1 : 2). The anionic partial structure of CsSc[B2P3O11(OH)3] represents the new type of oligomer containing boron in three– and four– fold coordination (B : P = 2 : 3). This is also the first time that a BO3 group is not only linked to borate species but also to a phosphate tetrahedron. This kind of oligomer was already predicted for borates but was never observed. By this, CsSc[B2P3O11(OH)3] is a special compound with regard to the structural building principles of borates and borophosphates. The significant differences in the crystal structures of MISc[BP2O8(OH)] (MI = K, Rb) and CsSc[B2P3O11(OH)3] may be due to the higher coordination number of cesium. Thermal treatment (up to 1000 ºC) of these compounds resulted in white crystalline products containing new phases with unknown crystal structures. Besides the discovery of alkali–metal scandium borophosphates, five new alkali metal scandium hydrogenphosphates were synthesized and structurally characterized: Li2Sc[(PO4)(HPO4)], MISc(HPO4)2 (MI = K, Rb, Cs, NH4) It was already predicted that open framework scandium phosphates should be isotypes of the respective indium phosphates. It was also stated that there should be a whole family of scandium hydrogenphosphates as we were able to confirm with the five novel compounds. Our systematic study reveals the structural changes of the anionic partial frameworks with increasing ionic radii of the alkali–metal ion. With respect to the M―T connections (M = six coordinated central metal atom, T = four coordinated phosphorous atom) the channel size increases from 8–membered rings in Li2Sc[(PO4)(HPO4)] to 12–membered rings in MISc(HPO4)2 (MI = K, Rb, Cs, NH4). KSc(HPO4)2 exhibits a new structure type in the family of monohydrogenphosphates with the general formula MIMIII(HPO4)2. This provides further evidence that scandium is a suitable element for the synthesis of framework structures with different channel sizes. The observation that in analogy to MISc(HPO4)2 (MI = Rb, Cs, NH4) a compound exists where the MI site is replaced by H3O+ gives rise to the hope that ion exchange properties could be of interest in this class of compounds. In addition, the possible existence of further modifications (as reported for the element–combinations RbV, NH4V, RbFe, and CsIn) shoud be investigated by thermoanalytical and X–ray methods. The extensive studies on borophosphate containing the transition metals Fe, Co, Ni together with alkaline earth–metals (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) led to the preparation of 13 compounds containing the combination of two different divalent M1IIM2II ions: CaM2II[BP2O7(OH)3] (M2II = Fe, Ni), BaM2II[BP2O8(OH)] (M2II = Fe, Co), SrFe[BP2O8(OH)2], CaCo(H2O)[BP2O8(OH)]•H2O, M1II0.5M2II(H2O)2[BP2O8]•H2O (M1II0.5 = Ca, Sr, Ba; M2II = Fe, Co, Ni) The anionic partial structure of CaM2II[BP2O7(OH)3] (M2II = Fe, Ni) consists of a tetrahedral triple [BP2O7(OH)3]4-, built from a central (HO)2BO2 tetrahedron sharing common vertices with two (H0.5)OPO3 tetrahedra. The complex anions in the crystal structure of BaM2II[BP2O8(OH)] (M2II = Fe, Co) comprises open–branched four–membered rings, [B2P4O16(OH)2]8-, which are formed by alternating (HO)BO3 and PO4 tetrahedra sharing common corners with two additional PO4 branches. The interconnection of these complex anions with M2II coordination octahedra (M2II = Fe, Co, Ni) by sharing common corners results in overall three–dimensional frameworks which contain channels filled with the M1II ions (M1II = Ca, Ba). The anionic partial structure of SrFe[BP2O8(OH)2] is built from a central (HO)2BO2 tetrahedron sharing common vertices with two PO4 tetrahedra. Surprisingly, SrFe[BP2O8(OH)2] represents the first example in the structural chemistry of borophosphates where the charge of the anionic partial structure is balanced by a divalent and a trivalent species (MIIMIII). Although being a member of the M1IIM2II[BP2O8(OH)] family the crystal structure of CaCo(H2O)[BP2O8(OH)]•H2O is different. Interestingly, this is the first case in the borophosphate structural chemistry where dimers of cobalt coordination octahedra together with borophosphate oligomers form a (two–dimensional) layered structure. The helical borophosphates M1II0.5M2II(H2O)2[BP2O8]•H2O (M1II0.5 = Ca, Sr, Ba; M2II = Fe, Co, Ni) contain one–dimensional infinite loop–branched borophosphate helices built of alternatively distorted borate and phosphate tetrahedra. Up to now, the group of compounds with 1[BP2O8]3– helical chain anions has been synthesized only in combination with different cations MIMII and MIII (MI = Li, Na, K; MII = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn; MIII = Sc, In, Fe). The systematic investigation on helical borophosphates of transition metals (Fe, Co, Ni) and alkaline–earth metals showed that it is also possible to accommodate divalent metal cations within the structure without disturbing the anionic partial structure. It was not possible to find the completely ordered structural model for the compounds M1II0.5M2II(H2O)2[BP2O8]•H2O (M1II0.5 = Ca, Sr, Ba; M2II = Co) but the substructure presented shows good agreement with the ordered known helical borophosphate compounds. Interestingly, it was also possible to judge the “kind of superstructure” against the crystal morphology. Syntheses of one of the few examples of borophosphates containing layered anionic partial structures (63 net topology) containing transition metal cations (Fe, Co, Ni) was realized with 6 isotypic compounds: MII(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O (MII = Fe, Co, Ni, Ni0.5Co0.5, Ni0.8Zn0.2, Ni0.5Mg0.5) The compounds MII(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O (MII = Fe, Co, Ni) adopt the structure type of Mg(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O characterized by a two–dimensional borophosphate anion. Substitution on the transition metal sites was shown to be possible (Ni0.5Co0.5) realized for this structure type. With the synthesis of Ni0.8Zn0.2(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O and Ni0.5Mg0.5(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O it was also proved that magnetically diluted samples can be prepared in analogy to Mg1–x Cox(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O (x = 0.25). The thermal stability of these compounds is very similar with a slight shift to higher decomposition temperatures for the Ni0.5Mg0.5(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O. In contrast to other borophosphates such as MIMII(H2O)2[BP2O8]∙H2O and MIII(H2O)2[BP2O8]∙H2O, it is not possible to rehydrate partially dehydrated samples even though the crystal structure may suggest this property. This shows that the aqua–ligands significantly contribute to the stability of the structure. The magnetic behavior of MII(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]•H2O (MII = Fe, Ni) corresponds well with separated 3d ions without strong magnetic interactions down to 1.8 K. Quite surprising was the remarkable change in the crystal habit that was observed during the synthesis upon addition of alkali–metal cations. Syntheses with the absence of alkali–metals lead to a change in the crystal habit by reducing of the number of faces in direction of the more simple prismatic morphology. Our research on borophosphates containing mixed transition metals led to the preparation of a borophosphate and a phosphate: FeCo(H2O)[BP3O9(OH)4], Fe1.3Co0.7[P2O7]∙2H2O The anionic partial structure of FeCo(H2O)[BP3O9(OH)4] is an open–branched tetramer built from (HO)BO3 sharing common O–corners with one (HO)PO3, one (HO)2PO2 and one PO4 group. The crystal structure is an isotype to Mg2(H2O)[BP3O9(OH)4]. Fe1.3Co0.7[P2O7]∙2H2O contains the diphosphate composed of two corner–sharing tetrahedra (isotypic to MII[X2O7]∙2H2O (MII = Mg, Mn, Co, Fe and X = P, As). However, the crystal structure of both, FeCo(H2O)[BP3O9(OH)4] and Fe1.3Co0.7[P2O7]∙2H2O, contains octahedral zigzag chains, which are interconnected by the respective tetrahedral anions. The octahedral chains in these crystal structures are closely related to the octahedral arrangements in MIIH2P2O7 (MII = Co, Ni) which exhibit a field-induced metamagnetic behavior from an antiferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic state and to MII[BPO4(OH)2] (MII = Mn, Fe, Co) which indicate a low-dimensional antiferromagnetic correlation of the MII ions by dominant exchange interactions within the one–dimensional octahedral chain structure. Therefore, due to the similar structural features, FeCo(H2O)[BP3O9(OH)4] and Fe1.3Co0.7[P2O7]∙2H2O may exhibit interesting magnetic properties. Thermal investigation revealed that both compounds are stable until 300 ºC and transform into pyrophosphates at higher temperatures. Fe1.3Co0.7[P2O7]∙2H2O represents the first hydrated mixed divalent cation diphosphate.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, especially nanowires, have been one of the most important semiconductive materials used for photocatalysis due to their unique material properties and remarkable performance. In this project, vertically-aligned ZnO nanowires on glass substrate have been synthesized by using the facile hydrothermal methods with the help of pre-coated ZnO seeding layer. The crystalline structure, morphology and UV-Vis transmission spectra of the as-synthesized sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Ultra-violet Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was examined for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) as the test dye in aqueous solution under UV-A irradiation. The extent of direct hydrolysis of the MO dye under UV light without the photocatalysts was first measured to eliminate the possible contribution from the undesired variables to the overall efficiency. The effects of pH and initial concentration of the MO solution, as well as the nanowire growth time, on the photocatalytic efficiency have been investigated, in order to determine the optimal conditions for photocatalytic applications of ZnO nanowires in the industry. Furthermore, the reproducibility of the experimental methods used in this project was tested to ensure the reliability of the experimental results obtained; and the reusability of the prepared ZnO nanowire arrays were also evaluated to investigate the stability of the products for photocatalytic applications in a large scale. In addition, a micro-chamber based microfluidic device with integrated ZnO nanowire arrays has been fabricated and used for photodegradation studies of MO solution under continuous-flow conditions. As expected, the micro-chamber based approach exhibited much improved photodegradation efficiency as compared to the conventional method using bulk dye solution. The effects of the flow rate and chamber height of the microfluidic device have also been investigated in order to determine the optimal experimental conditions for photodegradation reactions in microfluidic devices.

Daktaro disertacijoje tirta hidroterminės sintezės sąlygų, žaliavų prigimties ir priedų įtaką hidrotalcito susidarymui ir savybėms bei pasiūlytos racionalios jo taikymo sritys. Nustatyta, kad lemiamą įtaką hidroterminės hidrotalcito sintezės eigai turi Mg turinčio komponento atmaina ir hidroterminio apdorojimo sąlygos. Palankiausios šio junginio hidroterminės sintezės sąlygos Mg5(CO3)4(OH)24H2O ir -Al2O3 mišiniuose yra: izoterminio išlaikymo temperatūra – 200 °C, trukmė – 1 h, o Mg/Al molinis santykis žaliavų mišinyje yra du. Ištirta, kad NaOH ir KOH priedai pradiniuose mišiniuose skatina ne tik žaliavų sąveiką, bet ir keičia hidroterminės sintezės metu susidarančių junginių seką mažindami hidrotalcito susidarymo temperatūrą ir/ar sutrumpindami jos trukmę. Nustatyta, kad keičiant modifikuotų hidrotalcitų cheminę sudėtį galima kontroliuoti mišrių metalų oksidų ir jų nanodarinių kietafazio sukepimo sąlygas bei produktų paviršiaus mikrostruktūros parametrus. Ištirta, kad chemosorbcijos metodas yra tinkamas aktyviųjų komponentų – pereinamųjų metalų jonų imobilizavimui iš jų druskų tirpalų į sintetinius hidrotalcitus. Nustatyta ir kinetiniais skaičiavimais patvirtinta, kad pastariesiems būdingos pakaitų reakcijos yra negrįžtamos, t. y. beveik visi Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Mn2+ ir Fe3+ jonai buvo adsorbuoti pagal cheminę sąveiką. Nustatyta, kad hidroterminės sintezės metodas yra tinkamas hidrotalcito sluoksnio formavimui ant Al/Al2O3 paviršių. / In PhD thesis, the influence of synthesis conditions, the chemical nature of raw materials and additives on the crystallization processes of hydrotalcite and its properties were examined and expedient areas of hydrotalcite application were proposed. It was determined that the modification of Mg containing coumpound as well as the hydrothermal synthesis conditions have a significant infuence on the course of hydrotalcite formation. The optimal conditions of hydrotalcite hydrothermal synthesis in Mg5(CO3)4(OH)24H2O and -Al2O3 mixtures are: the temperature of isothermal curing – 200 °C, duration – 1 h, and primary mixture Mg/Al molar ratio – 2. It was examined that the addition of NaOH and KOH in the primary mixtures, induces not only the interaction between raw materials, but also changes the sequence of obtained intermediate coumpounds during hydrothermal synthesis by reducing the hydrotalcite formation temperature and/or duration. It was determined that by changing the chemical composition of modificated hydrotalcites, the solid-state sintering conditions, microstructure parameters of mixed metal oxides and their nano sized compounds can be controlled. It was examined that chemisorption method is suitable for the immobilization of active components, i. e. transition metal ions, from their solutions into synthetic hydrotalcites. It was determined that hydrothermal synthesis is suitable for the formation of hydrotalcite layer on the Al/Al2O3 surfaces.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:06:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ThiagoC.pdf: 1828528 bytes, checksum: f789d02379757a5c26566b00a092e4c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-03 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / heterogeneous catalyst such as a silicoaluminophosphate, molecular sieve with AEL (Aluminophosphate eleven) structure such as SAPO-11, was synthesized through the hydrothermal method starting from silica, pseudoboehmite, orthophosphoric acid (85%) and water, in the presence of a di-isopropylamine organic template. For the preparation of SAPO-11 in a dry basis it was used as reactants: DIPA; H3PO4; SiO4; Pseudoboehmite and distilled water. The crystallization process occurred when the reactive hydrogel was charged into a vessel and autoclaved at 200?C for a period of 72 hours under autogeneous pressure. The obtained material was washed, dried and calcined to remove the molecular sieves of DIPA. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nitrogen adsorption (BET) and thermal analysis (TG/DTG). The acidic properties were determined using adsorption of nbutylamine followed by programmed thermodessorption. This method revealed that SAPO-11 shows an acidity that ranges from weak to moderate. However, a small quantity of strong acid sites could be detected there. The deactivation of the catalysts was conducted by artificial coking followed by the cracking of the n-hexane in a fixed bed with a continuous flow micro-reactor coupled on line to a gas chromatograph. The main products obtained were: ethane, propane, isobutene, n-butane, n-pentane and isopentane. The Vyazovkin (model-free) kinetics method was used to determine the regeneration and removal of the coke / Um catalisador heterog?neo do tipo silicoaluminofosfato, peneira molecular com estrutura AEL (Aluminophosphate eleven), como o SAPO-11, foi sintetizado pelo m?todo hidrot?rmico a partir de alumina hidratada (pseudobohemita), ?cido fosf?rico 85%, s?lica gel, ?gua e di-isopropilamina (DIPA) usada como direcionador estrutural org?nico. Para a prepara??o de SAPO-11 em base seca foram necess?rias como reagentes: DIPA; H3PO4:; SiO4; Pseudoboehmita e ?gua destilada. O processo de cristaliza??o ocorreu ? temperatura de 200 0C durante 72 h, quando foi poss?vel obter a fase pura para o SAPO-11. O material obtido foi lavado com ?gua deionizada, seco e calcinado para remover as mol?culas do direcionador. Posteriormente a amostra foi caracterizada por difra??o de raios-X (DRX), microscopia eletr?nica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia de absor??o na regi?o do infravermelho (FT-IR), adsor??o de nitrog?nio (BET) e an?lise t?rmica via TG/DTG. As propriedades ?cidas foram determinadas usando adsor??o de n-butilamina seguida de termodessor??o programada. Este m?todo revelou que a amostra SAPO-11 apresenta uma acidez tipicamente fraca a moderada. Entretanto, uma pequena quantidade de s?tios ?cidos fortes foi detectada. A desativa??o dos catalisadores foi conduzida pelo coqueamento artificial da amostra, seguida da rea??o de craqueamento do n-hexano em um microrreator catal?tico de leito fixo com fluxo cont?nuo acoplado em linha com um cromat?grafo a g?s. Como principais produtos foram obtidos: etano, propano, isobutano, n-butano,e n-pentano, isopentano. Para determinar a regenera??o e a remo??o do coque foi aplicado o m?todo cin?tico Vyazovkin (Model Free Kinetics)

Les réseaux bidimensionnels de nanofils (NFs) d’oxyde de zinc (ZnO) aléatoirement orientés, ou nanonets (pour « nanowire networks »), constituent des nanostructures innovantes et prometteuses pour de nombreuses applications. L’objectif de cette thèse est de développer des nanonets de ZnO en vue d’applications à la détection de molécules biologiques ou gazeuses, en particulier de l’ADN, ceci selon une procédure bas coût et industrialisable. Dans ce but, il est essentiel de bien maitriser les différentes étapes d’élaboration qui sont : (i) le dépôt de couches minces de germination de ZnO sur des substrats de silicium par voie sol-gel, (ii) la croissance de NFs de ZnO sur ces couches de germination par synthèse hydrothermale, et (iii) l’assemblage par filtration sous vide de ces NFs en nanonets de ZnO. Des études approfondies de chacun de ces procédés ont donc été menées. Ces travaux ont permis d’élaborer des couches minces, des NFs et des nanonets de ZnO reproductibles et homogènes dont les propriétés morphologiques sont précisément contrôlées sur une large gamme. Deux protocoles de biofonctionnalisation des nanonets avec de l’ADN ont ensuite été développés et ont abouti à des résultats encourageants mais restant à optimiser. Les nanonets ont également été intégrés au sein de dispositifs fonctionnels et les premières caractérisations électriques ont fourni des résultats prometteurs. A terme, ce travail ouvre la voie à l’intégration collective de NFs de ZnO qui permettrait la réalisation d’une nouvelle génération de capteurs (de biomolécules, de gaz…) à la fois portables, rapides et très sensibles. / Two-dimensional randomly oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) networks, or nanonets, represent innovative and promising nanostructures for numerous applications. The objective of this thesis is to develop ZnO nanonets for the detection of biological or gaseous molecules, in particular DNA, by using a low cost and scalable procedure. To this end, it is essential to control the different elaboration steps which are: (i) the deposition of ZnO seed layer films on silicon substrates by sol-gel approach, (ii) the growth of ZnO NWs on these seed layer films by hydrothermal synthesis, and (iii) the assembly of these NWs into ZnO nanonets by vacuum filtration. In-depth studies of each of these processes were thus carried out. This work enabled to elaborate reproducible and homogenous ZnO thin films, NWs and nanonets whose morphological properties are precisely controlled over a wide range. Two DNA biofunctionnalization protocols were then developed for the nanonets and led to encouraging results which need however to be further optimized. The nanonets were also integrated into functional devices and the first electrical characterizations provided promising results. In the longer term, this work opens the way to the collective integration of ZnO NWs which would enable the development of a new generation of portable, fast and ultra-sensitive (bio- or gas-) sensors.

Orientador: Fenelon Martinho Lima Pontes / Banca: Alejandra Hortencia Miranda González / Banca: Alberthmeiry Teixeira de Figueiredo / O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais, PosMat, tem carater institucional e integra as atividades de pesquisa em materiais de diversos campi / Resumo: Os problemas ambientais gerados pelo crescimento das atividades humanas e industriais têm aumentado a necessidade pelo desenvolvimento de tecnologias alternativas para a remediação de sistemas aquáticos contaminados. A fotocatálise heterogênea, utilizando dióxido de titânio, tem se mostrado eficiente neste aspecto. Neste trabalho, foram sintetizadas nanoestruturas de TiO2 utilizando como precursor o isopropóxito de titânio pela rota hidrotérmica. Os materiais obtidos foram caracterizados por DRX, FT-Raman, FTIR, BET e MEV. A fim de avaliar a atividade fotocatalítica das amostras produzidas, foram realizados testes de degradação do corante rodomina B sob irradiação UV, luz branca e luz solar. A medida da degradação da molécula foi mensurada por espectroscopia UV-Vis. Os resultados das caracterizações mostraram que a rota de síntese utilizada foi eficiente na produção de nanoestruturas cristalinas de TiO2 com morfologias diferentes e os ensaios de degradação revelaram que a propriedade fotocatalítica dos materiais esta diferente relacionada com a morfologia, a área superficial e a presença de grupos químicos ligados à superfície / Abstract: The environmental problems generated by tye growth of human and industrial activities have increased the need for the development of alternative technologies for the remediation of contaminated aquatic systems. The heterogeneous photocatalysis using titanium dioxide, has been show effective in this respect. In this work, nanoestructures have been synthesized as a precursor of TiO2 using titanium isopropóxido by the hydrothermal route. The materials were characterized by XRD, FT-Raman, FTIR, BET and SEM. In order to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the samples produced, tests were performed using degradation of the dye rhodamine B under UV, white light and sunlight. The measurements of the degradation of the molecule was measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results of the characterizations showed that the synthetic route used was efficient in the production of crystalline nanostructured TiO2 with different morphologies and degradation testing revealed that the photocatalytic properties of materials is directly associated to the morphology, surface area and the presence of chemical groups bound to the surface / Mestre

Ferrierite is a high silica zeolite, with bidimensional microporous structure, that shows remarkable performance as acid catalyst in some reactions involving hydrocarbons, especially the isomerization of n-butene to isobutene. In most cases, ferrierite synthesis requires the use of organic structure-directing agents, which increases the material production cost and, consequently, hinders its application on an industrial scale. In the present work, a synthesis route to ferrierite zeolite without using any organic structure agent was developed, starting from a reaction mixture containing seed crystals. The samples were synthesized by hydrothermal method at the temperature of 170 ºC, employing the following reagents: pseudoboehmite, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and commercial silica. Seeds were prepared from a commercial ferrierite sample with high crystallinity. The synthesis parameters evaluated were as follows: percentage of seeds (5 and 15%), water content (300 and 500 mol) and synthesis time (12 to 72 h). The samples obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), absorption spectroscopy in the infrared region (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD results showed that ferrierite with good crystallinity can be synthesized in a period of 12 h, using a percentage of seeds of 15%, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The water content did not affect significantly the crystallization time of ferrierite. However, the more diluted system delayed the advent of contaminating phases such as mordenite. The samples submitted for analysis by infrared spectroscopy showed absorption bands typical of zeolitic structures. Thermal analysis results showed a mass loss of 11 to 14% in the temperature range between 30 and 500 ºC, mainly attributed to the material dehydration. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the ferrierite produced has an irregular morphology, due to the intergrowth of crystals. / A ferrierita é uma zeólita de alta sílica, com estrutura microporosa bidimensional, que apresenta notável desempenho como catalisador ácido em algumas reações envolvendo hidrocarbonetos, com destaque para a isomerização do n-buteno em isobuteno. Na maioria dos casos, a síntese da ferrierita exige a utilização de agentes orgânicos direcionadores de estrutura, o que aumenta o custo de produção do material e, consequentemente, dificulta sua aplicação em escala industrial. No presente trabalho foi desenvolvida uma rota de síntese da zeólita ferrierita sem o uso de direcionador orgânico, partindo de uma mistura reacional contendo sementes de cristalização. As amostras foram sintetizadas pelo método hidrotérmico à temperatura de 170 ºC, empregando os seguintes reagentes: pseudobohemita, hidróxido de sódio, hidróxido de potássio e sílica comercial. As sementes foram preparadas a partir de uma amostra de ferrierita comercial com alta cristalinidade. Os parâmetros de síntese avaliados foram o percentual de sementes (5 e 15%), o teor de água do sistema reacional (300 e 500 mol) e o tempo de síntese (12 a 72 h). As amostras obtidas foram caracterizadas por difratometria de raios X (DRX), espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho (FT-IR), análises térmicas (TG/DTA) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os resultados de DRX demonstraram que ferrierita com boa cristalinidade pode ser sintetizada em um período de 12 h, empregando um percentual de sementes de 15%, o que comprova a eficácia da metodologia proposta. O teor de água não influenciou de maneira significativa o tempo de cristalização da ferrierita. No entanto, o sistema mais diluído retardou o surgimento de fases contaminantes, como a mordenita. As amostras submetidas à análise por espectroscopia de infravermelho apresentaram as bandas de absorção típicas das estruturas zeolíticas. Os resultados das análises térmicas mostraram uma perda de massa de 11 a 14% na faixa de temperatura entre 30 e 500 ºC, atribuída principalmente à desidratação do material. A microscopia eletrônica de varredura revelou que a ferrierita produzida possui morfologia irregular, devido ao intercrescimento dos cristais.

Neste trabalho foi estudada a produção, por síntese hidrotermal assistida por microondas, nanoestruturas de pentóxido de nióbio (Nb2O5) a partir do precursor pentacloreto de nióbio (NbCl5). A síntese foi realizada nas temperaturas de 150 e 200 °C durante 130 min, e o produto obtido foi tratado termicamente a temperaturas de 600, 800 e 1000 °C por 60 min com taxa de aquecimento de 10 °C/min. Os produtos obtidos foram caracterizados por análise termogravimétrica (ATG), para detectar a perda de massa com a temperatura; por difração de raios X (DRX), para análise da estrutura cristalina; por espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR) e por espectroscopia Raman, para identificação das fases formadas; por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), para verificação da morfologia do material; e por espectroscopia de refletância difusa (ERD), para identificar as propriedades ópticas do material. Além dessas, foram realizados cálculos do tamanho do cristalito pela equação de Scherrer. Os resultados indicaram a formação de nanoestruturas com diversas fases cristalinas de nióbio (TT, T, B, M e H-Nb2O5). O tamanho do cristalito variou em função da temperatura de tratamento térmico praticado: entre 35,85 e 38,80 nm para as amostras sintetizadas a 150 °C; e entre 34,84 e 40,93 nm para as amostras sintetizadas a 200 °C. Com a análise por refletância difusa foram obtidos os valores de band gaps para as amostras sintetizadas, e os resultados identificaram material semicondutor com uma variação de 3,13 a 3,90 eV. / In this work was studied the production by hydrothermal synthesis assist for microwave, niobium pentoxide nanocrystals (Nb2O5) obtained from the precursor pentachloride niobium (NbCl5). The synthesis was carried out at temperature of 150 and 200 °C for 130 min and the product obtained was calcined at temperatures 600, 800 and 1000 °C for 60 min and heating rate at 10 °C/min. The following characterizations were performed for analysis of the material, among them, thermal gravimetric analysis (ATG) for detecting the lost mass by temperature, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for analysis of the crystal structure, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopic was used for analyze the changes in superficial chemical connections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopic (TEM) for morphology of material and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for identification the material optical properties. Moreover, calculate were realized of crystallite size by Scherrer’s equation. The results showed the formation of nanostrutured with various phases (TT, T, B, M e H-Nb2O5). The crystallite size varied in function of thermal treatment temperature from 35,85 to 38,80 nm for synthesizes samples in 150 °C and 34,84 to 40,93 nm for synthesizes samples in 200 °C. With the analysis by diffuse reflectance were obtained the band gap values for the synthesized samples and the results identify a semiconductor material with a variation from 3,13 to 3,90 eV.