The photocatalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE), ethylene. ethane and toluene on TiO2, Pt/TiO2 and Ag/TiO2 were investigated in a dedicated reactor set-up operated at room temperature and ambient pressure condition. The gas phase experiments were carried out for both single and binary mixtures of these chemicals to identify the role of Pt and Ag metallisation in the photocatalytic oxidation of different contaminants. In a single contaminant system, the presence of Pt enhanced the oxidation of ethylene, ethane and toluene but detrimental to the oxidation of TCE. In the oxidation of ethylene, Pt enhanced the oxidation by acting as catalyst and as electron sink. However, in ethane oxidation, the enhancement was solely associated to the ability of Pt to act as electron sink. The detrimental effect observed in TCE oxidation was attributed to Pt and Cl interaction, which formed a persistent inorganic chlorine species decreasing the overall Pt/TiO2 photocatalyst performance. Interestingly, Ag did not show any significant effect to the oxidation of any single system degradation. In binary system degradation, where TCE and another organic compound either ethylene, ethane or toluene were degraded simultaneously, Pt always caused a detrimental effect due to its strong interaction with Cl. However, the presence of Ag and Cl gives a more synergetic effect. Ag was found to provide sites to temporarily trap chlorine radicals as AgCl. Under illumination, electrons transferred from Cl to Ag forming chlorine radicals that could react with the surface contaminant enhancing its breakdown and mineralization.

It is of great interest to develop and utilize a high surface area material with optimized hydrogen sorption properties. The need for a renewable energy source to replace automobile gasoline has become more critical in the past decade. Hydrogen is a viable fuel source for automobile usage; however, the question of how hydrogen will be safely and efficiently stored still remains. Critical factors for optimum hydrogen storage include ambient conditions and low activation temperature for adsorption and desorption phenomena. In order for optimum hydrogen adsorption to be achieved, the properties of (1) high surface area, (2) optimum hydrogen adsorption energy, and (3) Kubas interactions between metals and hydrogen molecules need to be considered. Fullerenes have recently become more popular with the discovery and mass production of graphene sheets derived from graphite. Graphene is a modified form of graphite that takes the form of sheets with less agglomeration than its respective graphitic form. This form has the potential for high surface area and storage capabilities. Storage of hydrogen at room temperature must be optimized by increasing the surface area and having an adsorption enthalpy between 15 - 20 KJ/mol. Graphene (G) sheets and graphene oxide (GO) sheets have been utilized as a matrix for hydrogen storage. These materials can also be cross-linked with organic spacers in order to form a porous framework of higher surface area. Metal decorating by calcium and platinum of the G/GO matrix has been used to enhance Kubas interactions, adsorption enthalpies, and spillover phenomenon. The use of a polymer matrix has also been implemented. Polyaniline is a novel superconducting polymer with unique electronic properties. Complexes of Polyaniline with graphene and graphene oxide have been investigated for hydrogen storage properties. Graphene and graphene oxide surface modification via metal decoration have been investigated in order to determine the most efficient synthesis and particle size on the G/GO matrix. Characterization by XRD, BET, adsorption enthalpy, PCT, TGA, FT-IR, and TEM/SEM (when applicable) were employed to optimize and compare the materials in the effort to develop a suitable storage material.

Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2014-10-03T15:33:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cristiane.pdf: 9154051 bytes, checksum: aa1fa030f760c514e3fc02dbacb83066 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Fatima Cleômenis Botelho Maria (botelho@ufba.br) on 2014-10-03T15:55:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cristiane.pdf: 9154051 bytes, checksum: aa1fa030f760c514e3fc02dbacb83066 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-03T15:55:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cristiane.pdf: 9154051 bytes, checksum: aa1fa030f760c514e3fc02dbacb83066 (MD5) / Hidrogênio obtido a partir de água é uma atrativa fonte de energia, visto que pode ser produzido por fontes renováveis e inesgotáveis, e é não poluente. Atualmente, a principal forma de produção de hidrogênio é através da reforma catalítica de gás natural; porém, um novo processo baseado na fotólise da água com auxílio de semicondutores fotocatalíticos é considerado uma alternativa promissora. Diversos materiais já foram testados e outros desenvolvidos com o intuito de aumentar a atividade fotocatalítica na decomposição da água, dentre estes estão o niobato e o tantalato de bismuto (BiNbO4 e BiTaO4), fotocatalíticamente ativos quando irradiados com luz ultravioleta. No entanto, é possível que modificações químicas e nas dimensões de partículas resultem em melhor atividade. O método citrato de precursores poliméricos foi empregado para preparar BiTaO4 e BiNbO4 com a determinação da temperatura ideal de polimerização empregando técnicas termoanalitícas, e um estudo exploratório da temperatura mínima de calcinação foi realizado para obtenção da fase pura desejada, confirmada por difratometria de raios X. A fim de ativar os semicondutores com radiação visível foi realizada a dopagem desses semicondutores com íons de metais de transição, Cr(III) e Mo(V), com concentrações que variaram de 1 – 4% (mol/mol), e um estudo de como as energias de band gap sofreram modificações. Foi observado que a atividade fotocatalítica dos óxidos dopados com molibdênio ou cromo, nas condições avaliadas, é fortemente influenciada pelos teores dos metais e a amostra que apresentou melhor atividade fotocatalítica na geração de hidrogênio foi BiTaO4 dopado com Cr(III) a 2%. Os resultados desse trabalho podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento de sistemas fotoquímicos eficientes empregados na produção fotocatalítica de hidrogênio, utilizando matérias- primas abundantes, renováveis e ambientalmente amigáveis, como água e luz solar. / Hydrogen obtained from water is an attractive energy source, since it can be produced by renewable and inexhaustible primary source, besides it is not pollutant. Nowadays, the principal form of hydrogen production is through catalytic reform of natural gas; although, a new process based on water splitting, with the support of photocatalytic semiconductors, is considered a promising alternative. Many materials have already been tested and developed with the intention of increasing the photocatalytic activity for water splitting, in which are present bismuth niobates and tantalates (BiNbO4 e BiTaO4), photocatalyticly active under UV light irradiation. However, it is possible that chemical modifications and modifications in particle dimensions result in better activity. The citrate method of polymeric precursors was used to prepare BiTaO4 e BiNbO4 with the determination of the ideal temperature of polymerization using thermoanalytical techniques, and an exploratory study of the minimal temperature of calcination was used to obtain a pure desired phase, confirmed by X rays diffractometry. In order to activate the semiconductors with visible radiation, a doping of these semiconductors with ions of transition metals, Cr(III) and Mo(V), with concentrations that ranged from 1 – 4% (mol/mol), and a study of how the band gap energies suffered modifications. The results suggest that the type and the concentration of metal doping exercise great influence on the crystalline structure and morphology of the oxides. While Cr(III) favors a beta phase (triclinic), Mo(V) favors an alpha phase (orthorhombic). Also, the presence of Cr(III) induces the formation of materials with more homogeneous morphologies and size of particles smaller than the obtained in presence of Mo(V). It was observed that a photocatalytic activity of the doped oxides with Molybdenum or Chromium, in the evaluated conditions, is strongly influenced by the metal concentrations and the sample that presented the best photocatalytic activity in hydrogen generation was BiTaO4 doped with Cr(III) at 2%. The experimental ratio H2/CO2, in this case, is much higher than the theoretical, suggesting that the isopropyl alcohol is not completely mineralized. The results of this work can contribute for the development of efficient photochemical systems applied in the photocatalytic production of hydrogen, using raw material in abundance, renewable and environmentally friendly like water and solar light.

Kohlenstoffnanoröhrchen (engl. carbon nanotube, CNT) sind vielversprechende Kandidaten für den Ersatz von Kupferleitbahnen die bei weiterer Strukturverkleinerung von integrierten Schaltkreisen notwendig wird. In dieser Arbeit wird mit Hilfe von ab-initio Simulationen auf Basis der Dichtefunktionaltheorie die elektronische Struktur von halbleitenden CNTs beispielhaft anhand des (8,4)-CNTs untersucht. Nach Besetzung des CNT mit Metallatomen, hier Kobalt, zeigen sich massive Änderungen der Bandstruktur. Es reichen bereits überraschend kleine Mengen des Metalls aus, um einen starken Effekt zu erreichen. Die Änderungen der elektronischen Struktur sind stark abhängig von der genauen Position der Metallatome relativ zum Kohlenstoffgerüst der CNTs, der Einfluss der mechanischen Verformung des CNTs als Reaktion auf die Anlagerung ist hingegen sehr gering. Die relevanten Bänder der Kobaltatome liegen leicht unterhalt der Fermi-Energie und sorgen bei der Integration in die Bandstruktur des CNTs für die Schließung der Bandlücke und somit für die Transformation eines vorher halbleitenden CNTs in ein leitendes. Diese Transformation konnte auch mit Simulationsrechnungen zum Elektronentransport bestätigt werden. Ferner wurden bei weiteren Rechnungen eine ausgeprägte Spinabhängigkeit der Bandstruktur ermittelt, welche noch weiterer Untersuchung bedarf.

Le travail de thèse porte sur les méthodes de synthèse de nanostructures de dioxyde de titane et de leurs études physicochimiques afin de préciser les corrélations entre la morphologie, le dopage métallique, les caractéristiques structurales avec l'efficacité photocatalytique. Le grand intérêt pour les nanomatériaux TiO2 réside dans la mise au point de nouvelles sources d'énergie ou la conservation de l’environnement par des processus photocatalytiques. Cependant, la limitation principale de TiO2 est du au large gap électronique (eV ~3,2) du polymorphe Anatase. Ainsi, un des objectifs importants pour l'amélioration de l’efficacité des nanomatériaux TiO2 est d'augmenter leur photoactivité en décalantla création de paires d'électron-trou de l’UV à la gamme du visible. D'ailleurs, on a montré que l'utilisation de nanostructures 1D de TiO2 (nanotubes) a amélioré la collection de charges, en favorisant leur transport dans les structures 1D, qui par conséquent réduit au minimum la recombinaison et prolonge les durées de vie des électrons.La première partie de ce travail est dédiée à la synthèse des nanopoudres TiO2 dopées par des ions métalliques (Ag, Cu, Eu) préparés par sol-gel. Même avec différents éléments de dopage qui apparemment peuvent adopter le même état de valence (2+) (Cu2+, Ag2+, Eu2+), différents comportements ont été démontrés pour l'incorporation efficace de ces ions dans la structure de TiO2. L'anomalie entre les rayons ioniques des différents éléments utilisés module le rapport du dopage substitutionnel. Ceci est en effet réalisé pour Cu2+ mais dans moins d'ampleur pour Ag2+ tandis que les ions d'europium forment une ségrégation de phase Eu2Ti2O7. La dégradation de colorants de bleu de méthylène (MB) a étéaméliorée légèrement avec les échantillons dopés Ag. La raison a été attribuée aux clusters métalliques Ag qui ont été en effet mis en évidence à travers leur bande d’absorption plasmonique. La deuxième partie porte sur des couches minces de TiO2 dopés (Cu, Ag, et Eu) qui ont été élaborés par sol-gel et spin-coating et dipcoating. Les paramètres optimaux ont été obtenus pour réaliser les films cristallins mais présentant une organisation mésoporeuse qui dépend également du processus de dopage. Des études de Photocatalyse ont été également réalisées et l'efficacité des films ont été comparées en fonction des éléments dopants. La troisième partie de la thèse est liée à la modification morphologique des nanoparticules pour former des nanotubes à l'aide de la méthode hydrothermale sous pression contrôlée. Un plan d'expérience basé sur la méthode Taguchi a été utilisé pour la détermination des paramètres optimaux.Les nanotubes TiO2 augmentent la surface spécifique en comparaison avec les nanoparticules. La dégradation de bleu deméthylène par les nanotubes a montré une efficacité photocatalytique plus élevée qu’avec les nanopoudres TiO2 pures etdopés Ag. / The thesis work is focused on the synthesis methods of titanium dioxide nanostructures and their physico-chemical studies in order to point out the correlations between the morphology, metal doping, structural features with the photocatalytic efficiency. The great interest on TiO2 nanomaterials deals with new sources of energy or in the environment preservation through the photocatalytic properties. However, the main limitations is due to the wide band gap (~3.2 eV) of the anatase polymorph. Thus, a major objective for improvement of the performance of TiO2 nanomaterials is to increase theirphotoactivity by shifting the onset of the electron-hole pairs creation from UV to the visible range. Moreover, it was found that using onedimensional (1-D) TiO2 (nanotubes) improved the charge collection by 1D nanostructures which consequently minimizes the recombination and prolongate the electron lifetimes. The first part of this work is focused on the synthesis of TiO2 nanopowders doped with metallic ions (Ag, Cu, Eu) prepared by Solgel. Even with different doping elements which apparently can adopt the same valence state (2+) such as (Cu2+, Ag2+,Eu2+), different behaviors were demonstrated for the effective incorporation of these ions in the host structure of TiO2. The discrepancy between ionic radii of the different used elements modulates the ratio of the substitutional doping. This is indeed achieved for Cu2+ but in less extent for Ag2+ while Europium ions form segregated phase as Eu2Ti2O7. The experiments on the degradation of methylene blue (MB)dyes have shown slight improvement with Ag-doped samples. The reason was tentatively attributed to the Ag clusters which were indeed demonstrated through their plasmon optical band. The second part of the work concerns thin films of TiO2 doped (Cu, Ag, and Eu) which were elaborated by spin coating and dip coating. The optimal parameters were obtained to achieve crystalline films but presenting mesoporous organisation which also depends on the doping process. Photocatalysis investigations were also realized and the efficiency of the films compared as function of the doping elements.The third part of the thesis is related to the morphological modification from nanoparticles to nanotubes by using the hydrothermal method with controlled pressure. An experimental design based on Taguchi Method was employed for the determination of the optimal parameters. TiO2 nanotubes increase the surface area in comparison with TiO2nanoparticles. TiO2 nanotubes were tested for the methylene blue degradation and show a higher photocatalytic efficiency than TiO2 nanopowders and TIO2 doped with Ag.

Kohlenstoffnanoröhrchen (engl. carbon nanotube, CNT) sind vielversprechende Kandidaten für den Ersatz von Kupferleitbahnen die bei weiterer Strukturverkleinerung von integrierten Schaltkreisen notwendig wird. In dieser Arbeit wird mit Hilfe von ab-initio Simulationen auf Basis der Dichtefunktionaltheorie die elektronische Struktur von halbleitenden CNTs beispielhaft anhand des (8,4)-CNTs untersucht. Nach Besetzung des CNT mit Metallatomen, hier Kobalt, zeigen sich massive Änderungen der Bandstruktur. Es reichen bereits überraschend kleine Mengen des Metalls aus, um einen starken Effekt zu erreichen. Die Änderungen der elektronischen Struktur sind stark abhängig von der genauen Position der Metallatome relativ zum Kohlenstoffgerüst der CNTs, der Einfluss der mechanischen Verformung des CNTs als Reaktion auf die Anlagerung ist hingegen sehr gering. Die relevanten Bänder der Kobaltatome liegen leicht unterhalt der Fermi-Energie und sorgen bei der Integration in die Bandstruktur des CNTs für die Schließung der Bandlücke und somit für die Transformation eines vorher halbleitenden CNTs in ein leitendes. Diese Transformation konnte auch mit Simulationsrechnungen zum Elektronentransport bestätigt werden. Ferner wurden bei weiteren Rechnungen eine ausgeprägte Spinabhängigkeit der Bandstruktur ermittelt, welche noch weiterer Untersuchung bedarf.