Low-temperature non–thermal plasmas are of growing interest due to their applications in various fields, such as plasma-assisted combustion, plasma medicine, material processing, etc. Hydroxyl radical (OH) is one of the key agents and most important reactive species generated in plasmas. We employ cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS), both a pulsed laser and a continuous wave (cw) laser to measure absolute number densities of OH radicals in low-temperature plasmas. A 2.45 GHz microwave plasma source was used to excite two different types of plasma cavities: an atmospheric plasma jet and microwave plasma torch (MPT). The atmospheric microwave plasma jet was thoroughly explored and operated with different plasma gases. Plasma jets with argon (Ar), helium (He), Ar/N2, Ar/O2, He/N2, He/O2 and Ar/H2O were investigated. The absolute number densities of OH radicals were measured along the jet axis in all of plasma jets using pulsed CRDS. Effects of plasma power and gas flow rates on OH radical generation were also studied. We have reported for the first time that OH radicals exist in the far downstream region of a plasma jet axis. The far downstream is a location where the ratio of distance from the plasma jet orifice over the plasma jet column length is larger than 3. For an Ar plasma jet length of 3 mm, OH radicals were detected at a farthest distance ratio of 7.6. The OH density profiles along the axis in all the plasma jets indicate that OH radicals have the highest number density in the vicinity of the jet tip and gradually decreases in the downstream. Optical emission spectroscopy and digital imaging were simultaneously employed to identify the different radicals generated in plasma jets and to study the fine structures of the plasma jets. Pulsed CRDS was also employed to measure OH radical density in an Ar MPT. By using high temporal resolved imaging, it was observed that the widely reported converging point in Ar MPT is actually a time-averaged visual effect. Absolute number densities of OH radicals and water molecules were measured in an alternating current (AC) glow discharge using near infrared cw CRDS.

Oxidation of organic species, in particular dicarboxylic and humic acids, was investigated in ice. Products were analyzed by Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry, ion and gas chromatography, and a Total Organic Carbon analyzer. Photolysis of succinic acid with H2O2, an OH precursor, produced malonic acid and malic acid, illustrating that diacids are subject to photochemical degradation in ice. First-order decay rate constants were an order of magnitude higher at room temperature (~23 °C) than in ice (-20 °C). A smaller difference was observed for malonic acid, a more soluble diacid, suggesting that partial segregation of H2O2 and succinic acid during freezing played an important role in the kinetics. VOCs, likely to be aldehydes and ketones, were produced from ice containing humic acid through heterogeneous ozonolysis and photooxidation which was enhanced by NO3-, an OH precursor. VOCs also formed from ice made from deionized water, likely through oxidation of organic contaminants.

Oxidation of organic species, in particular dicarboxylic and humic acids, was investigated in ice. Products were analyzed by Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry, ion and gas chromatography, and a Total Organic Carbon analyzer. Photolysis of succinic acid with H2O2, an OH precursor, produced malonic acid and malic acid, illustrating that diacids are subject to photochemical degradation in ice. First-order decay rate constants were an order of magnitude higher at room temperature (~23 °C) than in ice (-20 °C). A smaller difference was observed for malonic acid, a more soluble diacid, suggesting that partial segregation of H2O2 and succinic acid during freezing played an important role in the kinetics. VOCs, likely to be aldehydes and ketones, were produced from ice containing humic acid through heterogeneous ozonolysis and photooxidation which was enhanced by NO3-, an OH precursor. VOCs also formed from ice made from deionized water, likely through oxidation of organic contaminants.

<p>Chemicals in indoor air, either emitted from a source or from a reaction, have been suggested to cause ill health in buildings. However, no clear correlations between exposure and health effects have been made. </p><p>In this thesis we studied the reaction between monoterpenes, a group of biogenic unsaturated C10 hydrocarbons, and ozone. Ozonolysis of monoterpenes was used as model reactions for unsaturated compounds in ambient air. Also the products formed from these reactions have been suggested as important participants in the occurrence of discomfort and ill health in buildings.</p><p>To enable a reliable and sensitive measurement of ppb-ppt levels of monoterpenes and the formed products in the presence of ozone an evaluation of available scrubber materials was made. Potassium iodide was shown to remove ambient levels of ozone and have a recovery of >95% for all monoterpenes and formed products included in the investigation.</p><p>Experimental conditions showed to have a large impact on the initial steps of the ozonolysis, and also on the composition of the formed products. We showed that water plays an important and complex role both in the initial stage of ozonolysis of ∆³-carene and in the formation and composition of products from the ozonolysis of ∆-pinene. The use of experimental design facilitated the evaluation of the investigated reactions. We showed that the formation of OH radicals could be studied using multiple linear regression models and that the presence or absence of OH radicals had a profound impact on the formation of many of the formed products. We also made an observation of the lack of formed OH radicals in the ozonolysis of limonene and discussed probable causes of this observation.</p><p>Despite the short reaction times and the ambient levels of ozone and monoterpenes used in our experiments we showed that a number of oxidation products were formed, and that the reaction rate is significantly increased in a ventilation system. This formation is underestimated by theoretical calculations and leads to high amounts of known irritants in the indoor air. We showed that theoretical calculations underestimate the formation of these oxidation products 3-13 times, depending on ventilation system and monoterpene. </p>

Chemicals in indoor air, either emitted from a source or from a reaction, have been suggested to cause ill health in buildings. However, no clear correlations between exposure and health effects have been made. In this thesis we studied the reaction between monoterpenes, a group of biogenic unsaturated C10 hydrocarbons, and ozone. Ozonolysis of monoterpenes was used as model reactions for unsaturated compounds in ambient air. Also the products formed from these reactions have been suggested as important participants in the occurrence of discomfort and ill health in buildings. To enable a reliable and sensitive measurement of ppb-ppt levels of monoterpenes and the formed products in the presence of ozone an evaluation of available scrubber materials was made. Potassium iodide was shown to remove ambient levels of ozone and have a recovery of &gt;95% for all monoterpenes and formed products included in the investigation. Experimental conditions showed to have a large impact on the initial steps of the ozonolysis, and also on the composition of the formed products. We showed that water plays an important and complex role both in the initial stage of ozonolysis of ∆3-carene and in the formation and composition of products from the ozonolysis of ∆-pinene. The use of experimental design facilitated the evaluation of the investigated reactions. We showed that the formation of OH radicals could be studied using multiple linear regression models and that the presence or absence of OH radicals had a profound impact on the formation of many of the formed products. We also made an observation of the lack of formed OH radicals in the ozonolysis of limonene and discussed probable causes of this observation. Despite the short reaction times and the ambient levels of ozone and monoterpenes used in our experiments we showed that a number of oxidation products were formed, and that the reaction rate is significantly increased in a ventilation system. This formation is underestimated by theoretical calculations and leads to high amounts of known irritants in the indoor air. We showed that theoretical calculations underestimate the formation of these oxidation products 3-13 times, depending on ventilation system and monoterpene.

Dans le cadre du projet DISPATMO (étude de prévision des risques de pollution liés à la dispersion atmosphérique de produits chimiques), des études de risques liés aux incendies et explosions dus aux produits chimiques ont été menées. L’objectif de cette thèse était de réaliser une étude cinétique et mécanistique approfondie afin de déterminer la dégradation en phase gazeuse de l'un des principaux constituants du solvant Tiflex, acétate de 1-méthoxy-2-propyle (MPA), par les radicaux OH et les atomes de Cl. En outre, les constantes de vitesse de réaction de OH et Cl avec une série d' acétates d’alcoxyle largement utilisés dans l'industrie du revêtement et la peinture, l'acétate de méthoxy-2-butyle (2MBA), l'acétate de méthoxy-3-butyle (3MBA), l'acétate de méthoxy-éthyle (MEA), l'acétate d'éthoxy-éthyle (EEE) et l’acétate de n-pentyle (n-PA), ont été déterminées. Les expériences ont été conduites en utilisant la technique de photolyse laser pulsée couplée à la fluorescence induite par laser, un réacteur à écoulement à basse pression couplé à un spectromètre de masse et une chambre de simulation atmosphérique couplé à GC-FID, FTIR et GC-MS en utilisant les méthodes absolue et relative. Les données cinétiques ont été utilisées pour déterminer les expressions Arrhenius pour évaluer le devenir environnemental des composés étudiés tels que leur durée de vie et le potentiel de formation d'ozone. D'autre part, le mécanisme réactionnel a été étudié et les principaux produits de dégradation et leurs rendements ont été déterminés en présence de NO. Les spectres d’absorption UV-Vis de MPA, 2MBA et 3MBA ont également été déterminés afin d'évaluer le potentiel de photolyse de ces composés dans l’atmosphère. Les paramètres cinétiques et mécanistiques ainsi que les durées de vie troposphérique déterminés sont utilisés comme données d'entrée dans les modèles de simulation atmosphériques photochimiques et dans les modèles de dispersion atmosphérique de produits chimiques pour évaluer leur impact atmosphérique. / In the context of DISPATMO project (forecast study of pollution risks related to the atmospheric dispersal of chemicals), risk studies linked to the fires and the explosions due to chemical storage were conducted. The purpose of this thesis was to perform a thorough kinetic and mechanistic study to determine the gas phase degradation of one of the main component of Tiflex solvent, the 1-methoxy 2-propyl acetate (MPA). Furthermore, the rate coefficients of OH and Cl with a series of alkoxy acetates widely used in painting and coating industries, 2-methoxy-butyl acetate (2MBA), 3-methoxybutyl acetate (3MBA), methoxy ethyl acetate (MEA), ethoxy ethyl acetate (EEA) and n-pentyl acetate (n-PA), were determined. The experiments were performed employing the pulsed laser photolysislaser induced fluorescence technique, a low pressure flow tube reactor coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and an atmospheric simulation chamber coupled with a GC-FID, a FTIR and a GC-MS using complementary absolute and relative rate methods. The kinetic data were used to derive the Arrhenius expressions as well as to evaluate the environmental fate of the studied compounds such as their lifetimes and the Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential. Besides, the reaction mechanism was investigated, while the major degradation products and their yields were determined in presence of NO. In addition, the UV-Vis absorption cross sections of MPA, 2MBA and 3MBA were measured in order to evaluate their potential photolysis in the atmosphere. The investigation of the chemical processes and the tropospheric lifetimes of the compounds are used as input data in photochemical atmospheric simulation models and in chemical agent atmospheric dispersion models to evaluate their atmospheric impact.

No description available.

This dissertation describes electrochemical oxidation of Padan 95 SP on Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode mainly by •OH radicals (which was measured by indirect method, i.e: the formation of 2-Hydroxylterephthalic acid (2-HTA)), Electro-Fenton and the combination with adsorption technology for increasing total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. In this study, the formation of 2-HTA on BDD electrode via the reaction between terephthalic acid (TA) and •OH as a method to quantify hydroxyl radical formation was investigated. The degradation of Cartap in Padan 95SP (95 % Cartap) on BDD was investigated. Operating parameters such as applied current density, types of electrolyte and initial concentration of Padan 95SP were varied in order to determine their effect on the degradation efficiency of Cartap. The concentration of Cartap was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy according to 5,5-Dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) procedure. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to characterize the commercial Padan 95SP and the formation of by-products. The optimal conditions for Cartap degradation by electrochemical process have been established: concentration of electrolyte: 0.05 M Na2SO4, initial concentration of Padan 95SP: 300 mg·L-1, pH = 3, current density: j = 20 mA·cm-2. At this condition, Cartap decreases to 41 %, TOC decay reaches 8 %. To increase TOC decay at higher Padan 95 SP concentration in aqueous solution, the combination technique of electrochemical process with other techniques was proposed, e.g.: Electro-Fenton technique, pre-oxidizing by NaOCl or the Electro-Adsorption combination. In the Electro-Fenton technique, we investigated the influence of factors such as the presence of NaOCl in pretreatment of process, affects of H2O2 concentration, Fe2+ dosage, co-catalysts metals ion and pH. The efficiency shows approximately 80 % of TOC removed at 700 mg·L-1 Padan 95 SP. The combination of electrochemical with adsorption method shows the efficient removals of TOC and Padan 95SP (95 % Cartap) based on reagents oxidation in electrochemical process and adsorption of granular activated carbon (GAC), respectively. The influence of factors such as supporting electrolytes, flow rate, bed height, recycling number as well as initial concentration were investigated in order to determine their effects on TOC removal. The efficiency of this combination shows approximately 75 % of TOC and more than 90 % of Cartap removed at 700 mg·L-1 Padan 95 SP. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) BET surface analysis were applied to investigate GAC before and after usage. The results have shown that the application of electrochemical technique with other methods can be the potential option for treatment of wastewater containing Padan 95 SP. / Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit der Reduktion des gesamten organischen Kohlenstoffs (TOC) aus wässriger Lösung, die Padan 95 SP enthält. Als Methoden zur Minimierung von TOC wurden die elektrochemische Oxidation von Padan 95 SP auf Bor-dotierter Diamant (BDD) Elektroden durch •OH Radikale, Elektro-Fenton und die Kombination mit Adsorptionstechnologien verwendet. Die •OH Radikale wurden dabei durch indirekte Methoden, z. B. die Bildung von 2-HTA gemessen. Zur Quantifizierung der Hydroxylradikalbildung wurde in dieser Studie die Bildung von 2-Hydroxylterephthalsäure (2-HTA) an BDD-Elektroden über die Reaktion zwischen Terephthalsäure (TA) und •OH untersucht. Weiterhin befasst sich die Arbeit mit dem Abbau von Cartap in Padan 95SP (95% Cartap) auf BDD über die Reaktion zwischen Cartap und Hydroxylradikalen. Betriebsparameter wie die angewandte Stromdichte, die Elektrolytarten und die Anfangskonzentration von Padan 95SP wurden variiert, um ihre Wirkung auf die Abbaueffizienz von Cartap zu bestimmen. Die Konzentration von Cartap wurde mittels UV-Vis-Spektroskopie mit dem 5,5-Dithiobis-(2-Nitrobenzoesäure) (DTNB) Verfahren bestimmt. Hochleistungs-Flüssigkeitschromatographie (HPLC) und Gaschromatographie/Massenspektrometrie (GC-MS) wurden verwendet, um das kommerziell erhältliche Padan 95SP und die Bildung von Nebenprodukten beim Abbau von Cartap zu charakterisieren. Die optimalen Bedingungen für die Cartap-Degradation durch den elektrochemischen Prozess wurden festgelegt: Konzentration des Elektrolyten: 0.05 M Na2SO4, Padan 95SP Anfangskonzentration: 300 mg·L-1, pH = 3, Stromdichte: j = 20 mA·cm-2. Unter diesen Bedingungen sinkt Cartap auf 41% und der TOC erreicht 8 % des jeweiligen Ausgangswertes. Um den TOC-Zerfall bei höher Padan 95 SP Konzentration in Wasser zu erhöhen, wurde die Kombination des elektrochemischen Prozesses mit anderen Techniken vorgeschlagen, z.B.: Elektro-Fenton-Technik, Oxidation mit NaOCl, oder die Kombination des elektrochemischen Prozesses mit einem Adsorptionsprozess. Bei der Elektro-Fenton-Technik wurde der Einfluss von Faktoren wieder Anwesenheit von NaOCl in der Prozessvorbehandlung, Auswirkungen der H2O2-Konzentration, Fe2+-Dosierung, Metallionen als Cokatalysatoren und der pH-Wert der Lösung untersucht, um die Wirkung auf die Abbau-Effizienz für Cartap zu bestimmen. Es konnten mit dieser Methode rund 80 % TOC, ausgehend von 700 mg·L-1Padan 95SP, entfernt werden. Die Kombination des elektrochemischen Prozesses mit einer Adsorptionsmethode ermöglicht eine effiziente Entfernung von TOC und Padan 95SP (95% Cartap). Dies basiert auf der Oxidation und anschließender Adsorption auf granularer Aktivkohle (GAC). Der Einfluss von Faktoren wie Leitelektrolyten, Flussrate, Betthöhe, Recyclingzahl sowie die Anfangskonzentration von Padan 95 SP wurde untersucht, um deren Auswirkungen auf die TOC Entfernung zu bestimmen. Durch die Kombination konnten so 75% desTOC und mehr als 90% Cartap bei 700 mg·L-1Padan 95 SP entfernt werden. Fourier-Transformations-Infrarot (FT-IR) und BET-Oberflächenanalyse wurden angewendet, um GAC vor und nach der Verwendung zu untersuchen. Die Ergebnisse haben gezeigt, dass die Kombination des elektrochemischen Prozesses mit anderen Methoden eine potentielle Option für die Behandlung von Abwasser, das Padan 95 SP enthält, sein kann.

Zur Messung pyrelektrischer Koeffzienten wurde ein Messplatz nach einem erweiterten SHARP-GARN-Verfahren entwickelt und zur Untersuchung von Phasenumwandlungen in Pyroelektrika eingesetzt. Einerseits konnten pyroelektrische Messungen im elektrischen Feld die Pyroelektrizität einer neuen durch elektrisch angetriebene Defektmigration erzeugten Phase in Strontiumtitanat nachweisen. Andererseits gelang es, Ferroelektrizität in der Hochtemperaturphase von Poly(Vinylidenfluorid-Trifluorethylen), mittels phasenreiner Präparation der Hochtemperaturphase unterhalb der CURIEtemperatur und anschließender Polarisierung, nachzuweisen. Ferner ließen sich mittels thermisch angeregter Pyroelektrika Redoxprozesse antreiben, was durch Desinfektion von Escherichia coli Bakterien in wässriger Lösung mittels Lithiumniobat und -tantalat gezeigt wurde. Die Hypothese der Desinfektion durch reaktive Sauerstoffspezies konnte durch spektroskopisch nachgewiesene OH-Radikale - erzeugt mittels thermisch angeregter Bariumtitanatnanopartikel - belegt werden.