Transparent oxide semiconducting films have continued to receive considerable attention, from a fundamental and application-based point of view, primarily because of their useful fundamental properties. Of particular interest is zinc oxide (ZnO), an n-type semiconductor that exhibits excellent optical, electrical, catalytic and gas-sensing properties, and has many applications in various fields. In this work, thin film transistor (TFT) arrays based on ZnO have been prepared by reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Prior to the TFT fabrication, ZnO layers were sputtered on to glass and silicon substrates, and the deposition parameters optimised for electrical resistivities suitable for TFT applications. The sputtering process was carried out at room temperature with no intentional heating. The aim of this work is to prepare ZnO thin films with stable semiconducting electrical properties to be used as the active channel in TFTs; and to understand the role of intrinsic point defects in device performance and stability. The effect of oxygen (O2) adsorption on TFT device characteristics is also investigated. The structural quality of the material (defect type and concentration), electrical and optical properties (transmission/absorption) of semiconductor materials are usually closely correlated. Using the Vienna ab-initio simulation package (VASP), it is predicted that O2 adsorption may influence film transport properties only within a few atomic layers beneath the adsorption site. These findings were exploited to deposit thin films that are relatively stable in atmospheric ambient with improved TFT applications. TFTs incorporating the optimised layer were fabricated and demonstrated very impressive performance metrics, with effective channel mobilities as high as 30 cm2/V-1s-1, on-off current ratios of 107 and sub-threshold slopes of 0.9 – 3.2 V/dec. These were found to be dependent on film thickness (~15 – 60 nm) and the underlying dielectric (silicon dioxide (SiO2), gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3), yttrium oxide (Y2O3) and hafnium oxide (HfO2)). In this work, prior to sputtering the ZnO layer (using a ZnO target of 99.999 % purity), the sputtering chamber was evacuated to a base pressure ~4 x 10-6 Torr. Oxygen (O2) and argon (Ar) gas (with O2/Ar ratio of varying proportions) were then pumped into the chamber and the deposition process optimised by varying the RF power between 25 and 500 W and the O2/Ar ratio between 0.010 to 0.375. A two-level factorial design technique was implemented to test specific parameter combinations (i.e. RF power and O2/Ar ratio) and then statistical analysis was utilised to map out the responses. The ZnO films were sputtered on glass and silicon substrates for transparency and resistivity measurements, and TFT fabrication respectively. For TFT device fabrication, ZnO films were deposited onto thermally-grown silicon dioxide (SiO2) or a high-k dielectric layer (HfO2, Gd2O3 and Y2O3) deposited by a metal-organic chemical deposition (MOCVD) process. Also, by using ab initio simulation as implemented in the “Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP)”, the role of oxygen adsorption on the electrical stability of ZnO thin film is also investigated. The results indicate that O2 adsorption on ZnO layers could modify both the electronic density of states in the vicinity of the Fermi level and the band gap of the film. This study is complemented by studying the effects of low temperature annealing in air on the properties of ZnO films. It is speculated that O2 adsorption/desorption at low temperatures (150 – 350 0C) induces variations in the electrical resistance, band gap and Urbach energy of the film, consistent with the trends predicted from DFT results.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo aplicando a Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT), utilizando o funcional B3LYP, para estudar a estrutura eletrônica de nanoclusters de platina dopados com Al, Cr e V e suas interações com oxigênio molecular. As análises das populações de Mulliken e de NBO para a interação entre O2 e Pt2, Pt-Cr e Pt-V revelaram que ocorre transferência de carga dos orbitais s e d dos metais para os orbitais p do oxigênio, resultando no preenchimento dos orbitais antiligantes da molécula de oxigênio, provocando a quebra da ligação O--O e formação de ligações hibridizadas Metal - O, com energia de dissociação da ligação O - O em 1,0 eV sobre Pt2. Sobre Pt-Cr e Pt-V, esse valor decresce para 0,56 eV e 0,20 eV, respectivamente. Os estudos da interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt3, Pt2Al, Pt2Cr e Pt2V mostram que ocorre adsorção não dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre o cluster Pt3 onde observamos uma adsorção segundo o modelo de ponte enquanto que sobre os clusters Pt2Al e Pt2V ocorre adsorção dissociativa de oxigênio molecular. Por outro lado, com o cluster Pt2Cr a adsorção segue o modelo de Pauling, com o oxigênio molecular adsorvido em apenas um sítio do cluster, que foi o átomo Pt, sem a quebra da ligação O--O. Curvas de superfície de energia potencial para a dissociação de oxigênio molecular sobre Pt2Al e Pt2V mostraram um valor de aproximadamente 0,21 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt2Al e aproximadamente 0,30 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt2V. Os estudos da interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt4, Pt3Al, Pt3Cr e Pt3V mostram que ocorre adsorção não dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre os clusters Pt4 e Pt3Cr onde foi observado que a adsorção segue o modelo de ponte. Por outro lado, sobre os clusters Pt3Al e Pt3V a adsorção de oxigênio molecular também seguiu o modelo ponte, com dissociação da ligação O - O. Encontramos um valor de 0,46 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt3Al e aproximadamente 0,28 eV para a barreira energética de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt3V. Os estudos para interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt5, Pt4Al, Pt4Cr e Pt4V revelaram que ocorre adsorção dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre os clusters Pt4Al e Pt4V, onde observamos uma adsorção que segue o modelo de ponte enquanto que sobre o cluster Pt5 a adsorção segue o modelo de ponte sem dissociação da ligação O--O. Por outro lado, a adsorção sobre Pt4Cr segue o modelo de Pauling, com o oxigênio molecular adsorvido em apenas um sítio do cluster, sem a quebra da ligação O--O. Curvas de superfície de energia potencial mostraram um valor de aproximadamente 0,62 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt4Al e aproximadamente 0,20 eV para a barreira energética de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt4V. / This work presents a study applying the Density Functional Theory (DFT) using the B3LYP functional to study the electronic structure of platinum nanoclusters doped with Al, Cr and V and their interactions with molecular oxygen. The analysis of Mulliken populations and NBO for the interaction between O2 and Pt2, Pt-Cr and Pt-V showed that charge transfer occurs orbital sed metals for the p orbitals of oxygen, resulting in the filling of the antibonding orbitals of the molecule oxygen, causing the cleavage of O-O and bond forming hybridized Metal - O, bond dissociation energy of O - O on Pt2 about 1.0 eV. On Pt-Cr and Pt-V, this value decreases to 0.56 eV and 0.20 eV, respectively. Studies of the interaction between molecular oxygen and the Pt3 clusters, Pt2Al, Pt2Cr and Pt2V show that no dissociative adsorption occurs for molecular oxygen on the cluster Pt3 where we observe a second adsorption model bridge while on clusters Pt2Al and Pt2V dissociative adsorption occurs of molecular oxygen. Moreover, with the cluster Pt2Cr adsorption follows the model of Pauling, with molecular oxygen adsorbed on only one site in the cluster, which was the Pt atom, without the cleavage of the O-O. Curves of potential energy surface for dissociation of molecular oxygen on Pt2Al and Pt2V showed a value of about 0.21 eV for the bond dissociation barrier of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt2Al approximately 0.30 eV and for the barrier The bond dissociation O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt2V. Studies of the interaction between molecular oxygen and clusters Pt4, Pt3Al, Pt3Cr and Pt3V show that no dissociative adsorption occurs for molecular oxygen on clusters Pt4 and Pt3Cr where it was observed that the adsorption follows the model of the bridge. On the other hand, on clusters Pt3Al and Pt3V adsorption of molecular oxygen also followed the model bridge, with bond dissociation O - O. We found a value of 0.46 eV for the barrier to bond dissociation to O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt3Al and approximately 0.28 eV for bond dissociation of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt3V. Studies on the interaction between molecular oxygen and clusters Pt5, Pt4Al, Pt4Cr and Pt4V revealed that occurs dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen on clusters Pt4Al and Pt4V, where we observe an adsorption model that follows the bridge while on the adsorption cluster Pt5 follows the bridge model without the bond dissociation. Moreover, adsorption is modeled on Pt4Cr Pauling with oxygen adsorbed on only one site of the cluster, without the cleavage of the O-O. Curves of potential energy surface showed a value of about 0.62 eV for the bond dissociation barrier of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt4Al and approximately 0.20 eV energy barrier for bond dissociation of the O-O adsorbed on the Pt­4V cluster.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo aplicando a Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT), utilizando o funcional B3LYP, para estudar a estrutura eletrônica de nanoclusters de platina dopados com Al, Cr e V e suas interações com oxigênio molecular. As análises das populações de Mulliken e de NBO para a interação entre O2 e Pt2, Pt-Cr e Pt-V revelaram que ocorre transferência de carga dos orbitais s e d dos metais para os orbitais p do oxigênio, resultando no preenchimento dos orbitais antiligantes da molécula de oxigênio, provocando a quebra da ligação O--O e formação de ligações hibridizadas Metal - O, com energia de dissociação da ligação O - O em 1,0 eV sobre Pt2. Sobre Pt-Cr e Pt-V, esse valor decresce para 0,56 eV e 0,20 eV, respectivamente. Os estudos da interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt3, Pt2Al, Pt2Cr e Pt2V mostram que ocorre adsorção não dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre o cluster Pt3 onde observamos uma adsorção segundo o modelo de ponte enquanto que sobre os clusters Pt2Al e Pt2V ocorre adsorção dissociativa de oxigênio molecular. Por outro lado, com o cluster Pt2Cr a adsorção segue o modelo de Pauling, com o oxigênio molecular adsorvido em apenas um sítio do cluster, que foi o átomo Pt, sem a quebra da ligação O--O. Curvas de superfície de energia potencial para a dissociação de oxigênio molecular sobre Pt2Al e Pt2V mostraram um valor de aproximadamente 0,21 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt2Al e aproximadamente 0,30 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt2V. Os estudos da interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt4, Pt3Al, Pt3Cr e Pt3V mostram que ocorre adsorção não dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre os clusters Pt4 e Pt3Cr onde foi observado que a adsorção segue o modelo de ponte. Por outro lado, sobre os clusters Pt3Al e Pt3V a adsorção de oxigênio molecular também seguiu o modelo ponte, com dissociação da ligação O - O. Encontramos um valor de 0,46 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt3Al e aproximadamente 0,28 eV para a barreira energética de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt3V. Os estudos para interação entre oxigênio molecular e os clusters Pt5, Pt4Al, Pt4Cr e Pt4V revelaram que ocorre adsorção dissociativa de oxigênio molecular sobre os clusters Pt4Al e Pt4V, onde observamos uma adsorção que segue o modelo de ponte enquanto que sobre o cluster Pt5 a adsorção segue o modelo de ponte sem dissociação da ligação O--O. Por outro lado, a adsorção sobre Pt4Cr segue o modelo de Pauling, com o oxigênio molecular adsorvido em apenas um sítio do cluster, sem a quebra da ligação O--O. Curvas de superfície de energia potencial mostraram um valor de aproximadamente 0,62 eV para a barreira de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt4Al e aproximadamente 0,20 eV para a barreira energética de dissociação da ligação O--O adsorvido sobre o cluster Pt4V. / This work presents a study applying the Density Functional Theory (DFT) using the B3LYP functional to study the electronic structure of platinum nanoclusters doped with Al, Cr and V and their interactions with molecular oxygen. The analysis of Mulliken populations and NBO for the interaction between O2 and Pt2, Pt-Cr and Pt-V showed that charge transfer occurs orbital sed metals for the p orbitals of oxygen, resulting in the filling of the antibonding orbitals of the molecule oxygen, causing the cleavage of O-O and bond forming hybridized Metal - O, bond dissociation energy of O - O on Pt2 about 1.0 eV. On Pt-Cr and Pt-V, this value decreases to 0.56 eV and 0.20 eV, respectively. Studies of the interaction between molecular oxygen and the Pt3 clusters, Pt2Al, Pt2Cr and Pt2V show that no dissociative adsorption occurs for molecular oxygen on the cluster Pt3 where we observe a second adsorption model bridge while on clusters Pt2Al and Pt2V dissociative adsorption occurs of molecular oxygen. Moreover, with the cluster Pt2Cr adsorption follows the model of Pauling, with molecular oxygen adsorbed on only one site in the cluster, which was the Pt atom, without the cleavage of the O-O. Curves of potential energy surface for dissociation of molecular oxygen on Pt2Al and Pt2V showed a value of about 0.21 eV for the bond dissociation barrier of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt2Al approximately 0.30 eV and for the barrier The bond dissociation O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt2V. Studies of the interaction between molecular oxygen and clusters Pt4, Pt3Al, Pt3Cr and Pt3V show that no dissociative adsorption occurs for molecular oxygen on clusters Pt4 and Pt3Cr where it was observed that the adsorption follows the model of the bridge. On the other hand, on clusters Pt3Al and Pt3V adsorption of molecular oxygen also followed the model bridge, with bond dissociation O - O. We found a value of 0.46 eV for the barrier to bond dissociation to O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt3Al and approximately 0.28 eV for bond dissociation of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt3V. Studies on the interaction between molecular oxygen and clusters Pt5, Pt4Al, Pt4Cr and Pt4V revealed that occurs dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen on clusters Pt4Al and Pt4V, where we observe an adsorption model that follows the bridge while on the adsorption cluster Pt5 follows the bridge model without the bond dissociation. Moreover, adsorption is modeled on Pt4Cr Pauling with oxygen adsorbed on only one site of the cluster, without the cleavage of the O-O. Curves of potential energy surface showed a value of about 0.62 eV for the bond dissociation barrier of the O-O adsorbed on the cluster Pt4Al and approximately 0.20 eV energy barrier for bond dissociation of the O-O adsorbed on the Pt­4V cluster.

A nearly stoichiometric, (1×1) Cr₂O₃ (101̲2) surface was prepared from a single crystal of α-Cr₂O₃. The five-coordinate cations exposed at the stoichiometric surface dissociatively adsorb molecular oxygen to form a (1×1), terminating chromyl (Cr=O) layer that is stable to >1100 K. TDS and AES were used to investigate the reactivity of the halo-alkanes CFCl₂CH₂Cl, CF₂ClCH₂Cl, CF₃CH₂Cl, and CF₂CH₂F, in addition to the halo-alkenes CFCl=CH₂ and CF₂=CH₂. The halo-alkanes CFCl₂CH₂Cl, CF₂ClCH₂Cl, and CF₃CH₂Cl undergo 1,2-dihalo elimination similar to the Zn-catalyzed dehalogenation of vicinal dihalides to form alkenes. Some acetylene is also formed. The halo-alkenes CFCl=CH₂ and CF₂=CH₂ decompose to yield acetylene. Halogen removed from the molecules remains bound to the surface following TDS experiments and eventually terminates the surface chemistry due to site blocking of the cations. Reactivity is directly related to the chlorine content of the molecules investigated. Only CFCl₂CH₂Cl was reactive on a chromyl-terminated surface. / Ph. D.

Propylene is the second most important starting chemical in the petrochemical industry after ethylene. Unlike ethylene, propylene readily undergoes substitution reactions including polymerisation, oxidation, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, alkylation, hydration, oligomerization and hydroformylation, which lead to a wide variety of important downstream products. One of the principal uses of propylene is to produce key chemicals from selective oxidation. In 2016, the world annual production of propylene is about 94 million tonnes, and the global proportion used to produce selective oxidation product is over 18%. They constitute a key part of the chemical industry and contribute towards substantial economic benefits. The application of Ag based heterogeneous catalysts to selective propylene oxidation is a key factor in the synthesis of nearly all downstream chemicals, however billions of pounds are lost every year due to unplanned reactor shutdown, safety control and environment unfriendly emission control as a results of inefficiency catalytic selectivity and activity. Despite, both theoretical and experimental research works have been intensively involved, the fundamental reason leading to these effects are not yet well understood. The work presented in this thesis explores a range of novel modification techniques that alter the activity of Ag nanocatalysts for selective propylene oxidation, especially in propylene epoxidation. Particular focus is placed on developing surface modified Ag catalysts through morphology control, surface architecture engineering with another sublayer metal. Using a combination of modelling, novel and traditional materials characterisation methods, it is found that these modification result in some significant electronic and/or geometric alterations to the Ag nanoparticles surface. The Ag-Ag bond distance can be dramatically enlarged by exposing a high-index Ag surface or a core-shell structure with monolayer Ag shell. When interacting with molecular oxygen, the molecular oxygen adsorption and dissociation behaviour is sensitive to the geometric changes in Ag surface. This leads to an enhanced selectivity toward propylene epoxidation than combustion resulting from preventing a C-H bond cleavage. Finally, be creating atomically dispersed Ag on zeolite, a completely different interaction between molecular oxygen and single atom Ag were discovered comparing to on a extensive silver surface. This leads to the observation of an excitingly new propylene oxidation reaction producing ethanol and CO₂ resulting from C=C bond cleavage. Overall, the research presented within this thesis demonstrated a number of methods for the intelligent design of novel heterogeneous Ag catalysts with remarkable activity and selectivity toward specific selective propylene oxidation. These modification methods are believed to be potentially applicable to a wide range of other catalytic reactions.

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die wissensbasierte Untersuchung verschiedener Eisenoxid/-hydroxid-Modifikationen für die alternierende Entfernung von Schwefelwasserstoff und Sauerstoff aus regenerativ erzeugten Gasen. Dafür wurden 37 Eisenoxide/-hydroxide systematisch auf ihre H2S- und O2-Adsorption hin untersucht und in Kombination mit deren physikalisch-chemischen Eigenschaften Struktur-Aktivitäts-Korrelationen abgeleitet. Die Aufklärung der ablaufenden Reaktionsmechanismen erfolgte mit spektroskopischen Analysenmethoden (DRIFTS Raman). Relevante Betriebsparameter wurden an einem α-FeOOH systematisch im Labormaßstab ermittelt. Daneben steht die Übertragbarkeit der Laborergebnisse in die technische Anwendung im größeren Maßstab (Upscaling) und mit Realgas im Fokus. Zudem wurde eine Wirtschaftlichkeitsbetrachtung inklusive eines Vergleiches mit Konkurrenzverfahren durchgeführt.