Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-177).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry, August 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Institute of Paper Chemistry, 1980. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 52).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 324-353).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 2001. Graduate Programme in Chemistry. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-90). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71609.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 28, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 189-202).

Photoelectrochemical studies were performed on bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) to understand chemical and physical properties of the photocatalysts, and to improve the photoactivity for water oxidation. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was used to screen various dopants for BiVO₄, to calculate the photoconversion efficiencies to chemical energy at BiVO₄ electrodes, and to study the water oxidation intermediate radicals at the surface of BiVO₄. Tungsten and molybdenum doped BiVO₄ (W/Mo-BiVO₄) shows a photocurrent for water oxidation that is more than 10 times higher than undoped BiVO₄. Photoelectrochemical measurements and material analysis were done to discuss the factors that affect performance of BiVO₄. Finite elements analysis was also performed to explain the electron-hole transport and electrochemical reactions at W/Mo-BiVO₄ electrodes in solutions. Addition of conductive or electron accepting materials, e.g. reduced graphene oxide, into BiVO₄ was tried to study the electron-hole transport phenomena in the metal oxide electrodes. Surface adsorbed radicals produced during the water oxidation at W/Mo-BiVO₄ were interrogated by using SECM that the surface coverage and decay kinetics of adsorbed hydroxyl radicals at W/Mo-BiVO₄ were measured. The quantum efficiencies of the injected photon conversion to chemical energy were obtained from the photoelectrochemical measurements by using SECM. SECM techniques and finite elements analysis were also used to measure the faradaic efficiency of water oxidation at W/Mo-BiVO₄ under irradiation. Finally, unbiased water splitting to generate hydrogen and oxygen from water splitting only using photon energy at W/Mo-BiVO₄ electrodes was demonstrated in a dual n-type semiconductor or Z-scheme device. / text

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

A series of alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes with 4,4′,4′′-tricarboxy-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine and 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine as TiO2 anchoring functionalities, has been successfully synthesized. Their photophysical, electrochemical and luminescence properties have been extensively studied. The excited state properties were probed using nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. [Pt(tctpy)(C≡C-Th-BTD-Th)][NnBu4]2 displayed a long-lived transient signal which was tentatively assigned to result from the formation of a charge-separated state, which could be alternatively described as a [Pt(tctpy)???(C≡C-Th-BTD-Th)+?] state, with the charge recombination rate constant determined to be 2.9 × 105 s?1. The excited state redox potentials for the oxidation process were determined and the data confirmed the ability of the complexes to inject an electron into the conduction band of TiO2. The majority of the complexes were found to sensitize the nanocrystalline TiO2 and exhibit photovoltaic properties, which have been characterized by current-voltage measurements under illumination of air mass (AM) 1.5G sunlight (100 mW cm–2). A new class of molecular dyads comprising metalloporphyrin-linked alkynylplatinum(II) polypyridine complexes was synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical, electrochemical and luminescence properties have been studied in detail. The excited state properties were probed using nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy which indicated the formation of a charge-separated state involving the porphyrin radical anion, [Por??－(C≡C)Pt+?]. The excited state redox potentials for the oxidation process were also determined with the data supporting the capability of the complexes to inject an electron into the conduction band of TiO2. The majority of the complexes were found to sensitize the nanocrystalline TiO2 and exhibit photovoltaic properties, as characterized by current-voltage measurements under illumination of air mass (AM) 1.5G sunlight (100 mW cm–2). A series of organic materials consisting of a triphenylamine-based donor with oligothiophene or oligothienylenevinylene based-conjugated linker and dicyanovinyl, tricyanovinyl or cyanacrylic acid groups as acceptor, was synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical, electrochemical, thermal and luminescence properties were studied. Transient absorption spectra of TPA-OTV-DCN in dichloromethane solution on the pico- to nanosecond timescale were recorded after femtosecond laser excitation at 400 nm. A transient signal at ca. 700 nm was tentatively assigned to result from the formation of a charge-separated [(TPA-OTV)+??DCN??] state with the charge recombination rate constant determined to be 5.3 × 109 s?1. The energy levels of the LUMOs of TPA-OTV1-DCN, TPA-OTV2-DCN, TPA-OTV3-DCN TPA-TAZ1-DCN, TPA-TAZ2-DCN and TPA-o-4Th-DCN were calculated to be of ca. ?3.9 eV, establishing the formation of a downhill driving force for the energetically favorable electron transfer process involving the injection of an electron into the LUMO of the C60 acceptor. The majority of the compounds were found to exhibit photovoltaic properties. The photovoltaic responses were characterized by current-voltage measurements under illumination of air mass (AM) 1.5G sunlight (100 mW cm–2). / published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy