The present thesis deals with the beneficial influence of nanostructuring on electrochemical performance of certain promising electrode and electrolyte materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Electrochemical performances of chosen electrodes and electrolytes have been presented in a systematic and detailed manner via studies related to both transport and lithium storage. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) or titania, a promising non-carbonaceous anode material for LIBs was chosen for the study. As part of the study, variety of nanostructured titania were synthesized. In general, all materials exhibited high lithium storage ( theoretical value for lithium storage in titania) and some of them showed exemplary rate capability, typically desired for modern lithium-ion batteries. Studies related to performance of these materials and mechanistics of lithium storage and kinetics are presented in Chapters 2-5. “Soggy sand” electrolyte, a promising soft matter electrolyte for LIBs was studied on the electrolyte side. Ion transport, mechanical strength and electrochemical properties of “soggy sand” electrolytes synthesized via dispersion of various surface chemically functionalized silica particles dispersed in model as well as LIB relevant electrolytes were studied in this thesis. Extensive physico-chemical and battery performance studies of “soggy sand” electrolytes are discussed in Chapters 6-8. A brief discussion of the contents and highlights of the individual chapters are described below: Chapter 1 briefly discusses the importance of electrochemical power sources as a viable green alternative to the combustion engine. Various facets of rechargeable LIBs, one of the most important electrochemical storage devices, are presented following the general discussion on electrochemical power devices. The importance of nanostructuring of electrodes with special emphasis on anodes for high lithium storage capacities and rate capabilities are also discussed in the opening chapter. The various advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used electrolytes in LIB i.e. the liquid electrolytes are also discussed in Chapter 1. Suggestions for improvement of the physico-chemical properties of liquid electrolytes especially via nanostructuring (demonstrated via dispersions of fine oxide particles in liquid electrolytes in Chapters 6-8) using the concept of Heterogeneous doping are discussed in detail. A brief description on the importance of rheology for comprehension of soft matter microstructure is also provided in this chapter. Chapter 2 discusses composite of anatase titania (TiO2) nanospheres and carbon grown and self-assembled into micron-sized mesoporous spheres via a solvothermal synthesis route as prospective anode for rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The morphology and carbon content and hence the electrochemical performance are observed to be significantly influenced by the synthesis parameters. Synthesis conditions resulting in a mesoporous arrangement of an optimized amount of carbon and TiO2 exhibited the best lithium battery performance. The first discharge cycle capacity of carbon-titania mesoporous spheres (solvothermal reaction at 150 oC at 6 h, calcination at 500 oC under air, BET surface area 80 m2g-1) was 334 mAhg-1 (approximately 1 Li) at current rate of 66 mAg-1. High storage capacity and good cyclability is attributed to the nanostructuring (i.e. mesoporosity) of TiO2 as well as due to formation of a percolation network of carbon around the TiO2 nanoparticles. The micron-sized mesoporous spheres of carbon-titania composite nanoparticles also show good rate cyclability in the range (0.066-6.67) Ag-1. The electrochemical performance of the mesoporous carbon-TiO2 spheres has been compared with nonporous TiO2 spheres, normal mesoporous TiO2 and bulk TiO2. Implications of nanostructuring and conductive carbon interface on lithium insertion/removal capacity and insertion kinetics in nanoparticles of anatase polymorph of titania is discussed in Chapter 3. Sol-gel synthesized nanoparticles of titania (particle size ~ 6 nm) were hydrothermally coated ex situ with a thin layer of amorphous carbon (layer thickness: 2-5 nm) and calcined at a temperature much higher than the sol-gel synthesis temperature. The carbon-titania composite particles (resulting size  10 nm) displayed immensely superior cyclability and rate capability (higher current rates  4 Ag-1) compared to unmodified calcined anatase titania. The conductive carbon interface around titania nanocrystals enhances the electronic conductivity and inhibits crystallite growth during electrochemical insertion/removal thus preventing detrimental kinetic effects observed in case of un-modified anatase titania. The carbon coating of the nanoparticles also stabilized the titania crystallographic structure via reduction in the accessibility of lithium ions to the trapping sites. This resulted in decrease in the irreversible capacity observed in case of nanoparticles without any carbon coating. Chapter 4 discusses the morphology and electrochemical performance of mixed crystallographic phase titania nanotubes and nanosheets for prospective application as anode in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Hydrothermally grown nanotubes/nanosheets of titania (TiO2) and carbon/silver-titania (C/Ag-TiO2) comprise a mixture of both anatase and TiO2(B) crystallographic phases. The first cycle capacity (at current rate = 10 mAg-1) for bare TiO2 nanotubes was 355 mAhg-1 (approximately 1.06 Li), which is higher than both the theoretical capacity (335 mAhg-1) as well as reported values for pure anatase and TiO2(B) nanotubes. Higher capacity is attributed to a combination of presence of mixed crystallographic phases of titania as well as trivial size effects. The surface area of bare TiO2 nanotubes was very high being equal to 340 m2g-1. Surface modification of the TiO2 nanotubes via amorphous carbon and Ag nanoparticles resulted in significant improvement in battery performance. The first cycle irreversible capacity loss can be minimized via effective coating of the surface. Carbon coated TiO2 nanotubes showed superior performance than Ag nanoparticle coated TiO2 nanotubes in terms of long term cyclability. Unlike Ag nanoparticles which are randomly distributed over the TiO2 nanotubes, the effective homogeneous carbon coating forms an efficient percolation network for the conducting species thus exhibiting better battery performance. The C-TiO2 and Ag-TiO2 nanotubes showed a better rate capability i.e. higher capacities compared to bare TiO2 nanotubes in the current range 0.055-2 Ag-1. Although titania nanosheets retains mixed crystallographic phases, the lithium battery performance (first cycle capacity = 225 mAhg-1) is poor compared to TiO2 nanotubes. It is attributed to lower surface area (22 m2g-1) which resulted in lesser electrode/electrolyte contact area and inefficient transport pathways for Li+ and e-. Implications of iron on electrochemical lithium insertion/removal capacity of iron (Fe3+) doped anatase TiO2 is discussed in Chapter 5. Iron doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with different doping concentrations were synthesized by simple sol-gel method. The electrochemistry of anatase TiO2 is observed to be a strong function of concentration of iron (Fe3+). A high 1st cycle discharge capacity of 704 mAhg−1 (2.1 mol of Li) and 272 mAhg−1 (0.81 mol of Li) at the 30th discharge cycle with Coulombic efficiency greater than 96% has been observed for 5% iron (Fe3+) doped TiO2 at a current density of 75 mAg−1. Additional increase in the iron (Fe3+) concentrations deteriorates the lithium storage of TiO2. An improvement in lithium storage of more than 50% is noticed for 5% iron (Fe3+) doped TiO2 compared to pure anatase TiO2 which shows an initial discharge capacity of 279 mAhg−1. The anomalous lithium storage behavior in all the iron (Fe3+) doped TiO2 has been accounted, in addition to homogeneous Li insertion in the octahedral sites, on the basis of formation of metallic Fe and Li2O during initial lithiation process and subsequent heterogeneous interfacial storage between Fe and Li2O interface. Chapter 6 discusses in a systematic manner the crucial role of oxide surface chemical composition on ion transport in “soggy sand” electrolytes. A “soggy sand” electrolytic system comprising of aerosil silica functionalized with various hydrophilic and hydrophobic moeities dispersed in lithium perchlorate ethylene glycol solution ( = 37.7) was used for the study. Detailed rheology studies show that the attractive particle network in case of the composite with unmodified aerosil silica (with surface silanol groups) is most favorable for percolation in ionic conductivity as well as rendering the composite with beneficial elastic mechanical properties. Though weaker in strength compared to the composite with unmodified aerosil particles, attractive particle networks are also observed in composites of aerosil particles with surfaces partially substituted with hydrophobic groups. However, ionic conductivity is observed to be dependent on the size of the hydrophobic moiety. No spanning attractive particle network was formed for aerosil particles with surfaces modified with stronger hydrophilic groups (than silanol) and as a result no percolation in ionic conductivity was observed. The composite with hydrophilic particles was a sol contrary to gels obtained in case of unmodified aerosil and partially substituted with hydrophobic groups. Chapter 7 also discusses the influence of oxide surface chemical composition but additionally the role of solvent on ion solvation and ion transport of “soggy sand” electrolytes. Compared to the liquid electrolyte in Chapter 6, a lower dielectric constant liquid electrolyte was employed for the study in this chapter. A “soggy sand” electrolyte system comprising of dispersions of hydrophilic/hydrophobic functionalized aerosil silica in lithium perchlorate-methoxy polyethylene glycol solution ( = 10.9) was employed for the study. Static and dynamic rheology measurements again showed formation of an attractive particle network in case of the composite with unmodified aerosil silica (i.e. with surface silanol groups) as well as composites with hydrophobic alkane groups. While particle network in the composite with hydrophilic aerosil silica (unmodified) were due to hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic aerosil silica particles were held together via van der Waals forces. The network strength in the latter case (i.e. for hydrophobic composites) were weaker compared with the composite with unmodified aerosil silica. Both unmodified silica as well as hydrophobic silica composites displayed solid-like mechanical strength. However, this time around no enhancement in ionic conductivity compared to the liquid electrolyte was observed in case of the unmodified silica. This is attributed to the existence of a very strong particle network which leads to the “expulsion” of all conducting entities from the interfacial region between adjacent particles. The ionic conductivity for composites with hydrophobic aerosil particles displayed ionic conductivity as a function of the size of the hydrophobic chemical moiety. No spanning attractive particle network was observed for aerosil particles with surfaces modified with stronger hydrophilic groups (than silanol). The composite resembled a sol and no percolation in ionic conductivity was observed. Chapter 8 describes the influence of dispersion of uniformly sized mono-functional or bi-functional (“Janus”) particles on ionic conductivity in lithium battery solutions and it’s implications on battery performance. Mono-functionalized (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) and bi-functionalized Janus (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) particles form physical gels of varying strength over a wide range of concentration (0.1    0.4; , oxide volume fraction). While the composites with mono-functionalized particles display shear thinning typical of gels (due to gradual breaking up spanning particle network held together by hydrogen/van der Walls force), the bi-functionalized “Janus” particles exhibit both complementary properties of gel and sol. The latter observation is interpreted in terms of existence of both hydrogen and van der Waals force arising out of the particle arrangement which get perturbed under the influence of external shear. Composites with homogeneous hydrophilic surface group show the highest ionic conductivity whereas the homogeneous hydrophobic surfaces exhibit superior electrode/electrolyte interface stability and battery cyclability. The Janus particles did not show any enhancement in ionic conductivity however, battery performance is highly satisfactory taking intermediate values between the homogeneously functionalized hydrophilic and hydrophobic particle composites.

This thesis is concerned with the deposition of nanoparticle films onto boron-doped diamond and tin-doped indium oxide (lTO) surfaces and the characterisation of the films using electron microscopy, powder diffraction methods and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) data. The redox behaviour of the porous films was examined using cyclic voltammetry in various media to investigate potential electroanalytical applications. TiOz (anatase) mono-layer films were immobilised onto an inert boron-doped diamond substrate. Cyclic voltammetry experiments allowed two distinct steps in the reduction - protonation processes to be identified that are consistent with the formation of Ti(III) surface sites accompanied by the adsorption of protons. Preliminary data for electron transfer processes at the reduced TiOz surface such as the dihydrogen evolution process and the 2 electron - 2 proton reduction of maleic acid to succinic acid are discussed. Novel multi-layer TiOz films were deposited with a variety of organic binder molecules onto ITO substrates. The redox reactivity of Cuz+ with 1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecane- 1,4,7, IO-tetrayl- tetrakis (methyl-phosphonic acid) in solution and immobilised on an electrode surface are investigated. The influences of film thickness, scan rate, and pH on the electrochemistry of immobilised pyrroloquinoline quinone was investigated with two possible electron transport processes observed. The thickness of TiOz phytate films was found to change the shape of the resulting cyclic voltammograms dramatically. Computer simulation and impedance spectroscopy allowed insights into the diffusion of electrons to be obtained. 1, 1 ~Ferrocenedimethanol was employed as an adsorbing redox system to study the voltammetric characteristics of carboxymethyl-y-cyclodextrin films and evidence for two distinct binding sites is considered. The apparent transport coefficients for dopamine and Ru(NHJ)6J+ are estimated for TiOz Nafion® films. The electrochemical processes in biphasic electrode systems for the oxidation of water-insoluble N,N-didodecyl-N;N~diethyl-benzene-diamine (DDPD) pure and dissolved in di-(2-ethyl-hexyl)phosphate (HDOP) immersed in aqueous electrolyte media are described. Transfer of the anion from the aqueous electrolyte phase into the organic phase accompanies the oxidation of pure DDPD. In the presence of HOOP, oxidation is accompanied by proton exchange. The electrochemically driven proton exchange process occurs over a wide pH range. Organic microdroplet deposits of OOPD in HDOP at basal plane pyrolytic graphite electrodes are studied using voltammetric techniques and compared to the behaviour of organic microphase deposits in mesoporous Ti02 thin films. Two types of Ti02 thin film electrodes were investigated, (i) a 300-400 nm film on ITa and (ii) a 300-400 nm film on ITa sputter-coated with a 20 nm porous gold layer. The latter biphasic design is superior. Titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticies were deposited onto ITa electrodes. Partial anodic oxidation and formation of novel core-shell TiC-Ti02 nanoparticies was observed at applied potentials positive of 0.3 V vs. SCE. Significant thermal oxidation of TiC nanoparticies by heating in air occurs at 250 °c leading to coreshell TiC-Ti02 nanoparticies, then Ti02 (anatase) at ca. 350 °c, and Ti02 (rutile) at temperatures higher than 750 °c. The electrocatalytic properties of the core-shell TiC-Ti02 nanoparticulate films were surveyed for the oxidation of hydroquinone, ascorbic acid, dopamine and nitric oxide (NO) in aqueous buffer media. Mono- and multi-layer Ce02 deposits on ITa are shown to be electrochemically active. A reduction assigned to a Ce(IV/III) process has been observed and followup chemistry in the presence of phosphate discovered. The interfacial formation of CeP04 has been proven and effects of the deposit type, pH and phosphate concentration on the process analysed. The electrochemistry of multi-layer Ce02 nanoparticulate films in organic solvent is shown to be more stable.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal a preparação e a caracterização de compósitos sílica/Nafion® e titânia/Nafion®, sendo o óxido a fase maioritária. A incorporação do Nafion® se deu durante o processo sol-gel. Foram testadas duas rotas sintéticas para a sílica, sendo uma delas catalisada por HNO3 e a outra por NH4OH, e uma rota, catalisada por HNO3, para a titânia. Posteriormente, as amostras foram calcinadas e analisadas por diversas técnicas. A DRX mostrou que as sílicas obtidas eram amorfas e que as amostras de titânia, por sua vez, apresentavam as fases cristalinas anatase e bruquita. A partir das análises de área superficial (BET) e tamanho de poros, verificou-se que um pH de hidrólise mais baixo leva a formação de sílica e compósitos com maiores áreas superficiais e distribuições unimodais de tamanho de poros (inferiores a 2 nm), e um pH mais elevado a uma distribuição mais larga. A incorporação do Nafion® leva a uma diminuição dos valores de área superficial. As amostras de titânia e seus compósitos apresentaram áreas superficiais mais baixas e distribuição de tamanho de poros semelhantes às obtidas para as amostras do grupo da sílica básica. As isotermas de adsorção de água mostraram que a sílica ácida e seus compósitos têm seus microporos saturados em aproximadamente 50% de UR (umidade relativa). Já nas amostras de sílica básica e seus compósitos, essa saturação parece ocorrer em 75% de UR, mas a partir de 84% de UR há um súbito aumento de adsorção. Todos os compósitos apresentaram menor capacidade de adsorver água com relação aos respectivos óxidos. Os resultados obtidos por Análise Térmica levam a crer que a sílica confere maior estabilidade térmica ao Nafion® ao passo que o TiO2 parece catalisar a decomposição do mesmo. As análises de Espectroscopia Vibracional no Infravermelho e no Raman, não apresentaram indícios de ligações químicas formais entre o Nafion® e as matrizes de sílica e titânia. As micrografias obtidas por MEV das amostras selecionadas revelaram morfologia semelhante para as amostras \"SiO2/Naf 15%\" mesmo após calcinação a 100 e 200°C e um aumento da porosidade nas amostras \"SiO2 b/Naf 5%\". Já nas amostras \"TiO2/Naf 15%\" notou-se a coalescência das partículas se refletindo numa menor rugosidade no material. A EIE mostrou que a incorporação do Nafion® nas matrizes de sílica trouxe significativo aumento de condutividade protônica para a sílica ácida e diminuição da mesma para a sílica básica. Os compósitos titânia/Nafion® analisados na forma de monolitos exibiram altos valores de condutividade protônica, principalmente em umidades relativas acima de 53%. / The main aim of this work is the preparation and characterization of silica/Nafion® and titania/Nafion® composites, with the oxides as the major phase. Nafion® was incorporated during the sol-gel process. Two synthetic routes were tested for silica: catalyzed by HNO3 and NH4OH, and an HNO3-catalyzed route was used for titania. Subsequently, the samples were calcined and analyzed by different techniques. XRD showed that the obtained silicas were amorphous and the samples of titania showed the anatase and brookite crystalline phases. From the analysis of surface area (BET) and pore size, it was found that at a lower hydrolysis pH both silica and its composites present larger surface areas and unimodal pore size distributions (less than 2 nm). At higher pH, a wider pore size distribution is observed. The incorporation of Nafion® leads to a decrease in surface area in all cases. Titania and its composites showed lower surface area and pore size distribution similar to those obtained for basic silica samples. The water adsorption isotherms showed that the acid-catalyzed silica and its composites have their micropores saturated at approximately 50% RH. In the basic-catalyzed silica samples and their composites, the saturation seems to occur at 75% RH, but above 84% RH a sudden increase in adsorption occurs. All composites exhibited lower water adsorption capacities when compared to the respective pure oxides. The Thermal Analysis results suggest that the silica thermally stabilizes the Nafion® while titania seems to catalyze the decomposition of it. Vibrational spectroscopy (Infrared and Raman) spectra showed no evidence of formal chemical bonds between Nafion,® and silica or titania. The SEM micrographs of selected samples reveal similar morphology for the samples \"SiO2/Naf 15%\" even after calcination at 100 and 200 °C, and a porosity increase in samples \"SiO2 b/Naf 5%\". In the \"TiO2/Naf 15%\" samples, particle coalescence was observed, which is reflected in a lower roughness in the material. According to EIS results the incorporation of Nafion® into the silica matrices caused significant increase in proton conductivity for acid silica and its reduction for the basic silica. The titania/Nafion® composites that were analyzed as monoliths exhibited high proton conductivity, mainly in relative humidities above 53%.

The effect of acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation on the precipitation of inorganic catalytic materials was investigated. The overall objective was to understand the fundamental factors involved in synthesizing nanometer-size catalytic materials in the 1-10 nm range in a cavitating field. Materials with grain sizes in this range have been associated with enhanced catalytic activity compared to larger grain size materials. A new chemical approach was used to produce titania supported gold by coprecipitation with higher gold yields compared to other synthesis methods. Using this approach, it was determined that acoustic cavitation was unable to influence the gold mean crystallite size compared to non-sonicated catalysts. However, gold concentration on the catalysts was found to be very important for CO oxidation activity. By decreasing the gold concentration from a weight loading of 0.50% down to approximately 0.05%, the rate of reaction per mole of gold was found to increase by a factor of 19. Hydrodynamic cavitation at low pressures (6.9-48 bar) was determined to have no effect on gold crystallite size at a fixed gold content for the same precipitation technique used in the acoustic cavitation studies. By changing the chemistry of the precipitation system, however, it was found that a synergy existed between the dilution of the gold precursor solution, the orifice diameter, and the reducing agent addition rate. Individually, these factors were found to have little effect and only their interaction allowed gold grain size control in the range of 8-80 nm. Further modification of the system chemistry and the use of hydrodynamic cavitation at pressures in excess of 690 bar allowed the systematic control of gold crystallite size in the range of 2-9 nm for catalysts containing (2.27 ± 0.17)% gold. In addition, it was shown that the enhanced mixing due to cavitation led to larger gold yields compared to classical syntheses. The control of gold grain size was gained at the loss of CO activity, which was attributed to the formation of non-removable sodium titanate species. The increased mixing associated with cavitation contributed to the activity loss by partially burying the gold and incorporating more of the sodium titanate species into the catalysts. This work produced the first evidence of hydrodynamic cavitation influencing the gold crystallite size on titania supported gold catalysts and is the only study reporting the control of grain size by simple mechanical adjustment of the experimental parameters. Despite the low activity observed due to sodium titanate, the methodology of adjusting the chemistry of a precipitating system could be used to eliminate such species. The approach of modifying the chemical precipitation kinetics relative to the dynamics of cavitation offers a general scheme for future research on cavitational processing effects.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal a preparação e a caracterização de compósitos sílica/Nafion® e titânia/Nafion®, sendo o óxido a fase maioritária. A incorporação do Nafion® se deu durante o processo sol-gel. Foram testadas duas rotas sintéticas para a sílica, sendo uma delas catalisada por HNO3 e a outra por NH4OH, e uma rota, catalisada por HNO3, para a titânia. Posteriormente, as amostras foram calcinadas e analisadas por diversas técnicas. A DRX mostrou que as sílicas obtidas eram amorfas e que as amostras de titânia, por sua vez, apresentavam as fases cristalinas anatase e bruquita. A partir das análises de área superficial (BET) e tamanho de poros, verificou-se que um pH de hidrólise mais baixo leva a formação de sílica e compósitos com maiores áreas superficiais e distribuições unimodais de tamanho de poros (inferiores a 2 nm), e um pH mais elevado a uma distribuição mais larga. A incorporação do Nafion® leva a uma diminuição dos valores de área superficial. As amostras de titânia e seus compósitos apresentaram áreas superficiais mais baixas e distribuição de tamanho de poros semelhantes às obtidas para as amostras do grupo da sílica básica. As isotermas de adsorção de água mostraram que a sílica ácida e seus compósitos têm seus microporos saturados em aproximadamente 50% de UR (umidade relativa). Já nas amostras de sílica básica e seus compósitos, essa saturação parece ocorrer em 75% de UR, mas a partir de 84% de UR há um súbito aumento de adsorção. Todos os compósitos apresentaram menor capacidade de adsorver água com relação aos respectivos óxidos. Os resultados obtidos por Análise Térmica levam a crer que a sílica confere maior estabilidade térmica ao Nafion® ao passo que o TiO2 parece catalisar a decomposição do mesmo. As análises de Espectroscopia Vibracional no Infravermelho e no Raman, não apresentaram indícios de ligações químicas formais entre o Nafion® e as matrizes de sílica e titânia. As micrografias obtidas por MEV das amostras selecionadas revelaram morfologia semelhante para as amostras \"SiO2/Naf 15%\" mesmo após calcinação a 100 e 200°C e um aumento da porosidade nas amostras \"SiO2 b/Naf 5%\". Já nas amostras \"TiO2/Naf 15%\" notou-se a coalescência das partículas se refletindo numa menor rugosidade no material. A EIE mostrou que a incorporação do Nafion® nas matrizes de sílica trouxe significativo aumento de condutividade protônica para a sílica ácida e diminuição da mesma para a sílica básica. Os compósitos titânia/Nafion® analisados na forma de monolitos exibiram altos valores de condutividade protônica, principalmente em umidades relativas acima de 53%. / The main aim of this work is the preparation and characterization of silica/Nafion® and titania/Nafion® composites, with the oxides as the major phase. Nafion® was incorporated during the sol-gel process. Two synthetic routes were tested for silica: catalyzed by HNO3 and NH4OH, and an HNO3-catalyzed route was used for titania. Subsequently, the samples were calcined and analyzed by different techniques. XRD showed that the obtained silicas were amorphous and the samples of titania showed the anatase and brookite crystalline phases. From the analysis of surface area (BET) and pore size, it was found that at a lower hydrolysis pH both silica and its composites present larger surface areas and unimodal pore size distributions (less than 2 nm). At higher pH, a wider pore size distribution is observed. The incorporation of Nafion® leads to a decrease in surface area in all cases. Titania and its composites showed lower surface area and pore size distribution similar to those obtained for basic silica samples. The water adsorption isotherms showed that the acid-catalyzed silica and its composites have their micropores saturated at approximately 50% RH. In the basic-catalyzed silica samples and their composites, the saturation seems to occur at 75% RH, but above 84% RH a sudden increase in adsorption occurs. All composites exhibited lower water adsorption capacities when compared to the respective pure oxides. The Thermal Analysis results suggest that the silica thermally stabilizes the Nafion® while titania seems to catalyze the decomposition of it. Vibrational spectroscopy (Infrared and Raman) spectra showed no evidence of formal chemical bonds between Nafion,® and silica or titania. The SEM micrographs of selected samples reveal similar morphology for the samples \"SiO2/Naf 15%\" even after calcination at 100 and 200 °C, and a porosity increase in samples \"SiO2 b/Naf 5%\". In the \"TiO2/Naf 15%\" samples, particle coalescence was observed, which is reflected in a lower roughness in the material. According to EIS results the incorporation of Nafion® into the silica matrices caused significant increase in proton conductivity for acid silica and its reduction for the basic silica. The titania/Nafion® composites that were analyzed as monoliths exhibited high proton conductivity, mainly in relative humidities above 53%.

Os objetivos desse trabalho foram: 1) determinar o efeito do conteúdo de titânia em mol % (zero, 10 e 30) na área de superfície específica (SBET), no tamanho dos aglomerados e na intensidade dos picos correspondentes às fases cristalinas presentes no pó cerâmico de Y-TZP/TiO2; 2) determinar o efeito do conteúdo de titânia em mol % (zero, 10 e 30) na microestrutura, densidade, densidade relativa, módulo de elasticidade, coeficiente de Poisson, módulo de Weibull (m) e resistência à flexão (f) de pastilhas cerâmicas sinterizadas de Y-TZP/TiO2 e, 3) determinar o efeito do recobrimento biomimético no módulo de Weibull (m) e na resistência á flexão de pastilhas cerâmicas sinterizadas de Y-TZP/TiO2. Os pós foram produzidos por meio de uma rota de co-precipitação, obtendo-se três composições do compósito Y-TZP/TiO2, que foram de zero (T0), 10 (T10) e 30 (T30) % mol de titânia. O pó produzido foi prensado (50 MPa) para produzir pastilhas de 15 mm de diâmetro e sinterizado a 1400 °C por 2 horas. Após o polimento com solução diamantada de 45 m, as pastilhas (n=60 para cada grupo) ficaram com aproximadamente 12 mm de diâmetro e 1,0 mm de espessura. Metade das pastilhas foram submetidas ao recobrimento biomimético (sete dias em solução de silicato de sódio e sete dias em solução de 1,5 SBF-simulated body fluid). Os pós foram caracterizados por difração de raios-X (DRX), espalhamento a laser, adsorção gasosa e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). As pastilhas foram caracterizadas pelo método de Archimedes, pulso-eco ultra-ssônico, MEV, DRX e para a análise de Weibull, as pastilhas foram submetidas ao ensaio de resistência à flexão biaxial em saliva artificial a 37°C. Os resultados mostraram que todos os pós apresentaram zircônia monoclínica e tetragonal na sua composição e uma área de superfície específica superior a 42 m2/g. A adição de titânia favoreceu a formação de aglomerados maiores e com uma distribuição bimodal. Em todas as pastilhas foram detectadas zircônia monoclínica e tetragonal, enquanto no grupo T30 também foi detectada a fase de titanato de zircônia (ZrTiO4). O grupo T0 apresentou os maiores valores de densidade medida (6,05 g/cm3), densidade relativa (99,0%), módulo de elasticidade (213 GPa) e resistência à flexão (815 MPa). A adição de titânia reduziu significativamente a densidade medida (5,45 g/cm3 para T10 e 5,15 g/cm3 para T30) a densidade relativa (94,4% para T10 e 96,3% para o T30) o módulo de elasticidade (156 GPa para T10 e 134 GPa para o T30) e a resistência à flexão (455 MPa para o grupo T10 e 336 MPa para o grupo T30) do compósito Y-TZP/TiO2. O grupo T30 apresentou um módulo de Weibull (11,7) e um coeficiente de Poisson (0,34) significativamente superior ao grupo T0 (6,4 e 0,31, respectivamente). Foi observado que o recobrimento biomimético promoveu a formação de glóbulos de hidroxiapatita distribuídos de forma heterogênea na superfície do material e que esse tratamento não alterou significativamente a resistência à flexão e o módulo de Weibull do compósito Y-TZP/TiO2. Conclui-se que a adição de titânia afetou as propriedades estudas do pó e das pastilhas do compósito de Y-TZP/TiO2. Além disso, o compósito pode ser recoberto com uma camada hidroxiapatita sem ter sua confiabilidade estrutural afetada. / The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the effect of titania content in mol% (zero, 10 and 30) in the specific surface area (SBET), the size of the agglomerates and the intensity of the peaks corresponding to crystalline phase present in the ceramic powder of Y-TZP/TiO2; 2) to determine the effect of the content in mol% of titania (zero, 10 and 30) in the microstructure, density, relative density, modulus of elasticity, Poisson\'s ratio, Weibull modulus (m) and flexural strength (f) of ceramic discs sintered from Y-TZP/TiO2 and 3) to determine the effect of biomimetic coating on the Weibull modulus (m) and the flexural strength of the sintered ceramic discs of Y-TZP/TiO2. The powders were produced by a co-precipitation route, in order to obtain the composite Y-TZP/TiO2 with three compositions, containing zero (T0), 10 (T10) and 30 (T30) mol% titania. The produced powder was pressed (50 MPa) into discs of 15 mm diameter and sintered at 1400 °C for 2 hours. After polishing with diamond solution of 45 m, the discs (n = 60 for each group) were approximately 12 mm in diameter and 1.0 mm-thick. Half of the discs were subjected to biomimetic coating (seven days with sodium silicate solution and seven days in 1,5 SBF-simulated body fluid solution ). The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser scattering, gas adsorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The discs were characterized by the Archimedes method, ultrasonic pulse-echo, SEM, XRD and for the Weibull analysis, the discs were subjected to the test of biaxial flexural strength in artificial saliva at 37 °C. The results showed that all powders had monoclinic and tetragonal zirconia in their composition, and a specific surface area greater than 42 m2/g. The titania addition favored the formation of larger agglomerates and a bimodal distribution. In all discs monoclinic and tetragonal zirconia were detected, while in the T30 group zirconium titanate (ZrTiO4) was also detected. T0 group had the highest measured density (6,05 g/cm3), relative density (99,0%), elasticity modulus (213 GPa) and flexural strength (815 MPa). The addition of titania significantly reduced the measured density (5,45 g/cm3 for T10 group and 5,15 g/cm3 for T30 group), the relative density (94,4% for T10 group and 96,3% for T30 group), elasticity modulus (156 GPa for T10 group and 134 GPa for T30 group) and flexural strength (455 MPa for T10 group and 336 MPa for T30 group) of the Y-TZP/TiO2 the composite. The T30 group showed a Weibull modulus (11,7) and Poisson\'s ratio (0,34) significantly higher than those of T0 group (6,4 and 0,31). It was observed that the biomimetic coating resulted in the formation of apatite globules heterogeneously distributed on the surface of the material and that this treatment did not significantly alter the flexural strength and Weibull modulus of the composite Y-TZP/TiO2. It is concluded that the addition of titania affects the studied properties of the powder and discs of the composite Y-TZP/TiO2. Also, the composite can be coated with a layer of calcium phosphate without affecting its structural reliability.

El presente trabajo de Tesis Doctoral se centró en la preparación y en el estudio de las propiedades fotoelectroquímicas de electrodos nanoestructurados de dióxido de titanio compuestos por partículas de diferente morfología: nanopartículas, nanohilos, nanotubos, nanocolumnas y nanofibras. Por un lado se estudió la influencia de la fase cristalina (anatasa y rutilo) y por otro, la influencia del tamaño de las partículas y su morfología sobre las propiedades fotoelectroquímicas de electrodos nanoestructurados de dióxido de titanio. Para estudiar la influencia de la fase cristalina se prepararon electrodos de anatasa y rutilo con la misma morfología (nanohilos) y tamaño de partícula (~ 2nm). Estos electrodos se emplearon para estudiar la estructura electrónica de ambas fases cristalinas. También se realizó un estudio de la distribución de los estados electrónicos empleando electrodos con diferente morfología de nanopartículas (nanotubos, nanocolumnas, nanopartículas). Los estudios se llevaron a cabo empleando voltametría cíclica, cronoamperometría, cronopotenciometría y métodos espectroscópicos (espectroscopía ultravioleta-visible, espectroscopía de voltaje superficial y espectroscopía de resonancia paramagnética electrónica). Las propiedades fotoelectroquímicas para las diferentes nanoestructuras se estudiaron tanto en medio ácido como en medio alcalino empleando diferentes compuestos orgánicos modelo (ácido fórmico, metanol e hidracina). Se estudió la influencia del tratamiento térmico de los nanohilos sobre su cristalinidad y sus propiedades fotoelectoquímicas. También se prepararon estructuras organizadas jerárquicamente basadas en nanotubos de anatasa decorados con nanohilos tanto de anatasa como de rutilo. El efecto del sustrato se estudió comparando electrodos de nanotubos de dióxido de titanio preparados sobre titanio y sobre vidrio conductor. En el presente trabajo también se estudió la actividad de dióxido de titanio modificado con nanopartículas de oro en el rango visible del espectro empleando métodos espectroscópicos.

In the present work, zinc phthalocyanine and tetra nitro substituted zinc phthalocyanine were sytnhesized by using phthalic anhydride and nitro phthalic acid precursor respectively under microwave irradiation. Molecular structures of these pigments were confirmed by FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy analyses. Furthermore, these pigments were deposited on mica-titania pigment substrate in dimethyl formamide solvent to obtain the combination pigment. FT-IR analysis was conducted to analyze the deposition of pigments onto the mica-titania surfaces. Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis was performed to observe zinc phthalocyanine, tetra nitro zinc phthalocyanine pigments, and their combination pigment with mica- titania pigments. The surface morphologies of zinc phthalocyanines on the mica titania pigments were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Optimum deposition temperature and deposition time were determined by v depositing varying amounts of zinc phthalocyanines. The paint samples of these combination pigments were prepared by alkyd based paint formulation. L*a*b* values of the paint samples were determined by color measuring spectrophotometry. The optimum deposition temperature was determined as 120 oC and the optimum deposition time was determined as half an hour and effective deposition was obtained at 120 &deg / C. It is observed that, with the increasing amount of ZnPc, the interaction between ZnPc particles increases and they desorp the surface of mica-titania pigment. The best result was obtained with 0.08 g ZnPc at 120 oC.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo desarrollar en solución acuosa y a tem-peratura ambiente, rutas de síntesis química coloidal de nanopartículas de plata y nano-partículas compuestas estables. Se obtienen nanopartículas de plata reproducibles, con un control morfológico de tamaño y forma durante el proceso de síntesis. Llevamos a cabo el estudio de las propiedades ópticas (espectros de absorción de las resonancias de plasmones superficiales (SPR)) que caracterizan a una determinada forma y tamaño. El análisis incluye estructuras nanométricas de plata de diferentes tamaños, en ambientes diversos y formas diferentes, como esferas, prolates, y prismas de diferente sección transversal, etc Se ha demostrado que la síntesis química produce coloides de nanopartículas de plata esféricas y anisotrópicas estables. La morfología y estabilidad de las nanopartícu-las coloidales son estudiadas mediante técnicas de espectroscopia y microscopía elec-trónica. El rol y concentración necesaria de cada uno de los reactivos para producir co-loides estables mediante síntesis química son determinadas. Se ha demostrado que, con-trariamente a las opiniones actualmente expresadas en la literatura, es posible controlar el tamaño de las nanopartículas de plata y obtener coloides de nanopartículas de plata esféricas y anisotrópicas estables por largo tiempo, utilizando una ruta de síntesis quí-mica sencilla y una baja concentración de reactivos estabilizadores (PVP). Recubrimientos de nanopartículas esféricas de plata estabilizadas con polivinilpirroli-dona (PVP) sobre substratos de vidrio óptico son preparados mediante el proceso de spin-coating y un posterior tratamiento térmico. Diferentes morfologías tipo core-shell de Ag@SiO2 son preparados mediante un método químico simple y rápido, sin necesidad de adicionar reactivos de acoplamiento o modificadores superficiales de la sílice. Proponemos mecanismos de reacción para la preparación de diferentes nano-estructuras tipo core-shell de plata-sílice. Las nanopartí-culas compuestas de sílice-plata muestran unas propiedades de absorción de resonancia plasmónica muy evidentes. El trabajo de éste capítulo ha sido realizado en colaboración con Juan C. Flores, quien desarrolló la ruta de síntesis como parte de sus estudios de doctorado. Por último, una modificación del método sol-gel es empleada para la prepara-ción de nanopartículas de TiO2, y partículas compuestas de Ag@TiO2, SiO2@TiO2-Ag y SiO2@Ag@TiO2. Diferentes morfologías tipo core-shell son preparadas mediante un método químico simple y rápido sobre un substrato óxido, sin necesidad de adicionar agentes de acoplamiento o modificaciones superficiales. Las evidentes propiedades de absorción plasmónica de las nanopartículas de plata mostradas por las partículas com-puestas han demostrado la presencia de plata metálica sobre la titania, sin la posterior oxidación de la capa de plata por el contacto directo con la titania (TiO2). Esta evidencia es confirmada por la técnica de microscopía electrónica de alta resolución. Las propie-dades de absorción plasmónica de las partículas compuestas hacen a estos materiales muy prometedores para aplicaciones foto-catalíticas. / The present work aims to develop chemical synthesis routes of stable colloidal silver nanoparticles and composites nanoparticles in aqueous solution at room tempera-ture. We obtain reproducible morphological control of silver nanoparticles size and shape during synthesis solely by solution chemistry and carry out the study of the opti-cal properties (surface plasmon resonances (RPS) absorption spectra) which character-ize a specific shape and size. The analysis includes silver nanosized bodies of different size, in diverse environments and of various shapes, as spheres, prolates, and prisms of different transversal section, etc. Synthetic wet chemistry routes yielding stable colloids of spherical and aniso-tropic silver nanoparticles are demonstrated, and the morphology and stability of the colloidal nanoparticles studied extensively through spectroscopy and electron micros-copy techniques. The role of each reagent and the concentrations required to obtain sta-ble colloid via these wet chemical routes is determined. It was shown that, contrary to commonly expressed opinions in the literature, it is possible to control the particle size of silver nanoparticles and obtain long-term sable colloids of both spherical and aniso-tropic silver nanoparticles using simple chemical routes and low concentration of stabi-lizing agent (PVP). Films of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized spherical silver nanoparticles are also prepared, by using spin coating on standard optical glass plates and subsequent thermal processing. Different core-shell type morphologies of Ag@SiO2 are also produced using a simple and rapid chemical method, without using added coupling agents or surface modifications of silica. We propose reaction mechanisms for the formation of the dif-ferent silica-silver core-shell nanostructures. The silica-silver composite nanoparticle display clear plasmonic resonance absorption properties. This chapter work has been done in collaboration with PhD student Juan C. Flores who developed the synthesis route as part of his doctoral studies. Finally, a sol-gel chemistry approach was used to fabricate nanoparticles in the systems TiO2, Ag@TiO2, Ag@TiO2-SiO2 and TiO2@Ag@SiO2. Different core-shell morphologies are produced using a simple and rapid chemical method. without using added coupling agents or surface modifications of the oxide substrate. Clear silver na-noparticle plasmonic absorption properties shown by the composite nanoparticles demonstrate the formation of metallic Ag, without the oxidation of Ag nanoshell in di-rect contact with TiO2, evidence confirmed also by high resolution electron microscopy. The plasmonic absorption properties of the composites nanoparticles make them a promising material for photocatalytic applications.

An investigation of surface structures formed on polycrystalline and single crystal TiO2 (titania) samples having under gone various heat treatments in a controlled hydrogen bearing atmosphere was conducted. The study included the recreation and examination of the process discovered by Sehoon Yoo at Ohio State University to form nanofibers on the surface of polycrystalline TiO2 disks. Fibers were formed by heating samples to 700??in a 5%H2 95%N2 gas stream. The nanofibers formed during this processes are approximately 5-20 nanometers in diameter and can be 100??f nanometers long. The fibers do not actually grow on the surface, but are what remain of the surface as the material around them is removed by the gas stream V i.e., nanocarving. The mechanism of fiber formation and the effect of varying experimental parameters remained unknown and were explored within this study. This included changing gas composition, flow rate, and changes in sample preparation. The effect of isovalent doping and impurities within the starting powder were examined. Sintering temperature and time was investigated to determine the effect of grain size and surface morphologies prior to nanocarving. The effect of elevated temperature and 5%H2 95%N gas on the surface of TiO2 single-crystal wafers was also investigated. Test methods include Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Mass Spectrometry (MS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis.