Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met lit.opg., index en samenvatting in het Nederlands.

The aim of this thesis was the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials and their composites for environmental applications, application as an antibacterial agent, and crop protection. As the basic constituent of all prepared nanomaterials, graphene oxide (GO) prepared by the modified Hummers method was successfully used. In order to improve the desired properties, the prepared GO was further reduced and modified with magnetic nanoparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) of metals or metalloids to form composites. In the prepared nanocomposites, the synergistic effect of graphene oxide and nanoparticles was utilized. In the case of nanocomposite formed from reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and MPs, this composite was used to bind Se (IV) as a heavy metal from an aqueous medium. In addition, the advantage of this material was its reusability after a recovery in ethanol. To protect agricultural crops against Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (X. euvesicatoria), which causes the bacterial spot disease of tomato and pepper and considerable economic casualties, nanocomposite containing GO and copper and silver NPs was used. This nanocomposite was selected for application to tomato and pepper plants after previous microbiological tests in vitro.

Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Proefschrift Universiteit Maastricht. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

This diploma thesis is focused on calculation of both structure and electronic properties of the graphene after the adsorption of atomic and molecular oxygen and urea using the Density Functional Theory (DFT). The influence of van der Waals interactions on the structure and adsorption energy is studied, as well as influence of the thermal corrections, the charge density spatial distribution and the electronic doping of graphene after the adsorption of the adsorbant on the graphene.

This work deals with issues of application of the graphene material in the field of electrochemical energy storage. It includes basic graphene properties, the overview of methods for the production of lithium-iron-phosphate/graphene composites and results of different research approaches. The general aim is to present growing opportunity of application of graphene based composites in the electrochemical energy storage field. In the experimental part of this work, a electrochemical exfoliation of graphite and a production of LFP/G composites with different amount of graphene material and with different types of graphene material are carried out. This work includes also x-ray diffraction spectroscopy measurements and the evaluation of impacts of graphene additives on final properties of the electrochemical energy storage.

The thesis is focused on the study of properties of GaN nanocrystals and Ga structures on the surface of silicon and graphene substrate. In the theoretical part of this thesis, the basic properties of Ga/GaN and graphene are described, as well as their applications or connection of both structures together in different devices. The ability of metal nanoparticles to enhance not only photoluminescence, due to the interaction of the material with surface plasmons, is also shown in several examples. The experimental part of the work first deals with the production and characterization of graphene sheets prepared by Chemical Vapor Deposition. Ga/GaN growth on both types of substrates was performed in a UHV chamber using an effusion cell for Ga deposition and an atomic ion source for nitridation. Prepared structures were characterized using various methods (XPS, SEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy or photoluminescence). In the last step, GaN nanocrystals were coated with Ga islands to study the photoluminescence enhancement.

Presented thesis is focused on the study of properties of Ga and GaN nanostructures on graphene. In the theoretical part of the thesis a problematics of graphene and GaN fabrication is discussed with a focus on the relation of Ga and GaN to graphene. The experimental part of the thesis deals with the depositions of Ga on transferred CVD-graphene on SiO2. The samples are analyzed by various methods (XPS, AFM, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, EDX). The properties of Ga on graphene are discussed with a focus on the surface enhanced Raman scattering effect. Furthermore, a deposition of Ga on exfoliated graphene and on graphene on a copper foil is described. GaN is fabricated by nitridation of the Ga structures on graphene. This process is illustrated by the XPS measurements of a distinct Ga peak and the graphene valence band during the process of nitridation.

Graphene research is nowadays one of the worldwide most prominent fields of interest in material science due to many extraordinary properties of graphene and related materials. However, the different techniques of synthesis and subsequent handling and/or treatment have a substantial impact on the properties of the graphene and thus a lot of efforts have been focused on developing of the advanced methods for graphene preparation and characterization. Graphene can be easily produced by oxidation and consequent exfoliation of the bulk graphite; however, resulting graphene oxide needs to be reduced back to graphene-like structure due to partial restoration of sp2 network. Herein, a detailed study of the structural evolution of the graphene oxide during electrochemical treatment has been performed using X-ray photoelectron, Raman and infrared spectroscopies and the results were compared with non-oxidized graphene nano-platelets. Additionally, graphene oxide in composite with LiFePO4 olivine material, which is electrochemically almost inactive in a freshly made state, has been tested by repeated electrochemical cycling. Using various electrochemical methods, the progressive electrochemical activity enhancement has been observed and spontaneous graphene reduction was identified as responsible for this...

I kommersiella litiumjonbatterier används ofta grafit i anodmaterialet, främst på grund av att det reversibelt kan placeras litiumjoner mellan dess lager. Grafit har dock en begränsad energitäthet och forskning bedrivs därför för att finna metoder som kan öka energitätheten hos anodmaterialet. Kisel, som har en betydigt högre energitäthet, kan interkalleras i grafiten för att öka energitätheten. För att undvika en förstörande volymexpansion som sker under litieringen när kisel tillämpas måste interkalleringen göras med kiselnanopartiklar. En skalbar metod för att framställa kiselnanopartiklar på nanografitflak har tagits fram och presenterats i en artikel av Phadatare et al. Syftet bakom det här arbetet har varit att lägga grund för en storskalig produktion av kiselbaserade anoder avsedda att användas i litiumjonbatterier för att ge dem en ökad kapacitet. Målet med arbetet var att genom laborativa undersökningar presentera hurvida metoden presenterad i artikeln är repeterbar samt hur olika parametrar påverkar resultatet inför en uppskalning. Resultaten bekräftade att metoden presenterad i artikeln är repeterbar och att den tillhörande ugnsprocessen bör utföras i en rörugn. Resultaten visade också att temperaturen för ugnsprocessen inte bör sänkas till så lågt som 600 °C, men att potential finns för att kunna sänka temperaturen från nuvarande 800 °C. Vid nuvarande temperatur bör andelen kisel inte ökas till ≥ 47 %, men bedöms ha potential att kunna ökas från nuvarande 33 %. Resultaten visade endast en liten bildning av kiselnanopartiklar då ett kiselpulver av annan kvalitet än det beskrivet i artikeln användes och visade på att valet av utgångsmaterialet är av stor vikt. Resultaten visade vidare att dispergeringsmedlet polyvinylakohol, PVA, inte kan uteslutas. Resultaten tydde på att det finns potential för att kunna minska andelen PVA, men att det inte bör reduceras till motsvarande en halverad koncerntration av vad som presenterats i artikeln. Resultaten visade också att processen måste utföras i en syrefattig miljö för att inte orsaka oxidaton av nanografiten. Däremot tydde resultaten på att mekanismen för bildningen av kiselnanopartiklar inte är syrekänslig och att mekanismen inte tycks vara beroende av att just PVA utgör den, om teorin stämmer, nödvändiga vätekällan. / In commercial lithium ion batteries graphite is often used in the anode material, mainly because it can reversibly contain lithium ions between the layers. However, graphite has a limited energy density and research is therefore being performed to find methods that will increase the energy density of the anode material. Silicon, which has a significantly higher energy density, can be intercalated in the graphite to increase the energy density. However, in order to avoid a destructive volume expansion that occurs during the lithiation, the intercalation must be performed with silicon nanoparticles. A scalable method for producing silicon nanoparticles on nanographite flakes has been developed and presented in an article by Phadatare et al. The purpose behind this work has been to lay the foundation for large-scale production of silicon- based anodes intended to be used in lithium-ion batteries to provide them with increased capacity. The aim of the work was to present whether the method is repeatable and how different parameters affect the results for an upscaling, which was done through laboratory investigations. The results confirmed that the method presented in the article is repeatable and that the process should be carried out using a tube furnace. The results also showed that the temperature of the oven process should not be lowered to 600 °C, but that there is potential to lower it from the current 800 °C. At the current temperature, the percentage of silicon should not be increased to ≥ 47 %, but is considered to have the potential to be increased from the current 33 %. Only a small proportion of silicon nanoparticles was formed when a silicon powder of a different quality than that described in the article was used and showed that the choice of the silicon starting material is of great importance. The results further revealed that the dispersant polyvinyl alcohol, PVA, cannot be excluded. The results showed that there is potential to reduce the proportion of PVA, but that it should not be reduced to as much as half the concentration that is presented in the article. The results showed that the process must be carried out in an oxygen-poor environment in order not to cause oxidation of the nanographite. However, the results also indicated that the mechanism for the formation of silicon nanoparticles is not oxygen sensitive and that the mechanism, if the existing theory is correct, does not appear to be dependent on PVA beeing the source of hydrogen.