Nitrogen compounds, such as aqueous ammonia, are a widespread problem in the wastewater industry as they are toxic to numerous aquatic life, cause eutrophication, and contribute to various environmental concerns. Environment Canada has mandated new wastewater regulations, limiting un-ionized ammonia discharge to 1.25 mg/L, expressed as nitrogen. This study provides insight into methods for removing nitrogen compounds, specifically aqueous ammonia, from wastewater. Two wastewater treatment technologies were compared: Ultra Violet light and an electrochemical process. These treatments were evaluated individually, as well as in combination, to determine potential synergistic effects.

Neste trabalho, estudou-se a síntese de filmes finos de BiVO4 e WO3-CuWO4 por spin coating e sputtering, respectivamente. Esses filmes foram utilizados na foto produção de corrente e hidrogênio a partir da água e luz solar (fotoeletrólise). Adicionalmente, foi preparado utilizando a reação de estado sólido o composto quaternario proposto teóricamente por Pranab Sarker como um promisor fotocatalizador para produção de hidrogênio. Finalmente, foi aplicada a teoria do funcional da densidade ao estudo das propriedades eletronicas e estruturais do e dos sistemas citados acima. / In this work, the synthesis of thin films of BiVO4 and WO3-CuWO4 by spin coating and sputtering, respectively, was studied. These films were used in the photo production of current and hydrogen from water and sunlight (photoelectrolysis). Additionally, the quaternary compound proposed theoretically by Sarker Pranab was prepared using the solid state reaction as a photocatalytic suitable for the production of hydrogen. Finally, the density functional theory was applied to the study of the electronic and structural properties of and the systems mentioned above.

Neste trabalho, estudou-se a síntese de filmes finos de BiVO4 e WO3-CuWO4 por spin coating e sputtering, respectivamente. Esses filmes foram utilizados na foto produção de corrente e hidrogênio a partir da água e luz solar (fotoeletrólise). Adicionalmente, foi preparado utilizando a reação de estado sólido o composto quaternario proposto teóricamente por Pranab Sarker como um promisor fotocatalizador para produção de hidrogênio. Finalmente, foi aplicada a teoria do funcional da densidade ao estudo das propriedades eletronicas e estruturais do e dos sistemas citados acima. / In this work, the synthesis of thin films of BiVO4 and WO3-CuWO4 by spin coating and sputtering, respectively, was studied. These films were used in the photo production of current and hydrogen from water and sunlight (photoelectrolysis). Additionally, the quaternary compound proposed theoretically by Sarker Pranab was prepared using the solid state reaction as a photocatalytic suitable for the production of hydrogen. Finally, the density functional theory was applied to the study of the electronic and structural properties of and the systems mentioned above.

Neste trabalho, estudou-se a síntese de filmes finos de BiVO4 e WO3-CuWO4 por spin coating e sputtering, respectivamente. Esses filmes foram utilizados na foto produção de corrente e hidrogênio a partir da água e luz solar (fotoeletrólise). Adicionalmente, foi preparado utilizando a reação de estado sólido o composto quaternario proposto teóricamente por Pranab Sarker como um promisor fotocatalizador para produção de hidrogênio. Finalmente, foi aplicada a teoria do funcional da densidade ao estudo das propriedades eletronicas e estruturais do e dos sistemas citados acima. / In this work, the synthesis of thin films of BiVO4 and WO3-CuWO4 by spin coating and sputtering, respectively, was studied. These films were used in the photo production of current and hydrogen from water and sunlight (photoelectrolysis). Additionally, the quaternary compound proposed theoretically by Sarker Pranab was prepared using the solid state reaction as a photocatalytic suitable for the production of hydrogen. Finally, the density functional theory was applied to the study of the electronic and structural properties of and the systems mentioned above.

No description available.

No description available.

Le but de ce travail était l’analyse de la capacité de carbure de silicium cubique à servir de matériau d’anode pour le fractionnement de l’eau photo-électrochimique direct. Les données récoltées (principalement la spectroscopie photo-électronique, électrochimie, Raman et spectroscopie UV-Vis) permettaient de ramener la faible efficacité de carbure de silicium cubique dopé n pour le dégagement d’oxygéne à des problèmes fondamentaux.Principalement le courant photoélectrique réalisable est limité par le flux des trous générés par photo à la surface de semi-conducteur. Comme carbure de silicium cubique est un semi-conducteur indirect, le faible coefficient d’absorption en combinaison avec une dotation élevée et une petite longueur de diffusion de trou ont été déterminés comme les facteurs limitant. Un film épitaxial additionnel de carbure de silicium n-cubique a entraîné une augmentation signifiante du courant photoélectrique maximal.La tension photoélectrique réalisable et les pertes dues aux recombinaisons dépendent principalement des propriétés de surface. L’utilisation des minces couches de catalyseur s’est révélé prometteur pour améliorer les deux propriétés même si cette technique a besoin d'optimisation parce que des états défectueux à l’interface limitent la tension photoélectrique. / The goal of this work was to investigate cubic silicon carbide as anode material for direct photoelectrochemical water splitting. From the performed measurements (mostly photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical measurements, Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopy) n-type cubic silicon carbide’s low oxygen evolution efficiency could be related to some fundamental problems.Primarily, the attainable photocurrent is limited by the flux of photo generated holes to the semiconductor surface. As cubic silicon carbide is a indirect semiconductor, the low absorption coefficient in combination with a high doping concentration and low hole diffusion length were determined as limiting factors. An additional epitaxial n- cubic silicon carbide film resulted in a significant improvement of the photocurrent.The obtainable photovoltage and recombination losses are mostly dependent on the surface properties. While a buried junction between the silicon carbide and a thin catalyst layer has proven to be promising for improving both properties, it still needs optimization, as Fermi level pinning from interface defect states drastically reduces the photovoltage.

Le Ta₃N₅ fait partie des matériaux les plus prometteurs pour la photo-électrolyse de l’eau. En effet, la bande de valence et la bande de conduction sont situées autour du potentiel d’évolution de l’hydrogène et de l’oxygène et son petit gap (2.1eV) permet l’absorption d’une grande partie du spectre solaire. Par contre la synthèse de ce matériau est difficile à cause de la structure riche en azote (faible diffusion) et de l’état d’oxydation élevé du Ta (+5) dans le cristal de Ta₃N₅. Sa synthèse par pulvérisation cathodique est peu exploitée à ce jour, malgré que cette technique de dépôt permette d’augmenter le rapport ion-neutre arrivant sur le film en croissance et donc de fournir de l’énergie supplémentaire à la surface du film favorisant ainsi la cristallisation. Lors cette thèse, des couches minces de Ta₃N₅ ont été déposées par pulvérisation cathodique dans une atmosphère réactive. Il y est montré que la pulvérisation d’une cible de Ta produit des Ar rétrodiffusés avec des énergies élevées qui augmentent l’incorporation de défauts dans la couche lorsque la polarisation de la cible est élevée. Des films de Ta₃N₅ ont été déposés en mode continu ce qui a permis de maintenir une polarisation faible. Il a été mis en évidence que l’oxygène incorporé dans le cristal joue un rôle crucial pour la déposition du film de Ta₃N₅. De plus, l’oxygène influence fortement les propriétés des couches minces, notamment les propriétés optiques et électroniques. Un nouveau système, augmentant le flux d’ions vers le substrat, a été installé dans le réacteur de dépôt ce qui a augmenté le degré de cristallisation de la phase Ta₃N₅. Les connaissances acquises lors de cette thèse ont été utilisées pour préparer des photoanodes à partir de Ta₃N₅ et leur aptitude à décomposer l’eau sous l’illumination du soleil a été démontrée. / Ta₃N₅ is one of the most promising candidates for efficient water splitting using sunlight due to its band positions with respect to the oxygen and hydrogen evolution potentials and its small band gap of 2.1eV. Its synthesis, however, is challenging given its high content of nitrogen, with its low diffusivity, and the Ta metal atom in a high oxidation state. Few investigations into its synthesis by magnetron sputtering exist to date although this technique offers the possibility of tuning the ion-to-neutral flux ratio onto the growing film. This can change the supply of energy onto its surface and therefore promote the crystallization. In this thesis, reactive magnetron sputtering is investigated for the preparation of Ta₃N₅ thin films. It is shown that sputtering of a Ta target in an Ar atmosphere produces energetic backscattered Ar neutrals at high target potentials. To keep the potential low, Ta₃N₅ is deposited by sputtering in DC mode. The growth of the Ta₃N₅ phase requires the incorporation of oxygen into the lattice. It is shown that optical and electronic properties of these samples vary strongly with the precise amount of oxygen in the thin film. Samples with a high degree of crystallinity are obtained by increasing the N₂⁺ flux onto the substrate by changing the form of the magnetic field of the magnetron. The highly crystalline samples prepared by this method are proven to work as photoanodes for the splitting of water under illumination.

Perfluorosulfonate ionomers, such as Nafion® have been shown to demonstrate a profound affinity for large cationic complexes, and the study of polymer-bound cations may provide insight regarding Nafion® morphology by contrasting molecular size with existing models. The trimetallic complex, [{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2] 5+, is readily absorbed by ion exchange into Na+ -form Nafion® membranes under ambient conditions. The dimensions of three different isomers of the trimetallic complex are estimated to be: 23.6 Å × 13.3 Å × 10.8 Å, 18.9 Å × 18.0 Å × 13.7 Å, and 23.1 Å × 12.0 Å × 11.4 Å, yielding an average molecular volume of 1.2×103 Å3 . At equilibrium, the partition coefficient for the ion-exchange of the trimetallic complex into Nafion® from a DMF solution is 5.7 × 103 . Furthermore, the total cationic charge of the exchanged trimetallic complexes counterbalances 86 ± 2% of the anionic SO3 − sites in Nafion®. The characteristic dimensions of morphological models for the ionic domains in Nafion® are comparable to the molecular dimensions of the large mixedmetal complexes. Surprisingly, SAXS analysis indicates that the complexes absorb into the ionic domains of Nafion® without significantly changing the ionomer morphology. Given the profound affinity for absorption of these large cationic molecules, a more open-channel model for the morphology of perfluorosulfonate ionomers is more reasonable, in agreement with recent experimental findings. In contrast to smaller monometallic complexes, the time- v dependent uptake of the large trimetallic cations is biexponential. This behavior is attributed to a fast initial ion-exchange process on the surface of the membrane, accompanied by a slower, transport-limited ion-exchange for sites in the interior of the ionomer matrix. The development of Nafion®/[{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2] 5+ modified electrodes is also described for both FTO electrodes and materials made from electrospun carbon mats. The [{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2] 5+ complexes behave as photocatalytic hydrogen production catalysts in the Nafion® membrane. Furthermore, a second bulk photoelectrolysis experiment with the Nafion®/[{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2] 5+/FTO electrodes shows an enhancement of catalytic activity compared to the first photoelectrolysis experiment. This enhancement is attributed to halide loss following the first reduction process. Lastly, electrospun carbon nanofiber mats behave as electron donor materials for [{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2] 5+/Nafion® membranes. / Ph. D.