Semiconductor nanocrystals are a desirable class of nanomaterials for electronic, energy conversion, and biomedical applications. The work presented in this thesis aids in the understanding of the fundamental chemistry that governs the way organic ligands coordinate to the surfaces of these nanocrystals. Using NMR, XPS, and TGA-MS a new binding mode of thiol ligands was identified on the surface of metal sulfide nanocrystals. This binding mode, crystal-bound ligands, has increased stability to removal compared to traditional surface-bound ligands. Taking advantage of the crystal-bound ligand coordination allows for the development of more active and potentially more stable photocatalysts. Overall, stabilizing the surface of a nanocrystal using crystal-bound ligands resulted in an enhancement in photocatalytic efficiency compared to a surface-bound ligand sample. Additionally, computational models of ligand coordination to surfaces were developed, providing new insights on the structural implications of ligand coordination.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-12162016-144114 |
| Date | 19 December 2016 |
| Creators | Turo, Michael Joseph |
| Contributors | Janet E. Macdonald, Eva M. Harth, Bridget R. Rogers, Sandra J. Rosenthal |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-12162016-144114/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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