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  • Surface Properties of Nanohybrid Water-Oxidation Electrocatalysts for Applications in Green Hydrogen Production

    Description:
    The increase in the carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels has led to environmental concerns due to global warming and escalating global climate change. One of the key solutions towards a sustainable future is to switch to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy which are clean and abundant. However since these resources are intermittent, it is critical to convert and store solar energy as chemical fuels. Artificial photosynthesis involves converting solar energy into chemical fuel, similar to how plants use photosynthesis to store solar energy into energy-rich sugar molecules. One major challenge in developing this technology is to discover robust water-oxidation catalysts (WOCs) that can efficiently oxidize water and produce oxygen, electrons and protons under a highly oxidizing environment. Water-splitting into hydrogen and oxygen can occur in a photoelectrochemical cell by interfacing the WOC to the anode and proton reduction catalyst (PRC) to the cathode. The traditional approach for wiring a WOC to an anode typically relies on the modification of the catalyst to incorporate anchoring groups, such as carboxylic acids or phosphonates. However, this can be synthetically challenging and these systems typically suffer from catalyst instability at pH ≥ 7. In this thesis work, we demonstrate a facile, versatile and simple method for the immobilization of an unmodified cationic ruthenium-based molecular complex RuCat1 (RuCat1 = [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(H2O)]2+, tpy =2,2’ : 6’2’’–terpyridine and bpy = 2,2’–bipyridine) to a grafted polymeric electrode surface. The surface polymer coating consisted of a UV crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) network grafted into a conductive FTO (fluorine-doped tin-oxide) electrode. The immobilized Ru(II)-OEC|PAA|FTO films were characterized using various techniques, including attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), UV-visible, cyclic voltammetry, and oxygen evolution studies which proves the successful attachment of the molecular WOC and point to a pH-dependent electrocatalytic activity.
    Subject:
    Chemistry
    Creator:
    Maldonado, Christina
    Contributor:
    Yosra M. Badiei, Ph.D., Thesis Advisor
    Owner:
    lsquillante@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    06/13/2023
    Date Modified:
    06/13/2023
    Date Created:
    Spring 2023
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright
    Resource Type:
    Research Paper

  • Chemical Fingerprinting in Forensic Science

    Description:
    The evolving field of forensic science continues to incorporate new technologies and new procedures with the passing of time. As our scientific knowledge expands, we seek to apply this knowledge for the general improvement of society, in whatever ways that we can. The criminal justice system greatly benefits from scientific progress, primarily because science can assist in the justice system's search for truth in the courts. However, merely developing the method is not enough; new forensic methods must be carefully tested and evaluated before they can be introduced into the courts. Law enforcement and attorneys must become familiar with the theory and limitations of the new practice, and the technology to perform the analyses must be distributed and operated in forensic laboratories. This paper attempts to review and examine one potential aid to forensic science, the ability to use mass spectrometry methods to obtain a chemical fingerprint of collected evidence. Following an overview of the aims of chemical fingerprinting and trace evidence, the MS methods in question are explained in detail. Afterwards, their capacity to analyze forensic evidence will be reviewed briefly, and some potential shortcomings of the science are explored. Third, the technique's ability to be applied to forensic issues will be examined from the perspective of law enforcement and forensic laboratories. Finally, some concerns about the courtroom presentation and reception of the results will be discussed.
    Subject:
    Chemistry
    Creator:
    Block, Sean Thomas
    Contributor:
    Dr. Patricia Redden, Thesis Advisor
    Owner:
    lsquillante@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    10/14/2020
    Date Modified:
    10/14/2020
    Date Created:
    Spring 2013
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright
    Resource Type:
    Research Paper

  • Plasma Treated PET Films Grafted in Boronic Acid and Surface Properties

    Description:
    Biofilm growth on medical equipment and bacterial infections following operations have previously been treated with antibiotics. Although that method has helped kill the majority of the bacteria, it leaves a strain of stronger, antibiotic-resistant ones that have adapted to survive and reproduce. Boronic acid contains a plethora of properties, such as determining the presence of glucose, detecting cancer in an early phase, and measuring dopamine levels more accurately in the brain. This research aims to explore another potential application of boronic acid because of its promising uses. Boronic acid is incorporated after the activation of surfaces with cool plasma. Plasma-activated surfaces polymerized in boronic acid can be applied to the biomedical and biotechnological domains as an antibacterial method to replace antibiotics on medical materials effectively. This will vastly improve the quality of medical equipment and sterilization within the medical and surgical fields.
    Subject:
    Chemistry
    Creator:
    Demers, Elizabeth
    Contributor:
    Dr. Christian Traba, Thesis Advisor
    Owner:
    lsquillante@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    06/10/2020
    Date Modified:
    06/10/2020
    Date Created:
    April 20, 2020
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright
    Resource Type:
    Research Paper