Description
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the properties of amorphous and crystalline NaTaO3 to determine what makes amorphous NaTaO3 a suitable photocatalyst for water splitting applications. Amorphous and nanocrystalline NaTaO3 were synthesized and characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The photocatalytic activity of the materials was analyzed using methylene blue degradation as an indicator of photocatalytic activity. The amorphous material showed significant photocatalytic activity in methylene blue degradation experiments, removing 100% of a 0.1 mmol methylene blue solution in 20 minutes, compared to the monoclinic crystalline NaTaO3, which showed negligible photocatalytic activity. Additional electrochemical characterization studies were carried out with methyl viologen (MV2+) to determine the band structure of the materials. Performing these synthesis and characterization has provided insight into further investigation of amorphous NaTaO3 and what makes the material an effective and inexpensive photocatalyst.
Details
Title
- Investigation of Amorphous Photocatalysts for Applications in Solar Water Splitting
Contributors
- Rorrer, Julie Elaine (Author)
- Chan, Candace (Thesis director)
- Bertoni, Mariana (Committee member)
- Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
- Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2014-05
Resource Type
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