HYDROGEN-PLASMA-TREATED NANO TIO2 FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION OF VOCS IN AIR STREAM

Unlike water treatment processes, the photocatalytic oxidation of VOCs in air stream exhibits many challenges. This study will develop the hydrogen-plasma-treated TiO2 with improvement in photocatalytic activity. The hydrogen-plasma-treatment was carried out in the non-thermal atmospheric pressure reactor at room temperature or above. The catalysts were prepared and analyzed by advanced techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electro-microscopy (SEM) and transmission electro-microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic activity of the catalyst has been investigated under UV light with various reaction conditions such as different initial toluene/formaldehyde concentrations and water content. Significantly, the conversion of toluene by a plasma-treated sample was 1.5 times higher than the bare TiO2 in a similar reaction condition.

Tuning the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries by modifying the structural defects of the carbon felt electrode

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon felt was subjected to N2-plasma treatment to increase the heteroatom defects and reactive edge sites as a method to increase the performance in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). N-doping in the felt was mainly in the form of pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen. Even though the amount of oxygen functional groups on the N2-plasma-treated sample was very low, the felt showed enhanced electrochemical performance for both V3+/V2+ as well as V5+/V4+ redox reactions. The result is highly significant as the pristine electrode with the same amount of oxygen functional groups showed significantly less activity for the V3+/V2+ redox reaction. Overall, the single-flow cell experiments with N2-plasma-treated felt showed superior performance compared to the pristine sample. Therefore, the enhanced performance observed for the N2-plasma-treated sample should be attributed to the increase in defects and edge sites. Thus, from the present study, it can be concluded that an alternate way to increase the performance of the VRFBs is to introduce specific defects such as N-doping/substitution or to increase the edge sites. In other words, defects induced in the carbon felt such as heteroatom doping are as beneficial as the presence of oxygen functional groups for the improved performance of VRFBs. Therefore, for an optimum performance of VRFBs, defects such as N-substitution as well as oxygen functionality should be tuned.

Effect of Plasma Damage on Interface State Density Between a-Si:H and Insulating Films

ABSTRACTThe interface state density between a-Si:H and insulating film is very important in characteristics of a-Si:H thin film transistors. In this study, the interface state density was measured by photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). Layered structures of a-SiN, 1.7:H on a-Si:H and a-SiO2.0 on a-Si:H were deposited by P-CVD method. The a-SiN1.7:H layer was grown from a gas mixture of SiH4 and NH3 and the a-SiO2.0 layer was grown from a gas mixture of SiH4 and N2O. While the interface state density of a-SiN1.7:H on a-Si:H structure was smaller than the free surface state density of a-Si:H, that of a-SiO2.0 on a-Si:H structure was larger than the free surface state density of a-Si:H. The difference in the surface state density between these specimens is discussed in terms of plasma damage of a-Si:H surface by the source gases during deposition of insulating layer. Surface of the a-Si:H was treated by plasma of NH3 or N2o gas which is dominant constituent of source gases of insulating layer. Although the surface state density of the N2o plasma-treated sample increases, that of NH3 plasma treated sample does not increase. The shape and intensity of the spectra of N2o plasma-treated sample is similar to that of the a-Sio2.0 on a-Si:H structure. These results indicate that the interface defect between a-Sio2.0and a-Si:H layer was induced by plasma damage of the a-Si:H surface.