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Publication Date

Summer 2021

Degree Type

Thesis - Campus Access Only

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Chemistry

Advisor

Roger Terrill

Subject Areas

Inorganic chemistry; Materials Science

Abstract

Solution Precursors to Thin Films of Palladium/Copper Nano AlloysThe goal of this project is to formulate and thermally characterize Cu or Pd precursor solutions which can be heated to obtain alloy metal film catalysts. Alloying Pd with Cu is a way to reduce the use of the expensive metal Pd, while obtaining higher catalytic activity than pure Pd.1 Solutions of palladium propionate isobutyrate were prepared in cyclopentylamine and b-picoline. This solution can be cast into a thin film and heated to yield a metal film, which in turn should catalytically oxidize carbonyls. Similarly, heating copper formate solutions in cyclopentylamine, yields copper films via a similar mechanism. Our approach was to mix copper formate and palladium propionate isobutyrate in cyclopentylamine to make Pd/Cu alloy films, and then to characterize them via conductivity, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemistry. Due to experimental limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to formulate the solutions and characterize the formation of the palladium (Pd) films via thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry.

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