Date of Award

12-2007

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Dr. Sherine O. Obare

Second Advisor

Dr. Subra Muralidharan

Third Advisor

Dr. Yirong Mo

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

For decades, organohalide (RX) compounds have been heavily used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and in agriculture as pesticides. Improper disposal of organohalides has resulted in their presence in the environment as pollutants, and they have therefore presented serious environmental and toxicological concerns. These organohalides have been associated with various health and environmental problems. Therefore, effective methods for their remediation are required. We have developed a multi-electron transfer (MET) catalyst consisting of flavin mononucleotide anchored to nanocrystalline mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films, and examined its reactivity toward the organohalide pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE). Various environmental factors were used to control the reactivity of the catalytic system. The results indicated that the reactivity of reduced FMN increased significantly when anchored to nanocrystalline TiO2 . Spectroelectrochemical data suggested that the increased reactivity is due in part to a substantial negative shift in the FMN/FMNH2 reduction potentials induced when FMN is anchored to the TiO2 surface. The reactivity of the FMN/TiO2 towards TCE was examined both in aqueous and methanol solvent.

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