Controlled synthesis and applications of photo responsive nanostructures via microfluidic technology

Abstract

newlineThe thesis entitled Controlled Synthesis and Applications of Photo- Responsive Nanostructures via Microfluidic Technology is a work comprising of nanomaterials with potential application in photocatalytic dye degradation and photoreduction. The nanomaterials have been synthesized using either electrospinning or microfluidics route. The microfluidics route has been employed to synthesize nanomaterials at room temperature by varying the flow rate using either a PDMS-based microreactor fabricated using an in-house wire-assisted technique or a conventional photolithography technique. On the other hand, the electrospinning technique provides a platform for synthesizing 1D nanofibers with tunable diameter, length and porosity by varying the electrospinning parameters. Nanomaterials such as bismuth oxide (Bi2O3), tin sulfide (SnS) and tin oxide (SnO2) have been synthesized using the microfluidics route. The electrospinning route has been employed to synthesize regular and hollow SnO2 nanofibers. The nanomaterials have been demonstrated for photocatalytic dye degradation (Methyl Orange, Eriochrome Black T, Rhodamine B) and photoreduction (hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium) applications. Microfluidics for photocatalytic dye degradation and photoreaction has been employed because of inherent advantages such as uniform light illumination, faster heat and mass transfer resulting in reduced reaction time and most importantly, ease of catalyst recovery. Various parameters, such as channel length, reactor architecture, flow rate, catalyst concentration, etc, have been explored to improve the overall efficiency of the process. In short, the thesis is a blend of rapid and cost-effective microreactor fabrication techniques for microreactor-based photocatalysis. Wherein microreactor-based photocatalysis is weighed superior to conventional photocatalysis techniques due to the improved photocatalytic efficiency. newline newline