Plasma polymerized acetaldehyde thin films for retention of volatile organic compounds

The aim of this work is the production and characterization of plasma polymerized acetaldehyde thin films. These films show highly polar species, are hydrophilic, organophilic and easily adsorb organic reactants with CO radicals but only allow permeation of reactants with OH radicals. The good step coverage of films deposited on aluminum trenches is useful for sensor development. Films deposited on hydrophobic substrates may result in a discontinued layer, which allows the use of preconcentration in sample pretreatment. Deposition on microchannels showed the possibility of chromatographic columns and/or retention system production to selectively detect or remove organic compounds from gas flows.FAPESPCNPqUniversity of Puerto Rico - Advance it Progra

Monoaturized reactors for pre-treatment of samples for volatile organic compounds removal.

Atualmente, a miniaturização de dispositivos influencia muitas áreas, tais como a Química e a Engenharia Química. Essa miniaturização levou à produção de microreatores para diversos fins, entre eles a catálise. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a possibilidade de utilização de filmes finos metálicos para remoção de compostos orgânicos em fluxo gasoso. Para tanto, construíram-se dispositivos para uso em catálise: estes dispositivos compõem-se de microreatores, sistemas de admissão/detecção e de aquecimento, para controladamente inserir e reagir uma amostra além de detectá-la após a reação. Filme fino de cobre foi utilizado como superfície catalítica e foi obtido por via úmida, por electroless plating. Este filme foi depositado sobre silício, para testes de catálise, e em aço inoxidável, para modificação da superfície dos microreatores. Três microreatores distintos foram construídos: cavidades seladas, para testes de catálise, e duas estruturas tridimensionais, uma com microcanal longo (~1m) e outra com arranjo de cerca de 100 microcanais curtos (~ 15mm), para reação de catálise e/ou para separação de compostos orgânicos voláteis. As estruturas foram simuladas utilizando o programa FEMLAB 3.2(R) e traçadores foram utilizados para determinar o comportamento fluídico das estruturas e compará-los com a simulação. Os filmes de cobre foram analisados por microscopia óptica e de força atômica, medida de ângulo de contato, com produtos orgânicos em larga faixa de polaridade, espectroscopia de infravermelho, Raman e de fotoelétrons por Raio X. Três sistemas detecção, baseados em microbalança de quartzo, espectrometria de massas ou sistema dedicado - construído nesta tese foram usados para determinar que produtos reagem no microreator e com que eficiência há conversão de reagentes nestes reatores. O filme de cobre adsorve compostos orgânicos de modo geral, polares ou apolares, mas favorece a catálise de apenas alguns; assim n-hexano pode ser decomposto mais eficientemente que 2-propanol. A superfície do filme após catálise apresenta principalmente CuO. Todas as simulações apresentaram boa concordância com os resultados experimentais obtidos com traçadores. As estruturas, devido suas pequenas dimensões, garantem boa interação entre fluido e superfície. A cavidade selada demonstrou ser bastante adequada para testes de filme fino não só quanto à adsorção com o também quanto à catálise. A espectrometria de massas indicou que a reação com cobre forma principalmente CO2 e H2O. Para filme de cobre a taxa de conversão é de 300 g de n-hexano/mm2 de cobre/minuto na ausência de oxigênio. O canal tridimensional tem taxa de conversão de 2,5g de n-hexano/mm2 de cobre/minuto, ou seja, taxa de 100% ou próxima a isso. Resultado similar é obtido com a estrutura formada por um conjunto de canais, contudo esta apresenta maior facilidade de remoção da amostra de dentro dos canais. As estruturas aqui descritas são bastante úteis para diminuir um gap existente na área de Engenharia Química, onde dimensões macroscópicas são comuns e a miniaturização tende a produzir dispositivos maiores do que os aqui propostos.Device miniaturization is a trend that highly impacts not only Chemistry but also Chemical Engineering fields. Due to this miniaturization, microreactors were developed for several tasks, including catalysis. Thus, the aim of this work is evaluate the use of thin metallic films for removal of organic compounds from a gaseous flow. Therefore, some microreactors, inlet/outlet and heating systems were manufactured and the whole setup was able to controledly insert a sample and detect what is left after it. Copper thin film, obtained using electroless plating, was used as catalytic surface. The thin film was deposited on silicon to evaluate catalysis properties, and on stainless steel to produce microreactors. Three microreators were manufactured: sealed cavity to catalysis tests and two three-dimensional structures, one long microchannel (~1m) and another one made by an array of 100 short (~15mm) microchannels for catalysis and/or volatile organic compounds separation. Structures were simulated using FEMLAB 3.2(R) package and tracers were used to understand the fluidic behavior and to compare with simulation results. Copper thin films were analyzed by optical and atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements with organic compounds in a wide range of polarity, infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Three detection systems quartz crystal microbalance, mass spectrometry and one specialized system built for this thesis were used to determine which products leave the microreactors and what is the conversion efficiency. Copper thin film adsorbs polar and non-polar organic compounds; however, catalysis is favored only for a few. Therefore, n-hexane is efficiently decomposed but not 2-propanol. Copper surface after catalysis presents mainly CuO. All simulations show good coherence with experimental results using tracers. The structures, due to the small dimensions, assure good interaction between fluid and surface. Sealed cavity is useful not only to test adsorption on thin films but also for test catalysis. Mass spectrometry analysis indicates that catalysis on copper surface produces mainly CO2 and H2O. For copper, on the sealed cavity, conversion rate is 300g nhexane/ mm2 copper/minute in oxygen absence, that is, 100% or so. Similar results can be obtained using the microchannels; nonetheless, the channels array is more adequate for sample removal after reaction. The proposed structures are very useful to reduce the gap on device sizes that can be found in Chemical Engineering nowadays, since macroscopic equipment is common, but the miniaturization trend is for devices bigger than the ones demonstrated here

Hydrophobic plasma polymerized hexamethyldisilazane thin films: characterization and uses

Hexametildisilazane (HMDS) plasma polymerized thin films obtained using low frequency power supplies can be used to make adsorbent films and turn surfaces hydrophobic. The aim of this work was to verify the hydrophobicity and adsorption properties of HMDS thin films (with and without the addition of oxygen, resulting in double or single layer films) obtained using an inductive reactor powered with a 13.56 MHz power supply. Single and double layer thin films were deposited on silicon for film characterization, polypropylene (PP) for ultraviolet (UVA/UVC) resistance tests, piezoelectric quartz crystal for adsorption tests. The double layer (intermixing) of HMDS plasma polymerized films and HMDS plasma oxidized surfaces showed a non-continuous layer. The films showed good adhesion to all substrates. Infrared analysis showed the presence of CHn, SiCH3, SiNSi and SiCH2Si within the films. Contact angle measurements with water showed hydrophobic surfaces. UVA/UVC exposure of the films resulted in the presence of cross-linking on carbonic radicals and SiCH2Si formation, which resulted in a possible protection of PP against UVA/UVC for a duration of up to two weeks. Adsorption tests showed that all organic reactants were adsorbed but not water. Plasma etching (PE) using O2 showed that even after 15 minutes of exposure the films do not change their hydrophobic characteristic but were oxidized. The results point out that HMDS films can be used: for ultraviolet protection of flexible organic substrates, such as PP, for sensor and/or preconcentrator development, due to their adsorption properties, and in spatial applications due to resistance for O2 attack in hostile conditions, such as plasma etching

Nanostructured copper thin film used for catalysis

Catalytic properties of copper thin films deposited in small channels and cavities were tested using Raman microscopy and mass spectroscopy (MS) techniques, mainly. The catalytic surface conditions were addressed visually and chemically by optical microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The experimental conditions of present work induced copper oxidation; eventually a number of carbon species and graphite remained on the catalytic surface. Quartz crystal microbalance and mass spectroscopy data support both adsorption and catalysis phenomena. MS showed CO2 formation during n-hexane heating process but not to 2-propanol, probably due to redox reactions. XPS of copper surface present in the cavity after catalysis tests detected Cu2O and a range of possible carbon species. The adsorption and catalytic performance of copper films deposited in cavities and microchannels were quite similar. A simple miniaturized device for microanalysis was proposed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Production of selective membranes using plasma deposited nanochanneled thin films

The hydrolization of thin films obtained by tetraethoxysilane plasma polymerization results in the formation of a nanochanneled silicone like structure that could be useful for the production of selective membranes. Therefore, the aim of this work is to test the permeation properties of hydrolyzed thin films. The films were tested for: 1) permeation of polar organic compounds and/or water in gaseous phase and 2) permeation of salt in liquid phase. The efficiency of permeation was tested using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique in gas phase and conductimetric analysis (CA) in liquid phase. The substrates used were: silicon for characterization of the deposited films, piezoelectric quartz crystals for tests of selective membranes and cellophane paper for tests of permeation. QCM analysis showed that the nanochannels allow the adsorption and/or permeation of polar organic compounds, such as acetone and 2-propanol, and water. CA showed that the films allow salt permeation after an inhibition time needed for hydrolysis of the organic radicals within the film. Due to their characteristics, the films can be used for grains protection against microorganism proliferation during storage without preventing germination

Preconcentration in gas or liquid phases using adsorbent thin films

The possibility of preconcentration on microchannels for organic compounds in gas or liquid phases was evaluated. Microstructures with different geometries were mechanically machined using poly(methyl methacrylate) - PMMA as substrates and some cavities were covered with cellulose. The surfaces of the microchannels were modified by plasma deposition of hydrophilic or hydrophobic films using 2-propanol and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), respectively. Double layers of HMDS + 2-propanol were also used. Adsorption characterization was made by Quartz Crystal Measurements (QCM) technique using reactants in a large polarity range that showed the adsorption ability of the structures depends more on the films used than on the capillary phenomena. Cellulose modified by double layer film showed a high retention capacity for all gaseous compounds tested. However, structures without plasma deposition showed low retention capacity. Microchannels modified with double layers or 2-propanol plasma films showed higher retention than non-modified ones on gas or liquid phase