AbstractsEngineering

This research paper explores the possibility that treating nanomaterials with radiation from neutrons or photons will simulate the processes of diffusion and mass transfer, recovery and recrystallization, formation and interaction of defects. The defects in irradiated CNTs are mostly restricted to the outer layers. Although they appear to be well separated at the beginning, the increase in dosage may cause them to melt and eventually thicken. The most common structural defects one can notice in CNTs are atomic vacancies, topological defects, dangling bonds, microvoids and Stone-Wales defects. When graphene is irradiated there is a possibility that the high-energy particles induce morphological changes. Increase in dosage of radiation is inversely proportional to the probability of production of complex defects. Graphene has a unique property of hosting lattice defects in reconstructed atom arrangements. These defects locally increase the reactivity of the structure and allow adsorption of other atoms on graphene. The most common structural defects in graphene are Stone-Wales defects, single vacancies, reconstructed double vacancies, adatoms or interstitial atoms, substitutional impurities and line defects or one dimensional defects. Raman Spectroscopy and Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis were used in characterizing the materials and Transmission Electron microscope to image the materials before and after exposure to irradiation. To further study how the irradiation modified the nanomaterials some of them were dispersed in water. The pristine samples do not disperse due to the lack of defects while the ones exposed to radiation show that they form a homogenous mixture in some cases. Advisors/Committee Members: Spitz, Henry (Committee Chair).