Honors Program Theses

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Open Access Honors Program Thesis

First Advisor

Laura H. Strauss

Abstract

An investigation into the synthesis of TaS2 nanostructures was performed through the comparison of four growth methods. Each method utilized a 3d metal, Mn or Cr, or a comparable metal sulfide compound as a potential nucleating compound to seed the growth of these nanostructures, and all samples were produced using similar heating conditions. Sample imaging of the final products was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the chemical compositions were determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). From these analyses it was determined that the most effective growth process for these TaS2 nanostructures resulted from the direct seeding of the elemental powders Mn or Cr and the dispersion of the initial powders across the sample ampoules. This elemental nucleation also resulted in the successful intercalation of Mn into the crystalline TaS2 structure, altering the natural structure of these materials. Attempts to nucleate nanostructure growth from the metal sulfide powders were unsuccessful. The rigidity of these nanostructures was also shown to improve when samples were grown from a nucleated substance, compared to those synthesized without a seeding material.

Year of Submission

2011

Department

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

University Honors Designation

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation University Honors

Comments

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Date Original

5-2011

Object Description

1 PDF file (vii, 72 pages)

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