Sang-Chai Kim

Contribution of Dissolved Oxygen to Methylene Blue Decomposition by Hybrid Advanced Oxidation Processes System

Experimental results of photocatalysis under high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration conditions are reported. Methylene blue was used as the organic pollutant to be degraded by a novel microwave/UV/DO/TiO2 photocatalyst hybrid system. The degradation rate increased with TiO2 nanoparticle dosages and DO concentration. However, inhibition of photocatalysis due to bubbles produced by DO generator was also observed. When the DO generator was used to increase the DO concentration in the pollutant solution treated by the microwave-assisted UV-TiO2 photocatalysis, the decomposition rate constant was highest among all the experimental conditions tested in this study. This result demonstrated that high concentration of DO can enhance the photocatalytic reaction rate by causing a synergistic effect of constituent techniques.

Catalytic Characteristics of Mn-PC for VOCs Combustion

In this study, the catalytic activity of Mn-Phthalocyanine (Mn-PC) for VOCs (acetadehyde, propionaldehyde and toluene) combustion was determined. The reaction was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at the temperature range of . We investigated the physicochemical properties of Mn-PC before and after the pretreatment (air, , 1 hr, 60 cc/min) by TGA (Thermogravimetric Analyzer), BET (Brunauer Emmett Teller), EA (Elemental Analyzer), XRD (X-ray Diffractometer) and SEM (Scanning Electronic Microscope). By TGA analysis, 88 wt.% mass loss of Mn-PC was found at . The BET surface area of Mn-PC increased after the pretreatment. The decomposition and combustion of organic components in Mn-PC were observed by EA analysis. We also confirmed that Mn-PC had transformed into a new manganese oxide phase () after the pretreatment by XRD analysis. By SEM analysis, many of the micropores generated during the pretreatment were found. The catalytic activity of Mn-PC with the pretreatment for propionaldehyde combustion was higher than that of and fresh Mn-PC. It showed the catalytic activity of Mn-PC with the pretreatment for VOCs combustion by the order of toluene

Facile Synthesis of Chromium Oxide on Activated Carbon Electrodes for Electrochemical Capacitor Application

Chromium oxide/carbon nanocomposites (COCNC) were synthesized by using a liquid phase plasma process, and the electrical properties of the supercapacitor electrode were investigated. Spherical chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) nanoparticles with the size of 100-150 nm were dispersed uniformly on activated carbon powder surface. The quantity of chromium oxide nanoparticle precipitate increased with increasing LPP reaction time and the specific capacitance of COCNC increased with increasing LPP reaction time.

Facile precipitation of tin oxide nanoparticles on graphene sheet by liquid phase plasma method for enhanced electrochemical properties

A high-performance lithium ion battery (LIB) electrode was prepared by precipitating tin oxide nanoparticles on graphene powder by the liquid phase plasma (LPP) method. The particles generated by the LPP reaction are spherical SnO2 nanoparticles with a size of 5-10 nm, as confirmed by a variety of analytical devices. The quantity of SnO2 nanoparticles partially aggregated on the graphene sheet surface increases as the initial concentration of the tin precursor increases. The SnO2/graphene nanocomposites (SGNC) electrodes prepared by the LPP method demonstrated improved cycling stability and reversible lithium storage capacity as compared to the bare graphene electrode. The precipitated tin oxide improves the lithium storage capacity, but excess tin oxide nanoparticles rather reduced the cycling stability.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle on Activated Carbon Using Liquid Phase Plasma Method

Zinc oxide/activated carbon nanocomposites were synthesized by impregnating zinc oxide nanoparticles onto activated carbon powder using liquid phase plasma (LPP) method. Zinc oxide nanoparticles on the surface of activated carbon were fabricated rapidly by the LPP method due to reducing the zinc ion in aqueous solution. The obtained zinc oxide/activated carbon nanocomposites were characterized by XPS, HRTEM, and EDS. The amount of zinc oxide nanoparticles impregnated increased with increasing initial precursor concentration. Approximately 150~300 nm sized spherical shaped nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of activated carbon powder.

Precipitation of Nickel Oxide on TiO2 Photocatalysts for Enhanced Visible Degradation Activity

The liquid phase plasma (LPP) synthetic process has been exploited to synthesize nickel oxide nanoparticles doped TiO2 photocatalyst (NOTP) that can respond to visible light. The physicochemical properties of NOTPs were studied by several analysis instruments. The nickel oxide nanoparticles precipitated uniformly on the TiO2 powder are mostly NiO. The band gap energy of the NOTP measured was 2.99 eV, which was smaller than that of bare TiO2, 3.12 eV. The NOTP synthesized in this work showed high photoactivity under visible blue light.

Synthesis Process of Copper/Graphene Nanocomposite by the Liquid Phase Plasma Reduction Method.

Liquid phase plasma (LPP) process was applied to the impregnation of copper nanoparticles onto graphene sheet. Approximately 30-50 nm sized tetragonal nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the surface of the two-dimensional graphene sheet. The amount of copper nanoparticles precipitated increased with increasing LPP process time. When combined with a subsequent process, the synthesized copper/graphene nanocomposites will be able to high-performance Li-ion batteries effectively.

Impact of Nano-Pore Structure in Harden Non-Sintering Cement.

This study investigates the nano pore structure of non-sintering cement (NSC) matrix. The result of pore structure properties showed no considerable difference in the total pore volume, but presented a large distinction in distribution of pore diameter by cement mixing ratio. The pore-diameter of NSC paste shows that occupation ratio of pore diameter below 10 nm was larger and was smaller than ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and blast-furnace slag cement (BSC) at pore diameter of over 10 nm. The reasons are due to the hydrate such as C-S-H gel and ettringite which formed dense nano pore structure of NSC matrix.