| This research explores the potential for using single wall carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) for adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) categorized as hazardous air pollutants and which contribute to ground level ozone smog formation. It also compares the adsorption capacity of conventional activated carbon and carbon nanohorns.; Carbon nanoadsorbents, with at least one dimension on the nanometer scale, can possess advantages over traditional activated carbon adsorbents in terms of binding energies or interaction potentials for physisorption. Nanotubes and nanohorns both have excellent adsorption properties due to high-energy adsorption sites in their interior (internal pores) and in the region between adjacent nanotubes/nanohorns (interstitial channel). Nanohorns would be preferable for air pollutant removal applications because they self-assemble into spherical aggregates, with space between adjacent nanohorns large enough to accommodate small gas molecules and also are cheaper to manufacture as compared to nanotubes.; This research aims to: (1) Determine the adsorption capacity of open-end carbon nanohorns with heat treatment and densification and closed-end carbon nanohorns, with and without heat treatment and densification, for a variety of VOCs (alkanes and alkenes); (2) Determine which type of adsorbent gives the maximum adsorption capacity for a majority of the VOCs, and whether there are any trends in adsorption capacity vs. compound structure; (3) Determine the adsorption capacity of regular activated carbon for the same VOCs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
