Date of Award

1-1-2011

Document Type

Campus Access Thesis

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Advisor

Yeomin Yoon

Abstract

This study evaluated the environmental applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) through the adsorption of representative endocrine disrupting compounds: bisphenol A (BPA) and 17 β-estradiol (E2). Initially, a protocol was developed to understand the effect of ultrasonication on the dispersion of SWNTs in water. The results of adsorption experiments have showed that BPA and E2 can be removed from water by adsorbing onto SWNTS, however, the two compounds vary in their affinity towards adsorbent. Alteration of water chemistry failed to significantly affect the adsorption behavior. Acid functionalization of SWNTs decreased the BPA adsorption while minimally affecting E2 adsorption. Adsorption mechanism was understood by evaluating thermodynamics, activation energy, kinetics and internal energy.

Rights

© 2011, Qammer Zaib

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