Part A: Nanoscale semiconductors through electrodeposition. Part B: Mechanistic studies of the copper-catalyzed reactions

• Main Author: Chevere-Trinidad, Nestor Luis
• Language: ENG
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 2009
• Subjects: Inorganic chemistry
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3349714

This research aims to optimize the synthesis of oriented inorganic semiconductor nanostructures through templated electrodeposition. Specifically, the thesis focused on cadmium selenide and cadmium telluride. The electrodepostion conditions were first optimized using nickel, gold or indium tin oxide as the electrode. These conditions were then used to deposit within the pores of polycarbonate or anodic aluminum oxide membranes to yield nanorods or nanotubes. The nanostructure synthesis was further extended to segmented nanorod or coaxial nanorod structures by addition an extra deposition cycle. The realization of these structures through electrodeposition adds a valuable tool in the synthetic tool box for the synthesis of semiconductor nanostructures for solar cells. In the other part of my research, the mechanism of copper-catalyzed cross coupling reactions was probed through chemical kinetics. The results obtained were not consistent with the normally proposed mechanistic path - oxidative elimination.