Iron Oxide and Montmorillonite as Surfaces For Environmentally Persistent Free Radical Formation
Graduation Date
12-2018
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
<--Please Select Department-->
Director of the Honors Program
Lynn Sondag, MFA
First Reader
Randall Hall, PhD
Second Reader
Kenneth Frost, PhD
Abstract
Dioxins and related compounds, such as biphenyls and furans, are toxic byproducts of incineration or hazardous dumping. Metal oxides are naturally found in the environment and non-volatile. When these compounds are bound to carbonaceous material, they can interact with aromatic compounds and become the precursors to dioxins known as environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR’s). Using the processing power of computers, we were able to studying the conformations and charge distribution of various EPFR’s and gain insight to a possible electron transfer trend that can explain how these compounds are formed. From the results in this experiment, we can infer that electrons are transferred from a metal oxide surface to a phenoxyl group to form EPFR’s. More surfaces need to be studied in order to gain a better understanding of the electron transfer that occurs with different surface compositions and surface configurations. Also, collaborations with other experimentalist regarding the accuracy of surface configurations and computational results is necessary to formulate a proper binding mechanism in the future.
COinS