Facilities

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CNRL has a variety of equipment and capabilities for synthesis, characterization, and catalytic applications of nanomaterials​:

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  • Chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The centerpiece tool is the state-of-the-art EasyTube 101 CVD system (CVD Equipment Corporation). The fully automated CVD system (LabVIEW controlled) is capable of handling liquid precursors, five gas lines with individual flow rate controls, low pressure operation (200 mTorr to 500 Torr) and atmospheric operation via a vacuum bypass valve. The system can achieve synthesis of carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon nanofibers, and other nanostructures as well as vapor phase deposition of active materials on substrates.

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  • Ion beam sputtering and etching system (IBSe, South Bay Technology) for depositing catalyst films of controlled and uniform thickness (precisely controls the thickness of films to > 4 angstroms).

  • UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy: Horiba Jobin Yvon LabRAM ARAMIS Raman spectrometer with a red He-Ne laser (λ = 632.8 nm); and Shimadzu UV-visible 2600 spectrometer

  • Structural and textural characterization: X-ray diffraction and Quantachrome physisorption analyzer (Autosorb-1)

  • Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor: High-pressure fixed-bed reactor connected to a gas chromatograph equipped with FID and TCD

  • Laminar flow photo-reactor that meets ISO standard (ISO 22197) and connected to a chemiluminescence analyzer for monitoring NOx degradation

  • Automated catalyst characterization system (AutoChem 2950 HP, Micromeritics)

  • Facilities at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Accessed through an Educational Partnership Agreement between KSU and AFRL (2015-2020)

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  •  Check out our lab below!