Title

Design of a Temperature Programmed Desorption System for the Measurement of the Desorption Kinetics of Molecules from Surfaces

Document Type

Thesis

Comments


Presented to the Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science, May 2009.
Committee Members Approved:
Dr. Carl A. Ventrice Jr., Chair
Dr. Gregory F. Spencer
Dr. Heike Geisler
Approved:
J. Michael Willoughby, Dean of the Graduate College

Abstract

Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) is an experimental technique used to measure the desorption kinetics of molecules from surfaces. This technique is performed by linearly increasing the temperature of a sample while measuring the partial pressures of the desorbing gas species. It is used to determine the relative coverage and activation energies of the desorbing species. To perform these measurements, a computer controlled feedback control system was designed that generates linear temperature ramps. In addition, a program was written to simultaneously measure up to eight partial pressures during the temperature ramp for the TPD measurements. This TPD system was used to examine the thermal stability of graphene oxide films and to determine the reduction kinetics of graphene oxide.