Thesis
My thesis was an investigation into how titanium dioxide (TiO₂) interacts with light.
TiO₂ is one of the whitest materials in the world, and has uses in sunscreens, toothpastes, fireworks, paints, tattoos, and more.
It is also used in ‘self-cleaning’ windows. When a thin layer of TiO₂ is sprayed onto glass, this layer interacts with the ultraviolet part of sunlight to destroy any dirt or grime on the windows.
My thesis was exploring whether TiO₂ can be altered so that it is self-cleaning in other kinds of light.
Papers
Rutile to anatase phase transition induced by N doping in highly oriented TiO₂ films
I sprayed thin films of TiO₂ on different crystal substrates. These crystal substrates acted as a template for the TiO₂. I then developed two methods for inserting nitrogen atoms into the thin films of TiO₂. This makes the TiO₂ self-cleaning in visible light.
I developed a way to determine which kinds of TiO₂ are present in a mixture of powders. Discovering exactly what compounds are in a mixture of powders can be problematic if the powders are all different sizes. This method can be extended for any mixture of powders and can reveal the surface area of each powder.