Date of Award:

8-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Committee Chair(s)

Yi Rao

Committee

Yi Rao

Committee

Tuan Trinh

Committee

Gang Li

Abstract

There is a need for sustainable energy solutions as fossil fuel use increases. In this thesis, we aided in such solutions by investigating interfaces, the boundary where two materials meet. We explored how understanding and controlling these interfaces can lead to better performance in both electrochemical reactions and electronic devices.

A major part of this work focused on how researchers study electrochemical reactions as they happen. Traditional methods often look at materials before or after a reaction, but that misses important details. Instead, vibrational spectroscopy techniques allow researchers to watch reactions in real time. Methods like infrared (IR), Raman, and sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy can detect reaction intermediates and reveal how molecules behave at electrode surfaces. Among these, SFG is especially powerful because it only probes the interface itself, providing detailed information about how molecules are oriented, how many are present, and how fast reactions occur. Using these tools, we investigated the carbon dioxide reduction reaction on copper, which aims to convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels. We found that the copper surface change during the reaction, forming mixtures of metallic copper and copper oxides. This helped explain why performance can vary and provided new insight into how to design better materials and reaction conditions.

The second part of this thesis looked at short-wave infrared (SWIR) photodetectors, which are important for applications like imaging, sensing, and communication. Many current materials are either expensive, toxic, unstable, or difficult to manufacture preventing commercial application. Therefore, we developed a new type of photodetector based on a lead-free, nontoxic, perovskite material. This device shows strong performance while being more environmentally friendly and easier to produce. The improved performance comes from engineering a special structure called a p-n heterojunction within the material. This structure helps separate and move electrical charges more efficiently, leading to higher sensitivity and better overall device performance.

Overall, this thesis shows how understanding materials and reactions at interfaces can lead to major improvements in energy technologies. By combining advanced spectroscopy with material design, this work contributes to the development of cleaner energy processes and more efficient electronic devices.

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