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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><img width="599" height="171" style="width:6.2395in;height:1.7812in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01DB3C21.6DD032F0" alt="Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering"></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none">Chloride Selective Gold Coated Fiber Brag Grating Sensor
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Summer Mariam Dalgamouni</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">December 2, 2024; 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (CST)<br>
Location: AERB # 222 </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Committee Chair</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><br>
Stanko Brankovic, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Committee Members</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><br>
Driss Benhaddou, Ph.D. | Paul Rochoufet, Ph.D. | Jimming Bao, Ph.D. | <br>
Ognjen Miljanic, Ph.D.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none">Abstract</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><br>
Accurate and reliable monitoring of chlorine levels in water is critical for various applications, including public health, environmental safety, and industrial processes. Traditional chlorine detection methods often face challenges such as limited sensitivity,
high costs, and a lack of real-time monitoring capabilities. This research introduces a novel Chloride Selective Gold-Coated Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) Sensor, a state-of-the-art solution that leverages the unique properties of FBG technology to provide precise,
continuous, and cost-effective chlorine detection.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C8102E;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">The sensor utilizes a gold coating on the FBG to enhance selectivity and sensitivity to chloride ions. The development process includes innovative fabrication techniques
and theoretical modeling to understand the sensor's response to varying chlorine concentrations. The study incorporates experimental validation through cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCMB), and advanced microscopy techniques,
such as SEM and AFM, to analyze the coating's durability and performance. Computational modeling, including Density Functional Theory (DFT), further supports the understanding of adsorption phenomena at the molecular level.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Results demonstrate the sensor’s capability to detect chlorine concentrations across a broad range, with high accuracy and stability in challenging water environments.
Its potential applications extend to water treatment facilities, dialysis centers, and other resource-constrained settings where real-time chlorine monitoring is essential. This work contributes to the advancement of FBG sensor technology, offering a robust,
scalable, and sustainable solution for chlorine detection in water.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">The findings highlight the transformative impact of this technology, addressing key limitations of traditional methods and paving the way for future innovations in
sensor development.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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