Biobased all-cellulose composites (ACCs), in which the matrix and the reinforcement are made out of the same material, have gained a noticeable increased attention in recent years. Their successful application would solve the commonly faced challenges with natural fiber composites regarding their chemical antipathy between the hydrophilic fiber and the usually hydrophobic polymer matrix, while still keeping the advantages of being environmental friendly. Moreover, the use of man-made continuous regenerated cellulose fibers for this purpose could result in unidirectional all-cellulose composites with excellent mechanical properties. In this study, a new processing technique for unidirectional all-cellulose composites, reinforced with continuous regenerated cellulose nanocomposite fibers, has been developed, where the fibers are wound directly after the coagulation bath and then welded together while still being swelled in order to form all-cellulose composite sheets without the need of adding any additional solvent or chemicals. Scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing were used to investigate and compare the microstructure and mechanical properties, of a reference material without nanoreinforced fibers and two variants reinforced with 2 % cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and 2 % halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). Analysis revealed that transparent all-cellulose composites with a high compaction degree and minimal warpage during shrinkage, showing high mechanical properties could be made. However, the addition of nanoreinforcements did not lead to any improvements.

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Solid lubricant coatings with controlled microstructures are good candidates in providing lubricity in moving mechanical assembly applications, such as orthopedics and bearing steels. Nanocrystalline ZnO coatings with a layered wurtzite crystal structure have the potential to function as a lubricious material by its defective structure which is controlled by sputter deposition. The interrelationships between sputtered ZnO, its nanocrystalline structure and its lubricity will be discussed in this thesis. The nanocrystalline ZnO coatings were deposited on silicon substrates and Ti alloys by RF magnetron sputtering with different substrate adhesion layers, direct current biases, and temperatures. X-ray diffraction identified that the ZnO (0002) preferred orientation was necessary to achieve low sliding friction and wear along with substrate biasing. In addition, other analyses such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were utilized to study the solid lubrication mechanisms responsible for low friction and wear.

Semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots, have attracted significant interest for use in solid state lighting, biological imaging, photovoltaics, catalysis, and displays such as televisions or tablets. Quantum dots excel in these applications because of their narrow emission profiles, high absorptivity at high energies, and optoelectronic properties that can be easily tuned using colloidal chemistry. The last point in particular has driven the development of new synthetic methods for producing a range of semiconducting materials on the nanoscale. Academically, interest in the synthesis of quantum dots has also extended to the mechanism of their formation and its implications for the growth of nanoscale crystals more generally. This thesis addresses facets of both points above, first by developing several novel syntheses for indium and gallium phosphide nanocrystals, and second by leveraging the synthetic control it allows to study the mechanisms of homogeneous crystal growth. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the colloidal syntheses, optoelectronic properties, and formation mechanisms of quantum dots. Emphasis is placed on the development of new chemical syntheses for nanoscale materials and how the size, size distribution, and morphology can be carefully controlled by thoughtful reaction design. The progression of quantum dot synthesis is presented and specific innovations to the precursor and surfactant design are highlighted. Next, a brief discussion about nanocrystal surface chemistry and its impact on the photophysical properties of the inorganic core is described along with its proposed influence on the kinetics of nanocrystal growth. Finally, classical theories of homogeneous crystal growth are presented and used to explain the origin of the exceptionally narrow size distributions accessible in a wide range of materials. Chapter 2 introduces two novel synthetic pathways to InP nanocrystals. The first describes a small library of substituted aminophosphines that can control the precursor conversion reactivity by over an order of magnitude. Leveraging the collection of aminophosphines, it is demonstrated that at sufficiently high temperatures, the rate of precursor conversion can be used to vary the final nanocrystal size—disputing previous findings for InP nanocrystals. We show that the reactivity of the phosphine is governed by a pre-equilibrium between the precursor and an intermediate (P(NHR)3) that goes on to form InP. Variations to the initial aminophosphine substitution pattern change the position of the pre-equilibrium, thereby allowing the rate of [InP]i deposition to be controlled. The second synthetic method leverages metal phosphonate salts as a surfactant to synthesize large samples of InP. We find that the nanocrystals grow via a ripening mechanism and display excellent crystallinity as determined by powder X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis. Finally, we demonstrate that the final nanocrystals are bound by both phosphonates and phosphines through the use of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Chapter 3 expands on the syntheses of InP in the previous chapter by developing methods to form GaP, InxGa1-xP, and InP-based core-shell structures. At the onset, two distinct syntheses of GaP are introduced, one similar to the metal phosphonate route used to form InP, and one that used a mixture of amines to stabilize GaP colloidally. The phosphonate method results in small GaP with somewhat indistinct scattering patterns, while the amine method results in large GaP whose morphology can be varied depending on the solvent selected. Leveraging the newly developed InP and GaP syntheses we demonstrate that InxGa1-xP alloys could be directly synthesized from mixtures of In3+ and Ga3+ salts. We also show that InxGa1-xP can be accessed indirectly via cation exchange of Zn3P2 or Cd3P2, however attempts at synthesizing alloys via cation exchange with phosphonate bound GaP were found to be largely unsuccessful. Finally, the chapter contains initial attempts at synthesizing GaP/InP core-shells with the intention of producing GaP/InP/GaP spherical quantum well architectures. Preliminary data show that InP can be deposited using several different methods, though it remains unclear whether the optical properties will be suitable for integration in solid state lighting applications. Chapter 4 examines the crystal growth processes that precede the formation of monodisperse ensembles of InP, PbS, and PbSe nanocrystals. Surprisingly, we find that nucleation persists for a substantial portion of the total reaction time—a stark departure from the canonical “burst” of nucleation proposed originally by Victor LaMer. We go on to measure the nucleation period for a variety of different reaction conditions and find that the fraction of reaction time nucleation extends over is sensitive to both the material and reaction temperature. This is consistent with a mechanism where faster kinetics of monomer attachment reduce the duration of crystal nucleation—a conclusion that can be surmised by nucleation mass balance models that show a clear material and temperature dependence on the rate of nanocrystal growth. We also interrogate the claim that solute molecules accumulate prior to the formation of mature nanostructures. In situ X-ray experiments clearly corroborate the appearance of solute-like species at early reaction times that build up prior to the appearance of crystals with extended structure. Finally, we propose a novel size-focusing mechanism predicated on a size dependent growth rate. Using population mass balance modeling we show that the measurements of size and size distribution are qualitatively consistent with a growth rate inversely proportional to nanocrystal size.

L’intensification des procédés de décontamination des eaux et de purification des gaz (biogaz ou gaz naturel) est un des enjeux primordiaux pour les années à venir. Pour arriver à relever ce défi, il est nécessaire de développer des adsorbants innovants qui vont améliorer les capacités d’adsorption et les cinétiques d’adsorption et qui peuvent être utilisés en flux continu. Le travail sur la mise en forme des adsorbants, sans ajout de liants, pour augmenter les capacités d’adsorption et le contrôle de leur porosité à plusieurs échelles, pour améliorer la diffusion des ions et des molécules est primordial. La zéolithe FAU-X est utilisée industriellement dans de nombreuses applications comme le piégeage du CO2, la purification des biogaz et du gaz naturel, la séparation des gaz de l’air, la séparation des xylènes et pourrait se révéler aussi très intéressante pour le piégeage du Cs radioactif des effluents nucléaires de part sa grande sélectivité. La FAU-X est utilisée dans des procédés en continu sous forme de particules extrudées de 1 à 3 mm contenant 20-30 wt% de liant argile. Des travaux actuels visent à diminuer la quantité de liant dans les particules et à développer des mises en forme monolithiques contenant des macropores, pour faciliter le transport de matière en utilisant par exemple le « freeze-casting » ou l’impression 3D. Cependant, l’ajout de liant est toujours nécessaire.Une nouvelle approche développée dans cette étude est la mise en forme sans liant de la FAU-X en particules de 1 mm et surtout sous forme monolithique avec une macroporosité contrôlée, homogène et interconnectée. Ceci permet de maximiser le transport de matière et ainsi conduire à une meilleure intensification des procédés et une manipulation plus aisée, notamment dans le cas du traitement d’effluents nucléaires. Ces nouvelles synthèses et mises en forme de la FAU-X utilisent le concept de la transformation pseudomorphique de monolithes silice-alumine, obtenus par alumination de monolithes de silice issus d’un procédé sol-gel combiné à une séparation de phase particulière, la décomposition spinodale en présence de polymères (polyéthylène oxyde). La maîtrise de toutes les étapes de synthèse et de la composition du milieu réactionnel a permis d’obtenir des monolithes de FAU-X pure dont le squelette est formé par une agrégation de nanocristaux de FAU-X. Les monolithes FAU-X présentent ainsi trois types de porosités, micro-/ méso et macroporosité, idéales pour améliorer le transport de matière. Les mésopores résultent de l’espace entre les nanocristaux.Ces monolithes FAU-X nanocristaux ont été testés en flux continu pour le piégeage du Cs contenu dans de l’eau naturelle (eau d’Evian) contenant de multiples cations en compétition. Des résultats remarquables ont été obtenus, avec des courbes de percée idéales, témoignant d’une excellente capacité d’adsorption en condition dynamique. L’efficacité des monolithes FAU-X nanocristaux est comparable au matériau de référence, des particules de silice contenant l’adsorbant le plus sélectif pour le Cs, le Bleu de Prusse, avec en plus l’avantage d’être sous forme monolithique, donc plus aisé à manipuler. Des tests préliminaires en statique ont été effectués pour l’adsorption du CO2 et révèlent des capacités d’adsorption identiques à des FAU-X pures. Les tests en flux continu restent à faire pour évaluer l’adsorption en régime dynamique.Les monolithes FAU-X nanocristaux de cette étude présentent les caractéristiques nécessaires pour être utilisés en intensification des procédés. / The process intensification of water decontamination and gas purification (biogas or natural gas) is one of the key issues for the future. To meet this challenge, it’s necessary to develop innovative adsorbents that will improve the adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetics and can be used in continuous flow. Working on adsorbents shaping without addition of binders to increase their adsorption capacities and on the control of their porosity at several scales (micro-/meso-/macroporosity) to improve ions and molecules diffusion is essential. The FAU-X zeolite is used industrially in many applications such as CO2 capture, biogas and natural gas purification, air separation, xylenes separation and could also be very interesting for trapping radioactive Cs of nuclear wastewater because of its high selectivity. FAU-X is used in continuous processes in the form of extruded particles of 1 to 3 mm containing 20-30 wt% of clay binder. Current works aim to reduce the amount of binder in the particles and develop monolithic shaping containing macropores to facilitate the mass transfer using for example the "freeze-casting" or the 3D printing methods. However, the addition of binders is always necessary.A new approach developed in this study is the binderless shaping of FAU-X into particles (1 mm) and especially into monoliths with a well-controlled homogeneous and interconnected macroporosity. This particular macroporosity was shown to maximize the mass transfer in various applications and thus lead to high process intensifications and an easier handling, especially in the case of the treatment of nuclear wastewater. These new syntheses and shaping of FAU-X use the concept of pseudomorphic transformation of silica-alumina monoliths, obtained by alumination of silica monoliths synthesized from a sol-gel process combined with a particular phase separation, the spinodal decomposition in the presence of polymers (polyethylene oxide). The control of all synthesis steps and the composition of the reaction medium has led to monoliths of pure FAU-X phase, whose skeleton is formed by an aggregation of FAU-X nanocrystals. FAU-X monoliths have three types of porosities, micro-/ meso- and macroporosity, suitable for improving the mass transfer. Mesopores result from the space between nanocrystals.These FAU-X nanocrystals monoliths were tested in continuous flow for the trapping of Cs contained in natural water (Evian water) containing several competing cations. Remarkable results have been obtained, with ideal breakthrough curves, exhibiting excellent adsorption capacity in dynamic conditions. The efficiency of FAU-X nanocrystals monoliths is comparable to the reference material, which is composed of Prussian Blue nanoparticles (the most selective adsorbent for Cs) immobilized in silica particles, with the added advantage of being in monolithic shape and so easier to handle. Preliminary tests of CO2 adsorption in FAU-X nanocrystals monoliths were carried out in static conditions and reveal that the adsorption capacity of the monoliths is equivalent to pure FAU-X crystals. Continuous flow tests remain to be done to evaluate adsorption capacities in dynamic mode.The FAU-X nanocrystals monoliths developed in this study have the characteristics necessary to be used in process intensification for various applications.

La médecine s’intéresse de plus en plus à des systèmes nanométriques visant la détection précoce de cellules malignes, le traitement de ces dernières ou la compréhension de mécanismes biologiques. Des nanoparticules fluorescentes et des nanocristaux harmoniques aux propriétés non-linéaires intéressantes ont été étudiés comme agents de contraste pour l’imagerie biomédicale.Dans ce travail, nous avons recherché un matériau non-centrosymétrique dont la matrice permet un dopage d’ions lanthanides afin de développer des sondes multifonctionnelles, c’est-à-dire à la fois luminescentes et harmoniques. Nous nous sommes orientés vers l’iodate de lanthane de phase alpha, α-La(IO3)3, non-centrosymétrique. Dans un premier temps, nous avons développé des synthèses hydrothermales assistées par micro-ondes pour permettre de cristalliser la phase alpha et produire des particules de taille nanométrique (< 100 nm). La présence de nombreux pseudo-polymorphes nécessite le contrôle précis des paramètres de synthèse, en particulier de la température de synthèse, pour obtenir exclusivement des nanoparticules de α-La(IO3)3. L’étude de différents intermédiaires réactionnels (La(IO3)3(OH2), La(IO3)2.66(OH)0.33) nous a permis de mettre en évidence une transformation de phase entre ces composés et la phase α-La(IO3)3. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons utilisé deux dispositifs optiques permettant de mesurer l’efficacité de génération de second harmonique : l’un permettant l’étude de nanocristaux de α-La(IO3)3 individuels et l’autre utilisant un ensemble de nanocristaux en suspension dans un solvant. Ce dernier, basé sur la diffusion Hyper-Rayleigh, nous a permis de quantifier la réponse non-linéaire de nanocristaux α-La(IO3)3 de diamètre 20-50 nm et de déterminer un coefficient non-linéaire < d > de 8 pm.V-1, comparable aux valeurs obtenues pour d’autres nanocristaux harmoniques tels que BaTiO3 ou LiNbO3. Enfin, nous avons montré la possibilité d’incorporer des ions lanthanides tels que Er3+ et Yb3+ dans ces nanocristaux d’iodate de lanthane, conduisant à des nanocristaux de α-La1-x-yYbyErx(IO3)3. Ces nanocristaux sont toujours actifs en génération de second harmonique et émettent simultanément un signal de photoluminescence. Ainsi, pour une excitation dans le proche infra-rouge (800 nm ou 980 nm par exemple), nous avons observé simultanément un signal de second harmonique et de photoluminescence par up-conversion. Nous avons démontré l’intérêt d’un co-dopage Yb3+/Er3+ pour une optimisation du signal d’up-conversion sous une excitation à 980 nm. Ainsi, par un dopage d’ions lanthanides tels que Er3+ et Yb3+, les nanocristaux de α-La(IO3)3 présentent une émission simultanée de génération de second harmonique et de photoluminescence. La combinaison de ces deux propriétés permet d’envisager d’utiliser ces nanocristaux bifonctionnels pour une imagerie par luminescence, technique classique, tout en la couplant avec une imagerie multiphoton, plus coûteuse mais présentant des avantages non-négligeables (rapidité de scans, meilleure sélectivité spatiale, sensibilité à la polarisation). / Medicine is increasingly interested in nanometric systems for the early detection of malignant cells, their treatment or understanding of biological mechanisms. Fluorescent nanoparticles and harmonic nanocrystals with interesting non-linear properties have been studied as contrast agents for biomedical imaging.In this work, we explored a non-centrosymmetric material whose matrix allows a doping of lanthanide ions in order to develop multifunctional probes, i. e. both luminescent and harmonic. We focused on non-centrosymmetric iodate phase: alpha lanthanum iodate, α-La(IO3)3. First, we developed microwave-assisted hydrothermal syntheses to crystallize the alpha phase and produce nano-sized particles (< 100 nm). The presence of many pseudo-polymorphs requires precise control of the synthesis parameters, in particular the synthesis temperature, to obtain exclusively nanoparticles of α-La(IO3)3. The study of different reaction intermediates (La(IO3)3(OH2), La(IO3)2.66(OH)0.33) allowed us to identify a phase transformation between these compounds and the phase α-La(IO3)3. Secondly, we used two optical devices to evaluate the second harmonic generation efficiency of the synthesized α-La(IO3)3 nanocrystals: one set-up allowed us to study individual α-La(IO3)3 nanocrystals and the other used an ensemble of α-La(IO3)3 nanocrystals in suspension in a solvent. The latter, based on Hyper-Rayleigh scattering, quantified the non-linear response of nanocrystals α-La(IO3)3 with a diameter of 20-50 nm and allowed us to determine a non-linear coefficient < d > of 8 pm.V-1, a value comparable to the ones obtained for other harmonic nanocrystals such as BaTiO3 or LiNbO3. Finally, we showed the possibility of incorporating lanthanide ions such as Er3+ and Yb3+ into these lanthanum iodate nanocrystals, leading to α-La1-x-yYbyErx(IO3)3 nanocrystals. These nanocrystals are still active in second harmonic generation and simultaneously emit a photoluminescence signal. Thus, for excitation in the near infrared (800 nm or 980 nm for instance), we simultaneously observed a signal of second harmonic and a photoluminescence signal based on up-conversion processes. We demonstrated the interest of an Yb3+/Er3+ co-doping for an optimization of the up-conversion signal under excitation at 980 nm. Thus, Er3+ and Yb3+-doped nanocrystals of α-La(IO3)3 exhibit simultaneous emission of second harmonic generation and photoluminescence. The combination of these two properties makes it possible to consider using these bifunctional nanocrystals for conventional luminescence imaging, while coupling it with multiphoton imaging, which is more expensive but has significant advantages (scan speed, better spatial selectivity, polarization sensitivity).

Thesis is aimed at studying of magnetic iron oxide particles of submicron and nanoscale dimensions by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). 57 Fe NMR inves- tigations were carried out in composite bentonite/maghemite with respect to tempera- ture of calcination (Tcalc) during the sample preparation and in magnetite submicron powders with respect to various range of the particles size. One of the main findings is that increasing Tcalc improves resolution in the NMR spectra, which is most likely connected with higher degree of atomic ordering in the spinel structure. Evaluating the integral intensities of NMR spectra allowed us to determine the relative content of maghemite phase in particular samples of the series: the content rapidly grows for Tcalc up to ∼420 deg. An approach to distinguish signal from tetrahedral and octahedral irons was developed and tested on pure maghemite sample. Analysis based on vacancy- distribution models was performed in the spinel structure and the results were compared to the experiment. 57 Fe NMR spectra in submicron magnetite samples were found to differ markedly from spectrum of a single crystal. It was concluded that the investigated powders possess high amount of defects in the crystal structure or contain additional phase (probably closely related to the maghemite phase).

Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) of sizes below approximately 5 nm are a material with an efficient room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and optical gain. Optical gain is a pre- requisite for obtaining stimulated emission from a pumped material, and the achievement of stimulated emission (and lasing) from Si-based nanostructures is of particular interest of the field of silicon photonics. The aim of this work was (i) to investigate fundamental optical properties of SiNCs, (ii) to design and prepare a photonic crystal with enhanced light ex- traction efficiency and (iii) to explore a possibility of enhancing optical gain of light-emitting SiNCs by combining them with a two-dimensional photonic crystal. First, free-standing oxide (SiOx/SiO2)-passivated SiNCs were prepared by electrochemical etching of a Si wafer. Their optical properties were studied by employing time-resolved spectroscopy, also at cryogenic temperatures. The fast blue-green emission band of these SiNCs was linked with the quasi- direct recombination of hot electrons and holes in the vicinity of the Γ-point. Furthermore, the spectral shift of the slow orange-red band (of these SiNCs) as a function of temperature was explained on the basis of an interplay between tensile strain and bulk Si temperature-induced indirect bandgap shift. The...

This Ph.D. thesis is focused on the study of optical nonlinearities and dynamics of excited charge carriers in monocrystalline diamond, nanocrystalline diamond and silicon. The dynamics of high density carriers in bulk diamond is investigated in detail (the transition from excitons and free carriers to electron-hole liquid or plasma). We study the picosecond dynamics of electron-hole liquid condensation using several techniques of time-resolved optical spectroscopy and demonstrate its evaporation by femtosecond laser pulses. We also propose two new optical techniques for measurement of lifetime, diffusion coefficient and surface recombination velocity of excitons in diamond. The results obtained by these techniques are described theoretically using diffusion equation and compared with the results obtained by the transient grating diffraction measurement. Further we study two- and three- photon absorption and nonlinear refractive index in diamond. In nanocrystalline diamond we study the second and third harmonic generation and its physical origin. In superlattices of silicon nanocrystals in SiO2 matrix we investigate the nonlinear transient absorption dynamics and carrier diffusion.

of Doctoral Thesis Title: Ultrafast response of electrons in nanostructured and disordered semiconductor systems studied by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy Author: Vít Zajac Department / Institute: Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Supervisor of the doctoral thesis: doc. RNDr. Petr Kužel, Ph.D., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Abstract: This thesis deals with charge transport in semiconducting nanomaterials on the picosecond time scale studied by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy. The problematics of the effective response of composite materials is reviewed and the VBD effective medium model is formulated. The wave equation for the THz probing pulse propagating through inhomogeneously excited percolated and non-percolated semiconducting nanomaterials is solved. This theory is used to investigate charge transport in samples of nanoporous-Si-derived nanocrystals and in epitaxial Si nanocrystal superlattices. The experimental spectra are successfully modeled with the use of Monte Carlo calculations of charge carrier mobility in nanocrystals of corresponding sizes and degrees of percolation within the VBD approximation. It is found that nanocrystals from different regions of the nanocrystal size distribution of the sample dominate the signal in THz and...