John Mackey’s Wine-Dark Sea: Symphony for Band(2014) is a work of epic proportions and was the winner of the William D. Revelli Composition Contest of the National Band Association in 2015. Wine-Dark Sea: Symphony for Bandhas received much acclaim and many performances including a recording by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble in 2016. The purposes of this dissertation are 1) to provide historical information on the genesis of the work through interviews with its composer, John Mackey, and commissioning director, Jerry Junkin; 2) to provide an analysis of how the programmatic elements of Homer’s Odysseyinteract with the musical aspects of the work. The first chapter discusses biographical information essential to the understanding of John Mackey’s music. Chapter two includes information specific to the creation of Wine-Dark Sea: Symphony for Band. Chapters three through five provide analytical information alongside programmatic information to provide a clear understanding of how the music and programmatic elements combine to create the work. Chapter six concludes the document with some performance suggestions for the conductor. An appendix of information including graphs of how dynamic range corresponds to programmatic elements and interviews with the composer, John Mackey, and the commissioner, Jerry Junkin, are also provided.

Triethanolamine (TEA) is a semiconducting polymer which exhibits a resistance change when exposed to various gases. The polymer also exhibits a number of reactions with nitrogen dioxide, with the reaction products being heavily dependent on the presence or absence of water vapor. Previous studies have attempted the incorporation of a TEA-carbon nanoparticle composite as the active sensing layer in a chemresistive sensor for detection of NO₂. The incorporation of carbon nanoparticles in the polymer nanocomposite was thought to amplify the sensor's response. There are a number of chemical reactions that can occur between TEA and NO₂, with the reaction products being heavily dependent on the presence and amount of water vapor in the environment. Because of this influence, it becomes necessary to know to what degree the presence of water vapor interferes with the sensing response. In this work we show that the sensor exhibits a reversible resistance change as background humidity changes. This sensitivity to humidity changes is so large that it renders undetectable any resistance change that could be caused by the reaction of TEA with NO₂. Furthermore, we show that the presence of low levels of NO₂ do not interfere with adsorption of water vapor. The detection mechanism is based on measuring resistance changes in the TEA film due to the adsorption/desorption of water vapor. The sensing response can be described by Langmuir adsorption by using a site-based model for the polymer film resistance. Breakdown of the polymer film over time due to continuous adsorption of water vapor, as well as photodegradation of the polymer film, will be discussed. SEM images will also be presented showing growth of crystallites on the electrode walls, as well as experimental results demonstrating degradation of the sensing film during sensor operation.

<p>The thesis describes an investigation into the interaction between the conducting polymer and cellulosic materials, and the preparation of electroconductive paper. The adsorption behavior of the conducting polymer onto cellulosic materials was characterized. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used as conducting polymer because of its attractive properties in terms of conductivity, water solubility, and environmental stability. The model substrate used for adsorption was microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Various pH levels and salt concentrations were explored to completely understand the adsorption behavior of PEDOT:PSS. The variation in surface charge characteristics when the pH and salt concentration were changed was monitored by polyelectrolyte titration and zeta potential measurement. The adsorption isotherm showed a broad molecular distribution of the conducting polymer and considerable interaction between the polymer and MCC. As the pH of the solution was increased, the adsorbed amount decreased. With varying salt concentrations, the adsorption passed through a maximum. The extent of deposition of PEDOT:PSS on the surface of cellulosic fibers was investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) with a commercial base paper as substrate. XPS analysis of dip-coated paper samples showed PEDOT enrichment on the surface. The degree of washing the dip-coated paper with acidic water did not significantly affect the PEDOT enrichment on the surface.</p><p> </p><p>A base paper was coated with PEDOT:PSS blends to produce electroconductive papers. The bulk conductivities (σ_dc) of the coated papers were measured using a four-probe technique and impedance spectroscopy. One-side and two-side coating gave comparable conductivity levels. Various organic solvents added to the PEDOT:PSS dispersion at different concentrations showed various effects on the bulk conductivity of the coated paper. Blends containing sorbitol and isopropanol did not enhance the bulk conductivity of the coated paper, and at high concentrations these organic solvents lowered the conductivity. Paper samples coated with a PEDOT:PSS blend containing N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) exhibited a higher conductivity than when coated with pure PEDOT:PSS, due to conformational changes and their plasticizing effect. The effect of calendering was investigated and only the sample subjected to 174 kN/m line load after coating showed significant conductivity enhancement. The addition of TiO₂ pigment lowered the bulk conductivity of the paper. Contact angle measurements were made to monitor the effect of coating the paper with PEDOT:PSS blends on the hydrophilicity of the paper samples. The amount of PEDOT:PSS deposited in the fiber network was determined using total sulfur analysis. Thus, this study makes use of conventional paper surface treatment as method for achieving bulk conductivity of paper in the semi-conductor range without significantly decreasing the paper strength.</p> / Printed Polymer Electronics

To meet the predicted increase in demand for energy storage in tomorrow's society, the development of inexpensive, flexible, lightweight and sustainable energy-storage materials is essential. In this respect, devices based on electroactive organic molecules, such as conducting polymers, are highly interesting. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the use of nanocellulose as a matrix material in composites of cellulose and the electroactive polymer polypyrrole (PPy), and the use of these composites in all-polymer paper-based energy-storage devices.   Pyrrole was polymerized using FeCl3 onto cellulose nanofibers in the form of a hydrogel. The resulting PPy-coated fibers were washed with water and dried into a high surface area, conductive paper material. Variations in the drying technique provided a way of controlling the porosity and the surface area of wood-based cellulose nanofibers, as the properties of the cellulose were found to have a large influence on the composite structure. Different nanocellulose fibers, of algal and wood origin, were evaluated as the reinforcing phase in the conductive composites. These materials had conductivities of 1–6 S/cm and specific surface areas of up to 246 m2/g at PPy weight fractions around 67%.   Symmetrical supercapacitor devices with algae-based nanocellulose-PPy electrodes and an aqueous electrolyte showed specific charge capacities of around 15 mAh/g and specific capacitances of around 35 F/g, normalized with respect to the dry electrode weight. Potentiostatic charging of the devices was suggested as a way to make use of the rapid oxidation and reduction processes in these materials, thus minimizing the charging time and the effect of the IR drop in the device, and ensuring charging to the right potential. Repeated charging and discharging of the devices revealed a 10–20% loss in capacity over 10 000 cycles. Upon up-scaling of the devices, it was found that an improved cell design giving a lower cell resistance was needed in order to maintain high charge and discharge rates.   The main advantages of the presented concept of nanocellulose-PPy-based electrical energy storage include the eco-friendly raw materials, an up-scalable and potentially cost-effective production process, safe operation, and the controllable porosity and moldability offered by the nanocellulose fiber matrix. Integrating energy storage devices into paper could lead to un- precedented opportunities for new types of consumer electronics. Future research efforts should be directed at increasing the energy density and improving the stability of this type of device as well as advancing the fundamental understanding of the current limitations of these properties.

The thesis describes an investigation into the interaction between the conducting polymer and cellulosic materials, and the preparation of electroconductive paper. The adsorption behavior of the conducting polymer onto cellulosic materials was characterized. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used as conducting polymer because of its attractive properties in terms of conductivity, water solubility, and environmental stability. The model substrate used for adsorption was microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Various pH levels and salt concentrations were explored to completely understand the adsorption behavior of PEDOT:PSS. The variation in surface charge characteristics when the pH and salt concentration were changed was monitored by polyelectrolyte titration and zeta potential measurement. The adsorption isotherm showed a broad molecular distribution of the conducting polymer and considerable interaction between the polymer and MCC. As the pH of the solution was increased, the adsorbed amount decreased. With varying salt concentrations, the adsorption passed through a maximum. The extent of deposition of PEDOT:PSS on the surface of cellulosic fibers was investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) with a commercial base paper as substrate. XPS analysis of dip-coated paper samples showed PEDOT enrichment on the surface. The degree of washing the dip-coated paper with acidic water did not significantly affect the PEDOT enrichment on the surface.   A base paper was coated with PEDOT:PSS blends to produce electroconductive papers. The bulk conductivities (σdc) of the coated papers were measured using a four-probe technique and impedance spectroscopy. One-side and two-side coating gave comparable conductivity levels. Various organic solvents added to the PEDOT:PSS dispersion at different concentrations showed various effects on the bulk conductivity of the coated paper. Blends containing sorbitol and isopropanol did not enhance the bulk conductivity of the coated paper, and at high concentrations these organic solvents lowered the conductivity. Paper samples coated with a PEDOT:PSS blend containing N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) exhibited a higher conductivity than when coated with pure PEDOT:PSS, due to conformational changes and their plasticizing effect. The effect of calendering was investigated and only the sample subjected to 174 kN/m line load after coating showed significant conductivity enhancement. The addition of TiO2 pigment lowered the bulk conductivity of the paper. Contact angle measurements were made to monitor the effect of coating the paper with PEDOT:PSS blends on the hydrophilicity of the paper samples. The amount of PEDOT:PSS deposited in the fiber network was determined using total sulfur analysis. Thus, this study makes use of conventional paper surface treatment as method for achieving bulk conductivity of paper in the semi-conductor range without significantly decreasing the paper strength. / Printed Polymer Electronics

<p>The focus of this study is to synthesize a novel hinged polymer actuator. The linking molecule (hinge) is phenazine with interconnected dipyrrole units.</p>

All conducting polymers are potentially electrochromic, owing to the injection of charge carriers that changes their electronic structure and results in a shift of their optical absorption towards higher wavelengths. PEDOT-PSS and PEDOT-S are very promising materials in terms of electrochromic properties, due to the good contrast existing between their doped and undoped forms. However this contrast has to be enhanced in order to design more efficient electrochromic devices, and new solutions should thus be found in order to solve this issue. Surface plasmons are described as electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface between a dielectric and a metal. Coupled to an incident radiation, they create an energy loss in the light transmitted and reflected by the interface. When the metallic surface is periodically corrugated, this absorption phenomenon due to plasmonic resonance occurs at a specific wavelength that depends on several parameters, such as the incidence angle, the dielectric constants of the two media and the grating period. By coating metallic gratings with electrochromic polymers, we may thus be able to trigger a plasmonic absorption at a given wavelength and shift it upon reduction or oxidation of the material. Electrochromic devices consisting of PEDOT-PSS or PEDOT-S spin-deposited on gold and silver gratings were investigated by UV-visible reflectance measurements. The periodically corrugated structures were reproduced from commercial gratings by soft nanolithography and were analyzed by AFM. Some electrochromic cells exhibited new colors or a high shift of the plasmonic resonance upon redox switching of the polymer film. Depending on the step and the nature of the grating employed, this shift could reach 20 nm in the case of PEDOT-PSS and more than 100 nm for PEDOT-S. A theoretical model was found to predict the wavelength of plasmonic excitation and the orientation of the shift.

Saturated and near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties influence the partition of rainfall and snowmelt into infiltration and runoff. The goal of this study was to characterize near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties and water-conducting porosity in sloping landscapes. The specific objectives included exploration of tension and double-ring infiltrometers for estimation of soil hydraulic properties in sloping landscapes, development of an improved method for determining water-conducting porosity, and the application of these methods in characterizing soil hydraulic properties and water-conducting porosity under three land use. Water infiltration from a double-ring infiltrometer and a tension infiltrometer at water pressures between -2.2 and -0.3 kPa was measured in a cultivated field with 0, 7, 15, and 20% slopes at Laura and under three land use (native grass, brome grass and cultivated) at St. Denis in Saskatchewan, Canada. Three-dimensional computer simulation studies were also performed for tension infiltrometer with various disc diameters, water pressures, and surface slopes. Steady infiltration rates and estimated field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), hydraulic conductivity-water pressure relationship (K(h)), and inverse capillary length parameter were compared for different slopes and land use. These parameters were not significantly different (p<0.05) among slopes. For specific K(h) functions, a new analytical solution was developed and compared with existing methods for calculating water-conducting porosity. The new method reliably determined water-conducting porosity of surface soils and gave consistent results, regardless of the width of water pressure ranges. At the -0.3 kPa water pressure, hydraulic conductivity of grasslands was two to three times greater than the cultivated lands. Values of inverse capillary length parameter were about two times and values of Kfs about four times greater in grasslands than in cultivated fields. Water-conducting macroporosity of grasslands and cultivated fields were 0.04% and 0.01% of the total soil volume, respectively. Over 40% and 50% of the total water flux at -0.06 kPa water pressure was transmitted through macropores (pores > 1×10-3 m in diameter) of the cultivated land and the grasslands, respectively. Experimental and simulation results of this study indicated that both tension and double-ring infiltrometers are suitable for characterization of saturated and near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties in landscapes up to 20% slope. The new method can be used to characterize water-conducting porosity from in situ tension and double-ring infiltrometers measurements more adequately and efficiently than the existing methods. Application of these methods for three land use indicated that land use modified surface soil hydraulic properties and consequently may alter the water balance of an area by affecting the partition between, and relative amount of infiltration and surface runoff.

Saturated and near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties influence the partition of rainfall and snowmelt into infiltration and runoff. The goal of this study was to characterize near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties and water-conducting porosity in sloping landscapes. The specific objectives included exploration of tension and double-ring infiltrometers for estimation of soil hydraulic properties in sloping landscapes, development of an improved method for determining water-conducting porosity, and the application of these methods in characterizing soil hydraulic properties and water-conducting porosity under three land use. Water infiltration from a double-ring infiltrometer and a tension infiltrometer at water pressures between -2.2 and -0.3 kPa was measured in a cultivated field with 0, 7, 15, and 20% slopes at Laura and under three land use (native grass, brome grass and cultivated) at St. Denis in Saskatchewan, Canada. Three-dimensional computer simulation studies were also performed for tension infiltrometer with various disc diameters, water pressures, and surface slopes. Steady infiltration rates and estimated field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), hydraulic conductivity-water pressure relationship (K(h)), and inverse capillary length parameter were compared for different slopes and land use. These parameters were not significantly different (p<0.05) among slopes. For specific K(h) functions, a new analytical solution was developed and compared with existing methods for calculating water-conducting porosity. The new method reliably determined water-conducting porosity of surface soils and gave consistent results, regardless of the width of water pressure ranges. At the -0.3 kPa water pressure, hydraulic conductivity of grasslands was two to three times greater than the cultivated lands. Values of inverse capillary length parameter were about two times and values of Kfs about four times greater in grasslands than in cultivated fields. Water-conducting macroporosity of grasslands and cultivated fields were 0.04% and 0.01% of the total soil volume, respectively. Over 40% and 50% of the total water flux at -0.06 kPa water pressure was transmitted through macropores (pores > 1×10-3 m in diameter) of the cultivated land and the grasslands, respectively. Experimental and simulation results of this study indicated that both tension and double-ring infiltrometers are suitable for characterization of saturated and near-saturated surface soil hydraulic properties in landscapes up to 20% slope. The new method can be used to characterize water-conducting porosity from in situ tension and double-ring infiltrometers measurements more adequately and efficiently than the existing methods. Application of these methods for three land use indicated that land use modified surface soil hydraulic properties and consequently may alter the water balance of an area by affecting the partition between, and relative amount of infiltration and surface runoff.

Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Op. 48 was an evolving work, which he continued to revise from its inception in 1887 until the published version of 1900. The focus and intent of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of Requiem, Op. 48 as well as historical background to aid conductors in the preparation and performance of this work. Discussions include the history of the requiem mass as a liturgical form, the evolution of Requiem, Op. 48, the John Rutter edition (1984) and his research, and a conductor’s analysis addressing issues of harmony, form, and style.