Quantum information processing (QIP), which inherently utilizes quantum mechanical phenomena to perform information processing, may outperform its classical counterpart at certain tasks. As one of the physical implementations of QIP, the electron-spin based architecture has recently attracted great interests. Endohedral fullerenes with unpaired electrons, such as N@C₆₀, are promising candidates to embody the qubits because of their long spin decoherence time. This thesis addresses several fundamental aspects of the strategy of engineering the N@C₆₀ molecules for applications in QIP. Chemical functionalization of N@C₆₀ is investigated and several different derivatives of N@C₆₀ are synthesized. These N@C₆₀ derivatives exhibit different stability when they are exposed to ambient light in a degassed solution. The cyclopropane derivative of N@C60 shows comparable stability to pristine N@C₆₀, whereas the pyrrolidine derivatives demonstrate much lower stability. To elucidate the effect of the functional groups on the stability, an escape mechanism of the encapsulated nitrogen atom is proposed based on DFT calculations. The escape of nitrogen is facilitated by a 6-membered ring formed in the decomposition of the pyrrolidine derivatives of N@C₆₀. In contrast, the 4-membered ring formed in the cyclopropane derivative of N@C₆₀ prohibits such an escape through the addends. Two N@C₆₀-porphyrin dyads are synthesized. The dyad with free base porphyrin exhibits typical zero-field splitting (ZFS) features due to functionalization in the solid-state electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum. However, the nitrogen ESR signal in the second dyad of N@C₆₀ and copper porphyrin is completely suppressed at a wide range of sample concentrations. The dipolar coupling between the copper spin and the nitrogen spins is calculated to be 27.0 MHz. To prove the presence of the encapsulated nitrogen atom in the second dyad, demetallation of the copper porphyrin moiety is carried out. The recovery of approximately 82% of the signal intensity confirms that the dipolar coupling suppresses the ESR signal of N@C₆₀. To prepare ordered structure of N@C₆₀, the nematic matrix MBBA is employed to align the pyrrolidine derivatives of N@C₆₀. Orientations of these derivatives are investigated through simulation of their ESR spectra. The derivatives with a –CH3 or phenyl group derived straightforward from the N-substituent of the pyrrolidine ring are preferentially oriented based on their powder-like ESR spectra in the MBBA matrix. An angle of about is also found between the directors of fullerene derivatives and MBBA. In contrast, the derivatives with a –CH₂ group inserted between the phenyl group and the pyrrolidine ring are nearly randomly distributed in MBBA. These results illustrate the applicability of liquid crystal as a matrix to align N@C₆₀ derivatives for QIP applications.

In dieser Arbeit werden Modellsysteme der Wechselwirkung von Atomen, Molekülen und deren Ionen mit Festkörperoberflächen studiert. Die Dissertation besteht aus drei Teilen. Im ersten Teil werden Experimente zur Streuung von He0 und He+ mit keV Energien unter streifendem Einfall an Al(111), Al(100) und Al(110) vorgestellt. Anteile überlebender Ionen und Verschiebungen der Winkelverteilungen für einlaufende Atome und Ionen sind in guter Übereinstimmung mit theoretischen Auger-Neutralisationsraten und He-1s-Grundzustandsenergieverschiebungen. Damit liegt ein detailliertes mikroskopisches Verständnis dieses Modellsystems der Atom-Oberflächen-Wechselwirkung vor. Die Studien wurden auf Edelgase und Oberflächen mit komplexerer elektronischer Struktur sowie Ionisationsprozesse erweitert. Im zweiten Teil wird die Formierung von doppelt-angeregten He-Atomen bei der Streuung von He2+ an Ni(110) und Fe(110) mittels Autoionisationsspektren studiert. Diese zeigen eine ausgeprägte Sensitivität auf die Belegung der Oberflächen mit Adsorbaten und deren Umordnung, Desorption bzw. Lösung im Volumen des Festkörpers bei Erhöhung der Temperatur. In diesem Rahmen ergibt sich eine alternative Interpretation aktueller Arbeiten, in denen Autoionisationsspektren zur Ableitung der Spin-Polarisation von Ni- und und Fe-Oberflächen verwendet wurden. Im dritten Teil werden Winkelverteilungen, Fragmentspektren und Ladungsanteile für die streifende Streuung von C60-Molekülionen mit an Al(100), Be(0001) und LiF(100) studiert. Es wird gezeigt, dass die elastischen Eigenschaften des Fullerens durch Metalloberflächen stark modifiziert werden. Anhand von Verschiebungen von Winkelverteilungen für einfach- und zweifach-geladene einlaufende Ionen werden erstmalig Abstände des Elektroneneinfangs für positiv geladene Fullerenionen vor Metalloberflächen gemessen. Für LiF(100) treten ausgeprägte Anregungen der Moleküle durch das periodische elektrische Feld der Oberfläche auf. / This work is devoted to the study of model systems for the interaction of atoms, molecules, and their ions with solid surfaces. The thesis consists of three parts. In the first part, He atoms and ions with keV energies are scattered under grazing angles of incidence from Al(111), Al(100), and Al(110). Fractions of surviving ions and shifts of angular distributions for incident atoms and ions, are in good agreement with theoretically calculated Auger neutralization rates and He 1s ground-state energy shifts. A detailed microscopic understanding for a model system of ion-surface interactions is concluded. The studies are extended to noble gas atoms and surfaces with a more complex electronic structure as well as the Auger ionization process. In the second set of experiments, the formation of doubly excited states of He atoms during collisions of He2+ ions with Ni(110) and Fe(110) is studied via autoionization spectra. The electron spectra show a pronounced dependence on the coverage of the target surface with adsorbates. Thermal desorption and dissolution of surface contaminations into the bulk at elevated temperatures provide an alternative interpretation of recent work where the local electron spin polarization of Ni and Fe surfaces was deduced from autoionization spectra. In the third part, angular distributions, fragmentation, and charge fractions are studied for grazing scattering of C60 fullerene ions from Al(100), Be(0001), and LiF(100). A strong perturbation of the elastic properties of the fullerene by a nearby metal surface is demonstrated. Shifts of angular distributions for incident singly and doubly charged ions for the metal surfaces provide the first information on distances of electron transfer for positively charged fullerenes in front of metal surfaces. For the LiF(100) surface, pronounced internal excitations due to interactions with the periodic electric field at the surface are observed.

Dans un premier temps, la bis- et tris-fonctionnalisation du C60 a été effectuée par une approche macrocyclique. Différents bis- et tris-adduits du C60 ont été obtenus avec de bonnes régioselectivités. Dans un deuxième temps, la tris-fonctionnalisation du C60 a été effectuée par une approche « tête directrice ». Par cette approche, un accès rapide, simple, régio- et stéréo-sélectif à des tris-adduits e,e,e approprié à la formation d’hexa-adduits d’ordre d’addition octaédrique a été obtenu. La synthèse et la séparation de tris-adduits e,e,e optiquement purs ont également été réalisées. Les dérivés polyols obtenus par déprotection des groupes silylés ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives pour la post-fonctionnalisation de multi-adduits de C60. A partir de nos méthodologies de synthèse de bis- et tris-adduits de C60, des synthons d’hexa-adduits mixtes de C60 ont été préparés. La post-fonctionnalisation de ces synthons a été effectuée par réaction de cycloaddition1,3-dipolaire de type Huisgen mais aussi par réaction d’estérification, afin d’obtenir des hexa-adduitsde C60 multifonctionnels. La méthodologie de synthèse d’hexa-adduits de C60 multifonctionnels aété mise à profit pour l’élaboration d’édifices hyperfonctionnels comportant plusieurs hexa-adduits de C60 autour d’un hexa-adduit de C60 central. La post-fonctionnalisation des synthons hexa-adduits mixtes par chimie « click » donne accès à la préparation contrôlée de nouveaux nanomatériaux globulaires multifonctionnels. / In a first instance, the bis- and tris-functionalization of C60 was performed by a macrocyclic approach. Different bis- and tris-adducts of C60 were obtained with good regioselectivity. In a second instance, the tris-functionalization of C60 was performed by a “tether-directed” approach. By this approach, a fast, simple, regio- and stereoselective access to C60 e,e,e tris-adduct suitable for the formation of C60 hexa-adducts with an octahedral addition pattern was obtained. The synthesis and the separation of optically pure e,e,e tris-adducts was also realized. The polyol derivatives obtained by deprotection of the silyl groups open new perspectives for the post-functionalization of C60 multiadducts. Using our synthesis methodologies of bis- and tris-adducts of C60, mixed hexa-adducts building blocks were prepared. The post-functionalization of these building blocks was carried out by copper catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions but also by esterification reactions to obtain multifunctional C60 hexa-adducts. The methodology for the synthesis of multifunctional C60 hexa-adducts was used for the elaboration of fullerodendrimers containing several C60 hexa-adducts around a central C60 hexa-adduct. The post-functionalization of the mixed hexa-adducts building blocks by “click” chemistry gave access to the controlled preparation of new globular and multifunctional nanomaterials.

Ce travail de thèse est focalisé sur l'interaction de molécules organométalliques avec des métaux de transition. Cette thématique a un large éventail d'applications dans plusieurs domaines tels que la réalisation de nanojonctions pour la nano-électronique, la bioimagerie et le stockage d'énergie magnétique, la nano-catalyse et les applications biomédicales. Dans ce cadre général, ce projet de thèse vise la modélisation à l’échelle atomique des interactions fondamentales entre les briques moléculaires afin de comprendre leur rôle dans l’assemblage et la fonctionnalisation des nanostructures. L’outil principal utilisé est la dynamique moléculaire à partir des premiers principes selon les approches Born-Oppenheimer et Car-Parrinello. La première partie de cette thèse présente une rétrospective du domaine afin de donner une vision d’ensemble des méthodes utilisées et de l’état de l’art dans ce domaine. Le deuxième chapitre donne les éléments de base de la théorie et les méthodes qui ont été utilisées dans la thèse, au développement desquels on a aussi contribué pendant ce projet de recherche. Les résultats obtenus et leur discussion critique constituent le corps principal de cette ouvrage de thèse. Ceci est organisé dans un chapitre unique (troisième chapitre), divisé en trois sous-chapitre pour des raisons de clarté. / The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of organometallic complexes with transition metals. This topic in question has a broad array of applications in a number of domain; realization of nanojunctions for molecular nanoelectronics, biological imaging and nanocatalysis. Within this general framework, this PhD project aims to model the fundamental interactions of molecular building blocks at the atomic level in order to understand their role in the assembly and functionalization of nanostructures. The principal tool used in this study is first-principles simulation methods such as the Born-Oppenheimer and Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics. The first chapter presents an emphasis of the current developments in the related field alongside of a retrospective on the historical developments that leads today's knowledge. The second chapter presents the basic elements of the theory behind the methods that were used in the thesis, whose development has also been contributed during this research project. Lastly, the third chapter which is organized in three sub-chapters enumerates and describes the results of the various systems studied.Molecular dynamics, constrained dynamics, molecular electronics, molecular junctions, ferrocene, fullerene, metal-organic precursors.

Magnetism of carbon-based materials is a challenging area for both fundamental research and possible applications. We present studies of low-dimensional carbon-based magnetic systems (fullerene-diluted molecular magnets, carbon nanotubes, graphite fluoride, and nanoporous carbon) by means of SQUID magnetometer, X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy, the latter techniques used as complementary instruments to find a correlation between the magnetic behaviour and the structure of the samples.In the first part of the thesis, characteristic features of the magnetization process in aligned films of carbon nanotubes with low concentration of iron are discussed. It is shown that the magnetism of such structures is influenced by quantum effects, and the anisotropy behaviour is opposite to what is observed in heavily doped nanotubes.In the second part, Mn12-based single molecular magnets with various carboxylic ligands and their 1:1 fullerene-diluted complexes are studied. We prove that magnetic properties of such systems strongly depend on the environment, and, in principle, it is possible to design a magnet with desirable properties. One of the studied compounds demonstrated a record blocking temperature for a single molecular magnet. Both fullerene-diluted complexes demonstrated “magnetization training” effect in alternating magnetic fields and the ability to preserve magnetic moment.The third and the fourth parts of the thesis are dedicated to the analysis of various contributions to the magnetic susceptibility of metal-free carbon-based systems – intercalated compounds of graphite fluorides and nanoporous oxygen-eroded graphite. The magnetic properties of these systems are strongly dependent on structure, and can be delicately tuned by altering the π-electron system of graphite, i. e. by degree of fluorination of intercalated compounds and by introduction of boron impurity to the host matrix of nanoporous graphite. / Magnetism av kolbaserade material är ett utmanande område för både grundforskning och möjliga tillämpningar. Vi presenterar studier med låg-dimensionella kolbaserade magnetiska system (fulleren-utspädda molekylära magneter, kolnanorör, grafit fluorid och nanoporösa kol) med hjälp av SQUID magnetometer, röntgendiffraktion och vibrerande spektroskopi, de senare tekniker som används som komplement instrument för att finna sambandet mellan den magnetiska uppträdande och strukturen hos proven. I den första delen av avhandlingen är egenheter från magnetisering processen i linje filmer av kolnanorör med låg koncentration av järn diskuteras. Det visas att magnetism av sådana strukturer påverkas av kvantmekaniska effekter och anisotropin beteende är motsatsen till vad som observerats i kraftigt dopade nanorör. I den tvåa delen är Mn12-baserade enda-molekyl magneter med olika karboxylsyror ligander och deras 1:1 fulleren-utspädda komplex studeras. Vi visar att magnetiska egenskaperna hos sådana system beror i hög grad på miljön, och i princip är det möjligt att utforma en magnet med önskvärda egenskaper. En av de studerade föreningarna visade en post blockeringstemperaturen för en enda molekylär magnet. Både fulleren-utspädda komplex visade "magnetisering utbildning" effekt i alternerande magnetfält och möjligheten att bevara magnetiskt moment. Den tredje och fjärde delarna av avhandlingen är avsedda för inneboende magnetism av analys av olika bidrag till magnetisk susceptibilitet av metall-fritt kol-baserade system -inskjutna föreningar grafit fluorider och nanoporösa O2-eroderade grafit. Magnetiska egenskaperna hos dessa system är starkt beroende av strukturen, och kan fint avstämmas genom att man ändrar π-elektronsystem av grafit, i. e. med graden av fluorering av inskjutna föreningar och genom införandet av bor föroreningar till värd matris av nanoporösa grafit.

Polymer-based photovoltaics have the potential to contribute to boosting photovoltaic energy conversion overall. Besides allowing large-area inexpensive processing, polymeric materials have the added benefit of opening new market applications for photovoltaics due to their low-weight and interesting mechanical properties. The energy conversion efficiency values of polymer photovoltaics have reached new record values over the past years. It is however crucial that stability issues are addressed together with efficiency optimization. Understanding fundamental materials aspects is key in both areas. In the work presented in this thesis, the morphology of polymer:fullerene films and its influence on device performance was studied, as well as the effect of light exposure on the surface of fullerene films. Several polyfluorene copolymers were used for the morphology studies, where the effects of changing spin-coating solvent and of side chain engineering were investigated with dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (dSIMS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Polymer-enriched surfaces were found in all blend films, even in the cases with homogeneous distributions in the bulk. Side chain engineering of the polymer led to gradual changes in the compositional variations perpendicular to the surface, and to slight variations in the photocurrent. The electronic structure of the fullerene derivative PCBM was studied in detail and the spectroscopic fingerprint of the materials was analysed by comparison with theoretically simulated spectra. Photo-stability studies done in air showed that the surface of fullerene films underwent severe damages at the molecular level, which is evident from changes in the valence band and X-ray absorption spectra. These changes were explained by transitions from sp2-type to sp3 hybridization of the carbon atoms in the cage that resulted in the destruction of the fullerene cage.

π-Conjugated polymers have attracted considerable attention since they are potential candidates for various opto-electronic devices such as solar cells, light emitting iodes, photodiodes, and transistors. Electronic de vices based on conjugated polymers can be easily processed at low temperature using inexpensive technologies. This leads to cost reduction, a key-deriving factor for choosing conjugated polymers for various types of applications. In particular, polymer based solar cells are of special interest due to the fact that they can play a major role in generating clean and cheap energy in the future. The investigations described in thesis are aimed mainly at understanding charge transport and the role of energy le vels in solar cells based on polymer/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active films. Best polymer based solar cells, with efficiency 4 to 5%, rely on polymer/fullerene BHJ active films. These solar cells are in an immature state to be used for energy conversion purposes. In order to enhance their performance, it is quite important to understand the efficiency-limiting factors. Solid films of conjugated polymers compose conjugation segments that are randomly distributed in space and energy. Such distributio n gives rise to the localization of charge carriers and hence broadening of electron density of states. Consequently, electronic wave functions have quite poor overlap resulting into absence of continuous band transport. Charge transport in polymers and organic materials, in general, takes place by hopping among the localized states. This makes a bottleneck to the performance of polymer-based solar cells. In this context, the knowledge of charge transport in the solar cell materials is quite important to develop materials and device architectures that boost the efficiency of such solar cells. Most of the transport studies are based on polyfluorene copolymers and fullerene electron acceptor molecules. Fullerenes are blended with polymers to enhance the dissociation of excited state into free carriers and transport free electrons to the respective electrode. The interaction within the polymer-fullerene complex, therefore, plays a major role in the generation and transport of both electrons and holes. In this thesis, we present and discuss the effect of various polymer/fullerene compositions on hole percolation paths. We mainly focus on hole transport since its mobility is quite small as compared to electron mobility in the fullerenes, leading to creation of spa ce charges within the bulk of the solar cell composite. Changing a polymer band gap may necessitate an appropriate acceptor type in order to fulfill the need for sufficient driving force for dissociation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. We have observed that different acceptor types give rise to completely different hole mobility in BHJ films. The change of hole transport as a function of acceptor type and concentration is mainly attributed to morphological changes. The effect of the acceptors in connection to hole transport is also discussed. The later is supported by studies of bipolar transport in pure electron acceptor layers. Moreover, the link between charge carrier mobility and photovoltaic parameters has also been studied and presented in this thesis. The efficiency of polymer/fullerene-based solar cells is also significantly limited by its open-circuit voltage (Voc), a parameter that does not obey the metal-insulator-metal principle due to its complicated characteristics. In this thesis, we address the effect of varying polymer oxidation potential on Voc of the polymer/fullerene BHJ based solar cells. Systematic investigations have been performed on solar cells that comprise several polythiophene polymers blended with a fullerene derivative electron acceptor molecule. The Voc of such solar cells was found to have a strong correlation with the oxidation potential of the polymers. The upper limit to Voc of the aforementioned solar cells is thermodynamically limited by the net internal electric filed generated by the difference in energy levels of the two materials in the blend. The cost of polymer-based solar cells can be reduced to a great extent through realization of all-plastic and flexible solar cells. This demands the replacement of the metallic components (electrodes) by highly conducting polymer films. While hole conductor polymers are available, low work function polymer electron conductors are rare. In this thesis, prototype solar cells that utilizes a highly conducting polymer, which has a work function of ~ 4.3 eV, as a cathode are demonstrated. Development of this material may eventually lead to fabrication of large area, flexible and cheap solar cells. The transparent nature of the polymer cathode may also facilitate fabrication of multi-layer and tandem solar cells. In the last chapter of this thesis, we demonstrate generation of red and near infrared polarized light by employing thermally converted thin films of polyfluorene copolymers in light emitting diodes. This study, in particular, aims at fabricating polarized infrared light emitting devices. / On the day of the defence day the status of article III was In press and article VI was Manuscript.

Fullerenhaltige Bulk-Heterojunction-Solarzellen auf Polymerbasis zeigen derzeit eine geringe Langzeitstabilität, die unter anderem auf der Entmischung der Bulkphasen beruht. In dieser Arbeit wurden daher auf neuartige Weise Blockcopolymere entwickelt, die zur Stabilisierung der Phasen dienen können. Ausgehend von Poly-3-hexylthiophen-Makroinitiatoren wurde ein zweiter Block mit reaktivem Comonomer polymerisiert, das zur Anbindung von reinem Fullerens bzw. von Fullerenderivaten diente. Die fullerenfunktionalisierten Polymere wurden in Modell-Systeme eingemischt und zeigten erste Verbesserungen bezüglich der Phasenstabilisierung.

Le diagramme des phases du C60 continue d'être un sujet de discussion et de controverse, malgré la grande quantité de travaux expérimentaux et théoriques fait au fil des ans. Ceci est principalement dû au manque d'études in situ, a l'existence d'états désordonnés présentant des pics de diffraction très mal résolus et à la coexistence de plusieurs polytypes de faible densité. Ce manuscrit présente une étude systématique in situ des transformations hétérogènes du C60 sous haute pression et haute température dans la gamme 1-10 GPa et 300-1200 K. Afin de discriminer les poly(a)morphes de densité similaire dans des échantillons hétérogènes, nous avons utilisé une combinaison de micro-diffraction et micro-tomographie. Les échantillons ont été synthétisés dans une cellule Paris-Edimbourg et caractérisés à l'aide de diffraction des rayons X in situ en dispersion angulaire. Des images tridimensionnels à haute résolution ont été obtenus sur des échantillons trempés par la méthode de micro-tomographie de diffraction/diffusion. Cette méthode permet l'analyse 3D de l'intensité de diffusion reconstruite à partir de séries de projections 2D. Une telle analyse est non destructive et offre une grande sensibilité (0,1% en volume), une haute résolution spatiale (μm3) et peut être multimodale, fournissant des données quantitatives sur la morphologie, la densité, la composition élémentaire ou la structure des matériaux. En outre, nous décrivons le développement d'un système de micro-tomographie in situ sous haute pression et haute température en utilisant une nouvelle cellule rotative Paris-Edimbourg (RoToPEC), combinée avec le rayonnement synchrotron. La capacité à tourner complètement la chambre de l'échantillon sous charge, surmonte la contrainte d'ouverture angulaire limitée des cellules ordinaires et permet l'acquisition de projections tomographiques pour l'imagerie de plein champ ainsi que pour l'imagerie par micro-diffraction. Cette méthode innovante permet l'étude des matériaux sous conditions extrêmes de pression, température ou stress, et pourra être appliquée dans des domaines variés tels que la physique, la chimie, la science des matériaux ou la géologie. Le potentiel de cette nouvelle technique expérimentale est démontré par l'étude de la polymérisation de C60 sous haute-pression et haute température. Mots-clés: C60, diagramme de phase, diffraction, micro-tomographie, haute pression et haute température

The fast growing production of carbon based nanomaterials (CNMs) and their potential widespread use in consumer products raise concerns regarding their potential risks to human health and ecosystems. The present study investigated the role of photochemical transformation and natural organic matter (NOM) in the fate, transport, and toxicity of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in natural aquatic systems, providing fundamental information for risk assessment and management. Photochemical transformation of aqueous fullerene nanoparticles (nC60) and CNTs occurs at significant rates under UVA irradiation at intensity similar to that in sunlight. The transformation processes are mediated by self-generated ROS, resulting in changes of surface structure depending on the initial surface oxidation state of CNMs. UVA irradiation leads to oxygenation of nC60 surface and decarboxylation of carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWNTs). The environmental transport of CNMs is significantly affected by their surface chemistry, concentration and species of electrolytes, and concentration and properties of co-existing NOM. In electrolyte solutions without NOM, the mobility of CNMs is largely decided by their surface chemistry, primarily the oxygen-containing functional groups. In NaCl solutions, UVA irradiation remarkably enhanced the mobility of nC60; conversely, it reduced nC60 stability in CaCl2 solutions. The mobility of COOH-MWNTs in NaCl solutions correlated well with the abundance of surface carboxyl groups. Humic acid, once adsorbed on the nC60 surface, can significantly enhance its stability through steric hindrance. The extent of stabilization depends on the amount and properties of humic acid adsorbed. Humic acid has limited adsorption on UVA-irradiated nC60. Soil humic acid is more efficient in stabilizing nC60 than aquatic humic acid due to its higher molecular weight. Humic acid immobilized onto the silica surface can potential enhance or hinder nC60 deposition, depending on the complex interplay of attractive and repulsive forces. MWNTs are more toxicity to bacteria, Escherichia coli, than COOH-MWNTs due to their higher bioavailability and oxidative capacity. Surface oxidation induced by •OH reduced the toxicity of MWNT while reactions with •OH have little effect on the COOH-MWNT toxicity. Antioxidants such as glutathione can effectively inhibit the antibacterial activity of MWNTs.