<p>One of the most powerful aspects of conducting polymers is their ability to be nanostructured through innovative, synthetically manipulated, transformations, such as to tailor-make the polymers for specialized applications. In the exponentially increasing wide field of nanotechnology, some special attention is being paid to innovative hybrid dendrimer-core based polymeric smart materials. Star copolymers are a class of branched macromolecules having a central core with multiple linear polymer chains extending from the core. This intrinsic structural feature yields a unique 3D structure with extended conjugated linear polymer chains, resulting in star copolymers, which have higher ionic conductivities than their corresponding non-star conducting polymer counterparts. In this study an in-depth investigation was carried out into the preparation and characterization of specialized electronic &lsquo / smart materials&rsquo / . In particular, the preparation and characterization of novel conducting dendrimeric star copolymers which have a central poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimer core with conducting polypyrrole (PPy) chains extending from the core was carried out. This involved, first, the preparation of a series of dendrimeric polypyrrole poly(propylene imine) star copolymers (PPI-co-PPy), using generations 1 to 4 (G1 to G4) PPI dendrimer precursors. The experimental approach involved the use of both chemical and electrochemical synthesis methods. The basic procedure involved a condensation reaction between the primary amine of a diamino functional PPI dendrimer surface and 2-pyrrole aldehyde, to afford the pyrrole functionalized PPI dendrimer (PPI-2Py). Polymerization of the intrinsically contained monomeric Py units situated within the dendrimer backbone was achieved via two distinctly different routes: the first involved chemical polymerization and the second was based on potentiodynamic oxidative electrochemical polymerization. The star copolymers were then characterized using various sophisticated analytical techniques, in-situ and ex-situ. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to determine the structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the morphology. Themogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the prepared materials. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to study the structural make-up of phases, crystallinity and amorphous content. Hall effect measurements were carried out to determine the electrical conductivity of the chemically prepared star copolymers. The PPI-co-PPy exhibited improved thermal stability compared to PPI-2Py, as confirmed by TGA. SEM results showed that the surface morphology of the functionalized dendrimer and star copolymer differed. The surface morphology of the chemically prepared star copolymers resembled that of a flaky, waxy material, compared to the ordered morphology of the electrochemically grown star copolymers, which resembled that of whelk-like helixes. In the case the electrochemically grown star copolymers, SEM images recorded at higher magnifications showed that the whelk-like helixes of the star copolymers were hollow tubes with openings at their tapered ends, and had an average base diameter of 2.0 &mu / m. X-ray diffraction analysis of the first generation star copolymer G1PPI-co-PPy revealed a broadly amorphous structure associated with PPy, and crystalline peaks for PPI. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were used to study and model the electrochemical reactivity of the star copolymer materials. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data showed that the G1PPI-co-PPy exhibited slightly higher ionic conductivity than pristine PPy in lithium perchlorate. The second generation star copolymer G2PPI-co-PPy electrochemically deposited on a platinum (Pt) electrode had a lower electrochemical charge transfer resistance compared to electrodeposited polypyrrole (PPy) on a Pt electrode, and bare Pt. The decrease in charge transfer resistance was attributed to an increase in the conjugation length of the polymer as a result of the linking of the highly conjugated PPy to the PPI dendrimer. Bode impedimetric analysis indicated that G2PPI-co-PPI was a semiconductor, with a maximum phase angle shift of 45.3&deg / at 100 MHz. The star copolymer exhibited a 2- electron electrochemistry and a surface coverage of 99%. Results of Hall effect measurements showed that the star copolymer is a semiconducting material, having a conductivity of 0.7 S cm-1, in comparison to the 1.5 S cm-1 of PPy. To the best of my knowledge, these new star copolymers have not been reported in the open literature. Their properties make them potentially applicable for use in biosensors.</p>

<p>One of the most powerful aspects of conducting polymers is their ability to be nanostructured through innovative, synthetically manipulated, transformations, such as to tailor-make the polymers for specialized applications. In the exponentially increasing wide field of nanotechnology, some special attention is being paid to innovative hybrid dendrimer-core based polymeric smart materials. Star copolymers are a class of branched macromolecules having a central core with multiple linear polymer chains extending from the core. This intrinsic structural feature yields a unique 3D structure with extended conjugated linear polymer chains, resulting in star copolymers, which have higher ionic conductivities than their corresponding non-star conducting polymer counterparts. In this study an in-depth investigation was carried out into the preparation and characterization of specialized electronic &lsquo / smart materials&rsquo / . In particular, the preparation and characterization of novel conducting dendrimeric star copolymers which have a central poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimer core with conducting polypyrrole (PPy) chains extending from the core was carried out. This involved, first, the preparation of a series of dendrimeric polypyrrole poly(propylene imine) star copolymers (PPI-co-PPy), using generations 1 to 4 (G1 to G4) PPI dendrimer precursors. The experimental approach involved the use of both chemical and electrochemical synthesis methods. The basic procedure involved a condensation reaction between the primary amine of a diamino functional PPI dendrimer surface and 2-pyrrole aldehyde, to afford the pyrrole functionalized PPI dendrimer (PPI-2Py). Polymerization of the intrinsically contained monomeric Py units situated within the dendrimer backbone was achieved via two distinctly different routes: the first involved chemical polymerization and the second was based on potentiodynamic oxidative electrochemical polymerization. The star copolymers were then characterized using various sophisticated analytical techniques, in-situ and ex-situ. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to determine the structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the morphology. Themogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the prepared materials. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to study the structural make-up of phases, crystallinity and amorphous content. Hall effect measurements were carried out to determine the electrical conductivity of the chemically prepared star copolymers. The PPI-co-PPy exhibited improved thermal stability compared to PPI-2Py, as confirmed by TGA. SEM results showed that the surface morphology of the functionalized dendrimer and star copolymer differed. The surface morphology of the chemically prepared star copolymers resembled that of a flaky, waxy material, compared to the ordered morphology of the electrochemically grown star copolymers, which resembled that of whelk-like helixes. In the case the electrochemically grown star copolymers, SEM images recorded at higher magnifications showed that the whelk-like helixes of the star copolymers were hollow tubes with openings at their tapered ends, and had an average base diameter of 2.0 &mu / m. X-ray diffraction analysis of the first generation star copolymer G1PPI-co-PPy revealed a broadly amorphous structure associated with PPy, and crystalline peaks for PPI. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were used to study and model the electrochemical reactivity of the star copolymer materials. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data showed that the G1PPI-co-PPy exhibited slightly higher ionic conductivity than pristine PPy in lithium perchlorate. The second generation star copolymer G2PPI-co-PPy electrochemically deposited on a platinum (Pt) electrode had a lower electrochemical charge transfer resistance compared to electrodeposited polypyrrole (PPy) on a Pt electrode, and bare Pt. The decrease in charge transfer resistance was attributed to an increase in the conjugation length of the polymer as a result of the linking of the highly conjugated PPy to the PPI dendrimer. Bode impedimetric analysis indicated that G2PPI-co-PPI was a semiconductor, with a maximum phase angle shift of 45.3&deg / at 100 MHz. The star copolymer exhibited a 2- electron electrochemistry and a surface coverage of 99%. Results of Hall effect measurements showed that the star copolymer is a semiconducting material, having a conductivity of 0.7 S cm-1, in comparison to the 1.5 S cm-1 of PPy. To the best of my knowledge, these new star copolymers have not been reported in the open literature. Their properties make them potentially applicable for use in biosensors.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / One of the most powerful aspects of conducting polymers is their ability to be nanostructured through innovative, synthetically manipulated, transformations, such as to tailor-make the polymers for specialized applications. In the exponentially increasing wide field of nanotechnology, some special attention is being paid to innovative hybrid dendrimer-core based polymeric smart materials. Star copolymers are a class of branched macromolecules having a central core with multiple linear polymer chains extending from the core. This intrinsic structural feature yields a unique 3D structure with extended conjugated linear polymer chains, resulting in star copolymers, which have higher ionic conductivities than their corresponding non-star conducting polymer counterparts. In this study an in-depth investigation was carried out into the preparation and characterization of specialized electronic smart materials. In particular, the preparation and characterization of novel conducting dendrimeric star copolymers which have a central poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimer core with conducting polypyrrole (PPy) chains extending from the core was carried out. This involved, first, the preparation of a series of dendrimeric polypyrrole poly(propylene imine) star copolymers (PPI-co-PPy), using generations 1 to 4 (G1 to G4) PPI dendrimer precursors. The experimental approach involved the use of both chemical and electrochemical synthesis methods. The basic procedure involved a condensation reaction between the primary amine of a diamino functional PPI dendrimer surface and 2-pyrrole aldehyde, to afford the pyrrole functionalized PPI dendrimer (PPI-2Py). Polymerization of the intrinsically contained monomeric Py units situated within the dendrimer backbone was achieved via two distinctly different routes: the first involved chemical polymerization and the second was based on potentiodynamic oxidative electrochemical polymerization. The star copolymers were then characterized using various sophisticated analytical techniques, in-situ and ex-situ. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to determine the structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the morphology. Themogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the prepared materials. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to study the structural make-up of phases, crystallinity and amorphous content. Hall effect measurements were carried out to determine the electrical conductivity of the chemically prepared star copolymers. The PPI-co-PPy exhibited improved thermal stability compared to PPI-2Py, as confirmed by TGA. SEM results showed that the surface morphology of the functionalized dendrimer and star copolymer differed. The surface morphology of the chemically prepared star copolymers resembled that of a flaky, waxy material, compared to the ordered morphology of the electrochemically grown star copolymers, which resembled that of whelk-like helixes. In the case the electrochemically grown star copolymers, SEM images recorded at higher magnifications showed that the whelk-like helixes of the star copolymers were hollow tubes with openings at their tapered ends, and had an average base diameter of 2.0 mu;m. X-ray diffraction analysis of the first generation star copolymer G1PPI-co-PPy revealed a broadly amorphous structure associated with PPy, and crystalline peaks for PPI. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were used to study and model the electrochemical reactivity of the star copolymer materials. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data showed that the G1PPI-co-PPy exhibited slightly higher ionic conductivity than pristine PPy in lithium perchlorate. The second generation star copolymer G2PPI-co-PPy electrochemically deposited on a platinum (Pt) electrode had a lower electrochemical charge transfer resistance compared to electrodeposited polypyrrole (PPy) on a Pt electrode, and bare Pt. The decrease in charge transfer resistance was attributed to an increase in the conjugation length of the polymer as a result of the linking of the highly conjugated PPy to the PPI dendrimer. Bode impedimetric analysis indicated that G2PPI-co-PPI was a semiconductor, with a maximum phase angle shift of 45.3&deg; at 100 MHz. The star copolymer exhibited a 2- electron electrochemistry and a surface coverage of 99%. Results of Hall effect measurements showed that the star copolymer is a semiconducting material, having a conductivity of 0.7 S cm-1, in comparison to the 1.5 S cm-1 of PPy. To the best of my knowledge, these new star copolymers have not been reported in the open literature. Their properties make them potentially applicable for use in biosensors. / South Africa

No description available.

Semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained considerable attention in recent years owing to their potential in future electronics. On the one hand, the conventional 2D semiconductors, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs (MoS2, WS2, etc.) are being exhaustively studied, on the other hand, search for novel 2D materials is at a rapid pace. In this thesis, we explore 2D materials beyond graphene and TMDCs in terms of their intrinsic electronic properties and underlying charge transport mechanisms. We introduce 2D semiconducting materials of indium selenide (InSe) and gallium selenide (GaSe), and a novel π-d conjugated Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 metal-organic framework (MOF) as potential candidates for their use as active elements in (opto)electronic applications. Owing to the air-sensitivity of InSe and GaSe, their integration into active devices has been severely constrained. Here, we report a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) based encapsulation, where 2D layers of InSe and GaSe are sandwiched between two layers of hBN; top hBN passivating the 2D layer from the environment and bottom hBN acting as a spacer and suppressing charge transfer to the 2D layer from the SiO2 substrate. To fabricate the devices from fully encapsulated InSe and GaSe layers, we employ the technique of lithography-free via-contacts, which are metal contacts embedded within hBN flakes. Based on our results, we find that full hBN encapsulation preserves InSe in its pristine form and suppresses its degradation with time. Consequently, the electronic properties of encapsulated InSe devices are significantly improved, leading to a mobility of 30–120 cm2 V−1 s−1 as compared to a mere ∼1 cm2 V−1 s−1 obtained for unencapsulated devices. In addition, encapsulated InSe devices are stable for a prolonged period of time, overcoming their limitation to be air-sensitive. On employing full hBN encapsulation to GaSe, a high photoresponsivity of 84.2 A W−1 at 405 nm is obtained. The full hBN encapsulation technique passivates the air-sensitive layers from various degrading factors and preserves their unaltered properties. In the future, this technique can be applied to other 2D materials that have been restricted so far in their fundamental study and applications due to their environmental sensitivity. MOFs are another emerging class of semiconducting 2D materials investigated in this thesis. They are hybrid materials that consist of metal ions connected with organic ligands via coordination bonds. In recent years, advances in synthetic approaches have led to the development of electrically conductive MOFs as a new generation of electronic materials. However, to date, poor mobilities and hopping-type charge transport dominant in these materials have prevented them from being considered for electronic applications. In this work, we investigate a newly developed π-d conjugated Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 (THT: 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexathioltriphenylene) MOF. The MOF films are characterized with a direct bandgap lying in the infrared (IR) region. By employing Hall-effect measurements, we demonstrate band-like transport and a record-high mobility of 230 cm2 V−1 s−1 in Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 MOF films. The temperature-dependent conductivity confirms a thermally activated charge carrier population in the samples induced by the small bandgap of the analyzed MOFs. Following these results, we demonstrate the feasibility of using this high-mobility semiconducting MOF as an active material in thin-film optoelectronic devices. The MOF photodetectors fabricated in this work are capable of detecting wavelengths from UV to NIR (400–1575 nm). The narrow IR bandgap of the active layer constrains the performance of the photodetector at room temperature by band-to-band thermal excitation of the charge carriers. At 77 K, the device performance is significantly improved; two orders of magnitude higher voltage responsivity, lower noise equivalent power, and higher specific detectivity of 7 × 10^8 cm Hz1/2 W−1 are achieved at 785 nm excitation, which is a direct consequence of suppressing the thermal generation of charge carriers across the bandgap. These figures of merit are retained over the analyzed spectral region (400–1575 nm) and are comparable to those obtained with the first demonstrations of graphene and black phosphorus based photodetectors, thus, revealing a promising application of MOFs in optoelectronics. / Zweidimensionale (2D) Halbleiter haben dank ihres Potenzials für elektronische Anwendungen in den letzten Jahren große Aufmerksamkeit erregt. Dabei werden einerseits konventionelle 2D-Materialien, wie die Übergangsmetall-Chalkogenide (TMDCs) (MoS2, WS2, usw.) intensiv erforscht. Andererseits schreitet auch die Suche nach neuen 2D-Materialien rasch voran. Diese Dissertation stellt Forschungsergebnisse zu elektrischen Eigenschaften und den zugrundeliegenden Ladungstransportmechanismen von 2D-Materialien jenseits von Graphen und TMDCs vor. Untersucht wurden die 2D-Halbleiter Indiumselenid (InSe) und Galliumselenid (GaSe), sowie eine neuartige π-d konjugierte Metallorganische Gerüstverbindung (Metal-Organic Framework, MOF) Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3. Diese Materialien sind vielversprechende Kandidaten für elektronische und optoelektronische Anwendungen. InSe und GaSe sind besonders luftempfindliche Materialien. Aus diesem Grund ist ihre Verwendung für aktive Bauteile trotz ihrer hervorragenden elektrischen Eigenschaften bis heute sehr begrenzt. In dieser Arbeit wird ein effektives Verkapselungsverfahren vorstellt, bei dem InSe- oder GaSe-2D-Schichten zwischen zwei Schichten aus hexagonalem Bornitrid (hBN) eingebettet werden. Die untere Schicht hBN isoliert das Material vom Substrat Siliziumdioxid (SiO2), während die obere Schicht das 2D-Material luftdicht isoliert. Um Bauteile aus komplett eingekapseltem InSe oder GaSe herzustellen, wurden lithographiefreie, sogenannte via-Kontakte hergestellt. Dies sind Metallkontakte, die bereits vor der Verkapselung in die hBN-Schichten integriert werden. Die hBN-Verkapselung erhält InSe in seiner ursprünglichen Form. Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich die elektronischen Eigenschaften von InSe durch Verkapselung signifikant verbessern, was zu elektrischen Mobilitäten von 30–120 cm2 V−1 s−1 gegenüber nur rund ∼1 cm2 V−1 s−1 in unverkapselten Bauteilen führt. Darüber hinaus bleiben die Eigenschaften der verkapselten InSe-Bauteile über einen langen Zeitraum erhalten und degradieren nicht mehr bei Kontakt mit Luft. Die Verkapselung von GaSe ermöglicht den Einsatz in Fotodetektoren, bei einer Wellenlänge von 405 nm wird eine Fotoempfindlichkeit von 84.2 A W−1 gemessen; auch hier bewahrt die Verkapselung die empfindlichen Schichten vor schädlichen Einflüssen und konserviert so ihre unveränderten Eigenschaften. In der Zukunft kann diese Technik auch für andere 2D-Materialien eingesetzt werden, insbesondere für solche, deren Erforschung und Anwendung durch die große Empfindlichkeit bis heute eingeschränkt ist. Darüber hinaus untersucht diese Dissertation mit Metallorganischen Gerüstverbindungen (MOFs) eine zweite Klasse halbleitender 2D-Materialien. MOFs sind hybride Materialien aus Metallionen, die mit organischen Molekülen als Verbindungselementen eine meist kristalline Struktur bilden. In den letzten Jahren haben Fortschritte in der synthetischen Herstellung zur Entwicklung von elektronisch leitfähigen MOFs geführt. Die niedrige Mobilität und der sogenannte hopping-Ladungstransport der gängigsten MOFs haben jedoch verhindert, dass diese für Anwendungen betrachtet wurden. In dieser Arbeit wird eine kürzlich neu entwickelte, π-d-konjugierte Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 (THT: 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexathioltriphenylene) MOF vorgestellt. Der MOF Film hat eine direkte Bandlücke im Infrarot(IR)-Bereich liegend. Mithilfe von Hall-Effekt-Messungen wurde gezeigt, dass der Transport in den Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 MOF Filmen mit dem Drude-Modell konsistent ist. Darüber hinaus wird eine bis jetzt nicht übertroffene Mobilität von 230 cm2 V−1 s−1 gemessen. Die Temperaturabhängigkeit der Leitfähigkeit bestätigt, dass die kleine Bandlücke zu thermisch aktivierten Ladungstragerdichten in den Proben führt. Auf Grundlage dieser Ergebnisse wird die Machbarkeit von hochmobilen halbleitenden Fe3(THT)2(NH4)3 MOFs als aktives Material in dünnen optoelektronischen Bauteilen gezeigt. Die hier vorgestellten MOF Fotodetektoren reagieren auf Wellenlängen im UV bis Nahinfrarotspektrum (400–1575 nm). Die schmale Bandlücke schränkt die Leistung des Fotodetektors bei Raumtemperatur durch thermische Band-zu-Band-Anregung der Ladungsträger ein. Bei einer Temperatur von 77 K verbessert sich die Leistung des Detektors signifikant: Bei 785 nm wird eine um zwei Größenordnungen erhöhte Spannungsempfindlichkeit, eine niedrigere äquivalente Rauschleistung sowie eine höhere spezifische Empfindlichkeit von 7 × 10^8 cm Hz1/2 W−1 erhalten. Dies ist eine direkte Konsequenz der Unterdrückung thermischer Anregung von Ladungsträgern über die Bandlücke. Diese Leistungszahlen sind über das analysierte Spektrum (400–1575 nm) gültig und vergleichbar mit den ersten Fotodetektoren auf Grundlage von Graphen und Schwarzem Phosphor. Die Ergebnisse zeigen deutlich das Potenzial von MOFs für optoelektronische Anwendungen.