Este trabalho descreve o estudo de preparação dos filmes de polianilina, Pani, depositados pelo método de polimerização in-situ para serem utilizados em dispositivos poliméricos emissores de luz (PLEDs) e em sensores químicos e de flexão mecânica. É descrita a síntese química da Pani, a produção de filmes pelo método de polimerização in-situ, o estudo do seu crescimento usando a espectroscopia de UV-Vis e as características morfológicsa da superfície pela técnica de varredura de AFM. Filmes de Pani depositados pela técnica in-situ sobre eletrodos interdigitados foram caracterizados através de medidas de condutividade elétrica contínua e alternada em função da temperatura e da dopagem do material. Os resultados elétricos obtidos, típicos de sistemas sólidos desordenados, foram interpretados usando o modelo de condução de Dyre. Investigou-se o uso de filmes finos de Pani como camada injetora de portadores de carga em PLEDs para diferentes métodos de conversão do precursor poli(xilideno tetrahidrotiofeno), PTHT, em poli(-fenileno vinileno), PPV. Mostrou-se que a camada de Pani pode ser usada como janela transparente da emissão luminosa do PPV, o que diminui a tensão de operação do PLED e protege o eletrodo de ITO contra a corrosão durante o processo de conversão. São mostrados estudos exploratórios de sensores de Pani depositados sobre o substrato de poli (tereftalato de etileno) (PET) para aplicação em dispositivos para medidas de pH de solução e de flexão mecânica. / This work shows the study of Pani film prepared by the in-situ deposition technique aiming its use im polymeric light emission diodes (PLEDs) and in chemical sensors and of flection mechanics. The sysnthesis of the Pani, the production of films by the in-situ method, the film growth probed by UV-Vis spectroscopy and its surface morphology characteristics probed by the scanning AFM microscope are presented. Such in-situ films were deposited on the top of interdigitated electrodes and characterized usign ac and dc conductivity measurements as function of temperature and of the material doping level. The electric results were typical of non ordered materials and interpreted using the Dyre´s conduction model. It was investigated the use of Pani films as carrier layer injection in PLEDs employing different of conversion of poly(xylylidene tetrahydrothiophenium), PTHT, in to poly(-phenylene vinylene), PPV. It was showed that the Pani film act as a transparent window for the PPV light emission, the onset voltage of the PLED decreased and the Pani layers protects the ITO electrode against the corrosion during the conversion of the PTHT in to PPV. Exploratory studies were also performed using the Pani layer deposited on the top of a poly (ethylene terephtalate) substrate aiming its application for measuring the pH of a solution and as mechanical bending sensor.

Orientadores: Marcos José Salvador, Inés Joekes / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T13:48:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pavani_Matheus_M.pdf: 3408518 bytes, checksum: bdb62efa906a9a04de3a371f12ecd0f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: A fragrância de um produto cosmético é um aspecto importante para determinar seu desempenho. É crescente o emprego de produtos naturais, bem como de fragrâncias encapsuladas na indústria cosmética. Entretanto, há escassos estudos descrevendo o perfil de liberação de fragrâncias a partir de matrizes complexas, muito menos a partir de cabelos. Este trabalho investigou a interação de uma fragrância livre ou encapsulada em cabelos virgens caucasianos. Óleo essencial de capim-limão (Cymbopogon citratus DC. Stapf), livre ou encapsulado, foi empregado como fragrância em formulações de xampu e condicionador sem enxágue. O processo de encapsulação deu-se por meio de polimerização in situ da resina de melamina-formaldeído, variando-se parâmetros reacionais como velocidade de agitação, acidificação do meio e teor de óleo essencial. Os perfis de liberação da fragrância proveniente de mechas de cabelo, tratadas com as formulações obtidas, foram tomados ao longo do tempo (0 a 12 h), com amostragem por microextração em fase sólida (SPME) e análise por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG-MS). A liberação das substâncias da fragrância na forma livre variou em função do tipo de formulação cosmética (xampú ou condicionador sem enxágue). Neste caso, a persistência delas na fibra capilar se correlacionaou com seus valores de coeficiente de partição óleo-água (logP). Micropartículas esféricas (dH = 9 ± 1 µm) e rendimento de processo de 86 % foram obtidos com decaimento lento de pH aliado a agitação vigorosa durante a reação de formação. Estas partículas promoveram liberação sustentada para os constituintes linalol e citral (12 e 2 vezes mais duradoura em relação à forma livre, respectivamente), mostrando um aumento da persistência da fragrância encapsulada quando inserida em formulação sem enxágue, e modificando as forças de interação cabelo¿fragrância / Abstract: Fragrance plays an important role in the performance of a cosmetic formulation. The use of natural products in the cosmetic industry as well as encapsulated fragrances is growing. However, there are few studies describing the release profile of fragrances from complex matrices, much less from Human hair. This work investigates the interaction of a fragrance composition (free or encapsulated) with un-treated Caucasian hair. Lemongrass essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus DC. Stapf) was employed as fragrance in rinse-off shampoo or leave-on formulations. Encapsulation was performed by in situ polymerization of melamine and formaldehyde monomers, changing reaction parameters such as stirring rate, pH decay, and essential oil content. Fragrance release profiles from the hair tresses treated with the abovementioned formulations were acquired over the time (0 to 12 h) with a solid phase microextraction (SPME) device, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The release of free form fragrance constituents depended on the type of cosmetic formulation (shampoo or leave-on), but its persistence on hair fiber was correlated with its oil-water partition coefficient (logP) value in both cases. Spherical microparticles (dH = 9 ± 1 µm) and 86 % yield were obtained with slow pH decay combined with vigorous stirring during the encapsulation process. Sustained release of the fragrant components linalool and citral (12 times and twice longer-lasting compared to the free form, respectively) was found, showing an increased persistence of the encapsulated fragrance when inserted in the leave-on formulation and changing perfume¿hair interaction / Mestrado / Fármacos, Medicamentos e Insumos para Saúde / Mestre em Biociências e Tecnologia de Produtos Bioativos

Bearing in mind environmental concerns and global trends in ecology, biodegradable polyesters have gained enormous attention as alternative to non-biodegradable, commercial polymers used mainly in packaging industry contributing to the worldwide environment pollution. However, substitution of conventional polymers with biodegradable polyesters is limited due to their inferior mechanical and barrier properties, which can be improved by the introduction of relatively small content of non-toxic nanofillers. Nevertheless, environmental pollution is not only affected by material itself, but also manufacturing and processing sector in terms of energy sustainability. In case of the latter, low energetic processes are nowadays preferential. Thus, using microwave irradiation as the more efficient energy source, which can lead to shortening of process time, has become currently investigated subject. In this thesis, microwave-assisted in-situ synthesis of biodegradable nanocomposites based on polycaprolactone and non-toxic clay nanoparticles (layered double hydroxides) was studied and described in detail in four subsections (4.1-4.4). The first subsection (4.1) describes one-pot synthesis of Mg2+ /Al3+ layered double hydroxides functionalized with highly microwave-absorbing ionic liquids. In order to improve...

Le développement de nouveaux capteurs, transducteurs et de dispositifs intégrés optoélectroniques et piézo-électriques nécessite l'élaboration de nouveaux matériaux avec des propriétés mécaniques, optiques et électriques couplées. Dans cette perspective, les nanocomposites à base de nanocristaux inorganiques non centrosymétriques dispersés dans une matrice polymère peuvent donner à la fois des propriétés piézoélectriques et optiques non-linéaires. Cependant, la dispersion et l’orientation des nanocristaux dans la matrice sont primordiales si on souhaite un comportement collectif des nanocristaux individuels et des propriétés résultantes significatives. Dans ce travail, nous avons utilisé des cristaux d’iodate de fer (Fe(IO3)3) comme nano-charges inorganiques et le PMMA/ PTMPTA comme matrice polymère. La réponse optique non-linéaire du Fe(IO3)3 est comparable à celle des cristaux les plus efficaces tels que BaB2O4 et LiNbO3. Le comportement piézoélectrique du matériau massif n’étant pas référencé, sa structure cristalline laisse toutefois envisager des propriétés piézoélectriques intéressantes. Par ailleurs, la matrice polymère a été choisie pour sa simplicité d'utilisation et de production, son coût relativement faible, sa versatilité et sa facilité de mise en forme. Les nanocomposites peuvent être élaborés par deux voix différentes : la première consiste à disperser mécaniquement des nanocristaux fonctionnalisés dans un polymère ou dans un solvant de polymère approprié et la deuxième concerne la polymérisation in-situ de microémulsions composées du monomère liquide. Les synthèses en microémulsions inverses ont été privilégiées pour d’une part élaborer des nanocristaux d’iodate de fer de taille et de forme contrôlées puis, d’autre part, photo-polymériser des couches minces déposées à la tournette. Un aspect très original de ce travail consiste en l’utilisation de la Diffusion Hyper-Rayleigh pour étudier in-situ les cinétiques de cristallisation des particules d’iodate de fer en fonction des conditions expérimentales de synthèse à savoir, la température et la composition des microémulsions. Cette technique qui consiste à détecter les réponses optiques non-linéaires des suspensions de nanoparticules en microémulsions a été combinée avec d’autres méthodes expérimentales plus classiques comme la diffraction des rayons X, la diffusion dynamique de la lumière et la microscopie électronique en transmission. Cela a permis d’élucider les mécanismes de croissance des nanocristaux d’iodate de fer en microémulsions inverses. Par la suite, des couches minces nanocomposites ont été préparées après orientation sous champs électriques des nanocristaux polaires dispersés dans le MMA. Les caractérisations mécaniques, optiques non linaires et piézoélectriques de ces couches sont encourageantes. / The development of new sensors, transducers and integrated optoelectronic and piezoelectric devices requires the preparation of new materials that link mechanical, optical and electrical properties. In this perspective, it is expected that nanocomposite materials with inclusions of acentric inorganic nanocrystals in a polymer matrix will give rise to both piezoelectric and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. Dispersion and orientation of nanocrystals in the polymer matrix are however crucial to obtain a collective response of individual nanocrystals and significant resultant properties. In this work, iron iodate (Fe(IO3)3) nanocrystals were used as nanofillers of a PMMA / PTMPTA polymer matrix. The nonlinear optical response of Fe(IO3)3 is comparable to the most effective NLO crystals such as LiNbO3 and BaB2O4. Good piezoelectric properties are also expected due to the material crystalline structure. Moreover, the polymer matrix was chosen for its ease of use and production, its relatively low cost, versatility and ease in shaping. Elaboration of nanocomposites is usually based on two different experimental procedures: mechanical dispersion of functionalized nanocrystals in a suitable polymer or polymer solvent is a first route whereas in-situ polymerization of reverse microemulsions for which a liquid monomer is the oil phase is the second one. Water-in-Oil (W/O) microemulsions were preferred in order to control the size and shape of as-obtained iron iodate nanocrystals and then to polymerize spin-coated thin films. A very original aspect of this work is the implementation of the Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering technique to probe in-situ the crystallization kinetics of iron iodate nanoparticles according to the experimental conditions (synthesis temperature and microemulsions composition). Detection of the second-harmonic scattered light combined with more conventional experimental techniques such as X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and Transmission Electron Microscopy allowed us to understand the growth mechanisms of iron iodate naocrystals in W/O microemulsions. Nanocomposite thin films were then spin-coated after electric fields orientation of dispersed polar nanocrystals in MMA.

Les biocapteurs sont des moyens d'analyse en plein essor à la fois rapides, sélectifs et peu coûteux, applicables à des domaines très variés (environnement, santé, agroalimentaire…). La capacité de reconnaissance moléculaire extraordinaire de biomolécules telles que les enzymes ou les anticorps a été exploitée avec succès pour la réalisation de nombreux biocapteurs. Cependant, l'inconvénient majeur de ces récepteurs biologiques est qu'ils sont difficiles à produire et fragiles. Une manière de surmonter ces inconvénients consiste à les remplacer par des récepteurs artificiels présentant des propriétés de reconnaissance similaires. Parmi les matériaux biomimétiques prometteurs figurent les polymères à empreintes moléculaires (MIPs). Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés au développement de deux capteurs biomimétiques impédimétriques, le premier basé sur l'utilisation de poly(éthylène co-alcool vinylique) imprimé pour la détection de la créatinine et le deuxième sur des MIPs de polyméthacrylate pour la détection de la testostérone. Dans le premier cas, le polymère imprimé a été produit et déposé à la surface d'électrodes en or, soit par drop-coating, soit sous forme de nanofibres par la technique d'électrofilage. Dans le deuxième, le MIP a été synthétisé par polymérisation radicalaire de l'acide méthacrylique en présence d'éthylèneglycol diméthacrylate (réticulant), d'initiateur et de testostérone en utilisant la méthode du « grafting from » qui consiste à greffer d'abord l'initiateur sur la surface du transducteur mais pour la polymérisation on a utilisé deux approches (spin-coating d'une solution de prépolymérisation sur la surface du transducteur ou l'immersion de ce dernier dans la solution de monomère plus testostérone) suivie de l'exposition à une source d'energie pour effectuer la polymérisation. Les performances des capteurs (limite de détection, sélectivité, reproductibilité) ont ensuite été évaluées / Biosensors are rapid, selective and low-cost analytical devices of growing interest for a wide range of application fields (e.g. environment, food, health). The extraordinary molecular recognition capabilities of sensing biomolecules such as enzymes and antibodies have been successfully exploited in the elaboration of a number of biosensors. However, these biorecognition elements are often produced via complex and costful protocols and require specific handling conditions because of their poor stability. To circumvent these limitations, artificial receptors of similar recognition properties are now proposed as alternatives to natural receptors in sensor technology. Molecular imprinted polymers are among the most promising biomimetic materials reported. In this work, we developed two impedimetric biomimetic sensors. The first one is based on imprinted poly(ethylene co-vinyl alcohol) for creatinine detection and the second on polymethacrylate MIPs for testosterone analysis. In the first case, MIP was produced and deposited onto gold microelectrodes, either by spin-coating of a pre-polymerization solution, or by electrospinning. In the second case, MIPs were synthetized by photopolymerization of methacrylic acid in presence of ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (cross-linker), an azo-initiator and testosterone as template using the “grafting from” method in which the initiator is first attached to the transducer surface but to effect polymerization we used two different approaches (dip-coating of a prepolymerization solution on the transducer surface functionalized with the initiator or immersing it in the solution of monomers and testosterone) followed by exposure to an energy source to effect polymerization. Then, analytical performances (linear range, detection limit, selectivity and reproducibility) of both creatinine and testosterone sensors were determined and compared

The research goal of this work was dedicated to improvement of the properties and enhancement of the application potential of commodity polymer based on polyolefins by choosing different synthesis routes to create new structures and materials. More precisely, the presented study explores different aspects of metallocene and post-metallocene catalyzed olefin polymerization leading to synthesis of novel copolymers and nanocomposites. The first part of this thesis deals with controlled polymerization of α-olefins catalyzed by post-metallocenes. Bis(phenoxyamine) zirconium complexes with [ONNO]-type ligands bearing cumyl (bPA-c) and 1-adamantyl (bPA-a) ortho-substituents were applied. For the polymerization catalyzed by bPA catalyst quasi-living kinetic character is proposed. The bPA catalyst was applied for synthesis of block copolymers by employing the strategy of sequential monomer addition. The blocky structure of the copolymer was successfully achieved and confirmed by NMR techniques. Moreover, the monomodal distribution of molar mass in SEC chromatogram confirmed the absence of homopolymers. In the second part of the work new defined comb-like copolymers (CLC) having a poly(10-undecene-1-ol) (PUol) backbone and densely grafted poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) side chains are presented. These copolymers were synthesized in two steps by means of metallocene polymerization followed by ring opening polymerization. Copolymers with varied and adjustable graft length (PCL segments) were synthesized. It was proved that the melting and crystallization temperatures of the CLC correlate with the PCL side chain length, i.e. longer chains result in higher Tm and Tc,o values. The melting enthalpy was found to be asymptotically dependent on the length of PCL side chains. The bulk morphology of the comb-like copolymers is proposed to be lamellar as judged from the TEM micrographs. The third part of the thesis is focused on the synthesis of polypropylene nanocomposites via in situ polymerization. Thereby, organomodified aluminumphosphate with kanemite-type layered structure (AlPO-kan) has been used as novel filler. Melt compounding composites were prepared for comparison purposes to evaluate the influence of in situ synthesis on the dispersion quality of the filler in polymer matrix. Melt compounding of neat AlPO-kan with PP did not lead to formation of nanocomposites. TEM images show macro-composites with the lamellar solid remaining agglomerated. On the contrary, in situ polymerization of propene yielded materials with exfoliated nanocomposite morphology. In XRD, diffractions of the AlPO-kan pilling of layers are not detectable. It can be concluded that the primary existing layers are delaminated. Very fine distribution of the filler in the polypropylene matrix has been impressively demonstrated by TEM.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a modern analytical technique, which is electrokinetic separation generated by high voltage and taken place inside the small capillaries. In this dissertation, several advanced capillary electrophoresis methods are presented using different approaches of CE and UV and mass spectrometry are utilized as the detection methods. Capillary electrochromatography (CEC), as one of the CE modes, is a recent developed technique which is a hybrid of capillary electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Capillary electrochromatography exhibits advantages of both techniques. In Chapter 2, monolithic capillary column are fabricated using in situ photoinitiation polymerization method. The column was then applied for the separation of six antidepressant compounds. Meanwhile, a simple chiral separation method is developed and presented in Chapter 3. Beta cycodextrin was utilized to achieve the goal of chiral separation. Not only twelve cathinone analytes were separated, but also isomers of several analytes were enantiomerically separated. To better understand the molecular information on the analytes, the TOF-MS system was coupled with the CE. A sheath liquid and a partial filling technique (PFT) were employed to reduce the contamination of MS ionization source. Accurate molecular information was obtained. It is necessary to propose, develop, and optimize new techniques that are suitable for trace-level analysis of samples in forensic, pharmaceutical, and environmental applications. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was selected for this task, as it requires lower amounts of samples, it simplifies sample preparation, and it has the flexibility to perform separations of neutral and charged molecules as well as enantiomers. Overall, the study demonstrates the versatility of capillary electrophoresis methods in forensic, pharmaceutical, and environmental applications.

L'objectif de la thèse a été d'explorer différentes voies de dispersion de charges graphitiques dans des élastomères de type polyisoprène dans le but d'améliorer les propriétés mécaniques et barrière. Pour augmenter les interactions entre le graphite et l'élastomère et donc diminuer les interactions entre charges, les charges graphitiques ont été modifiées chimiquement. Le graphite a été préalablement oxydé pour obtenir du graphite oxydé (GO) contenant des groupements époxyde, hydroxyle et acide carboxylique, susceptibles de servir comme sites d'ancrage de molécules et de chaînes polymères. Afin d'améliorer la compatibilité du GO avec la matrice polyisoprène, des amines et des alkoxysilanes ainsi que des chaînes polyisoprène ont été greffées sur le GO. Des taux de greffage variant de 4 à 50 % en poids ont été obtenus selon la technique de fonctionnalisation utilisée. Une expansion thermique du GO a aussi été étudiée et a conduit à la formation d'une structure graphitique poreuse. Des composites polyisoprène contenant 15 pce de ces charges graphitiques modifiées ont ensuite été préparés et ont montré une diminution de la perméabilité à l'air (-70 % pour les composites graphite traité thermiquement, par rapport à ceux chargés uniquement en noir de carbone) ainsi qu'une amélioration des propriétés mécaniques. Enfin, l'utilisation de liquides ioniques comme agents dispersants a été étudiée. Des composites caoutchouc-graphite avec 1 % en poids de liquides ioniques ont montré un renforcement plus élevé (+ 25 % pour la contrainte à 300 % d'élongation) tout en conservant un allongement à la rupture similaire par rapport à des composites contenant uniquement du noir de carbone / The aim of this study was the investigation of various dispersion methods for graphite-based fillers in elastomers such as polyisoprene, to enhance mechanical and barrier properties. To increase graphite-rubber interactions and so decrease filler-filler aggregation, graphite-based fillers have been chemically modified. Graphite was previously oxidized into graphite oxide (GO), bearing epoxide, hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups, which could further act as anchor sites for molecules and polymer chains. To increase the compatibility between GO and the polymeric matrix, amines and alkoxysilanes, as well as polymer chains, were grafted on GO. Grafting contents between 4-50 wt% were obtained, depending on the functionalization technique which was used. A thermal modification path of GO was also investigated and led to the formation of porous graphite structure. Polyisoprene composites containing 15 phr of these graphite-based fillers were prepared and showed decreased air permeability (-70 % for composites containing thermally-treated graphite filler, as compared to those containing carbon black only) as well as enhanced tensile properties. Finally, the use of ionic liquids as dispersing agents was investigated. Natural rubber – graphite composites with 1 wt% of ionic liquid displayed enhanced reinforcement (+ 25 % for the stress at 300 % strain) while maintaining similar strain at break to composites containing carbon black only

Dans ce travail de thèse, des mélanges réactifs de polymères thermoplastiques immiscibles PMMA,PE et PS ont été réalisés dans un mélangeur (RMX®) qui génère principalement des écoulements élongationnels connus pour leurs pouvoirs distributifs et dispersifs même lorsque les composants ont une différence de viscosité importante. La polymérisation in-situ du styrène a été conduite par auto-polymérisation thermique et grâce à des amorceurs radicalaires. Différentes méthodes de préparations et paramètres de mélanges ont été testés puis évalués par l’analyse d’images de microscopie électronique. Les plus petits nodules de PS que nous avons obtenus ont un rayon moyen de l’ordre de 50 nm. Des mélanges binaires 90/10 à base de PS ou PE et d’un thermodur polyépoxyde (MDEA/DGEBA) ont également été réalisés. Les nodules sphériques les plus petits que nous avons obtenus ont un rayon moyen de l’ordre de 65 nm. / In this work, binary and ternary reactive blends based on immiscible thermoplastic polymers PMMA,PE and PS were realized. The in-situ polymerization of the styrene, precursor of PS, was led by thermal self-polymerization or still thanks to radical initiator. Blends were realized in a mixer named RMX who generates mainly extensional flows known for their distributive and dispersive skill even if components have an important viscosity difference. Various methods of preparation and parameters of mixtures were tested. Morphology was evaluated by the analysis of electronic microscopy images.The average radiuses of the dispersed PS phase were compared with those observed in the literature. The smallest that we obtained have an average radius of 50 nm. Binary mixtures 90/10 %m with PS or PE and with a thermodur polyepoxide (MDEA/DGEBA) were also realized. The smallest spherical nodules that we obtained have an average radius of the order of 65 nm.

In-situ polymerization is one of the most efficient methods for production of polymer clay nanocomposites. In-situ polymerization of olefins using coordination catalysts is a type of heterogeneous polymerization. In order to achieve acceptable clay nanolayer dispersion in the polyolefin matrix, the clay layer exfoliation and particle break up during the polymerization are essential requirements. A literature review on polyolefin/clay nanocomposite is given in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, we present a new mathematical model, which is as an extension of the multigrain model (MGM), to describe the intercalative polymerization and expansion of clay interlayer spaces during polymerization using clay-supported metallocenes. The results from the model show that, under the studied conditions, mass transfer is not a strong factor controlling clay exfoliation and particle break up. If the polymerization active sites are supported uniformly on all clay surfaces, effective exfoliation will be achieved after a relative short polymerization time. In practice, obtaining good dispersion of clay nanolayers with uniform properties requires that the active sites be exclusively located on the clay nanolayer surfaces, and not extracted by the solvent to form a homogeneous solution. Factors favouring active site extraction would result in nanocomposites with poor properties. In addition, high polymerization activities, stable polymerization runs, and ease of supporting are other criteria for a successful in-situ polymerization. For this purpose we established a catalyst supporting method by which most of these requirements were met. In this method, the water content on the clay surface, which is considered as poison for the metallocene catalyst, was used to produce MAO upon reaction with trimethylaluminum (TMA). Using this method, polymerization was highly active in absence of MAO cocatalyst, knowing that MAO cocatalyst promotes active site extraction from the clay surface and results in poor powder morphology. Chapter 4 describes the development of this supporting methodology. Chapter 4 also investigates the effect of the organic modification type existing on the clay surface on the success of catalyst supporting and in-situ polymerization. We found that using the proposed supporting procedure, only tertiary ammonium type modification enhanced the in-situ polymerization, whereas the quaternary ammonium worsened the catalyst supporting efficiency and led to catalyst with poor or no polymerization activity. It is suggested that, in addition to enhancing clay surface-organic solvent compatibility (which facilitates catalyst supporting), the tertiary ammonium cation reacts with the in-situ produced MAO and increases the stability of the cocatalyst bonded to the clay surface. The effect of different polymerization conditions on the polymerization behavior and nanocomposite structural properties, such as catalyst loading during supporting, polymerization temperature and triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) concentration, were studied in Chapter 5. It was found that TIBA acts merely as scavenger. High polymerization activities were obtained with low Al/Zr ratios (Al from TIBA) and increased Al concentration decreased the polymerization activity and also the quality of powder morphology. Catalyst loading in the supporting step showed to have an important role in determining the final properties. The clay particles with higher catalyst loading resulted in better exfoliation and powder morphologies The effect of solvent type during catalyst supporting and polymerization was studied in Chapter 6. It was shown that catalyst supporting in n-hexane resulted in polymerizations with higher activities and polymers with higher molecular weight were produced. Polymerization with catalyst supported in hexane showed different ethylene uptake profiles, suggesting different mechanism of exfoliation. It is suggested that using this catalyst, the clay is mostly exfoliated before polymerization started. Similar to the original clay, the catalyst supporting efficiency on the organically modified clay was close to 100 percent. However, comparing the polymerization activities of these catalysts to those that were supported directly in the reactor just before the polymerization (in-reactor, or in-situ, supported catalysts) shows that a considerable fraction of the active sites are deactivated during the prolonged contact between catalyst and clay support surface. In Chapter 5, it was shown that the in-reactor supported catalyst had considerably higher polymerization activities, up to 40 percent of that of the homogeneous catalyst. Nanocomposites made with in-reactor supported catalysts had powder morphology and nanaolayer dispersion comparable to those made with clay-supported catalysts.