Two of the main technological challenges of the century are the production of clean energy, on the one hand, and the development of new materials for electronic and spintronic applications that could increase the speed and the storage capacity of regular electronic devices, on the other hand. Organic materials, including fullerenes, organic polymers and organic molecules with metal centres are promising candidates for low-cost, flexible and clean technologies that can address these challenges. A thorough description of the electronic properties of such materials is, therefore, crucial. The interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the molecule can provide the needed insight into the electronic and vibrational levels and on possible chemical interactions. In order to explain and interpret experimentally measured spectra, a good theoretical description of the particular spectroscopy is necessary. Within density functional theory (DFT), the current thesis discusses the theoretical tools used to describe the spectroscopic properties of molecules with emphasis on two classes of organic materials for photovoltaics, molecular electronics and spintronics. Specifically, the stability of the fullerene derivative PC60BM is investigated in connection with its use as an electron acceptor in organic solar cells and the valence band electronic structure of several transition metal phthalocyanines is studied for their possible application in electronics and spintronics. The spectroscopies discussed in the current work are: the photoelectron spectroscopy of the valence band, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the core levels, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure, Infrared and Raman vibrational spectroscopies

There is a need to develop techniques for conversion of carbon dioxide to other useful products such as methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, formate, methane, and hydrocarbons. Carbon dioxide can be converted into these products using different methods such as photochemical, electrochemical, thermochemical and hydrogenation by bacteria. Formate is of interest due to its wide industrial applications which include it’s use in direct liquid fuel cells, as an additive in pyrolysis vapors, a precursor for biological fuels, and it is a key intermediate in methanogenesis breaking down complex organic compounds. In this work, conversion of carbon dioxide to formate was accomplished photochemically. The concentration of formate obtained was quantified using ion chromatography. The yield of formate, based on the amount of carbon dioxide in solution, was 1.54%, while the quantum yield was near 2.0%. Detailed studies of the photoreduction process showed that the amount of sensitizer, light intensity and pH affect the amount of formate generated.

Simple Photochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate Ovuokenye Omadoko, Department of Chemistry, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee. There is a need to develop techniques for conversion of carbon dioxide to other useful products such as methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, formate, methane, and hydrocarbons. Carbon dioxide can be converted into these products using different methods such as photochemical, electrochemical, thermochemical and hydrogenation by bacteria. Formate is of interest due to having wide industrial applications which include use in direct liquid fuel cells (DLFC’s), an additive in pyrolysis vapors, precursor for biological fuels, and is a key intermediate in methanogenesis breaking down complex organic compounds. In this work, conversion of carbon dioxide to formate was accomplished photochemically. The concentration of formate obtained was quantified using ion chromatography. The yield of formate, based on the amount of carbon dioxide in solution, was 1.54%, while the quantum yield near 1.0%. Detailed studies of the photoreduction process showed that amount of sensitizer, light intensity and pH affect the amount of formate generated.

Adsorption of monolayers and multilayers of metal-free and metal phthalocyanines molecules on metal surfaces has been investigated using complementary microscopic and synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques. It was observed by STM measurements that at monolayer coverage the adsorption direction of the metal-free phthalocyanine molecules with respect to the gold surface vary as a function of temperature, i.e. at room temperature (RT) and low temperature (LT). It was explained by the difference in strength of intermolecular and adsorbate-substrate interactions at room and low temperatures. Nature of the interaction between adsorbed species and the surfaces as a function of coverage has been further characterized by XPS measurements. Binding energy shifts as a function of coverage have been attributed to initial- and final-state effects, the latter being due to different core-hole screening for the different molecular coverage. The alignment of molecular films at both monolayer and multilayer coverages, which has been determined by XAS measurements in several cases, is also dependent upon the relative strength of molecule-molecule versus molecule-substrate interaction. Parallel alignment of the molecular film with respect to the surface is the result of significant interaction between the adsorbate and the substrate, whilst standing geometry of the molecular film is due to more significant intermolecular interactions. DFT simulations have provided further information on the nature of the adsorbate-substrate interaction as well as contribution of different molecular orbitals in XPS and XAS spectra. Moreover, investigation of alkali interaction with the phthalocyanine films revealed a significant modification in their geometric and electronic structures due to charge transfer from the alkali metal to the molecular film. However, no sign of metallization of the molecules has been observed by spectroscopic and microscopic studies.

The first part of the work is aimed to the study of changes of electrical properties of substituted phthalocyanines under the influence of humidity. Thin films were prepared by spin coating technique. During the influenece of humidity electrical conductivity increases. Sorption and desorption and the changes in electrical properties under the repated humidity exposure were investigated as well. Impedance spectroscopy was used for the studies. The second part of this work consists of optical studies and changes of optical parametrsunder the influence of different alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol) exposures. The investigated samples were prepared by vacuum evaporation a glow-discharge-induced sublimation. The changes of optical reflectances of the films upon exposure to alcoholvapour-containg atmospheres were studied as a function of alcohol concetration and exposure time.

Orientador: Yoshitaka Gushikem / Texto em inglês / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T20:29:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rahim_Abdur_D.pdf: 2383649 bytes, checksum: 98658562d78717c6e16d2a66e1d8cfa6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Este trabalho descreve as sínteses, caracterizações e as aplicações dos materiais carbono cerâmicos mesoporosos identificados como: SiO2/20wt%C (SBET= 160 mg) e SiO2/50wt%C (SBET= 170 mg), em que C corresponde ao carbono grafite. Tais materiais foram preparados através do método sol-gel e empregados como matrizes para o desenvolvimento de sensores e biosensores eletroquímicos. Imagens obtidas através da microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) acoplada com a espectrosocopia de energia dispersiva (EDS) mostraram que, com relação as resoluções utilizadas, não foram detectadas segregação de fases. Os materiais que contem 20 e 50 wt% de C apresentaram condutividades elétricas de 9,2 x 10 S cm e 0,49 S cm, respectivamente. Esses materiais foram utilizados como matrizes para suportar ftalocianinas de: cobalto (CoPc), cobre (CuPc) e manganês (MnPc), as quais foram preparadas in situ ao longo de suas superfícies de forma que fosse assegurada dispersão homogênea dos complexos eletroativos nos poros das matrizes. As densidades superficiais da ftalocianina de cobalto em ambas as superfícies da matriz foram: 0,014 mol cm e 0,015 mol cm, para os materiais contendo 20 e 50 % m/m de C, respectivamente. Foram empregados como eletrodos de trabalho pastilhas preparadas a partir dos eletrodos carbono cerâmicos, considerando-se os seguintes materiais: SiO2/C/CoPc, SiO2/C/CuPc e SiO2/C/MnPc. A técnica de XPS foi usada para determinar as proporções de Mn/Si atómicos dos materiais MnPc modificados. O material SiO2/C/CoPc foi testado como um sensor de ácido oxálico e de oxigenio, e os materiais e SiO2/C/CuPc e SiO2/C/MnPc foram testados como sensores para a dopamina e nitrito, respectivamente. Esses materiais tem se mostrado como alternativas promissoras para o desenvolvimento de sensores eletroquímicos e de biosensores, atuando como substratos robustos e versáteis para a construção de novos eletrodos carbono cerâmicos. / Abstract: This work describes the synthesis, characterization and applications of mesoporous carbon ceramic materials identified as: SiO2/20wt%C (SBET = 160 mg) and SiO2/50wt%C (SBET= 170 mg), where C represents the carbon graphite. These materials were prepared by the sol-gel method and used as support for the development of electrochemical sensors and biosensors. Images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed that, within the magnification used, no phase segregation was detectable. The materials containing 20 and 50 wt% of C presented electric conductivities of 9.2×10and 0.49 S cm, respectively. These materials were used as matrices to support manganese phthalocyanines (MnPc), cobalt phthalocyanines (CoPc), and copper phthalocyanines (CuPc), prepared in situ on their surfaces, to assure homogeneous dispersion of the electroactive complex in the pores of matrices. The surface densities of cobalt phthalocyanine on both matrix surfaces were: 0.014 mol cm and 0.015 mol cm, for materials containing 20 and 50% wt% of C, respectively. The pressed disk carbon ceramic electrode: SiO2/C/MnPc, SiO2/C/CoPc, and SiO2/C/CuPc were used as working electrode. XPS was used to determine the Mn/Si atomic ratios of the MnPc-modified materials. The material SiO2/C/CoPc was tested as a sensor for oxalic acid and oxygen and the materials SiO2/C/CuPc and SiO2/C/MnPc were tested as sensors for dopamine and nitrite, respectively. These materials have shown to be promising alternative in the development of electrochemical sensors and biosensor, acting as a robust and versatile conducting substrate for the construction of new carbon ceramic electrodes. / Doutorado / Quimica Inorganica / Doutor em Ciências