The objective of this project was to apply machine learning methods to determine protein secondary structure content and protein fold class from ROA and Raman vibrational spectral data. Raman and ROA are sensitive to biomolecular structure with the bands of each spectra corresponding to structural elements in proteins and when combined give a fingerprint of the protein. However, there are many bands of which little is known. There is a need, therefore, to find ways of extrapolating information from spectral bands and investigate which regions of the spectra contain the most useful structural information. Support Vector Machines (SVM) classification and Random Forests (RF) trees classification were used to mine protein fold class information and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to determine secondary structure content of proteins. The classification methods were used to group proteins into α-helix, β-sheet, α/β and disordered fold classes. The PLS regression was used to determine percentage protein structural content from Raman and ROA spectral data. The analyses were performed on spectral bin widths of 10cm-1 and on the spectral amide regions I, II and III. The full spectra and different combinations of the amide regions were also analysed. The SVM analyses, classification and regression, generally did not perform well. SVM classification models for example, had low Matthew Correlation Coefficient (MCC) values below 0.5 but this is better than a negative value which would indicate a random chance prediction. The SVM regression analyses also showed very poor performances with average R2 values below 0.5. R2 is the Pearson's correlations coefficient and shows how well predicted and observed structural content values correlate. An R2 value 1 indicates a good correlation and therefore a good prediction model. The Partial Least Squares regression analyses yielded much improved results with very high accuracies. Analyses of full spectrum and the spectral amide regions produced high R2 values of 0.8-0.9 for both ROA and Raman spectral data. This high accuracy was also seen in the analysis of the 850-1100 cm-1 backbone region for both ROA and Raman spectra which indicates that this region could have an important contribution to protein structure analysis. 2nd derivative Raman spectra PLS regression analysis showed very improved performance with high accuracy R2 values of 0.81-0.97. The Random Forest algorithm used here for classification showed good performance. The 2-dimensional plots used to visualise the classification clusters showed clear clusters in some analyses, for example tighter clustering was observed for amide I, amide I & III and amide I & II & III spectral regions than for amide II, amide III and amide II&III spectra analysis. The Random Forest algorithm also determines variable importance which showed spectral bins were crucial in the classification decisions. The ROA Random Forest analyses performed generally better than Raman Random Forest analyses. ROA Random Forest analyses showed 75% as the highest percentage of correctly classified proteins while Raman analyses reported 50% as the highest percentage. The analyses presented in this thesis have shown that Raman and ROA vibrational spectral contains information about protein secondary structure and these data can be extracted using mathematical methods such as the machine learning techniques presented here. The machine learning methods applied in this project were used to mine information about protein secondary structure and the work presented here demonstrated that these techniques are useful and could be powerful tools in the determination protein structure from spectral data.

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is an alternative material that has been widely studied to enhance the mechanical properties of a polymer matrix due to a number of perceived advantages over traditional plant fibre forms. Mechanical properties of MFC networks were found to depend on parameters such as the modulus of fibrils, bonding strength, porosity, degree of crystallinity, contact area of fibrils and possibly the modulus of the cellulose crystals of the raw materials (cellulose I or II). Even though the longer processing time used to produce MFC was found to yield networks with fewer fibre aggregates, finer fibrils and higher density, some properties, for instance thermal stability and degree of crystallinity, decreased due to the degradation of fibrils caused by the harsh treatment. The aims of this thesis were to assess the mechanical properties and interfaces of composites produced using of a range of MFC materials, prepared using different treatments and from different sources. Raman spectroscopy has been used to detect the molecular orientation of cellulose chains within an MFC network, and to monitor the deformation micromechanics of MFC networks. The Raman band initially located at ~1095 cm-1 obtained from MFC networks was observed to shift towards a lower wavenumber position upon the application of tensile deformation. The intensity of this band as a function of rotation angle of MFC networks was similar, indicating randomly oriented networks of fibrils. From the Raman band shift rate data, the effective moduli of MFC single fibrils produced from pulp were estimated to be in the range of 29-41 GPa. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with MFC networks were prepared using compression moulding. Enhanced mechanical properties of MFC reinforced composites were reported, compared to neat PLA films. The mechanical properties of these composites were found to mainly depend on the interaction of the PLA matrix and the reinforcement phase. The mechanical properties of the composites reinforced with dense networks were shown to be dominated by the network properties (fibril-fibril interactions), while matrix-fibril interactions played a major role where more opened networks were used to reinforce a polymer matrix. The penetration of the matrix into the network was found to depend on the pore sizes, fibre width and porosity within the network. It was found that the matrix easily penetrates into the network with a range of mean fibril dimensions, rather than for networks with only fine fibrils present. The stress-transfer process in MFC reinforced PLA composites was monitored using Raman spectroscopy. Greater Raman band shift rates with respect to tensile deformation for the composites were observed compared to pure MFC networks. This indicates that stress is transferred from the PLA matrix to MFC fibrils, supporting the enhancement of the mechanical properties of the composites.

Ce travail est peut être séparé en deux parties. Dans la première, nous rapportons l'étude menée sur un composé modèle d'hydroxyde de Nickel. La caractérisation de ce composé par diffraction X montre qu'il possède une cristallinité supérieure aux hydroxydes de nickel habituellement utilisés. L'observation au microscope électronique à balayage révèle que la poudre est constituée de grains hexagonaux, de dimension supérieure au micromètre, formés de monocristaux, eux aussi hexagonaux, empilés de façon très ordonnée. Les mesures électrochimiques montrent quant à elles que les composés modèles présentent des propriétés redox intéressantes. La morphologie très particulière de ce composé confère à cet hydroxyde de nickel un comportement de type monocristal en spectroscopie Raman. Des mesures in-situ, couplant voltamétrie cyclique et spectroscopie Raman, réalisées sur ce composé modèle, ont donc été mises en place. Les premiers résultats montrent que ces expériences pourraient nous aider à améliorer notre compréhension des mécanismes redox fondamentaux mis en jeu.Dans la deuxième partie, nous étudions le comportement électrochimique d'une électrode de nickel lorsque l'électrolyte (i.e. KOH 7N) est saturé en zinc. Des électrodes de type industriel ont été préparées à partir d'un hydroxyde de Nickel standard et non dopé, puis cyclées en condition galvanostatique. Les échantillons ainsi obtenus ont ensuite été caractérisés par MEB, DRX, IR et EXAFS. Cette dernière technique qui s'est avérée être la plus appropriée pour l'analyse de ces matériaux d'électrodes très hétérogènes nous a ainsi permis d'apporter des réponses pertinentes sur l'insertion du zinc dans la structure cristalline de Ni(OH)2. / This work may be separated in two parts. First, we report the study of a model compound of nickel hydroxide. X-ray diffraction shows that this compound has a better crystallinity than the standard nickel hydroxides used in commercial battery. Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed that the powder of this model hydroxide is composed of hexagonal grains whose dimension is larger than micrometer and who are formed of single-crystals, also hexagonal, stacked in a well ordered way. The electrochemical measurements show that this nickel hydroxide exhibit interesting redox properties. The particular morphology of the compound gives single-crystal type behavior in Raman spectroscopy. Therefore, in-situ measurements combining electrochemical measurements and Raman spectroscopy, performed on a single microscopic hexagonal plate, are proposed. Preliminary results emphasize that this experiment may help us to improve our understanding of the fundamental redox mechanism taking place in nickel hydroxide.Secondly, we study the electrochemical behavior of a nickel electrode in the presence of Zinc in the electrolyte. Industrial-type electrodes were prepared from a standard undoped nickel hydroxide. Then, samples obtained after electrochemical test were characterized by SEM, XRD, IR and EXAFS. The later which turned out to be the most appropriate for the analysis of our electrode materials, allowed us to get deeper insights in the insertion of zinc in the structure of Ni(OH)2.

Orientador: Ronei Jesus Poppi / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T16:15:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida_MarianaRamosde_D.pdf: 6686279 bytes, checksum: 1e1d5d53538fb99a153ff4425595e0ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: A motivação para o desenvolvimento dessa tese foi a busca por métodos de análise não destrutivos, com nenhum ou mínimo preparo de amostra e que permitam a obtenção do máximo de informação com a realização de uma única análise na área de forense e paleontologia. Em forense, a espectroscopia Raman e o método de classificação supervisionado PLS-DA (Análise Discriminante por Mínimos Quadrados Parciais) foram empregados para construir modelos de classificação. O primeiro modelo foi construído para discriminar cédulas autênticas de cédulas falsas. A análise foi baseada na caracterização das tintas usadas na confecção das cédulas. O segundo modelo de classificação foi construído para diferenciar o óleo essencial extraído de diferentes partes (caule, folhas e galhos) da árvore amazônica Aniba Rosaeodora. A confiabilidade dos modelos foi avaliada pelo cálculo do intervalo de confiança, que foram calculados usando a técnica de reamostragem bootstrap. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os modelos de classificação podem ser usados como método complementar à inspeção forense clássica e método de triagem. O desempenho dos modelos de classificação foi avaliado pelo cálculo de sensibilidade, especificidade, eficiência e coeficiente de Mathew. A espectroscopia Raman de imagem e o método de análise de componentes independentes (ICA) foram empregados para a identificação de explosivos em superfícies de cédulas. O método ICA foi avaliado como método de resolução de curvas para extrair os perfis espectrais e as imagens Raman dos constituintes presentes nas superfícies analisadas. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o método ICA é adequado para resolução de curvas, uma vez que alcançou desempenho equivalente ao método clássico MCR-ALS (Resolução Multivariada de Curvas com Mínimos Quadrados Alternados). O limite de detecção da metodologia apresentada foi de 50 µg.cm-2 para o explosivo TNT. Por fim, a espectroscopia Raman de imagem foi empregada no estudo da composição química de fósseis de peixes, com o objetivo de obter informações sobre características biológicas. Os resultados mostraram informações sobre a composição química do fóssil estudado / Abstract: The motivation for the development of this thesis was to search for non-destructive testing methods, with none or minimal sample preparation and allowing them to obtain maximum information with the completion of a single analysis for forensic and paleontology. In the forensics, the Raman spectroscopy and the PLS-DA (discriminant analysis by Partial Least Squares) classification method were explored to build classification models. The first model was built to discriminate authentic and counterfeit banknotes. The analysis was based on the characterization of inks used in the confection of the banknotes. The second classification model was built to differentiate the essential oil extracted from different parts (wood, leaves and branches) of the Brazilian tree Aniba rosaeodora. The reliability of the models was evaluated by calculating the confidence interval, which was calculated using the bootstrap resampling technique. The results show that the classification models can be used as a complementary method to classical forensic inspection and a screening method. The performance of classification models was evaluated by calculating sensitivity, specificity, efficiency and Matthew coefficient. In a third application, Raman hyperspectral imaging and the independent component analysis (ICA) method were used for identification of explosives on the surfaces of banknotes. The ICA method was evaluated as curve resolution method to extract the Raman spectral profiles and the images of the constituents present in the analyzed surfaces. The results showed that the ICA method is appropriate for curves resolution, once achieved equivalent performance to the classical MCR-ALS (Multivariate Curve Resolution with Alternating Least Squares) method. The methodology presented limit of detection of 50 µg.cm-2 for the explosive TNT. Finally, the Raman hyperspectral imaging was applied in paleontology to study the chemical composition of fish fossil with the aim of obtaining information on biological characteristics. The results showed information about the chemical composition of fossil studied / Doutorado / Quimica Analitica / Doutora em Ciências

Orientador: Eduardo Granado Monteiro da Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-31T21:58:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maimone_DamarisTartarotti_M.pdf: 16410863 bytes, checksum: e2b11832e16df32d41492b82c0b5768d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / Resumo: Os antiferromagnetos de baixa dimensionalidade CuSb2O6 e CoSb2O6 foram investigados com espectroscopia Raman polarizada. Foram obtidas informações sobre as propriedades mag- néticas intrigantes e configurações orbitais. Pode-se fazer a atribuição dos modos fonônicos na fase alta simetria tetragonal para ambos compostos. Para o CuSb2O6, uma transição estrutural a TS = 397(3) K manifesta-se através da observação de um novo modo fonônico em ? 670 cm?1 e por uma grande anomalia na frequência do modo em ? 640 cm?1 na fase de baixa simetria monoclínica, evidenciando uma hibridização aumentada das cadeias lineares de Cu-O-O-Cu como resultado de ordenamento orbital dos elétrons 3d do Cu abaixo de TS. Foi observada uma pronunciada forma de linha assimétrica Fano e comportamentos anômalos para a frequência e largura de linha como função da temperatura para o modo A1g em ? 515 cm?1 para o composto CuSb2O6, indicando um forte acoplamento deste modo com excitações eletrônicas (possivelmente orbitais). Finalmente, ambos os compostos apresentam anomalias de frequência na maioria dos fônons abaixo de ? 100 K que foram interpretados em termos de acoplamento spin-fônon, produzindo informações pertinentes sobre as correlações de curto alcance de baixa dimensionalidade spin-spin. Demonstrou-se, portanto, que espectroscopia Raman fonônica é uma ferramenta valiosa para investigar magnetos de baixa-dimensionalidade / Abstract: The low-dimensional antiferromagnets CuSb2O6 and CoSb2O6 were investigated by polarized phonon Raman spectroscopy, providing insights into their intriguing magnetic properties and orbital configurations. An assignment of the observed phonon modes in the high-symmetry tetragonal phase was performed for both compounds. For CuSb2O6, a structural transition at TS = 397(3) K is manifested by the observation of a new phonon mode at ? 670 cm?1 and by a large frequency anomaly of a mode at ? 640 cm?1 in the low-symmetry monoclinic phase, evidencing an enhanced hybridization of the Cu-O-O-Cu linear chains as a result of orbital ordering of Cu 3d electrons below TS. Pronounced asymmetric Fano lineshape and anomalous frequency and linewidth behavior with temperature were observed for the ? 515 cm?1 A1g mode for CuSb2O6, indicating a strong coupling of this mode with electronic (possibly orbital) excitations. Finally, both compounds show frequency anomalies in most phonons below ? 100 K that were interpreted in terms of the spin-phonon coupling, yielding relevant informa- tion on the low-dimensional short-range spin-spin correlations. Phonon Raman spectroscopy is therefore demonstrated to be a valuable tool to investigate low-dimensional magnets / Mestrado / Física / Mestra em Física / 132659/2015-8 / CNPQ

Submitted by Adriana Martinez (amartinez@unoeste.br) on 2016-10-11T12:17:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jaqueline Nascimento da Silva.pdf: 2368376 bytes, checksum: b34072cdd99331d11d5544ee10f94320 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-11T12:17:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jaqueline Nascimento da Silva.pdf: 2368376 bytes, checksum: b34072cdd99331d11d5544ee10f94320 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-25 / Brazil produces approximately 1% of natural rubber derived from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) in the world, and Sao Paulo state is the major producer. The plantation of rubber tree might be stricken by fungal diseases, specially Antracnose. This fact requires the necessity of agriculture defenders as Cerconil WP®, composed by thiophanate methyl and chlorothalonil, one of the most used. Facing the large exposure to these compounds of workers and population that live near plantations, it is extremely important evaluate its possible toxicity and health impacts. Once that, the present work had as objective identify potential teratogenic effects and maternal toxicity of exposure to Cerconil WP® fungicide in different doses, using rat as an experimental model. Moreover, the study also aimed to identify effects of this fungicide on the chemistry structure latex of rubber tree, via Raman Spectroscopy. Therefore, Winstar female rats, adults and pregnant were divided into 4 experimental groups, that received 0 (control), 400 (EA), 800 (EB) or 1200mg/kg/day (EC) of Cerconil WP®, via gavage, from 6º to 15º gestational day (GD). In GD20, pregnant rats were euthanized and submitted to laparotomy for collection of uterus and maternal organs. The fetuses were collect, processed to skeletal and visceral analysis. Rats that were exposure to the fungicide presented clinical signs of toxicity. Reduction in weight evidenced in all groups in comparison to the Control group in GD12. Weight of maternal liver was lower in group EC than Control and histopathologic analysis of hepatic tissue presented areas of focal necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate, picnotic nuclei in hepatocytes and microvesicular fat degeneration areas moderated in groups EB and EC. The percentage of fetuses with adequate weight for gestational age was lower in groups EA and EB, in relation to the Control and EC groups. Porcentage of little fetuses increased in group EA, in relation to the other experimental groups, and in group EB in comparison to Control. In addition, there was an increase of total incidence of skeletal anomalies in groups exposure in relation to the control. Skeletal alterations observed in higher frequency were: decrease in esternal centres, absence of xiphoid process and caudal vertebrae, malformation of suppra-occiptal and reduction on number of anterior and metatarsus phalanges. Measures of Raman Spectroscopy (laser island of 514,5 nm, 25 seconds of exposure and 3 to 5 accumulations) did not show significant chemistry alterations on the latex exposure in vitro to 2g/L of Cerconil WP®. Results demonstrated that the oral exposure of pregnant rats to Cerconil WP®, during organogenesis, might affect on the embrio-fetal development and cause low toxicity to general maternal health. However, the molecular structure of latex exposed to the fungicide was not affect on the experimental study conditions. / O Brasil produz aproximadamente 1% da borracha natural derivada de seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis) no mundo, sendo o estado de São Paulo o maior produtor. O plantio de seringueira pode ser acometido por doenças fúngicas, especialmente a Antracnose. Isto leva à necessidade do uso de defensivos agrícolas, sendo o Cerconil WP®, composto por tiofanato metílico e clorotalonil, um dos mais utilizados. Diante da ampla exposição de trabalhadores rurais e da população do entorno das plantações a estes compostos, torna-se extremamente importante avaliar a sua possível toxicidade e impactos à saúde. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar os potenciais efeitos teratogênicos e de toxicidade materna da exposição ao fungicida Cerconil WP® em diferentes doses, utilizando o rato como modelo experimental. Além disso, o estudo também pretendeu identificar os efeitos deste composto sobre a estrutura química do látex de seringueira, via Espectroscopia de Espalhamento Raman. Para tanto, ratas Wistar adultas prenhes foram divididas em 4 grupos experimentais, que receberam 0 (controle), 400 (EA), 800 (EB) ou 1200mg/kg/dia (EC) de Cerconil WP®, via gavagem, do 6º ao 15º dia gestacional (DG). No DG20, as ratas prenhes foram mortas e submetidas à laparotomia para coleta do útero gravídico e órgãos maternos. Os fetos coletados foram processados para análise esquelética e visceral. Ratas expostas ao fungicida apresentaram sinais clínicos de toxicidade. Houve redução no peso das ratas no DG12 em todos os grupos expostos em relação ao grupo controle. O peso do fígado materno foi reduzido no grupo EC em relação ao controle e a análise histopatológica do tecido hepático apresentou áreas com necrose focal, infiltrado inflamatório, presença de hepatócitos com núcleo picnótico e área com formação de degeneração gordurosa microvesicular de moderada intensidade nos grupos EB e EC. A porcentagem de fetos com peso adequado para a idade gestacional foi menor nos grupos EA e EB, em relação aos grupos controle e EC. Além disso, a porcentagem de fetos pequenos aumentou no grupo EA, em relação aos demais grupos experimentais, e no grupo EB em relação ao controle. Foi observado um aumento na incidência total de anomalias esqueléticas nos grupos expostos em relação ao grupo controle. As alterações esqueléticas observadas em maior frequência foram: diminuição dos centros esternais, ausência de processo xifoide e vertebras caudais, malformação do supra-occipital e redução no número de falanges anteriores e metatarsos. As medidas de Espectroscopia de Espalhamento Raman (linha de laser de 514,5 nm, 25 segundos de exposição e 3 a 5 acumulações) não apresentaram alterações químicas significativas no látex exposto in vitro a 2g/L de Cerconil WP®. Os resultados demonstram que a exposição oral de ratas prenhes ao Cerconil WP®, durante a organogênese, pode afetar o desenvolvimento embrio-fetal e causar toxicidade leve sobre a saúde geral materna. No entanto, a estrutura molecular do látex exposto ao fungicida não foi afetada nas condições experimentais do estudo.

Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) are important in today's society, powering cars and mobile devices. LIBs consist of a negative anode commonly made of graphite, and a positive cathode commonly made from transition metal oxides. Between these electrodes are separators and organic solvent based electrolyte. Due to the high potential of LIBs the electrolyte is reduced at the anode. The electrolyte reduction results in the formation of a layer called the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI), which prohibits the further breakdown of the electrolyte. Despite being researched for over50 years, the composition formation of the SEI is still poorly understood. The aim of this project is to develop strategies for efficient identification and classification of various active and intermediate components in the SEI, to, in turn, gain an understanding of the reactions taking place, which will help find routes to stabilize and tailor the composition of the SEI layer for long-term stability and optimal battery performance. For a model gold/li-ion battery electrolyte system, Raman spectra will be obtained using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) in a spectroelectrochemical application where the voltage of the working gold electrode is swept from high to low potentials. Spectra of common components of the SEI as well as similar compounds will be simulated using Density Functional Theory (DFT). The DFT data is also used to calculate the spontaneity of reactions speculated to form the SEI. The simulated data will be validated by comparing it to experimental spectra from pure substances. The spectroelectrochemical SERS results show a clear formation of Li-carbonate at the SERS substrate, as well as the decomposition of the electrolyte into other species, according to the simulated data. It is however shown that there are several issues when modelling spectra, that makes it harder to correlate the simulated spectra with the spectroelectrochemical spectra. These issues include limited knowledge of the structure of the compounds thought to form on the anode surface, and incorrect choices in simulational parameters. To solve these issues, more work is needed in these areas, and the spectroelectrochemical methods used in this thesis needs to be combined with other experimental methods to narrow down the amount of compounds to be modelled. More work is also needed to avoid impurities in the electrolyte. Impurities leads to a thick inorganic layer which prohibits the observation of species in the organic layer.

O uso de técnicas espectroscópicas para o estudo de questões ambientais é uma área de pesquisa que vem experimentando importante desenvolvimento em tempos recentes. Essas técnicas abrangem métodos espectroscópicos intensificados, que proporcionam grande sensibilidade e seletividade para a detecção de espécies químicas em baixas concentrações. Nesta dissertação, propomos a introdução de uma nova metodologia aplicada ao estudo da fotodegradação de moléculas de interesse ambiental. Utilizamos técnicas de espectroscopia Raman intensificada pela superfície (SERS) para a análise dos processos de fotodegradação de azo-corantes mediados por dióxido de titânio. Nosso primeiro passo para o desenvolvimento dessa metodologia foi realizar um estudo comparativo acerca de diferentes métodos para preparação de um substrato SERS-ativo - sobre cuja superfície viríamos a proceder a fotodegradação de corantes e simultaneamente o estudo espectroscópico desse processo. A dificuldade na preparação do substrato reside no fato de que é necessário produzir uma superfície simultaneamente fotocatalítica (pela presença do semicondutor TiO2) e com atividade SERS (pela presença de partículas de Ag nanoestruturadas). Assim, três diferentes métodos para a preparação do substrato foram estudados, buscando obter atividade SERS aliada à reprodutibilidade. Escolhido o método mais satisfatório, utilizamos o substrato para realizar estudos SERS dos processos de fotodegradação de dois corantes: vermelho do Congo e verde de Janus. Considerando que a degradação fotocatalítica pode envolver oxidação e redução das moléculas, foi realizado também o estudo espectroeletroquímico dos dois corantes, buscando correlações que ajudassem a esclarecer as transformações envolvidas nas etapas iniciais da fotodegradação dessas substâncias. Nossos estudos revelaram que as primeiras etapas dos processos de fotodegradação dos dois corantes seguem mecanismos diferentes: enquanto no caso do vermelho do Congo há evidências de oxidação, no caso do verde de Janus as evidências apontam para um processo de redução. A combinação de dados da fotodegradação de corantes com seu estudo via eletroquímica - utilizando técnicas de espectroscopia intensificada para a identificação e caracterização de produtos - mostrou-se bastante promissora, no sentido de oferecer informações relevantes sobre os complexos mecanismos envolvidos nos processos de fotodegradação. / The use of spectroscopic techniques for the study of environmental questions is a research area has been experiencing important developments in recent years. These techniques embrace intensified spectroscopic methods, which offer great sensibility and selectivity for the detection of chemical species in low concentrations. In this work, we propose the introduction of a new methodology to be applied to the study of photodegradation of environmentally relevant molecules. We employed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to the analysis of photodegradation of azo-dyes mediated by titanium dioxide. First, we performed a comparative study concerning the different methods for the preparation of SERS-active substrate, onto which we would carry out simultaneously the photodegradation of dyes and the spectroscopic study of the process. The difficulty in the preparation of such substrates resides in the fact that it is necessary to produce a surface which is all together photocatalytic (by the presence of the semiconducting TiO2) and SERS-active (by the presence of nanostructured silver). In this context, three different preparation methods were investigated, with the purpose of achieving good SERS activity and reproducibility. The optimized SERS-active substrate was employed to study the photodegradation of two azo-dyes: Congo red and Janus green. Considering that the photocatalitic degradation process might involve either the oxidation or the reduction of molecules, the spectroelectrochemical study of both dyes was also performed, in order to in order to search for important correlations that would help to clarify the transformations involved in the initial steps of the photochemical decomposition of these substances. The obtained results revealed that the first steps of the degradation processes of both dyes followed different routes: whereas for Congo red there are evidences of an oxidation process, for Janus green the evidences point to a reduction mechanism. The combination of the data relative to the photochemical behavior of the dyes and their electrochemical study - using enhanced spectroscopic techniques for identification and characterization of products - has proven to be very promising, in the sense of offering relevant information with respect to the complex mechanisms that are involved in photodegradation processes.

The samples of garnets used in this study come from clastic sediments from the drillcores Tř-1 and T-31, selected localities of the České středohoří Mountains and garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks sampled by the drillcore T-7. The contents of the major and some minor elements were determined by an electron probe microanalyzer. The garnets from the sediments were divided into 3 groups according to the contents of the end-members: 1) pyrope-, 2) almandine - pyrope- and 3) grosular - almandine-rich. Garnets from the drillcore T-7 were classified according to individual rock types in which they occurred: lherzolite, hazburgite, pyroxenite, eclogite and granulite. Chemical analyzes of garnets displayed the presence of positive correlations Cr vs. Ca vs. Ti Mn in pyrope grains. The contents of trace elements in garnets were studied by an LA-ICP-MS. After normalization to the CI-reservoir, garnets most often show lherzolite profiles of rare earth elements. Garnets of intense red and purple colors show slightly sinusoidal REE profiles. Inclusions enclosed in garnets were studied by a scanning electron microscope. If their dimensions allowed, the major and minor elements were determined by electron microanalysis for inclusions. Inclusions of amphiboles in association with spinel group minerals, carbonates and...