Two aluminum spherical mirrors with radii of 203.2 mm and radii of curvature also of 203.2 mm have been used to construct a tunable Fabry-Perót type resonator operational at frequencies as low as 500 MHz. The resonator has been incorporated into a pulsed nozzle, Fourier transform, Balle-Flygare spectrometer. The spectrometer is of use in recording low J transitions of large asymmetric molecules where the spectra are often greatly simplified compared to higher frequency regions. The resonators use is illustrated by recording the rotational spectra of bromobenzene and iodobenzene. In related experiments, using similar equipment, the pure rotational spectra of four isotopomers of SrS and all three naturally occurring isotopomers of the actinide-containing compound thorium monoxide have been recorded between 6 and 26 GHz. The data have been thoroughly analyzed to produce information pertaining to bond lengths and electronic structures.

The efforts of my research have led to the successful construction of several instruments that have helped expand the field of microwave spectroscopy. The classic Balle-Flygare spectrometer has been modified to include two different sets of antenna to operate in the frequency ranges 6-18 GHz and 18-26 GHz, allowing it to function for a large range without having to break vacuum. This modified FTMW instrument houses two low noise amplifiers in the vacuum chamber to allow for the LNAs to be as close to the antenna as physically possible, improving sensitivity. A new innovative Balle-Flygare type spectrometer, the efficient low frequency FTMW, was conceived and built to operate at frequencies as low as 500 MHz through the use of highly curved mirrors. This is new for FTMW techniques that normally operate at 4 GHz or higher with only a few exceptions around 2 GHz. The chirped pulse FTMW spectrometer uses horn antennas to observe spectra that span 2 GHz versus the standard 1 MHz of a cavity technique. This instrument decreases the amount of time to obtain a large spectral region of relative correct intensity molecular transitions. A Nd:YAG laser ablation apparatus was attached to the classic Balle-Flygare and chirped pulse FTMW spectrometers. This allowed the study of heavy metal containing compounds. The instruments I constructed and the techniques I used have allowed the discovery of further insights into molecular chemistry. I have seen the effects of fluorinating an alkyl halide by determining the geometry of the carbon backbone of trans-1-iodoperfluoropropane and observing a ΔJ = 3 forbidden transition caused by a strong quadrupole coupling constant on this heavy molecule. The quadrupole coupling tensors of butyronitrile, a molecule observed in space, have been improved. The nuclear quadrupole coupling tensor of difluoroiodomethane was added to a list of variably fluorinated methyl halides upholding a trend for the magnitude of χzz. The study of SrS led to the determination of the Born-Oppenheimer breakdown terms and improving the precision of the SrS internuclear distance. I have also conducted the first pure rotational spectroscopic investigation on an actinide containing molecule, ThO.

O método cerâmico é a rota de síntese mais utilizada na produção de materiais luminescentes no estado sólido dopados com íons terras raras. Porém, as altas temperaturas necessárias para a formação dos compostos somada ao longo tempo de síntese levantam questões sobre a viabilidade energética desse método. Nos dias atuais, há grande interesse em buscar alternativas mais sustentáveis que gastem menos energia, e produtos com performances cada vez melhores. Nesse cenário, foi proposta a síntese dos materiais com luminescência persistente em forno de micro-ondas doméstico, por se tratar de um equipamento relativamente barato, que gasta muito menos energia que um forno tubular convencional, e tem um tempo de síntese muito menor. Os materiais SrS:Eu2+,TR3+ (TR = Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er e Yb) foram produzidos pelo método de síntese no estado sólido assistida por micro-ondas, e para validação e comparação do método, os materiais SrS:TR (TR = Eu2+, Ce3+, Sm3+ e Yb2+/3+) foram preparados por ambos os métodos cerâmico e assistido por micro-ondas. Estudos de estrutura e morfologia dos materiais preparados foram realizados com medidas de DRX em pó e XANES na borda-LIII dos íons terras raras e na borda-K do enxofre. As propriedades luminescentes dos materiais foram investigadas com medidas de termoluminescência, luminância, espectroscopia UVVisível, espectroscopia UV-Vácuo e XEOL. Todos os materiais dopados com Eu2+ têm uma banda larga de emissão centrada em 620 nm atribuída à transição 4f65d1→4f7 com forte efeito nefelauxético. Além do Eu2+, foram observadas transições 5d→4f para o Ce3+ e o Yb2+. Estudos de luminescência persistente mostraram que a co-dopagem do SrS:Eu2+ com íons TR3+ aumentaram a duração do tempo de emissão de luz dos materiais após cessada a fonte de irradiação em mais de 400 %. Além disso, não se observou diferença na duração do fenômeno para os diferentes íons co-dopantes, mostrando que o mecanismo de luminescência persistes nesse material é governado pelo armadilhamento de elétrons em defeitos pontuais na matriz. Um novo fenômeno foi observado com a intensa luminescência persistente gerada após irradiação com raios X. Por fim, foram realizados testes de aplicação dos materiais com luminescência persistente em iluminação no estado sólido para geração de luz branca, mostrando que eles podem ser utilizados em LEDs persistentes. / Hitherto, the ceramic method is the most employed synthesis route on the production of solid-state luminescent materials doped with rare-earth ions. However, the high temperatures required for the compounds formation added up to the long synthesis time give rise to questions about the energetic viability of this method. Nowadays there is a great interest in finding more sustainable alternatives which demands less energy and provides products with better performances. Is this scenario, the synthesis of the persistent luminescence materials in a domestic microwave oven was proposed, because it is a relatively cheap equipment that spends much less energy than a conventional tubular furnace and has a shorter synthesis time. Thus, the materials SrS:Eu2+,TR3+ (TR = Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er e Yb) were prepared via the microwaveassisted solid-state synthesis, and, for validation and comparison between methods, the materials SrS:TR (TR = Eu2+, Ce3+, Sm3+ and Yb2+/3+) were prepared via both the ceramic and microwave-assisted methods. Studies of structure and morphology of the prepared materials were undertaken with XRD and XANES at LIII-edge of rare-earth ions and K-edge of sulfur measurements. The luminescent properties of the materials were explored with thermoluminescence, luminance, UV-Vis spectroscopy, VUV spectroscopy and XEOL measurements. All the Eu2+-doped materials have a large emission band centered at 620 nm assigned to the 4f65d1→4f7 transition with strong nephelauxetic effect. Besides Eu2+, 5d→4f transitions were observed for Ce3+ and Yb2+ as well. Persistent luminescence studies showed that co-doping SrS:Eu2+ with TR3+ have improved the light emission timespan in over 400 % after removing the irradiation source. Moreover, no difference was detected on the emission timespan for the different co-dopant ions, showing that the persistent luminescence mechanism for this material is governed by electron trapping on the matrix point defects. A new phenomenon with high-intensity persistent luminescence was observed in these materials after irradiation with X-ray. At last, tests of application of the persistent luminescent materials with solid-state white-lighting were made, showing that they can be used in persistent LEDs.

O método cerâmico é a rota de síntese mais utilizada na produção de materiais luminescentes no estado sólido dopados com íons terras raras. Porém, as altas temperaturas necessárias para a formação dos compostos somada ao longo tempo de síntese levantam questões sobre a viabilidade energética desse método. Nos dias atuais, há grande interesse em buscar alternativas mais sustentáveis que gastem menos energia, e produtos com performances cada vez melhores. Nesse cenário, foi proposta a síntese dos materiais com luminescência persistente em forno de micro-ondas doméstico, por se tratar de um equipamento relativamente barato, que gasta muito menos energia que um forno tubular convencional, e tem um tempo de síntese muito menor. Os materiais SrS:Eu2+,TR3+ (TR = Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er e Yb) foram produzidos pelo método de síntese no estado sólido assistida por micro-ondas, e para validação e comparação do método, os materiais SrS:TR (TR = Eu2+, Ce3+, Sm3+ e Yb2+/3+) foram preparados por ambos os métodos cerâmico e assistido por micro-ondas. Estudos de estrutura e morfologia dos materiais preparados foram realizados com medidas de DRX em pó e XANES na borda-LIII dos íons terras raras e na borda-K do enxofre. As propriedades luminescentes dos materiais foram investigadas com medidas de termoluminescência, luminância, espectroscopia UVVisível, espectroscopia UV-Vácuo e XEOL. Todos os materiais dopados com Eu2+ têm uma banda larga de emissão centrada em 620 nm atribuída à transição 4f65d1→4f7 com forte efeito nefelauxético. Além do Eu2+, foram observadas transições 5d→4f para o Ce3+ e o Yb2+. Estudos de luminescência persistente mostraram que a co-dopagem do SrS:Eu2+ com íons TR3+ aumentaram a duração do tempo de emissão de luz dos materiais após cessada a fonte de irradiação em mais de 400 %. Além disso, não se observou diferença na duração do fenômeno para os diferentes íons co-dopantes, mostrando que o mecanismo de luminescência persistes nesse material é governado pelo armadilhamento de elétrons em defeitos pontuais na matriz. Um novo fenômeno foi observado com a intensa luminescência persistente gerada após irradiação com raios X. Por fim, foram realizados testes de aplicação dos materiais com luminescência persistente em iluminação no estado sólido para geração de luz branca, mostrando que eles podem ser utilizados em LEDs persistentes. / Hitherto, the ceramic method is the most employed synthesis route on the production of solid-state luminescent materials doped with rare-earth ions. However, the high temperatures required for the compounds formation added up to the long synthesis time give rise to questions about the energetic viability of this method. Nowadays there is a great interest in finding more sustainable alternatives which demands less energy and provides products with better performances. Is this scenario, the synthesis of the persistent luminescence materials in a domestic microwave oven was proposed, because it is a relatively cheap equipment that spends much less energy than a conventional tubular furnace and has a shorter synthesis time. Thus, the materials SrS:Eu2+,TR3+ (TR = Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er e Yb) were prepared via the microwaveassisted solid-state synthesis, and, for validation and comparison between methods, the materials SrS:TR (TR = Eu2+, Ce3+, Sm3+ and Yb2+/3+) were prepared via both the ceramic and microwave-assisted methods. Studies of structure and morphology of the prepared materials were undertaken with XRD and XANES at LIII-edge of rare-earth ions and K-edge of sulfur measurements. The luminescent properties of the materials were explored with thermoluminescence, luminance, UV-Vis spectroscopy, VUV spectroscopy and XEOL measurements. All the Eu2+-doped materials have a large emission band centered at 620 nm assigned to the 4f65d1→4f7 transition with strong nephelauxetic effect. Besides Eu2+, 5d→4f transitions were observed for Ce3+ and Yb2+ as well. Persistent luminescence studies showed that co-doping SrS:Eu2+ with TR3+ have improved the light emission timespan in over 400 % after removing the irradiation source. Moreover, no difference was detected on the emission timespan for the different co-dopant ions, showing that the persistent luminescence mechanism for this material is governed by electron trapping on the matrix point defects. A new phenomenon with high-intensity persistent luminescence was observed in these materials after irradiation with X-ray. At last, tests of application of the persistent luminescent materials with solid-state white-lighting were made, showing that they can be used in persistent LEDs.