Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:15:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoseMHN_Ate_cap4.pdf: 4098982 bytes, checksum: eba01ddfed7d8293e64845eff3a9ca0d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-12-21 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / In this work we present a study of structural, electronic and optical properties, at ambient conditions, of CaSiO3, CaGeO3 and CaSnO3 crystals, all of them a member of Ca-perovskite class. To each one, we have performed density functional theory ab initio calculations within LDA and GGA approximations of the structural parameters, geometry optimization, unit cell volume, density, angles and interatomic length, band structure, carriers e?ective masses, total and partial density of states, dielectric function, refractive index, optical absorption, re?ectivity, optical conductivity and loss function. A result comparative procedure was done between LDA and GGA calculations, a exception to CaSiO3 where only LDA calculation was performed, due high computational cost that its low symmetry crystalline structure imposed. The Ca-perovskite bibliography have shown the absence of electronic structure calculations about this materials, justifying the present work / Apresentamos neste trabalho um estudo das propriedades estruturais, eletr?nicas e ?pticas, em condi??es ambiente, dos cristais de CaSiO3, CaGeO3 e CaSnO3, todos integrantes da classe das Ca-perovskitas. Para cada um destes materiais foram obtidos, a partir de dados experimentais, a otimiza??o da geometria cristalina, par?metros de rede, volume da c?lula unit?ria, densidade, ?ngulos e distancias interat?micas, estrutura de bandas, massas efetivas de portadores, densidade de estados total e por ?tomo,fun??o diel?trica, ?ndice de refra??o, absor??o ?ptica, reflectividade, condutividade ?ptica e fun??o perda. Foi empregada para estas determina??es c?lculos de primeiros princ?pios dentro do formalismo da teoria do funcional da densidade, nas aproxima??es LDA e GGA, procedendo-se uma compara??o entre os resultados alcan?ados nas duas abordagens, exce??o feita para o CaSiO3, em que apenas o calculo com GGA n?o foi realizado devido ao alto custo computacional que sua estrutura cristalina com baixa simetria imp?s. A bibliografia sobre a fam?lia das perovskitas, juntamente com o levantamento dos principais problemas estudados referentes a estes materiais em geral, e as Ca-perovskitas em particular, nos permite atestar a aus?ncia de c?lculos ab initio em estrutura eletr?nica no contexto das principais produ??es cientificas relacionadas, justificando a relev?ncia do presente trabalho

Neste trabalho são apresentados vários estudos com o peptídeo melanotrópico catiônico alfa-MSH (hormônio estimulador de melanócito) e análogos biologicamente mais ativos. Foram utilizadas as técnicas de fluorescência estática e resolvida no tempo, e RPE (ressonância paramagnética eletrônica). Com fluorescência, foi monitorado o aminoácido Trp (triptofano), presente em todos os peptídeos, e o aminoácido D-Nal (D-naphtul alanine), presente nos análogos cíclicos aqui estudados, para a obtenção de informações estruturais. Com RPE, utilizou-se marcadores de spin incorporados a dispersões lipídicas aniônicas de DMPG (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-glycerol), para o estudo da estrutura dos agregados anfifílicos e da interação peptídeo/lipídio, e o aminoácido paramagnético Toac (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid), ligado covalentemente ao alfaMSH e a seu análogo linear MSH-I (Nle POT.4, DPhe POT.7-alfa-MSH), para o estudo comparativo da conformação destes peptídeos. Com marcadores de spin, foi feito um estudo sobre modificações que o alfa-MSH causa em vesículas de DMPG, correlacionando o aumento da concentração de moléculas de água, em toda a extensão da cadeia hidrocarbônica, com a diminuição da fluidez da bicamada lipídica. O perfil de polaridade da bicamada lipídica, medido em amostras congeladas, foi encontrado ser diferente do observado em lipídeos na fase fluida, particularmente na presença de moléculas polares. É mostrado aqui que fosfolipídeos paramagnéticos, marcados no 16o. carbono da cadeia acila, incorporados em vesículas, monitoram a presença de duas populações, na chamada fase intermediária do DMPG (entre a fase gel e a líquido-cristal). A presença das duas populações fica evidente com a comparação dos espectros de RPE obtidos na presença e ausência de alfa-MSH: o peptídeo parece fazer desaparecer um dos ambientes monitorados pelo marcador de spin. ) As estruturas de análogos cíclicos do alfa-MSH, contendo, além do Trp, o fluoróforo D-Nal, foram estudadas em solução aquosa e em presença de vesículas de DMPG, e comparadas com a do peptídeo natural. Medidas de fluorescência do Trp indicam que, em meio aquoso, a estrutura dos análogos cíclicos (na região do Trp) está próxima da conformação adquirida pelo alfa-MSH em bicamadas lipídicas, sugerindo que os peptídeos cíclicos encontram-se, em solução, em uma forma mais adequada para penetração na membrana. Comparando com resultados obtidos com alfa-MSH, nos peptídeos cíclicos, o Trp parece penetrar mais profundamente na membrana lipídica. O aminoácido D-Nal penetra na bicamada lipídica, tendo seu espectro de fluorescência, e tempo de vida do estado excitado, drasticamente alterados pela presença de vesículas de DMPG. Tanto por RPE do Toac, como através da fluorescência do Trp, observa-se dependência da conformação do alfa-MSH e MSH-I com o pH do meio, o que é atribuído a titulação de cadeias laterais dos peptídeos. A análise das curvas de titulação dos peptídeos alfa-MSH e MSH-I, por fluorescência do Trp, sugere pequenas diferenças conformacionais entre estes dois peptídeos em meio aquoso, sendo maior o efeito observado em pH alcalino. Mostra também que as estruturas dos análogos marcados com a sonda paramagnética, em solução aquosa, são ligeiramente diferentes daquelas dos peptídeos originais, apesar de ter sido observado que a inserção do Toac em peptídeos melanotrópicos não altera a atividade biológica dos mesmos / Some studies with the cationic melanotropic peptide a-MSH (a-melanocyte stimulating hormone), and analogues biologically more active are presented here. Steady-state and time resolved fluorescence and EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) have been used. Peptide structural information was obtained by the fluorescence spectroscopy of both the amino acid Trp (tryptophan), present in all the peptides monitored here, and that of D-Nal (D-naphtyl alanine), present only in cyclic analogues. EPR of spin labels incorporated in anionic lipid dispersions of DMPG (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-glycerol) has been used to study amphiphilic aggregate structure and peptide/lipid interaction. EPR was also applied to a comparative structural study of the paramagnetic amino acid Toac (2,2 ,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid), covalently bound to a-MSH and its linear analogue MSH-1 (Nle4, DPhe7-a-MSH). With spin labels incorporated into the bilayers, it is shown that there is a correlation between the packing of fluid DMPG membranes, caused by a-MSH/lipid interaction, and the increase in bilayer interchain hydration. In frozen samples, alterations on the lipid bilayer polarity profile are shown to be different from those obtained at room temperature, particularly in the presence of polar molecules. It is shown here that paramagnetic phospholipids labeled at the 16th carbon of the acylchain, incorporated in DMPG vesicles, monitor the presence of two distinct sites in the lipid bilayer intermediate phase (between the gel and liquid crystal phases) . The presence of the two different spin populations is evident comparing the EPR spectra obtained in the presence and absence of a-MSH, as the peptide seems to make disappear one of the microenvironments monitored by the spin label.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-18T18:19:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mauro Bogea Pereira.pdf: 2672209 bytes, checksum: 6ffa34d37be7c980ea311a6504843760 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-28 / FUNDAÇÃO SOUSÂNDRADE DE APOIO AO DESENVOLVIMENTO DA UFMA / In this work the electronic and structural properties of the hetero-nanotube bundles, composed of a CNT (6,0) encapsulated in a BNNT (14,0) (CNT (6,0)@BNNT (14,0)) and a BNNT (6,0) encapsulated in a CNT (14,0) (BNNT(6,0)@CNT (14,0)), under hydrostatic pressure. For this, we applied density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation to the exchange and correlation term, as implemented in SIESTA code. We observed that structural changes occur when pressure is applied. For the CNT(6,0)@BNNT(14,0) these changes begin when the pressure is close to 1,0 GPa for the outer tube, while for the inner tube the changes are observed around 10,0 GPa. In the case of BNNT(6,0)@CNT(14,0) the structure begins to be modified when the applied pressure is close to 3,0 GPa. The analysis of the band structure shown that the metallic character of the CNT(6,0)@BNNT(14,0) and the semiconductor character of the BNNT(6,0)@CNT(14,0) did not change when the pressure is applied. / Neste trabalho foram estudadas as propriedades eletrônicas e estruturais de bundles de hetero-nanotubos, compostos por um CNT (6,0) encapsulado em um BNNT (14,0) (CNT(6,0)@BNNT(14,0)) e por um BNNT (6,0) encapsulado em um CNT (14,0) (BNNT(6,0)@CNT(14,0)), submetidos a pressão hidrostática. Para tanto, fizemos uso da teoria do funcional da densidade e da aproximação do gradiente generalizado para tratar o termo de troca e correlação, implementados no programa computacional SIESTA. Observou-se que ocorrem alterações estruturais nos bundles a medida que a pressão é aplicada. Para o CNT(6,0)@BNNT(14,0) estas alterações têm início a pressões próximas de 1,0 GPa para o tubo externo, enquanto que para o tubo interno as alterações só começam a ser observadas próximo de 10,0 GPa. No caso do BNNT(6,0)@CNT(14,0) a estrutura só começa a ser modificada quando o pressão aplicada é próxima de 3,0 GPa. A análise da estrutura de bandas de energia das duas estruturas mostrou que o caráter eletrônico, metálico para os CNT(6,0)@BNNT(14,0) e semicondutor para os BNNT(6,0)@CNT(14,0), mantêm-se estáveis mesmo para os maiores valores de pressão aplicados.

Les intermétalliques à base de Terres Rares (R) et Métaux de transition ou métalloïdes (M) présentent un intérêt dans le domaine de la recherche fondamentale pour comprendre la nature des interactions magnétiques dans le cas complexe où le magnétisme localisé des éléments R se combine à celui des éléments de transition beaucoup moins localisé. Des propriétés d'aimants exceptionnelles permettent, par ailleurs, de les utiliser à des fins technologiques dans le domaine des aimants permanents ou de l'enregistrement magnétique. Le groupe de magnétisme du CMTR (ICMPE) UMR7182 CNRS-UPEC (France) est spécialisé dans l’étude des propriétés magnétiques des intermétalliques ainsi que la corrélation de ces propriétés avec les propriétés structurale et microstructurales. L’équipe des intermétalliques, du laboratoire des Sciences des Matériaux et d’Environnement «MESLab» de l’Université de Sfax (Tunisie), a acquis une grande expérience dans la détermination des diagrammes de phases binaire ou ternaires à partir de l’étude des propriétés physico-chimiques des composés synthétisés. Mon projet de recherche, au sein de ces deux laboratoires, consistera à étudier les propriétés structurales et physicochimiques des systèmes R-Fe-M (R= terre rare, M=métal de transition ou métalloïdes) selon les étapes suivantes : 1- Etablir un diagramme ternaire entre les éléments R-Fe-M. 2- Chercher les nouvelles solutions solides. 3- Etude structurale des différentes phases synthétisées par différentes techniques expérimentales (RX, MEB, Spectroscopie de rayon X, …). 4- Etudes des propriétés magnétiques des différentes phases. 5- Interprétation des relations avec la nature des éléments de base utilisés / Intermetallics based on Rare Earths (R) and Metalloids (M) are of interest in the field of fundamental research to understand the nature of magnetic interactions in the complex case where the localized magnetism of the R elements combines with That of the much less localized transition elements. Moreover, exceptional magnet properties make it possible to use them for technological purposes in the field of permanent magnets or magnetic recording. The magnetism group of the CMTR (ICMPE) UMR7182 CNRS-UPEC (France) specializes in the study of the magnetic properties of intermetallics and the correlation of these properties with structural and microstructural properties. The team of intermetallics, of the Laboratory of Materials and Environment Sciences "MESLab" of the University of Sfax (Tunisia), has acquired a great experience in the determination of the diagrams of binary or ternary phases from the study Of the physico-chemical properties of the synthesized compounds. My research project in these two laboratories will involve studying the structural and physicochemical properties of the R-Fe-M systems (R = rare earth, M = transition metal or metalloids) according to the following steps: 1- Establish a ternary diagram between the R-Fe-M elements. 2- Seek new solid solutions. 3- Structural study of the different phases synthesized by different experimental techniques (RX, MEB, X-ray spectroscopy, ...). 4. Study of the magnetic properties of the different phases. 5- Interpretation of the relationships with the nature of the basic elements used

Magister Scientiae - MSc / This study reports on the changes in the structural properties of a tungsten-filament when exposed to a methane / hydrogen ambient for different durations at various filament-temperatures. / South Africa

Magister Economicae - MEcon / The study concentrates on a particular type of state intervention in social policy. It considers whether policy reforms and subsequent provision of information with regards to the issue of parental leave and part-time work arrangements, makes an impact on gender equity in the labour market (Del Boca, 2002; Naldini & Saraceno, 2008). Giddens' theory of structuration is the conceptual framework from which this study approaches these questions. It is thus held that agents (in this instance, women) are constrained by structures (labour policy framework and institutionalised labour practices) to achieve specific social goals. And further: that the apparent lack of power on the part of agents requires intervention on the part of the state apparatus to correct the failure (or inability) of the labour market to deliver the social justice as aspired to in the cited European Employment Strategy, as well as fostering economic efficiency (Barr, 1992). I further contend that not only are agents constrained by structural properties, but that institutional reform (in the form of labour policy reform) is constrained by the human action1 of the management of firms and enterprises as economic agents within the policy framework. / South Africa

L'objectif de cette thèse a été de démontrer la pertinence du procédé sol-gel photoinduit pour la synthèse de films nanocomposites originaux à partir de précurseurs hybrides mono- et bis-silylés. Bien que mentionné dans la littérature, ce procédé basé sur une catalyse via des super-acides de Bronsted créés par la photolyse d'un photogénérateur d'acides reste à ce jour très marginal. Selon la nature des précurseurs mis en oeuvre, la photopolymérisation sol-gel a parfois été combinée à une photopolymérisation organique pour mener à l'obtention en une seule étape de réseaux hybrides organique-inorganique. Au cours de ces travaux, l'accent a tout d'abord été mis sur la caractérisation structurale des matériaux synthétisés. Pour cela, des mesures par spectroscopie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier, résonance magnétique nucléaire du 29Si et du 13C en phase solide et diffraction des rayons X ont été réalisées. Ces études ont permis de révéler les nombreux avantages liés à la voie photochimique tels que la forte réactivité, le caractère vivant de la réaction, l'absence d'eau ou de solvant et l'obtention de matériaux organisés à l'échelle locale. Enfin, l'originalité de cette étude a également résidé dans la mise en œuvre de nombreuses techniques de caractérisation thermo-mécanique des films : analyse mécanique dynamique, calorimétrie différentielle à balayage, nanoindentation, tribologie et tests de résistance à la rayure. L'influence de la nature chimique de la fonctionnalité organique du précurseur employé a ainsi pu être soulignée et des corrélations entre microstructure et propriétés finales des matériaux photopolymérisés ont été établies. / The present work questioned the interest of sol-gel photopolymerization as a novel route to synthesize nanocomposite films from hybrid mono- and bis-silylated precursors. The potentialities of this process that is based on a catalysis promoted by photogenerated Bronsted superacids have been poorly investigated so far. Depending on the precursor nature, the sol-gel photopolymerization was possibly combined with an organic photopolymerization in a view to generate the dual crosslinking of the organic and inorganic networks in a single step. A first aspect of this work concemed the structural properties of the hybrid films: Fourier transformed IR spectroscopy, 29Si and 13C solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and X-rays analysis were thus implemented. These experiments highlighted the numerous advantages of the photoinduced sol-gel process: its high reactivity, its living character, the absence of water or solvent and the local organization in the resulting films. Finally, the thermo-mechanical properties of the UV­ cured materials were assessed by using a wide range of characterization techniques: dynamic mechanical analysis, differentia!scanning calorimetry, nanoindentation, tribological and scratch tests. The effect of the organic moiety functionality of the precursors was thus evidenced and relationships between microstructure and properties ofthe hybrid films were established.

<p>Tuning the structural and electronic properties of layered materials is critical for the development of thin, flexible semiconductors that are capable of overcoming Moore’s law. Intercalation of transition metals (TMs) into the interlayer gaps of a two-dimensional host material is one of the most promising methods toward modifying the electronic properties without disrupting the chemical bonds within the layers. Previous studies have shown that the intercalation of TMs into Bi2Se3, SnS2, TaS2, and NbS2 altered the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of the material due to orbital hybridization between the d-orbitals of the intercalant and the bands of the host material. However, the synthesis of intercalated 2D materials using compositionally-limited because the process is driven by a charge transfer reaction from the intercalant to the conduction band of the host material, which is difficult to achieve on group VI TMDs (MoS2, WS2) with high energy conduction bands. As a result, only metal atoms that are highly reducing, like alkali metals, can be effectively intercalated into WS2. Meanwhile, alkali metal-intercalated WS2 materials are unstable under ambient conditions, which significantly limits further device application. In this dissertation, we developed a solution-phase synthetic method to successfully intercalate a broad range of redox-active TM cations into WS2 and access a variety of intercalation morphologies. With these different intercalated structures, the electronic properties of WS2 can be systematically adjusted.</p> <p>First, we synthesized vanadium-intercalated WS2, and structural characterization reveals that solvated vanadium cations are uniformly intercalated in WS2, which significantly increases the interlayer spacing from 6.2 Å to 14.2 Å. Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments indicate a strong interaction between the vanadium intercalants and the WS2 basal plane. Electronic transport measurements show that the vanadium-intercalated WS2 is an n-type semiconductor with room-temperature conductivity of 12 S/cm, 2 orders of magnitude higher than pristine WS2. The electronic properties can be further tuned by varying the concentration of V intercalants.</p> <p>We further synthesized TM-intercalated WS2 using 17 different metal precursors, varying the identity, reduction potential, charge density, and ionic radius in order to determine the key properties that influence intercalation. With detailed structural characterization, we determined that both charge density and reduction potential of the precursor are critical toward achieving selective intercalation over secondary nucleation. The strength of the host-guest interaction is also dependent on the transition metal identity. With the strongest interaction between the TM intercalants and WS2 basal plane, FeCl3-WS2 has the lowest work function of 4.97 eV and the highest conductivity of 110 S/cm.</p>

In today's data-driven society, data holds immense value and is sought after across various domains, including the realm of science. Materials science, in particular, relies heavily on data acquisition and analysis to further advancements in the field. In this study, data for an alloy database is generated through high-throughput calculations, serving as a valuable resource for investigating the effects of vacancy concentration on the structural and mechanical properties of (TM)0.5Al0.5N1-x random alloys. The alloys, comprised of Ta or Nb (TM), exhibit promising potential for diverse applications such as cutting tool, electrical and optical devices, etc. To accurately represent the average behavior of real random alloys, special quasirandom structures (SQS) are utilized, and the short-range order (SRO) parameters are analyzed using the ATAT code. A two-level computational approach with different convergence criteria is used to investigate the influence of vacancy concentration on alloys. This approach utilizes the high throughput toolkit (httk) software package in conjunction with VASP calculations. The calculations are performed on supercomputer resources provided by the National Academic Infrastructure for Supercomputing in Sweden (NAISS). The elastic constants of the alloys are calculated using the httk software, providing insights into their mechanical properties. The findings highlight the substantial influence of vacancy concentration on the structural and mechanical behavior of (TM)0.5Al0.5N1-x random alloys.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Physics / Hongxing Jiang / The optical and structural properties of Er-doped GaN/InGaN materials and devices synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were investigated. Er-doped GaN via MOCVD emits a strong photoluminescence (PL) emission at 1.54 um using both above and below-bandgap excitation. In contrast to other growth methods, MOCVD-grown Er-doped GaN epilayers exhibit virtually no visible emission lines. A small thermal quenching effect, with only a 20% decrease in the integrated intensity of the 1.54 um PL emission, occurred between 10 and 300 K. The dominant bandedge emission of Er-doped GaN at 3.23 eV was observed at room temperature, which is red-shifted by 0.19 eV from the bandedge emission of undoped GaN. An activation energy of 191 meV was obtained from the thermal quenching of the integrated intensity of the 1.54 um emission line. It was observed that surface morphology and 1.54 um PL emission intensity was strongly dependent upon the Er/NH3 flow rate ratio and the growth temperature. XRD measurements showed that the crystalline ordering of the (002) plane was relatively unperturbed for the changing growth environment. Least-squares fitting of 1.54 um PL measurements from Er-doped GaN of different growth temperatures was utilized to determine a formation energy of 1.82 ± 0.1 eV for the Er-emitting centers. The crystalline quality and surface morphology of Er-doped InGaN (5% In fraction) was nearly identical to that of Er-doped GaN, yet the PL intensity of the 1.54 um emission from Er-doped InGaN (5% In fraction) was 16 x smaller than that of Er-doped GaN. The drop in PL intensity is attributed to the much lower growth temperature in conjunction with the high formation energy of the Er- emitting centers. Er-doped InGaN grown at fixed growth temperature with different growth pressures, NH3 flow rates, and Ga flow rates was also investigated, and showed that increased In fractions also resulted in a smaller 1.54 um PL intensity. Er-doped InGaN p-i-n diodes were synthesized and tested. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra under forward bias shows strong Er based emission in the infrared and visible region. The different emission lines from EL spectra in contrast to PL spectra implies different excitation methods for the Er based emission in the p-i-n diode than in the PL excited epilayer.