Cette étude vise à évaluer le rôle du silicium (Si) sur l’amélioration de la croissance et de la tolérance au cuivre (Cu) du bambou, plante utilisée en phytoremédiation. Plusieurs approches ont été choisies. Dans un premier temps, la répartition et la variabilité de Cu et Si ont été étudiées dans plusieurs espèces de bambous se développant dans un contexte pédoclimatique naturel afin d’établir des concentrations de référence pour ces éléments. Des cultures hydroponiques ont ensuite permis de caractériser de manière macroscopique la réponse des bambous à des apports de Si et Cu, et, parallèlement, d’étudier la spéciation de Cu et la localisation de Si et Cu au sein des différents organes du bambou (racines, tiges, feuilles).Les concentrations en Si et Cu présentent des différences significatives entre les principaux types de bambous, suggérant l’importance d’un caractère génotypique responsable de l’absorption de ces éléments. Face à une toxicité au cuivre, un apport de Si modifie la spéciation de Cu dans les tissus du bambou, sans toutefois améliorer significativement sa tolérance. Il apparaît que la stratégie principale du bambou pour gérer de fortes concentrations de Cu est tout d’abord une importante séquestration dans les racines, puis une complexation de Cu avec des composés soufrés organiques et inorganiques. Les résultats de cette étude permettront d’optimiser les technologies liées aux capacités épuratives des bambous face à une pollution métallique. / This study aims at assessing the role of silicon (Si) on the plant growth and alleviation of copper (Cu) toxicity in bamboos. Several approaches have been performed. Firstly, the distribution and variability of Si and Cu were investigated in several bamboo species grown under natural pedo-climatic conditions in order to obtain reference values for Cu and Si in bamboos. Secondly, hydroponic experiments were carried out to characterize the macroscopic response of bamboo plants exposed to Si and Cu and, investigated in parallel the Cu speciation and Si and Cu localisation in different part of bamboos (roots, stems, leaves).Significant differences were measured between bamboo species, suggesting that a genotypic character may be responsible for Si and Cu accumulation. Silicon supplementation modified the Cu speciation but did not induce significant improvement of Cu tolerance. The main strategy of bamboo to cope with high Cu concentrations in its tissues is initially an important sequestration in the roots apoplast, mainly in epidermis, and then a Cu complexation with organic and inorganic sulphur compounds. These results will allow the optimisation of phytoremediation processes using bamboo plants.

Mining areas produce large amounts of waste that are important sources of potentially toxic elements (PTE), such as heavy metals. These PTEs can contaminate the environment and cause serious threats to the ecosystem and human health. The in-situ remediation by the addition of amendments is an efficient alternative for the immobilization of contaminants and for reduction of the risks associated with these pollutants. Phosphate, lime, and organic compounds are the most used amendments for in-situ remediation. We evaluated the effect of rates of amendments in desorption kinetics and speciation of Zn, Cd, and Pb in a soil contaminated by mining activities. The soil was collected in a disabled Zn mining area in the city of Vazante, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The contaminated soil was incubated with either phosphate, or calcium carbonate, or biochar, or biosolid. Desorption kinetics was evaluated by the \"stirred-flow\" method that consists of a constant flow with a Mehlich-3 solution. The speciation was performed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and sequential extraction. The analysis with synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption near the edge (XANES) was performed for Pb and Zn. We also performed a mapping by μ-XRF (micro X-ray fluorescence) and in some spots on the map we performed the speciation by μ-XANES for Zn in the soil amended with phosphate. An experiment with columns was carried out with samples from the soil amended with phosphate to evaluate leaching of Zn, Pb, and Cd. The treatment with phosphate affected the species of Zn. However, some Zn species that were formed and can be mobilized most easily. Zn was more easily mobilized in the highest rate of phosphate probably because of the decrease of the pH. The treatments with biosolid, biochar and calcite did not change Zn species. However, in some rates, Zn desorption decreased while Zn contents increased in the recalcitrant fraction. The main species in the unamended soil was Pb-bentonite and anglesite. The soil amended with calcite and pyromorphite decreased the desorption kinetics of Pb and increased the Pb extracted in the residual fraction, and this could be due to formation of pyromorphite. The soil amended with biosolid and biochar increased the Pb extracted in the organic fraction and decreased in the residual fraction. In these treatments part of the species of Pb present on this soil was transformed in Pb-citrate. The addition of biochar and biosolid increased the desorption kinetics of Pb in all rates applied. The treatment with either biochar or biosolid was effective to decrease the Cd desorption. In these organic amendments, the content of Cd associated to organic matter (OM)increased. The treatments with phosphate and calcite also increased the Cd associated to OM extracted in the F3. These inorganic amendments were effective to decrease the desorption kinetics of Cd. / Áreas de mineração produzem grandes quantidades de resíduos que são importantes fontes de elementos potencialmente tóxicos (EPT), tais como os metais pesados. Esses EPTs podem contaminar o meio ambiente e causar sérias ameaças ao ecossistema e à saúde humana. A remediação in-situ pela adição de condicionadores é alternativa eficiente para a imobilização de contaminantes e para redução dos riscos associados a esses poluentes. Fosfato, calcita e compostos orgânicos são os condicionadores mais utilizadas para remediação in-situ. Neste estudo foi avaliado o efeito da aplicação de condicionadores na cinética de dessorção e especiação de Zn, Cd e Pb em um solo contaminado por atividades de mineração. O solo foi coletado em uma área desativada de mineração de Zn, localizada na cidade de Vazante, MG. A solo contaminado foi incubado com fosfato, carbonato de cálcio, biocarvão ou biossólido. A cinética de dessorção foi avaliada pelo método fluxo constante com a solução de Mehlich-3. A especiação foi realizada por espectroscopia de absorção de raios-x (XAS) e extração sequencial, enquanto a análise absorção de raios-x próxima da borda (XANES) foi realizada para Pb e Zn. Também realizamos o mapeamento por μ-XRF (microfluorescência de raios-x) e em alguns pontos no mapa realizamos a especiação por μ-XANES do Zn no solo tratado com fosfato. Foi também conduzido um experimento com colunas para avaliar a lixiviação de Zn, Pb e Cd no solo tratado com fosfato. A adição de fosfato afetou as espécies de Zn. No entanto, algumas espécies de Zn que foram formadas e assim podem ser mobilizadas com mais facilidade. O Zn foi mais facilmente mobilizado na maior taxa de fosfato, provavelmente devido à diminuição do pH. Os tratamentos com biossólido, biocarvão e calcita não alteraram as espécies de Zn. No entanto, em algumas doses, a dessorção de Zn diminuiu, enquanto o teor de Zn aumentou na fração recalcitrante. As principais espécies no solo sem alterações foram a bentonita Pb e a anglesita. O solo corrigido com calcita diminuiu a cinética de dessorção do Pb e aumentou o Pb extraído na fração residual, o que pode ser devido à formação de piromorfita. Os solos tratados com biossólido e com biocarvão aumentaram o teor de Pb associado à matéria orgânica e diminuíram na fração residual. Nestes tratamentos parte das espécies de Pb presentes neste solo foi transformada em Pb ligado a citrato. Essas alterações orgânicas aumentaram substancialmente a cinética de dessorção do Pb em todas as doses adicionadas. Os tratamentos com biocarvão e com biossólido foram efetivos para diminuir a dessorção de Cd. Nestas alterações orgânicas o Cd associado à matéria orgânica aumentou. Os tratamentos com fosfato e calcita também aumentaram o teor de Cd na fração orgânica. Essas alterações inorgânicas também foram eficazes para diminuir a cinética de dessorção do Cd.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo das propriedades elétricas e estruturais das amostras cerâmicas pertencentes ao sistema Ba1-xRxTi1-yZryO3 (R=Ca,Sr). As amostras na forma de pó micro ou nanoestruturadas foram respectivamente obtidas através do método de mistura de óxidos e do método dos precursores poliméricos. Amostras cerâmicas apresentando grãos em uma escala micrométrica foram obtidas através do método tradicional de sinterização em alta temperatura enquanto amostras cerâmicas nanoestruturadas foram obtidas através da técnica de sinterização por plasma (Spark plasma Sintering ou SPS). Os resultados obtidos através da técnica de espectroscopia de impedância mostraram que com o aumento da quantidade de Zr na matriz as amostras passam de um estado ferroelétrico normal para um estado ferroelétrico relaxor e que este efeito é mais pronunciado nas amostras contendo cálcio. A partir dos resultados da difração de raios X em alta resolução, foi possível determinar os processos de transição de fase em função da substituição dos átomos de Ti por Zr além de identificar um processo de transição de fase espontânea na amostra contendo cálcio e 18 mol % de zircônia. Através das medidas do espectro de absorção de raios X e do espectro Raman foi possível mostrar que, independente da composição e da estrutura a longa distancia, apresentam certo grau de desordem local e que esta desordem local está principalmente associada ao fato do átomo de titânio estar fora de sua posição centro simétrica no octaedro TiO6 e que está desordem é comparável a observada no composto BaTiO3 tetragonal. A desordem química devido ao aumento da quantidade de átomos de Zr na matriz associada a esta desordem local levam ao aparecimento do estado relaxor. Finalmente, o estudo das amostras preparadas por SPS mostraram que é possível obter amostras de composição BaTi0,80Zr0,20O3 apresentando uma alta densidade e tamanho de grão nanométrico. Os resultados da espectroscopia de impedância destas amostras mostraram devido ao pequeno deslocamento da temperatura de máximo e do alargamento da curva de permissividade com a diminuição do tamanho de grão, não foi possível classificar essa amostra como apresentando um comportamento típico de um material ferroelétrico relaxor. / This work aimed to study the structural and electrical properties of ceramic samples belonging to the Ba1-xRxTi1-yZryO3 (R = Ca, Sr) system. The powder samples presenting a micro or nanosize were respectively obtained by using a mixture of oxides and by the modified polymeric precursor methods. Micrometer scale ceramic samples were obtained through the traditional method of sintering at high temperature while nano-sized particles ceramics were obtained using the spark Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique. The results obtained using the technique of impedance spectroscopy showed that with an increasing amount of Zr in the matrix, samples change from a normal ferroelectric state to a relaxor ferroelectric state and that this effect is more pronounced in samples containing calcium. From the results of high resolution X-ray diffraction technique, it was possible to determine the phase transition processes due to the substitution of Ti atoms by Zr and, in addition, identify a process of spontaneous phase transition in the sample containing calcium and 18 mol% of zirconium. From the measurements of X-ray absorption Spectroscopy and Raman spectra it was possible to show that regardless of the composition and structure of long range order, the samples have some degree of local disorder and that this local disorder is primarily associated with the fact that the titanium atom being out of its symmetrical center position in the octahedron and is TiO6 disordered. This is comparable to the distorsion observed in tetragonal BaTiO3 sample. The chemical disorder due to the increase of Zr atoms in the matrix associated with this disorder is responsible of the occurrence of relaxor state. Finally, the study of samples prepared by SPS showed that it is possible to obtain samples with BaTi0,80Zr0,20O3 composition with a high-density and nanometeric grain size. The results of impedance spectroscopy on these samples show a small shift of the maximum temperature and a slight broadening of the permittivity curve with decreasing grain size. However, this result does not allowed to classify the samples as having a typical relaxor ferroelectric material behavior.

Filmes finos magnéticos têm grande apelo em mídias de gravação com alta densidade de dados. As propriedades magnéticas desses filmes, que dependem da estrutura atômica do material, podem ser modificadas ou induzidas pela presença de interfaces internas. Para o entendimento e melhoramento dessas propriedades, torna-se necessário o uso de técnicas capazes de fornecer informações seletivamente em profundidade. Neste trabalho, acoplamos a espectroscopia de absorção de raios X (XAS) à uma geometria de incidência rasante, e assim usamos a variação da penetração dos raios X dentro do material em torno do ângulo crítico de reflexão total para obter informações resolvidas em profundidade sobre a ordem estrutural e magnética local. Desenvolvemos uma metodologia de medidas e de análise desta informação. Esta metodologia foi aplicada em filmes de FePt e CoPt que produzimos pela técnica de deposição catódica. Em filmes de FePt, uma análise quantitativa completa nos permitiu caracterizar a camada de oxidação da superfície. Em filmes de CoPt, observamos que a ordem química, responsável pela anisotropia perpendicular é parcialmente perdida em grandes profundidades além da superfície para filmes de espessura superior a 50 nm. A presença desta camada desordenada, confirmada por espalhamento ressonante de raios X, explica a incomum dependência em espessura das propriedades magnéticas do sistema estudado. / Magnetic thin films have great appeal in recording media with high data density. The magnetic properties of these films, depending on the material atomic structure, may be modified or induced by the presence of intern interfaces. For the understanding and improving of these properties, becomes necessary the use of techniques able to provide in depth selective information. In this work, we put together the X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to a grazing incidence setup, and then we use the variation of X-ray penetration inside the material around the critical angle to get depth resolved information about the structural and magnetic local order. We developed a measurements and analysis methodology of this information. This methodology were applied in FePt and CoPt films which we produced by the magnetron sputtering technique In FePt films, a complete quantitative analysis allowed us characterize a surface oxidized layer. In CoPt films, we observed the chemical order, responsible for the perpendicular anisotropy, is partially lost in high depths away from the surface for films thicker than 50 nm. The presence of this disordered layer, confirmed by resonant magnetic X-ray scattering, explains the unconventional in depth dependence of the studied system magnetic properties.

Les otolithes, croissances aragonitiques de l'oreille interne des poissons téléostéens, peuvent être utilisés comme traceurs des variations de l’environnement rencontrées par un individu au cours de sa vie. Un ensemble d’otolithes de Sciaenidae et d’Ariidae archéologiques et modernes a été étudié dans le but d'améliorer les méthodes de reconstruction paléo-environnementale utilisant les otolithes et les autres biominéraux carbonatés stratifiés. L'incorporation du strontium, l'élément lié à l'environnement le plus facilement accessible, a été étudiée par analyses ponctuelles et par cartographie de spectroscopie d'absorption des rayons X (XAS). Une approche multivariée de cartographie rapide de l'environnement chimique a été mise en place pour déterminer le mode d’incorporation du Sr sur une superficie de 0,25 mm² avec une résolution micrométrique. Ces résultats démontrent pour la première fois avec une résolution latérale micrométrique sur des distances millimétriques que le Sr se substitue aléatoirement au calcium dans le réseau de l'aragonite, indépendamment de la concentration en Sr, de l’âge de l’individu ou de la période géologique. D’autre part, des cartes élémentaires sur des zones atteignant 2,6 mm² ont été collectées à des résolutions latérales micrométriques avec plusieurs techniques d'émission de rayons X (émissions provoquées par les particules des rayons X (PIXE) et fluorescence des rayons X par rayonnement synchrotron (SR-µXRF)). Ces cartes permettent l'examen détaillé de l'histoire de la vie d'un individu et de la taphonomie de l'échantillon avec une haute résolution temporelle, tout en identifiant les défauts ou les éléments abiogéniques. Enfin, la diffraction des rayons X par rayonnement synchrotron (SR-XRD) a été utilisée pour cartographier la texture cristalline sur des sections complètes d'otolithes afin d’approfondir notre connaissance de la structure interne et de la croissance des otolithes. Ces développements fournissent des outils précieux pour de futures études des biominéraux, mais plus généralement pour les sciences des matériaux. La sélection et la mise en œuvre de ces méthodes ont été réalisées dans le but d’exploiter au maximum leur fort potentiel pour l'étude des biocarbonates stratifiés, tout en tenant compte des approches existantes et en cherchant à en améliorer certains aspects tels que la profondeur d'information, la résolution latérale, la sensibilité, et les dégâts d’irradiation provoqués par les faisceau. Ce travail démontre la stabilité et l'homogénéité de l'incorporation du Sr par substitution aléatoire au Ca dans l’aragonite biogénique des otolithes modernes et archéologiques. Des cartes multi-élémentaires ont été collectées à l'aide de la SR-µXRF dans un temps raisonnable de quelques heures, et permettent de distinguer une contamination ou des défauts dans l'échantillon, mais également de corréler les cartes obtenues à des observations microscopiques des sections pour fournir une résolution temporelle. Les orientations préférentielles des cristallites composant les sections d'otolithes ont été analysées par la méthode d’acquisition rapide « flyscan », permettant de réduire le temps de mesure à quelques minutes au lieu des quelques heures nécessaires auparavant. / Otoliths, aragonitic growths in the inner ear of teleost fishes, can be used as proxies for the water conditions experienced by an individual over its lifetime. A set of archaeological Sciaenidae and Ariidae otoliths and modern counterparts was studied with the objective of improving palaeoenvironmental reconstruction methodologies using otoliths and other incremental carbonate biominerals. The incorporation of strontium, the most accessible environment-related element, was studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) point analyses and mapping. A fast multivariate chemical environment mapping approach was implemented to determine the mode of Sr incorporation over an area of 0.25 mm² with micrometric resolution. XAS results demonstrate for the first time with a micrometric lateral resolution over millimetric distances that strontium randomly substitutes for calcium in the aragonite lattice, independent of strontium concentration, or individual or geological age. Elemental maps on areas up to 2.6 mm² were produced with micrometric lateral resolution X-ray emission techniques (Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SR-µXRF)). These maps permit the detailed examination of an individual’s life history and sample taphonomy with a high temporal resolution while also identifying defects or abiogenic elements. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) was used to map the crystal texture on complete otolith sections and may deepen understanding of otolith internal structure and growth processes, as well as providing a valuable tool for future studies of biominerals and advanced materials. The selection and implementation of methods were carried out with a view to maximise the potential contribution to the study of stratified biocarbonates, considering and seeking to complement existing approaches in aspects including information depth, lateral resolution, sensitivity, and beam damage. This work demonstrates the stability and homogeneity of Sr incorporation by random substitution for Ca in biogenic aragonite in both modern and archaeological otoliths. Multielemental maps were collected using SR-µXRF in a reasonable time scale of a few to several hours, with the ability to distinguish contamination and defects in the sample, as well as to correlate the maps to microscopic observations of the sections to provide temporal resolution. The preferential orientations of crystallites composing the otolith sections were analysed using the rapid acquisition ‘flyscan’ method, which reduces measurement time to minutes rather than hours.

The commercial polycrystalline superalloy RR1000 developed for turbine disc applications contains a large number of alloying elements. This complex alloy chemistry is required in order to produce appropriate microstructures and the required mechanical properties, such that the most important strengthener γʹ displays complex alloy chemistry. The broad aim of this project is to develop an approach to measuring the composition of γʹ precipitates at a broad range of length scales from nanometres to hundreds of nanometres, and subsequently develop a better understanding of the role of thermodynamics and diffusion kinetics on γʹ phase separation and precipitate growth. A solution of the absorption-corrected EDX spectroscopy to spherical particles was developed in our work, therefore enabling the quantitative analysis of precipitates' composition using an absorption-corrected Cliff-Lorimer approach. By performing this quantification, size-dependent precipitate compositional variations were obtained. Examination of this quantitative approach was compared to thermodynamic calculations of primary γ' precipitates possessing equilibrium compositions. Given the development of semi-quantitative compositional measurements for spherical γʹ precipitates and that cooling is one of the most common and critical regimes in physical metallurgy of Ni-based superalloys, this approach was then applied to study the local compositional variations that are induced in γ' precipitates when the alloy RR1000 undergoes different cooling rates. These measured compositions have been compared to detailed thermodynamic calculations and provide new experimental evidence of the importance of the dominant role of aluminium antisite diffusion in determining the low-temperature growth kinetics of fine-scale γ' precipitates. We have applied a similar analysis approach to study the compositional variations of γʹ cores within the class of secondary precipitates upon cyclic coarsening and reversal coarsening. It was shown that supersaturated Co in secondary γʹ exhibits an overall trend towards the equilibrium but Co content can significantly increase as γʹ coarsens. It was demonstrated that the limited elemental diffusivity in γ and γʹ compared to the observed coarsening rate in the coarsening regime results in the long-lasting Co supersaturation in γʹ and builds up elemental enhancements or depletions. These inhomogeneous elemental distributions produce compressive elastic constraints on large-scale secondary γʹ, therefore inducing morphological instability of these γʹ and causing the reversal coarsening. These results enable us to better understand the role that both thermodynamics and limited diffusion kinetics plays in controlling the complex microstructures of γ' precipitates.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:41:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 WashingtonCMGpdf.pdf: 1072479 bytes, checksum: d37434aed1d2ae898ee7a9fd3701e0d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-29 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / This work deals with the application of X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy on the study of the behavior of Cu2+ ions in inverse micelles. The formation of copper nanoparticles in water-in-oil microemulsions in pseudo-ternary systems of cetyl trimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) surfactant, butanol co-surfactant, heptane as oil phase and aqueous solutions of CuSO4.5H2O, and NaBH4. The microemulsions were prepared with a fixed percentage (60 %) of oil phase and a variable water to tensoative proportion. It was observed an increase on Cu2+ reduction by the sodium borohydride in microemulsions with 13 % of aqueous phase, independent of the reaction time. For the microemulsions in which the aqueous phase is composed only by the CuSO4 solution, it was observed that the color of the solution depends on the water to surfactant ratio. These changes in color were attributed to a competition for the hidratation water between the polar head of the tensoative and Cu2+ ions with the eventual substitution of oxygen by bromine atoms in the first coordination shell of Cu2+ ions / Neste trabalho estudou-se aplica??o da espectroscopia de absor??o de raios x no estudo do comportamento dos ?ons Cu2+ em micelas inversas. Estudou-se a forma??o de nanopart?culas de cobre em microemuls?es ?gua-em-?leo de sistemas pseudo-tern?rios tensoativo (brometo de hexadeciltrimetilam?nio, CTAB)-cotensoativo (butanol) / fase oleosa (heptano) / fase aquosa (solu??es de CuSO4.5H2O, e NaBH4). As microemuls?es foram preparadas fixando em 60% a fase ?leo (Heptano) e variando 40% de fase aquosa com tensoativo/cotensoativo na mesma propor??o, sendo que a fase aquosa do agente redutor NaBH4 foi usada em excesso de 0,4 mol.L-1 e 0,8 mol.L-1 em rela??o 0,2 mol.L-1 de fase aquosa de CuSO4.5H2O. Observou-se uma maior redu??o dos ?ons Cu2+ pelo boridreto de s?dio em microemuls?es com 13% de ?gua, independente do tempo de rea??o. Para as microemuls?es em que a fase aquosa corresponde a solu??o de CuSO4, observou-se uma depend?ncia na colora??o em fun??o da rela??o entre as concentra??es de ?gua/tensoativo. Essa mudan?a de colora??o foi atribu?da a uma competi??o pelas mol?culas de ?guas entre a cabe?a polar do tensoativo e os ?ons Cu2+ com uma eventual substitui??o do oxig?nio da primeira esfera de coordena??o por bromo

<p>This thesis addresses the electronic structure of vanadium and copper oxides using soft X-ray absorption (SXA) spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) at high brightness synchrotron radiation sources. In RIXS incident photons, tuned to the energy of specific absorption resonances, are inelastically scattered leaving behind a low energy valence excitation in the system studied. Effects of electron localization are reflected by the occurrence of low-energy excitations in form of dd- and charge-transfer excitations that are modelled by cluster calculations. Band-like states are dominating when the intermediate core excited state is delocalized.</p><p>RIXS at V 2p and O 1s resonances has been used to study the electronic structure of the monovalent vanadium oxides VO₂ and V₂O₃, and of the mixed valence compounds, NaV₂O₅ and V₆O₁₃. For NaV₂O₅ and V₆O₁₃ significant contributions from localized low-energy excitations reflect the partly localized character of their valence band electronic structure, whereas VO₂ and V₂O₃ appear mostly as band-like. Effects of carrier doping are addressed for the case of Mo doping into VO₂ and reveal a quasi-rigid band behavior. In the cases of VO₂ and V₆O₁₃ the temperature dependent metal-insulator transition could be monitored by following the spectral evolution of bands originating from V 3d and V 3d - O2p hybridized states. For Na₂V₃O₇ nanotubes it was possible to selectively probe states from the apical and the basal oxygen sites of VO₅ pyramids that constitute these nanotubes. Furthermore, the RIXS technique has been demonstrated to be highly valuable in characterizing the charge transfer processes that accompany lithium insertion into vanadium oxide battery cathodes. Finally, for insulating cuprates RIXS at O 1s, Cu 3p and Cu 3s resonances has been recorded at high-resolution for the detailed investigation of crystal field excitations.</p>

<p>This thesis is based on experimental studies in chemical physics. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and phthalocyanine’s (Pc’s), interesting in many future perspectives, have been deposited as thin films and studied as follows. Information has been obtained on e.g. molecular orientation, crystal structure, depth profile of the chemical composition, electrochemical properties and electronic structure. This has been achieved by means of a combination of techniques: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), density functional theory calculations (DFT), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UVVIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV).</p><p>Metal-free phthalcyanine (H₂Pc) has been shown to form films with different crystal structure and molecular orientation depending on deposition method, evaporation/sublimation or powder deposition, on commercial conducting glass (fluorine doped tin oxide, FTO), which is used e.g. in solar cells and organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). The unoccupied molecular orbitals are divided in x, y and z space coordinates of the molecule and also divided in inequivalent nitrogen components. </p><p>The electronic structure is also studied for a sublimated titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) film and related to the metal-free phthalocyanine. The ligand field around the titanium atom in TiOPc is compared with that of TiO₂ to delineate the unoccupied levels recorded by means of x-ray absorption spectroscopy.</p><p>Nanostructured TiO₂ films were manufactured by screen printing/doctor blading on FTO. Such films were additionally covered with lutetium diphthalocyanine (LuPc₂) by means of surface assembly from solution. LuPc₂^-, LuPc₂⁺ and LuPc₂H were identified and the stability of the electrochromic reactions in this system was monitored.</p><p>Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been used to grow nanometer sized anatase TiO₂ crystals on pre-oxidized Si (111) without formation of interfacial carbon and with an interface layer of the size of 15- 25Å. The interface layer was found to be amorphous TiSi_xO_y with graded stoichiometry. </p>

<p>The subjects of the thesis are theoretical first principles calculations of X-ray absorption (XA) spectra and current induced spin transfer torque. XA spectra calculated from atomic multiplet theory and from band structure calculations, based on density functional theory for La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ have been compared to experiment. The comparison shows that the effect of the core hole created in the XA process must be considered in the calculation. The theory by Mahan, Nozières and De Dominicis (MND) of dynamical core hole screening is generalised to multiband systems and implemented in first principle calculations. Calculations of the XA spectrum of graphite, including dynamical core hole screening, are shown to better reproduce the relative intensity of the peaks in the experimental spectrum compared to static calculations based on the local density of state of a core excited atom. In combination with experiments the developed method to calculate XA spectra is used to investigate the electronic structure of mixed valent Yb, hydrogen storage in carbon nanotubes and the structure of liquid water. Moreover, a method to calculate the current induced spin transfer torque in materials with a helical spin density wave from first principles has been developed. The method is applied to rare earth metals and it is shown that a current along the axis of spin rotation induces a torque which gives rise to a rotation of the magnetisation direction.</p>