Co-doped ZnO (ZnO:Co) thin film with room temperature ferromagnetism and spin polarized carriers is one of the advance materials and highly applicable in future development in spintronics. When ZnO:Co films deposited by a £_ growth method in a ion sputtering system, low solubility of Co (3.75%) limits further applications such that a single-guns sputtering thin film growth technique is employed in this study to outreach this limitation. A ZnO:Co bulk with 5 at% of Co was formed by a solid reaction method and used as a target. ZnO:Co films were grown in a single-gun RF sputtering system. However, all films grown at room temperature were insulator which might because sufficient oxygen content in the target and the negative charge of oxygen ion moving toward substrate making the films of full oxygen content. In this study, the post annealing in vacuum environment and the deposition of films in hydrogenation environment are conducted to try to produce various level of oxygen vacancies in the films for understanding the interplay between the oxygen vacancies and the electric transport and magnetic coupling. The present experiment contains two parts: (1) grow films with various thicknesses by controlling deposition time and then applying post annealing process, and (2) grow the films in oxygen reduced environment by introducing hydrogen during growth and taking out partial oxygen content in the plasma and the films. In the first part, the grain sizes of the films are near constant while the crystal quality is improved with the thickness of films. The worse crystal quality of grains, the better the electric transport and the stronger the magnetic coupling after post annealing processes. This indicates that the electric transport and magnetic coupling could be improved when the thin films was formed by crystals with certain disordering and contained a certain level of oxygen vacancies. In the second part, the introduced hydrogen may combine with the oxygen sputtered out from the target before deposition on substrates. It means that the films are grown in oxygen deficient conditions and result in various degrees of oxygen vacancies. Zn clusters precipitate in films when the concentration of hydrogen is over 20%, and at the meantime, they increase the conductivity and suppress the magnetic coupling in the films. These discoveries provide new perspective in understand the electric transport and ferromagnetism mechanics in DMS materials.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) frequently occur in the deep granitic rock aquifers at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Äspö HRL), Sweden. The new SRB strain Desulfovibrio äspöensis could be iso-lated. The objective of this project was to explore the basic interaction mechanisms of uranium, curium, neptunium and plutonium with cells of D. äspöensis DSM 10631T. The cells of D. äspöensis were successfully cultivated under anaerobic conditions as well in an optimized bicarbonate-buffered mineral medium as on solid medium at 22 °C. To study the interaction of D. äspöensis with the actinides, the cells were grown to the mid-exponential phase (four days). The collected biomass was usually 1.0±0.2 gdry weight/L. The purity of the used bacterial cultures was verified using microscopic techniques and by applying the Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Enzyme Analysis (ARDREA). The interaction experiments with the actinides showed that the cells are able to remove all four actinides from the surrounding solution. The amount of removed actinide and the interaction mechanism varied among the different actinides. The main U(VI) removal occurred after the first 24 h. The contact time, pH and [U(VI)]initial influence the U removal efficiency. The presence of uranium caused a damaging of the cell membranes. TEM revealed an accumulation of U inside the bacterial cell. D. äspöensis are able to form U(IV). A complex interaction mechanism takes place consisting of biosorption, bioreduction and bioaccumulation. Neptunium interacts in a similar way. The experimental findings are indicating a stronger interaction with uranium compared to neptunium. The results obtained with 242Pu indicate the ability of the cells of D. äspöensis to accumulate and to reduce Pu(VI) from a solution containing Pu(VI) and Pu(IV)-polymers. In the case of curium at a much lower metal concentration of 3x10-7 M, a pure biosorption of Cm(III) on the cell envelope forming an inner-sphere surface complex most likely with organic phosphate groups was detected. To summarize, the strength of the interaction of D. äspöensis with the selected actinides at pH 5 and actinide concentrations ≥10 mg/L ([Cm] 0.07 mg/L) follows the pattern: Cm > U > Pu >> Np.

This thesis is centred around the study materials with novel electronic properties, including transition metals interacting with semiconductors and unique molecular systems. The idea of advancing modern computing is the basis for motivating the work in that the projects all have potential to be used in novel applications that would impact the efficiency and/or execution of current technology. We have studied two variations of transition metals as they appear in materials and two molecular systems. As for the transition metals interacting with semiconductors, we first discuss transition metal atoms introduced as impurities to a semiconductor lattice, and second, we discuss transition metal oxides that are naturally semiconducting. We have used a number of experimental and theoretical techniques to better understand these groups of materials. Materials prepared through high quality synthesis techniques were studied using x-ray spectroscopy made possible by synchrotron light sources. Computational software then allowed for the experiments to be interpreted by comparing them to the simulations. In the study of transition metals as impurities, we chose the Co:MoS2 system because MoS2 has had promising results with other transition metal dopants. We examined the electronic structure for two purposes: (1) to determine the local bonding environment and locations of the cobalt atoms in order to better understand the behaviour of Co as an impurity; and (2) the overall band gap of the system so that we could evaluate the system’s potential for use in applications. Experimental results combined with our theoretical simulations led us to conclude that the samples available were all metallic, and at low concentrations cobalt atoms were able to substitute directly into the MoS2 lattice. An examination of copper (II) oxide allowed us to investigate the ability to tune the band gap of a known semiconductor through a synthesis process that applied axial pressure to the sample. For a collection of samples prepared at different pressures, x-ray spectroscopy methods showed an increasing band gap with increasing synthesis pressure, a result that is most encouraging for the field of band gap engineering. Using soft x-ray spectroscopy to examine the conduction and valence bands of the two molecular systems, the potassium-doped hydrocarbons and Li2RuO3, was important for drawing conclusions about the materials’ composition and behaviour. Results showed the introduction of new states at the lower edge of the conduction band of K:phenanthrene, a possible reason for its low-temperature superconductivity. Li2RuO3’s electronic structure was examined and compared to calculations performed by collaborators.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:55:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4549.pdf: 10506362 bytes, checksum: 622f533bcc042279d1b10154620ecb35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-11 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Cobalt-based catalysts supported on γ-alumina and magnesium aluminate modified with lanthanum and cerium have been applied to various conditions of reforming of ethanol. The initial challenge was to control the rate of carbon accumulation, a major cause of deactivation of catalysts under steam reforming of ethanol. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses showed that the rate of carbon accumulation is inversely proportional to the amount of Co2+ species and directly proportional to the amount of Co0 species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that, after reducing the catalysts in hydrogen, the oxidized fraction of the particles is mainly on their surface. Both the oxidized and reduced fractions of cobalt crystallites have face-centered cubic structure. The concentration of superficial oxygen under reforming conditions is determined by the curvature of the surface of the particles, the nature of the supports and the presence of promoters such as platinum and copper. The concentration of superficial oxygen is also highly sensitive to reaction conditions such as the composition and amount of oxidizing agents, such as oxygen and water, and reaction temperature. The rate of accumulation of carbon could be controlled with co-feeding oxygen to the reactor, process called oxy-reforming of ethanol, and using ceria as support. However, stability tests showed that catalyst deactivation may also occur by oxidation of metal sites. The ignition of the reforming process takes place in a microregion at the entrance of the catalyst bed where ethanol is fully oxidized, releasing energy and increasing the local temperature. Spatial-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses showed that the ratio Co2+/Co0 is much greater than one inside this microregion. The high local temperature and the presence of oxidized species in the entrance of the bed produce the appropriate conditions which lead the Co2+ ions to diffuse into the defect spinel structure of γ-alumina, leading to loss of potentially active sites for reforming of ethanol. This phenomenon is unleashed as a wave that propagates from the entrance of the bed downstream to the regions where Co2+ species exist. However, one can prevent the diffusion of Co2+ species to the structure of γ- alumina using aluminates as supports. / Catalisadores de cobalto suportados em γ-alumina e aluminato de magnésio modificados com lantânio e cério foram aplicados a diferentes condições de reforma do etanol. O desafio inicial foi tentar controlar a taxa de acúmulo de carbono, um dos principais fatores de desativação de catalisadores em condições de reforma a vapor do etanol. Análises de espectroscopia de absorção de raios X in situ comprovaram que a diminuição da taxa de acúmulo de carbono está ligada ao aumento da quantidade de espécies Co2+ em relação à quantidade de espécies Co0 nas partículas de cobalto. Análises de espectroscopia de fotoelétrons excitados por raios X demonstraram que, após redução em hidrogênio, a fração oxidada das partículas encontra-se majoritariamente na superfície das mesmas. Ambas as frações oxidadas e reduzidas das partículas de cobalto apresentam estrutura cúbica de face centrada. A concentração de oxigênio superficial em condições de reforma do etanol é determinada pela curvatura da superfície das partículas, pela natureza dos suportes e pela presença de promotores tais como platina e cobre. A concentração de oxigênio superficial é também fortemente sensível às condições de reação, tais como a composição e quantidade de agentes oxidantes, como a água e o oxigênio, e a temperatura de reação. O acúmulo de carbono pôde ser controlado com a coalimentação de oxigênio ao reator, processo denominado reforma a vapor com coalimentação de oxigênio, e utilizando-se céria como suporte. Entretanto, testes de estabilidade demonstraram que a desativação do catalisador pode também ocorrer por oxidação dos sítios metálicos. A ignição da reforma ocorre em uma microrregião na entrada do leito catalítico onde o etanol é completamente oxidado, liberando energia e aumentando a temperatura local. Análises de espectroscopia de absorção de raios X in situ resolvidas no espaço demonstraram que, nesta microrregião, a razão Co2+/Co0 é muito maior que um. O aumento da temperatura local e a presença de espécies oxidadas na entrada do leito produzem as condições adequadas para que íons Co2+ se difundam na estrutura espinela defeituosa da γ- alumina, levando a perdas de sítios potencialmente ativos para a reforma do etanol. Este fenômeno se deflagra como uma onda de desativação que se propaga da entrada do leito em direção às regiões à jusante onde existem espécies Co2+. Por outro lado, pode-se evitar a difusão de espécies Co2+ na estrutura da γ-alumina utilizando-se aluminatos como suporte.

The groundwater bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens (CCUG 32456) isolated at a depth of 70 m in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory secretes a pyoverdin-mixture with four main components (two pyoverdins and two ferribactins). The dominant influence of the pyoverdins of this mixture could be demonstrated by an absorption spectroscopy study. The comparison of the stability constants of U(VI), Cm(III), and Np(V) species with ligands simulating the functional groups of the pyoverdins results in the following order of complex strength: pyoverdins (PYO) > trihydroxamate (DFO) > catecholates (NAP, 6­HQ) > simple hydroxamates (SHA, BHA). The pyoverdin chromophore functionality shows a large affinity to bind actinides. As a result, pyoverdins are also able to complex and to mobilize elements other than Fe(III) at a considerably high efficiency. It is known that EDTA may form the strongest actinide complexes among the various organic components in nuclear wastes. The stability constants of 1:1 species formed between Cm(III) and U(VI) and pyoverdins are by a factor of 1.05 and 1.3, respectively, larger compared to the corresponding EDTA stability constants. The Np(V)-PYO stability constant is even by a factor of 1.83 greater than the EDTA stability constant. The identified Np(V)-PYO species belong to the strongest Np(V) species with organic material reported so far. All identified species influence the actinide speciation within the biologically relevant pH range. The metal binding properties of microbes are mainly determined by functional groups of their cell wall (LPS: Gram-negative bacteria and PG: Gram-positive bacteria). On the basis of the determined stability constants raw estimates are possible, if actinides prefer to interact with the microbial cell wall components or with the secreted pyoverdin bioligands. By taking pH 5 as an example, U(VI)-PYO interactions are slightly stronger than those observed with LPS and PG. For Cm(III) we found a much stronger affinity to aqueous pyoverdin species than to functional groups of the cell wall compartments. A similar behavior was observed for Np(V). This shows the importance of indirect interaction processes between actinides and bioligands secreted by resident microbes.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) frequently occur in the deep granitic rock aquifers at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Äspö HRL), Sweden. The new SRB strain Desulfovibrio äspöensis could be iso-lated. The objective of this project was to explore the basic interaction mechanisms of uranium, curium, neptunium and plutonium with cells of D. äspöensis DSM 10631T. The cells of D. äspöensis were successfully cultivated under anaerobic conditions as well in an optimized bicarbonate-buffered mineral medium as on solid medium at 22 °C. To study the interaction of D. äspöensis with the actinides, the cells were grown to the mid-exponential phase (four days). The collected biomass was usually 1.0±0.2 gdry weight/L. The purity of the used bacterial cultures was verified using microscopic techniques and by applying the Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Enzyme Analysis (ARDREA). The interaction experiments with the actinides showed that the cells are able to remove all four actinides from the surrounding solution. The amount of removed actinide and the interaction mechanism varied among the different actinides. The main U(VI) removal occurred after the first 24 h. The contact time, pH and [U(VI)]initial influence the U removal efficiency. The presence of uranium caused a damaging of the cell membranes. TEM revealed an accumulation of U inside the bacterial cell. D. äspöensis are able to form U(IV). A complex interaction mechanism takes place consisting of biosorption, bioreduction and bioaccumulation. Neptunium interacts in a similar way. The experimental findings are indicating a stronger interaction with uranium compared to neptunium. The results obtained with 242Pu indicate the ability of the cells of D. äspöensis to accumulate and to reduce Pu(VI) from a solution containing Pu(VI) and Pu(IV)-polymers. In the case of curium at a much lower metal concentration of 3x10-7 M, a pure biosorption of Cm(III) on the cell envelope forming an inner-sphere surface complex most likely with organic phosphate groups was detected. To summarize, the strength of the interaction of D. äspöensis with the selected actinides at pH 5 and actinide concentrations ≥10 mg/L ([Cm] 0.07 mg/L) follows the pattern: Cm > U > Pu >> Np.

With the development of new generation synchrotron facilities, the performances of various X-ray spectroscopies have become more advanced. In order to interpret the X-ray spectrum experiments of various novel materials related to transition metal and rare earth elements, new advanced theoretical methods are required. The present thesis incorporates four modus operandi based on the classic multiplet theory to study the core level X-ray spectroscopy of transition metal and rare earth element. The four approaches consist of new methods developed from classic multiplet approach to high level first-principles method assisted multiplet calculation. Some methods are selected from previous researches and some are invented by original researches. These methods are integrated together to form a complete set of multiplet computational methods. This set of multiplet computational methods can perform calculations on various X-ray spectroscopies such as XAS, XPS, XES and RIXS related to the core-level electron. These wide range of spectroscopic methods coupled to different multiplet theory approaches serve as efficient tools to understand the electronic structure of metal sites and their unique contribution to the physical/chemical properties of the materials. The thesis creatively improves the classic multiplet theory on several aspects: (1) the relation between crystal field parameters and local structure factors; (2) the difficulty of processing point group symmetry branching chain in low symmetric structure; (3) the first-principles calculation of semi-empirical parameters. Four modus operandi are presented in this thesis: the first is the classic multiplet theory consisting of the multiplet effect, crystal field effect and charge transfer effect via several semi-empirical parameters as description for these effects. The second level multiplet theoretical approach analyze the crystal field potential matrix in various symmetries according to the point group symmetry branching rules. Then the crystal field effect parameters used in classic multiplet theory are linked analytically to the specific structural factors such as bond length and angles. This approach is a good tool to study the structural distortion from higher to lower order symmetry with analysis of X-ray spectral feature changes in experiment. The third modus operandi adopts large cluster model consisting of point charges at equivalent atoms position to simulate the crystal field effect on the center metal site. This approach handles low order symmetric crystal field with long range effect in multiplet calculation in an easier way than the classic multiplet theory. The fourth modus operandi initially studies the system of interest in first-principles calculation for the electronic wavefunctions. Then the electronic wavefunctions are used to derive the maximally localized Wannier functions at metal/ligand sites. The analysis of these Wannier functions provide a lot of semi-empirical parameters required in the classic multiplet calculation approach in a first-principles way. This modus operandi has substantially resolved the problem of finding the best set of semi-empirical parameters to fit the calculated X-ray spectrum with experimental data. In order to study the core electrons of the light elements (such as C/N/O) around center metal ions, a theoretical calculation method used to study the core electrons' vibrationally-resolved X-ray spectroscopy is also introduced as a complementary research and applied to C1s core ionized XPS calculation as an example. / Med utvecklingen av nya generationens synkrotronanläggningar har prestandan för olika röntgenspektroskopier blivit mer avancerad. För att tolka röntgenspektrumexperiment av olika nya material relaterade till övergångsmetaller och sällsynta jordartsmetaller krävs nya avancerade teoretiska metoder. Denna avhandling inkorporerar fyra metoder baserade på den klassiska multiplettläran för att studera röntgenspektroskopi på kärnenerginivån för övergångsmetaller och sällsynta jordartsmetaller. De fyra metoderna består av nya metoder som utvecklats från den klassiska multiplettläran till multiplettberäkning med hjälp av högnivå-först-principer-metoder. Vissa metoder har valts från tidigare forskning och några har uppfunnits genom originalforskning. Dessa metoder integreras för att bilda en komplett uppsättning av multiplettberäkningsmetoder. Denna uppsättning av multiplettberäkningsmetoder kan utföra beräkningar av olika röntgenspektroskopier som XAS, XPS, XES och RIXS relaterade till elektroner på kärnenerginivån. Denna breda spektrum av spektroskopiska metoder som kopplas till olika multipletteteoretiska tillvägagångssätt fungerar som effektiva verktyg för att förstå den elektroniska strukturen hos metalliska platser och deras unika bidrag till materialets fysikaliska/kemiska egenskaper. Avhandlingen förbättrar på ett kreativt sätt den klassiska multiplettläran på flera områden: (1) förhållandet mellan kristallfältparametrar och lokala strukturfaktorer, (2) svårigheten med att hantera förgreningskedjor i punktgruppsymmetri för strukturer med låg symmetri, (3) först-principer-beräkning av semi-empiriska parametrar. Fyra metoder presenteras i denna avhandling: den första är den klassiska multiplettläran som omfattar multiplett-effekten, kristallfältseffekten och laddningsöverföringseffekten genom flera semi-empiriska parametrar som beskriver dessa effekter. Den andra multiplett-teoretiska tillvägagångssättet analyserar kristallfältspotensialmatrisen i olika symmetrier enligt reglerna för punktgruppsymmetri. Därefter kopplas de kristallfältseffektparametrar som används i den klassiska multiplettläran analytiskt till specifika strukturella faktorer som bindningslängd och vinklar. Detta tillvägagångssätt är ett bra verktyg för att studera strukturell distorsion från högre till lägre ordningssymmetri med analys av förändringar i röntgenspektrala funktionsändringar i experiment. Det tredje tillvägagångssättet använder en stor klustermetod som består av punktladdningar på ekvivalenta atompositioner för att simulera kristallfältsinverkan på metallcentralen. Detta tillvägagångssätt hanterar kristallfält med låg symmetri och lång räckvidd i multiplettberäkningar på ett enklare sätt än den klassiska multiplettläran. Det fjärde tillvägagångssättet studerar initialt det intressanta systemet med först-principer-beräkningar av elektronvågfunktioner. Därefter används dessa elektronvågfunktioner för att härleda maximalt lokaliserade Wannier-funktioner vid metall-/ligandpositioner. Analysen av dessa Wannier-funktioner ger många av de semi-empiriska parametrar som krävs i den klassiska multiplettberäkningsmetoden på ett först-principer-sätt. Detta tillvägagångssätt har i stor utsträckning löst problemet med att hitta den bästa uppsättningen semi-empiriska parametrar för att anpassa de beräknade röntgenspektrumen med experimentella data. För att studera de lättas elektroner (som C/N/O) runt centrala metalljoner introduceras även en teoretisk beräkningsmetod för att studera röntgenspektrum med vibrationell upplösning för kärnelektroner som ett kompletterande forskningsområde och tillämpas på beräkningar av C1s-kärnenerginivåns XPS som ett exempel. / <p>QC 2023-05-23</p>

No description available.

Phosphorus (P) one of the essential elements to plants and animals, is a non-renewable resource and accuatlly high demanded in agriculture. The World\'s population growth and future estimatives on food demands raises the question about the sustainability of the current agriculture systems, speccially concerns about the low P use efficiency in agroecosystems. Brazilian agriculture requires high P inputs and many researches has been developed to increase the crops yield and, consequently, food production efficiency. However, this development was achieved at the high costs of mineral fertilisers (specially P) and long-term perspectives about the costs of the intensification in the tropical agriculture is accuattly in debate. In this conxtext, in the present thesis chapter two we evaluated the evolution of the Brazilian cropland basis and P demands, quantifying the Brazil P Legacy and, based on scenarios involving the cropland area and yield expansion, we estimated the future (up to 2050) Legacy P and P fertilisers demand. We also estimated the potential aleviation that could be achieved in the mineral fertilizers consumption by utilisation and improvements on manure P recycling. Alternatively, considering the systems intensification and its effects on P availability, we proposed alternative scenarios to promote the Legacy P utilisation in Brazil\'s improved agriculture systems to grant the agriculture expansion without huge increments on the national P fertilisers consumption. A worldwide recognized advance in Brazilian agriculture is the Cerrado, where large cropland areas accually are cultivated twice a year, improving the food and fiber production without any additional disturbance of natural ecossystems. In this context, no-tillage (NT) agriculture has been widely used and, as consequence, soil fertility has been improved, which could be also farorable to the P availability, when rotation with crop species with P mobilization mechanisms are introduced, such as cover crops utilisation. However, the effects of these improved rotated systems on P bioavailability in long-term in tropical soils remains uncert in the literature and was our objective in the chapter three, where is described a study envolving the evaluation of long-term changes on P fractions in tropical Oxisols, from two long-term field trials involving tillage systems (NT and conventional tillage, CT) and cover crops (millet, brachiaria, maize and control, fallow). The long-term cultivation generated large amounts of legacy P in the soil and with the brachiaria introduction as cover crop, more P was recycled in the topsoil and labile P and all the organic P fractions increased. Based on the cover crop effects, we proposed that the bioavailability of the legacy P could be represented by the P extracted by the labile fractions + moderately labile P fractions. In the chapter four, we used other techniques actually widely applied to P speciation, and we applied in tropical soils affected by the native Cerrado conversion into NT and CT agriculture. A multiple approach to identify and quantify the P forms in tropical soils were proposed by the utilisation of Hedley\'s fractionation togheter with P K-edge XANES for P-bindings into inorganic soil matrix and liquid 31P-NMR spectroscopy to complement the organic P species in tropical soils. / Fósforo (P), um dos elementos essenciais às plantas e animais, é um recurso não-renovável e altamente demandado na agricultura atualmente. O crescimento da população mundial e as estimativas futuras da demanda de alimentos aumentam os questionamentos sobre a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas atuais, especialmente no que se refere a baixa eficiência no uso do P na agricultura. A agricultura brasileira requer altas quantidades de P e muitas pesquisas tem sido desenvolvidas para aumentar a produtividades das culturas e, conseequentemente, a eficiencia da produção de alimentos. Entretanto, este desenvolvimento tem sido alcançado a altos custos com uso de fertilizantes minerais (sobretudo P) e as perspectivas de longo prazo sobre os custos da intensificação da agricultura tropical estão atualmente em debate. Nesse contexto, no capítulo dois da presente tese avaliamos a evolução da área cultivada no Brasil e das demandas de P, quantificando o legado do P no Brasil e, baseado em cenários envolvendo a expansão da área cultivada e da produtividade, estimamos o futuro (até 2050) legado de P e as demandas por fertilizantes fosfatados. Ainda estimamos a potencial redução no consumo de fertilizantes fosfatados que pode ser alcançada pela utilização e melhorias na reciclagem do P oriundo de dejetos. Alternativamente, considerando a intensificação dos sistemas e seus efeitos na disponibilidade de P, propusemos cenários alternativos visando a utilização do \"Legacy P\" em sistemas agrícolas melhorados para garantir a expansão agrícola sem drásticos incrementos no consumo nacional de fertilizantes fosfatados. Um avanço internacionalmente reconhecido na agricultura Brasileira é o Cerrado, onde extensas áreas agrícolas são cultivadas duas vezes ao ano, incrementando assim a produção de alimentos e fibras sem qualquer custo aos ecossistemas naturais. Nesse contexto, a agricultura sob plantio direto (PD) tem sido amplamente difundida e, como consequencia, a fertilidade dos solos tem-se elevado, o que pode também favorecer a disponibilidade de P, quando são introduzidas rotações com espécies de plantas que apresentam mecanismos de mobilização do P, como o uso de plantas de cobertura. Entretanto, os efeitos desses sistemas melhorados de rotação na biodisponibilidade de P em solos tropicais no longo prazo permanecem incertos na literatura e foram objeto de estudo no capítulo três, onde está descrito um estudo envolvendo a avaliação das mudanças de longo-prazo nas frações de P em Latossolos, oriundos de dois experimentos de campo de longa duração no Cerrado, envolvendo a avaliação de sistemas de preparo (PD e preparo convencional, PC) e plantas de cobertura (milheto, braquiária milho e um controle, apenas pousio). O cultivo por longo tempo resultou em grandes quantididades de \"Legacy P\" acumulado no solo e, com o uso de braquiária como cultura de cobertura, maior quantidade de P foi reciclado para as camadas superiores do solo e as frações de P lábil e todas as frações organicas aumentaram. Baseado nos efeitos das plantas de cobertura, sugerimos que a biodisponibilidade do \"Legacy P\" pode ser representada pelo P extraído nas frações lábeis + o P de frações moderadamente lábeis. No capítulo quatro, utilizamos outras técincas atualmente difundidas para a especiação de P, aplicando-as em solos tropicais influenciados pela conversão do Cerrado nativo em agricultura sob PD e PC. Uma abordagem múltipla para identificação e quantificação de formas de P em solos tropicais foi proposta através da utilização do fracionamento de P proposto por Hedley em conjunto com a especiação de P por XANES da borda K do P para identificação de ligação do P a matrix inorgânica do solo, e espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear (NMR) para complementação da identificação de espécies orgânicas de P em solos tropicais.

Phosphorus (P) one of the essential elements to plants and animals, is a non-renewable resource and accuatlly high demanded in agriculture. The World\'s population growth and future estimatives on food demands raises the question about the sustainability of the current agriculture systems, speccially concerns about the low P use efficiency in agroecosystems. Brazilian agriculture requires high P inputs and many researches has been developed to increase the crops yield and, consequently, food production efficiency. However, this development was achieved at the high costs of mineral fertilisers (specially P) and long-term perspectives about the costs of the intensification in the tropical agriculture is accuattly in debate. In this conxtext, in the present thesis chapter two we evaluated the evolution of the Brazilian cropland basis and P demands, quantifying the Brazil P Legacy and, based on scenarios involving the cropland area and yield expansion, we estimated the future (up to 2050) Legacy P and P fertilisers demand. We also estimated the potential aleviation that could be achieved in the mineral fertilizers consumption by utilisation and improvements on manure P recycling. Alternatively, considering the systems intensification and its effects on P availability, we proposed alternative scenarios to promote the Legacy P utilisation in Brazil\'s improved agriculture systems to grant the agriculture expansion without huge increments on the national P fertilisers consumption. A worldwide recognized advance in Brazilian agriculture is the Cerrado, where large cropland areas accually are cultivated twice a year, improving the food and fiber production without any additional disturbance of natural ecossystems. In this context, no-tillage (NT) agriculture has been widely used and, as consequence, soil fertility has been improved, which could be also farorable to the P availability, when rotation with crop species with P mobilization mechanisms are introduced, such as cover crops utilisation. However, the effects of these improved rotated systems on P bioavailability in long-term in tropical soils remains uncert in the literature and was our objective in the chapter three, where is described a study envolving the evaluation of long-term changes on P fractions in tropical Oxisols, from two long-term field trials involving tillage systems (NT and conventional tillage, CT) and cover crops (millet, brachiaria, maize and control, fallow). The long-term cultivation generated large amounts of legacy P in the soil and with the brachiaria introduction as cover crop, more P was recycled in the topsoil and labile P and all the organic P fractions increased. Based on the cover crop effects, we proposed that the bioavailability of the legacy P could be represented by the P extracted by the labile fractions + moderately labile P fractions. In the chapter four, we used other techniques actually widely applied to P speciation, and we applied in tropical soils affected by the native Cerrado conversion into NT and CT agriculture. A multiple approach to identify and quantify the P forms in tropical soils were proposed by the utilisation of Hedley\'s fractionation togheter with P K-edge XANES for P-bindings into inorganic soil matrix and liquid 31P-NMR spectroscopy to complement the organic P species in tropical soils. / Fósforo (P), um dos elementos essenciais às plantas e animais, é um recurso não-renovável e altamente demandado na agricultura atualmente. O crescimento da população mundial e as estimativas futuras da demanda de alimentos aumentam os questionamentos sobre a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas atuais, especialmente no que se refere a baixa eficiência no uso do P na agricultura. A agricultura brasileira requer altas quantidades de P e muitas pesquisas tem sido desenvolvidas para aumentar a produtividades das culturas e, conseequentemente, a eficiencia da produção de alimentos. Entretanto, este desenvolvimento tem sido alcançado a altos custos com uso de fertilizantes minerais (sobretudo P) e as perspectivas de longo prazo sobre os custos da intensificação da agricultura tropical estão atualmente em debate. Nesse contexto, no capítulo dois da presente tese avaliamos a evolução da área cultivada no Brasil e das demandas de P, quantificando o legado do P no Brasil e, baseado em cenários envolvendo a expansão da área cultivada e da produtividade, estimamos o futuro (até 2050) legado de P e as demandas por fertilizantes fosfatados. Ainda estimamos a potencial redução no consumo de fertilizantes fosfatados que pode ser alcançada pela utilização e melhorias na reciclagem do P oriundo de dejetos. Alternativamente, considerando a intensificação dos sistemas e seus efeitos na disponibilidade de P, propusemos cenários alternativos visando a utilização do \"Legacy P\" em sistemas agrícolas melhorados para garantir a expansão agrícola sem drásticos incrementos no consumo nacional de fertilizantes fosfatados. Um avanço internacionalmente reconhecido na agricultura Brasileira é o Cerrado, onde extensas áreas agrícolas são cultivadas duas vezes ao ano, incrementando assim a produção de alimentos e fibras sem qualquer custo aos ecossistemas naturais. Nesse contexto, a agricultura sob plantio direto (PD) tem sido amplamente difundida e, como consequencia, a fertilidade dos solos tem-se elevado, o que pode também favorecer a disponibilidade de P, quando são introduzidas rotações com espécies de plantas que apresentam mecanismos de mobilização do P, como o uso de plantas de cobertura. Entretanto, os efeitos desses sistemas melhorados de rotação na biodisponibilidade de P em solos tropicais no longo prazo permanecem incertos na literatura e foram objeto de estudo no capítulo três, onde está descrito um estudo envolvendo a avaliação das mudanças de longo-prazo nas frações de P em Latossolos, oriundos de dois experimentos de campo de longa duração no Cerrado, envolvendo a avaliação de sistemas de preparo (PD e preparo convencional, PC) e plantas de cobertura (milheto, braquiária milho e um controle, apenas pousio). O cultivo por longo tempo resultou em grandes quantididades de \"Legacy P\" acumulado no solo e, com o uso de braquiária como cultura de cobertura, maior quantidade de P foi reciclado para as camadas superiores do solo e as frações de P lábil e todas as frações organicas aumentaram. Baseado nos efeitos das plantas de cobertura, sugerimos que a biodisponibilidade do \"Legacy P\" pode ser representada pelo P extraído nas frações lábeis + o P de frações moderadamente lábeis. No capítulo quatro, utilizamos outras técincas atualmente difundidas para a especiação de P, aplicando-as em solos tropicais influenciados pela conversão do Cerrado nativo em agricultura sob PD e PC. Uma abordagem múltipla para identificação e quantificação de formas de P em solos tropicais foi proposta através da utilização do fracionamento de P proposto por Hedley em conjunto com a especiação de P por XANES da borda K do P para identificação de ligação do P a matrix inorgânica do solo, e espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear (NMR) para complementação da identificação de espécies orgânicas de P em solos tropicais.