Carbon-based thin films are a vast group of materials of great technological importance. Thanks to the different bonding options for carbon, a large variety of structures (from amorphous to nanostructured) can be achieved in the process of film synthesis. The structural diversity increases even more if carbon is combined with relatively small quantities of atoms of other elements. This results in a set of materials with many different interesting properties for a wide range of technological applications. This doctoral thesis is about nanostructured carbon-based thin films. In particular, the focus is set on theoretical modeling, prediction of structural features and design of sulfo carbide (CSx) and carbon fluoride (CFx) thin films. The theoretical approach follows the synthetic growth concept (SGC) which is based on the density functional theory. The SGC departure point is the fact that the nanostructured films of interest can be modeled as assemblies of low dimensional units (e.g., finite graphene-like model systems), similarly to modeling graphite as stacks of graphene sheets. Moreover, the SGC includes a description of the groups of atoms that act as building blocks (i.e., precursors) during film deposition, as well as their interaction with the growing film. This thesis consists of two main parts: Prediction: In this work, I show that nanostructured CSx thin films can be expected for sulfur contents up to 20 atomic % with structural characteristics that go from graphite-like to fullerene-like (FL). In the case of CFx thin films, a diversity of structures are predicted depending on the fluorine concentration. Short range ordered structures, such as FL structure, can be expected for low concentrations (up to 5 atomic %). For increasing fluorine concentration, diamond-like and polymeric structures should predominate. As a special case, I also studied the ternary system CSxFy. The calculations show that CSxFy thin films with nanostructured features should be possible to synthesize at low sulfur and fluorine concentrations and the structural characteristics can be described and explained in terms of the binaries CSx and CFx. Design: The carbon-based thin films predicted in this thesis were synthesized by magnetron sputtering. The results from my calculations regarding structure and composition, and analysis of precursors (availability and role during deposition process) were successfully combined with the experimental techniques in the quest of obtaining films with desired structural features and understanding their properties.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate carbon based molecular materials at first principles levels. Special attention has been paid to simulations of X-ray spectroscopies, including near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), X-ray photoelectron, and X-ray emission spectroscopy, which can provide detailed information about core, occupied and unoccupied molecular orbitals of the systems under investigation. Theoretical calculations have helped to assign fine spectral structures in high resolution NEXAFS spectra of five azabenzenes (pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyridazine and s-triazine), and to identify different local chemical environments among them. With the help of NEXAFS, the characters of important chemical bonds that might be responsible for the unique magnetic properties of the tetracyanoethylene compound has been revealed. Calculations have demonstrated that X-ray spectroscopies are powerful tools for isomer identification and structure determination of fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes. A joint experimental and theoretical study on metallofullerene Gd@C82 has firmly determined its equilibrium structure, in which the gadolinium atom lies above the hexagon on the C2 axis. It is found that the gadolinium atom could oscillate around its equilibrium position and that its oscillation amplitude increases with increasing temperature. In this thesis, several new computational schemes for large-scale systems have been proposed. Parallel implementation of a central insertion scheme (CIS) has been realized, which allows to effectively calculate electronic structures of very large systems, up to 150,000 electrons, at hybrid density functional theory levels. In comparison with traditional computational methods, CIS provides results with the same high accuracy but requires only a fraction of computational time. One of its applications is to calculate electronic structures of nanodiamond clusters varying from 0.76 nm (29 carbons) to 7.3 nm (20,959 carbons) in diameter, which enabled to resolve the long-standing debate about the validity of the quantum confinement model for nanodiamonds. Electronic structures and X-ray spectroscopies of a series of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with different diameters and lengths have been calculated, which have made it possible to interpret the existing experimental results. / QC 20100727

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L'utilisation intensive des combustibles fossiles et l’émission des produits de leur combustion (principalement du CO2) dans l'air ont déjà impacté le climat mondial. Trouver des solutions technologiques permettant la conversion de l'économie mondiale aux carburants propres et renouvelables devient urgent. Une de possibilités consiste en utilisation de l’hydrogène comme un vecteur d’énergie. Aujourd’hui elle est limitée par l’absence d’un matériau permettant son stockage à des températures ambiantes et à des pressions modérées.Dans ce projet, nous explorons la possibilité de préparer un nouveau matériau pour un stockage réversible de l’hydrogène par physisorption : les carbones nanoporeux substitués au bore. Nous montrons que la synthèse en arc électrique peut être optimisée pour produire des structures graphitisées, avec la variété de tailles, de formes et d'interconnexions entre les fragments de graphène. Leur morphologie, structure, composition chimique et homogénéité de la distribution de l’hétéroatome dans la structure carbonée ont été caractérisés par les techniques SEM, HRTEM, EELS, XRD et spectroscopie RMN. La porosité et propriétés adsorptives ont été étudiées en utilisant les mesures d’adsorption de l’azote à T= 77 K.Les deux paramètres essentiels pour un stockage efficace de l’hydrogène dans les conditions ambiantes sont la surface spécifique de l’adsorbant et l’énergie avec laquelle les molécules du gaz sont adsorbées sur cette surface. Nous montrons que la surface spécifique d’adsorption peut être contrôlée et augmentée par une activation thermique ou chimique pour optimiser le stockage, et que la présence du bore dans les structures carbonées permet de doubler l’énergie d'adsorption d'hydrogène du matériau. / The intensive use of fossil fuels and the emission of combustion products (mostly CO2) to air have already impacted global climate. We urgently need to find a technological solution to convert the global energy economy towards cleaner and renewable fuels. A possible solution consists in using hydrogen as energy vector. Today this technology is limited by the absence of material that could efficiently store hydrogen at ambient temperature and moderate pressures.In this project we explore the possibility to prepare a new material for reversible hydrogen storage by physisorption: boron-substituted nanoporous carbons. We show that electric arc discharge synthesis may be optimized to produce graphitized structures with a variety of graphene fragment sizes, forms, and interconnections between them. The morphology, structure, chemical composition, and homogeneity of boron distribution over the carbon samples were characterized using SEM, HRTEM, EELS, and XRD techniques, and HR solid state NMR. The porosity and adsorption parameters were determined from isotherms of nitrogen adsorption at T = 77 K.Two parameters that are essential for efficient hydrogen storage at ambient conditions are sorbent specific surface and the energy of gas adsorption at this surface. We show that material specific surface can be controlled and increased by thermal and/or chemical activation to enhance storage capacity, and that hydrogen adsorption energy in boron containing samples is twice as high as in all- carbon material.

Des films à base de nanotubes de carbone et d'oxyde de graphène reduit ont été préparés sur des électrodes d'or de microbalances et testées dans différents électrolytes tels que LiCl, NaCl et KCI. Le stockage de charge au sein de ces films a été étudié par ac-électrogravimétrie, couplage entre une microbalance à quartz rapide (QCM) et la spectroscopie d'impédance électrochimique (EIS). La nature chimique et le rôle de chaque espèce, anion, cation, cation solvaté, solvant libre, impliquée dans le mécanisme de stockage de charge, ont été clairement identifiés au cours de la polarisation cathodique et anodique par ces mesures d'ac-électrogravimétrie pour la première fois. Les résultats d'ac-électrogravimétrie confirment que les cations sont en majorité électroadsorbés lorsque la surface est chargée négativement, tandis que les anions sont électroadsorbés lorsque la surface est chargée positivement. Des films nanocomposites, SWCNT/Bleu de Prusse et de SWCNT/Polypyrrole ont aussi été électrochimiquement examinés. La nature chimique et le rôle de chaque espèce impliqués dans les processus faradiques et capacitifs ont été mis en évidence par ac-électrogravimétrie. La méthodologie adaptée pour caractériser des électrodes à base de carbone peut être proposé comme un outil de diagnostic de référence pour étudier la relation pore/taille des ions, la concentration et les effets de solvant, la dynamique des interactions des ions au niveau des interfaces (électroadsorption et/ou processus faradique). Cela peut permettre d'obtenir des matériaux d'électrode ouvrent la voie vers des systèmes électrode/électrolyte plus performants dans les dispositifs de stockage d'énergie. / Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide films were prepared on gold electrodes of microbalance and tested in different electrolytes such as LiCl, NaCl and KCl. The capacitive charge storage of carbon-based film electrodes were investigated by ac-electrogravimetry which couples fast quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The chemical nature and the role of each species, anion, cation, solvated cation, free solvent, involved in the charge storage mechanism, have been clearly identified during the cathodic and anodic polarization through ac-electrogravimetry measurements for the very first time. The ac-electrogravimetric results confirm that the cations are predominantly electroadsorbed when the surface is negatively charged while the anions are electroadsorbed when the surface is positively charged. Nanocomposite films, namely SWCNT/Prussian Blue and SWCNT/Polypyrrole were electrochemically examined. The main idea was to emphasize the capacitive and faradic behavior of these different films by combining two materials. The chemical nature and the role of each species involved in the pseudo-capacitive and capacitive processes were highlighted by the ac-electrogravimetry. The methodology adapted to characterize carbon based electrodes can be suggested as a baseline diagnostic tool to study the pore/ion size relationship, the concentration and the solvent effects, the dynamics of the ions interactions at the interfaces (electroadsorption and/or faradaic process) of the electrode materials which may pave the way towards more performant electrode/electrolyte systems in energy storage devices.

abstract: Traditionally, for applications that require heat transfer (e.g. heat exchangers),metals have been the go-to material for manufacturers because of their high thermal as well as structural properties. However, metals have some notable drawbacks. They are not corrosion-resistant, offer no freedom of design, have a high cost of production, and sourcing the material itself. Even though polymers on their own don’t show great prospects in the field of thermal applications, their composites perform better than their counterparts. Nanofillers, when added to a polymer matrix not only increase their structural strength but also their thermal performance. This work aims to tackle two of those problems by using the additive manufacturing method, stereolithography to solve the problem of design freedom, and the use of polymer nanocomposite material for corrosion-resistance and increase their overall thermal performance. In this work, three different concentrations of polymer composite materials were studied: 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 1wt% for their thermal conductivity. The samples were prepared by magnetically stirring them for a period of 10 to 24 hours depending on their concentrations and then sonicating in an ice bath further for a period of 2 to 3 hours. These samples were then tested for their thermal conductivities using a Hot Disk TPS 2500S. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to study the dispersion of the nanoparticles in the matrix. Different theoretical models were studied and used to compare experimental data to the predicted values of effective thermal conductivity. An increase of 7.9 % in thermal conductivity of the composite material was recorded for just 1 wt% addition of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2020

Radionuclide liquid wastes generated from nuclear facilities can affect humans and the environment, thus substantial attention for their safe management has been received worldwide. Treatment of radionuclide liquid wastes is an important step in its management. In the present work, new composite nanomaterials, graphene oxide base nanomaterial (GO) are developed for treatment purpose. Graphene oxide (GO), one of the most graphene derivatives, its unique properties, such as chemical stability, hydrophilicity, large surface area and functional groups, make them able to form strong chemical bonds with radionuclides. GO was successfully synthesized via Hummers method, characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), UV/Vis Spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and applied as an adsorbent in removal of the metallic long-lived radionuclide 68Ge from of aqueous solution The method used for evaluation of nanomaterials retention properties was sorption experiment, being based on contact of solid material with tracer solution under defined boundary conditions (solid/solution ratio, solution composition etc.). Two sorption experimental methods were used in this study. Firstly, an aqueous solution of 68Ge radionuclide solution mixed with GO solution, the solution was filtered using syringe filter membrane unit and the aliquot was quantified by gamma spectrometry. Secondly, the 68Ge radionuclide was mixed with GO solid powder, suspension rotated in a mechanical shaker, centrifuged, an aliquot of 1.0 ml sample taken for gamma spectroscopy and the supernatant was put in an oven to dry overnight for characterization analysis. The results obtained from experiments were the evaluated, using sorption percentage equation and showed that the GO had much low sorption capacity for the pre-concentration of radionuclides from aqueous solutions. The function of the pH, the ionic strength and the reduction of GO will be investigated for future studies for the improvement of the research results. / Physics / M. Sc. (Physics)

The fast growing production of carbon based nanomaterials (CNMs) and their potential widespread use in consumer products raise concerns regarding their potential risks to human health and ecosystems. The present study investigated the role of photochemical transformation and natural organic matter (NOM) in the fate, transport, and toxicity of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in natural aquatic systems, providing fundamental information for risk assessment and management. Photochemical transformation of aqueous fullerene nanoparticles (nC60) and CNTs occurs at significant rates under UVA irradiation at intensity similar to that in sunlight. The transformation processes are mediated by self-generated ROS, resulting in changes of surface structure depending on the initial surface oxidation state of CNMs. UVA irradiation leads to oxygenation of nC60 surface and decarboxylation of carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWNTs). The environmental transport of CNMs is significantly affected by their surface chemistry, concentration and species of electrolytes, and concentration and properties of co-existing NOM. In electrolyte solutions without NOM, the mobility of CNMs is largely decided by their surface chemistry, primarily the oxygen-containing functional groups. In NaCl solutions, UVA irradiation remarkably enhanced the mobility of nC60; conversely, it reduced nC60 stability in CaCl2 solutions. The mobility of COOH-MWNTs in NaCl solutions correlated well with the abundance of surface carboxyl groups. Humic acid, once adsorbed on the nC60 surface, can significantly enhance its stability through steric hindrance. The extent of stabilization depends on the amount and properties of humic acid adsorbed. Humic acid has limited adsorption on UVA-irradiated nC60. Soil humic acid is more efficient in stabilizing nC60 than aquatic humic acid due to its higher molecular weight. Humic acid immobilized onto the silica surface can potential enhance or hinder nC60 deposition, depending on the complex interplay of attractive and repulsive forces. MWNTs are more toxicity to bacteria, Escherichia coli, than COOH-MWNTs due to their higher bioavailability and oxidative capacity. Surface oxidation induced by •OH reduced the toxicity of MWNT while reactions with •OH have little effect on the COOH-MWNT toxicity. Antioxidants such as glutathione can effectively inhibit the antibacterial activity of MWNTs.

Nitrogen (N) deposition has increased globally over the last 150 years and further increase is predicted for the future. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for lichens, involved in many processes in both photobiont and mycobiont.  However, N can be a stressor, causing many lichens and lichen communities to disappear with increased deposition. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the response of epiphytic lichens to increased N load. This was done by simulating an increased N deposition to lichens in a boreal forest with low background N, including both short term studies with transplanted lichens and long term studies of naturally established lichens. Alectoria sarmentosa was used as a model species for a N-sensitive lichens and Platismatia glauca as a relatively more N-tolerant lichen. Nitrogen deposition was simulated by daily spraying during the growing season with water and isotopically labeled ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). In Paper I, I found that when N is supplied in realistic doses (equivalent to deposition of 0.6, 6, 12.5, 25 and 50 kg N ha-1), there were no significant differences in uptake of NO3- or NH4+ in either of the lichen species. The results in Paper II indicate that A. samentosa may be limited by phosphorous (P) and not N limited as expected. That study highlights the importance of P, when studying the effects of N deposition, since P can both mitigate and intensify the negative effects of N on epiphytic lichens. Paper III shows that four years of simulated N deposition caused an alteration of the epiphytic lichen community, since A. sarmentosa decreased in the highest N loads (25 and 50 kg ha-1 year-1), Bryoria spp. decreased to 12.5 kg N and higher loads and Hypogymnia physodes decreased over time for all treatments except in 12.5 kg ha-1, where it only decreased during the first treatment year and then increased after 2007.  The abundance of Platismatia glauca increased over time, independent of treatment. As hypothesized, responses to the treatments differed among species, reflecting their different N optima. In paper IV, the effects of N on carbon-based secondary compounds were studied. None of the studied species (P. glauca, A. sarmentosa, Lobaria scrobiculata and Xanthoria aureola) reduced their concentration of secondary compounds during the experimental period, but in P. glauca the concentration of all compounds were significantly lower in N treated thalli compared with control thalli. The results are consistent with a high degree of constitutive defence in three of the four studied lichens, and we conclude that all four studied lichens seem to have a robust chemical defence system despite considerable manipulation of the environmental conditions. However, we don't know if these lichens are able to keep up the high protection level over longer periods comprising a number of years when more new tissue is formed. In conclusion, long term experiments are necessary to understand lichen response to environmental changes.

Afin de permettre le développement de modèles manipulables par les concepteurs, il est nécessaire de pouvoir comprendre le fonctionnement des nanotubes, en particulier le transport des électrons et leurs propriétés électroniques. C’est dans ce contexte général que cette thèse s’intègre. Le travail a été mené sur quatre plans : développement de modèles permettant la description des phénomènes physiques importants au niveau des dispositifs, expertise sur le fonctionnement des nano-composants permettant de dégager les ordres de grandeurs pertinents pour les dispositifs, les contraintes, la pertinence de quelques procédés de fabrication (reproductibilité, taux de défauts, collection de caractéristiques mesurées et développement éventuel d'expériences spécifiques, expertise et conception des circuits innovatifs pour l’électronique numérique avec ces nano-composants. / This PhD work presents a computationally efficient physics-based compact model for the Schottky barrier (SB) carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNTFET). This compact model includes a new analytical formulation of the channel charge, taking into account the influence of the source and drain SBs. Compact model simulation results (I–V characteristic and channel density of charge) as well as Monte Carlo simulation results, which are provided by a recent work, will be given and compared to each other and also to experimental data to validate the used approximations. Good agreement is observed over a large range of gate and drain biases. Furthermore, a scaling study is presented to examine the impact of technological parameters on the device figure of merit. Then, for the assessment of the SB on circuit performances, traditional logical circuits are designed using the SB-CNTFET compact model, and results are compared with a conventional CNTFET with zero-SB height. Finally, exploiting the particular properties of SB-CNTFETs, a three-valued static memory that is suitable for high density integration is presented.