Foram estudados os processos de transferência de energia (TE) dos níveis 4I13/2 ; 4I11/2 do Er3+ e 5I7 ; 5I6 do Ho3+ no LiYF4 (YLF) e no ZBLAN, para os íons desativadores Nd3+, Tb3+ ou Eu3+. Os microparâmetros de interação dessas TE foram obtidos utilizandose o método da integral de sobreposição e os resultados indicaram que o íon de Eu3+ é o melhor desativador do primeiro estado excitado do Ho3+ no YLF e o Nd3+ é o mais eficiente desativador do Er3+ no YLF e ZBLAN. A dependência temporal das fluorescências do Er3+ em 1,5 ; 2,7 m e do Ho3+ em 2,1 ; 2,9 m foram medidas utilizandose excitações laser pulsadas provenientes do Nd-YAG+2 +OPO sintonizável. Foi proposto um critério geral para a discriminação dos processos de TE assistidos pela migração da excitação entre doadores (difusão ou saltos). Verificou-se que o modelo de migração por difusão ajusta melhor os processos de TE do segundo estado excitado do doador (Er3+ or Ho3+) independentemente da razão CD-D / CD-A, enquanto que o modelo de migração por saltos aplica-se ao primeiro estado excitado do doador. Foi proposta uma modificação no modelo de saltos que descreve os resultados experimentais para sistemas com CD-D / CD-A> 10. Utilizando-se os parâmetros de TE verificamos que os melhores sistemas para a ação laser em 3µm são: Ho:Eu:YLF, Ho:Nd:YLF e Er:Nd:YLF. Por outro lado, verifica-se que os sistemas com baixas concentrações (1,5mol%) de Er:Nd; Er:Tb e Er:Eu no ZBLAN não apresentaram potencial de inversão de população para a ação laser em 2,8 m. Os processos de conversão ascendente no sistema Er:YLF foram estudados em função da concentração de Er3+, sendo que os processos de absorção de estado excitado (ESA) e de conversão ascendente por transferência de energia (ETU) foram discriminados utilizando as curvas de decaimento resolvidas no tempo. Observou-se que o comprimento de onda de excitação em 980nm é o mais adequado para o bombeamento do sistema Er:YLF para a emissão laser quase contínua (cw) em 2,8 m. A técnica de pump-probe foi utilizada a fim de serem investigados os efeitos nos tempos de vida do sistema Er:YLF, sendo verificada uma diminuição da contribuição da migração da excitação nos tempos de vida do primeiro e segundo estados excitados do Er3+ no YLF com o aumento da potência de bombeamento cw ( pump ). As taxas experimentais de TE, determinadas para os melhores sistemas por meio do parâmetro RN, foram utilizadas no sistema de equações de taxa e, resolvendo-as pelo método numérico de Runge-Kutta de 4a ordem, pudemos avaliar a densidade de população invertida para as emissões em 2,8 m do Er3+ e 2,9 m do Ho3+ em função das taxas de bombeamento e das concentrações dos íons ativador e desativador. A melhor concentração do sistema Er:YLF foi de 20mol% e no sistema Er:Nd:YLF foi de 4mol% de Er3+ e 1,5mol% de Nd3+. Verificou-se que o sistema Er(4mol%):Nd(1.5mol%):YLF favorece o aumento da freqüência máxima de operação de 14Hz no Er:YLF para 391Hz baseando-se na medida do tempo de vida do nível laser inferior (4I13/2) do Er3+. O sistema Ho3+ no YLF é otimizado utilizando-se 0,6mol% de Ho3+ e 1,5mol% de Nd3+ ou pelo sistema Ho(3mol%):Eu(1,2mol%):YLF, sendo que a densidade de população invertida observada no sistema Ho(3mol%):Eu(1,2mol%) é 2,4 vezes maior que no sistema Ho(0,6mol%):Nd(1,5mol%). / The energy transfer processes (ET) from the 4I13/2 ; 4I11/2 levels of Er3+ and 5I7 ; 5I6 levels of Ho3+ ions in LiYF4 (YLF) crystal and ZBLAN glass to Nd3+, Tb3+ or Eu3+ deactivators ions were studied. The microparameters of these energy transfer processes were determined using the overlap integral method, and showed that Eu3+ ion is the best deactivator of the first excited state of the Ho3+ in YLF, and Nd3+ is the best deactivator of the Er3+ in YLF and ZBLAN materials. The 1.5 and 2.7 m emissions of Er3+ and 2.1 and 2.9 m fluorescence of Ho3+ were measured using short laser pulses excitations from a tunable OPO pumped 2w-Nd:YAG laser system. We proposed a criterion for discriminating the energy transfer processes assisted by excitation migration (diffusion or hopping) among donors. It was observed that diffusion model describes the ET process from the second excited state of the donor (Er3+ or Ho3+) independently of the CD-D / CD-A ratio, while the hopping model can describe the ET process involving the first excited state of donor. We proposed a modification of the hopping model in order to describe the experimental results for systems having CD-D / CD-A 10. Using the ET parameters, we determined that the best systems for laser action at 3 m are the Ho:Eu:YLF, Ho:Nd:YLF and Er:Nd:YLF systems. On the other hand, we found that Er3+ doped (1.5mol%) ZBLAN glasses, single and co-doped with Nd3+, Tb3+ or Eu3+, do not show potential for laser action at 2.8 m. The up-conversion processes were studied in Er:YLF systems as a function of the Er3+ concentration, and the excited state absorption (ESA) and upconversion by energy transfer (ETU) processes were discriminated using a time resolved fluorescence decays. It was observed that 980nm is the most convenient wavelength for pumping the Er:YLF system for quasi cw laser operation at 2.8 m. The pump-probe technique was used to investigate the lifetime effects in Er:YLF system showing that the excitation migration contribution to the lifetime of the first and second excited states of Er3+ decrease with the laser pump power increasing. Using the ET experimental rates determined for the best systems previously chosen based on the RN parameter as the input in the rate equation system numeric solved by Runge-Kutta (4th order), it was possible to evaluate the population density inversion for 2.8 m (Er3+) and 2.9 m (Ho3+) as a function of the pumping rate, activators and deactivators concentrations. The best concentration found for Er:YLF system was 20mol%. The best concentrations in the case of Er:Nd:YLF system are 4mol% of Er3+ and 1.5mol% of Nd3+. A frequency increasing from 14Hz to 391Hz has been estimated as the maximum operation frequency for the Er(20mol%):YLF and Er(4mol%):Nd(1.5mol%):YLF, respectively, based on the measured 4I13/2 excited state lifetime of Er3+. The best concentrations of Ho3+ and deactivators found for the Ho-laser in YLF are Ho(0.6mol%):Nd(1.5mol%) and Ho(3mol%):Eu(1.2mol%). The Ho(3mol%):Eu(1.2mol%) system showed a population density inversion 2.4 times bigger than the one verified in Ho(0.6mol%):Nd(1.5mol%) system.

Photovoltaic cells and fluorescence sensing are two important areas of research in chemistry. The combination of photon-activated electron donors with electron acceptors provides a strong platform for the study of optical devices. A series of four oligothiophene-ruthenium complexes has been synthesized. Variation in oligothiophene length and bipyridine substitution allowed comparison of these variables on electronic properties. The longer oligothiophenes display lower energy absorption and emission compared to the shorter ones. Aromatic conjugation appears more complete with para-, rather than meta-, substitution. Oligothiophenes and Ru(bpy)32+ are highly fluorescent individually, but fluorescence is quenched when connected. Bonds of carbon to fluorine are among the strongest single bonds. Single bonds between carbon and hydrogen are also very strong and are ubiquitous. The ability to manipulate these bonds is of great interest to chemists. Two tungsten metal complexes, [6 (perfluorophenyl)bipyridyl] tetracarbonyltungsten and [6-(phenyl)bipyridyl]tetracarbonyltungsten, were prepared for mechanistic C-F and C-H bond activation studies, respectively. These compounds were synthesized through Stille and Suzuki coupling of commercial reagents. Ligands were then bound to tungsten to form the tetracarbonyl complexes.

This dissertation focuses on the design, modeling, characterization and experimental verification of a class of nonlinear energy sink, based on a cantilever beam vibrating laterally between two specially shaped surfaces that limit the vibration amplitude, thus providing a variable beam length throughout its deflection, therefore producing a smooth nonlinear restoring force. First, a methodology to evaluate and visualize the energy interactions between the nonlinear energy sink and its host structure is developed. Then, an semi-analytical dynamic model for simulating the device under actual working conditions is proposed, and finally, an experimental verification step is conducted where the numerical results are compared and correlated to the experimental results.<br>

acase@tulane.edu

<p>In the society of today the need for alternative energy sources is increasing. The construction of artificial devices for the conversion of sunlight into electricity or fuel seems very attractive from an environmental point of view, since these devices are based on processes that does not necessarily generate any harmful biproducts. In the oxygen evolving photosynthetic process highly efficient energy and electron transfer reactions are responsible for the conversion of the sunlight into chemically stored energy and if the same principles can be used in an artificial device, the only electron supply required, is water. </p><p> This thesis describes energy and electron transfer reactions in supramolecular complexes where the reactions are intended to mimic the basic steps in the photosynthetic process. All complexes are based on ruthenium(II)-trisbipyridine as photosensitizer, that is covalently linked to electron donors or electron or energy acceptors. The photochemical reactions were studied with time resolved transient absorption and emission measurements. In the complexes that mimic the donor side of Photosystem II, where a manganese cluster together with tyrosine catalyses the oxidation of water, intramolecular electron transfer was found to occur from Mn(II) or tyrosine to photo-oxidized Ru(III). Studies of a series of Ru(II)-Mn(II) complexes gave information of the quenching of the Ru(II) excited state by the coordinated Mn(II), which is important for the development of multi-nuclear Ru(II)-Mn complexes. In the supramolecular triad, PTZ-Ru²⁺-Q, the charge separated state, PTZ^+●-Ru²⁺-Q^-●, was rapidly formed, and further development where a second electron acceptor is linked to quinone is planned. Ultra fast energy transfer τ<200 fs), was obtained between ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) in a small artificial antenna fragment. Fast and efficient energy transfer is important in larger antennas or photonic wires where a rapid energy transfer is desired over a large distance.</p>

<p>In today’s society there is an increasing need for energy, an increase which for the most part is supplied by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel resources are limited and their use has harmful effects on the environment, therefore the development of technologies that produce clean energy sources is very appealing. Natural photosynthesis is capable of converting solar energy into chemical energy through a series of efficient energy and electron transfer reactions with water as the only electron source. Thus, constructing an artificial system that uses the same principles to convert sunlight into electricity or storable fuels like hydrogen is one of the major forces driving artificial photosynthesis research.</p><p>This thesis describes supramolecular complexes with the intention of mimicking the electron transfer reactions of the donor side in Photosystem II, where a manganese cluster together with a tyrosine catalyses the oxidation of water. All complexes are based on Ru(II)-trisbipyridine as a photosensitizer that is covalently linked to electron donors like tyrosine or manganese. Photochemical reactions are studied with time-resolved transient absorption and emission measurements. Electrochemical techniques are used to study the electrochemical behavior, and different photoelectrochemical techniques are used to investigate the complexes adsorbed onto titanium dioxide surfaces. In all complexes, intramolecular electron transfer occurs from the linked donor to photo-oxidized Ru(III). It is also observed that coordinated Mn(II) quenches the excited state of Ru(II), a reaction that is found to be distance dependent. However, by modifying one of the complexes, its excited state properties can be tuned in a way that decreases the quenching and keeps the electron transfer properties. The obtained results are of significance for the development of multinuclear Ru-Mn complexes that are capable of multi-electron transfer.</p>

A new strategy was developed to switch the luminescence of semiconductor quantum dots with chemical stimulations. It is based on the photoinduced transfer of either energy from CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots to [1,3]oxazine ligands or electrons from the organic to the inorganic components. Upon addition of base or acid, energy or electron transfer pathways respectively become operative, leading to changes in the luminescence of the nanoparticles. These changes are fully reversible and can be exploited to probe the pH of aqueous solutions from 3 up to 11 and this design can lead to the development of pH-sensitive luminescent probes for biomedical applications based on the semiconductor quantum dots. Secondly, an operating principle to transduce the supramolecular association of complementary receptor-substrate pairs into an enhancement in the luminescence of sensitive quantum dots was identified. This system is based on the electrostatic adsorption of cationic quenchers on the surface of anionic quantum dots. The adsorbed quenchers efficiently suppress the emission character of the associated nanoparticles on the basis of photoinduced electron transfer. In the presence of target receptors able to bind the quenchers and prevent electron transfer, however, the luminescence of the quantum dots is restored. Thus, complementary receptor-substrate pairs can be identified with luminescence measurements relying on this system and this protocol can be adapted to signal protein-ligand interactions. Thirdly, a photochromic spiropyran with dithiolane appendage to adsorb on the surface of cadmium sulfide system was designed. The properties of the resulting photochrome-nanoparticle assemblies vary significantly with the experimental conditions selected for the preparation of the inorganic component. Finally, photochromic materials based on the photoinduced transfer of electrons from CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots to bipyridinium dications were developed.

To determine whether Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements can provide quantitative distance information in single-molecule fluorescence experiments on polypeptides, we measured FRET efficiency distributions for donor and acceptor dyes attached to the ends of freely diffusing polyproline molecules of various lengths. The observed mean FRET efficiencies agree with those determined from ensemble lifetime measurements but differ considerably from the values expected from Förster theory, with polyproline treated as a rigid rod. At donor–acceptor distances much less than the Förster radius R0, the observed efficiencies are lower than predicted, whereas at distances comparable to and greater than R0, they are much higher. Two possible contributions to the former are incomplete orientational averaging during the donor lifetime and, because of the large size of the dyes, breakdown of the point-dipole approximation assumed in Förster theory. End-to-end distance distributions and correlation times obtained from Langevin molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the differences for the longer polyproline peptides can be explained by chain bending, which considerably shortens the donor–acceptor distances.

Solar energy is the foremost power source of our planet. Driving photosynthesis on our planet for 3 billion years the energy stored in the form of fossil fuels also originates from the sun. Consumption of fossil fuels to generate energy is accompanied with CO2 emission which affects the earth's climate in a serious manner. Therefore, alternative ways of converting energy have to be found. Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are therefore an important technology for future electricity generation. In this work solar cells based on the inorganic semiconductor titanium dioxide and hole-transporting dyes are investigated. These type of solar cells are categorized as hybrid solar cells and are conceptually related to both dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells. Light absorption in the bulk of the hole-transporting dye layer leads to the formation of excitons that can be harvested at the organic/inorganic interface. Two design approaches were investigated: 1) utilizing a multilayer of a hole-transporting dye and 2) utilizing a hole-transporting dye as light harvesting antenna to another dye which is bound to the titanium dioxide surface.  Using a multiple dye layer in titanium dioxide/hole transporting dye devices, leads to an improved device performance as light harvested in the consecutive dye layers can contribute to the photocurrent. In devices using both an inteface-bound dye and a hole-transporting dye, excitation energy can be transferred from the hole-transporting dye to the interface dye.

In the society of today the need for alternative energy sources is increasing. The construction of artificial devices for the conversion of sunlight into electricity or fuel seems very attractive from an environmental point of view, since these devices are based on processes that does not necessarily generate any harmful biproducts. In the oxygen evolving photosynthetic process highly efficient energy and electron transfer reactions are responsible for the conversion of the sunlight into chemically stored energy and if the same principles can be used in an artificial device, the only electron supply required, is water. This thesis describes energy and electron transfer reactions in supramolecular complexes where the reactions are intended to mimic the basic steps in the photosynthetic process. All complexes are based on ruthenium(II)-trisbipyridine as photosensitizer, that is covalently linked to electron donors or electron or energy acceptors. The photochemical reactions were studied with time resolved transient absorption and emission measurements. In the complexes that mimic the donor side of Photosystem II, where a manganese cluster together with tyrosine catalyses the oxidation of water, intramolecular electron transfer was found to occur from Mn(II) or tyrosine to photo-oxidized Ru(III). Studies of a series of Ru(II)-Mn(II) complexes gave information of the quenching of the Ru(II) excited state by the coordinated Mn(II), which is important for the development of multi-nuclear Ru(II)-Mn complexes. In the supramolecular triad, PTZ-Ru2+-Q, the charge separated state, PTZ+●-Ru2+-Q-●, was rapidly formed, and further development where a second electron acceptor is linked to quinone is planned. Ultra fast energy transfer τ&lt;200 fs), was obtained between ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) in a small artificial antenna fragment. Fast and efficient energy transfer is important in larger antennas or photonic wires where a rapid energy transfer is desired over a large distance.