The thesis is aimed to the study of spiropyrane behavior in polymeric matrix of poly(N-vinylkarbazole) (PVK) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(3´,7´-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-fenylenvinylene)] (MDMO-PPV). The photochromic transformation of spiropyrane to its isomeric merocyanine form (SPMC) was studied by absorption and emission spectroscopy. It was found, that photochromic reaction is markedly dependent on the environment. In the PVK polymer, which don’t absorb in the visible region, a high yield of photochromic reaction was achieved. Both, absorption and emission spectrums were observed for this system. From the measurement of time dependencies of the fotochromic reaction, the activation energy of the reverse reaction was determined. A different behavior, particularly in emissive spectrums, was found for the MDMO-PPV polymer doped with spiropyrane. Instead of formation of new band of merocyanine, decrease of the polymer fluorescence was observed. Subsequently, we studied the interaction between the polymeric matrix and the photochromic spiropyrane using fluorescence quenching method. On the basis of energy transfer theory, a critical radius of the fluorescence quenching sphere in solution and in solid was determined.

The thesis is focused on the design of antennas for wireless power transfer inside a car near the frequency of 8 GHz. In the last century, a number of scientists dealt with wireless transmission of energy with high power and long distances. Currently, attention is given to methods capable of transmitting energy with good effectively over a distance of meters for charging mobile devices, wireless sensors and other devices with low power consumption.

This dissertation investigates the chemical ingenuity into the development of various photoactive supramolecular donor – acceptor systems to produce clean and carbon free energy for the next generation. The process is inspired by the principles learned from nature’s approach where the solar energy is converted into the chemical energy through the natural photosynthesis process. Owing to the importance and complexity of natural photosynthesis process, we have designed ideal donor-acceptor systems to investigate their light energy harvesting properties. This process involves two major steps: the first step is the absorption of light energy by antenna or donor systems to promote them to an excited electronic state. The second step involves, the transfer of excitation energy to the reaction center, which triggers an electron transfer process within the system. Based on this principle, the research is focused into the development of artificial photosynthesis systems to investigate dynamics of photo induced energy and electron transfer events. The derivatives of Porphyrins, Phthalocyanines, BODIPY, and SubPhthalocyanines etc have been widely used as the primary building blocks for designing photoactive and electroactive ensembles in this area because of their excellent and unique photophysical and photochemical properties. Meanwhile, the fullerene, mainly its readily available version C60 is typicaly used as an electron acceptor component because of its unique redox potential, symmetrical shape and low reorganization energy appropriate for improved charge separation behavior. The primary research motivation of the study is to achieve fast charge separation and slow charge recombination of the system by stabilizing the radical ion pairs which are formed from photo excitation, for maximum utility of solar energy. Besides Fullerene C60, this dissertation has also investigated the potential application of carbon nanomaterials (Carbon nanotubes and graphene) as primary building blocks for the study of the artificial photosynthesis process.

In radiotherapy, a quantity asked for by clinics when calculating a treatment plan, along withdose, is linear energy transfer. Linear energy transfer is defined as the absorbed energy intissue per particle track length and has been shown to increase with relative biologicaleffectiveness untill the overkilling effect. In this master thesis the dose averaged linear energytransfer from proton and carbon ion beams was simulated using the FLUKA multi purposeMonte Carlo code. The simulated distributions have been compared to algorithms fromRaySearch Laboratories AB in order to investigate the agreement between the computationmethods. For the proton computation algorithm improvements to the current scoring algorithmwere also implemented. A first version of the linear energy transfer validation code was alsoconstructed. Scoring of linear energy transfer in the RaySearch algorithm was done with theproton Monte Carlo dose engine and the carbon pencil beam dose engine. The results indicatedthat the dose averaged linear energy transfer from RaySearch Laboratories agreed well for lowenergies for both proton and carbon beams. For higher energies shape differences were notedwhen using both a small and large field size. The protons, the RaySearch algorithm initiallyoverestimates the linear energy transfer which could result from fluence differences in FLUKAcompared to the RaySearch algorithm. For carbon ions, the difference could stem from someloss of information in the tables used to calculate the linear energy transfer in the RaySearchalgorithm. From validation γ-tests the proton linear energy transfer passed for (3%/3mm) and(1%/1mm) with no voxels out of tolerance. γ-tests for the carbon linear energy transfer passedwith no voxels out of tolerance for (5%/5mm) and a fail rate of 2.92% for (3%/3mm).

Within the scope of the OCEANET-Project (autonomous measurement platforms for energy and material exchange between ocean and atmosphere) on board of the research vessel (RV) Polarstern clouds have been investigated over the Atlantic Ocean under different atmospheric conditions and climate zones by active and passive remote sensing. An existing measurement platform, including lidar, microwave radiometer, all sky camera and broadband radiation sensors, has been extended by spectral radiation measurements with the COmpact RAdiation measurements System (CORAS). CORAS measures spectral downward radiances and irradiances in the visible to near-infrared wavelength region. The data were corrected to consider the movements of the ship and with it the misalignment of the sensor plane from earth’s horizon. Using observed and modeled spectral transmitted radiances cloud properties such as cloud optical thickness (tau ) and effective radius (reff) were retrieved. The vertical cloud structure with limitations for thick clouds is obtained from lidar and microwave radiometer measurements. The all sky camera provides information on the horizontal cloud variability. Cloud optical thickness and effective radius, will be retrieved by using a plane parallel radiative transfer model and a new spectral 3D retrieval method. / Im Rahmen des OCEANET-Projektes (autonome Messplattform zur Bestimmung des Material- und Energieaustauschs zwischen Ozean und Atmosphäre) wurden Wolken über dem Atlantischen Ozean unter verschiedenen atmosphärischen Bedingungen und Klimazonen an Bord des Forschungsschiffes Polarstern durch aktive und passive Fernerkundung untersucht. Die bereits existierende Messplattform (Lidar, Mikrowellenradiometer, Vollhimmels-Kamera, Standardmeteorologie und breitbandige Strahlung) wurde mit einem Spektrometersystem (CORAS) erweitert. CORAS misst spektrale abwärtsgerichtete Irradianzen und Radianzen im Wellenlängenbereich 350-2000 nm. Die Daten werden in Bezug auf die Schiffsbewegungen, sowie die horizontale Abweichung der Sensorebene lagekorrigiert. Mit beobachteten und modellierten Radianzen werden Wolkenparameter, wie die optische Dicke (tau) und der effektiveRadius (reff) abgeleitet. Die vertikale Wolkenstruktur (mit Beschränkungen für dicke Wolken) wird von Lidar- und Mikrowellenradiometer erhalten. Die Vollhimmelskamera liefert Informationen über die horizontale Wolkenverteilung. Die Wolkenparameter werden mit einem plan-parallelem Strahlungstransfermodell in Kombination mit einem neuen spektralen 3D Retrieval abgeleitet.

L'objectif de cette thèse est la mise en place et l'étude d'un transfert d'énergie électronique réversible (REET), à la suite d’une excitation lumineuse, entre des sous-composants moléculaires au sein d’architectures nanométriques de type rotaxane. Dans un système bichromophorique, lorsque les états excités du chromophore les plus bas sont quasi-isoénergétiques et que la cinétique du transfert interchromophore est rapide, le REET peut être instillé en modifiant les propriétés de l'état excité. Des dérivés du pyrène et du tris(bipyridine)ruthénium(II) ont été choisis comme chromophores appariés. La formation de rotaxane a été catalysée par du cuivre (réactions de Huisgen et Cadiot-Chodkiewicz) au sein d’un macrocycle doté de pyrène, couplant des demi-fils moléculaires comprenant des groupements terminaux volumineux - dont Ru(bpy)32+. Des durées de vie de luminescence prolongée (jusqu'à 14 μs), comparées au parent Ru(bpy)32+, indiquent que des processus de transfert d'énergie électroniques réversibles ont été établis dans une série de rotaxanes de structure variable, sont étudiés par spectroscopies stationnaire et résolue dans le temps. / The focus of this thesis is the establishment and study of reversible electronic energy transfer (REET), following light excitation, between molecular subcomponents within ring-on-thread rotaxane nanometric architectures. When the lowest-lying chromophore excited states are quasi-isoenergetic and kinetics of interchromophore transfer are rapid, REET can be instilled - changing excited-state properties. Pyrene and ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine) derivatives were chosen as matched chromophores. Rotaxane formation was based on active template copper catalysis (Huisgen and Cadiot-Chodkiewicz reactions) within a pyrene-decorated macrocycle, coupling half threads comprising bulky stopper groups - one of which being Ru(bpy)32+. Prolonged luminescence lifetimes (up to 14 μs), compared to parent Ru(bpy)32+, indicated that reversible electronic energy transfer processes were instilled in a series of rotaxanes of varying structure, which were studied by state-state and time-resolved spectroscopies.

La demande énergétique de l’humanité augmente rapidement et ne montre aucun signe de ralentissement. Parallèlement à cette problématique, l'utilisation abusive de combustibles fossiles est l'une des principales causes d'augmentation de la concentration de CO₂ dans l'atmosphère. Ces problèmes doivent être résolus en termes de limitation des émissions de CO₂ et de recherche de sources d'énergie renouvelables pour remplacer les combustibles fossiles. De nos jours, l’énergie solaire est l’une des sources d’énergie renouvelables les plus efficaces. La conversion de l'énergie de la lumière solaire en électricité dans le photovoltaïque ou en énergie chimique par le biais de processus photocatalytiques implique invariablement un transfert d'énergie photo-induit et un transfert d'électrons. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif de la thèse est d'étudier les processus photo-induits dans les photosystèmes moléculaires utilisant la photolyse par flash laser. Le premier thème de cette thèse porte sur l’étude du transfert monoélectronique dans des systèmes de dyades donneur-accepteur en vue d’optimiser l’efficacité de la séparation des charges et de son application dans la cellule solaire organique photovoltaïque. Le deuxième thème de cette thèse porte sur l’étude de deux systèmes modèles de photosynthèse artificielle étudiés pour la possibilité d’une accumulation de charge par étapes. Ensuite, différents systèmes photocatalytiques, développés pour la photoréduction du CO₂, ont été étudiés. La compréhension des processus photo-induits devraient permettre l’amélioration de l'efficacité de la réduction du CO₂ dans les systèmes photocatalytiques pratiques. / The energy demand of humanity is increasing rapidly, and shows no signs of slowing. Alongside this issue, abuse using fossil fuels is one of the main reasons which leads to an increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration. These problems have to be solved in terms of both limiting CO₂ emission and finding renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels. Nowadays, solar energy appears as one of the most effective renewable energy sources. Conversion of solar light energy to electricity in photovoltaics or to chemical energy through photocatalytic processes invariably involves photoinduced energy transfer and electron transfer. In this context, the aim of the thesis focuses on studying photoinduced processes in molecular photosystems using laser flash photolysis. The first theme of this thesis focus on studying single electron transfer in Donor-Acceptor Dyad systems towards optimization efficiency of charge separation and application in the photovoltaic organic solar cell. In the second theme of this thesis, two model systems of artificial photosynthesis were investigated to assess the possibility of stepwise charge accumulation on model molecules. A fairly good global yield of approximately 9% for the two charge accumulation on MV²⁺ molecule was achieved. Then, different photocatalytic systems, which have developed for CO₂ reduction, were studied. Understanding of the photoinduced processes is an important step toward improving the efficiency of reduction of CO₂ in practical photocatalytic systems.

No description available.

Ce projet de thèse consiste dans un premier temps à synthétiser des systèmes moléculaires multifonctionnels possédants un grand nombre d’entités fluorescentes et photochromes. De telles architectures nécessitent ensuite une étude photophysique poussée pour caractériser leurs propriétés d’émission photo-activée pour jouer le rôle de sondes moléculaires fluorescentes super-résolutives en imagerie de fluorescence. En effet, l’accès aux observations nanométriques par microscopie optique est actuellement un domaine de recherche extrêmement actif et prometteur. Ici, la combinaison astucieuse de molécules photochromes (de type diaryléthène) et fluorescentes (de type dicyanométhylène pyranes ou benzophénoxazines) à l’échelle nanométrique, grâce à des plateformes moléculaires telles que des oligosaccharides et des peptides fonctionnalisés par “chimie click”, doit permettre d’obtenir des structures aux géométries variées avec des distances et orientations inter-chromophores diverses, dont l’optimisation doit conduire à des interactions efficaces menant à l’émergence d’effets collectifs coopératifs. Pour ces assemblages moléculaires mixtes, il est attendu que la présence d’une unité photochrome puisse engendrer l’extinction de fluorescence de plusieurs fluorophores lorsque ces entités sont situées à une distance appropriée pour que le transfert d’énergie ait lieu de manière amplifiée. Par ailleurs, même une faible conversion des photochromes doit permettre d’atteindre un contraste de fluorescence extrêmement efficace avoisinant 100% et ainsi obtenir des super-molécules dont la photo-commutation serait rapide et économe en photons. Il s’agira enfin de démontrer que les systèmes moléculaires multichromophoriques ainsi optimisés présentent le comportement souhaité à l’échelle de la molécule unique pour l’imagerie de fluorescence super-résolution. / The synthesis of photoswitchable emissive molecular system still represents a challenge, in order to develop fluorescence-based devices for nanotechnologies. In the last decade, excitation energy transfer processes (EET) have been advantageously employed to design photoswitchable fluorescent molecular systems between a photochromic dye and an appropriate fluorescent molecule. More recently, photochromic dyes of particular interest, showing no emission in the open-form (P-OF) but a strong emission signal in the closed-form (P-CF), have been developed. Such molecules allow a multi-emission switch when combined with a fluorescent moiety. In this project, we will design and synthesize fluorescent photochromic diarylethene covalently linked to different fluorophores, such as benzothiadiazole (BTD) and BODIPY derivatives. By choosing a fluorophore moiety with blue/green emission (F) and a photochromic moiety with orange/red emission in closed-form (P-CF), EET can occur between F and P-CF leading to photoswitchable multi-emission properties. Photophysical characteristics of dyads will be studied by spectroscopy with the aim of presenting their light-controllable optical properties and the intramolecular EET processes between fluorescent and photochromic moieties.

Ce manuscrit présente une étude expérimentale sur le processus de recouvrement de nanotubes de carbone mono parois en suspension micellaire par des molécules de colorants organiques. En raison des propriétés électroniques exceptionnelles et de la structure chimique carbonée de ces nanotubes, une modification de leur environnement physico-chimique a une grande influence sur leurs propriétés optoélectroniques. Les conséquences de cette fonctionnalisation de surface sont étudiées par des techniques de spectroscopie optique. Le procédé de fonctionnalisation non covalente de nanotubes par des molécules de porphyrines en milieu micellaire est détaillé selon trois axes de recherches complémentaires. Dans un premier temps, les aspects cinétiques de ce processus réactionnels seront discutés. En particulier, le rôle de l'organisation de l'environnement micellaire est mis en évidence. Cela permet de comprendre et de contrôler la durée de la réaction. Une étude thermodynamique de l'interaction nanotube/porphyrines sera ensuite détaillée. Le comportement associatif des porphyrines au cours de leur interaction avec le nanotube sera démontré. Dans un troisième chapitre, les caractéristiques spectrales de la porphyrine lorsqu'elle est adsorbée sur la surface de carbone seront discutées. Un modèle de couplage dipôle- dipôle est développé pour comprendre ces effets. Ce modèle permet de mettre en évidence / This manuscript presents an experimental study on the process of coverage of single-wall carbon nanotubes by organic dyes molecules. Due to the exceptional electronic properties and the monolayer carbon structures of such nanotubes, a modification of their physico-chemical environment has a great influence on their optoelectronic properties. The consequences of this surface functionalization are studied by means of optical spectroscopy. The process of non covalent functionalization of surfactant suspended nanotubes by porphyrin molecules is separated in three complementary studies. The first one details the kinetic aspects of this reaction process. In particular, the role of the organization of the surfactant environment will be highlighted. This allows to understand and control the reaction timescale. On the second hand, a comprehensive thermodynamic study of the nanotube/porphyrins interaction is performed. The associative behavior of the porphyrin during the interaction with the nanotube is evidenced. Then, the spectral characteristics of the porphyrin when it is adsorbed on a carbon surface is discussed. A dipole-dipole coupling model is developed to understand such effects. This model allows to highlight the geometry followed by the molecules when they are organized on the carbon template (nanotube or graphene).