This work is generally aimed to synthesize POSS based BCPs via RAFT polymerization, to study their self-assembly behaviors, to research on the effect of POSS self-assembly structure on the bulk properties and to prepare nanostructured hybrid epoxy via self-assembly of POSS based copolymer. In Chapter1, We studied the RAFT polymerization of POSS macromers and capable to synthesize well defined POSS based BCPs with high POSS fraction and different topology such as AB，BAB and (BA)3. The vertex group and the morphology effect on thermo-mechanical properties of POSS based BCPs as well as the structure-property relationship was investigated. Dispersion RAFT polymerization in apolar solvent was applied and various aggregates with different morphology in Chapter2. Cooling induced reversible micelle formation and transition was found and the pathway selection in vesicle formation was investigated. Nano-construction of O/I hybrid epoxy materials based on POSS based copolymers was investigated in Chapter4. The effect of functional group content on miscibility of POSS based statistic copolymer and epoxy was investigated. A novel method to nanostructure epoxy hybrid involving self-assembly of POSS based BCPs in epoxy was presented. High homogeneity and well size/morphology control of core-corona structure containing rigid POSS core and soluble PMMA corona in networks were obtained.

Research activities towards the self-assembly of small organic molecules building blocks which lead to form supramolecular gel has increased extensively during the past two decades. The fundamental investigations of the morphological properties and the mechanical properties of these supramolecular gels are crucial for understanding gelation processes. Most supramolecular gelators were discovered by serendipity, but nowadays ratiional design of new gelators has become somewh at feasible. As a consequence, an increasing number of multi stimuli-responsive and functional molecular gels are reported, offering great prospects with myriads of applications includ ing drug delivery and smart materials as shown in scheme 1. Scheme 1 Part 2: Synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals In the last two decades, the synthetic development of semiconductor col loidal nanocrystals has been extended from the adjustment of their size, shape, and composition of the particles at the molecular level. Such adjustments of nanocrystals at the molecula r level might open different fields of applications in materials and biological sciences. I n this chapter, the concept of the shape contr ol synthesis of colloidal nanocrystals with a narrow size distribution, and the synthesis of composition dependent alloy type mat erials are described (Scheme 2). Scheme 2 Chapter 2: Synthesis of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals Part 1: Cadmium deoxycholate: a new and efficient precursor for high ly luminescent CdSe nanocrystals This part demonstrates the sy nthesis of Cadmium deoxycholate (CdDCh2), an efficient Cd-precursor for the synthesis of high quality, monodisperse, multi color emittting CdSe Scheme 3 nanocrystals, while maintaining their high photoluminescent quantum efficiency (Scheme 3). The high thermal stability of CdDCh2 (decomposition temperature: 332 °C) was utilized to achieve high injection and growth temperatures (∼300 °C) for the syntheesis of red emitting nanocrystals with a sharp f ull width at half maximum (FWHM) and multiple excitonic absorption features. We believe that CdDCh2 can be useful for the prreparation of other nanomaterials such as CdS, CdTe and CdSe@CdS core-shell QDs. Part 2: Ligand mediated exccited state carrier relaxation dynamics of Cd1-xZnxSe1-ySy NCs derived from bile salts Bile salts of Cadmium and Zinc provide a convenient and inexpensive single step synthetic route for highly photoluminescent and stable semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). The high thermal stabilities of Cadmium and Zinc deoxycholates (CdDCh2 and ZnDCh2) allowed us to fine-tune the synthesis of the NCs at high temperatures while maintaining the monodispersity, crystallinity and reproducibility (Scheme 4). Organic capping agent induced lattice strain affects the excited Scheme 4 state relaxation processes of the NCs. The analysis of photoluminescence decay profiles revealed that the average lifettime decreased with the increasing lattice strain of the NCs. A kinetic stochastic model of photoexcited carrier relaxation dynamics of NCs was employed to estimate the values of the radiative recombination rates, the photoluminescence quenching rates and the non-radiative recombination rates of the NCs. These data showed that the non-radiative relaxation rates and the numbeer of surface trap states increased with the incrreasing lattice strain of the NCs. Such types of NCs can have great potential in nonlinear optics, photocatalysis and solar cells. Chapter 3: Synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials Part 1: Hierarchical self-assembly of photoluminescent CdS nanoparticles into bile acid derived organogel: morphological and photophysical properties In this part a strategy towards integrating photoluminescent semiconductor nanoparticles into a bio-surfactant derived organoggel has been reported. A facially amphiphilic bile thiol was used for capping CdS nanoparticless (NPs) which were embedded in a gel derived from a new bile acid organogelator in order to furnish a soft hybrid material (Scheme 5). The presence of CdS NPs in a well-ordered 1D array on the organogel network was confirmed using microscopic Scheme 5 techniques. Photophysical stuudies of the gel–NP hybrid revealed resolved excitation and emission characteristics. Time resolved spectroscopic studies showed that the average lifetime value of the CdS NPs increased in the gel state compared to the sol phase. A kinetic model was utilized to obtain quantitative information about the different decay pathways of the photoexcited NPs in the sol and gel states. Part 2: A novel strategy towards designing a CdSe quantum dot–metallohydrogel composite material This section describes an efficiient method to disperse hydrophobic CdSe quaantum dots (QDs) in an aqueous phase using cetyltriimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles without any surface ligand exchange. The water soluble QDs were then embedded in the 3D self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs) of a hydrogel showing homogeneous dispersibility as eviidenced by Scheme 6 optical and electron microscopico techniques (Scheme 6). The photophyssical studies of the hydrogel–QD from composite are reported for the first time. These composite materials may have potential applications in biology, optoelectronics, sensors, non-linear optics and materials science. Part 3: Photophysical aspectts of self-assembled CdSe QD-organogel hyybrid and its thermoresponsive properties A luminescent hybrid gel was constructed by incorporating CdSe quantuum dots (QDs) in a facially amphiphilic bile acid derived dimeric urea organogel throough non-covalent interaction between ligands capped on QDs surface and hydrophobic pockets of the gel (Scheme 7). The optical transparency of the hybrid materials and the dirrectionalities of the QDs in the gel medium were confirmed by photophysical and microscopic studies. The detailed excited state dynamics of the QD–organogel hybrid has been reported for the first time with the help of lifetime analysis and a kinetic decay model, and thee data revealed that the average lifetime of the QDs decreased in the gel medium. The reversible thermoresponsive behavior of the QD doped organogel was investigated by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. W e believe that the results obtained herein provides a route to develop a thermoresponsive system for practical application, especially because of the spatial assembly between soft organic scaffolds and colloidal QDs. Scheme 7 Part 4: In-situ formation of luminescent CdSe QDs in a metallohydrogel: a strategy towards synthesis, isolation, storage and re-dispersion of the QDs A one step, in-situ, room temperature synthesis of yellow luminesce nt CdSe QD was achieved in a metallohydrog el derived from a facially amphiphilic bile salt, resulting in a QD-gel hybrid (Scheme 8). T he ordered self-assembly and homogeneous distribution of the CdSe QDs in the hydrogel network was observed from optical and electro n micrographs. The different excited state behav iors of the hybrid were revealed for the fir st time using time resolved spectroscopy. Ad ditionally, we described the successful isolation of the photoluminescent CdSe QDs from the gel followed by their re-dispersion in an organic solvent using suitable capping ligands. Scheme 8 Chapter 4: Facially a mphiphilic bile acid derived meta llohydrogel: an efficient template for th e enantioselective Diels-Alder reactio n An enantioselective Diels-Ald er reaction mediated by a facially amphiphilic bile acid derived metallogel scaffold has been a chieved (Scheme 9). Different hydrophobic domains present in Scheme 9 the gel appear to facilitate the enantioselective reaction. Various spectro scopic and electron microscopic techniques were employed to understand the possible reasons for the stereoselectivity in the gel. Subsequently, different counter anion s dependent rate accelerations and induced enantioselectivity in the ZnCh2 gel were studied in detail. These preliminary results of the non-covalent based supramolecular heterogeneous catalysis offer new possibilities for using metallogels as nanoreactors for different stereoselective reactions.

A versatilidade das espumas poliuretanas permite sua aplicação em inúmeros setores industriais, devido à possibilidade de se obter diferentes conjuntos de propriedades apenas alterando sua formulação básica. Um tipo recorrente de alteração é a incorporação de diferentes tipos de fibras em matrizes de poliuretano, vastamente estudada com o objetivo de gerar materiais compósitos com melhores propriedades mecânicas do que a matriz original. Inúmeros autores reportaram a utilização de celulose cristalina como uma alternativa renovável aos agentes de reforço e revelaram que a celulose utilizada como aditivo em matrizes poliméricas afetou as propriedades mecânicas da matriz original e, em menor escala, exerceu influência sobre a estabilidade térmica do compósito. O presente trabalho dedicou-se a isolar a celulose cristalina contida nas fibras de bananeira mediante tratamento com ácido acético concentrado. Os tratamentos químicos são necessários para modificar a superfície do material e melhorar a adesão do agente de reforço à matriz. Tendo em vista os resultados associados à estabilidade térmica dos compósitos de poliuretano reforçados com celulose, buscou-se sintetizar materiais híbridos de celulose e MgO.nH2O. Foi observado que, mesmo em pequenas quantidades, a presença do óxido hidratado de magnésio afetou significativamente a estabilidade térmica do HB 98:2. Estudos térmicos indicam que os materiais compósitos estudados apresentaram comportamento semelhante ao da matriz PU. Estudos das propriedades compressivas dos materiais poliméricos gerados mostraram que a incorporação do HB 98:2 ao PU afetou positivamente as propriedades mecânicas do material, sendo que o compósito PU + 1 HB 98:2 apresentou desempenho mecânico superior ao da matriz pura. / The versatility of polyurethanes foams allows its application in numerous industries because of the possibility of obtaining different sets of properties just by changing its basic formulation. A recurrent type of modification is the incorporation of different types of fibers in polyurethane matrices widely studied with the objective of generating composite materials with better mechanical properties than the original matrix. Numerous authors have reported the use of crystalline cellulose as a renewable alternative to fillers and showed that the cellulose used as additive in polymer matrices affect the mechanical properties of the original matrix and, to a lesser extent, influence upon thermal stability of the composite. This work was dedicated to isolate the crystalline cellulose contained in banana fibers by treatment with concentrated acetic acid. The chemical treatments are needed to modify the surface of the material and improve adhesion of the filler to the matrix. In view of the results associated with the thermal stability of the composite polyurethane reinforced with cellulose, sought to synthesize hybrid materials cellulose and MgO.nH2O. It has been observed that even in small quantities, the presence of hydrated magnesium oxide significantly affect the thermal stability of HB 98: 2. thermal studies indicate that the studied composites showed similar behavior to the PU matrix. Studies of the compressive properties of polymeric materials generated showed that the incorporation of HB 98: 2 to PU positively affect the mechanical properties of the material, and the composite PU + HB 98 1: 2 had mechanical performance superior to that of pure matrix.

No estudo de sistemas híbridos orgânico-inorgânico, o uso de materiais como polímeros conjugados e óxidos de metal de transição tem despertado grande interes- se. Em particular, destacam-se sistemas compostos de tiofenos e óxido de titânio, que encontram uma importante aplicação em células solares. Para um melhor entendimento da interação entre os dois sistemas, torna-se necessário conhecer a organização do polímero sobre o substrato inorgânico. Desse modo, investigamos neste trabalho a formação da interface entre oligômeros de tiofeno e a superfície (101) de TiO2-anatase utilizando um enfoque de multiformalismo, que inclui simulações de dinâmica molecular clássica, e uma combinação de cálculos de primeiros princípios segundo Hartree-Fock e Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT) para a determinação de propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas. A deposição de oligômeros de tiofeno sobre TiO2, constituindo sistemas de milhares de átomos, foi simulada por meio de dinâmica molecular clássica. Como requisito do cálculo clássico para estes sistemas, realizamos a reparametrização do campo de forças Universal tanto para os oligômeros, cujas estruturas não são bem descritas pelos campos de força padrões, como para o cristal e a superfície de TiO2. Foi observada a formação de filmes desordenados e densos de quatertiofeno, com a presença de uma maioria de moléculas de orientação quase perpendicular em relação ao plano superficial. Na camada de interface também se encontram moléculas dispostas paralelamente ao substrato, aumentando o contato entre os sistemas orgânico e inorgânico. A deposição de oligômeros isolados de quatertiofeno e de hexatiofeno mostra ainda que as moléculas se dispõem paralelas na superfície, alinhadas segundo direções de periodicidade dos átomos da superfície. Estudamos desta forma as propriedades eletrônicas de um sistema composto de politiofeno sobre TiO2, com o polímero paralelo na superfície e disposto na direção preferencial, através de um formalismo ab initio DFT. Apesar do tratamento DFT apresentar problemas conhecidos quanto na definição do gap, o que é mais relevante ainda no nosso caso de sistemas híbridos, os resultados revelam um deslocamento do topo da banda de valência do material orgânico em relação ao inorgânico. Isto possibilita o aprisionamento de um buraco no polímero, condição necessária para o uso deste tipo de sistema em células fotovoltaicas. Verifica-se ainda o acoplamento entre átomos de enxofre do politiofeno e de oxigênio do TiO2 através da presença de um estado associado a uma densidade eletrônica que se estende do polímero na superfície. Nossos resultados indicam assim um bom acoplamento eletrônico da superfície (101) de TiO2-anatase com politiofenos. / In the study of organic-inorganic hybrid systems, the use of materials such as conjugated polymers and transition metal oxides has attracted great interest. In particular, it is worth mentioning systems composed by thiophenes and titanium oxide, which have an important application in solar cells. For a better understand- ing of the interaction between these systems, it is necessary to know the polymer organization over the inorganic substrate. Therefore, we investigated in this work the formation of the interface between thiophene oligomers and the (101) surface of TiO2-anatase by means of a multi-formalism approach, which includes classical molecular dynamics simulations, and a combination of ¯rst principles calculations based on Hartree-Fock and Density Functional Theory (DFT) for structural and electronic properties. The simulation of deposition of thiophene oligomers on TiO2, which demands systems with thousands of atoms, was performed by classical molecular dynamics. As a prerequisite for the classical calculation for these systems, we performed a re-parameterization of the Universal force ¯eld for the oligomers, whose structures are not well described by standard force ¯elds, and for the TiO2 bulk and surface. We observed the formation of disordered and dense quaterthiophene ¯lms, with presence of a majority of molecules oriented almost perpendicularly to the surface plane. In the ¯rst interfacial layer we ¯nd also molecules oriented parallel to the sub- strate, which increases the contact between the organic and the inorganic systems. The deposition of isolated quaterthiophene and sexithiophene oligomers resulted in molecules disposed parallel to the surface and aligned along directions of periodicity of the surface atoms. We therefore studied the electronic properties of a system composed of poly- thiophene on TiO2, with the polymer parallel to the surface and oriented along a preferential direction, by means of DFT formalism. Although DFT treatments present known problems in the de¯nition of the energy gap, even of more relevance in our case of hybrid systems, the results for the occupied states revealed a sizeable displacement of the top of the valence band of one system with respect to the other. The misalignment will prevent the passage of a hole from the polymer to the oxide, providing in this way the necessary condition for the use of this type of system in solar cells. It was also seen electronic coupling between sulfur atoms from polythio- phene, and oxygen atoms from TiO2 through the presence of a state associated with an electronic density extended from the polymer to the surface. Our results thus indicate there is good electronic coupling between the (101) surface of TiO2-anatase and polythiophenes.

The germylenes, germanium(II) 2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate (1), germanium(II) 4-methyl-2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate (2) and germanium(II) 4-bromo-2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate (3) were synthesized and their thermally induced twin polymerization to give organic–inorganic hybrid materials was studied. The compounds 1–3 form oligomers including dimers, trimers and tetramers as a result of intermolecular coordination of the benzylic oxygen atom to germanium. The structural motifs were studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and DFT-D calculations. Thermally induced twin polymerization of these germylenes gave hybrid materials based on germanium-containing phenolic resins. Carbonization of these resins under reductive conditions resulted in porous materials that are composed of germanium and carbon (Ge@C materials), while oxidation with air provided non-porous germanium dioxide. The porous Ge@C materials were tested as potential anode materials for rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Reversible capacities of 540 mA h g−1 were obtained at a current density of 346 mA g−1 without apparent fading for 100 cycles, which demonstrates that germanium is well accessible in the hybrid material. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Amino-functionalized organic–inorganic hybrid materials with a narrow distributed nanostructure of 2–4 nm in size were obtained by means of a template-free and non-aqueous procedure. Simultaneous twin polymerization of novel amino group containing twin monomers with 2,2′-spirobi[4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline] has been applied for this purpose. The amino groups of the organic–inorganic hybrid material are useful for post derivatization. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Four molecular germanates based on salicyl alcoholates, bis(dimethylammonium) tris[2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate(2-)]germanate (1), bis(dimethylammonium) tris[4-methyl-2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate(2-)]germanate (2), bis(dimethylammonium) tris[4-bromo-2-(oxidomethyl)phenolate(2-)]germanate (3) and dimethylammonium bis[2-tert-butyl-4-methyl-6-(oxidomethyl)phenolate(2-)][2-tert-butyl-4-methyl-6-(hydroxymethyl)phenolate(1-)]germanate (4), were synthesized and characterized including single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the solid state, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit one-dimensional hydrogen bonded networks, whereas compound 4 forms separate ion pairs, which are connected by hydrogen bonds between the dimethylammonium and the germanate moieties. The potential of these compounds for thermally induced twin polymerization (TP) was studied. Germanate 1 was converted by TP to give a hybrid material (HM-1) composed of phenolic resin and germanium dioxide. Subsequent reduction with hydrogen provided a microporous composite containing crystalline germanium and carbon (Ge@C – C-1, germanium content ∼20%). Studies on C-1 as an anode material for Li-ion batteries revealed reversible capacities of ∼370 mA h gGe@C−1 at a current density up to 1384 mA g−1 without apparent fading for 500 cycles. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

The acid and base catalyzed simultaneous twin polymerization (STP) of various 2,2′-disubstituted 4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline derivatives 2a–d with 2,2′-spirobi[4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline] (1) are presented in this paper. The products are nanostructured ternary organic–inorganic hybrid materials consisting of a cross-linked organic polymer, silica and a disubstituted polysiloxane. It can be demonstrated whether and in which extent the copolymerization of the two inorganic fragments of 1 and 2 takes place among the STP and how the molar ratio of the two components determines the structure formation of the resulting hybrid material. Steric and electronic effects of the substituents at the silicon center of 2 on the molecular structure formation and the morphology of the resulting hybrid material were investigated by means of solid state CP MAS 29Si and 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The mechanical properties (hardness and Young's modulus) of the hybrid materials were analyzed by means of nanoindentation measurements. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Les ligands carbéniques N-hétérocycliques sont généralement décrits comme des analogues aux ligands phosphines car ils présentent des propriétés électroniques comparables, bien que leur caractère σ-donneur soit plus prononcé. Ils ont donc été utilisés pour la synthèse de complexes organométalliques en remplacement des ligands phosphines et un nombre très important de complexes métal-NHC ont été développés ces 15 dernières années. Toutefois, ces complexes bien que très actifs dans de nombreuses réactions catalytiques clefs (métathèse des oléfines, couplages C-C, échange H/D…), présentent des problèmes de désactivation rapide et sont difficilement séparables des produits de réaction. L'hétérogénéisation de tels complexes pourrait remédier à ces inconvénients, et c'est la raison pour laquelle ce domaine a attiré beaucoup d'attention ces dix dernières années. La stratégie la plus courante pour l’immobilisation de tels complexes sur supports oxydes consiste à faire réagir des précurseurs de type organosilane avec des solides présentant des groupements hydroxyles de surface. Bien que cette méthode offre un moyen simple et efficace de fonctionnaliser des supports solides avec un éventail très large de fonctionnalités organiques, il ne permet cependant pas un contrôle de leur distribution et de la nature des espèces de surface dans le matériau final. La méthodologie alternative au greffage sur supports oxydes développée dans ce travail de thèse a consisté donc à générer des matériaux hybrides organiques-inorganiques mésostructurés, contenant des unités NHC dans leurs pores ou dans leurs murs. Ces matériaux sont obtenus par sol-gel hydrolytique en milieu structurant via des réactions de co-hydrolyse et de co-polycondensation d’un précurseur de type organotrialcoxysilane et de tétraalcoxysilane (TEOS). Cette voie de synthèse a été utilisée car elle permet de contrôler : la distribution des groupements organiques au sein de la matrice silicique, la nature des espèces siliciques de surface, et la concentration en fonctions organiques. Après synthèse des matériaux hybrides, des réactions in-situ ont permis l’obtention de matériaux contenant des unités uniques de type Au-NHC régulièrement distribuées au sein du support d’oxyde. Les matériaux ainsi obtenus ont été caractérisés à chacune des étapes menant au solide final par de nombreuses techniques : adsorption-désorption d’azote à 77 k, microscopie électronique à transmission, diffraction des rayons X aux petits angles, spectroscopie RMN multinoyaux à l'état solide et analyses élémentaires. Après avoir testé et comparé les performances catalytiques de ces matériaux avec celles de leurs homologues en phase homogène et ce, dans plusieurs réactions catalytiques (oxydation sélective des alcools, couplage croisé de Suzuki et diboration des oléfines), nous nous sommes focalisés sur la réaction d’addition d’alcools sur les alcynes et plus particulièrement sur l’addition du méthanol sur le 3-hexyne. C'est d’ailleurs, à notre connaissance, le premier exemple en littérature de l'usage des complexes carbéniques N-hétérocycliques d’or dans cette réaction. / N-heterocyclic carbene ligands have been described as interesting alternatives to tertiary phosphines in term of bonding and reactivity and have been therefore extensively studied as metallocarbene promotors. As a result, a large variety of homogeneous metal-NHC complexes have been developed and their impressive catalytic properties have been studied. However, such highly active homogeneous catalysts suffer from fast deactivation and separation problems from the reaction products. The immobilization of such complexes could overcome these drawbacks and that is the reason why this area has attracted much attention in the last ten years. The most common strategy for complexes immobilisation involves covalent grafting oforganosilane precursors onto solid support surfaces, via reaction with surface OH groups. Although this method provides a convenient way for introducing all kinds of organic moieties into solids, it does not permit the control of either their distribution in the final material or the nature of the surface species. The alternative methodology, to classical grafting, developed in this PhD project, is based on the design of organic-inorganic hybrid mesostructured materials containing NHC units along their pore channels or into their walls and the subsequent coordination on the NHC units with the Au organometallic precursor. These materials were prepared by sol-gel process using a templating route, via co-hydrolysis and co-polycondensation of an organotrialkoxysilane precursor and tetraethoxysilane. This strategy permits a control of: the ligands distribution into the silica matrix, the nature of the silica surface species and the organic moieties concentration. All the solids, from the starting hybrid material to the Au-NHC containing one, were fully characterized using various techniques: nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K, transmission electron microscopy, small angle X-Ray diffraction, solid state NMR spectroscopy and elementary analysis. After screening the catalytic performances of these Au-NHC containing materials in several catalytic reactions (selective oxidation of alcohols, Suzuki cross-coupling and olefins diboration), their high catalytic activity in alcohols addition to alkynes reactions prompted us to study more deeply their catalytic behaviour (and that of their homogeneous homologues) in the reaction of methanol addition to 3-hexyne. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first use in catalysis of gold Nheterocyclic carbene complexes in this reaction.

<div> <div> <div> <p>Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have increased efficiencies substantially (from 3% to > 22%), within a few years. However, these solar cells degrade very rapidly due to humidity and no longer are capable of converting photons into electrons. Methylammonium Lead Triiodide (CH3NH3PbI3 or MAPbI3) is the most common type of halide perovskite solar cell and is the crystal studied in this thesis. Graphene is an effective encapsulation method of MAPbI3 perovskite to reduce degradation, while also being advantageous because of its excellent optical and conductive properties. Using a PMMA transfer method graphene was chemical vapor depostion (CVD) grown graphene was transferred onto MAPbI3 and reduced the MAPbI3 degradation rate by over 400%. The PMMA transfer method in this study is scalable for roll-to- roll manufacturing with fewer cracks, impurites, and folds improving upon dry transfer methods. To characterize degradation a fluorescent microscope was used to capture photoluminescence data at initial creation of the samples up to 528 hours of 80% humidity exposure. Atomic force microscopy was used to characterize topographical changes during degradation. The study proves that CVD graphene is an effective encapsulation method for reducing degradation of MAPbI3 due to humidity and retained 95.3% of its initial PL intensity after 384 hours of 80% humidity exposure. Furthermore, after 216 hours of 80% humidity exposure CVD graphene encapsulated MAPbI3 retained 80.2% of its initial number of peaks, and only saw a 35.1% increase in surface height. Comparatively, pristine MAPbI3 only retained 16% of its initial number of peaks and saw a 159% increase in surface height. </p> </div> </div> </div>