Electrochromic thin films can effectively regulate the visible and infrared light passing through a window, demonstrating great potential to save energy and offer a comfortable indoor environment in buildings. However, long-term durability is a big issue and the physics behind this is far from clear. This dissertation work concerns two important parts of an electrochromic window: the anodic and cathodic layers. In particular, work focusing on the anodic side develop a new Ni oxide based layers and uncover degradation dynamics in Ni oxide thin films; and work focusing on the cathodic side addresses materials rejuvenation with the aim to eliminate degradation. In the first part of this dissertation work, iridium oxide is found to be compatible with acids, bases and Li+-containing electrolytes, and an anodic layer with very superior long-term durability was developed by incorporating of small amount (7.6 at. %) of Ir into Ni oxide. This film demonstrated sustained cycle-dependent growth of charge density and electrochromic modulation even after 10,000 CV cycles. The (111) and (100) crystal facets in Ni oxide are found to possess different abilities to absorb cation and/or anion, which yields different degrees of coloration and this is very significant for the electrochromic properties. The degradation of charge capacity in Ni oxide has an inevitable rapid decay in the first hundreds of cycles, subsequently combined with a more gradual decay, which is independent of applied potential and film composition. The consistent phenomenon can be very well modeled by power-law or stretched exponential decay; however the two models are indistinguishable in the current stage. Interestingly, in both models, the power-law exponent is 0.2 ≤ p ≤ 0.8, with most of the values around 0.5, in line with normal or anomalous diffusion models. The second part of dissertation work deals with cathodic WO3 and TiO2. WO3 suffers from ion trapping induced degradation of charge capacity and optical modulation upon electrochemical cycling. This speculation is strongly supported by direct evidence from Time-of-Flight Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ToF-ERDA). Most importantly, this ion trapping induced degradation can be eliminated by a galvanostatic de-trapping process. Significant ion-trapping takes place when x exceeds ~0.65 in LixWO3. The trapped ions are stable in the host structure, meaning that the ions cannot de-trap without external stimuli. The similar work done on TiO2 significantly complements and extends the work on the recuperation of WO3; the difference is that the trapped ions in host TiO2 seem to be less stable compared with the trapped ions in WO3.     Overall, this dissertation presents a refined conceptual framework for developing superior electrochromic windows in energy efficient buildings.

in english Introduction: Composite restorations in the oral cavity are exposed to an aggressive environment and mechanical challenge that gradually impairs their physical and mechanical properties. This may result in an enhanced wear rate, loss of esthetic properties and an increased risk of a restoration fracture or its marginal failure with a negative impact on the restoration's durability. Worn or failed restorations are usually completely replaced, which increases the irreversible loss of dental hard tissues. Repair of composite restorations by their partial replacement is therefore a minimally invasive, preventive and less time-consuming alternative to their complete replacement and increases their longevity. In the oral cavity, the adhesive bond between the existing composite restoration and the repair composite resin is exposed to various chemical substances and mechanical stress, e.g. surfactants in toothpastes, which can initiate its degradation. By decreasing the surface tension, the penetration of water into the adhesive joint can be enhanced, accelerating the hydrolysis of the adhesive and reducing the composite repair strength. The major and not yet fully resolved issue of composite repairs is how to achieve a strong and durable bond between the existing and repair composite materials....

The doctoral thesis deals with finding the use of some waste and secondary raw materials in the production of special polymer remediation materials for concrete, which could be applied even in constructions, where extreme mechanical and chemical load is occurred. The aim of this doctoral thesis is experimental examination of the possibility of using selected types of waste, including hazardous waste which represent the highest risk to environment, and secondary raw materials as a substitute for the currently used primary fillers in order to reduce the ecological footprint of the product itself. Some types of secondary raw materials, such as filter fly ash contaminated by flue gas denitrification process, are no longer used as a concrete admixture or partial cement substitution due to unwanted release of toxic ammonia (NH3). Mainly for this reason, the thesis deals with the progressive utilization of such types of secondary raw materials as well as with another currently unused waste into polymeric patching, grouting and anchoring materials while preserving or improving the final properties compared to reference materials using only primary raw materials. The result of this thesis is to find out suitable formulations for efficient preparation of special polymeric remediation materials for concrete containing waste and secondary raw materials as fillers. The partial aim of the thesis and a the scientific contribution is an observation of the developed materials internal structure using a modern device, CT tomography, an influence of the filler type on the long-term durability, and last but not least the observation of the rate of pollutants incorporation, found in hazardous waste, into the polymeric matric with the aid of EDX and FTIR analysis.