Phytomining is a promising method for metal recovery, but rare studies have been devoted to metal recovery from hyperaccumulator biomass. The objective of this study was to propose efficient and sustainable methods for treating REE hyperaccumulators, aimed at enhancing REE recovery and obtaining value-added byproducts. Firstly, grass seeds fed with a solution containing Y, La, Ce, and Dy, were found to have the capacity to accumulate around 510 mg/kg (dry basis) of total rare earth elements (TREEs) in grass leaves. With the use of conventional hydrometallurgy, around 95% of Y, La, Ce, and Dy were extracted from the GL using 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 at a solid concentration of 5 wt.%. Subsequently, microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization (MHTC) was used to convert the leaching residue into hydrochar to achieve a comprehensive utilization of GL biomass. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the original structure of GL was destructed at 180 °C during MHTC, producing numerous microspheres and pores. As the reaction temperature increased, there was a concurrent increase in carbon content, HHV, and energy densification, coupled with a decrease in hydrogen and oxygen contents of hydrochar. The results showed that the waste biomass of the GL after REE extraction can be effectively converted into energy-rich solid fuel and low-cost adsorbent via MHTC. In addition to utilizing conventional hydrometallurgy for REE recovery and employing MHTC to convert leaching residue into hydrochar, MHTC was also applied to directly recover REEs and produce hydrochar from the GL as a more efficient approach. The effects of acid type and acid concentration on REE extraction from GL using MHTC were investigated. The utilization of 0.2 mol/L H2SO4 led to the extraction of nearly 100% of REEs from the GL into the resulting biocrudes. Concurrently, the acid-mediated MHTC system also caused the degradation of amorphous hemicellulose and crystalline cellulose present in the GL, thereby enhancing the thermal stability of the resulting hydrochar. The physiochemical properties of the hydrochar were also influenced by acid type and acid concentration. Using 0.2 mol/L H2SO4 as the reaction medium, MHTC resulted in a yield of 28% hydrochar with enhanced high heating value and energy densification. These results suggest that MHTC in the presence of an appropriate concentration of H2SO4 is an effective way to extract REEs and produce hydrochar from the GL. A process that combines solvent extraction and struvite precipitation was developed for the treatment of biocrudes containing REEs and other elements. In the extraction step, 95.6% of REEs were extracted using 0.05 mol/L di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) with an aqueous to organic (A/O) ratio of 1:1 at pH 3.0. However, other impurity metals were co-extracted into the organic phase with the REEs. To solve this issue, a subsequent scrubbing step using deionized water was applied, with the removal of over 98% of these impurities, while incurring negligible loss of REEs. After the scrubbing step, over 97% of REEs were ultimately stripped out from the organic phase as REE oxalates using 0.01 mol/L oxalic acid. Furthermore, phosphorous (P) was found to be retained in the raffinate after the solvent extraction process. 94.4% of the P was recovered by forming struvite precipitate at pH 9.0 and a Mg/P molar ratio of 1.5. In general, high purity and value-added REE products and struvite precipitate were eventually achieved from biocrudes in environmentally friendly and economically viable ways. In summary, this study contributes a sustainable and efficient framework for REE hyperaccumulator treatment that integrates acid leaching, MHTC, solvent extraction, and struvite precipitation. This work supports a circular economy, minimizing waste and promoting resource reuse. / Doctor of Philosophy / Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are essential for technologies like smartphones and electric vehicles, but traditional mining is environmentally harmful and resource-intensive. Innovations are needed to reduce waste and enhance resource reuse. In this study, grass, a natural accumulator, was found to be able to extract REEs from contaminated soils. Nearly all REEs can be recovered efficiently using a mild sulfuric acid solution, and the residual biomass was also transformed into valuable byproducts such as energy-rich solid fuel and low-cost adsorbents. Furthermore, a more sustainable and efficient method, microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization, was also investigated to treat grass aiming at recovering REEs and achieving value-added products. High purity REE product and phosphorous-rich fertilizer were finally produced. This method reduces the environmental impact of REE mining, utilizes renewable resources, and cuts costs, thereby supporting economic sustainability. By turning environmental challenges into opportunities, this research highlights how innovative, greener methods can drive a more sustainable future in resource management.

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo a produção por eletrofiação de nãotecidos compostos por fibras ultrafinas à base de policaprolactona (PCL) e cloreto de N-(2-hidroxil)-propil-3-trimetilamônio quitosana (QCh) potencialmente aplicáveis no tratamento de lesões de pele. Para tal, QCh foi sintetizado pela reação entre cloreto de glicidiltrimetilamônio (CGTMA) e quitosana em meio ácido sob irradiação de micro-ondas. Tanto a quitosana de partida como os derivados obtidos foram caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (FTIR), espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear de hidrogênio (RMN 1H), viscosimetria capilar, solubilidade em função do pH, análise termogravimétrica e difração de raios-X. Planejamento fatorial 23 com ponto central e metodologia de superfície de resposta foram aplicados para avaliar o efeito dos parâmetros reacionais razão molar CGTMA/Q, temperatura e tempo reacionais sobre o grau médio de quaternização (GQ-), viscosidade intrínseca e sobre o rendimento reacional. Os resultados mostraram que a razão molar CGTMA/Q foi o fator que mais influenciou as variáveis resposta avaliadas e que a síntese realizada em reator micro-ondas possibilitou a produção de QCh com elevado grau médio de quaternização (GQ-> 70%) em tempo expressivamente inferior (≤30 min.) quando comparado à reação empregando aquecimento convencional (> 4 h). Na etapa subsequente, QCh com diferentes características estruturais (grau médio de quaternização (GQ-) e grau médio de polimerização (GPv-), a saber QCh1 (GQ-= 47,3 %; GPv- = 2218) e QCh2 (GQ-= 71,1 %; GPv- = 1427, foram dissolvidos em diferentes proporções mássicas com poli(ε-caprolactona) (PCL/QCh: 100/0 - 70/30) em solução ácido acético/ácido fórmico 60/40 (v/v) e eletrofiados. Os nãotecidos obtidos foram caracterizados quanto ao diâmetro médio e grau de orientação das fibras, porosidade e espessura, caráter hidrofílico/hidrofóbico das superfícies, capacidade de absorção de água, transmissão de vapor de água, além de cristalinidade e propriedades térmicas e mecânicas. Experimentos in vitro também foram realizados para avaliar a suscetibilidade à degradação enzimática, citotoxicidade em relação às linhagens de células de fibroblastos dérmicos humanos neonatais (HDFn) e queratinócitos humanos (HaCaT) e adesão dessas células na superfície dos nãotecidos. Os resultados dessa etapa revelaram que de acordo com as características estruturais do QCh e com a quantidade desse derivado na blenda PCL/QCh, os nãotecidos obtidos apresentaram fibras com diferentes diâmetros médio (175 nm - 415 nm) e graus de orientação, além de exibirem diferentes porosidade (57,0 % - 81,6 %) e capacidade de hidratação (175 % - 425 %). Os ensaios de tração revelaram que os nãotecidos apresentaram equilíbrio entre capacidade de alongação e tensão na ruptura nos estados seco e após hidratação, sendo que altos valores de tensão na ruptura (> 4 MPa) e alongação (> 120 %) foram observados nos nãotecidos PCL/QCh 90/10. A cristalinidade e a estabilidade térmica dos nãotecidos PCL/QCh foram progressivamente reduzidas com o aumento da concentração de QCh. Os nãotecidos não foram suscetíveis à degradação por lisozima e os ensaios de citotoxidade in vitro mostraram que todos os materiais, exceto PCL/QCh2 70/30, não apresentaram caráter citotóxico em relação às linhagens de células de fibroblastos (HDFn) e queratinócitos humanos (HaCaT). A presença de QCh conferiu caráter hidrofílico à superfície dos nãotecidos favorecendo a adesão e a proliferação dessas células, o que não ocorreu no nãotecido composto somente por PCL. A análise global dos resultados indicou que os nãotecidos PCL/QCh1 90/10 e PCL/QCh2 90/10 foram os que apresentaram características mais promissoras para serem utilizados como curativos, visto que possuem caráter hidrofílico, elevada capacidade de hidratação, estabilidade em meio aquoso, resistência mecânica tanto secos como hidratados, além de não apresentarem caráter citotóxico e favorecerem a adesão e proliferação de fibroblastos e queratinócitos. / The main purpose of this work was the development of electrospun nonwovens composed by ultrathin fibers based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and N-(2-hydroxy)-propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (QCh) potentially useful as wound dressings. QCh was synthesized by reacting glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC) and chitosan (Ch) in acid medium under microwave irradiation. The parent chitosan, as well as the resulting derivatives, were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H NMR spectroscopy, capillary viscometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction and with respect to water-solubility as a function of pH. Full-factorial 23 central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied to evaluate the effects of molar ratio GTMAC/Ch, reaction time and temperature on the reaction yield, average degree of quaternization (DQ-) and intrinsic viscosity ([η]) of QCh. Results showed that the molar ratio GTMAC/Ch was the most important factor affecting the response variables and that microwave-assisted synthesis allowed the production of highly substituted QCh ((DQ- > 70%)) at a significantly shorter time (≤ 30 min.) as compared to conventional reaction procedures (> 4 h). Following, two samples of QCh possessing different characteristics, i.e. average degree of quaternization (DQ-) and viscosity average degree of polymerization (DPv-), namely QCh1 ( DQ- = 47.3 %; DPv- = 2218) and QCh2 (DQ-= 71.1 %; DPv- = 1427), were synthesized, blended with PCL in acetic acid/formic acid (60/40 v/v) and electrospun into fibrous nonwovens. The PCL/QCh nonwovens were characterized in terms of morphology, surface properties, water absorption capacity, moisture permeation, thermal and tensile properties. In vitro experiments were carried out to evaluate the susceptibility of PCL/QCh nonwovens to enzymatic degradation, cytotoxicity toward neonatal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT), and adhesion of these cells on nonwoven\'s surface. According to the characteristics of QCh derivative, mainly DQ- and (DPv) ?, and to the QCh content on the resulting PCL/QCh nonwoven, the nanofibers displayed different average diameter (175 nm - 415 nm), and the nonwovens exhibited variable porosity (57.0 % - 81.6 %) and swelling capacity (175 % - 425 %). The tensile tests revealed that the nonwovens present a balance between elasticity and strength under both, dry and hydrated state, the higher tensile strength (> 4 MPa) and elongation (> 120 %) being observed for PCL/QCh 90/10 nonwovens. The crystallinity and thermal stability of PCL/QCh nonwoven decreased with increasing QCh content. The PCL/QCh nonwovens were not susceptible to lysozyme degradation and all PCL/QCh nonwovens, except PCL/QCh2 70/30, were non-cytotoxic toward fibroblasts (HDFn) and keratinocyte (HaCaT). The presence of QCh conferred a hydrophilic character to the surface of the nonwoven, favoring HDFn and HaCaT cells adhesion and spreading, which did not occur in the nonwoven composed only by PCL. Taking into account the whole set of results, it is concluded that the PCL/QCh1 90/10 and PCL/QCh2 90/10 nonwovens showed the most promising characteristics to be used as wound dressings, since they have hydrophilic character, high hydration capacity, stability in aqueous medium, mechanical resistance, in dry and hydrated states, besides they were non-cytotoxic and favored the adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Encapsulation of nanoparticles within hexaniobate nanoscrolls presents interesting advances in the formation of nanocomposites exhibiting unique multi-dimensional properties. Building upon previous successes, facile yet versatile wet-chemical and microwave-irradiation synthetic protocols for the fabrication of a series of hexaniobate composites are presented herein. Solvothermal and, more recently, microwave-assisted methods have been developed that allow for the fabrication of peapod-like structures. During solvothermal treatment, exfoliated hexaniobate nanosheets scroll around highly ordered chains of preformed nanoparticles (NPs) to produce nanopeapods (NPPs). This approach offers versatility and high yields, in addition to the potential for advanced functional device fabrication. For the characterization of these materials, advanced techniques in atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for investigating the surface of materials at the nanometer scale. Extensive physical, dynamic, and force modulation studies were performed on novel oxide nanocomposites by implementing particular scanning techniques to determine information such as topology, stress-induced behavior at the nanoscale, magnetic behavior, and frictional forces of the nanoscale materials. These composites were then analyzed by topological intermittent contact studies in tapping and contact mode, as well as with derivative techniques of these commonly used scanning probe approaches. In addition to studying surfaces using conventional modes of AFM, the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites were measured via dynamic lateral force modulation (DLFM) and magnetic properties of functionalized magnetic nanosheets were mapped via magnetic sampling modulation (MSM). By utilizing the capabilities of the DLFM imaging mode, elastic properties such as Young’s Modulus were measured from force-distance curves. In addition to this modulation mode, MSM was used to selectively map the vibrating magnetic nanomaterials from a modulated electromagnetic field. The information obtained from these AFM techniques can be helpful in determining the relative structural behavior of these nanocomposites and gauge their use in various applications such as structural engineering of nanoarchitectures as well as studying magnetic characteristics of metal oxide nanocomposites that exhibit characteristics different from their bulk counterparts.

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Microwave-assisted novel synthesis of poly(dibromophenylene oxide) or poly(diiodophenylene oxide) (P), conducting polymer (CP) and/or crosslinked polymer (CLP) and/or radical ion polymer (RIP) were achieved simultaneously from lithium, sodium or potassium 2,4,6-bromophenolate or sodium 2,4,6-iodophenolate in a very short time interval. Polymerizations were carried out by constant microwave energy with different time intervals varying from 1 to 20 min / or at constant time intervals with variation of microwave energy from 70 to 900 watt / or varying the water content from 0.5 to 5 ml at constant time intervals and microwave energy. Poly(dihalophenylene oxide) and radical ion polymers were characterized by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared), 1H-NMR (Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), 13C-NMR (Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), TGA/ FTIR (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis / Fourier Transform Infrared), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), ESR (Electron Spin Resonance), GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography), UV-Vis (UV-Visible Spectroscopy), Light Scattering and Elemental Analysis. Conducting and crosslinked polymers were characterized by FTIR, TGA/ FTIR, DSC, SEM, ESR, XRD (Powder Diffraction X-Ray) and Elemental Analysis. The effects of heating time, microwave energy and water content on the percent conversion and the polymer synthesis were also investigated.

Lanthanum orthoborate (LaBO3) has aroused interest of scientists for many decades because of their remarkable properties and potential applications. They provide favorable magnetic properties for various applications. Additionally, they possess high VUV transparency and exceptional optical damage when they compose with rare earth elements. This study comprises the synthesis of pure lanthanum orthoborate, europium, dysprosium and terbium doped lanthanum orthoborate by two methods with v three fuels, citric acid, glycine and urea. LaBO3 has already been synthesized by various methods, however / in this work, two alternative roads are suggested, microwave assisted method and sol-gel microwave assisted method. The second task of the work is to find out the best luminescent product by altering the synthesis conditions, type of the doping material and the doping amount of the rare earth element. For the microwave assisted combustion method, urea was used as a fuel. After synthesis in the microwave oven, further heating up to 950&deg / C was performed. For the microwave assisted sol-gel method, citric acid and glycine were used. After obtaining the gel mixture, the product is synthesized in the microwave oven at 1200 W for ten minutes. For this route, again 950&deg / C heating for 2 hours was performed. Powder X-ray diffraction method was employed for the characterization of the material. The morphological properties of doped and un-doped materials were studied by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). Besides, FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infra red) spectrometry analyses were performed to detect the differences in the bond structure and also to identify the corresponding bands. Luminescence studies were performed to detect the best emission intensities by using Fluorescence spectroscopy. The XRD patterns confirmed that lanthanum orthoborate production was successful by three precursors. The space group is Pnma, and the crystal system is orthorhombic with the unit cell dimensions / a= 5.8761(1)

Die grundlegende Frage- bzw. Problemstellung der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung innovativer Synthesemethoden für die nanoskalige, anorganische Festkörper- und Materialchemie, sowie die umfassende Charakterisierung der neuartigen Materialien und deren Untersuchung hinsichtlich potentieller Anwendungen. Die Arbeit umfasst dabei zwei große Themengebiete: Das Kapitel Bismutbasierte Nanoröhren beschreibt detailliert die neuartige Synthese doppelwandiger Bismut-Nanoröhren (engl. Double Walled Bismuth Nanotubes, DWBiNTs) bei Raumtemperatur, durch die Umsetzung von Bismutmonoiodid mit n-Butyllithium (n-BuLi) zu elementarem Bismut. Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen des resultierenden feinen schwarzen Pulvers zeigen homogen strukturierte, stark agglomerierte, anisotrope Partikel mit Längen von mehreren hundert Nanometer, welche an den Enden geöffnet vorliegen und zudem einen „zwiebelartigen“ Aufbau mit einem einheitlichen inneren Durchmesser von ca. 4,5 nm sowie einen äußeren Durchmesser von ca. 6 nm aufweisen (Abbildung 1 A – C). Auf Grundlage dieser Erkenntnisse wurden von Rasche quantenchemische Rechnungen am Modell einer (34,0)@(40,0)-DWBiNT durchgeführt, aus denen neben einer hexagonal facettierten Querschnittsgeometrie (Abbildung 1 D) durch Rechnungen der elektronischen Eigenschaften eine direkte Bandlücke von 0,5 eV hervorgeht, womit es sich bei diesen Strukturen um Halbleiter handeln sollte. Im Gegensatz zu bislang bekannten Synthesemethoden für Bi-Nanoröhren kann die in der vorliegenden Arbeit entwickelte Syntheseroute als chemische Top-Down-Bottom-Up-Methode verstanden werden. Hiermit soll die Kaskade des Herauslösens der im Festkörper vorgeprägten Strukturen (chemisch Top-Down) gefolgt von deren Reorganisation zu nanoskopischen Objekten (klassisch Bottom-Up) verdeutlicht werden. Diese Herangehens-weise der Niedertemperaturreduktion klassischer Festkörperverbindungen ist bislang einzigartig und konnte basierend auf den Ergebnissen der vorliegenden Arbeit innerhalb des Arbeitskreises bereits erfolgreich auf intermetallische Phasen übertragen werden. Es konnte ferner gezeigt werden, dass es durch die milde Oxidation von DWBiNTs im O2-Strom möglich ist, unter Erhalt der Morphologie gezielt Nanoröhren der unter Normalbedingungen metastabilen β-Modifikation von Bi2O3 zu synthetisieren. Diese wurden in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kurt-Schwabe-Institut für Mess- und Sensortechnik e.V. Meinsberg hinsichtlich ihrer gassensitiven Eigenschaften untersucht. Während die oxidischen Nanoröhren keine Sensitivität gegenüber CO und nur eine geringe H2-Sensitivität aufweisen, zeigt sich eine signifikante Widerstandserhöhung mit sinkendem Sauerstoffpartialdruck im Gasgemisch. Diese Befunde zeigen eine mögliche, bislang nicht untersuchte Anwendung von Bi2O3 als Sauerstoffsensor. Das Kapitel Mikrowellenunterstützte Niedertemperatursynthese der vorliegenden Arbeit widmet sich – basierend auf dem Polyolprozess (Abbildung 2) – der zeit- und energieeffizienten Synthese der intermetallischen Phasen BiNi, Bi3Ni und BiRh, welche durch herkömmliche metallurgische Hochtemperaturschmelz- oder sinterprozesse nur schwer zugänglich sind. Besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt in der gezielten Synthese mikro- und nanostrukturierter Proben. Die intermetallische Phase Bi3Ni kann röntgenographisch phasenrein in Form homogener stäbchenförmiger Partikel mit Abmessungen von ca. 200 nm x 600 nm, so genanntes submikroskaliges Bi3Ni, synthetisiert werden (Abbildung 3 A). Ebenso erfolgreich gestaltet sich die Synthese der nickelreicheren Phase BiNi in Form von Nadeln mit Durchmessern von wenigen Nanometern und Längen von mehreren Mikrometern sowie der binären Phase BiRh in Gestalt wohl definierter hexagonal facettierter, plättchenartiger Partikel mit einem mittleren Durchmesser von ca. 50 nm und Dicken < 10 nm (Abbildung 3 B, C). In Kooperation mit der Professur Anorganische Chemie I der TU Dresden konnte am Beispiel der intermetallischen Phase Bi3Ni erfolgreich die gezielte Einstellung der Partikelgröße und –morphologie unter Verwendung des mesoporösen Oxids SBA-15 als Exotemplat gezeigt werden. Die herausgelösten Proben zeigen röntgenographisch phasenreine, agglomerierte, sphärische Nanopartikel mit einem Durchmesser von < 8 nm. Die statische Magnetisierung sowie die Transporteigenschaften an den morphologisch unterschiedlichen Proben des Typ-II Supraleiters Bi3Ni wurden in Kooperation mit dem Hochfeld-Magnetlabor des Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf untersucht. Es zeigt sich, dass durch chemische Nanostrukturierung physikalische Eigenschaften generiert werden, welche Volumenproben derselben Substanz nicht aufweisen: Die als unvereinbare Antagonisten angesehenen Grundzustände Ferromagnetismus und Supraleitung können in mesoskopischem Bi3Ni nicht nur koexistieren, sondern stärken einander sogar (Abbildung 4). Diese Ergebnisse zeigen beispielhaft, dass Partikelgrößen im Zusammenspiel mit chemischer Substrukturierung in quasi-1D-Bindungssystemen essentiell für das Auftreten neuartiger Quanteneffekte sind. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe wurden die röntgenographisch phasenreinen Proben von BiNi (Nadeln), Bi3Ni (Stäbchen) und BiRh (hexagonale Nanoplättchen) hinsichtlich ihrer potentiellen Anwendung zur Semihydrierung von Acetylen untersucht. Für die Proben des Systems Bi/Ni kann keinerlei katalytische Aktivität gemessen werden, wohingegen die katalytischen Eigenschaften der BiRh Nanopartikel für die Semihydrierung von Acetylen hervorragend sind. So weisen die hexagonalen Nanoplättchen eine außerordentlich hohe Selektivität gegenüber Acetylen sowie eine sehr gute Langzeitstabilität, im Vergleich zu einem kommerziell erhältlichen Pd/Al2O3 Katalysator, auf. Auf Basis der im Rahmen dieser Arbeit entwickelten und in ihren Ergebnissen (Phase, Reinheit, verschiedene Morphologien) kontrollierbaren sowie zeit- und energieeffizienten reduktiven Solvothermalmethode zur Synthese von intermetallischen Verbindungen ist der Zugang zu weiteren neuartigen, mehrkomponentigen, metallischen Materialien, welche durch klassische metallurgische Hochtemperaturschmelz- oder -sinterprozesse nur schwer oder gar nicht zugänglich sind, möglich. Allgemein kann das beschriebene Verfahren als eine verlässliche, breit anwendbare Methode zur Synthese wohl strukturierter Verbindungen auf chemischem Weg bei Temperaturen bis maximal 250 °C angesehen werden, welches eine große Bandbreite an verschiedenen Einsatzmöglichkeiten bietet.

Ces travaux de thèse portent sur la synthèse et la caractérisation de nanoparticules d’oxyde spinelle à base de cobalt, déposée à la surface de feuillets d’oxyde de graphène réduit. Ces nanocomposites ont pour but de servir de catalyseurs bifonctionnels intégrés à l’électrode à air des batteries lithium-air. La particularité des synthèses présentées repose sur le chauffage micro-onde des précurseurs en milieu aqueux entre 100 et 200 °C. Cette approche originale de chimie douce permet en outre la création de l’interface entre les nanoparticules d’oxyde et les feuillets de graphène directement pendant la synthèse des particules, au lieu de nécessiter une étape supplémentaire de greffage. L’oxyde de cobalt Co3O4 a servi de matériau modèle pour optimiser les différents paramètres de synthèse puis le protocole a été adapté à une série d’oxydes binaires en substituant une partie des atomes de cobalt par du nickel, du manganèse ou encore du fer. La co-précipitation des cations de métaux de transition au sein d’une même phase a été rendue possible grâce à la compréhension des diagrammes de Pourbaix pour ajuster les conditions redox et acido-basiques.Enfin, les propriétés électrocatalytiques des catalyseurs composites vis-à-vis des deux réactions inverses d’ORR et OER ont été testées. L’écart entre les potentiels d’OER et ORR a été diminué de manière significative grâce à la présence des nanoparticules de Co3O4 sur feuillets d’oxyde de graphène réduit, montrant ainsi la réversibilité du catalyseur.Des caractérisations structurales et morphologiques qui ont permis d’établir certains liens entre synthèse, nanostructure et activité électrocatalytique complètent ce travail. / This research work is focused on the design and characterisation of cobalt based oxides nanospinels anchored onto the surface of reduced graphene oxides (RGO) nanosheet, which will serve as bifunctional catalysts for the new generation lithium-air batteries. Whereas nanospinels are relatively simple to synthesize by conventional colloidal routes as nanoparticles dispersed into an aqueous solution, the synthesis we developed relies on a hydrothermal microwave treatment in the 100°C-200°C range. The main challenges of this nano-heterostructures synthesis was to create the interface between the nanoparticles and the RGO directly during the nanoparticles nucleation. RGO are very efficient microwave absorbers and could then convert microwave irradiation into heat in order to trigger precipitation of the spinel at the surface of the RGO sheet.Starting from Co3O4 as proof-of-concept material, the synthesis protocol has been successfully adapted to address binary oxides by substituting cobalt with first row transition metals such as nickel, manganese or iron. The precipitation of binary and ternary oxides was achievable thanks to a good understanding of the Pourbaix diagrams of all cations to adjust the acido-basic and redox conditions.Finally, the electrocatalytic activity of these supported spinel oxides was measured for both the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER). The gap between the ORR and the OER potentials was significantly lowered by the presence of Co3O4 nanoparticles on the RGO, thus assuring the reversibility of this catalytic system, which is to be integrated in future scale-up test.

O presente trabalho teve como principal objetivo a produção por eletrofiação de nãotecidos compostos por fibras ultrafinas à base de policaprolactona (PCL) e cloreto de N-(2-hidroxil)-propil-3-trimetilamônio quitosana (QCh) potencialmente aplicáveis no tratamento de lesões de pele. Para tal, QCh foi sintetizado pela reação entre cloreto de glicidiltrimetilamônio (CGTMA) e quitosana em meio ácido sob irradiação de micro-ondas. Tanto a quitosana de partida como os derivados obtidos foram caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (FTIR), espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear de hidrogênio (RMN 1H), viscosimetria capilar, solubilidade em função do pH, análise termogravimétrica e difração de raios-X. Planejamento fatorial 23 com ponto central e metodologia de superfície de resposta foram aplicados para avaliar o efeito dos parâmetros reacionais razão molar CGTMA/Q, temperatura e tempo reacionais sobre o grau médio de quaternização (GQ-), viscosidade intrínseca e sobre o rendimento reacional. Os resultados mostraram que a razão molar CGTMA/Q foi o fator que mais influenciou as variáveis resposta avaliadas e que a síntese realizada em reator micro-ondas possibilitou a produção de QCh com elevado grau médio de quaternização (GQ-&gt; 70%) em tempo expressivamente inferior (&le;30 min.) quando comparado à reação empregando aquecimento convencional (&gt; 4 h). Na etapa subsequente, QCh com diferentes características estruturais (grau médio de quaternização (GQ-) e grau médio de polimerização (GPv-), a saber QCh1 (GQ-= 47,3 %; GPv- = 2218) e QCh2 (GQ-= 71,1 %; GPv- = 1427, foram dissolvidos em diferentes proporções mássicas com poli(&epsilon;-caprolactona) (PCL/QCh: 100/0 - 70/30) em solução ácido acético/ácido fórmico 60/40 (v/v) e eletrofiados. Os nãotecidos obtidos foram caracterizados quanto ao diâmetro médio e grau de orientação das fibras, porosidade e espessura, caráter hidrofílico/hidrofóbico das superfícies, capacidade de absorção de água, transmissão de vapor de água, além de cristalinidade e propriedades térmicas e mecânicas. Experimentos in vitro também foram realizados para avaliar a suscetibilidade à degradação enzimática, citotoxicidade em relação às linhagens de células de fibroblastos dérmicos humanos neonatais (HDFn) e queratinócitos humanos (HaCaT) e adesão dessas células na superfície dos nãotecidos. Os resultados dessa etapa revelaram que de acordo com as características estruturais do QCh e com a quantidade desse derivado na blenda PCL/QCh, os nãotecidos obtidos apresentaram fibras com diferentes diâmetros médio (175 nm - 415 nm) e graus de orientação, além de exibirem diferentes porosidade (57,0 % - 81,6 %) e capacidade de hidratação (175 % - 425 %). Os ensaios de tração revelaram que os nãotecidos apresentaram equilíbrio entre capacidade de alongação e tensão na ruptura nos estados seco e após hidratação, sendo que altos valores de tensão na ruptura (&gt; 4 MPa) e alongação (&gt; 120 %) foram observados nos nãotecidos PCL/QCh 90/10. A cristalinidade e a estabilidade térmica dos nãotecidos PCL/QCh foram progressivamente reduzidas com o aumento da concentração de QCh. Os nãotecidos não foram suscetíveis à degradação por lisozima e os ensaios de citotoxidade in vitro mostraram que todos os materiais, exceto PCL/QCh2 70/30, não apresentaram caráter citotóxico em relação às linhagens de células de fibroblastos (HDFn) e queratinócitos humanos (HaCaT). A presença de QCh conferiu caráter hidrofílico à superfície dos nãotecidos favorecendo a adesão e a proliferação dessas células, o que não ocorreu no nãotecido composto somente por PCL. A análise global dos resultados indicou que os nãotecidos PCL/QCh1 90/10 e PCL/QCh2 90/10 foram os que apresentaram características mais promissoras para serem utilizados como curativos, visto que possuem caráter hidrofílico, elevada capacidade de hidratação, estabilidade em meio aquoso, resistência mecânica tanto secos como hidratados, além de não apresentarem caráter citotóxico e favorecerem a adesão e proliferação de fibroblastos e queratinócitos. / The main purpose of this work was the development of electrospun nonwovens composed by ultrathin fibers based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and N-(2-hydroxy)-propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (QCh) potentially useful as wound dressings. QCh was synthesized by reacting glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC) and chitosan (Ch) in acid medium under microwave irradiation. The parent chitosan, as well as the resulting derivatives, were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H NMR spectroscopy, capillary viscometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction and with respect to water-solubility as a function of pH. Full-factorial 23 central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied to evaluate the effects of molar ratio GTMAC/Ch, reaction time and temperature on the reaction yield, average degree of quaternization (DQ-) and intrinsic viscosity ([&eta;]) of QCh. Results showed that the molar ratio GTMAC/Ch was the most important factor affecting the response variables and that microwave-assisted synthesis allowed the production of highly substituted QCh ((DQ- &gt; 70%)) at a significantly shorter time (&le; 30 min.) as compared to conventional reaction procedures (&gt; 4 h). Following, two samples of QCh possessing different characteristics, i.e. average degree of quaternization (DQ-) and viscosity average degree of polymerization (DPv-), namely QCh1 ( DQ- = 47.3 %; DPv- = 2218) and QCh2 (DQ-= 71.1 %; DPv- = 1427), were synthesized, blended with PCL in acetic acid/formic acid (60/40 v/v) and electrospun into fibrous nonwovens. The PCL/QCh nonwovens were characterized in terms of morphology, surface properties, water absorption capacity, moisture permeation, thermal and tensile properties. In vitro experiments were carried out to evaluate the susceptibility of PCL/QCh nonwovens to enzymatic degradation, cytotoxicity toward neonatal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT), and adhesion of these cells on nonwoven\'s surface. According to the characteristics of QCh derivative, mainly DQ- and (DPv) ?, and to the QCh content on the resulting PCL/QCh nonwoven, the nanofibers displayed different average diameter (175 nm - 415 nm), and the nonwovens exhibited variable porosity (57.0 % - 81.6 %) and swelling capacity (175 % - 425 %). The tensile tests revealed that the nonwovens present a balance between elasticity and strength under both, dry and hydrated state, the higher tensile strength (&gt; 4 MPa) and elongation (&gt; 120 %) being observed for PCL/QCh 90/10 nonwovens. The crystallinity and thermal stability of PCL/QCh nonwoven decreased with increasing QCh content. The PCL/QCh nonwovens were not susceptible to lysozyme degradation and all PCL/QCh nonwovens, except PCL/QCh2 70/30, were non-cytotoxic toward fibroblasts (HDFn) and keratinocyte (HaCaT). The presence of QCh conferred a hydrophilic character to the surface of the nonwoven, favoring HDFn and HaCaT cells adhesion and spreading, which did not occur in the nonwoven composed only by PCL. Taking into account the whole set of results, it is concluded that the PCL/QCh1 90/10 and PCL/QCh2 90/10 nonwovens showed the most promising characteristics to be used as wound dressings, since they have hydrophilic character, high hydration capacity, stability in aqueous medium, mechanical resistance, in dry and hydrated states, besides they were non-cytotoxic and favored the adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:21:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 4033083 bytes, checksum: 6a05100e863d9679efe9792a62865701 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The present work consists in two steps the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles and its evaluation in the photodegradation of textile dyes. The first step involves the synthesis of TiO2 by the microwave assisted solvothermal method, using templates in order to obtain new properties for the materials, due to changes in the surface area, morphology variations and control of the crystalline phase. An usual way to produce these materials is by the use of surfactants and polymers. In the present work, four templates were used, polyethylene glycol (PEG 2000), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetiltrimetylamonium bromate (CTAB) and carboxymethylcelulose (CMC). Synthesis were done using na ethanolic route with titanium isopropoxide (1 mol/L), containing the templates or not. Solutions were solvothermalized in the microwave reactor for different times of synthesis (1, 30 and 60 min), in order to evaluate the behavior of the material with different periods of irradiation. Materials with high surface areas and different morphologies were obtained with average particle sizes in the range of 10-30 nm. Powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FE-SEM). The second step consists in the application of the photocatalysts in the photodegradation of the remazol golden yellow dye (RNL), when the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiO2 was observed with a meaningful influence of the properties as surface area and morphology in the photodegradation activity, with about 81 % of discoloration using TiCMC. Reactions were done using a photoreactor at room temperature, with periods of 1, 2 and 4 h with characterization of the azo dye by UV-vis spectroscopy. Photodegradation efficiency was compared to the TiO2 made by Degussa, the P25 one. / O presente trabalho consiste em duas etapas a síntese de nanopartículas de TiO2 e a sua avaliação na fotodegradação de corantes têxteis. A primeira etapa envolve a síntese dos fotocatalisadores de TiO2 pelo método solvotermal assistido por micro-ondas utilizando direcionadores com o intuito de promover novas propriedades nos materiais, acarretando em mudanças na área superficial, variações morfológicas e controle da fase cristalina. Uma maneira muito usual de produção destes materiais é o uso de surfactantes e polímeros, sendo que no presente trabalho foram utilizados quatro direcionadores, polietileno glicol (PEG 2000), sulfato de sódio dodecil (SDS), brometo de cetiltrimetilamônio (CTAB) e carboximetilcelulose (CMC). As sínteses foram preparadas utilizando uma solução etanólica de isopropóxido de titânio (1 mol/L), contendo ou não os direcionadores supracitados. As soluções foram solvotermalizadas no reator de micro-ondas em diferentes tempos de síntese (1, 30 e 60 min.), visando estudar o comportamento do material com o tempo de radiação. Foi obtidos materiais com altas áreas superficiais e diferentes morfologias com tamanho médio de partículas da ordem de 10-30 nm, os pós foram caracterizados por difratometria de raios-X (DRX), análise superficial de BET, espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (IV), espectroscopia Raman, espectroscopia na região do ultravioleta visível (UV-Vis) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura com emissão de campo (FE-MEV). A segunda etapa consiste na aplicação desses fotocatalisadores na fotodegradação do corante remazol amarelo ouro (RNL), onde observamos alta eficiência fotocatalítica do TiO2 e grande influência de propriedades como área superficial e morfológica na atividade de fotodegradação, obtendo cerca de 81% de descoloração usando o TiCMC, as reações foram realizadas utilizando um fotoreator a temperatura ambiente, com tempos de 1, 2 e 4 h sendo o corante caracterizado por espectroscopia na região do ultravioleta visível. A capacidade de fotodegradação foi comparada com a atividade fotocatalítica do TiO2 degussa P25.