No description available.

Nanoporous organic polymers, including hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), and conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) etc., are considered good candidates for potential gas storage and gas separation applications. Porosities and surface areas of a series of semirigid alternating copolymers, which contained tert-butyl carboxylate-functionalized stilbene or tert-butyl carboxylate-functionalized styrene, and maleic anhydride or tert-butyl carboxylate-functionalized phenyl maleimide, were investigated using nitrogen sorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K and molecular simulations. These alternating copolymers were found to have Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas in the range of 20-40 m2/g. Surface areas of these alternating copolymers increased as the steric crowding of the polymer backbone increased, which was the result of introducing extra phenyl rings and/or N-phenyl substituent maleimide units. Surface areas were found to increase as the persistence length increased. A series of HCPs containing functionalized stilbene and N-substituted phenyl maleimide were synthesized via free radical suspension polymerization. The incorporation of these functionalized, chain stiffening, Tg enhancing comonomers raised the Tgs of precursor polymers before they were crosslinked. Surface areas of these HCPs, obtained from nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K, were up to 1058 m2/g. However, the surface areas of these HCPs were systematically lower than the controls. The high rigidity of the polymer backbone, which was the result of incorporating Tg enhancing comonomer, likely affected the chain mobility of the precursor polymer, decreased the efficiency of post-crosslinking reactions, and thus resulted in lower surface areas. Amine-functionalized styrene/stilbene polymers were prepared via free radical polymerization or post-modification. Amine-containing silica-based sorbents were prepared using the impregnation method. Sorption of CO2 by these materials was tested using TGA and compared with control samples. Both high amine content and certain levels of surface area were found to be important for a sorbent to achieve high CO2 uptake. Highest CO2 uptake (12 wt%) under our testing condition in these materials was achieved by an amine-containing silica sorbent. / Ph. D.

No description available.

La détection et l'identification de bactéries pathogènes revêt une grande importance dans de nombreux domaines tels que la santé et l’industrie agroalimentaire. Dans ce contexte, les travaux de thèse s’intéressent à détection non invasive de Salmonella via la fraction volatile de son métabolome dont les métabolites volatils caractéristiques sont le sulfure d’hydrogène et la cadavérine. Ils illustrent également le concept de substrats osmogènes libérant des mCOV exogènes sous l’action d’enzyme spécifique d’Escherichia coli. Un premier capteur colorimétrique capable de distinguer le sulfure d’hydrogène du méthanethiol a été préparé. Il s’agit d’une matrice de silicate nanoporeuse dopée avec les réactifs N,N-diméthyl-p-phénylènediamine et ions Fe3+. Une bonne stabilité de l’intermédiaire réactionnel issu de ces réactifs, la quinonediimine (QD), est obtenue pour une forte concentration d’acide chlorhydrique. La réaction entre QD et 1000 ppm de sulfure d’hydrogène et de méthanethiol entraîne l’apparition respective d’une coloration verte et rouge-marron du capteur. Le capteur fluorimétrique de cadavérine, basé sur la formation d’un complexe fluorescent entre le Naphthol AS-BI déméthylé (ArOH) et la cadavérine, permet de détecter 250 ppb de cadavérine. La preuve de concept de substrats osmogènes a été illustrée avec la détection de p-nitrophénol (pNP) et de β-naphthylamine (β-NA) libérés en présence d’enzymes de E. coli, β-D-glucuronidase et L-alanine- β-naphthylamidase. Les capteurs nanoporeux produits, de taille de pores contrôlée, peuvent détecter 100 ppm de pNP, composé coloré (jaune) et 100 ppm de β-NA, composé fluorescent, ou encore 100 ppm de β-NA par dérivation chimique de ce dernier avec le diméthyl-p-aminocinnamaldéhyde (formation d’un produit rouge). En milieu biologique, l’eau est un interférent majeur. / Microbial contamination of food and biological samples is a big issue in the industry as much as in the medical field. In that context, the present thesis brings innovative solutions. A first explored way is the identification of Salmonella by detecting and measuring the specific metabolomics volatile organic compounds (mVOC) released, H2S and cadaverine. Another new concept is the use of osmogenic substrates able to release mVOC under the action of specific enzyme of Escherichia coli.A first colorimetric sensor able to discriminate H2S from CH3SH was produced, using a nanoporous silicate matrix doped with N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine and Fe3+ ions. A very acidic medium is needed to stabilize the “key” intermediate of the reaction, the quinonediimine species (QD), which gives with H2S and CH3SH a green and red-brown product, respectively. The fluorimetric sensor of cadaverine is based on the formation of a fluorescent complex between AS-BI demethylated Naphthol and cadaverine and can detect 250 ppb of cadaverine. A proof of concept of osmogenic substrates is given with the detection of p-nitrophenol (pNP) et de β-naphthylamine (β-NA) released under the action of Escherichia coli enzymes, β-D-glucuronidase et L-alanine- β-naphthylamidase. Various nanoporous sensors are produced with tailored pore size, which can detect 100 ppm of the yellow pNP, 100 ppm of the fluorescent β-NA and 100 ppm of the red product issued from the derivation of β-NA with dimethyl-p-aminocinnamaldehyde. In biological media, water remains the major interfering agent.

Le chlore est largement utilisé pour ses propriétés bactéricides dans les piscines. Dans les eaux de piscine, le chlore réagit avec les matières azotées et carbonées générées par l’activité humaine (sueur, salive, urine, peau) pour former divers composés toxiques tels que la monochloramine (NH2Cl), la dichloramine (NHCl2), le trichlorure d'azote (NCl3), le chloroforme (CHCl3), etc… qui se retrouvent dans l’atmosphère. La détection et la quantification de ces composés volatils à des teneurs ppb (partie par milliard) est un réel besoin afin de contrôler la qualité de l’air des piscines. Cependant il n’existe pas à ce jour des appareils à la fois sensibles et peu coûteux.L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est d’élaborer des capteurs chimiques colorimétriques, sensibles, sélectifs et peu coûteux de la monochloramine, du trichlorure d’azote et du chloroforme. Dans ce but, nous avons mis au point des capteurs chimiques réalisés à partir de matrices nanoporeuses de silicate dopée des réactifs. Ainsi le capteur de NCl3 dopé de NaI et d’amylose permet de mesurer de faibles teneurs de NCl3 (5 ppb à 180 ppb) dans les atmosphères humides (50-80% HR) des piscines. Grâce au changement rapide de couleur, de transparent à rose-violet, visible à l’œil nu, le capteur de NCl3 permet de surveiller la qualité de l’air dans les piscines. Le capteur sélectif de NH2Cl est basé sur la réaction de Berthelot. La matrice de silicate nanoporeuse dopée de nitroprussiate de sodium et de phénol en milieu alcalin, initialement transparente, devient bleue lors d’une exposition à NH2Cl gazeux. Ce capteur permet de détecter NH2Cl dans la gamme de 60 à 250 ppb dans une atmosphère très humide (≈ 80%). Utilisé pour la sonder la qualité des eaux de piscine, il permet de mesurer NH2Cl dans l’eau avec une limite de détection de 0,1 µmol•L-1. Une étude préliminaire de la détection de CHCl3 a également été entreprise pour déterminer les molécules-sonde aptes à réagir avec le chloroforme en formant des produits colorés. Les réactifs de la réaction de Fujiwara ont été sélectionnés. L’étude de la réactivité de la 2,2’-bipyridine en solution en présence d’une base forte a permis de mettre en évidence la formation simultanée de deux composés colorés, dont la formation dépend de la nature de l’environnement réactionnel. / In swimming-pools, chlorine is used as a disinfectant to minimize the risk to users from microbial contaminants. In water, chlorine reacts with nitrogen compounds generated by human activity like saliva, sweat, urine and skin, leading to the formation of toxic compounds, such as monochloramine (NH2Cl), dichloramine (NHCl2), nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), chloroform (CHCl3), etc… The detection and the quantification of these volatile compounds at ppb level (part per billion) is an important and significant challenge to be able to monitor the air quality in swimming pool. Or, there is currently no commercially available and low-cost system which can instantaneously measure at ppb concentrations.The aim of this research is to develop a cheap, sensitive and selective chemical and colorimetric sensors of monochloramine, nitrogen trichloride and chloroform. For this purpose, we developed chemical sensors based on the use of nanoporous silicate matrices doped with probe-molecules. The NCl3 sensor doped with NaI and amylose can detect NCl3 at ppb level (5 ppb – 180 ppb) in humid atmospheres (from 50% to 80% relative humidity) at ambient pool temperatures. Due to the fast change of color, visible with naked eyes, these sensors can be used to detect peaks of pollution and to monitor the air quality of indoor pools. The NH2Cl selective sensor is based on the Berthelot reaction. The nanoporous silicate matrices doped with sodium nitroprusside and phenol in an alkaline medium, turn from transparent to blue upon exposure to gaseous NH2Cl. This sensor can detect NH2Cl in the range from 60 to 250 ppb in a very humid atmosphere (≈ 80%). Used to probe the quality of pool water, this sensor can detect NH2Cl in water with a detection limit of 0,1 µmol•L-1. A preliminary study of the CHCl3 detection was also conducted to identify probe-molecules capable of reacting with chloroform to form colored products. The reagents of the Fujiwara reaction were selected. The study of the 2,2’-bipyridine reactivity in solution in the presence of a strong base allowed highlighting the simultaneous formation of two colored compounds, whose formation depends on the nature of the reaction environment.

Thin film nanostructures may be defined as assemblies, arrays, or randomly distributed nanoparticles, nanowires, or nanotubes, which together form a layer of materials supported on a substrate surface. Because such nanostructures are supported on a substrate surface, their potential applications cover a wide area in optical, magnetic, electrochemical, electromagnetic, and optoelectronic devices. The focus of the present thesis is the development of methodologies to grow certain thin film nanostructures of some transition metal oxides (TMOs), including copper oxides and LixCoO2, through CVD, sol-gel, and electromagnetic radiation-mediated approaches. The work towards this objective can be divided into three parts: first, the design, synthesis, and systematic identification of novel metalorganic precursors of copper (monometallic) and Li and Co (bimetallic); second, the growth of nanostructured oxides thin films using these precursors; and third, the application of electromagnetic radiation to control or tailor the growth of as grown nanostructures. The underlying growth mechanisms substantiated by appropriate evidence have been put forward, wherever found relevant and intriguing. It may be added that the principal objective of the work reported here has been to explore the several ideas noted above and examine possibilities, rather than to study any specific one of them in significant detail. It is hoped earnestly that this has been accomplished to a reasonable extent. Chapter 1 reviews briefly the reports available in the literature on three specific methods of growing thin films nanostructures, namely chemical vapour deposition, sol-gel processing and light-induced approach. The objective of this chapter has been to provide the background of the work done in the thesis, and is substantiated with a number of illustrative examples. Some of the fundamental concepts involved, viz., plasmons and excitons, have been defined with illustration wherever found relevant in the context of the work. Chapter 2 describes the various techniques used for synthesis and characterisation of the metalorganic complexes as well as of the thin films. This chapters covers mostly experimental details, with brief descriptions of the working principles of the analytical procedures adopted, namely, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis for characterisation of the metalorganic complexes. This is followed by a similarly brief account of techniques employed to characterize the thin films prepared in this work, viz., glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), glancing incidence infra-red spectroscopy (GIIR) and, UV-visible spectroscopy. The metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) systems built in house and used for growth of films are described in detail. The topics in the different sections of the chapter are accompanied by pertinent diagrams. Chapter 3 deals with the design, synthesis and characterisation of novel polynuclear complexes of copper and cobalt. Keeping in mind the various advantages such as low toxicity, ease of synthesis, non-pyrophoricity, and low temperature volatility, of environmentally benign complexes based on biologically compatible such as triethanolamine, diethanolamine, the objective has been to synthesize complexes containing triethanolamine and diethanolamine of transition metals such as cobalt and copper, and to investigate their applicability in MOCVD processes as a novel class of precursors. With the notion of ‘better’ and efficient design of precursors, an attempt has been made, through a semi-empirical modeling, to understand the correlation between volatility and various intrinsic molecular parameters such as lattice energy, vibrational-rotational energy, and internal symmetry. Chapter 4 discusses the growth of nanoporous Cu4O3-C composite films through the MOCVD process employing Cu4(deaH)(dea)(oAc)5.(CH3)2CO as the precursor. The various characteristic aspects of as-grown films, such as their crystallinity, morphology, and composition have been covered elaborately in various sections of this chapter. The chapter describes the efficient guiding and confining of light exploiting the photonic band gap of these nanoporous films, which indicates the potential usefulness of these and similar films as optical waveguides. A model described in the literature on absorbing photonic crystals, wherein a periodically modulated absorption entails an inevitable spatial modulation of dispersion, i.e., of the index contrast to open a photonic band gap, has been used to calculate the indices of refraction of one of these nanoporous films. The chapter also reports briefly the preliminary electrochemical investigations carried out on a typical film, examining the notion of its application as the anode in a Li-ion rechargeable battery. Chapter 5 describes the synthesis of nanocrystalline LixCoO2 films by the sol-gel method. Reports available in literature indicate that the various phases of LixCoO2 are extremely sensitive to processing temperature, making it difficult to control dimensionality of a given phase using temperature as one of process parameters. We have investigated the possibility of using incoherent light to tailor the particle size/shape of this material. The as-grown and irradiated films were characterised by X-ray diffraction, and by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques.Optical spectroscopy was carried out in order to gain insight into the physico-chemical mechanism involved in such structural and morphological transformation. Chapter 6 deals with the synthesis of self-assembled nanostructures from the pre-synthesized nanocrystals building blocks, through optical means of exciton formation and dissociation. It has been demonstrated that, upon prolonged exposure to (incoherent) ultraviolet-visible radiation, LixCoO2 nanocrystals self-assemble into acicular architectures, through intermediate excitation of excitons. Furthermore, it has been shown that such self-assembly occurs in nanocrystals, which are initially anchored to the substrate surface such as that of fused quartz. This new type of process for the self-assembly of nanocrystals, which is driven by light has been investigated by available microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Chapter 7 describes the stabilisation of chemically reactive metallic lithium in a carbonaceous nanostructure, viz., a carbon nanotube, achieved through the MOCVD process involving a lithium-alkyl moiety. This moiety is formed in situ during deposition through partial decomposition of a metalorganic precursor synthesized in house, which contains both lithium and cobalt. It is surmised that the stabilization of metallic Li in the nanostructure in situ occurs through the partial decomposition of the metalorganic precursor. Quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy carried out on such a film reveals that as much as 33.4% metallic lithium is trapped in carbon. Lastly, Chapter 8 briefly highlights the outlook for further investigations suggested by the work undertaken for this thesis. Novel precursors derived from biologically compatible ligands can open up possibility of growing new type of micro/nano-structures, and of unusual phases in the CVD grown films. Furthermore, it is proposed that the novel method of growth and alignment of nanocrystals through irradiation with incoherent light, employed for the specific material LixCoO2, may be employed for various other metallic and semiconducting materials.

Surfaces and interfaces are of fundamental importance from the nucleation to growth of crystals formed under different conditions such as vapor phase, liquid phase including biomineralisation conditions. Recently there is lot of interest in controlling the shape of nanoparticles during the synthesis due to their excellent shape dependent properties. Understanding the role of surfaces and interfaces is vital for such shapecontrolled synthesis of nanomaterials. On the surface, coordination number, structure, density and composition are different from that of bulk and hence the properties are completely different in the surfaces and interfaces of any crystalline material. Especially when the length scale become nanoscale, the surface and interface play a dominant important role and leads to several new and interesting phenomena. In this dissertation, the role of surfaces and interfaces on the synthesis and the properties of inorganic functional nanostructures have been studied. The work primarily relies on basic chemistry to synthesize nanostructures that brings the importance of surfaces/interfaces into the picture. Though several basic characterization techniques have been used, electron microscopy has been the emphasis and has been used extensively through the work to probe and explore the materials for characterizing the structures over a variety of length scales. The entire thesis based on the results and findings obtained from the present investigation are organized as follows: Chapter1 gives a general introduction to the surfaces and interfaces to create a background for the investigation. This emphasizes the role of surfaces and interfaces in several aspects starting from nucleation, growth to the properties of inorganic crystals. It gives some exposure in to the different type of surface phenomenon which is common in nanoscale materials. Chapter 2 deals with the materials and methods which essentially gives the information about the materials used for the synthesis and the techniques utilized to characterize the materials chosen for the investigation. Chapter 3 deals with predicting the morphology of 2D nanostructures by combining the crystal growth theory into chemical thermodynamics. Morphology diagrams have been developed for Au, Ag, Pt and Pd to predict conditions under which two-dimensional nanostructures form as a result of a chemical reaction. In addition, it provides the general understanding of shape control in 2D nanostructures with atomistic mechanism. The validity of the morphology diagram has been tested for various noble metals by carrying out critical experiments. As a result, 2D nanostructures of metals projecting the lowest energy facet resulted in a complete novel way in the absence of any capping/reducing agents. Chapter 4 deals with predicting the formation of 2D nanostructures of inorganic crystals formed as a result of precipitation reaction. Morphology diagram has been developed for the case of hydroxyapatite, an inorganic part of the human bone. This answers some of the long standing question related to the shape of the HA crystals formed in the bone by biomineralisation. The generality of the method has been tested to few other inorganic crystals such as CaCO3, ZnO and CuO formed through precipitation reaction. The key finding of the above two chapter is that the low driving force of the chemical reactions results in two dimensional nanostructures. On contrary, high chemical driving force combined with the optimum zeta potential results in porous aggregate of nanoparticles. Chapter 5 discusses the formation of porous clusters of metals and ceramics at specific conditions. The mechanism behind the formation of monodisperse aggregates are investigated based on the interaction energies of nanoparticles in aqueous medium. This chapter reveals the role of surface charge and the surface energy in controlling the stability of nanoparticles in aqueous medium. In addition, it provides the simple methodology to produce well controlled porous clusters by exploiting the competition between surface charge and surface energy during the aggregation. The application of the porous clusters of Pt has been tested for methanol oxidation which is essential for fuel cell applications. Chapter 6 deals with the development of porous biphasic scaffolds through the morphology transition of nanorods. Rod shape is not stable when subjected to high temperature due to instability and spherodisation takes place to minimize the surface energy. Here in this chapter, by exploiting spherodisation along with the phase transition, highly interconnected porous structure of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate is achieved. Combined with the morphology transition, by adding naphthalene as a template, the possibility of achieving hierarchical porous structure also presented. The mechanical strength of the biphasic porous scaffold has been tested by microindentation. Mechanical properties of apatite are generally poor and there are lots of efforts to improve the mechanical properties apatite by the composite approach. Chapter 7 deals with the HA-Alumina and HA-TCP composites. In spite of much attention given to the mechanical properties of the composites, the interfacial phenomenon that takes place between the components of the nanocomposite has not been studied in detail. In the present study, interfacial reactions in hydroxyapatite-alumina nanocomposites have been investigated and new reaction mechanism also proposed. The degradation of densification process has been observed for the HATCP composites due to the creation of porous interface between HA crystals and TCP matrix. Mechanical properties of these two composites have been studied using microindentation. The mechanical properties of HA and TCP single crystals are important for developing the biphasic composites with reliable mechanical properties. Chapter8deals with the mechanical behavior of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate single crystals. The mechanical properties of HA and TCP have been studied by performing nanoand microindentation on specific crystallographic facets. In case of hydroxyapatite, the anisotropy in mechanical properties has been explored by performing indentation on its prism and basal planes. Nanoscale plasticity is observed in both HA and TCP crystals which arise due to the easy movement of surface atoms with lesser coordination compared to the bulk. Nanoindentation has been performed in the calciumdeficient HA platelets provides important clues about the role of calcium deficiency on the mechanical behavior of bone and has implications for the properties of osteoporotic bones.

In the latter half of the 20th century the first active environmentalist movements such as Greenpeace and the International Energy Agency were born and initiated a gradual rethinking of environmental awareness. Against all expectations the sole agency under international law for climate protection policy, called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was formed 20 years later. Today the awareness of sustained, regenerative and environmental policies permeates throughout all areas of life, science and industry. But energy provision is the most decisive topic, especially since the discussions concerning the phase out of nuclear power where the voices calling for alternative energy sources have become much more vociferous. In addition the depletion of fossil fuels is expected to occur in the not too distant future. All new energy generation methods are required to meet the present and future energy demands, need to be ecological and need to exhibit the same or significantly lower cost expenditure than current energy sources. Unfortunately mankind is confronted with the problem that current commercial alternative energies are more expensive and not yet remotely as efficient as the present energy sources. Although energy provision based on water, wind, sun and geothermal sources have a huge potential because of their continuous presence, unfortunately, they are plagued by inefficient energy conversion caused by the state of technology i.e. the conversion of sun light into electricity loses energy through heat emission, reflection of the sun light, the inability of the material to absorb the entire sun spectrum and the ohmic losses in the transmission of electric current. The sun power is the most exhaustless resource and moreover through photovoltaic action, one of the most direct and cleanest source for use in energy conversion. Presently incoming sun light is not transformed in its entirely, as much degradation occurs during photon absorption and electron transfer processes. A number of other innovative possibilities have also been researched. With respect to cost and efficiency one of the most promising devices is injection solar cells (ISC). By dint of the dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC) Grätzels findings provided the foundations for much research into this type of solar cell where the light absorbing molecule employed in is a dye.[1] The current is obtained through charge separation in the dye, which is initiated through the connection between the dye and a metal oxide on the one hand and a matched redox couple on the other. In a variant of the DSSC the charge separation processes can also occur between a nanoporous metal oxide and nanoparticles giving rise to a quantum dot sensitised solar cell (QDSSC).[2] The use of nanoparticle (NP) properties can be utilized for the harvesting of solar energy, as demonstrated by Kamat and coworkers[3] who were able to exploit these findings subsequently and prepare a number of nanoparticle based solar cells. Nanoparticle research has comprised a wide field of science and nanotechnology for a number of years. As the size of a material approaches dimensions on the nm scale the surface properties contribute proportionally more to the sum of the properties than the volume due to the increase in the surface to volume ratio. These dimensions also constitute a threshold in which quantum physical effects need to be taken into account. Hence the properties of devices or materials in this size regime are inevitably size dependent. The basic principles can be described by two different theories, one of which is based on molecular orbital theory in which the particle is treated as a molecule. For this reason n atomic orbitals with the same symmetry and energy can build up n molecular orbitals through their linear combination based on the LCAO method (Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals).[4] In the case of solids the orbitals build up energy bands, where the unoccupied states form the quasi continous conduction band (CB) and the occuppied states form the quasi continous valence band (VB). The energy \"forbidden\" area in between these two bands is called the band gap. The band gap is a fixed material property for bulk solids but depends on size in the case of the nanoparticles. In contrast to the LCAO method, simplified solid state theory will be used throughout the present work, the theoretical background of which is provided by the effective mass approximation.[5] When an absorption of a photon occurs, an exciton (electron-hole pair) can be generated. By promoting an electron (e-) from the valence band into the conduction band a hole (h+) may be said to remain in the valence band. By comparison to bulk solids, in a small particle the free charges can sense the potential barrier i.e. the edges of the nanoparticle. Analogous to the particle in a box model this potential barrier interaction results in an increase in the band gap as the particle size decreases. In a solar cell NPs with a particle size which possess a band gap energy in the near infrared (NIR) may be utilised and therefore the NPs will be able to absorb in this spectral region. However NPs also have the ability to absorb higher energy photons due to the continuum present in their band structure, so that almost the entire sun spectral range from the NIR up to UV wavelengths may be absorbed just by using the appropriate NP material and size. Suitable NPs are metal chalcogenides e.g. MX (where M = cadmium, zinc or lead and X = sulfur, selenium or tellurium) because of their bandgap size[6–10] and their relative band positions compared to those of the semiconductor oxide states. Both the TiO2/CdSe[11–14] and TiO2/CdTe[15–18] systems have already been successfully fabricated and many of the anomalies reported.[3] Much interest in the lead chalcogenides has been generated by reports that they may feature the possibility to exhibit multiple exciton generation (MEG) where the absorption of one high energy photon can result in more than one electron-hole pairs.[19–25] Currently electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is being used more and more to clarify processes at polarisable surfaces and materials such as nanoparticles. Likewise this method has been rediscovered in photovoltaic research and its use in the characterisation of DSSCs has been discussed in the literature.[26–31] In a number of publications the evaluation of nanoporous and porous structures has been quite extensively explored.[28,29,32–34] Since the mid-20th century Jaffé’s[35] theoretical work concerning the steady- state ac response of solid and liquid systems lead to the formation of the basics of EIS. Further developments in the measurement technology have lead to a broader range of analysis becoming possible. Nevertheless the most challenging part still remains the interpretation of the results and especially to merge the measured data with the theoretical model. EIS quantifies the changes in a small ac current response at electrode electrolyte interfaces i.e. the rate at which the polarized domain will respond, when an ac potential is applied. In this way dielectric properties of materials or composites, such as charge transfers, polarization effects, charge recombination and limitations can be measured as a function of frequency and mechanistic information may be unveiled. Hence EIS allows one to draw a conclusion concerning chemical reactions, surface properties as well as interactions between the electrodes and the electrolyte. Other very useful tools that may be employed for quantifying electron transfer processes and their time domains are intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS). IMPS permits the generation of time-resolved plots of particular photo-processes in the system, each of which may be specifically addressed through varying the excitation wavelength. For the IMPS technique a sinusoidal wave with a small amplitude is applied, analogous to that of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, but in this case the modulation is applied to a light source and not to the electrochemical cell as in EIS.[35] The current response is associated with the photogenerated charge carriers which flow through the system and finally discharge into the circuit. The amount of generated and discharged charge carriers is often different due to the presence of recombination and capture processes in surface or trap states. Ultimately the phase shift and magnitude of these currents reveal the kinetics of such processes. The only processes that will be addressed will be those that occur in the same frequency domain or on the same time scale as that of the modulated frequency of the illuminated light. In the literature some explanation of the kinetics of simple systems can be found and basic theories and introductive disquisitions may be found elsewhere.[36–38] Furthermore in solar cell research a multiplicity of studies are available which give an account of IMPS measurements on TiO2 nanoporous structures. Such studies permitted proof for the electron trapping and detrapping mechanism in TiO2 surface states.[39,40] An analysis of TiO2 electrodes combined with a dye sensitization step was established in the work of Peter and Ponomarev.[41–43] Hickey et.al.[44,45] have previously published kinetic studies on CdS nanoparticle (NP) modified electrodes. A theory was presented which allows for the IMPS data to be the interpreted in the case of CdS NP based electrodes. The back transfer, recombination and surface states have been demonstrated to be important as was determined from their inclusion in the theory. Similar attempts to explain the kinetics of CdS quantum dots are described by Bakkers et.al.[46]. In the present work the most important questions concern the behaviour of the photovoltaic assembly. Such assemblies can be equated with an electrode in contact with an electrolyte. Preliminary remarks about such electrodes as components of an electrochemical cell will be introduced in the first part of chapter 2. Thereafter the properties of electrodes in contact with the electrolyte and under illuminated conditions are illustrated. This is followed by a description of the important electrochemical and opto-electrochemical methods which have been employed in these studies. In particular, two separate subsections are dedicated to the methods of EIS and IMPS and the experimental section which are then linked to the theoretical section. The synthesis of all substances used and the preparation of the solar cell substrates are also dealt with in this section as will the equipment used and the instrument settings employed. The optical response of the working photoactive electrode is not only dependent on the substances used but also on their arrangement and linkage. The substrate which was employed in chapter 3 consists of a nanoporous ZnO gel layer upon which an organic linker has been placed in order to connect the oxide layer with the light absorbing component, the PbS NPs. Chapter 3 deals with the linker dependence on the ZnO layer and reports the typical optical characteristics and assembly arrangements of six different linkers on the ZnO layer which is an important intermediate stage in the fabrication of an ISC. The questions concerning how the type of linking affects the photo response and other electrochemical interactions of the complete solar cell substrate will be outlined in chapter 4. Further an examination of the electrochemical and opto-electrochemical behaviours of the samples will be presented similar to that presented in chapter 3. The most interesting substrate resulting from the investigations as described in chapter 3 and 4 will be used for a more in-depth characterisation by EIS in chapter 5. A suitable model and the results of the calculation of the ISC and the intermediate stages will be presented. The potential dependence, the dependence on the illuminated wavelength and also the size dependence of the PbS nanoparticles will be discussed. It will be revealed that ZnO is chemically unstable in contact with some of the linkers. For that reason the same linker study has been repeated with the more stable TiO2 employed as the wide band metal oxide. Comparisons between the different semiconductor metal oxides are made in chapter 6. In addition a number of open questions which previously had remained unanswered due to the instability of the ZnO can now be answered. In chapter 7 another highly porous structure different from that of the ZnO gel structure has been studied to determine its suitability as an ISC substrate. The structure arises from the electrodeposition of a ZnO reactant in the presence of eosin Y dye molecules. In the end the desorption of the dye provides a substrate with a high degree of porosity. Compared to the ZnO gel which was prepared and used for measurements in chapter 3 and 4, the electrodeposited ZnO is of a higher crystallinity and possesses a more preferential orientation. This results in a lower amount of grain boundaries which in turn results in fewer trap processes and subsequently yields a higher effective diffusion of the electron through the layer.[47,48] Optical and (opto-)electrochemical methods have been used for the basic characterisation of the untreated ZnO/Eosin Y and all other materials used in the fabrication of the ISC and a comparison with the ZnO gel used in chapter 3 and 4 will be made. Finally in chapter 8 an alternative metal oxide structure will be discussed. The background to this last chapter is to examine the influence of the ISC where the oxidic layer is present as a highly periodic arrangement, known as a photonic crystal. The TiO2 metal oxide which was also used in chapter 6 has been structured to form an inverse opal. First preparative findings and the first illustration of the (opto-)electrochemical results are presented. Consequently suggestions for improvements will be made. It is envisaged that the information gathered and presented here will help to achieve a deeper understanding of solar cells and help to improve the device efficiency and the interplay of the materials. Elementary understanding paves the way for further developments which can also contribute to providing devices for more efficient energy conversion.

Submitted by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T17:19:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CAROSSI_Lory_2017.pdf: 61131706 bytes, checksum: 687def06b5a758fcb457d49f53a494b1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T17:19:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 CAROSSI_Lory_2017.pdf: 61131706 bytes, checksum: 687def06b5a758fcb457d49f53a494b1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T17:19:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 CAROSSI_Lory_2017.pdf: 61131706 bytes, checksum: 687def06b5a758fcb457d49f53a494b1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-16T17:19:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CAROSSI_Lory_2017.pdf: 61131706 bytes, checksum: 687def06b5a758fcb457d49f53a494b1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nanoporous anodic alumina films (NAA) may present different behavior to reflectance and photoluminescence techniques, with Fabry-Pérot interferences and waveguide properties. This phenomenon makes possible the use of NAA as transducer signal in optical sensors. In this work, we investigated how the pre-treatment, the number of steps of anodizing, the anodizing electrolyte mode and temperature affect electrochemical characteristics, morphological and optical mainly NAA. As a result, it was noticeable that the realization of electropolishing is necessary for both the NAA with good regularity as to make it possible to obtain a spectrum with the Fabry-Pérot interference. If the fabrication of NAA is done in two steps, it is possible to obtain reflectance spectra and luminescence fringed with better amplitudes, areas and heights. Regarding the anodizing mode, both the NAA anodized in galvanostatic how potentiostatic showed similar morphologies and spectra with fringes, but the interferences were better defined when the galvanostatic mode was performed. Regarding the temperature, it was noticeable that the change of this parameter leads influences the porous oxide thickness. The spectrum of the luminescence and reflectance increasing the electrolyte temperature caused an increase in interference. However, the range and resolution of interference decreased with increasing temperature. The oxide thicknesses were estimated by energy variation (?E), graph slope between order and 1/? and fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques. The ratio of film thickness and pore diameter (L/dp) was performed to validate the NAA films with better waveguides property. Moreover, the surface composition analysis of NAA films anodized in phosphoric acid, oxalic acid and mixtures thereof by backscattering spectroscopy Rutherford (RBS) was performed. From simulations it was possible to note that the amount of carbon in the porous oxide structure is practically zero, which may indicate that the origin of the luminescence is related to the presence of more centers F. / Filmes de alumina anódica porosa (AAP) podem apresentar, espectros de reflectância e luminescência com interferências de Fabry-Pérot e propriedades de guias de onda. Esse fenômeno possibilita que a AAP possa ser utilizada como plataforma em sensores ópticos. Neste trabalho, foi investigado como o pré-tratamento, o número de etapas de anodização, o modo de anodização e a temperatura do eletrólito afetam características eletroquímicas, morfológicas e principalmente ópticas da AAP. Como resultado, foi possível notar que a realização do eletropolimento é necessário para obter tanto a AAP com boa regularidade como para que seja possível obter um espectro com as interferências Fabry-Pérot. Se a fabricação da AAP for feita em duas etapas, é possível obter espectros de reflectância e luminescência com franjas com melhores amplitudes, áreas e alturas. Com relação ao modo de anodização, tanto as AAPs anodizadas em modo galvanostático como potenciostático apresentaram morfologias semelhantes e espectros com franjas, mas as interferências foram melhor definidas quando o modo galvanostático foi realizado. Com relação à temperatura, foi possível notar que a mudança desse parâmetro ocasiona influencia na espessura do óxido poroso. Quanto aos espectros de luminescência e reflectância, o aumento da temperatura do eletrólito ocasionou um aumento no número de interferências. Entretanto, a amplitude e a resolução das interferências diminuíram com o aumento da temperatura. A espessura do filme poroso foi estimada pelas técnicas de variação de energia (?E), coeficiente angular do gráfico entre ordem da interferência e 1/? e através da transformada rápida de Fourier (FFT). E foi utilizada a razão entre a espessura do filme e diâmetro do poro (Esp/Dp) para averiguar os filmes de AAP com guias de onda que pudessem ser utilizadas como substratos para sensores ópticos. Além disso, foi realizada a análise de composição superficial dos filmes de AAP anodizados em ácido fosfórico, oxálico e mistura destes ácidos pela técnica de espectroscopia de retroespalhamento de Rutherford (RBS). A partir das simulações realizadas foi possível notar que a quantidade que carbono na estrutura do oxido poroso é praticamente nula, o que pode indicar que a origem da luminescência está relacionada à presença dos centros F.

There are many challenges in materializing the applications utilizing inorganic nanoparticles. The primary drawback is the degradation of properties due to aggregation and sintering either due to elevated temperatures or prevailing chemical/electrochemical conditions. In this thesis, various wet chemical synthesis methods are developed to obtain metal nanostructures with enhanced thermal stability. The thesis is organized as below: Chapter 1 presents the problems and challenges in materializing the application of nanomaterials associated with the thermal stability of nanomaterials. A review of the existing techniques to improve the thermal stability and the scope of the thesis are presented. Chapter 2 gives a summary of the various materials synthesized, the method adopted for the synthesis and the characterization techniques used in the material characterization. Chapter 3 presents a general template-less strategy for the synthesis of nanoporous alloy aggregates by controlled aggregation of nanoparticles in the solution phase with excellent control over morphology and composition as illustrated using PdPt and PtRu systems as examples. The Pt-based nanoporous clusters exhibit excellent activity for methanol oxidation with good long term stability and CO tolerance. Chapter 4 presents a detailed study on the thermal stability of spherical mesoporous aggregates consisting of nanoparticles. The thermal stability study leads to a general conclusion that nanoporous structures transform to hollow structures on heating to elevated temperatures before undergoing complete densification. Chapter 5 presents a simple and facile method for the synthesis of single crystalline intermetallic PtBi hollow nanoparticles. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of intermetallic PtBi hollow structures. The intermetallic PtBi hollow structures synthesised show excellent electrocatalytic activity for formic acid oxidation reaction. Chapter 6 presents a robust strategy for obtaining a high dispersion of ultrafine Pt and PtRu nanoparticles on graphene. The method involves the nucleation of a metal precursor phase on graphite oxide surfaces and subsequent reduction with a strong reducing agent. The electrocatalytic activity of the composites is investigated for methanol oxidation reaction. Chapter 7 presents a microwave-assisted synthesis method for selective heterogeneous nucleation of metal nanoparticles on oxide supports leading to the synthesis of high activity catalysts. The catalytic activity of the hybrids synthesized by this method for investigated for H2 combustion. Chapter 8 presents thermal stability studies carried out on nanostructures by in-situ heating in transmission electron microscope. The microstructural changes during the sintering process are observed in real time and the observations lead to the understanding of the mechanism of particle growth and sintering. At the end, the results of the investigations were summarized with conclusions drawn.