Transition metal and related compounds have been extensively studied over the past several decades. These investigations revealed a wide range of behavior, encompassing colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), high-TC superconductivity, and magnetic semiconductivity, all of which continue to present fundamental challenges to the understanding of such phenomena. There is, however, a close correlation between such characteristics and the appearance of magnetic order. This correlation underlies the present study, which focuses on the magnetic and transport behavior of various Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe) and Cobalt (Co) containing materials, with particular emphasis on the nature of the magnetic order they display and the critical exponents that characterize the accompanying phase transition. The magnetic and transport properties of two specific systems will be covered: first various doped manganites from the series (La,Pr)1-x(Ca,Ba)xMnO3, and second the magnetic semiconductors Fe0.8Co0.2Si and Ga0.98Mn0.02As. In the manganites, the influence of doping on; (i) the evolution of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) with composition; (ii) the universality class of the magnetic critical behavior associated with the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition, which occurs in the vicinity of a MIT with which CMR is associated; (iii) the mechanisms underlying ferromagnetism across the MIT; (iv) the correlation between the appearance of a Griffiths-like phase and CMR, and (v) the origin of Griffiths-like phase have been investigated. Four different systems have been studied: La1-xCaxMnO3 (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.27), La1-xBaxMnO3 (x ≤ 0.33), (La1-yPry)0.7Ca0.3Mn16/18O3 (y ≤ 0.85), and Pr1-xCaxMnO3 (x = 0.27, 0.29). In Fe0.8Co0.2Si and Ga0.98Mn0.02As, the scaling between magnetization and conductivity has been the subject of ongoing debate. In bulk Fe0.8Co0.2Si, a novel scaling between the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the magnetization enables the anomalous Hall coefficient to be accurately determined. In turn, this enables the universality class for the transition to ferromagnetism to be established independently from the anomalous Hall conductivity. In an epitaxial (metallic) Ga0.98Mn0.02As microstructure, the magnetization has been indirectly determined from the AHE. Subsequent analysis yields magnetic critical exponents consistent with the Mean-Field model, direct support for which had previously been lacking.

Controlling the micro-structure of organic materials is crucial for a variety of practical applications such as photonics, biomedicine or the rapidly growing field of organic electronics. Recent studies have shown a possibility of tailoring the polymer structure on the nanoscale using supramolecular self-assembly under spatial confinement. Despite extensive studies already performed in this field, many questions remain open. In particular, it will be important to understand how different structure formation processes such as crystallization, LC-phase formation, microphase separation, and others occur under confinement. In the present work, we address the effect of 1D- and 2D-confinement on the structure formation for a variety of systems including segmented poly(ether-ester-amide) (PEEA) copolymers, main-chain liquid-crystalline (LC) polymers belonging to the family of poly(di-n-alkylsiloxane)s and liquid-crystalline/semicrystalline block copolymers formed through complexation of poly (2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (P2VP-PEO) with a wedge-shaped ligand, 4'-(3'',4'',5''-tris(octyloxy) benzamido) propanoic acid. In order to reveal the morphological diversity of the studied systems under confinement, the work was carried out on bulk materials and on thin films employing a battery of experimental methods. The main experimental techniques operational in direct and reciprocal space applied in my work are described in chapter 2. [...]

Transition metal and related compounds have been extensively studied over the past several decades. These investigations revealed a wide range of behavior, encompassing colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), high-TC superconductivity, and magnetic semiconductivity, all of which continue to present fundamental challenges to the understanding of such phenomena. There is, however, a close correlation between such characteristics and the appearance of magnetic order. This correlation underlies the present study, which focuses on the magnetic and transport behavior of various Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe) and Cobalt (Co) containing materials, with particular emphasis on the nature of the magnetic order they display and the critical exponents that characterize the accompanying phase transition. The magnetic and transport properties of two specific systems will be covered: first various doped manganites from the series (La,Pr)1-x(Ca,Ba)xMnO3, and second the magnetic semiconductors Fe0.8Co0.2Si and Ga0.98Mn0.02As. In the manganites, the influence of doping on; (i) the evolution of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) with composition; (ii) the universality class of the magnetic critical behavior associated with the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition, which occurs in the vicinity of a MIT with which CMR is associated; (iii) the mechanisms underlying ferromagnetism across the MIT; (iv) the correlation between the appearance of a Griffiths-like phase and CMR, and (v) the origin of Griffiths-like phase have been investigated. Four different systems have been studied: La1-xCaxMnO3 (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.27), La1-xBaxMnO3 (x ≤ 0.33), (La1-yPry)0.7Ca0.3Mn16/18O3 (y ≤ 0.85), and Pr1-xCaxMnO3 (x = 0.27, 0.29). In Fe0.8Co0.2Si and Ga0.98Mn0.02As, the scaling between magnetization and conductivity has been the subject of ongoing debate. In bulk Fe0.8Co0.2Si, a novel scaling between the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the magnetization enables the anomalous Hall coefficient to be accurately determined. In turn, this enables the universality class for the transition to ferromagnetism to be established independently from the anomalous Hall conductivity. In an epitaxial (metallic) Ga0.98Mn0.02As microstructure, the magnetization has been indirectly determined from the AHE. Subsequent analysis yields magnetic critical exponents consistent with the Mean-Field model, direct support for which had previously been lacking.

Fluorescence energy transfer from poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) to polymeric energy acceptors that include head-to-tail regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene or P3HT) and poly(2-methoxy-5(2 -ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) or MEH-PPV and monomeric acceptor meso-tetraphenylporphyrin or TPP was studied and correlated with the underlying morphology when the donor-acceptor blends were prepared as drop-coated films or breath-figure structures. It was found that the phase-separate morphology in films and breath figures was influenced by a number of factors, including material transport dynamics, solubility of the blend components in a solvent, interaction of the solvent with the substrate, and the diffusion rate of the blend components.

La recherche de matériaux dentaires efficaces est une préoccupation constante de toute l'histoire de la dentisterie. Avec l'émergence de meilleurs produits, le développement de matériaux toujours plus innovants s'est imposé. De plus, la combinaison de différentes sciences comme la chimie, la biologie, la physique et l'ingénierie a permis de mieux connaître les exigences liées à la restauration dentaire. Le projet BIODENSOL est un projet de recherche et de mobilité doctorale entre l'Université de Lyon et LUCIDEON Ltd (Stoke-on- Trent, Royaume-Uni), financé par la Commission européenne. Le projet a été conçu pour favoriser les relations entre la recherche académique et les applications commerciales, pour améliorer les innovations médicales et associer des chimistes de l'état solide avec des praticiens hospitaliers en contact direct avec les patients ayant des problèmes dentaires. Ce projet proposait trois thèses de doctorat permettant de répondre aux conséquences des caries et d'érosion de l'émail par les aliments acides, l'idée de base étant de favoriser la reminéralisation pour éviter ces problèmes. Les recherches ont évolué de manière indépendante selon trois voies distinctes examinant trois matériaux différents qui pourraient amener des solutions potentielles. Le sujet principal de cette thèse concerne l'étude de poudres de verre borosilicaté présentant une séparation de phases et pouvant être incorporées dans des ciments verre ionomères. Les verres borosilicatés sont des matériaux prometteurs qui ont été largement étudiés pour des applications biomédicales, comme par exemple les échafaudages dans les tissus mous où la réparation osseuse. Par analogie avec les verres silicatés développés par Hench en 1969, qui sont reconnus pour leur bioactivité et leurs propriétés antimicrobiennes, les verres borosilicatés pourraient intéresser la dentisterie. Le système de verre étudié ici est un verre basé sur l'association de 5 constituants, SiO2-K2O-B2O3-CaO-Al2O3, qui a une forte tendance à la séparation des phases. L'objectif de ce travail est d'élaborer par fusion/trempe puis caractériser une série de nouvelles formulations de verres borosilicatés, puis de comprendre le mécanisme et la cinétique de dissolution en relation avec leur microstructure et leur composition. La variation des proportions de chaque constituant est déterminée par l'approche des plans d'expérience. L'utilisation d'un traitement thermique pour favoriser la séparation des phases en vue d'influencer le taux de libération cationique a été spécialement étudiée. Le processus de dissolution des borosilicates dans une solution aqueuse neutre (fluide corporel simulé) ou dans une solution acide (simulant des scénarios où des bactéries ou des aliments acides sont présents) fournit des informations sur le type et la concentration des espèces libérées par le verre. Différentes compositions ont été étudiées dans lesquelles SiO2 et K2O sont fixés tandis que les autres éléments varient afin d'évaluer l'effet sur la séparation de phases. Les cinétiques de dissolution des ions B-, Si-, Ca-, K- et Al- peuvent alors être reliées à la chimie du verre et à la microstructure. La séparation de phases amorphes (APS) provoque la séparation d'une phase unique initialement homogène en deux phases ou plus de compositions différentes. Le degré d'interconnectivité des deux phases vitreuses dépend de la nature du mécanisme de séparation de phases. Les verres élaborés sont optiquement transparents, puis deviennent plus ou moins opalescents suite à un traitement thermique. Le degré d'opacité est clairement dépendant de la proportion des éléments entrant dans la composition du verre. Le schéma de la libération d'ions implique que l'une des phases est plus réactive et sensible à l'attaque ; elle sera dissoute plus rapidement du verre... [etc] / The research for efficient dental materials has been a constant throughout the history of dentistry. As better materials emerged, the development of ever more innovative materials has been pushed forward. Moreover the combination of different sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics and engineering has provided better knowledge to the demanding requirements of the dental restorations. The BIODENSOL project is a European commission funded mobility research project managed by the University of Lyon and LUCIDEON Ltd, Stoke-on-Trent, UK. The project is designed to help building relations between academic and commercial research to enhance medical innovations and associates solid state chemists and hospital practicioners in direct contact with the patients with dental problems. This project proposes three PhD studies to address the problems of caries and enamel erosion by acidic foods (leading to sensitive teeth) encouraging re-mineralization to help avoid these problems. The researches independently evolved in three different routes investigating three different materials that could provide potential solutions. The main objective of this thesis concerns the study of Borosilicate phase separated glass powders for glass ionomer cements. As silicate bioglasses developed by Hench in 1969, regarding their bioactivity and antimicrobial properties, borosilicates glasses are promising materials and have been widely studied for biomedical applications for scaffolds in soft tissues and for bone repair and could be of interest in dentistry. The glass system studied here is a borosilicate glass (SiO2-K2O-B2O3-CaO-Al2O3) with a strong tendency to phase separate. The objective of this work is to characterize a series of the novel borosilicate formulations and to understand the mechanism and kinetic of dissolution related to their microstructure and composition. The use of thermal treatment to promote phase separation as a means of influencing the rate of ion leaching was especially studied. The dissolution process of borosilicates in neutral body solution (simulating body fluid) or in acid solution (simulating scenarios where bacteria or acid foods are present) provides information regarding the type and concentration of species released by the glass. Different compositions have been investigated in which SiO2 and K2O are fixed while the other elements are varied in order to assess the effect on the phase separation. As the novel borosilicates produced with the meltquenching technique is immersed in an aqueous environment, B-, Si-, Ca-, K- and Al- species are released to different degrees as a function of the time. Ion leaching trends can be related to the glass chemistry and microstructure. It has been shown that the amorphous phase separation (APS) causes an initially homogeneous single phase to separate into two or more phases of different compositions. The degree of interconnectivity of the two glass phases depend on the nature of the phase separation mechanism. This process can occur by a nucleation and growth process which gives isolated spherical particles or by spinodal decomposition where an interconnected structure is obtained. It is significant that before a heat-treatment the glasses are optically clear, but turn opalescent to different degrees following a heat treatment depending on the wt% of the elements in the composition. The pattern of the ion release implies that one of the phases is more reactive and susceptible to acid attack and will be leached out from the glass earlier. The other phase will remain in the cement improving the mechanical properties of the dental restorative material. Moreover, the mixing of the glass powder with a commercial poly(acrylic acid) has shown interesting mechanical and bioactive properties. This work showed how the ions leaching are influenced by the glass composition and the heat-treatment... [etc]

Le but de cette thèse est de développer et d’analyser les méthodes Hybrides d’Ordre Élevé (HHO: Hybrid High-Order, en anglais) pour des problèmes d’interfaces. Nous nous intéressons à deux types d’interfaces (i) les interfaces diffuses, et (ii) les interfaces traitées comme frontières internes du domaine computationnel. La première moitié de ce manuscrit est consacrée aux interfaces diffuses, et plus précisément aux célèbres équations de Cahn–Hilliard qui modélisent le processus de séparation de phase par lequel les deux composants d’un fluide binaire se séparent pour former des domaines purs en chaque composant. Dans la deuxième moitié, nous considérons des modèles à dimension hybride pour la simulation d’écoulements de Darcy et de transports passifs en milieu poreux fracturé, dans lequel la fracture est considérée comme un hyperplan (d’où le terme hybride) qui traverse le domaine computationnel. / The purpose of this Ph.D. thesis is to design and analyse Hybrid High-Order (HHO) methods on some interface problems. By interface, we mean (i) diffuse interface, and (ii) interface as an immersed boundary. The first half of this manuscrit is dedicated to diffuse interface, more precisely we consider the so called Cahn–Hilliard problem that models the process of phase separation, by which the two components of a binary fluid spontaneously separate and form domains pure in each component. In the second half, we deal with the interface as an immersed boundary and consider a hybrid dimensional model for the simulation of Darcy flows and passive transport in fractured porous media, in which the fracture is considered as an hyperplane that crosses our domain of interest.

In order to increase the waste loading efficiency of nuclear waste glasses, alternative composite structures are sought that trap molybdenum in a water-durable CaMoO4 phase. In this thesis, the formation and stability of CaMoO4 in a borosilicate glass against the attack of internal radiation was investigated. It is a fundamental study that simplified the composition to known contributors of molybdate speciation, and further splits the com- ponents of α and β-decay into integral parts that replicated both nuclear and electronic interactions. Irradiation experiments using 2.5 MeV β, 7 MeV Au, and 92 MeV Xe ions were enlisted to test the hypotheses of whether 100−1000 years of radiation damage given current waste loading standards would: (i) induce phase separation in homogeneous re- gions, (ii) increase the extent of existing phase separation, (iii) induce local annealing that could cause amorphisation of crystalline phases or increase mixing between amorphous phases, or (iv) cause some combination of the above. Results from XRD, SEM, EPR, and Raman spectroscopy suggest that powellite is stable against replicated radiation damage with only minor modifications observed. The main mechanisms of alteration involved: (i) thermal and defect-assisted diffusion, (ii) relaxation from the added ion’s energy, (iii) localised damage recovery from ion tracks, and (iv) the accumulation of point defects or the formation of voids that created significant strain, and led to longer-range modifications. It can be further concluded that no precip- itation or increased phase separation was observed in single-phased glasses. In isolated cases, radiation-induced precipitation of CaMoO4 occurred, but these crystallites were reamorphised at higher doses. At high SHI fluences, minor amorphisation of powellite was also observed, but this occurred alongside bulk-to-surface reprecipitation of CaMo- species. Overall, the components of internal radiation were often found to have opposing effects on the alteration of Si−O−B mixing in the glass, ion migration, and crystallite size. This led to the prediction that a steady-state damage structure could form from cumulative decay processes. These results suggest that CaMoO4 containing borosilicate GCs are resistant to radiation, and that excess molybdenum from increased waste loading can be successfully incorporated into these structures without altering the overall dura- bility of the wasteform. Furthermore, the identified saturation in modifications occurring around 8 x 10¹⁴ Xe ions/cm² can be used as a benchmark in future investigations on more complex systems where the maximum damage state is required.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:01:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KlismeryaneCM_TESE_Parcial.pdf: 534814 bytes, checksum: 7f809659b18392cc6ade30651d315ef5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-11-29 / The drilling fluid used to assist in the drilling operation of oil wells, accumulates solids inherent in the formation as it is circulated in the well, interfering in the fluid performance during operation. It is discarded after use. The disposal of these fluids causes one of the most difficult environmental problems in the world. This study aims to promote liquid phase separation of drilling fluids, which have circulated in oil wells, and enable this recovered liquid to formulate a new fluid. For this, non-ionic surfactants were used in order to select the best outcome in phase separation. Five real water-based drilling fluids were utilized, which were collected directly from the fields of drilling oil wells, classified as polymeric fluids. The methodology used consisted in combining the fluid with surfactant and then subjecting it to a process of centrifugation or decantation. The decantating tests were scheduled through experimental planning 23 and 32, using as variables the percentage (%) of surfactant utilized and the stirring time in minutes. The surfactants used were ethoxylated nonylphenol and lauryl alcohol ethoxylated with different degrees of ethoxylation. Phase separation was monitored first by tests of stability, and subsequently by the height of the interface in beakers of 100 mL. The results showed that from the surfactants studied, the lauryl alcohol ethoxylated with 3 ethoxylation units has been the most effective in the phase separation process of the drilling fluids tested. The statistical tool used was of great industrial value regarding the programming phase separation in drilling fluids. In conclusion, the liquid phase separated using surfactant can be reused for a new formulation of drilling fluid with similar properties of a new fluid, assuring its efficiency. And in the resulting analysis it is also suggested that the adsorption is the mechanism that leads the phase separation, with surfactant adsorbing in the active solids / O fluido de perfura??o, utilizado para auxiliar na opera??o de perfura??o de po?os de petr?leo, acumula s?lidos inerentes a forma??o ? medida que ? circulado no po?o durante a perfura??o, interferindo no seu desempenho durante a opera??o. Assim, ap?s o uso ele ? descartado, gerando um dos passivos ambientais mais dif?ceis de recuperar em todo o mundo. O presente estudo tem por finalidade promover a separa??o da fase l?quida de fluidos de perfura??o que j? foram circulados em po?os de petr?leos, habilitando seu uso para formula??o de um novo fluido. Para isso, foram utilizados tensoativos n?o i?nicos a fim de selecionar o que melhor atuasse na separa??o de fases. Foram utilizados cinco fluidos de perfura??o base ?gua, reais coletados diretamente nos campos de perfura??o de po?os de petr?leo, classificados como fluidos polim?ricos. A metodologia utilizada constitui-se basicamente em aditivar o fluido com o tensoativo e depois submet?-lo ? um processo de centrifuga??o ou decanta??o. Os ensaios de decanta??o foram programados atrav?s do planejamento experimental 23 e 32, utilizando como vari?veis o % de tensoativo utilizado e o tempo de agita??o em minutos. Os tensoativos utilizados foram o nonilfenol etoxilado e o ?lcool laur?lico etoxilado, ambos com diferentes graus de etoxila??o. A separa??o de fases foi acompanhada inicialmente por ensaios de estabilidade e, posteriormente, pela altura da interface em provetas de 100 mL. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que, dentre os tensoativos estudados, o ?lcool laur?lico etoxilado, com 3 unidades de etoxila??o, foi o que atuou de forma mais eficiente no processo de separa??o de fases dos fluidos de perfura??o estudados. A aplica??o de planejamentos estat?sticos pode ser uma ferramenta de grande valor industrial no que diz respeito a programa??o de separa??o de fases em fluidos de perfura??o. Concluiuse que a fase l?quida separada utilizando tensoativos pode ser reutilizada na formula??o de um novo fluido de perfura??o, com propriedades semelhantes a de um fluido novo, garantindo a efic?cia do mesmo. Com a an?lise dos resultados sugere-se, ainda, que a adsor??o ? o mecanismo que governa a separa??o de fases, com o tensoativo adsorvendo-se nos s?lidos ativos / 2020-01-01

Das Ziel der Arbeit bestand in der Präparation von multifunktionellen phasenseparierten Blockcopolymerfilmen, die an der Oberfläche über polymeranaloge Reaktionen modifiziert werden können. Dafür wurden zunächst phasenseparierte Blockcopolymere über RAFT-Polymerisation synthetisiert, in die sowohl funktionelle als auch Vernetzergruppen integriert wurden. Als funktionelle Monomere kamen dabei Propargylmethacrylat, Propargyloxystyrol, Vinylbenzylchlorid und Pentafluorostyrol zum Einsatz. Die Vernetzergruppen wurden über die Monomere Vinylpyridin, Glycidylmethacrylat, 4-Benzoyl-3-hydroxyphenylmethacrylat und Dimethylmaleinimidobutylmethacrylat eingebaut. Die erhaltenen Polymere wurden hinsichtlich ihrer Molmasse und ihrer thermischen Eigenschaften mit GPC, NMR, DSC und TGA untersucht. Des Weiteren erfolgten polymeranaloge Reaktionen, wie die kupferkatalysierte Cycloaddition von Aziden an Alkinen, eine cäsiumvermittelte Veresterung der Vinylbenzylchloridgruppe mit Liponsäure als auch eine Substitution am Pentafluorostyrol mit Thiolen, an den synthetisierten Blockcopolymeren. Dünne Filme dieser Blockcopolymere wurden mit Rasterkraftmikroskopie untersucht und dabei teilweise Phasenseparation erhalten. Die Filme wurden darauf chemisch, thermisch als auch photochemisch vernetzt, um die erhaltenen Strukturen zu fixieren. Dabei konnte ein vollständiger Erhalt der Phasenstrukturen nicht erreicht werden. Allerdings zeigten die thermischen als auch photochemischen Vernetzungen die vielversprechendsten Ergebnisse.

Neste trabalho foram efetuados estudos importantes e pioneiros sobre as propriedades estruturais, eletrônicas e termodinâmicas dos nitretos e de suas ligas, através de dois métodos de primeiros princípios distintos, o FLAPW (\"Full-potential Linear Augmented Plane Wave\") e o pseudopotencial combinado com a aproximação quasequímica generalizada. Na primeira parte, utilizando o método FLAPW, calculamos as estruturas de bandas para os nitretos cúbicos do grupo-IH, BN, AIN, GaN e InN. Foram obtidos valores para a constante de rede e \"bulk modulus\" para os nitretos do grupo-III através de cálculos relativísticos da energia total. Através das estruturas de bandas e analisando o topo da banda de valência e o fundo da banda de condução perto do ponto r ou, no ponto k correspondente ao mínimo da banda de condução, derivamos os respectivos valores para as massas efetivas de elétron e de buraco pesado, leve e de \"split-off\' e correspondentes parâmetros de Luttinger. Todos os resultados são comparados com dados experimentais e teóricos existentes na literatura. Na segunda parte, utilizando o método FLAPW, estudamos a influência da impureza de Mg na estrutura eletrônica do GaN cúbico (c-). Realizamos cálculos da otimização da geometria, incluindo deslocamentos dos primeiros e segundos vizinhos, para os casos da impureza com estados de carga neutro e negativo. Obtivemos o valor de 190 meV para o deslocamento de Franck-Condon da energia térmica, o qual apresenta um bom acordo com os dados experimentais de fotoluminescência e efeito Hall. Nós concluímos que os primeiros e segundos vizinhos desempenham um papel importante na determinação das energias do nível aceitador resultante da dopagem do c-GaN com Mg. Na terceira parte, nós apresentamos cálculos das propriedades eletrônicas, estruturais e termodinâmicas de ligas cúbicas envolvendo os nitretos do grupo-III, InxGa1-xN, InxAl-xN, AlxGal-xN, BxGal-xN e BxA1-xN. Nós combinamos o método de expansão de \"clusters\" através da aproximação quasequímica generalizada (\"Generalized Quasichemical Approximation -GQCA\") com cálculos de pseudopotenciais \"ab initio\" DFT-LDA. Para todas a ligas, exceto a de AlxGal-xN, encontramos separação de fase para temperaturas próximas das temperaturas de crescimento. Generalizamos o método de expansão de \"c1usters\" para estudar a influência da tensão biaxial. Encontramos uma significativa supressão da separação de fase induzida pela tensão para as ligas de InxGal-xN e InxAh-xN, sendo no caso da liga de InxGal_xN confirmado experimentalmente. Observamos também que flutuações da energia do \"gap\" da liga de InxGal-xN permitem definir valores mínimo e médio para a energia do \"gap\" com diferentes valores para o \"bowing\". Observamos que a tensão biaxial reduz as flutuações da energia do \"gap\", resultando em uma diminuição do valor do \"bowing\". Através deste estudo mostramos uma possível explicação para a discrepância experimental para valores do \"bowing\". / In this work we performed a pioneer theoretical study of structural, electronic and thermodynamic properties of the group-III nitrides and their alloys, by using two distinct first principles methods, the FLAPW full potential linear augmented plane wave and the pseudopotential-plane-wave method combined with the generalized quasichemical approximation. In the first part of our work, by using the FLAPW, we present the electronic band structures ofthe zinc-blende-type group-III nitrides compounds, BN, AIN, GaN, and InN. Lattice constant and bulk modulus are obtained from fuH relativistic total-energy calculations. Electron, heavy-, light-, and split-off-hole effective masses and corresponding Luttinger parameters are extracted from the band-structure calculations. A comparison with other available theoretical results and experimental data is made. In the second part of our work, by using the FLAPW method, the electronic structure of Mg impurity in zinc-blende (c-) GaN is investigated. Full geometry optimization calculations, including nearest and next-nearest neighbor displacements, were performed for the impurity in the neutral and negatively charged states. A value of 190 meV was obtained for the Franck-Condon shift to the thermal energy, which is in good agreement with that observed in recent low temperature photoluminescence and Hall-effect measurements. We conclude that the nearest and the next-nearest neighbors of the Mg impurity replacing Ga in c-GaN undergo outward relaxations which play an important role in the determination ofthe center acceptor energies. In the third part of our work, we present a study of electronic, structural, and thermodynamic properties of the cubic group-III nitrides alloys, InxGal-xN, InxAll_xN, AlxGal-xN, BxGal-xN e BxAll-xN. We combined the generalized quasichemical approximation (GQCA) with an ab initio pseudopotential-plane-wave method. For alI alIoys, except the AlxGal-xN, we observe a miscibility gap for temperatures near those of the growth. The cluster treatment is generalized to study the influence of biaxial strain. We find a remarkable suppression ofphase separation in InxGal-xN and InxAll-xN induced by strain which is confirmed by experiments on the InxGal_xN alloy. We also observed that the gap fluctuations in the InxGal-xN alloy allow the definition of a minimum gap and an average gap with different bowing parameters. Biaxial strain drastically reduces the gap fluctuations, resulting in a reduction of the bowing. The different gaps and the strain influence investigated provide an explanation for the discrepancies found in the experimental values of the bowing parameter.