Efforts to enhance the utility of photodynamic therapy as a non-invasive method for treating certain cancers have often involved the design of dye sensitizers with increased singlet oxygen efficiency. More recently, however, sensitizers with greater selectivity for tumor cells than surrounding tissue have been targeted. The present study provides an approach to the modification of the known photosensitizer zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc), to enhance its solubility and delivery to cancer cells. Targeting a photosensitizer to the site of action improves the efficacy of the sensitizer in photodynamic therapy. In this work we used PLGA-b-PEG to encapsulate a new zinc phthalocyanine derivative, 2(3), 9(10), 16(17), 23(24)-tetrakis-(4'-methyl-benzyloxy) phthalocyanine zinc(II) (ZnPcBCH3), to enhance uptake into A549 cells, a human lung cancer cell line. ZnPcBCH3 exhibited the same photochemical properties as the parent compound ZnPc but gave increased solubility in organic solvents, which allowed for efficient encapsulation. In addition, the encapsulated dye showed a near 500-fold increase in phototoxicity for A549 cancer cells compared to free dye.

This thesis discusses two different photovoltaic systems, organic solar cells, and photonic power converters. The open-source software package Solcore was used to simulate and analyze optoelectronic properties of both systems. It is widely accepted that the transition from a fossil-fuel driven economy is necessary in the coming future. Organic solar cells are an alternative energy generation method with potential for fast energetic and economic payback periods. Bulk heterojunction organic solar cells are a common design, as they have particularly low manufacturing costs due to a simple device architecture. In this work, two bulk heterojunction blends are experimentally assessed using the acceptor molecule silicon phthalocyanine (bis(tri-n-butyl silyl oxide) silicon phthalocyanine ((3BS)2-SiPc) as a potential low-cost non-fullerene alternative to the typical acceptor [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM). These acceptors are compared within blends with the typical donor compound poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and also poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)-benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene))-alt-(5,5-(1′,3′-di-2- thienyl-5′,7′-bis(2-ethylhexyl)benzo[1′,2′-c:4′,5′-c’]dithiophene-4,8-dione)] (PBDB-T). Device performance was assessed under standard conditions, increased angles of incidence, and reduced light intensities. Devices with the P3HT:(3BS)2-SiPc blend achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.6%, which outperformed P3HT:PC₆₁BM devices with a PCE of 3.0% due to a higher open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.76 V as opposed to 0.53 V. The PBDB-T:(3BS)2-SiPc achieved a high VOC of 1.09 V, but had a lower PCE of 3.4% in relation to the PBDB-T:PC₆₁BM device with a PCE of 6.4% and a VOC of 0.78 V. Photonic power converters are devices in optical networks that allow for optical power transmission rather than the conventional method of electrical power transmission. This provides benefits such as electrical isolation and resistance to electromagnetic interference, along with the ability to propagate along the same cable as data. These power converters are used to convert optical power to electrical power, and operate similarly to a solar cell with a narrow bandwidth. Multijunction designs are often used for increased operating voltage and efficiency. In such designs employing a vertical architecture, the bottom-most junction has the largest thickness along with the lowest efficiency due to increased recombination losses. To improve this lower efficiency, light trapping techniques can be employed to decrease the junction thickness while retaining the optical thickness. In this work, a current-matched 5- junction GaAs photonic power converter was simulated with both metallic and distributed Bragg reflectors at the rear of the device. These reflectors allowed for the thinning of the bottommost junction, which resulted in an increase in efficiency and overall power output of the power converter.

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La conception de molécules pour l’optique non linéaires (ONL) est devenue un centre de recherche de pointe pour les télécommunications, les technologies de l'information et le stockage de données optiques. Les molécules dipolaires substituées par des groupes donneur-accepteur ont été les chromophores les plus étudiés pour l’ONL. Cependant les molécules dipolaires diverses limitations telles que leur transparence optique, leur faible stabilité thermique et leur tendance à adopter un alignement antiparallèle à l'état solide. Récemment, une nouvelle classe de matériaux est apparue basé sur des symétries octupolaire qui ne possède pas de dipôle permanent, pour les applications ONL. Au niveau structural, la structure générique idéale pour des molécules tridimensionnelles avec une distribution de charges octupolaire est un cube avec des charges opposées alternées à chaque angle. À ce jour, aucune molécule représentant le cube vrai (déformé) avec huit charges alternées aux sommets et délocalisation des charges complètes entre les plans supérieurs et inférieurs n’a été décrite. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, des complexes de lanthanides III à partir de phthalocyanines de type ABAB présentant en alternance des groupes donneurs et accepteurs d'électrons ont été synthétisés représentant le premier réel octupole. Ces structures ont été caractérisé par UV-NIR, X-Ray et présentent les plus élevés hyperpolarisabilité quadratique jamais enregistré pour des molécules octupolaires. En outre, ce travail a été étendu à divers type de double-decker de lanthanides homoleptiques non-octupolaire basé sur des phthalocyanines AB3, A4, B4, T4. Il a été observé que ces complexes présentent aussi des mesures d’hyperpolarisabilité quadratique élevés, mais inferieur a celles trouvé pour la série de complexes Ln (ABAB)2 octupolaire, comme prévu. / The design of nonlinear optical (NLO) molecules has become a focus of current research in telecommunications, information technologies and optical data storage. Donor-acceptor substituted dipolar molecules have been the most investigated NLO chromophores. Dipolar molecules, however, have several limitations such as low optical transparency, low thermal stability and their strong tendency to adopt anti-parallel packing in the solid state. Recently, a new class of materials based on octupolar symmetries, which lack permanent dipole moments, has been proposed for NLO applications. At a structural level, it can be shown that the basic template for 3D octupolar molecules comes to a cube with alternating charges at the corners such as donor and acceptor substituent. Despite all the various structures reported, it is worth noting that no molecules actually representing the “real” octupolar cube have been obtained so far. In this thesis, we showed that the real octupolar cube can be demonstrated by lanthanide III complexes based on ABAB type phthalocyanine featuring alternating electron donor and electron acceptor groups. These structures are characterized by UV-NIR, X-Ray and exhibit highest quadratic hyperpolarizability ever reported for an octupolar molecule. Moreover, this work was extended to nonoctupolar lanthanide homoleptic double-decker complexes based on AB3, A4, B4, T4 type phthalocyanines. It was observed that these molecules present a quite large quadratic hyperpolarizability too, but smaller than the one obtained for the Ln(ABAB)2 series, as expected. / Doğrusal olmayan optic (NLO) özellik gösteren moleküllerin tasarımı telekomünikasyon, bilgi teknolojileri ve optic very depolama alanlarında güncel bir araştırma konusudur. Alıcı-verici grup bağlı iki kutuplu moleküller en çok araştırılmış NLO malzemeleridirler. Ancak, iki kutuplu moleküllerin düşük optic şeffaflık, düşük termal kararlılık ve katı halde parallel olmayan yığılmaları gibi çeşitli sınırlamaları vardır. Son zamanlarda, kalıcı dipol momentleri olmayan octupolar simetriye dayalı, yeni bir malzeme sınıfı NLO uygulamaları için ileri sürülmüştür. Yapısal olarak bu 3D octupolar moleküller için temel şablon, köşelerinde alıcı verici grupları içeren bir olarak gösterilir. Yapılan tüm çalışmalara ragmen, bugüne kadar gerçek küpü temsil edebilen bir yapı elde edilememiştir. Bu tezde, biz bu octupolar küpün electron alıcı ve verici grupları içeren ABAB tipi halkalı yapıya dayalı lantanid kompleksleri ile ortaya konabilecğini gösterdik. Bu yapılar UV-NIR ve X-Ray ile yapıları aydınlatıldı ve bugüne kadarki en yüksek 2. dereceden NLO değerleri elde edildi. Ayrıca, bu çalışma, çeşitli octupole olmayan AB3, A4, B4 ve T4 tipi lantanit çift katlı ftalosiyaninler sentezlenerek genişletildi. Ve oktupol olmayan moleküllerin 2. Dereceden NLO değerleri oldukça büyük ama beklendiği gibi oktupol Ln(ABAB)2 daha küçük olduğu gözlendi.

La fonctionnalisation non covalente des nanotubes de carbone constitue une approche élégante pour moduler leurs propriétés physiques. Néanmoins, une compréhension profonde des interactions entre la matrice hôte et les substances ajoutés est nécessaire pour maîtriser les propriétés physiques des systèmes hybrides ainsi construits. Dans ce cadre, l'étude des propriétés vibrationnelles, par le biais de techniques spectroscopiques, est une étape indispensable. Cependant, la mise en jeu de plusieurs composantes en interaction au sein de ces systèmes hybrides rend difficile l'extraction de l'information pertinente de leur réponse spectrale. Ainsi, plusieurs approches doivent être considérées. Le présent travail de thèse combine une approche expérimentale et théorique, se basant sur la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité (DFT), pour l'étude de la réponse infrarouge d'un système modèle de nanotubes de carbone fonctionnalisés avec des diméthyl-quaterthiophènes. De plus, une étude énergétique DFT est réalisée pour un autre système modèle de nanotube de carbone fonctionnalisés avec des molécules de phthalocyanine. Cette étude est effectuée dans le but de déterminer la conformation structurale de ces molécules à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des nanotubes. / Non covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes is an elegant approach to modulate their physical properties. Yet, a deep understanding of the interactions between the host matrix and the added substances is necessary to master the physical properties of the constructed hybrid systems. In this context, the study of the vibrational properties, via spectroscopic techniques, is an essential step. However, the interactions between several components within these hybrid systems makes it difficult to extract the relevant information from their spectral response. Thus, several approaches need to be considered. The present work combine an experimental approach and a theoretical one, based on the density functional theory (DFT), to study the infrared response of a model system of carbon nanotubes functionalized with dimethyl-quaterthiophenes. Moreover, a DFT energetic study is realized for another model system of carbon nanotubes functionalized with phthalocyanine molecules. This study is performed to determine the structural conformation of these molecules inside and outside the nanotube

Adsorption of monolayers and multilayers of metal-free and metal phthalocyanines molecules on metal surfaces has been investigated using complementary microscopic and synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques. It was observed by STM measurements that at monolayer coverage the adsorption direction of the metal-free phthalocyanine molecules with respect to the gold surface vary as a function of temperature, i.e. at room temperature (RT) and low temperature (LT). It was explained by the difference in strength of intermolecular and adsorbate-substrate interactions at room and low temperatures. Nature of the interaction between adsorbed species and the surfaces as a function of coverage has been further characterized by XPS measurements. Binding energy shifts as a function of coverage have been attributed to initial- and final-state effects, the latter being due to different core-hole screening for the different molecular coverage. The alignment of molecular films at both monolayer and multilayer coverages, which has been determined by XAS measurements in several cases, is also dependent upon the relative strength of molecule-molecule versus molecule-substrate interaction. Parallel alignment of the molecular film with respect to the surface is the result of significant interaction between the adsorbate and the substrate, whilst standing geometry of the molecular film is due to more significant intermolecular interactions. DFT simulations have provided further information on the nature of the adsorbate-substrate interaction as well as contribution of different molecular orbitals in XPS and XAS spectra. Moreover, investigation of alkali interaction with the phthalocyanine films revealed a significant modification in their geometric and electronic structures due to charge transfer from the alkali metal to the molecular film. However, no sign of metallization of the molecules has been observed by spectroscopic and microscopic studies.

Orientador: Carlos José Leopoldo Constantino / Banca: José Alberto Giacometti / Banca: Henrique de Santana / Banca: Eduardo René Perez Gonzalez / Banca: Marcelo Mulato / Banca: Rogério Pinto Mota / O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais, PosMat, tem caráter institucional e integra as atividades de pesquisa em materiais de diversos campi da Unesp / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram preparados filmes finos de ftalocianinas de zinco (ZnPc) e de níquel (NiPc) através da técnica de evaporação térmica à vácuo (PVD - physical vapor deposition) em diversas espessuras e em escala nanométrica com o objetivo de determinar a arquitetura molecular destes filmes bem como suas propriedades ópticas e elétricas. Em última análise buscam-se gerar subsídios para as possíveis aplicações, especialmente dispositivos eletrônicos a base de semicondutores orgânicos e sensores de gás. A ZnPc e a NiPc em pó foram caracterizadas utilizando-se as técnicas de termogravimetria (TG), calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC) e os filmes PVD por espectroscopias de absorção no ultravioleta-visível (UV-vis), no infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), espalhamento Raman, difração de raios-X, microscopias óptica e de força atômica (AFM) e caracterização elétrica cc (tensão x corrente). Os resultados mostraram que é possível a fabricação de filmes PVD de ZnPc e NiPc, uma vez que estas moléculas não são termicamente degradadas durante o processo de evaporação térmica a vácuo, e que o crescimento dos filmes pode ser controlado em escala nanométrica para ambos os materiais. Em termos estruturais, os filmes PVD de ZnPc e NiPc são cristalinos (forma α) e possuem as moléculas arranjado-se na forma de agregados e monômetros e ordenadas com o anel macrociclo inclinado em relação à superfície do substrato. Tais agregados podem ser vistos em escala nanométrica, porém, em escala micrométrica os filmes apresentam-se morfologicamente homogêneos. Em relação às propriedades ópticas e elétricas, observou-se que ambos os filmes PVD absorvem na região do visível com a ZnPc apresentando fotoluminescência quando irradiado com laser 785 nm. A condutividade elétrica é de 1,2x'10 POT. -10' S/m para a ZnPc e de 72x'10 POT... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this work thin films of phthalocyanines of zinc (ZnPc) and nickel (NiPc) were fabricated through the vacuum thermal evaporation technique (PVD - physical vapor deposition) for different thicknesses at nanometric scale with the objective of determining the molecular architecture of these films as well as their optical and electrical properties. The final idea is to generate subsidies for applications of these films in electronic devices based on organic semiconductors and gas sensors. The PVD films were characterized using thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopies, Raman scattering, X-ray diffraction, optical and atomic force (AFM) microscopies, and electrical characterization (tension x current dc). The results showed that the fabrication of ZnPc and NiPc films is possible since these molecules are not thermally degraded during the process of vacuum thermal evaporation and that the growth of the films can be controlled at nanometric scale for both materials. Structurally, the PVD films of ZnPc and NiPc possess the molecules organized with the macrocycle ring tilted in relation to the substrate surface. They are crystalline (α form) and possess molecular aggregates in the form of dimmers or higher order of aggregates and monomers. Such aggregates can be seen at nanometric scale, however, at micrometric scale the films are morphologically homogeneous. In relation to the optical and electrical properties, it was observed that boh PVD films absorb in the visible region with the ZnPc presenting photoluminescence when irradiated with the 785 nm laser line. The electric conductivity at 1,2x'10 POT. -10' S/m for ZnPc and 72x'10 POT. -10' S/m for NiPc. They also presented photoconductivity with the ZnPc more photoconductor than NiPc. Finally, after thermal treatment... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

In this licentiate thesis, organic molecules, namely Cobalt Phthalocyanine (CoPc) and Biphenylene, have been studied by means of synchrotron radiation-based spectroscopic methods (Photoemission Spectroscopy (PES) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) in combination with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Paper I is a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of electronic structure of CoPc. addressing the atomic character of the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the electronic configuration of the molecular ground state. Both these aspects are still under discussion since different experimental and theoretical studies have given controversial results. Previous works have indicated the CoPc ground state to either be described by the 2A1g or 2Eg, or by a mix of the two electronic configurations. Regrading the debated the atomic character of the HOMO of CoPc, it has been suggested to be either metal 3d-like and localized on the central Co atom or originating in the organic ligand of the molecule. In this thesis the valence photoemission results for CoPc in gas phase and as adsorbed films on Au(111) together with the DFT simulations, consistently indicate that the HOMO is derived only by the organic ligand, with mainly contribution from the carbon atoms with no metal character. Moreover, the good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results, confirms that the ground state of CoPc is correctly described by the 2A1g configuration. In Paper II, PES and XAS have been used to investigate the occupied and empty density of states of biphenylene films of different thicknesses, deposited onto a Cu(111) crystal. The results have been compared to previous gas phase spectra and single molecule Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to get insights into the possible modification of the molecular electronic structure in the film induced by the adsorption on a surface. Furthermore, XAS measurements allowed the characterizion of the variation of the molecular arrangement with the film thickness and helped to clarify the substrate-molecule interaction.