Esta tese está dividida em duas partes. Na Parte I, blendas de polietileno maleado (M-PE) e butirato acetato de celulose (CAB) (5-50% em massa) e compósitos de polietileno (PE) ou M-PE e 20% em massa de celulose, acetato de celulose (CA), propionato acetato de celulose (CAP) ou CAB foram preparados em um misturador. As estruturas e propriedades das misturas foram estudadas através de ensaios mecânicos, calorimetria exploratória diferencial, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, extração com solvente seletivo seguida de espectroscopia FTIR e difração de raios-X (XRD). As blendas M-PE/CAB e os compósitos PE/polissacarídeo e M-PE/polissacarídeo não apresentaram mudanças significativas nos valores da temperatura de fusão (Tm) quando comparados aos valores de Tm do PE e do M-PE. Dados de XRD mostraram que a adição das cargas não causou mudança na estrutura cristalina do PE ou M-PE, mas aumentou a região amorfa dos materiais, indicado que a miscibilidade ocorre na parte amorfa do PE. Compósitos preparados com M-PE apresentaram tensão no escoamento e elongação superiores do que os preparados com PE, evidenciando o efeito compatibilizante do anidrido maléico. Na parte II, o efeito de dois bons solventes, acetona e acetato de etila, nas características e propriedades superficiais dos filmes finos (50nm&#60;espessura<200nm) e ultrafinos (espessura<6nm) de CA, CAP ou CAB preparados por revestimento rotacional ou adsorção, respectivamente, foram caracterizados por elipsometria, microscopia de força atômica (AFM) e medidas de ângulo de contato. Os resultados foram discutidos baseados na taxa de evaporação do solvente e na energia de interação substrato-solvente. Os efeitos do recozimento e do tipo de éster de celulose na espessura, morfologia e molhabilidade da superfície foram investigados. Após o recozimento, os filmes ultrafinos de ésteres de celulose tornam-se hidrofóbicos, indicando uma reorientação molecular na interface sólido-ar. Os filmes ultrafinos preparados a partir de soluções de acetona são estáveis, enquanto que os preparados a partir de soluções de acetato de etila apresentaram dewetting. A estabilidade dos filmes foi monitorada por AFM e explicada pelos valores da constante de Hamaker, determinados pela primeira vez para estes materiais. A imobilização de lipase sobre os filmes ultrafinos estáveis de CA, CAP e CAB com e sem recozimento foi quantificada para avaliar a possibilidade de aplicação destes filmes como substratos para biomoléculas. A adsorção de lipase sobre os filmes de CA e CAP com recozimento foi mais pronunciada do que nos mesmos filmes sem recozimento. A atividade enzimática da lipase foi avaliada com medidas espectrofotométricas do produto formado a partir da hidrólise do para-nitrofenol dodecanoato. A lipase imobilizada sobre os filmes mais hidrofóbicos apresentou uma atividade maior do que a lipase livre e manteve a atividade alta após três usos. As amostras foram estocadas por até 30 dias. A lipase imobilizada sobre os filmes mais hidrofóbicos manteve 70% da sua atividade, e a lipase imobilizada sobre os filmes mais hidrofílicos manteve apenas 30% da atividade. Estes resultados indicaram que preservação da estrutura conformacional da enzima foi favorecida pela hidrofobicidade do substrato polimérico e interações entre os resíduos polares da lipase e as partes de glucopiranosil dos ésteres de celulose. / This thesis is divided into two parts. In the first part, blends of maleated polyethylene (M-PE) and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) (5-50wt%) and composites of polyethylene (PE) or M-PE and 20wt% of cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA) or cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) were prepared in an laboratory mixer. The mixtures structures and properties have been studied by means of tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and extraction with a selective solvent followed by Raman spectroscopy. No significant change on the melting temperature (Tm) values obtained for M-PE/CAB blends or PE/polysaccharides or M-PE/polysaccharides composites could be observed, when compared with the Tm values obtained for PE and M-PE. X-ray diffraction showed that the addition of the polysaccharides had no influence on the lattice constants of PE or M-PE, but it increased the PE amorphous region, indicating that the miscibility happens on the amorphous region of the PE. Composites prepared with M-PE presented yield stress and elongation values higher than those prepared with PE, showing the compatibilizer effect of maleic anhydride. In the second part, the effect of two good solvents, acetone and ethyl acetate, on the characteristics and surface properties of thin (30nm&#60;thickness<200nm) and ultrathin (thickness<6nm) cellulose ester films obtained by spin coating or adsorption, respectively, has been investigated by means of ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements. The results were discussed in the light of solvent evaporation rate and interaction energy between substrate and solvent. The effects of annealing and type of cellulose ester on film thickness, film morphology and surface wettability were also studied. Upon annealing, ultrathin films of cellulose ester became hydrophobic, evidencing molecular re-orientation at the solid-air interface. Ultrathin films prepared from acetone solutions are stable, but the ones prepared from ethyl acetate solutions presented dewetting. Film stability was followed by AFM and explained with basis on the Hamaker constant values, calculated for the first time for CA, CAP and CAB. The adsorption of lipase onto stable ultrathin films of cellulose esters, with and without annealing, was quantified in order to evaluate the possibility of applying such films as support for biomolecules. Lipase adsorption onto annealed CA and CAP films was more pronounced than that onto CA and CAP untreated films. Enzymatic activity was evaluated by the spectrophotometric measurement of the product formed from the hydrolysis of para-nitrophenyl dodecanoate. Lipase immobilized onto more hydrophobic films presented higher activity than free lipase and could be reused three times retaining activity at a high level. The effect of storing time on the activity of immobilized lipase was studied. Lipase immobilized onto more hydrophobic films retained 70% of activity after one month, reaching the same level of activity of free lipase, and lipase immobilized onto more hydrophilic films retained just 30% of activity after 30 days. These results indicated that enzyme preservation was favored by polymeric substrate hydrophobicity and by the interactions between the polar residues of lipase and the glucopyranosyl moieties of cellulose ester.

abstract: Advanced material systems refer to materials that are comprised of multiple traditional constituents but complex microstructure morphologies, which lead to their superior properties over conventional materials. This dissertation is motivated by the grand challenge in accelerating the design of advanced material systems through systematic optimization with respect to material microstructures or processing settings. While optimization techniques have mature applications to a large range of engineering systems, their application to material design meets unique challenges due to the high dimensionality of microstructures and the high costs in computing process-structure-property (PSP) mappings. The key to addressing these challenges is the learning of material representations and predictive PSP mappings while managing a small data acquisition budget. This dissertation thus focuses on developing learning mechanisms that leverage context-specific meta-data and physics-based theories. Two research tasks will be conducted: In the first, we develop a statistical generative model that learns to characterize high-dimensional microstructure samples using low-dimensional features. We improve the data efficiency of a variational autoencoder by introducing a morphology loss to the training. We demonstrate that the resultant microstructure generator is morphology-aware when trained on a small set of material samples, and can effectively constrain the microstructure space during material design. In the second task, we investigate an active learning mechanism where new samples are acquired based on their violation to a theory-driven constraint on the physics-based model. We demonstrate using a topology optimization case that while data acquisition through the physics-based model is often expensive (e.g., obtaining microstructures through simulation or optimization processes), the evaluation of the constraint can be far more affordable (e.g., checking whether a solution is optimal or equilibrium). We show that this theory-driven learning algorithm can lead to much improved learning efficiency and generalization performance when such constraints can be derived. The outcomes of this research is a better understanding of how physics knowledge about material systems can be integrated into machine learning frameworks, in order to achieve more cost-effective and reliable learning of material representations and predictive models, which are essential to accelerate computational material design. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mechanical Engineering 2018

A knowledge of thermophysical properties is necessary for the design of all process units. Reliable property prediction methods are essential because reliable experimental data are often not available due to concerns about measurement difficulty, cost, scarcity, safety, or environment. In particular, there is a lack of prediction methods for solid properties. Predicted property values can also be used to fill holes in property databases to understand more fully compound characteristics. This work is a comprehensive analysis of the prediction methods available for five commonly needed solid properties. Where satisfactory methods are available, recommendations are made; where methods are unsatisfactory in scope or accuracy, improvements have been made or new methods have been developed. In the latter case, the following general scheme has been used to develop correlations: extraction of a training set of experimental data of a specific accuracy from the DIPPR 801 database, selection of a class of equations to use in the correlation, refinement of the form of the equation through least squares regression, selection of the chemical groups and/or molecular descriptors to be used as independent variables, calculation of coefficient values using the training set, addition of groups where refinement is needed, and a final testing of the resultant correlation against an independent test set of experimental data. Two new methods for predicting crystalline heat capacity were created. The first is a simple power law method (PL) that uses first-order functional groups. The second is derived as a modification of the Einstein-Debye canonical partition function (PF) that uses the same groups as the PL method with other descriptors to account for molecule size and multiple halogens. The PL method is intended for the temperature range of 50 to 250 K; the PF method is intended for temperatures above 250 K. Both the PL and PF methods have been assigned an uncertainty of 13% in their preferred temperature ranges based on comparisons to experimental data. A method for estimating heat of sublimation at the triple point was created using the same groups as used in the heat capacity PF method (estimated to have an error of 13%). This method can be used in conjunction with the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to predict solid vapor pressure. Errors in predicted solid vapor pressures averaged about 44.9%. As most solid vapor pressures are extremely small, on the order of one Pascal, this error is small on an absolute scale. An improvement was developed for an existing DIPPR correlation between solid and liquid densities at the triple point. The new correlation improves the prediction of solid density at the triple point and permits calculation of solid densities over a wide range of temperatures with an uncertainty of 6.3%. Based on the analysis of melting points performed in this study, Marrero and Gani's method is recommended as the primary method of predicting melting points for organic compounds (deviation from experimental values of 12.5%). This method can be unwieldy due to the large number of groups it employs, so the method of Yalkowsky et al. (13.9% deviation) is given a secondary recommendation due to its broad applicability with few input requirements.

Modifying photopolymer structure on the molecular and nanoscale level permits tailoring materials for use in a wide variety of applications. Understanding the fundamentals behind polymer structure at these levels permits the control of material properties. This work gains insight into the modification of structure on two levels, the nanoscale by use of structure templates and the molecular scale through the modification of polymer network formation. Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) are a type of self-assembling surfactant system, which in combination with photopolymerization can be used to template ordered nanostructure within polymer materials. This structure can be controlled and utilized to influence the properties of a polymer material. This research examines materials used as templating agents and the types of nanostructures that may be obtained. Additionally, their effects upon the LLC templating process and material properties is determined. Structured polymers are created using LLC templates in pursuit of materials for use in water purification processes and electrochemical devices. Through a more complete understanding of the fundamentals of the templating process, the work presented here extends the LLC templating technique to a greater variety of materials and applications in the water remediation and energy storage fields. The second portion of this research is the use of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) to modify photopolymer networks. RAFT agents are utilized to control the propagation reaction to create networks with increased homogeneity between network crosslinks. By increasing the uniformity of the polymer network, increases in polymer elongation and toughness as well as decreases in polymer modulus are observed. The effects of RAFT agent addition on the network formation and the final properties of the photopolymer is examined. By understanding the mechanisms behind this modification technique, photopolymers can be extended into new applications where increased elongation and toughness is valued.

<p>Reliable ways of storing energy are crucial to support our modern way of life; lithium-ion batteries provide an attractive solution. The constant demand for higher energy density, thinner, lighter and even more mechanically flexible batteries has motivated research into new battery materials. Some of these will be explored in this thesis.</p><p>The main focus is placed on the development of new anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and the assessment of their electrochemical and structural characteristics. The materials investigated are: natural Swedish graphite, SnB₂O₄ glass and intermetallics such as: Cu₆Sn₅, InSb, Cu₂Sb, MnSb and Mn₂Sb. Their performances are investigated by a combination of electrochemical, <i>in si</i>tu X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques, with an emphasis on the structural transformations that occur during lithiation.</p><p>The intermetallic materials exhibit a lithium insertion/metal extrusion mechanism. The reversibility of these reactions is facilitated by the strong structural relationships between the parent compounds and their lithiated counterparts. Lithiation of a majority of the intermetallics in this work proceeds via an intermediate ternary phase. The intermetallic electrodes provide high volumetric capacities and operate at slightly higher voltages vs. Li/Li⁺ than graphite. This latter feature forms the basis for a safer system.</p><p>Jet-milling of natural Swedish graphite results in decreased particle and crystallite size, leading to improved performance; the capacity is close to the theoretical capacity of graphite. Jet-milled graphite also shows an enhanced ability to withstand high charging rates.</p>

Design and synthesis of novel supramolecular architectures is an interesting area of research in the last two decades. Intermolecular interactions assisted self-assembly of molecular and macromolecular building blocks play an important role in obtaining the desired shape and function of the supramolecular architectures. A combination of the classical covalent synthesis with the self-assembly assisted formation of well-defined architectures (noncovalent synthesis) allows us to develop novel multifunctional materials. Our approach in this area is focused on the design of novel molecular and biomolecular building blocks and the optimization of structure-property relationship of the materials using self-assembly approach. This presentation will focus on our recent efforts on the design and synthesis of polymers and oligopeptides for investigation of the self-assembly and fine-tuning the structure-property relationship. Also, some highlights will be given on our initial investigation on how hard minerals are synthesized by natural molecules through the self-assembly processes. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Reliable ways of storing energy are crucial to support our modern way of life; lithium-ion batteries provide an attractive solution. The constant demand for higher energy density, thinner, lighter and even more mechanically flexible batteries has motivated research into new battery materials. Some of these will be explored in this thesis. The main focus is placed on the development of new anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and the assessment of their electrochemical and structural characteristics. The materials investigated are: natural Swedish graphite, SnB2O4 glass and intermetallics such as: Cu6Sn5, InSb, Cu2Sb, MnSb and Mn2Sb. Their performances are investigated by a combination of electrochemical, in situ X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques, with an emphasis on the structural transformations that occur during lithiation. The intermetallic materials exhibit a lithium insertion/metal extrusion mechanism. The reversibility of these reactions is facilitated by the strong structural relationships between the parent compounds and their lithiated counterparts. Lithiation of a majority of the intermetallics in this work proceeds via an intermediate ternary phase. The intermetallic electrodes provide high volumetric capacities and operate at slightly higher voltages vs. Li/Li+ than graphite. This latter feature forms the basis for a safer system. Jet-milling of natural Swedish graphite results in decreased particle and crystallite size, leading to improved performance; the capacity is close to the theoretical capacity of graphite. Jet-milled graphite also shows an enhanced ability to withstand high charging rates.

Wood fibres can be used as reinforcement in plastics for load carrying purposes. Some advantages compared with conventional man-made fibres are that wood fibres come from a renewable resource, have high specific stiffness and strength, are generally less hazardous to health, biodegradable, and can be manufactured at low cost and high volumes. A clear disadvantage with cellulose-based materials for structural use is their dimensional instability in humid environments. The hygroelastic properties are of high importance in materials development of improved wood-fibre composites. This work deals with the stiffness and hygroexpansion of wood fibres for composite materials. The long-term aim is to design engineered wood fibre composites based on better basic knowledge of wood fibres. Mechanistic models have been used to link the fibrous microstructure with macroscopic composite engineering properties. The properties have been characterized experimentally for various wood-fibre composites and their fibre-mat preforms, by means of curvature measurements at various levels of relative humidity, as well as tensile and compressive tests. From these test results and microstructural characterization, the longitudinal Young’s modulus and transverse coefficient of hygroexpansion of wood fibres were identified by inverse modelling. Some effects of various pulp processes and fibre modifications on the elastic properties of the fibre were observed, illustrating how the mixed experimental-modelling approaches can be used in more efficient materials screening and selection. An improved micromechanical analysis for wood-fibre composites has been presented. The model is more appropriate to combine with laminate analogy, to link fibre properties on the microscale to the macroscopic composite properties and vice versa. It also offers the possibility to include the effects of ultrastructure since it can account for an arbitrary number of phases. An approach to model ultrastructure-fibre property relations has been demonstrated. It includes analytical modelling of multilayered cylindrical fibres as well as finite element modelling of fibres with irregular geometry characterized with microscopy. Both approaches are useful and could be combined with experiments to reveal insights that can pave way for a firmer link between the wood fibre ultrastructure and wood fibre properties. / QC 20100914

A variety of experiments were carried out to study the dispersion and microstructure of carbon nanotubes in aqueous suspensions and polymer composites with the goal to improve the electrical conductivity of the composites containing nanotubes. Epoxy composites containing covalently and noncovalently functionalized nanotubes were compared in terms of electrical and mechanical behavior. Covalent functionalization of nanotubes is based on chemical attachments of polyethylenimine (PEI) whereas noncovalent functionalization takes place through physical mixing of nanotubes and PEI. The electrical conductivity is reduced in composites containing covalently functionalized nanotubes due to damage of the tube?s conjugated surface that reduces intrinsic conductivity. Conversely, the mechanical properties are always better for epoxy composites containing covalently functionalized nanotubes. Clay particles were used as a rigid dispersing aid for nanotubes in aqueous suspensions and epoxy composites. When both nanotubes and clay were introduced into water by sonication, the suspension is stable for weeks, whereas the nanotubes precipitate almost instantly for the suspension without clay. In epoxy composites, nanotubes form separated clusters of aggregation, whereas a continuous threedimensional nanotube network is achieved when clay is introduced. Electrical conductivity of the epoxy composite is shown to significantly improve with a small addition of clay and the percolation threshold is simultaneously decreased (from 0.05 wt% nanotubes, when there is no clay, to 0.01 wt% when 2 wt% clay is introduced). The addition of clay can also improve the mechanical properties of the composites, especially at higher clay concentration. Weak polyelectrolytes (i.e., pH-responsive polymers) were also studied for their interaction with nanotubes and the electrical properties of the dried composite films. When dispersed by sonication, Nanotubes show pH-dependent dispersion and stability in poly(acrylic acid) water solution, as evidenced by changes in suspension viscosity and cryo-TEM images. The nanotube suspensions were then dried under ambient conditions and the composite films exhibit tailorable nanotube dispersion as a function of pH. The percolation threshold and maximum electrical conductivity are reduced when the pH is changed from low to high. Some other pH-responsive polymers were also studied, but their pH-dependent viscosity and conductivity were not as large or reversible as poly(acrylic acid).

Foi preparada uma série de quatro betalaínas com o objetivo de determinar o efeito da metilação do nitrogênio imínico e da presença de uma hidroxila fenólica na posição 3 do anel aromático sobre a estabilidade e propriedades antirradicalares, fotofísicas e redox desta classe de pigmentos vegetais. O estudo destes compostos, chamados de m-betalainofenol, N-metil-m-betalainofenol, fenilbetalaína e N-metil-fenilbetalaína, revelou que os derivados metilados apresentam um deslocamento hipsocrômico sutil dos máximos de absorção e fluorescência em relação aos compostos não metilados. Os deslocamentos de Stokes são maiores em cerca de 4 kJ mol-1 para os derivados metilados e os rendimentos quânticos de fluorescência cerca de três vezes menores. A hidrólise destas betalaínas foi investigada na faixa de pH entre 3 e 7. Todas as betalaínas são mais persistentes em pH = 6 e a metilação da porção imínica aumenta significativamente a estabilidade da betalaína em meio aquoso. A presença da porção fenólica, em comparação a um grupo fenila, não afeta as propriedades fotofísicas dos compostos e tem um efeito menos pronunciado do que o da metilação sobre a estabilidade destes em meio aquoso. O comportamento eletroquímico dos compostos foi estudado por voltametria cíclica, nas mesmas condições de pH. A N-metilação foi novamente mais significativa do que a hidroxilação, provocando aumento de até 200 mV no potencial de pico anódico. O aumento do pH diminuiu o potencial de pico anódico dos quatro compostos, com uma razão entre prótons e elétrons igual a 1 para a maioria dos picos. A capacidade antirradicalar foi quantificada pelo ensaio colorimétrico TEAC baseado na redução de ABTS&#8226;+. Os dois derivados N-metilados apresentaram, em média, o mesmo valor de TEAC, apesar de um ser fenólico e o outro não. Já entre os não metilados, que têm TEAC de 2 a 3 unidades inferior à dos outros, a presença do fenol provoca elevação da capacidade antirradicalar. Os resultados sugerem a participação dos elétrons do anel 1,2,3,4-tetraidropiridínico, acoplados ao próton do nitrogênio imínico na ação antirradicalar de betalaínas. / A series of four artificial betalains was prepared in order to determine the effect of imine nitrogen methylation and phenyl hydroxylation (position 3) over stability and antiradical, photophysical and redox properties of this class of natural pigments. The study of m-betalainophenol, N-methyl-m-betalainophenol, phenylbetalain and N-methylbetalain, revealed that the methylated compounds present a small hypsochromic shift of both absorption and fluorescence maxima when compared to the others. The Stokes shifts are around 4 kJ mol-1 higher for methylated betalains, whereas the quantum yields are approximately three times lower. Their hydrolysis was investigated between pH 3 and 7. All compounds are more persistent in pH = 6, and imine methylation increases the overall stability in aqueous medium. The presence of a phenol group, in comparison with a phenyl substituent, has a minor effect on the photophysical properties of betalains and has a less pronounced effect over stability than that of methylation. The electrochemical behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry, in the same pH range, and is also more significantly affected by methylation, rather than by hydroxylation. Methylation increases anodic peak potential up to 200 mV, and the potential is also much higher in more acidic media for all compounds. The number of protons involved in the electrochemical oxidation is the same as the number of electrons for most peaks The antiradical capacity was quantified using the TEAC assay, and ABTS&#8226;+ as radical. The methylated betalains presented, in average, the same TEAC value, although only one of them is phenolic. Among the non methylated, which are 2 to 3 units more efficient than the others, the phenolic one has a greater TEAC. These results suggest a participation of the 1,2,3,4-tetraidropiridinic ring electrons in the oxidation by ABTS&#8226;+, coupled to the imine nitrogen proton.