Chemistry Commons^™

Methods Of Magneto-Optical Spectroscopy And Analysis For Porphyrins And Polymer Thin-Films, Emigdio E. Turner

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

This dissertation describes the construction of two high precision magneto-polarimeters for performing Faraday rotation and Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) measurements of polymer thin-films. There is a focus in materials science on the development of thin-film magneto-optically active materials. These materials could allow for the construction of a thin-film optical diode, an important device for next-generation photonic technology. Upon completion of the Faraday rotation spectrometer, two publications were generated from Faraday rotation measurements of novel polymer thin-film materials.

With growing interest by materials scientists in magneto-optically active transition-metal containing materials, an MCD spectrometer was constructed to study these materials. This spectrometer …

Development Of Mof@Polymer Composite Materials Through Bottom-Up Self-Assembly Techniques, Roberto C. Arbulu

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

MOF-based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are a promising new class of MOF/polymer composite materials. Currently, fabrication of MMMs is based on top-down methods with limited control over MOF positioning, integration, or morphology. This work focuses on the growth of well-defined one-dimensional (1-D) MOF nanostructures within the pores of a nanoporous polymer template, either commercially available or through the self-assembly of block co-polymers having tailor-designed surface functionalities. Studies were conducted using zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) and polycarbonate track etched (PCTE) membranes, which demonstrated the feasibility of the outlined approach, and revealed the formation of distinct super- and nanostructures with controlled morphologies …

From Flasks To Applications: Design And Optimization Of Giant Quantum Dots Using Traditional And Automated Synthetic Methods, Christina J. Hanson

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Semiconducting nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots (QDs), that emit light with near-unity quantum yield and are extremely photostable are attractive options as down-conversion and direct electricity-to-light materials for a variety of applications including solid-state lighting, display technologies, bio-imaging and optical tracking. Standard QDs with a core/thin shell structure display fluorescence intermittency (blinking) and photobleaching when exposed to prolonged room temperature excitation for single dot measurements, as well as significant reabsorption and energy transfer when densely packed into polymers or at high solution concentrations.

We have developed thick shell “giant” QDs (gQDs), ultra-stable photon sources both at the ensemble and …

Systematic Size Control In The Synthesis Of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles, Grant C. Bleier

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

A novel synthetic method for the production of highly magnetic, low size-dispersity nanoparticles through reversible magnetic agglomeration is introduced and studied in detail. Initially, a weakly coordinating surfactant (3-octadecyl-2,4-pentanedione) is employed to produce a wide range of nanoparticle sizes ranging from 8 to 20 nm in diameter. The kinetics faced in these reactions by cheap and widely available iron complex precursors can be avoided in this method with the introduction of thermodynamic control, which occurs in the form of a magnetic precipitation event that essentially halts nanoparticle growth. Utilizing this synthetic method, the length of the alkyl chain on the …

Investigating Scalable Manufacturing Of High-Conductivity Wires And Coatings From Ultra-Long Carbon Nanotubes, Pouria Khanbolouki

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising candidate for next generation of electrical wirings and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials due to their exceptional mechanical and electrical properties. Wires and coatings from ultralong nanotubes that are highly crystalline, well-aligned and densely packed can achieve this goal. High-performance CNT conductors will be relatively lightweight and resistant to harsh conditions and therefore can potentially replace current conductors in many industries including aerospace, automotive, gas and oil.

This thesis investigates a new manufacturing approach, based on conventional solution coating and wire drawing methods, to fabricate high conductivity wires and coatings from ultra-long carbon nanotubes. …

Enediyne Derived Conjugated Polymers, Keda Hu

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

The advance of conjugated polymers (CPs) is largely relied on the development of new polymerization methods, the discovery of novel polymers that possess unique chemical and physical properties, and understanding of their structure-property relationship. We have employed a set of trans-enediynes (trans-EDYs) for the preparation of four series of CPs, polydiacetylenes (PDAs), platinum-segmented PDAs, polytriacetylenes (PTAs) and boron doped polyacetylenes (BPAs). The resulting polymers displayed interesting optical and electrochemical properties which could be fine-tuned by the attachment of various side chains on the EDY moieties.