Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Porous materials. Fullerenes. Nanoparticles'

Thesis (Ph.D)--Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010.
Committee Chair: Pennell, Kurt; Committee Member: Hughes, Joseph; Committee Member: Kim, Jaehong; Committee Member: Snyder, Robert; Committee Member: Yiacoumi, Sotira. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

El objetivo de esta tesis es estudiar la agrupación y el crecimiento de especies metálicas confinadas o soportadas en materiales porosos mediante espectroscopia de absorción de rayos X in situ. Para lograrlo, las especies de paladio y plata se han introducido en materiales porosos (¿-alúmina, carbón activo y zeolitas) mediante impregnación vía húmeda y métodos de intercambio iónico, respectivamente. Luego, el agrupamiento de estas especies metálicas se ha controlado mediante tratamientos de activación en diferentes atmósferas (inerte, oxidativa y reductiva) y seguido por XAS de manera detallada. El objetivo principal del trabajo actual es demostrar que tanto XANES como EXAFS pueden proporcionar información valiosa y, en cierto punto, innovadora durante el control de especies metálicas (en términos de tipo y tamaño de las especies). Aprovechando los procedimientos de análisis inusuales, como el análisis de los cumulantes, el ajuste de la parte imaginaria de la transformada de Fourier y otros, es posible obtener información refinada sobre los sistemas investigados. En la sección de introducción, se proporciona una compilación de estudios en los que se ha utilizado XAS como técnica importante para caracterizar especies metálicas en materiales porosos. Conscientes de que las personas pueden usar dicha introducción como base para estudios más complejos en el futuro, la discusión se ha dirigido tentativamente hacia este objetivo. El capítulo 4 se centra en el estudio de la influencia de los precursores de paladio y la naturaleza del soporte en las nanopartículas resultantes. El proceso de activación completo, es decir, la transformación precursor --> nanopartícula, ha sido seguido por XAS in situ. El análisis estuvo compuesto por el punto de partida (material impregnado), calcinación en flujo de O2 y reducción posterior con H2. La consecuencia del uso de diferentes precursores metálicos y soportes se ha discutido en términos del número de coordinación promedio obtenido a partir del análisis de datos de EXAFS, que fue respaldado por técnicas de caracterización de laboratorio. El capítulo 5 está dedicado al estudio de la agrupación de plata durante y después de los tratamientos de activación utilizando zeolitas de poro pequeño intercambiadas con plata como precursores y nanocontenedores. Se ha estudiado la influencia de la estructura y la composición química de los materiales basados en plata sobre las especies metálicas formadas en diferentes condiciones de agrupamiento y redispersión del metal (calcinación usando atmósferas distintas, reducción en H2, redispersión en O2) utilizando métodos de caracterización in situ o ex situ. Después, se discuten las consecuencias catalíticas de las zeolitas que contienen Ag en la reacción de SCO-NH3. En esta sección, la combinación de XAS in situ con varias técnicas de laboratorio ha demostrado ser fundamental para un completo entendimiento del trabajo. Finalmente, una lista de proyectos desarrollados en paralelo a esta tesis se proporciona al final de este documento.
The aim of this thesis is to study the clustering and growth of metallic species either confined or supported in porous materials by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. To accomplish this task, palladium and silver species were introduced into porous materials (¿-alumina, activated carbon and zeolites) by wetness impregnation and ion-exchange methods, respectively. Then, the clustering of these metallic species was controlled by activation treatments in different atmospheres (inert, oxidative and reductive) and followed by XAS in a comprehensive way. The principal goal of current work is to demonstrate that both XANES and EXAFS can provide valuable and, at certain point, innovative information during tuning of metallic species (in terms of type and size). Taking advantage of unusual analysis procedures, such as cumulant approach, fitting of imaginary part of Fourier transform and others, it is possible to obtain refined information about the investigated systems. In the introduction section, a compilation of studies in which XAS was used as important technique to characterize metallic species in porous materials is provided. Conscious that people can use such introduction as a basis for more complex studies in the future, the discussion has been tentatively directed toward this goal. The chapter 4 is focused on the study of the influence of palladium precursors and the nature of support on the resultant nanoparticles. The whole activation process, i.e. the transformation precursor --> nanoparticle, was followed in situ by XAS. The analysis pathway was composed by the starting point (as-impregnated), calcination in O2 flow and posterior reduction with H2. The consequence of using distinct metal precursors and supports were discussed in terms of average coordination number obtained from EXAFS data analysis, which was co-supported by laboratory characterization techniques. The chapter 5 is dedicated to the study of silver clustering during and after activation treatments using Ag-containing small-pore zeolites as precursors and nanocontainers. The influence of framework structure and chemical composition of Ag-based materials on formed Ag species at different clustering and metal redispersion conditions (calcination using distinct atmospheres, reduction in H2, redispersion in O2) were studied using either in situ or ex situ characterization methods. After, the catalytic consequences of tuned Ag-containing zeolites in SCO-NH3 are discussed. In this section, the combination of in situ XAS with several laboratory techniques proved to be pivotal to have a full picture of the investigated system. Finally, a list of projects developed in parallel to this thesis is provided at the end of this document.
L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és estudiar l'agrupació i el creixement d'espècies metàl·liques confinades o suportades en materials porosos mitjançant espectroscòpia d'absorció de raigs X in situ. Per a això, les espècies de pal·ladi i plata s'han introduït en materials porosos (¿-alúmina, carbó activat i zeolites) per mitjà de la impregnació via humida i mètodes d'intercanvi iònic, respectivament. Una vegada preparats els materials, l'agrupament de les espècies metàl·liques s'ha controlat fent ús de tractaments d'activació en diferents atmosferes (inert, oxidant i reductora) s'ha estudiat exhaustivament per XAS. L'objectiu principal del treball és demostrar que tant el XANES com l'EXAFS proporcionen informació rellevant i, en certa manera, innovadora per al control d'espècies metàl·liques (en termes de tipus i grandària d'aquestes espècies). Fent ús de procediments de tractament de dades no molt habituals com l'anàlisi de cumulants, l'ajust de la part imaginària de la transformada de Fourier i altres, és possible obtenir informació detallada sobre els sistemes estudiats. En l'apartat de la introducció, es proporciona una recopilació d'estudis en els quals s'ha utilitzat XAS com a tècnica principal per a caracteritzar les anomenades espècies metàl·liques en materials porosos. Aquesta introducció ha estat redactada per a que puga servir com a punt de partida per a futurs estudis que requereixen la utilització de XAS per a la caracterització de les espècies metàl·liques presents en els catalitzadors. El capítol 4 es centra en l'estudi de la influència dels precursors de pal·ladi i la naturalesa del suport front a les nanopartícules resultants. El procés d'activació, és a dir, la transformació precursor --> nanopartícula, ha sigut estudiat per XAS in situ. L'anàlisi per XAS va comprendre els següents passos: punt de partida (material impregnat), calcinació en flux d'O2 i reducció posterior amb H2. La utilització de diferents precursors i suports metàl·lics ha permès dur a terme una discussió, referent al nombre de coordinació mitjà obtingut a partir de l'anàlisi de dades de la zona EXAFS, que ha estat recolzat per altres tècniques de caracterització. El capítol 5 s'ha dedicat a l'estudi de l'agrupació de plata intercanviada en els catalitzadors durant i després dels tractaments d'activació. S'han utilitzat zeolites de porus xicotet, com la CHA i RHO, intercanviades amb plata. L'estudi de la influència de l'estructura zeolítica i la composició química dels materials enfront dels diferents tractaments d'activació (calcinació utilitzant diferents atmosferes, reducció en presència d'H2, re-dispersió en atmosfera d'O2) es va realitzar fent ús de mètodes de caracterització in situ o ex situ. A continuació, es discuteix la influència d'aquestes espècies metàl·liques formades, utilitzant els diferents mètodes d'activació, per a la reacció d'SCO-NH3. En aquest sentit, s'ha demostrat que la combinació de XAS in situ amb diverses tècniques habituals de laboratori és fonamental per al desenvolupament d'aquest treball. Finalment, es presenta una llista de projectes, en els quals també s'ha treballat paral·lelament, on s'ha utilitzat XAS com a tècnica de caracterització.
Wittee Lopes, C. (2018). Characterization of metallic species on porous materials by in situ XAS [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/107953
TESIS

Thesis advisor: Chia-Kuang Tsung
Heterogeneous catalysis is a critical field for chemical industry processes, energy applications, and transportation, to name a few. In all avenues, control over the activity and selectivity towards specific products are of extreme importance. Generally, two separate methods can be utilized for controlling the active surface areas; a below and above the surface approach. In this dissertation, both approaches will be addressed, first starting with controlling the active sites from a below approach and moving towards control through sieving and gating effects above the surface. For the first part half, the control of the product selectivity is controlled by finely tuning the atomic structures of nanoparticle catalysts, mainly Au-Pd, Pd-Ni-Pt, and Pd Ni3Pt octahedral and cubic nanoparticle catalysts. Through these shaped core-shell, occasionally referred to as core@shell, particles the shape is maintained in order to expose and study certain crystal facets in order to obtain a more open or closed series of active sites. With the core shell particles, the interior core particle (Au and Pd) is used for the overall shape but also to expansively/compressively strain the outer shell layer. By straining the surface, the surface electronic structure is altered, by raising or lowering the d-band structure, allowing for reactants to adsorb more or less strongly as well as adsorb on different surface sites. For the below the surface projects, the synthesized nanoparticle catalyst are used for electrochemical oxidation reactions, such as ethanol and methanol oxidation, in order to study the effect of the core and shell layers on initial activity, metal migration during cycling, as well as particle stability and activity using different crystal structures. In particular, the use of core shell, alloyed, and intermetallic (ordered alloys) particles are studied in more detail. In the second half of this dissertation, control of the selectivity will be explored from the top down approach; in particular the use of metal organic framework (MOF) will be utilized. MOF, with its inherent size selective properties due to caging effects from the chosen linkers and nodes, is used to coat the surface of catalysts for gas, liquid, and electrochemical catalysis. By using nanoparticle catalyst, the use of MOF, more explicitly the robust zirconium based UiO-66, as a crystalline capping agent is first explored. By incorporating both the nanoparticle and UiO-66 amino functionalized precursors in the synthesis, the nanoparticles are formed first and followed by coating in UiO-66-NH2, where the amino group acts as an anchor, completely coating the particles. The full coating is tested through size selective alkene hydrogenations with the NP surface further tested by liquid phase selective aldehyde hydrogenations; the UiO-66-NH2 pores help to guide the reactant molecule in a particular orientation for the carbonyl to interact rather than the unsaturated C=C bond. This approach is taken for more complex hybrid structures for electrochemical proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) conditions. Through the gating effects, the UiO-66 blocks the Pt surface active sites from poisonous sulfonate groups off of the ionomer membrane while simultaneously preventing aggregation and leaching of Pt atoms during electrochemical working conditions
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Chemistry

Ce travail a consisté à préparer des matériaux silicatés poreux à caractère stimuli-sensible à base de nanoparticules lipidiques solides (SLN) et de tensioactifs magnétiques. Plusieurs systèmes à base de tensioactifs ont été utilisés afin de synthétiser des matériaux silicatés à porosité contrôlée en utilisant des méthodes décrites dans la littérature ou mises au point au laboratoire. De différents caractères stimuli-sensible ont été introduits dans les matériaux silicatés poreux en fonction de système utilisé: les nanoparticules lipidiques solides (SLN) pour les matériaux sensible au pH et les tensioactifs magnétiques pour les matériaux sensible au champ magnétique. Premièrement, les matériaux à base de nanoparticules lipidiques solides (SLN) ont été utilisés pour la vectorisation d’un principe actif, la curcumine. La libération de la curcumine a été contrôlée en fonction de pH. Un revêtement sur la surface silice a été également employé pour mieux contrôler la libération de la curcumine. D’autre part, la sensibilité au champ magnétique a été introduite dans des silices mésoporeuses en utilisant des tensioactifs magnétiques. Leurs propriétés d’auto-assemblage (i.e. micelles, vésicules) ont été mise en évidence. Ainsi, la synthèse de matériaux silicatés poreux à caractère magnétique-sensible a été effectuées en utilisant ces tensioactifs. Enfin, les SLN magnétiques ont été préparés en combinant les SLN avec un tensioactif magnétique, qui ont été servi pour la synthèse de catalyseur à base de la silice méso-macroporeuse dopée en nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer
This work is to prepare stimuli-responsive porous silica materials based on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and magnetic surfactants. To develop this study, several surfactants systems were used to synthesize silica materials with controlled porosity via protocols described in the literature or developed in the laboratory. Different stimuli-responsive characters were introduced in porous silica materials as a function of system used: solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) for pH-sensitive and magnetic-sensitive surfactants for magnetic silica materials. First, the materials synthesized with solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) were used for the delivery of an anti-carcinogenic drug, curcumin. A coating method on silica surface was also used to better control the release of curcumin. Secondly, the responsiveness to the magnetic field was introduced in silica materials using the magnetic surfactants. Their self-assembly properties (i.e. micelles, vesicles) were studied and their applications in the synthesis of magnetic porous silica materials were investigated. Finally, the magnetic solid lipid nanoparticles have been prepared by combining SLN with magnetic surfactants, which have been used for the synthesis of meso-macroporous silica catalyst encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticles

Nanomaterials have structured components with at least one dimension of less than 100 nm. Their novel properties stem from their nanoscale dimensions and increased relative surface area, and they have a wide range of applications in several key fields, including medicine. In this thesis we focus on meso- and meso/macroporous silica materials and nanoparticle. We examine how the properties of nanomaterials are influenced by the experimental conditions used in their synthesis. We then explore the possibility of tailoring such properties by varying the parameters in the process of manufacture. To this end we prepared a range of materials, including mesoporous silica, meso/macroporous silica, silica porous spheres and silica nanoparticles and studied their properties. We also examined the micellar solutions and emulsions that are used in the synthesis of these materials, their micellar and droplet size, the phase behavior of the surfactant systems involved in the synthesis, the stability and rheological behavior of the emulsions and the scale up parameters for their preparation at different scales. The synthesis and characterization techniques include rheology, optical microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, X-ray scattering (SAXS and XRD), transmission and scattering electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential and thromboelastography, among others. In the first study we examined water-in-oil emulsions with a liquid crystal phase as continuous phase. These systems are stable and highly elastic. Their microstructure is discussed by fitting the data with several rheological models. These systems are also compared with water-in-oil emulsions with a micellar phase in the continuous phase, and as a function of surfactant concentration and volume fraction of dispersed phase. In the second study, the process variables that have a significant effect on the properties of the emulsions are identified, including stirring rate, dispersed phase addition flow rate, surfactant concentration and scale up. Droplet size and rheological properties are considered as response variables. Stirring rate is the parameter that most influences the emulsion properties, followed by surfactant concentration. Vessel size is also important. To study the scale up, emulsions were prepared at three scales with geometric similarity and we identified the parameters that must be kept constant to obtain the same emulsion in the three scales, i.e. emulsions with the same droplet size, viscosity, yield stress, viscoelastic parameters and stability. The scale invariants take into account the stirring rate (N) and the scale (D, impeller diameter). The third study focuses on the preparation of meso and meso/macroporous materials. Bimodal mesoporous materials with an ordered hexagonal structure and two interconnected networks are prepared from a mixture of two surfactants, one hydrogenated and the other fluorinated, through the cooperative templating mechanism, using tetramethyl orthosilicate as silica source. The synthesis of ordered mesoporous materials from a novel surfactant consisting of a modified block copolymer with amino-groups on the ends (Jeffamine) is also studied. In this case, the best ordering of the mesopores is obtained at low temperature. In both studies, the surfactant phase behavior, and the structural properties of both surfactants and materials are determined, and the experimental conditions (pH, temperature, agitation) are optimized. Macroporous materials are then prepared from the oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with modified Jeffamine and using decane as organic phase, through the emulsion templating mechanism. Finally, mesoporous silica spheres are prepared from highly concentrated water-in-oil emulsions. The last study focuses on the synthesis and applications of silica nanoparticles. The process variables that have a direct effect on the size are identified, like the silica source concentration and the pH. The growth mechanism of these particles is studied through turbidimetry and explained in terms of nuclei formation and aggregation of the hydrolyzed species. The clotting properties of the particles are analyzed, in order to use these particles as a scaffold for further functionalization and application in the control of internal hemorrhages. First, the particles are functionalized to reduce the clotting activity, in order to avoid the formation of unwanted clots. Amino-functionalization and PEGylation are analyzed in this case. Second, functionalization with polyphosphate chains is studied in order to enhance the clotting activity, not only in normal conditions, but also under coagulopathy and hypothermia.
Els nanomaterials són materials amb propietats morfològiques entre 1 i 100 nm en almenys una direcció. En aquesta tesi s'estudien els materials meso- i meso/macroporosos de sílice, que tenen porus en aquestes dimensions, i nanopartícules, la grandària de les quals es troba també en aquest rang. En una primera fase s'estudien els sistemes tensioactius, com les solucions micel·lars i les emulsions, que s'usen per a la síntesi d’aquests materials. El primer estudi consta de l’anàlisi de les emulsions formades amb cristall líquid a la fase contínua. La microestructura d'aquests sistemes s'estudia amb diversos models reològics. També es comparen amb sistemes amb fase micel·lar en la fase contínua i a diferents concentracions de tensioactiu i fase dispersa. En un segon estudi es determinen les variables de procés que tenen un efecte significatiu sobre les propietats de les emulsions. Com a variables de resposta s'usen la mida de gota i les propietats reològiques. També s'estudia l'escalat en la preparació de les emulsions altament concentrades i es determinen els invariants d’escala. El tercer estudi se centra en la preparació de materials meso i meso/macroporosos. Es sintetitza un material amb mesoporus bimodals i estructura hexagonal ordenada a partir d'una barreja de dos tensioactius, i la síntesi de materials mesoporosos ordenats a partir d'uns tensioactius amb grups amino. També es preparen materials amb macroporus a partir d'emulsions formades amb aquest tensioactiu i, en última instància, es preparen esferes mesoporoses de sílice a partir d'emulsions aigua-en-oli altament concentrades. L'últim estudi se centra en la síntesi de nanopartícules de sílice, en les variables de procés que tenen un efecte directe sobre la mida obtinguda, i en l'aplicació d'aquestes nanopartícules en la coagulació de la sang per controlar hemorràgies internes. S'estudien les propietats de coagulació i es funcionalitzen amb agents que acceleren o disminueixen aquesta activitat. Les tècniques de síntesi i caracterització inclouen reologia, microscòpia òptica, adsorció-desorció de nitrogen, dispersió de raigs X, microscòpia electrònica de transmissió i de rastreig (TEM i SEM) i potencial zeta, entre altres.

Tungsten oxide (WO3) is a semiconducting transition metal oxide with interesting electronic, structural, and chemical properties that have been exploited in applications including catalysis, gas sensing, electrochromic displays, and solar energy conversion. Nanocrystalline WO3 can absorb visible light to catalyze heterogeneous photooxidation reactions. Also, the acidity of the WO3 surface makes this oxide a good thermal catalyst in the dehydration of alcohols to various industrially relevant chemicals. This dissertation explores the photocatalytic and thermal catalytic reactivity of nanocrystalline porous WO3 microparticles. Furthermore, investigations into the changes in WO3 reactivity are carried out after modifying the porous WO3 particles with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). On their own, Au NPs are an important class of materials that have had a large impact in many fields such as catalysis, biomedical imaging, and drug delivery. When combined with WO3, however, their influence as part of a composite Au/WO3 catalyst has not been widely studied. Porous WO3 microparticles were first prepared using mesoporous silica (SiO2) spheres as hard templates and the physical properties of these materials were fully characterized. A facile sonochemical method was used to deposit Au NPs on the WO3 surface. Using methylene blue (MB) as a photocatalytic probe, the reaction products and the catalytic activity of WO3 and Au/WO3 catalysts were compared. Composite Au/WO3 photocatalysts exhibited significantly greater rates of MB degradation compared to pure WO3. Interestingly, the observed mechanism of MB degradation was not vastly different between the two types of catalysts. The gas-phase photocatalytic oxidation of methanol (MeOH) was studied to further understand the role of WO3 and Au NPs in these photocatalysts. Porous WO3 showed greater photooxidation rates compared to bulk WO3 because of its increased active surface area. Pure WO3 and Au NPs on porous SiO2 (SiO2-Au) were both active MeOH photooxidation catalysts and were highly selective to formaldehyde (HCHO) and methyl formate (MF), respectively. Two different mechanisms, namely band gap excitation of WO3 and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on Au NPs, were responsible for this result. Again, the Au/WO3 composite catalysts showed greater photocatalytic activity than WO3, which increased with Au loading. This high activity led to the complete photooxidation of MeOH to carbon dioxide (CO2) over Au/WO3 catalysts. Finally, the thermal catalytic transformation of MeOH under aerobic conditions was carried out to further characterize the acid and redox active sites of WO3 and Au/WO3 catalysts. Pure WO3 was highly selective for MeOH dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME), whereas Au/WO3 showed increased oxidation selectivity to products such as HCHO, FM, and COx. The Au NPs increased the reducibility of the WO3 species, which made surface oxygen atoms more labile and reactive towards MeOH. Also, the WO3 facilitated the formation of cationic Au (Au δ+) species. This combination of effects created through a strong Au/WO3 interaction increased the activity of WO3 species, but it decreased the activity of the Au NPs.

Lors de leur stockage ou de leur exposition, les objets du patrimoine sont soumis à des processus physico-chimiques d’altération liés à leur environnement et en particulier à l’action de polluants primaires (e.g. dioxyde de soufre, oxydes d’azote), secondaires (ozone) ou de composés organiques volatils (COVs). Il a été démontré que ces gaz/vapeurs se comportent comme des agents d’hydrolyse et d’oxydation. L’acide acétique fait partie des COVs ayant un impact considérable et reconnu dans la conservation des objets du patrimoine en particulier des films photographiques. En vue de lutter contre ses effets délétères, ce projet de thèse s’est focalisé sur la conception de nouveaux matériaux poreux hybrides multifonctionnels appelés « Metal-Organic Frameworks » (MOFs) pour la capture sélective de l’acide acétique en présence d’humidité (40% humidité relative) et à température ambiante. Les remarquables propriétés d’adsorption (sensibilité, sélectivité et capacité) et la grande versatilité des MOFs (balance hydrophile/hydrophobe, taille/forme des pores,…) ont été utilisés pour préconcentrer de façon sélective l’acide acétique en milieu humide. Les matériaux les plus performants ont ensuite été préparés sous forme de nanoparticules pour l’élaboration de films minces de qualité optique afin d’en étudier les propriétés d’adsorption et de co-adsorption (acide acétique/eau) par ellipsométrie. L’incorporation de nanoparticules métalliques plasmoniques a ensuite été effectuée afin de concevoir un capteur colorimétrique. L’objectif final de ce travail est de concevoir un nouveau type d’adsorbant caractérisé par une capacité et une sélectivité d’adsorption élevée et dont on pourrait aisément déterminer le niveau de saturation en acide acétique afin d’anticiper son remplacement et ainsi assurer la préservation des objets stockés et exposés dans les musées
During their storage or their exhibition, the cultural heritage objects undergo physicochemical alteration processes related to their environment and in particular to the action of primary (e.g. sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides), secondary (ozone) pollutants or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). It has been demonstrated that these gases/vapors are involved in hydrolysis and oxidation reactions. Among the most common VOCs encountered in museums, Acetic acid has a significant and recognized role in the deterioration of cultural heritage objects such as photographic films. In order to face this issue, this Ph.D. thesis focused on the design of new porous multifunctional hybrid materials denoted « Metal-Organic Frameworks » (MOFs) for the selective capture of acetic acid in the presence of moisture (40% relative humidity) and at room temperature. The remarkable adsorption properties (sensitivity, selectivity and capacity) and the great versatility of MOFs (hydrophicity/hydrophobicity balance, size/shape of pores,…) were used to preconcentrate selectively the acetic acid in humid conditions. The most performing materials were then prepared as nanoparticles and then used for the elaboration of high optical quality thin films in order to study the coadsorption (acetic acid/water) properties of MOFs by ellipsometry. The incorporation of plasmonic metal nanoparticles was then carried out in order to design a colorimetric sensor. The final objective is to devise a novel type of adsorbent that integrates a high VOC adsorption capacity and selectivity under humid conditions and an easy on-line monitoring of their saturation capacityin order to anticipate its replacement and therefore ensure the preservation of the stored and exhibited objects in museums

Mestrado em Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais
Calcium phosphate-based materials, in particular hydroxyapatite-based ones,are among the most important materials for biomedical applications (bone graftsubstitutes, drug delivery systems, etc.). Owing to their compositional similaritywith respect to hard tissues, these materials show superior bioactive,osteoconductive, cell seeding and growth environment properties. Additionally,their capability to adsorb biological important substances like proteins, drugs,etc. makes them interesting materials to be used as drug delivery systems. Several studies on the effects of morphological aspects like particle size,shape, pore size and pore volume on the biological behaviour of calciumphosphate-based materials have shown that the properties of these materialscannot be considered merely on compositional aspects, but the role ofmorphological issues must also be taken into consideration. In the present work, calcium phosphate particles with a wide range of sizeswere produced by precipitation in calcium/citrate/phosphate solutions. It wasobserved that the manipulation of experimental conditions, namely the citrate-calcium ratio (Cit/Ca) and the pH of the solution, allowed to producehydroxyapatite particles either as nanosized particles, either as micrometricsized aggregates with particular shapes. The different sizes and shapes wereanalyzed in the framework of nucleation and growth phenomena and henceattributed to the development of different particle surface charge conditionsrelated to the adsorption of differently charged citrate species. The study of the preparation of calcium phosphate porous granules by spraydrying the suspensions of the various precipitated hydroxyapatite particles wasalso undertaken in the present work. The obtained results showed that thedifferent morphologies of the suspended hydroxyapatite particles havesignificant effects on the spray dried granules’ morphology and microstructure,thus accounting for different pore size and pore size distributions. Moreover,the study of the spray dried granules heat treatment demonstrated that not onlythe granules’porosity may be further modified but also its crystal phasecomposition. In view of the potential applications of the porous materialsprepared in this work such as drug, growth factors and stem cells carriers or aspromoter of cell adhesion, the present study points out to a wide range ofpossibilities for producing calcium phosphate porous granules with a differentschedule of morphological characteristics.
Os materiais fosfo-cálcicos, particularmente aqueles à base de hidroxiapatite, são dos mais importantes para aplicações biomédicas, como por exemplo, a substituição óssea e os sistemas de libertação controlada de fármacos. Este facto deve-se principalmente à semelhança da sua composição com a parte inorgânica do tecido ósseo. É esta semelhança que está na origem dasnotáveis propriedades biológicas destes materiais, tais como: excelente bioactividade e osteoconductividade. Por outro lado, estes materiais possuem ainda a capacidade de adsorver substâncias com interesse biológico,(proteínas, drogas, etc.) o que os torna interessantes como sistemas delibertação controlada de fármacos. No entanto, alguns estudos têmdemonstrado que o comportamento biológico dos materiais fosfo-cálcicos não depende apenas da sua composição mas também de aspectos morfológicos, tais como: tamanho e forma departícula, tamanho e volume de poro, etc. No presente trabalho produziram-se, por precipitação a partir de soluções de cálcio/citrato/fosfato, partículas de fosfato de cálcio com uma grandediversidade de tamanhos. Observou-se que a manipulação das condiçõesexperimentais, nomeadamente a razão citrato/cálcio (Cit/Ca) e o pH dasolução, possibilitaram a produção de partículas de hidroxiapatite, quer na forma de partículas com tamanhos nanométricos, quer na forma de agregados micrométricos com formas peculiares. A variedade de tamanhos e formas daspartículas produzidas foi analisado no contexto dos fenómenos de nucleação e crescimento, tendo sido atribuídaao desenvolvimento de diferentes condições de carga superficial devidas à adsorção de espécies iónicas de citrato com diferentes cargas. No presente trabalho desenvolveu-se também o estudo da preparação de grânulos porosos de fosfato de cálcio, por atomização de suspensões de partículas de hidroxiapatite com diferentes morfologias. Os resultados obtidosmostraram que a utilização de partículas com diferentes morfologias influenciasignificativamente a morfologia e microestrutura dos grânulos atomizados, oque origina grânulos com diferentes tamanhos e distribuição de tamanho deporos. Além disso, demonstrou-se que o tratamento térmico permite modificar não só a porosidade dos grânulos, mas também a sua composição cristalina.Tendo em vista as potenciais aplicações dos materiais porosos preparadosneste trabalho, tais como sistemas de libertação controlada de fármacos,factores de crescimento e de células estaminais ou como promotores daadesão de células, o presente trabalho sugere a possibilidade de produção de grânulos de fosfato de cálcio com uma vasta multiplicidade de características morfológicas.

Pastarąjį dešimtmetį, intensyviai vystantis nanotechnologijoms, ženkliai išaugo technologinių metodų, įgalinančių suformuoti darinius, kuriuose elementų dydžiai būtų tarp 1 ir 100 nm, paieška. Šiai specifinei nanostruktūrinių medžiagų grupei skiriamas ypatingas dėmesys dėl naujų fizikinių reiškinių ir ypač - praktinių taikymų, kuriuos atveria šie dariniai. Šiame darbe aptariamos elektrocheminės technologijos, skirtos kontroliuojamos morfologijos porėtojo silicio formavimui. Suformuoti hibridiniai por-Si dariniai su metalais. Sukurta biomolekulių įterpimo į porėtuosius silicio darinius technologija bei tirta biomolekulių sąveika su kietakūniais padėklais. Nagrinėjami GaP nanodarinių formavimo elektrocheminio ėsdinimo būdu dėsningumai bei jų taikymo galimybės dujų sensoriuose. Įsisavinta nanoporėtųjų dielektrinių terpių ir hibridinių nanodarinių formavimo technologija bei tirtos jų savybės.
Over the past decade, the intensive development of nanotechnology was made to increase significantly the number of methods to form the structures of a size between 1 and 100 nm. It should be emphasized that nanostructured materials are interesting both because of perspectives in practical applications and new physical phenomena. In this work the electrochemical technique for the control of morphology of porous silicon matrix developed. Hybrid por-Si structures with metals were made. The method for infiltration of biomolecules into the porous silicon structures was developed and the interaction between silicon and bio-molecules was investigated. GaP nanostructures were formed by electrochemical etching and the possibilities of their application for gas sensors were estimated. Nanoporous and Fe-doped silica films on Si were made and the developed structures were characterized by their structural, optical or magnetic properties.

Over the past decade, the intensive development of nanotechnology was made to increase significantly the number of methods to form the structures of a size between 1 and 100 nm. It should be emphasized that nanostructured materials are interesting both because of perspectives in practical applications and new physical phenomena. In this work the electrochemical technique for the control of morphology of porous silicon matrix developed. Hybrid por-Si structures with metals were made. The method for infiltration of biomolecules into the porous silicon structures was developed and the interaction between silicon and bio-molecules was investigated. GaP nanostructures were formed by electrochemical etching and the possibilities of their application for gas sensors were estimated. Nanoporous and Fe-doped silica films on Si were made and the developed structures were characterized by their structural, optical or magnetic properties.
Pastarąjį dešimtmetį, intensyviai vystantis nanotechnologijoms, ženkliai išaugo technologinių metodų, įgalinančių suformuoti darinius, kuriuose elementų dydžiai būtų tarp 1 ir 100 nm, paieška. Šiai specifinei nanostruktūrinių medžiagų grupei skiriamas ypatingas dėmesys dėl naujų fizikinių reiškinių ir ypač - praktinių taikymų, kuriuos atveria šie dariniai. Šiame darbe aptariamos elektrocheminės technologijos, skirtos kontroliuojamos morfologijos porėtojo silicio formavimui. Suformuoti hibridiniai por-Si dariniai su metalais. Sukurta biomolekulių įterpimo į porėtuosius silicio darinius technologija bei tirta biomolekulių sąveika su kietakūniais padėklais. Nagrinėjami GaP nanodarinių formavimo elektrocheminio ėsdinimo būdu dėsningumai bei jų taikymo galimybės dujų sensoriuose. Įsisavinta nanoporėtųjų dielektrinių terpių ir hibridinių nanodarinių formavimo technologija bei tirtos jų savybės.

In this study SBA-15 mesoporous silica template was synthesized and used as a sacrificial template in the preparation of ordered mesoporous carbon material. A chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique using LPG or alternatively sucrose, pyrolyzed upon a mesoporous Si matrix were used to produce nanostructured ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) with graphitic character after removing the Si template. The sucrose method was found to be a suitable route for preparing OMC. The OMC was used as a conductive three dimensional porous support for depositing catalytic nanophase Pt metal. Deposition of Pt nanoparticles on OMC was accomplished using a CVD method with Pt(acac)2 as a precursor. The synthesized nano-composite materials were characterized by several techniques such as, HRTEM, HRSEM, EDS, XRD, BET, TGA, FT-IR and CV.

La spectroscopie de RMN des solides est une méthode de choix pour la caractérisation de la structure et de la dynamique à l'échelle atomique des matériaux ordonnés et désordonnés. Cependant, l'utilisation de cette technique est limitée par son manque de sensibilité qui empêche l'observation de la surface des matériaux, souvent responsable de leurs propriétés chimiques. Il a été récemment montré que la Polarisation Nucléaire Dynamique (en anglais, Dynamic Nuclear Polarization, DNP) dans les conditions de rotation à l'angle magique (en anglais Magic-Angle Spinning, MAS) permet de surmonter cette limitation. Cette technique permet d'augmenter la sensibilité de la RMN de plusieurs ordres de grandeur. Elle consiste à transférer la polarisation élevée des électrons non-appariés vers les noyaux grâce une irradiation micro-onde. L'objectif de cette thèse consiste à appliquer la MAS-DNP pour sonder la structure de matériaux nanostructurés inorganiques et hybrides. Ces nouvelles informations faciliteront l'amélioration raisonnée de leurs propriétés. Deux classes de matériaux ont été étudiées : des nanoparticules (NP) de silice fonctionnalisées avec des chaînes siloxane et deux formes d'alumine. Les NP de silice fonctionnalisées permettent d'accroître la durée de vie des piles à combustible. Grâce au gain en sensibilité offert par la DNP, il a été possible de sonder les connectivités et les proximités 29Si-29Si dans ces matériaux et ainsi d'élucider le mode de condensation des chaînes siloxane à la surface des NP de silice. La seconde classe de matériaux étudiés comprend deux formes d'alumine : l'alumine- et l'alumine mésoporeuse. La première est largement utilisée dans l'industrie comme catalyseur, support de catalyseur et adsorbant, tandis que la seconde est un matériau prometteur du fait de sa porosité contrôlée et de son accessibilité élevée. Néanmoins, la structure de ces alumines est toujours largement débattue car elles ne forment pas des monocristaux. Grâce à une meilleure compréhension des performances de la MAS-DNP, conduisant notamment à une optimisation de la préparation des échantillons, il a été possible de compenser la très faible efficacité des expériences 27Al sélectives de la surface. La structure de la surface d'alumine a été sondée par des expériences RMN avancées à deux dimensions et une nouvelle expérience a été proposée pour l'observation sélective du cœur de l'alumine. Afin d'obtenir davantage d'informations sur les proximités 27Al-27Al, nous avons cherché à mieux comprendre les séquences de recouplage dipolaire homonucléaire pour des noyaux 27Al. Pour ce faire, la dynamique de spin au cours de ces séquences a été analysée par la théorie de l'hamiltonien moyen et des simulations numériques. En résumé, au cours de cette thèse, nous avons montré comment la MAS-DNP ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour l'étude des matériaux nanostructurés
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique to characterize the atomic-level structure and dynamics of both ordered and disordered materials. However, its main limitation is the lack of sensitivity, particularly preventing studies on the surface of materials, an important region determining their chemical properties. It has been recently shown that Magic Angle Spinning Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (MAS-DNP) could overcome this difficulty. This technique can provide an enhancement of NMR sensitivity of many orders of magnitude. It is based on the partial microwave-driven transfer of the large intrinsic polarization of electron spins to nuclear spins, making impractical NMR experiments feasible. The aim of this work is to use this MAS-DNP technique to help gain new insights into the structure of inorganic and hybrid nanostructured materials. Such knowledge will facilitate the rational improvement of their properties. Two classes of materials are investigated. The first ones are siloxane-functionalized silica nanoparticles (NPs), which can be used to extend the working durability of fuel cells. Owing to the sensitivity enhancement achieved by MAS-DNP, the condensation network structure of siloxanes bound to the surface of silica NPs could be elucidated using 29Si-29Si homonuclear correlation NMR experiments. The second class of investigated systems encompasses two forms of aluminas, -alumina and mesoporous alumina. The former is widely used in industry as a catalyst, catalyst support, and adsorbent, whereas the latter is a promising material owing to its highly controlled porosity and its high surface accessibility. Nevertheless, their structures are still under heavy investigation since they do not form single crystals. Due to an improved comprehension of MAS-DNP performance, including optimized sample preparation, the obstacle of extremely low efficiency for surface-selective 27Al NMR experiments is circumvented. Sophisticated two-dimensional NMR experiments are employed to provide selective insights into structures on the surface and a new experiment is proposed to study only the bulk of these materials. For achieving further information on the spatial proximities between different 27Al sites, a thorough understanding of homonuclear dipolar recoupling pulse sequences for half-integer quadrupolar nuclei is required. In order to do this, Average Hamiltonian theory and numerical simulations are used to analyze the spin dynamics resulting from these pulse sequences, giving insights into their relative performances. Overall, it is shown that the use of MAS-DNP can be crucial for the characterization of state-of-the-art materials, highlighting the future importance of this technique

Nous avons montré les performances et les limitations en électrochimie des deuxnouvelles BODs de Bacillus pumilus et de Magnaporthe oryzae. La BOD de M.oryzae commence à réduire l’O2 à un potentiel de + 0,50 V vs. Ag/AgCl et B. pumilusà + 0,44 V vs. Ag/AgCl. La BOD de M. oryzae est peu sensible à la concentration dephosphate de sodium dans l’hydrogel rédox mais est sensible au chlore, à l’urate etaux fortes température. La BOD de B. pumilus a une activité élevée en présence dechlore et à 50 °C mais est sensible à la concentration de phosphate dans l’hydrogel.Cette sensibilité est compensée par une meilleure stabilité en présence d’urate, ainsielle ne perd que 9 % d’activité après 3 heures dans le sérum de veau. La BOD de M.oryzae immobilisée sans médiateur est plus performante que B. pumilus. Sonutilisation dans des nouveaux carbones poreux contenant des nanoparticules d’or amis en évidence l’effet des conditions de séchage des enzymes et de la méthode desynthèse des nanoparticules. Les meilleures performances sont obtenues pour unséchage à 25 °C sous vide et une synthèse séquentielle des nanoparticules. Nousavons combiné ces deux BODs dans une nouvelle cathode bi-enzymatique. Au ratiooptimal de 50 %v de chaque BOD, elle opère à + 0,50 V vs. Ag/AgCl avec un courantde -0,86 ± 0,01 mA.cm-2 dans les conditions physiologiques. Elle a une forte activité àhaute température et en présence de chlore et une stabilité intermédiaire enprésence d’urate. Dans les mêmes conditions nous avons réalisé une cathode bienzymatiqueavec B. pumilus et la laccase de Podospora anserina. Elle estégalement plus performante que les cathodes mono-enzymatiques correspondantes
Here we showed the performances and the limits in electrochemistry of the two newBODs from Bacillus pumilus and Magnaporthe oryzae. The onset potential for theoxygen reduction with the BOD from M. oryzae is + 0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl and with B.pumilus is + 0.44 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The BOD from M. oryzae is not sensitive to theconcentration of sodium phosphate in redox hydrogel but is sensitive to chloride,urate and high temperatures. The BOD from B. pumilus has a high activity in thepresence of chloride and at 50 °C, but is sensitive to the concentration of phosphatein the hydrogel. This sensitivity is offset by an improved stability in the presence ofurate, so it loses only 9 % of activity after 3 hours in calf serum. The BOD from M.oryzae immobilized without mediator outperforms B. pumilus. Its use in new porouscarbon materials containing gold nanoparticles showed the effect of enzymes dryingconditions of the synthesis method of the nanoparticles. The best performance isobtained for a drying at 25 °C under vacuum and a sequential synthesis ofnanoparticles. We combined these two BODs in a new bi-enzymatic cathode. At theoptimal ratio of 50 %v of each BOD, it operates at + 0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl with a currentdensity of -0.86 ± 0.01 mA.cm-2 under physiological conditions. It has a high activityat high temperatures and in the presence of chloride and an intermediate stability inthe presence of urate. Under the same conditions we conceived a bi-enzymaticcathode with B. pumilus and laccase Podospora anserina. It is also more efficientthan the single-enzymatic corresponding cathodes

碩士
國立清華大學
化學系
95
The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, mesoporous carbon materials with rod-like morphology, CMK-3, and those with tube-like morphology, CMK-5, have been synthesized by template synthesis using mesoporous SBA-15 silica as a hard template and sucrose or furfuryl alcohol as carbon precursors. The composition and the structure of these carbon materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption analysis, thermal analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the data, the synthesis conditions have also been optimized. In the second part, monolithic carbon materials with hierarchically bimodal meso- and macroporosity have been prepared by using a hierarchically meso/macroporous silica monolith as a hard template and phenolic resin as the carbon source. The pore structure of the carbon monoliths were investigated by nitrogen physisorption analysis and scanning electron microsopy. In the third part, carbon-coated magnetic metal nanoparticles have been synthesized by using the carboxylate-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 silica as a hard template. The magnetic properties of these nanoparticles were studied by Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. In addition, the outer carbon layers on these nanoparticles were oxidized to bear carboxylate groups by the treatment with nitric acid, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy was applied for characterizations. With these carboxylate groups, the carbon-coated magnetic nanoparticles can be further grafted with a variety of functional groups and other molecules for biomedical applications in the future.

Porous metal oxide materials, particularly those comprised of silica or titania, find use in many applications such as low-k dielectric materials for microelectronics as well as chemical sensors, micro/nanofluidic devices, and catalyst substrates. For this dissertation, the focus will be on the processing of porous metal oxide materials covering two subjects: hierarchical porosity exhibited over two discrete length scales and incorporation of functional nanomaterials. To generate the porous silica materials, the technique of supercritical carbon dioxide infusion (scCO2) processing was heavily relied upon. Briefly, the scCO2 infusion processing utilizes phase selective chemistries within a pre-organized amphiphilic block copolymer template using scCO2 as the reaction medium to selectively hydrolyze and condense silica precursors to yield mesoporous materials. To further develop the scCO2 infusion processing technique, hierarchically porous silica materials were generated on unique substrates. Hierarchically structured silica nanochannels were created using a combination of scCO2 infusion processing and nanoimprint lithography (NIL) patterned sacrificial polymer templates to yield mesopores and airgap structures respectively. Hierarchically porous silica materials were also generated on alternative substrates, in the form of cellulose filter paper, which were used to host the amphiphilic block copolymer template to yield tri-modal porosity silica materials. To extend the applicability of mesoporous silica generated from scCO2 infusion processing, functional nanomaterials, in the form of pre-synthesized gold nanoparticles, fullerene derivatives, and polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxanes (POSS) were embedded within the mesoporous silica to produce unique composite materials. The functional nanomaterials were able to impart specific properties, typically only affored to the functional nanomaterials, upon the mesoporous silica thin film with an example being enhanced thermal and hydrothermal properties of mesoporous silica doped with POSS molecules. To continue research with functional nanomaterials, nanoparticle composite materials, comprised of crystalline metal oxide nanoparticles and binder/filler materials, either organic or inorganic, were also evaluated as novel NIL resist materials. Patterning of the nanoparticle composite materials, specifically, but not limited to, titanium dioxide based materials, into two dimensional, arbitrarily shaped, sub-micron features was readily achieved on either rigid or flexible substrates. True three-dimensional structures, based on nanoparticle composite materials, were fabricated by utilizing release layers and pre-patterned substrates.

The understanding of self-assembly processes is important for fabrication of well-defined structures with new functionalities for applications in the area of biomedical sciences, material sciences and electronics. In this thesis, two types of self-assembly processes are described: (1) self-assembly of fullerene derivatives in water and (2) self-assembly on surfaces using layer-by-layer (LbL) approach. The various interactions and parameters involved in the self-assembly are detailed in the introductory chapter 1. The various internal parameters like molecular geometry, intramolecular and intermolecular forces that guides the self-assembly process of amphiphiles in water are discussed. The experimental procedures used in the present thesis for the fabrication of nanostructures via self-assembly approach are also described. In the later part of the chapter, the LbL technique for fabrication of thin films and microcapsules is reviewed where various interactions involved in the growth of LbL assembly are discussed. The effect of ionic strength and pH on the growth and property of LbL assemblies is elaborated. A brief discussion of the materials used in the thesis ‒ fullerene, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is also provided The self-assembly behaviour of amphiphilic fullerene derivatives are described in chapter 2. Fullerene is anisotropically substituted with five polar hydroxyl groups using organo-copper reagent. The derivative can interact in water via the van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions of the fullerene moiety as well as the intermolecular hydrogen bonding among the hydroxyl groups and also with water. The penta-hydroxy fullerene derivative self-assembles in water as vesicular structures. The size of these vesicles can be varied by modifying the kinetics of self-assembly which was done by changing the rate of addition of non-solvent (water) to the solution of the fullerene derivative. In the second derivative, the hydroxyl groups are substituted with less polar methoxy groups. The penta-methoxy fullerene derivative cannot participate in inter-molecular hydrogen bonding formation unlike the penta-hydroxy derivative but there is possibility of hydrogen bond formation with water where oxygens on methoxy group can act as hydrogen bond acceptor. The penta-methoxy fullerene does not show any vesicle formation in water. The computational simulation studies were carried out on the two fullerene derivatives to understand the self-assembly behaviour of these two derivatives. Furthermore, the vesicle structures formed by the penta-hydroxy fullerene derivative are used for entrapment of hydrophobic polymer, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and also hydrophilic dye, Rhodamine B. In both the cases, fluorescence quenching is observed due to electron transfer reaction with fullerene and hence these fullerene vesicles can be used to study the effect of confinement on electron transfer reactions and other chemical dynamics. The layer-by-layer self-assembly approach for the fabrication of biopolymeric thin films and microcapsules is discussed in the chapters 3 to 6. The biocompatible nanoparticles and nanofibers were used as the components of the assembly. In chapter 3, we have described fabrication of thin film of bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles via LbL approach using biopolymer chitosan as the complementary polymer. The driving force for the assembly growth of the assembly was the electrostatic and complementary hydrogen bond formation between the two components. The idea of incorporating nanoparticles in the thin film was that the nanoparticles can act as reservoirs for functional materials. The films were loaded with anticancer drug doxorubicin and show pH dependent release of the drug. The various interactions involved in the LbL assembly of BSA nanoparticles and polymers were investigated towards understanding the growth mechanism of the assembly in chapter 4. The understanding of the interactions involved in the assembly formation is important in order to modify the conditions of the assembly for enhancing the growth. It is inferred from the study reported in this chapter that not only the interaction of nanoparticles with polymers but also the inter-particle interactions are important factors in determining the growth of LbL assembly of nanoparticles/polymers. The growth of the assembly is enhanced on minimizing the inter-particle repulsions, which was achieved in case of BSA nanoparticles by modifying the pH of the assembly. We also utilized the LbL self-assembly approach for the delivery of lipophilic drugs. The lipophilic drugs are difficult to administer in the body due to their poor water solubility and hence show poor pharmacokinetic profile. The methods for incorporating hydrophobic drugs in LbL assembled thin films and microcapsules are described in chapters 5 and 6. In chapter 5, hydrophobic molecules binding property of albumin has been exploited for solubilisation of a water-insoluble molecule, pyrene (model drug) and hydrophobic drug, curcumin, by preparation of non-covalent conjugates with BSA. The interaction with BSA provided negative zeta potential to the previously uncharged molecules and hence they can be incorporated in the LbL assembled thin films and microcapsules using electrostatic as well as hydrogen bonding interaction with biopolymer, chitosan. The fabrication of protein encapsulated stable microcapsules with hydrophobic molecules incorporated in the shell of the microcapsules has also been demonstrated. The microcapsules were further capable of loading hydrophilic molecules like Rhodamine B. Thus, this approach can be employed for fabrication of multi-agent carrier for hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs as well as therapeutic macromolecules. In chapter 6, we have incorporated nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) LbL assembled thin films and microcapsules. The assembly formed was porous in nature due to the nano-fibrous morphology of NCC. The nanoassemblies can act as potential drug delivery carrier, which has been demonstrated by loading anticancer drug doxorubicin, and a lipophilic drug, curcumin. Doxorubicin hydrochloride, the salt form of the drug, doxorubicin, has good water solubility and hence can be postloaded in the assembly by diffusion from its aqueous solution. In the case of curcumin, which has limited solubility in water, a stable aqueous dispersion of the drug was prepared via noncovalent interaction with NCC prior to incorporation in the LbL assembly. The interaction of various other lipophilic drugs with NCC was analysed computationally.

碩士
國立清華大學
材料科學工程學系
102
Energy storage system has become a critical technology for solving the oil crisis, and the lithium ion battery is one of the promising energy storage systems owing to the high theoretical energy and power density. Moreover, Silicon – based anode materials for lithium ion battery have been widely studied in recent years because the high specific capacities of silicon. This study uses Taguchi method to optimize the synthesis processes of porous silicon nanoparticles to improve the cycle life performance in lithium ion batteries. In the processes of SiO2 synthesis, there is a best ratio of CTACl / TEOS, 0.058, to form pores in nanoparticles, and a ratio of TOEA / TEA to form minimum particles. In the processes of Mg reduction, the best parameters for cycle life performance are: Outer pressure = 0.75 torr, Mg / SiO2 = 4, temperature = 625 oC, time = 6 hr. We conclude that the effect of porosity with large pore volume is less effective than that of particle size on the cycle life performance.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
As mass production of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) continues to rise, the likelihood of occupational and environmental exposure raises the potential for exposure‐related health hazards. Although many groups have studied the effects of CNPs on biological systems, very few studies have examined the effects of exposure of cells, tissues or organisms to low, physiologically relevant concentrations of CNPs. Three of the most common types of CNPs are single wall nanotubes (SWNT), multi wall nanotubes (MWNT) and fullerenes (C60). We used electrophysiological techniques to test the effects of CNP exposure (40 μg/cm2 – 4 ng/cm2) on barrier function and hormonal responses of well characterized cell lines representing barrier epithelia from the kidney (mpkCCDcl4) and airways (Calu‐3). mpkCCDcl4 is a cell line representing principal cell type that lines the distal nephron in an electrically tight epithelia that aids in salt and water homeostasis and Calu‐3 is one of the few cell lines that produces features of a differentiated, functional human airway epithelium in vivo. These cell lines respond to hormones that regulate salt/water reabsorption (mpkCCDcl4) and chloride secretion (Calu‐3). In mpkCCDcl4 cells, after 48 hour exposure, the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was unaffected by high concentrations (40 – 0.4 μg/cm2) of C60 or SWNT while lower, more relevant levels (< 0.04 μg/cm2) caused a decrease in TEER. MWNT decreased TEER at both high and low concentrations. CNT exposure for 48 hour did not change the transepithelial ion transport in response to anti‐diuretic hormone (ADH). In Calu‐3 cells, after 48 h of exposure to CNPs, fullerenes did not show any effect on TEER whereas the nanotubes significantly decreased TEER over a range of concentrations (4 μg/cm2‐0.004 ng/cm2). The ion transport response to epinephrine was also significantly decreased by the nanotubes but not by fullerenes. To look at the effect of exposure times, airway cells were exposed to same concentrations of CNPs for 24 and 1h. While the 48 h and 24 h exposures exhibited similar effects, there was no effect seen after 1h in terms of TEER or hormonal responses. In both the cell lines the magnitude of the transepithelial resistance change does not indicate a decrease in cellular viability but would be most consistent with more subtle changes (e.g., modifications of the cytoskeleton or changes in the composition of the cellular membrane). These changes in both the cell lines manifested as an inverse relationship with CNP concentration, were further corroborated by an inverse correlation between dose and changes in protein expression as indicated by proteomic analysis. These results indicate a functional impact of CNPs on epithelial cells at concentrations lower than have been previously studied and suggest caution with regard to increasing CNP levels due to increasing environmental pollution.

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.