Refine
Year of publication
- 2024 (7)
- 2023 (22)
- 2022 (23)
- 2021 (25)
- 2020 (22)
- 2019 (25)
- 2018 (37)
- 2017 (35)
- 2016 (33)
- 2015 (17)
- 2014 (13)
- 2013 (33)
- 2012 (44)
- 2011 (37)
- 2010 (24)
- 2009 (24)
- 2008 (33)
- 2007 (18)
- 2006 (18)
- 2005 (20)
- 2004 (19)
- 2003 (18)
- 2002 (14)
- 2001 (18)
- 2000 (18)
- 1999 (14)
- 1998 (22)
- 1997 (15)
- 1996 (13)
- 1995 (6)
- 1994 (1)
- 1993 (3)
- 1992 (3)
Document Type
- Doctoral Thesis (679) (remove)
Keywords
- Nanopartikel (23)
- nanoparticles (13)
- self-assembly (12)
- Selbstorganisation (11)
- thermoresponsive (11)
- RAFT (10)
- Polymer (9)
- polymer (9)
- DNA origami (7)
- Polymerchemie (7)
Institute
- Institut für Chemie (679) (remove)
"How Wenzel and Cassie were wrong" – this was the eye-catching title of an article published by Lichao Gao and Thomas McCarthy in 2007, in which fundamental interpretations of wetting behavior were put into question. The authors initiated a discussion on a subject, which had been generally accepted a long time ago and they showed that wetting phenomena were not as fully understood as imagined. Similarly, this thesis tries to put a focus on certain aspects of liquid wetting, which so far have been widely neglected in terms of interpretation and experimental proof. While the effect of surface roughness on the macroscopically observed wetting behavior is commonly and reliably interpreted according to the well-known models of Wenzel and Cassie/Baxter, the size-scale of the structures responsible for the surface's rough texture has not been of further interest. Analogously, the limits of these models have not been described and exploited. Thus, the question arises, what will happen when the size of surface structures is reduced to the size of the contacting liquid molecules itself? Are common methods still valid or can deviations from macroscopic behavior be observed?
This thesis wants to create a starting point regarding these questions. In order to investigate the effect of smallest-scale surface structures on liquid wetting, a suitable model system is developed by means of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation from (fluoro)organic thiols of differing lengths of the alkyl chain. Surface topographies are created which rely on size differences of several Ångströms and exhibit surprising wetting behavior depending on the choice of the individual precursor system. Thus, contact angles are experimentally detected, which deviate considerably from theoretical calculations based on Wenzel and Cassie/Baxter models and confirm that sub-nm surface topographies affect wetting. Moreover, experimentally determined wetting properties are found to correlate well to an assumed scale-dependent surface tension of the contacting liquid. This behavior has already been described for scattering experiments taking into account capillary waves on the liquid surface induced by temperature and had been predicted earlier by theoretical calculations.
However, the investigation of model surfaces requires the provision of suitable precursor molecules, which are not commercially available and opens up a door to the exotic chemistry of fluoro-organic materials. During the course of this work, the synthesis of long-chain precursors is examined with a particular focus put on oligomerically pure semi-fluorinated n-alkyl thiols and n-alkyl trichlorosilanes. For this, general protocols for the syntheses of the desired compounds are developed and product mixtures are assayed to be separated into fractions of individual chain lengths by fluorous-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (F-HPLC).
The transition from model systems to technically more relevant surfaces and applications is initiated through the deposition of SAMs from long-chain fluorinated n-alkyl trichlorosilanes. Depositions are accomplished by a vapor-phase deposition process conducted on a pilot-scale set-up, which enables the exact control of relevant process parameters. Thus, the influence of varying deposition conditions on the properties of the final coating is examined and analyzed for the most important parameters. The strongest effect is observed for the partial pressure of reactive water vapor, which directly controls the extent of precursor hydrolysis during the deposition process. Experimental results propose that the formation of ordered monolayers rely on the amount of hydrolyzed silanol species present in the deposition system irrespective of the exact grade of hydrolysis. However, at increased amounts of species which are able to form cross-linked molecules due to condensation reactions, films deteriorate in quality. This effect is assumed to be caused by the introduction of defects within the film and the adsorption of cross linked agglomerates. Deposition conditions are also investigated for chain extended precursor species and reveal distinct differences caused by chain elongation.
Magnetotactic bacteria comprise a heterogeneous group of Gram negative bacteria which share the ability to synthesise intracellular magnetic nanoparticles surrounded by a lipid bilayer, known as magnetosomes, which are arranged in linear chains. The bacteria exert a unique level of control onto the biomineralization of these nanoparticles, which is seen in the controlled size and shape they have. These characteristics have attracted great attention on understanding the process by which the bacteria synthesise the magnetosomes. Moreover, the magnetosome chain impart the bacteria with a net magnetic dipole which makes them susceptible to interact with magnetic fields and thus orient with the Earth’s magnetic field. This feature has attracted as well much interest to understand how the swimming motility of these microorganisms is affected by the presence of magnetic fields. Most of the studies performed in these bacteria so far have been conducted in the traditional manner using large populations of cells. Such studies have the disadvantage of averaging many different individuals with heterogeneous behaviours and fail to consider individual variations. In addition, in large populations each bacterium will be subjected to a different microenvironment that will influence the bacterial behaviour, but which cannot be defined using these traditional methods. In this thesis, different microfluidic platforms are proposed to overcome these limitations and to offer the possibility to study magnetotactic bacteria in defined environments and down to a single-cell resolution. First, a sediment-like microfluidic platform is presented with the purpose of mimicking the porous environment they bacteria naturally dwell in. The platform allows to observe via transmitted light microscopy that bacterial navigation in crowded environments is enhanced by the Earth’s magnetic field strengths (B = 50 μT) rather than by null (B = 0 μT) or higher magnetic fields (B = 500 μT). Second, a microfluidic system to confine single-bacterial cells in physically defined environments is presented. The system allows to study via transmitted light microscopy the interplay between wall curvature, magnetic fields and bacterial speed affect the motion of a confined bacterium, and shows how bacterial trajectories depend on those three parameters. Third, a microfluidic platform to conduct semi in vivo magnetosome nucleation with a single-cell resolution via X-ray fluorescence is fabricated. It is shown that signal arising from magnetosome full chains can be observed individually in each bacterium. Finally, the iron uptake kinetics of a single bacterium are studied via a fluorescent reporter through confocal microscopy. Two different approaches are used for this: one of the previously mentioned platforms, as well as giant lipid vesicles. It is observed how iron uptake rates vary between cells, as well as how these rates are consistent with magnetosome formation taking place within some hours. The present thesis shows therefore how microfluidic technologies can be implemented for the study of magnetotactic bacteria at different degrees, and the level of resolution that can be attained by going into the single- cell scale.
Die vorliegende Dissertationsschrift mit dem Titel: „Ruthenium(II)- und Rhenium(I)-Komplexe des 1,6,7,12-Tetraazaperylens und seiner Dimethyl- und Tetramethylderivate“ von Matthias Kirste wurde unter der Leitung des Herrn Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Holdt am Institut für Chemie der Universität Potsdam angefertigt. Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Ruthenium(II)- und Rhenium(I)-Komplexen des großflächigen Liganden 1,6,7,12-Tetraazaperylen (tape) und seiner 2,11-Dimethyl-(dmtape)- und 2,5,8,11-Tetramethyl-(tmtape)-derivate. Es wurden die bekannten Herstellungen des tape- sowie des dmtape-Liganden verbessert und die Synthese des tmtape-Liganden neu entwickelt. Zudem gelang mit einer neu entwickelten chemischen Reaktion die Synthese des dianionischen 3,10-Disulfonato-1,6,7,12-tetraazaperylens. Mit dmtape und tmtape wurde jeweils ein neuer Ruthenium(II)-Komplex hergestellt. Die Komplexe wurden photophysikalisch und elektrochemisch charakterisiert. KT-DNS-Interkalationen wurden von einkernigen Ruthenium(II)-Komplexen mit jeweils tape-, dmtape- und tmtape als interkalative Einheit vermessen. Es zeigte sich, dass diese Komplexe mit einer hohen Bindungsaffinität in die doppelsträngige KT-DNS interkalieren. Aus den mononuklearen Ruthenium(II)-Komplexen gelang die Herstellung von heterodinuklearen RuIIReI-Komplexen, die charakteristische Signale in ihren UV/Vis-Absorptionsspektren zeigen und sehr leicht jeweils ein- sowie zweifach im Bereich von 70 mV bis -80 mV und -440 mV bis -600 mV vs. GKE reduzierbar sind. Diese dmtape- sowie tmtape-verbrückten heterodinuklearen RuIIReI-Komplexe ermöglichen eine Feinjustierung ihrer photophysikalischen und elektrochemischen Eigenschaften, wobei in dieser Arbeit mithilfe einer chemischen Reaktion eine gezielte Einstellung dieser Eigenschaften gezeigt werden konnte. Metallkomplexe mit solchen charakteristischen, leicht einstellbaren photophysikalischen sowie elektrochemischen Eigenschaften sind geeignete Sensor- und Elektronen-Shuttle-Moleküle besonders für bioanalytische Einsatzgebiete. Zudem könnten die vielen Einstellmöglichkeiten der elektronischen Struktur dieser Komplexe sehr interessant für katalytische Anwendungen sein.
Die vorgelegte Arbeit besteht aus drei Teilprojekten, der Realisierung eines Multiparametersensors (Temperatur, pH-Wert und Sauerstoffkonzentration), der Konzipierung und Untersuchung eines optischen Atemgassensors und Untersuchungen zur Anwendung des Konzeptes der Sauerstofflöschung in der Immuntechnologie. Zur Realisierung des Multiparametersensors wurden die einzelnen Sensorfarbstoffe, sofern notwendig, synthetisiert und anschließend einzeln unter Laborbedingungen charakterisiert. Im weiteren Verlauf wurde ein Versuchsaufbau konzipiert mit dem es möglich ist, alle verwendeten Sensorfarbstoffe mit einer Anregungsquelle anzuregen. Dabei erfolgte die Detektion der Parameter Temperatur und Sauerstoffkonzentration mittels Phasenmodulationsspektroskopie und die pH-Wert-bestimmung mittels stationärer Fluoreszenzspektroskopie. So konnte ein Multiparametersensor konzipiert werden, mit dem es möglich ist, die drei genannten Parameter simultan, in Echtzeit und ohne externe Temperaturmessung zu detektieren. Im Rahmen der Entwicklung eines optischen Atemgassensors konnte zunächst eine neue Sensorform entwickelt werden. Durch diese neue Sensorform, welche sich durch sehr kurze Ansprechzeiten auszeichnet, ist es möglich den Sauerstoffgehalt in der Exspirationsluft sehr detailreich zu erfassen. Durch freiwillige Selbstversuche mit dem Atemgassensor konnte eine Korrelation mit einer etablierten Untersuchungsmethode hergestellt werden. Während der Untersuchungen zur Anwendung des Konzeptes der Sauerstofflöschung in der Immuntechnologie konnte zunächst ein Modell entwickelt werden, welches die Wechselwirkung zwischen Antikörper und synthetisiertem Farbstoff, welcher als Antigen fungierte, beschreibt. Nachdem weiterhin eine Wechselwirkung zwischen Antikörper und Antigen in einfachen Medien, wie PBS-Pufferlösung, gezeigt werden konnte, gelang dies auch in komplexen Medien wie bovinem Serum, Kuhmilch oder Speichelflüssigkeit. So konnte ein System entwickelt werden, mit dem es möglich ist Antikörper-Antigen-Wechselwirkungen in komplexen biologischen Medien zu verfolgen.
Die Entwicklung nachhaltiger Bewirtschaftungs- und Produktionsmethoden ist eine der zentralen Fragestellungen der modernen Agrarwirtschaft. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit zwei Forschungsthemen, die das Konzept Nachhaltigkeit beinhalten. In beiden Fällen werden analytische Grundlagen für die Entwicklung entsprechender landwirtschaftlicher Arbeitsmethoden gelegt.
Das erste Thema ist an den sogenannten Präzisionsackerbau angelehnt. Bei diesem wird die Bearbeitung von Agrarflächen ortsabhängig ausgeführt. Das heißt, die Ausbringung von Saatgut, Dünger, Bewässerung usw. richtet sich nach den Eigenschaften des jeweiligen Standortes und wird nicht pauschal gleichmäßig über ein ganzes Feld verteilt. Voraussetzung hierfür ist eine genaue Kenntnis der Bodeneigenschaften. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sollten diese Parameter mittels der analytischen Technik der Laser-induzierten Breakdown Spektroskopie (LIBS), die eine Form der Elementaranalyse darstellt, bestimmt werden. Bei den hier gesuchten Bodeneigenschaften handelte es sich um die Gehalte von Nährstoffen sowie einige sekundäre Parameter wie den Humusanteil, den pH-Wert und den pflanzenverfügbaren Anteil einzelner Nährstoffe. Diese Eigenschaften wurden durch etablierte Referenzanalysen bestimmt. Darauf aufbauend wurden die Messergebnissen der LIBS-Untersuchungen durch verschiedene Methoden der sogenannten multivariaten Datenanalyse (MVA) ausgewertet. Daraus sollten Modelle zur Vorhersage der Bodenparameter in zukünftigen LIBS-Messungen erarbeitet werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigten, dass mit der Kombination von LIBS und MVA sämtliche Bodenparameter erfolgreich vorhergesagt werden konnten. Dies beinhaltete sowohl die tatsächlich messbaren Elemente als auch die sekundären Eigenschaften, welche durch die MVA mit den Elementgehalten in Zusammenhang gebracht wurden.
Das zweite Thema beschäftigt sich mit der Vermeidung von Verlusten durch Schädlingsbefall bei der Getreidelagerung. Hier sollten mittels der Ionenmobilitätsspektrometrie (IMS) Schimmelpilzkontaminationen detektiert werden. Dabei wurde nach den flüchtigen Stoffwechselprodukten der Pilze gesucht. Die durch Referenzmessungen mit Massenspektrometern identifizierten Substanzen konnten durch IMS im Gasvolumen über den Proben, dem sogenannten Headspace, nachgewiesen werden. Dabei wurde nicht nur die Anwesenheit einer Kontamination festgestellt, sondern diese auch charakterisiert. Die freigesetzten Substanzen bildeten spezifische Muster, anhand derer die Pilze identifiziert werden konnten. Hier wurden sowohl verschiedene Gattungen als auch einzelne Arten unterschieden. Die Messungen fanden auf verschiedenen Nährböden statt um den Einfluss dieser auf die Stoffwechselprodukte zu beobachten. Auch die sekundären Stoffwechselprodukte der Schimmelpilze, die Mykotoxine, konnten durch IMS detektiert werden.
Beide in dieser Arbeit vorgestellten Forschungsthemen konnten erfolgreich abgeschlossen werden. Sowohl LIBS als auch IMS erwiesen sich für den Nachweis der jeweiligen Analyten als geeignet, und der Einsatz moderner computergestützter Auswertemethoden ermöglichte die genaue Charakterisierung der gesuchten Parameter. Beide Techniken können in Form von mobilen Geräten verwendet werden und zeichnen sich durch eine schnelle und sichere Analyse aus. In Kombination mit entsprechenden Modellen der MVA sind damit alle Voraussetzungen für Vor-Ort-Untersuchungen und damit für den Einsatz in der Landwirtschaft erfüllt.
Nanoparticles of magnetite (Fe3O4) are envisioned to find used in diverse applications, ranging from magnetic data storage, inks, ferrofluids as well as in magnetic resonance imaging, drug delivery, and hyperthermia cancer treatment. Their magnetic properties strongly depend on their size and morphology, two properties that can be synthetically controlled. Achieving appropriate control under soft chemical conditions has so far remained a challenging endeavor. One proven way of exerting this desired control has been using a biomimetic approach that emulates the proteome of magnetotactic bacteria by adding poly-L-arginine in the co- precipitation of ferrous and ferric chloride. The objective of the work presented here is to understand the impact of this polycation on the formation mechanism of magnetite and, through rational design, to enhance the control we can exert on magnetite nanoparticle size and morphology. We developed a SAXS setup to temporally and structurally resolve the formation of magnetite in the presence of poly-L-arginine in situ. Using analytical scattering models, we were able to separate the scattering contribution of a low-density 5 nm iron structure from the contribution of the growing nanoparticles. We identified that the low-density iron structure is a metastable precursor to the magnetite particles and that it is electrostatically stabilized by poly-L-arginine. In a process analogous to biomineralization, the presence of the charged macromolecule thus shifts the reaction mechanism from a thermodynamically controlled one to a kinetically controlled one. We identify this shift in reactions mechanism as the cornerstone of the proposed mechanism and as the crucial step in the paradigm of this extraordinary nanoparticle morphology and size control. Based on SAXS data, theoretical considerations suggest that an observed morphological transition between spherical, solid, and sub-structured mesocrystalline magnetite nanoparticles is induced through a pH-driven change in the wettability of the nanoparticle surface. With these results, we further demonstrate that SAXS can be an invaluable tool for investigating nanoparticle formation. We were able to change particle morphology from spherically solid particles to sub-structured mesocrystals merely by changing the precipitation pH. Improving the synthesis sustainability by substituting poly-L-arginine with renewable, polysaccharide-based polycations produced at the metric ton scale, we demonstrated that the ability to alter the reaction mechanism of magnetite can be generically attributed to the presence of polycations. Through meticulous analysis and the understanding of the formation mechanism, we were able to exert precise control over particle size and morphology, by adapting crucial synthesis parameters. We were thus able to grow mesocrystals up to 200 nm and solid nanocrystals of 100 nm by adding virtually any strong polycation. We further found a way to produce stable single domain magnetite at only slightly increased alkalinity, as magnetotactic bacteria do it. Thus through the understanding of the biological system, the consecutive biomimetic synthesis of magnetite and the following understanding of the mechanism involved in the in vitro synthesis, we managed to improve the synthetic control over the co-precipitation of magnetite, coming close biomineralization of magnetite in magnetotactic bacteria. Polyanions, in both natural as well as in synthetic systems, have been in the spotlight of recent research, yet our work shows the pivotal influence polycations have on the nucleation of magnetite. This work will contribute significantly to our ability to tailor magnetite nanoparticle size and morphology; in addition, we presume it will provide us with a model system for studying biomineralization of magnetite in vitro, putting the spotlight on the important influence of polycations, which have not had the scientific attention they deserve.
Aluminum oxide is an Earth-abundant geological material, and its interaction with water is of crucial importance for geochemical and environmental processes. Some aluminum oxide surfaces are also known to be useful in heterogeneous catalysis, while the surface chemistry of aqueous oxide interfaces determines the corrosion, growth and dissolution of such materials. In this doctoral work, we looked mainly at the (0001) surface of α-Al 2 O 3 and its reactivity towards water. In particular, a great focus of this work is dedicated to simulate and address the vibrational spectra of water adsorbed on the α-alumina(0001) surface in various conditions and at different coverages. In fact, the main source of comparison and inspiration for this work comes from the collaboration with the “Interfacial Molecular Spectroscopy” group led by Dr. R. Kramer Campen at the Fritz-Haber Institute of the MPG in Berlin. The expertise of our project partners in surface-sensitive Vibrational Sum Frequency (VSF) generation spectroscopy was crucial to develop and adapt specific simulation schemes used in this work. Methodologically, the main approach employed in this thesis is Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) based on periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT) using the PBE functional with D2 dispersion correction. The analysis of vibrational frequencies from both a static and a dynamic, finite-temperature perspective offers the ability to investigate the water / aluminum oxide interface in close connection to experiment.
The first project presented in this work considers the characterization of dissociatively adsorbed deuterated water on the Al-terminated (0001) surface. This particular structure is known from both experiment and theory to be the thermodynamically most stable surface termination of α-alumina in Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) conditions. Based on experiments performed by our colleagues at FHI, different adsorption sites and products have been proposed and identified for D 2 O. While previous theoretical investigations only looked at vibrational frequencies of dissociated OD groups by staticNormal Modes Analysis (NMA), we rather employed a more sophisticated approach to directly assess vibrational spectra (like IR and VSF) at finite temperature from AIMD. In this work, we have employed a recent implementation which makes use of velocity-velocity autocorrelation functions to simulate such spectral responses of O-H(D) bonds. This approach allows for an efficient and qualitatively accurate estimation of Vibrational Densities of States (VDOS) as well as IR and VSF spectra, which are then tested against experimental spectra from our collaborators.
In order to extend previous work on unimolecularly dissociated water on α-Al 2 O 3 , we then considered a different system, namely, a fully hydroxylated (0001) surface, which results from the reconstruction of the UHV-stable Al-terminated surface at high water contents. This model is then further extended by considering a hydroxylated surface with additional water molecules, forming a two-dimensional layer which serves as a potential template to simulate an aqueous interface in environmental conditions. Again, employing finite-temperature AIMD trajectories at the PBE+D2 level, we investigated the behaviour of both hydroxylated surface (HS) and the water-covered structure derived from it (known as HS+2ML). A full range of spectra, from VDOS to IR and VSF, is then calculated using the same methodology, as described above. This is the main focus of the second project, reported in Chapter 5. In this case, comparison between theoretical spectra and experimental data is definitely good. In particular, we underline the nature of high-frequency resonances observed above 3700 cm −1 in VSF experiments to be associated with surface OH-groups, known as “aluminols” which are a key fingerprint of the fully hydroxylated surface.
In the third and last project, which is presented in Chapter 6, the extension of VSF spectroscopy experiments to the time-resolved regime offered us the opportunity to investigate vibrational energy relaxation at the α-alumina / water interface. Specifically, using again DFT-based AIMD simulations, we simulated vibrational lifetimes for surface aluminols as experimentally detected via pump-probe VSF. We considered the water-covered HS model as a potential candidate to address this problem. The vibrational (IR) excitation and subsequent relaxation is performed by means of a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics scheme. In such a scheme, we specifically looked at the O-H stretching mode of surface aluminols. Afterwards, the analysis of non-equilibrium trajectories allows for an estimation of relaxation times in the order of 2-4 ps which are in overall agreement with measured ones.
The aim of this work has been to provide, within a consistent theoretical framework, a better understanding of vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics for water on the α-alumina(0001) surface,ranging from very low water coverage (similar to the UHV case) up to medium-high coverages, resembling the hydroxylated oxide in environmental moist conditions.
In recent years the development of renewable energy sources attracted much attention due to the increasing environmental pollution induced by burning fossil fuels. The growing public interest in reducing greenhouse gases and the use of pollution-free energies (bio-mass-, geothermal-, solar-, water- or wind energy) paved the way for scientific research in renewable energies. [1] Solar energy provides unlimited access and offers high applicational flexibility, which is needed for energy consumption in a modern society. The scientific interest in photovoltaics (PV) nowadays focuses on discovering new materials and improving materials properties, aiming for the production of highly efficient solar cells. Lately, a new type of absorber material based on the perovskite type structure reached power conversion efficiencies of more than 24%. [2] By varying the chemical composition the electronic properties as e.g. the band gap energy can be tuned to increase the absorption range of this absorber material. This makes them in particular attractive for use in tandem solar cells, where silicon and perovskite absorber layers are combined to absorb a large range of the vible light (28.0% efficiency). [2] However, perovskite based solar cells not only suffer from fast degradation when exposed to humidity, but also from the use of toxic elements (e.g. lead), which can result in long-term environmental damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the fundamental structural and optoelectronical properties of highly interesting hybrid perovskite materials, the MAPbX3 solid solution (MA=CH3NH3; X=I,Br,Cl) and the triple cation (FA1-xMAx)1-yCsyPbI3 solid solution (FA=HC(NH2)2). The study was performed on powder samples by using X-ray diffraction, revealing the crystal structure and solubility behavior of all solid solutions. Moreover the temperature-dependent behavior was studied using in-situ high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and combinatorial thermal analysis methods. The influence of compositional changes on the band gap energy variation were observed using spectroscopic methods as photoluminescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The obtained results have shown that for the MAPb(I1-xBrx)3 solid solution a large miscibility gap in the range of 0.29 ( ± 0.02) ≤ x ≤ 0.92 ( ± 0.02) is present. This miscibility gap limits the suitable compositional range for use in thin film solar cells of mixed halide compounds. From the temperature-dependent in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies the complete T-X-phase diagram was established. Studies on the MAPb(Cl1-xBrx)3 solid solution revealed that MAPb(Cl1-xBrx)3 forms a complete solid solution series. For the triple cation (FA1-xMAx)1-yCsyPbI3 solid solution the aim was to study the formation of the d-modification in FAPbI3, which is undesired for solar cell application. This can be overcome by stabilizing the favored high temperature cubic a-modification at ambient conditions. By partial substituting the formamidinium molecule by methylammonium and cesium the stabilization of the cubic modification was successful. The solubility limit of FA1-xCsxPbI3 solid solution was determined to be x=0.1, while a full miscibility was observed for the FA1-xMAxPbI3 solid solution. For the triple cation (FA1-xMAx)1-yCsyPbI3 solid solution a solubility limit of cesium was observed to be y=0.1. The optoelectronic properties were investigated, revealing a linear change of band gap energy with chemical composition. It is demonstrated that the stabilized triple cation compound with cubic perovskite-type crystal structure shows enhanced stability of approximately six months. Furthermore, a short insight into lead-free perovskite-type materials is given, using germanium as non-toxic alternative to lead. For germanium based perovskites a fast decomposition in air was observed, due to the preferred formation of GeI4 in oxygen atmosphere. In-situ low temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements revealed a yet unknown low temperature modification of MAGeI3. [1] WESSELAK, Viktor; SCHABBACH, Thomas; LINK, Thomas; FISCHER, Joachim: Handbuch Regenerative Energietechnik. Springer, 2017 [2] NREL: Best Research-Cell Efficiencies. https://www.nrel.gov/pv/assets/pdfs/best-research-cell-efficiencies-190416.pdf. – 25.04.2019
Carbon nitride and poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) have been successfully applied in various fields of materials science owing to their outstanding properties. This thesis aims at the successful application of these polymers as innovative materials in the interfaces of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells. A critical problem in harnessing the full thermodynamic potential of halide perovskites in solar cells is the design and modification of interfaces to reduce carrier recombination. Therefore, the interface must be properly studied and improved. This work investigated the effect of applying carbon nitride and PILs on a perovskite surface on the device performance. The facile synthetic method for modifying carbon nitride with vinyl thiazole and barbituric acid (CMB-vTA) yields 2.3 nm layers when solution processing is performed using isopropanol. The nanosheets were applied as a metal-free electron transport layer in inverted perovskite solar cells. The application of carbon nitride layers (CMB-vTA) resulted in negligible current-voltage hysteresis with a high open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.1 V and a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 20.28 mA cm-2, which afforded efficiencies of up to 17%. Thus, the successful implementation of a carbon nitride-based structure enabled good charge extraction with minimized interface recombination between the perovskite and PCBM. Similarly, PILs represent a new strategy of interfacial modification using an ionic polymer in an n-i-p perovskite architecture.. The application of PILs as an interfacial modifier resulted in solar cell devices with an extraordinarily high efficiency of 21.8% and a Voc of 1.17 V. The implementation reduced non-radiative recombination at the perovskite surface through defect passivation. Finally, our work proposes a novel method to efficiently suppress non-radiative charge recombination using the unexplored properties of carbon nitride and PILs in the solar cell field. Additionally, the method for interfacial modification has general applicability because of the simplicity of the post-treatment approach, and therefore has potential applicability in other solar cells. Thus, this work opens the door to a new class of materials to be implemented.
Hepcidin-25 (Hep-25) plays a crucial role in the control of iron homeostasis. Since the dysfunction of the hepcidin pathway leads to multiple diseases as a result of iron imbalance, hepcidin represents a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of iron metabolism. Despite intense research in the last decade targeted at developing a selective immunoassay for iron disorder diagnosis and treatment and better understanding the ferroportin-hepcidin interaction, questions remain. The key to resolving these underlying questions is acquiring exact knowledge of the 3D structure of native Hep-25. Since it was determined that the N-terminus, which is responsible for the bioactivity of Hep-25, contains a small Cu(II)-binding site known as the ATCUN motif, it was assumed that the Hep-25-Cu(II) complex is the native, bioactive form of the hepcidin. This structure has thus far not been elucidated in detail. Owing to the lack of structural information on metal-bound Hep-25, little is known about its possible biological role in iron metabolism. Therefore, this work is focused on structurally characterizing the metal-bound Hep-25 by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. For the present work, a protocol was developed to prepare and purify properly folded Hep-25 in high quantities. In order to overcome the low solubility of Hep-25 at neutral pH, we introduced the C-terminal DEDEDE solubility tag. The metal binding was investigated through a series of NMR spectroscopic experiments to identify the most affected amino acids that mediate metal coordination. Based on the obtained NMR data, a structural calculation was performed in order to generate a model structure of the Hep-25-Ni(II) complex. The DEDEDE tag was excluded from the structural calculation due to a lack of NMR restraints. The dynamic nature and fast exchange of some of the amide protons with solvent reduced the overall number of NMR restraints needed for a high-quality structure. The NMR data revealed that the 20 Cterminal Hep-25 amino acids experienced no significant conformational changes, compared to published results, as a result of a pH change from pH 3 to pH 7 and metal binding. A 3D model of the Hep-25-Ni(II) complex was constructed from NMR data recorded for the hexapeptideNi(II) complex and Hep-25-DEDEDE-Ni(II) complex in combination with the fixed conformation of 19 C-terminal amino acids. The NMR data of the Hep-25-DEDEDE-Ni(II) complex indicates that the ATCUN motif moves independently from the rest of the structure. The 3D model structure of the metal-bound Hep-25 allows for future works to elucidate hepcidin’s interaction with its receptor ferroportin and should serve as a starting point for the development of antibodies with improved selectivity.