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Layered structures are ubiquitous in nature and industrial products, in which individual layers could have different mechanical/thermal properties and functions independently contributing to the performance of the whole layered structure for their relevant application. Tuning each layer affects the performance of the whole layered system.
Pores are utilized in various disciplines, where low density, but large surfaces are demanded. Besides, open and interconnected pores would act as a transferring channel for guest chemical molecules. The shape of pores influences compression behavior of the material. Moreover, introducing pores decreases the density and subsequently the mechanical strength. To maintain defined mechanical strength under various stress, porous structure can be reinforced by adding reinforcement agent such as fiber, filler or layered structure to bear the mechanical stress on demanded application.
In this context, this thesis aimed to generate new functions in bilayer systems by combining layers having different moduli and/or porosity, and to develop suitable processing techniques to access these structures.
Manufacturing processes of layered structures employ often organic solvents mostly causing environmental pollution. In this regard, the studied bilayer structures here were manufactured by processes free of organic solvents.
In this thesis, three bilayer systems were studied to answer the individual questions.
First, while various methods of introducing pores in melt-phase are reported for one-layer constructs with simple geometry, can such methods be applied to a bilayer structure, giving two porous layers?
This was addressed with Bilayer System 1. Two porous layers were obtained from melt-blending of two different polyurethanes (PU) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in a co-continuous phase followed by sequential injection molding and leaching the PVA phase in deionized water. A porosity of 50 ± 5% with a high interconnectivity was obtained, in which the pore sizes in both layers ranged from 1 µm to 100 µm with an average of 22 µm in both layers. The obtained pores were tailored by applying an annealing treatment at relevant high temperatures of 110 °C and 130 °C, which allowed the porosity to be kept constant. The disadvantage of this system is that a maximum of 50% porosity could be reached and removal of leaching material in the weld line section of both layers is not guaranteed. Such a construct serves as a model for bilayer porous structure for determining structure-property relationships with respect to the pore size, porosity and mechanical properties of each layer. This fabrication method is also applicable to complex geometries by designing a relevant mold for injection molding.
Secondly, utilizing scCO2 foaming process at elevated temperature and pressure is considered as a green manufacturing process. Employing this method as a post-treatment can alter the history orientation of polymer chains created by previous fabrication methods. Can a bilayer structure be fabricated by a combination of sequential injection molding and scCO2 foaming process, in which a porous layer is supported by a compact layer?
Such a construct (Bilayer System 2) was generated by sequential injection molding of a PCL (Tm ≈ 58 °C) layer and a PLLA (Tg ≈ 58 °C) layer. Soaking this structure in the autoclave with scCO2 at T = 45 °C and P = 100 bar led to the selective foaming of PCL with a porosity of 80%, while the PLA layer was kept compact. The scCO2 autoclave led to the formation of a porous core and skin layer of the PCL, however, the degree of crystallinity of PLLA layer increased from 0 to 50% at the defined temperature and pressure. The microcellular structure of PCL as well as the degree of crystallinity of PLLA were controlled by increasing soaking time.
Thirdly, wrinkles on surfaces in micro/nano scale alter the properties, which are surface-related. Wrinkles are formed on a surface of a bilayer structure having a compliant substrate and a stiff thin film. However, the reported wrinkles were not reversible. Moreover, dynamic wrinkles in nano and micro scale have numerous examples in nature such as gecko foot hair offering reversible adhesion and an ability of lotus leaves for self-cleaning altering hydrophobicity of the surface. It was envisioned to imitate this biomimetic function on the bilayer structure, where self-assembly on/off patterns would be realized on the surface of this construct.
In summary, developing layered constructs having different properties/functions in the individual layer or exhibiting a new function as the consequence of layered structure can give novel insight for designing layered constructs in various disciplines such as packaging and transport industry, aerospace industry and health technology.
This habilitation thesis summarises the research work performed by the author during the last quindecennial period. The dissertation reflects his main research interests, which revolve around quantum dynamics of small-sized molecular systems, including their interactions with electromagnetic radiation or dissipative environments. This covers various dynamical processes that involve bound-bound, bound-free, and free-free molecular transitions. The latter encompass light-triggered rovibrational or rovibronic dynamics in bound molecules, molecular photodissociation induced by weak or strong laser fields, state-to-state reactive and/or inelastic molecular collisions, and phonon-driven vibrational relaxation of adsorbates at solid surfaces. Although the dissertation covers different topics of molecular reaction dynamics, most of these studies focus on nuclear quantum effects and their manifestations in experimental measures. The latter are assessed through comparison between quantum and classical predictions, and/or direct confrontation of theory and experiment. Most well known quantum concepts and effects will be encountered in this work. Yet, almost all these quantum notions find their roots in the central pillar of quantum theory, namely, the quantum superposition principle. Indeed, quantum coherence is the main source of most quantum effects, including interference, entanglement, and even tunneling. Thus, the common and predominant theme of all the investigations of this thesis is quantum coherence, and the survival or quenching of subsequent interference effects in various molecular processes. The lion's share of the dissertation is devoted to two associated quantum concepts, which are usually overlooked in computational molecular dynamics, viz. the Berry phase and identical nuclei symmetry. The importance of the latter in dynamical molecular processes and their direct fingerprints in experimental observables also rely very much on quantum coherence and entanglement. All these quantum phenomena are thoroughly discussed within the four main topics that form the core of this thesis. Each topic is described in a separate chapter, where it is briefly summarised and then illustrated with three peer-reviewed publications. The first topic deals with the relevance of quantum coherence/interference in molecular collisions, with a focus on the hydrogen-exchange reaction, H+H2 --> H2+H, and its isotopologues. For these collision processes, the significance of interference of probability amplitudes arises because of the existence of two main scattering pathways. The latter could be inelastic and reactive scattering, direct and time-delayed scattering, or two encircling reaction paths that loop in opposite senses around a conical intersection (CI) of the H3 molecular system. Our joint theoretical-experimental investigations of these processes reveal strong interference and geometric phase (GP) effects in state-to-state reaction probabilities and differential cross sections. However, these coherent effects completely cancel in integral cross sections and reaction rate constants, due to efficient dephasing of interference between the different scattering amplitudes. As byproducts of these studies, we highlight the discovery of two novel scattering mechanisms, which contradict conventional textbook pictures of molecular reaction dynamics. The second topic concerns the effect of the Berry phase on molecular photodynamics at conical intersections. To understand this effect, we developed a topological approach that separates the total molecular wavefunction of an unbound molecular system into two components, which wind in opposite senses around the conical intersection. This separation reveals that the only effect of the geometric phase is to change the sign of the relative phase of these two components. This in turn leads to a shift in the interference pattern of the molecular system---a phase shift that is reminiscient of the celebrated Aharonov-Bohm effect. This procedure is numerically illustrated with photodynamics at model standard CIs, as well as strong-field dissociation of diatomics at light-induced conical intersections (LICIs). Besides the fundamental aspect of these studies, their findings allow to interpret and predict the effect of the GP on the state-resolved or angle-resolved spectra of pump-probe experimental schemes, particularly the distributions of photofragments in molecular photodissociation experiments. The third topic pertains to the role of the indistinguishability of identical nuclei in molecular reaction dynamics, with an emphasis on dynamical localization in highly symmetric molecules. The main object of these studies is whether nuclear-spin statistics allow dynamical localization of the electronic, vibrational, or even rotational density on a specific molecular substructure or configuration rather than on another one which is identical (indistinguishable). Group-theoretic analysis of the symmetrized molecular wavefunctions of these systems shows that nuclear permutation symmetry engenders quantum entanglement between the eigenstates of the different molecular degrees of freedom. This subsequently leads to complete quenching of dynamical localization over indistinguishable molecular substructures---an observation that is in sharp contradiction with well known textbook views of iconic molecular processes. This is illustrated with various examples of quantum dynamics in symmetric double-well achiral molecules, such as the prototypical umbrella inversion motion of ammonia, electronic Kekulé dynamics in the benzene molecule, and coupled electron-nuclear dynamics in laser-induced indirect photodissociation of the dihydrogen molecular cation. The last part of the thesis is devoted to the development of approximate wavefunction approaches for phonon-induced vibrational relaxation of adsorbates (system) at surfaces (bath). Due to the so-called 'curse of dimensionality', these system-bath complexes cannot be handled with standard wavefunction methods. To alleviate the exponential scaling of the latter, we developed approximate yet quite accurate numerical schemes that have a polynomial scaling with respect to the bath dimensionality. The corresponding algorithms combine symmetry-based reductions of the full vibrational Hilbert space and iterative Krylov techniques. These approximate wavefunction approaches resemble the 'Bixon-Jortner model' and the more general 'quantum tier model'. This is illustrated with the decay of H-Si (D-Si) vibrations on a fully H(D)-covered silicon surface, which is modelled with a phonon-bath of more than two thousand oscillators. These approximate methods allow reliable estimation of the adsorbate vibrational lifetimes, and provide some insight into vibration-phonon couplings at solid surfaces. Although this topic is mainly computational, the developed wavefunction approaches permit to describe quantum entanglement between the system and bath states, and to embody some coherent effects in the time-evolution of the (sub-)system, which cannot be accounted for with the widely used 'reduced density matrix formalism'.
Fabricating electronic devices from natural, renewable resources has been a common goal in engineering and materials science for many years. In this regard, carbon is of special significance due to its biological compatibility. In the laboratory, carbonized materials and their composites have been proven as promising solutions for a range of future applications in electronics, optoelectronics, or catalytic systems. On the industrial scale, however, their application is inhibited by tedious and expensive preparation processes and a lack of control over the processing and material parameters. Therefore, we are exploring new concepts for the direct utilization of functional carbonized materials in electronic applications. In particular, laser-induced carbonization (carbon laser-patterning (CLaP)) is emerging as a new tool for the precise and selective synthesis of functional carbon-based materials for flexible on-chip applications.
We developed an integrated approach for on-the-spot laser-induced synthesis of flexible, carbonized films with specific functionalities. To this end, we design versatile precursor inks made from naturally abundant starting compounds and reactants to cast films which are carbonized with an infrared laser to obtain functional patterns of conductive porous carbon networks. In our studies we obtained deep mechanistic insights into the formation process and the microstructure of laser-patterned carbons (LP-C). We shed light on the kinetic reaction mechanism based on the interplay between the precursor properties and the reaction conditions. Furthermore, we investigated the use of porogens, additives, and reactants to provide a toolbox for the chemical and physical fine-tuning of the electronic and surface properties and the targeted integration of functional sites into the carbon network. Based on this knowledge, we developed prototype resistive chemical and mechanical sensors. In further studies, we show the applicability of LP-C as electrode materials in electrocatalytic and charge-storage applications.
To put our findings into a common perspective, our results are embedded into the context of general carbonization strategies, fundamentals of laser-induced materials processing, and a broad literature review on state-of-the-art laser-carbonization, in the general part.
Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are promising energy storage devices by asymmetrically combining anode with a high energy density close to lithium-ion batteries and cathode with a high power density and long-term stability close to supercapacitors. For the further improvement of LICs, the development of electrode materials with hierarchical porosity, nitrogen-rich lithiophilic sites, and good electrical conductivity is essential. Nitrogen-rich all-carbon composite hybrids are suitable for these conditions along with high stability and tunability, resulting in a breakthrough to achieve the high performance of LICs. In this thesis, two different all-carbon composites are suggested to unveil how the pore structure of lithiophilic composites influences the properties of LICs. Firstly, the composite with 0-dimensional zinc-templated carbon (ZTC) and hexaazatriphenylene-hexacarbonitrile (HAT) is examined how the pore structure is connected to Li-ion storage property as LIC electrode. As the pore structure of HAT/ZTC composite is easily tunable depending on the synthetic factor and ratio of each component, the results will allow deeper insights into Li-ion dynamics in different porosity, and low-cost synthesis by optimization of the HAT:ZTC ratio. Secondly, the composite with 1-dimensional nanoporous carbon fiber (ACF) and cost-effective melamine is proposed as a promising all-carbon hybrid for large-scale application. Since ACF has ultra-micropores, the numerical structure-property relationships will be calculated out not only from total pore volume but more specifically from ultra-micropore volume. From these results above, it would be possible to understand how hybrid all-carbon composites interact with lithium ions in nanoscale as well as how structural properties affect the energy storage performance. Based on this understanding derived from the simple materials modeling, it will provide a clue to design the practical hybrid materials for efficient electrodes in LICs.
The retention of actinides in different oxidation states (An(X), X = III, IV, VI) by a calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) phase with a Ca/Si (C/S) ratio of 0.8 was investigated in the presence of gluconate (GLU). The actinides considered were Am(III), Th(IV), Pu(IV), and U(VI). Eu(III) was investigated as chemical analogue for Am(III) and Cm(III). In addition to the ternary systems An(X)/GLU/C-S-H, also binary systems An(X)/C-S-H, GLU/C-S-H, and An(X)/GLU were studied. Complementary analytical techniques were applied to address the different specific aspects of the binary and ternary systems. Time-resolved laser-induced luminescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) was applied in combination with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to identify retained species and to monitor species-selective sorption kinetics. ¹³C and ²⁹Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to determine the bulk structure and the composition of the C-S-H surface, respectively, in the absence and presence of GLU. The interaction of Th(IV) with GLU in different electrolytes was studied by capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS). The influence of GLU on An(X) retention was investigated for a large concentration range up to 10⁻² M. The results showed that GLU had little to no effect on the overall An(X) retention by C-S-H with C/S of 0.8, regardless of the oxidation state of the actinides. For Eu(III), the TRLFS investigations additionally implied the formation of a Eu(III)-bearing precipitate with dissolved constituents of the C-S-H phase, which becomes structurally altered by the presence of GLU. For U(VI) sorption on the C-S-H phase, only a small influence of GLU could be established in the luminescence spectroscopic investigations, and no precipitation of U(VI)-containing secondary phases could be identified.
The retention of actinides in different oxidation states (An(X), X = III, IV, VI) by a calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) phase with a Ca/Si (C/S) ratio of 0.8 was investigated in the presence of gluconate (GLU). The actinides considered were Am(III), Th(IV), Pu(IV), and U(VI). Eu(III) was investigated as chemical analogue for Am(III) and Cm(III). In addition to the ternary systems An(X)/GLU/C-S-H, also binary systems An(X)/C-S-H, GLU/C-S-H, and An(X)/GLU were studied. Complementary analytical techniques were applied to address the different specific aspects of the binary and ternary systems. Time-resolved laser-induced luminescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) was applied in combination with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to identify retained species and to monitor species-selective sorption kinetics. ¹³C and ²⁹Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to determine the bulk structure and the composition of the C-S-H surface, respectively, in the absence and presence of GLU. The interaction of Th(IV) with GLU in different electrolytes was studied by capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS). The influence of GLU on An(X) retention was investigated for a large concentration range up to 10⁻² M. The results showed that GLU had little to no effect on the overall An(X) retention by C-S-H with C/S of 0.8, regardless of the oxidation state of the actinides. For Eu(III), the TRLFS investigations additionally implied the formation of a Eu(III)-bearing precipitate with dissolved constituents of the C-S-H phase, which becomes structurally altered by the presence of GLU. For U(VI) sorption on the C-S-H phase, only a small influence of GLU could be established in the luminescence spectroscopic investigations, and no precipitation of U(VI)-containing secondary phases could be identified.
Technologically important, environmentally friendly InP quantum dots (QDs) typically used as green and red emitters in display devices can achieve exceptional photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QYs) of near-unity (95-100%) when the-state-of-the-art core/shell heterostructure of the ZnSe inner/ZnS outer shell is elaborately applied. Nevertheless, it has only led to a few industrial applications as QD liquid crystal display (QD–LCD) which is applied to blue backlight units, even though QDs has a lot of possibilities that able to realize industrially feasible applications, such as QD light-emitting diodes (QD‒LEDs) and luminescence solar concentrator (LSC), due to their functionalizable characteristics.
Before introducing the main research, the theoretical basis and fundamentals of QDs are described in detail on the basis of the quantum mechanics and experimental synthetic results, where a concept of QD and colloidal QD, a type-I core/shell structure, a transition metal doped semiconductor QDs, the surface chemistry of QD, and their applications (LSC, QD‒LEDs, and EHD jet printing) are sequentially elucidated for better understanding. This doctoral thesis mainly focused on the connectivity between QD materials and QD devices, based on the synthesis of InP QDs that are composed of inorganic core (core/shell heterostructure) and organic shell (surface ligands on the QD surface). In particular, as for the former one (core/shell heterostructure), the ZnCuInS mid-shell as an intermediate layer is newly introduced between a Cu-doped InP core and a ZnS shell for LSC devices. As for the latter one (surface ligands), the ligand effect by 1-octanethiol and chloride ion are investigated for the device stability in QD‒LEDs and the printability of electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing system, in which this research explores the behavior of surface ligands, based on proton transfer mechanism on the QD surface.
Chapter 3 demonstrates the synthesis of strain-engineered highly emissive Cu:InP/Zn–Cu–In–S (ZCIS)/ZnS core/shell/shell heterostructure QDs via a one-pot approach. When this unconventional combination of a ZCIS/ZnS double shelling scheme is introduced to a series of Cu:InP cores with different sizes, the resulting Cu:InP/ZCIS/ZnS QDs with a tunable near-IR PL range of 694–850 nm yield the highest-ever PL QYs of 71.5–82.4%. These outcomes strongly point to the efficacy of the ZCIS interlayer, which makes the core/shell interfacial strain effectively alleviated, toward high emissivity. The presence of such an intermediate ZCIS layer is further examined by comparative size, structural, and compositional analyses. The end of this chapter briefly introduces the research related to the LSC devices, fabricated from Cu:InP/ZCIS/ZnS QDs, currently in progress.
Chapter 4 mainly deals with ligand effect in 1-octanethiol passivation of InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs in terms of incomplete surface passivation during synthesis. This chapter demonstrates the lack of anionic carboxylate ligands on the surface of InP/ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), where zinc carboxylate ligands can be converted to carboxylic acid or carboxylate ligands via proton transfer by 1-octanethiol. The as-synthesized QDs initially have an under-coordinated vacancy surface, which is passivated by solvent ligands such as ethanol and acetone. Upon exposure of 1-octanethiol to the QD surface, 1-octanthiol effectively induces the surface binding of anionic carboxylate ligands (derived from zinc carboxylate ligands) by proton transfer, which consequently exchanges ethanol and acetone ligands that bound on the incomplete QD surface. The systematic chemical analyses, such as thermogravimetric analysis‒mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, directly show the interplay of surface ligands, and it associates with QD light-emitting diodes (QD‒LEDs).
Chapter 5 shows the relation between material stability of QDs and device stability of QD‒LEDs through the investigation of surface chemistry and shell thickness. In typical III–V colloidal InP quantum dots (QDs), an inorganic ZnS outermost shell is used to provide stability when overcoated onto the InP core. However, this work presents a faster photo-degradation of InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs with a thicker ZnS shell than that with a thin ZnS shell when 1-octanethiol was applied as a sulfur source to form ZnS outmost shell. Herein, 1-octanethiol induces the form of weakly-bound carboxylate ligand via proton transfer on the QD surface, resulting in a faster degradation at UV light even though a thicker ZnS shell was formed onto InP/ZnSe QDs. Detailed insight into surface chemistry was obtained from proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis–mass spectrometry. However, the lifetimes of the electroluminescence devices fabricated from InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs with a thick or a thin ZnS shell show surprisingly the opposite result to the material stability of QDs, where the QD light-emitting diodes (QD‒LEDs) with a thick ZnS shelled QDs maintained its luminance more stable than that with a thin ZnS shelled QDs. This study elucidates the degradation mechanism of the QDs and the QD light-emitting diodes based on the results and discuss why the material stability of QDs is different from the lifetime of QD‒LEDs.
Chapter 6 suggests a method how to improve a printability of EHD jet printing when QD materials are applied to QD ink formulation, where this work introduces the application of GaP mid-shelled InP QDs as a role of surface charge in EHD jet printing technique. In general, GaP intermediate shell has been introduced in III–V colloidal InP quantum dots (QDs) to enhance their thermal stability and quantum efficiency in the case of type-I core/shell/shell heterostructure InP/GaP/ZnSeS QDs. Herein, these highly luminescent InP/GaP/ZnSeS QDs were synthesized and applied to EHD jet printing, by which this study demonstrates that unreacted Ga and Cl ions on the QD surface induce the operating voltage of cone jet and cone jet formation to be reduced and stabilized, respectively. This result indicates GaP intermediate shell not only improves PL QY and thermal stability of InP QDs but also adjusts the critical flow rate required for cone-jet formation. In other words, surface charges of quantum dots can have a significant role in forming cone apex in the EHD capillary nozzle. For an industrially convenient validation of surface charges on the QD surface, Zeta potential analyses of QD solutions as a simple method were performed, as well as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for a composition of elements.
Beyond the generation of highly emissive InP QDs with narrow FWHM, these studies talk about the connection between QD material and QD devices not only to make it a vital jumping-off point for industrially feasible applications but also to reveal from chemical and physical standpoints the origin that obstructs the improvement of device performance experimentally and theoretically.
Its properties make copper one of the world’s most important functional metals. Numerous megatrends are increasing the demand for copper. This requires the prospection and exploration of new deposits, as well as the monitoring of copper quality in the various production steps. A promising technique to perform these tasks is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Its unique feature, among others, is the ability to measure on site without sample collection and preparation. In this work, copper-bearing minerals from two different deposits are studied. The first set of field samples come from a volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit, the second part from a stratiform sedimentary copper (SSC) deposit. Different approaches are used to analyze the data. First, univariate regression (UVR) is used. However, due to the strong influence of matrix effects, this is not suitable for the quantitative analysis of copper grades. Second, the multivariate method of partial least squares regression (PLSR) is used, which is more suitable for quantification. In addition, the effects of the surrounding matrices on the LIBS data are characterized by principal component analysis (PCA), alternative regression methods to PLSR are tested and the PLSR calibration is validated using field samples.
Its properties make copper one of the world’s most important functional metals. Numerous megatrends are increasing the demand for copper. This requires the prospection and exploration of new deposits, as well as the monitoring of copper quality in the various production steps. A promising technique to perform these tasks is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Its unique feature, among others, is the ability to measure on site without sample collection and preparation. In this work, copper-bearing minerals from two different deposits are studied. The first set of field samples come from a volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit, the second part from a stratiform sedimentary copper (SSC) deposit. Different approaches are used to analyze the data. First, univariate regression (UVR) is used. However, due to the strong influence of matrix effects, this is not suitable for the quantitative analysis of copper grades. Second, the multivariate method of partial least squares regression (PLSR) is used, which is more suitable for quantification. In addition, the effects of the surrounding matrices on the LIBS data are characterized by principal component analysis (PCA), alternative regression methods to PLSR are tested and the PLSR calibration is validated using field samples.
Functional materials, also called "Smart Materials", are described by their ability to fulfill a desired task through targeted interaction with its environment. Due to this functional integration, such materials are of increased interest, especially in areas where the increasing micronization of components is required. Modern manufacturing processes (e.g. microfluidics) and the availability of a wide variety of functional materials (e.g. shape memory materials) now enable the production of particle-based switching components. This category includes micropumps and microvalves, whose basic function is the active control of liquid flows. One approach in realizing those microcomponents as pursued by this work, enables variable size-switching of water-filled microballoons by implementing a stimulus-sensitive switching motif in the capsule's membrane shell, while being under the influence of a constant driving force. The switching motif with its gatekeeper function has a critical influence on one or more material parameters, which modulate the capsule's resistance against the driving force in microballoon expansion process. The advantage of this concept is that even non-variable analyte conditions, such as concentration levels of ions, can be capitalized to generate external force fields that, under the control of the membrane, cause an inflation of the microballoon by an osmotically driven water influx. In case of osmotic pressure gradients as the driving force for the capsule expansion, material parameters associated with the gatekeeper function are specifically the permeability and the mechanical stiffness of the shell material. While a modulation of the shell permeability could be utilized to kinetically impede the water influx on large time scales, a modulation of the shell's mechanical stiffness even might be utilized to completely prevent the capsule inflation due to a possible non-deformability beneath a certain threshold pressure. In polymer networks, which are a suitable material class for the demanded capsule shell because of their excellent elasticity, both the permeability and the mechanical properties are strongly influenced by the crystallinity of the material. Since the permeability is effectively reduced with increasing crystallinity, while the mechanical stiffness is simultaneously greatly increased, both effects point in the same direction in terms of their functional relationship. For this reason and due to a reversible and contactless modulation of the membrane crystallinity by heat input, crystallites may be suitable switching motifs for controlling the capsule expansion. As second design element of reversible expandable microballoons, the capsule geometry, defined by an aqueous core enveloped by the temperature-sensitive polymer network membrane, should allow an osmotic pressure gradient across the membrane layer. The strength of the inflation pressure and the associated inflation velocity upon membrane melting should be controlled by the salt concentration within the aqueous core, while a turn in the osmotic gradient should furthermore allow the reversible process of capsule deflation. Therefore, it should be possible to build either microvalves and micropumps, while their intended action of either pumping or valving is determined by their state of expansion and the direction of the osmotic pressure gradient.. Microballoons of approximately 300 µm in diameter were formed via droplet-based microfluidics from double-emulsion templates (w/o/w). The elastomeric capsule membrane was formed by photo-crosslinking of methacrylate (MA) functionalized oligo(ε-caprolactone) precursors (≈ 3.8 MA-arms, Mn ≈ 12000 g mol-1) within the organic medium layer (o) via UV-exposure after droplet-formation. After removal of the toluene/chloroform mixture by slow extraction via the continuous aqueous phase, the capsules solidified under the development of a characteristic "mushroom"-like shape at specific experimental conditions (e.g. λ = 308 nm, 57 mJ·s-1·cm-2, 16 min). It could be furthermore shown that in dependency to the process parameters: oligomer concentration and curing-time also spherical capsules were accessible. Long curing-times and high oligomer concentrations at a fixed light-intensity favored the formation of "mushroom"-like capsules, whereas the contrary led to spherical shaped capsules. A comparative study on thin polymer network films of same composition and equal treatment proved a correlation between the film's crosslink density and their contraction capability, while stronger crosslinked polymer networks showed a stronger contraction after solvent removal. In combination with observations during capsule solidification via light-microscopy, where a continuous shaping from almost spherical crosslinked templates to "mushroom"-shaped and solidified capsules was stated, the following mechanism was proposed. In case of low oligomer contents and short curing-times, the contraction of the capsule shell during solvent removal is strongly diminished due to a low degree of crosslinking. Therefore, the solidifying shell could freely collapse onto the aqueous core. In the other case, high oligomer concentrations and long curing-times will favor the formation of highly crosslinked capsule membranes with a strong contraction capability. Due to an observed decentered location of the aqueous core within the swollen polymer network, an uneven radial stress along the capsule's circumference is exerted to the incompressible core. This lead to an uneven contraction during solvent removal and a directed flow of the core fluid into the direction of the minimal stress vector. In consequence, the initially thicker spherical cap contracts, whereas the opposing thinner spherical cap get stretched. The "mushroom"-shape over some advantages over their spherical shaped counterparts, why they were selected for the further experiments. Besides the necessity of a high density of crosslinking for the purpose of extraordinary elasticity and toughness, the form-anisotropy promotes a faster microballoon expandability due to a partial reduction of the membrane thickness. Additionally, pre-stretched regions of thin thickness might provide a better resistance against inflation pressure than spherical but non-stretched capsules of equal membrane thickness. The resulting "mushroom"-shaped microcapsules exhibited a melting point of Tm ≈ 50 - 60 °C and a degree of crystallinity of Xc ≈ 29 - 38 % depending on the membrane thickness and internal salt content, which is slightly lower than for the non-crosslinked oligomer and reasoned by a limited chain mobility upon crosslinking. Nonetheless, the melting transition of the polymer network was associated with a strong drop in its mechanical stiffness, which was shown to have a strong influence on the osmotic driven expansion of the microcapsules. Capsules that were subjected to osmotic pressures between 1.5 and 4.7 MPa did not expand if the temperature was well below the melting point of the capsule's membrane, i.e. at room temperature. In contrast, a continuous expansion, while approaching asymptotically to a final capsule size, was observed if the temperature exceeded the melting point, i.e. 60 °C. Microballoons, which were kept for 56 days at ∆Π = 1.5 MPa and room temperature, did not change significantly in diameter, why the impact of the mechanical stiffness on the expansion behavior is considered to be the greater than the influence of the shell permeability. The time-resolved expansion behavior of the microballoons above their Tm was subsequently modeled, using difusion equations that were corrected for shape anisotropy and elastic restoring forces. A shape-related and expansion dependent pre-factor was used to dynamically address the influence of the shell thickness differences along the circumference on the inflation velocity, whereas the microballoon's elastic contraction upon inflation was rendered by the inclusion of a hyperelastic constitutive model. An important finding resulting from this model was the pronounced increase in inflation velocity compared to hypothetical capsules with a homogeneous shell thickness, which stresses the benefit of employing shape anisotropic balloon-like capsules in this study. Furthermore, the model was able to predict the finite expandability on basis of entropy-elastic recovery forces and strain-hardening effects. A comparison of six different microballoons with different shell thicknesses and internal salt contents showed the linear relationship between the volumetric expansion, the shell thickness and the applied osmotic pressure, as represented by the model. As the proposed model facilitates the prediction of the expansion kinetics depending on the membranes mechanical and diffusional characteristics, it might be a screening tool for future material selections. In course of the microballoon expansion process, capsules of intermediate diameters could be isolated by recrystallization of the membrane, which is mainly caused by a restoration of the membrane's mechanical stiffness and is otherwise difficult to achieve with other stimuli-sensitive systems. The capsule's crystallinity of intermediate expansion states was nearly unchanged, whereas the lamellar crystal size tends to decreased with the expansion ratio. Therefore, it was assumed that the elastic modulus was only minimally altered and might increased due to the networks segment-chain extension. In addition to the volume increase achieved by inflation, a turn in the osmotic gradient also facilitated the reversible deflation, which was shown in inflation/deflation cycles. These both characteristics of the introduced microballoons are important parameter regarding the realization of micropumps and microvalves. The fixation of expanded microcapsules via recrystallization enabled the storage of entropy-elastic strain-energy, which could be utilized for pumping actions in non-aqueous media. Here, the pumping velocity depended on both, the type of surrounding medium and the applied temperature. Surrounding media that supported the fast transport of pumped liquid showed an accelerated deflation, while high temperatures further accelerate the pumping velocity. Very fast rejection of the incorporated payload was furthermore realized with pierced expanded microballoons, which were subjected to temperatures above their Tm. The possible fixation of intermediate particle sizes provide opportunities for vent constructions that allowed the precise adjustment of specific flow-rates and multiple valve openings and closings. A valve construction was realized by the insertion of a single or multiple microballoons in a microfluidic channel. A complete and a partial closing of the microballoon-valves was demonstrated as a function of the heating period. In this context, a difference between the inflation and deflation velocity was stated, summarizing slower expansion kinetics. Overall, microballoons, which presented both on-demand pumping and reversible valving by a temperature-triggered change in the capsule's volume, might be suitable components that help to design fully integrated LOC devices, due to the implementation of the control switch and controllable inflation/deflation kinetics. In comparison to other state of the art stimuli-sensitive materials, one has to highlight the microballoons capability of stabilizing almost continuously intermediate capsule sizes by simple recrystallization of the microballoon's membrane.
The urge of light utilization in fabrication of materials is as encouraging as challenging. Steadily increasing energy consumption in accordance with rapid population growth, is requiring a corresponding solution within the same rate of occurrence speed. Therefore, creating, designing and manufacturing materials that can interact with light and in further be applicable as well as disposable in photo-based applications are very much under attention of researchers. In the era of sustainability for renewable energy systems, semiconductor-based photoactive materials have received great attention not only based on solar and/or hydrocarbon fuels generation from solar energy, but also successful stimulation of photocatalytic reactions such as water splitting, pollutant degradation and organic molecule synthesisThe turning point had been reached for water splitting with an electrochemical cell consisting of TiO2-Pt electrode illuminated by UV light as energy source rather than an external voltage, that successfully pursued water photolysis by Fujishima and Honda in 1972. Ever since, there has been a great deal of interest in research of semiconductors (e.g. metal oxide, metal-free organic, noble-metal complex) exhibiting effective band gap for photochemical reactions. In the case of environmental friendliness, toxicity of metal-based semiconductors brings some restrictions in possible applications. Regarding this, very robust and ‘earth-abundant’ organic semiconductor, graphitic carbon nitride has been synthesized and successfully applied in photoinduced applications as novel photocatalyst. Properties such as suitable band gap, low charge carrier recombination and feasibility for scaling up, pave the way of advance combination with other catalysts to gather higher photoactivity based on compatible heterojunction.
This dissertation aims to demonstrate a series of combinations between organic semiconductor g-CN and polymer materials that are forged through photochemistry, either in synthesis or in application. Fabrication and design processes as well as applications performed in accordance to the scope of thesis will be elucidated in detail. In addition to UV light, more attention is placed on visible light as energy source with a vision of more sustainability and better scalability in creation of novel materials and solar energy based applications.
Facing the environmental crisis, new technologies are needed to sustain our society. In this context, this thesis aims to describe the properties and applications of carbon-based sustainable materials. In particular, it reports the synthesis and characterization of a wide set of porous carbonaceous materials with high nitrogen content obtained from nucleobases. These materials are used as cathodes for Li-ion capacitors, and a major focus is put on the cathode preparation, highlighting the oxidation resistance of nucleobase-derived materials. Furthermore, their catalytic properties for acid/base and redox reactions are described, pointing to the role of nitrogen speciation on their surfaces. Finally, these materials are used as supports for highly dispersed nickel loading, activating the materials for carbon dioxide electroreduction.
Despite the popularity of thermoresponsive polymers, much is still unknown about their behavior, how it is triggered, and what factors influence it, hindering the full exploitation of their potential. One particularly puzzling phenomenon is called co-nonsolvency, in which a polymer is soluble in two individual solvents, but counter-intuitively becomes insoluble in mixtures of both. Despite the innumerous potential applications of such systems, including actuators, viscosity regulators and as carrier structures, this field has not yet been extensively studied apart from the classical example of poly(N isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) in mixtures of water and methanol. Therefore, this thesis focuses on evaluating how changes in the chemical structure of the polymers impact the thermoresponsive, aggregation and co-nonsolvency behaviors of both homopolymers and amphiphilic block copolymers. Within this scope, both the synthesis of the polymers and their characterization in solution is investigated. Homopolymers were synthesized by conventional free radical polymerization, whereas block copolymers were synthesized by consecutive reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations. The synthesis of the monomers N isopropyl methacrylamide (NIPMAM) and N vinyl isobutyramide (NVIBAM), as well as a few chain transfer agents is also covered. Through turbidimetry measurements, the thermoresponsive and co-nonsolvency behavior of PNIPMAM and PNVIBAM homopolymers is then compared to the well-known PNIPAM, in aqueous solutions with 9 different organic co-solvents. Additionally, the effects of end-groups, molar mass, and concentration are investigated. Despite the similarity of their chemical structures, the 3 homopolymers show significant differences in transition temperatures and some divergences in their co-nonsolvency behavior. More complex systems are also evaluated, namely amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers of PNIPAM and PNIPMAM with polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) hydrophobic blocks. Dynamic light scattering is used to evaluate their aggregation behavior in aqueous and mixed aqueous solutions, and how it is affected by the chemical structure of the blocks, the chain architecture, presence of cosolvents and polymer concentration. The results obtained shed light into the thermoresponsive, co-nonsolvency and aggregation behavior of these polymers in solution, providing valuable information for the design of systems with a desired aggregation behavior, and that generate targeted responses to temperature and solvent mixture changes.
Complex emulsions are dispersions of kinetically stabilized multiphasic emulsion droplets comprised of two or more immiscible liquids that provide a novel material platform for the generation of active and dynamic soft materials. In recent years, the intrinsic reconfigurable morphological behavior of complex emulsions, which can be attributed to the unique force equilibrium between the interfacial tensions acting at the various interfaces, has become of fundamental and applied interest. As such, particularly biphasic Janus droplets have been investigated as structural templates for the generation of anisotropic precision objects, dynamic optical elements or as transducers and signal amplifiers in chemo- and bio-sensing applications. In the present thesis, switchable internal morphological responses of complex droplets triggered by stimuli-induced alterations of the balance of interfacial tensions have been explored as a universal building block for the design of multiresponsive, active, and adaptive liquid colloidal systems. A series of underlying principles and mechanisms that influence the equilibrium of interfacial tensions have been uncovered, which allowed the targeted design of emulsion bodies that can alter their shape, bind and roll on surfaces, or change their geometrical shape in response to chemical stimuli. Consequently, combinations of the unique triggerable behavior of Janus droplets with designer surfactants, such as a stimuli-responsive photosurfactant (AzoTAB) resulted for instance in shape-changing soft colloids that exhibited a jellyfish inspired buoyant motion behavior, holding great promise for the design of biological inspired active material architectures and transformable soft robotics.
In situ observations of spherical Janus emulsion droplets using a customized side-view microscopic imaging setup with accompanying pendant dropt measurements disclosed the sensitivity regime of the unique chemical-morphological coupling inside complex emulsions and enabled the recording of calibration curves for the extraction of critical parameters of surfactant effectiveness. The deduced new "responsive drop" method permitted a convenient and cost-efficient quantification and comparison of the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) and effectiveness of various cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfactants. Moreover, the method allowed insightful characterization of stimuli-responsive surfactants and monitoring of the impact of inorganic salts on the CMC and surfactant effectiveness of ionic and nonionic surfactants. Droplet functionalization with synthetic crown ether surfactants yielded a synthetically minimal material platform capable of autonomous and reversible adaptation to its chemical environment through different supramolecular host-guest recognition events. Addition of metal or ammonium salts resulted in the uptake of the resulting hydrophobic complexes to the hydrocarbon hemisphere, whereas addition of hydrophilic ammonium compounds such as amino acids or polypeptides resulted in supramolecular assemblies at the hydrocarbon-water interface of the droplets. The multiresponsive material platform enabled interfacial complexation and
thus triggered responses of the droplets to a variety of chemical triggers including metal ions, ammonium compounds, amino acids, antibodies, carbohydrates as well as amino-functionalized solid surfaces.
In the final chapter, the first documented optical logic gates and combinatorial logic circuits based on complex emulsions are presented. More specifically, the unique reconfigurable and multiresponsive properties of complex emulsions were exploited to realize droplet-based logic gates of varying complexity using different stimuli-responsive surfactants in combination with diverse readout methods. In summary, different designs for multiresponsive, active, and adaptive liquid colloidal systems were presented and investigated, enabling the design of novel transformative chemo-intelligent soft material platforms.