Quantum chemical study on structural and electronic properties of oligofluorenes with potential technological applications

Nesta tese foi analisada a evolução das propriedades eletrônicas e estruturais de oligômeros do fluoreno e de dois derivados, relacionada com a inserção gradativa de unidades monoméricas, utilizando-se os métodos de química quântica semi-empríricos, ab initio Hartree-Fock e Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT). Para tal finalidade, foram realizadas análises metodológicas assaz detalhadas com os monômeros e dímeros (fluoreno, FF e TFFF), cujos resultados mostraram que os métodos semi-empíricos AM1 e PM3 são inadequados para descrever as distribuições das cargas derivadas do potencial eletrostático e, por conseguinte, as propriedades que dependem das mesmas. Além disso, as análises conformacionais realizadas para as três espécies de dímeros mostraram que ambas as estruturas estáveis do TFFF apresentaram o mesmo momento de dipolo total, provavelmente devido à influência dos átomos de flúor sobre o sistema. Ademais, com as investigações concernentes ao crescimento gradual das cadeias oligoméricas foi constatado que os espectros de UV e as energias dos orbitais fronteira calculados para os oligômeros seguiram a mesma tendência exibida por seus polímeros correspondentes, segundo os resultados de voltametria cíclica e de UV divulgados na literatura. Enquanto que os ângulos diedros adotados pelos oligômeros indicaram que suas conformações não são planares. Quanto à energia total, verificou-se que o decaimento linear relativo aos oligômeros do TFFF sucedeu aproximadamente três vezes mais rápido que o observado para os do fluoreno. Portanto, as aplicações dos fundamentos da Química Quântica e a correlação entre esses resultados teóricos e medidas experimentais reportadas na literatura, evidenciaram que com estas informações é factível estimar algumas propriedades de polímeros orgânicos ?-conjugados a partir de seus oligômeros, utilizando-se métodos de química quântica apropriados.In this thesis, the evolution of electronic and structural properties of fluorene oligomers and two derivatives were accomplished relating to the gradual insertion of monomeric units using the quantum chemical methods semiempirical, ab initio Hartree-Fock and Density Functional Theory (DFT). For this purpose, detailed methodological analyses were performed with their monomers and dimers (fluorene, FF and TFFF). These results showed that the semiempirical methods AM1 and PM3 are inadequate to describe the atomic charges derived from electrostatic potential distributions and, hence, for the properties depending of them. In addition, the conformational analysis achieved for these three dimers showed that both stable structures found for the TFFF dimer possess the same total dipole moment, this is probably due to the influence of the fluorine atoms on the system. Moreover, with investigations regarding to the gradual increase in the oligomeric chain, it was verified that the UV spectra and the frontier orbital energies calculated for the oligomers provided the same tendency bespoken by their relative polymers from cyclic voltametry and UV measurements shown in the literature. Besides, the dihedral angles found in the oligomers indicated that their conformations are not planar. Furthermore, the total energy linear decay of the TFFF oligomers behaves approximately three times faster than that exhibited by the fluorene oligomers. In this way, the applications of the Quantum Chemistry principles and the correlation between these theoretical results and experimental data reported in the literature evidenced that using these information is feasible to estimate some properties of polymers from their oligomers by means of appropriate methods of quantum chemistry

Polarized emission from stretched PPV films viewed at the molecular level.

We present a study on the photoluminescence (PL) of thin films of poly-(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), non-stretched and uniaxially stretched. The experimental study was carried out using linear polarized light as the excitation beam, oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the stretch axis (S). The results showed that when the excitation light source has polarization perpendicularly oriented to the stretch direction, the emitted PL presents maximum intensity in the orientation S, and a minimum in the direction orthogonal to S. In order to understand this interesting phenomenon, we employ theoretical simulations at the atomistic level. We use classical molecular dynamics to simulate amorphous PPV films, non-stretched and stretched, from which we find a tendency of overall alignment of PV units to S, and of local clustering in herring-bone and p-stacking partial symmetries. Our study of optical activity of these kinds of clusters, performed through a quantum semi-empirical method, allows us to explain this polarization conversion behavior, and indicates the possibility of using underivatized PPV as the active layer for polarized electroluminescent devices

Structural dependence of MEH-PPV chromism in solution.

The chromism observed in the MEH-PPV polymer in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution is discussed as a function of the structural morphology of the backbone chains. To evaluate this phenomenon, we carried out simulations employing a hybrid methodology using molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical approaches. Our results support the hypothesis that the morphological order– disorder transition is related to the change from red to blue phase observed experimentally. The morphological disorder is associated with total or partial twisted arrangements in the polymer backbone, which induces an electronic conjugation length more confined to shorter segments. In addition, the main band of the MEH-PPV UV–Vis spectrum at the lower wavelength is related to the blue phase, in contrast to the red phase found for the more planar backbone chains

Synthesis and application of a new carboxylated cellulose derivative. Part III: Removal of auramine-O and safranin-T from mono- and bi-component spiked aqueous solutions

In the third part of this series of studies, the adsorption of the basic textile dyes auramine-O (AO) and safranin-T (ST) on a carboxylated cellulose derivative (CTA) were evaluated in mono- and bi-component spiked aqueous solutions. Adsorption studies were developed as a function of solution pH, contact time, and initial dye concentration. Adsorption kinetic data were modeled by monocomponent kinetic models of pseudo-first- (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), intraparticle diffusion, and Boyd, while the competitive kinetic model of Corsel was used to model bicomponent kinetic data. Monocomponent adsorption equilibrium data were modeled by the Langmuir, Sips, Fowler-Guggenhein, Hill de-Boer, and Konda models, while the IAST and RAST models were used to model bicomponent equilibrium data. Monocomponent maximum adsorption capacities for AO and ST at pH 4.5 were 2.841 and 3.691 mmol g−1, and at pH 7.0 were 5.443 and 4.074 mmol g−1, respectively. Bicomponent maximum adsorption capacities for AO and ST at pH 7.0 were 1.230 and 3.728 mmol g−1. Adsorption enthalpy changes (ΔadsH) were obtained using isothermal titration calorimetry. The values of ΔadsH ranged from −18.83 to −5.60 kJ mol−1, suggesting that physisorption controlled the adsorption process. Desorption and re-adsorption of CTA was also evaluated

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data