Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Woelfle, Caroline
Author's Email Address	cwoelfle@vt.edu
URN	etd-04062006-032422
Title	Study of Nanoparticle/Polymer Composites: I) Microstructures and Nonlinear Optical Solutions Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Polymers and II) Optical Properties of Quantum Dot/Polymer Composites
Degree	PhD
Department	Chemical Engineering
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Davis, Richey M. Committee Chair Claus, Richard O. Committee Co-Chair Sum, Amadeu K. Committee Member Wilkes, Garth L. Committee Member
Keywords	Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Dendrimer Quantum Dots
Date of Defense	2006-03-31
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Study of Nanoparticle/Polymer Composites: I) Microstructures and Nonlinear Optical Solutions Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Polymers and II) Optical Properties of Quantum Dot/Polymer Composites Caroline Woelfle ABSTRACT The overall research theme of this dissertation was the study of nanoparticle/polymer composites. Two types of nanoparticles were utilized: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and quantum dots. Chapter 1 of this thesis comprises an extensive literature review on Carbon Nanotubes, which presents theoretical aspects relevant to the structure and properties of CNTs, methods of purifying and solubilizing CNTs in aqueous and organic solvents and selected applications. This literature review is followed by the study and comparison of the optical limiting performances of different Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes/conjugated polymer dispersions (Chapter 2). The results obtained are discussed in terms of dispersion of the SWNTs in the polymer solutions and resulting SWNT bundle diameters. Chapter 3 presents the spontaneous assembly of dendrimer patterns induced by SWNTs. Finally, chapter 4 presents a new method for fabricating quantum dot/polymer composites, which uses the extraction of positively charged quantum dot into a hydrophobic liquid. The resulting solution is used as a compatible polymerization medium for poly(methylmethacrylate ) networks enabling the formation of transparent and fluorescent composites.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    01Titlepage-dissertation.pdf 10.20 Kb 00:00:02 00:00:01 00:00:01 < 00:00:01 < 00:00:01   02Table-of-Contents.pdf 102.58 Kb 00:00:28 00:00:14 00:00:12 00:00:06 < 00:00:01   03Chapter1.pdf 2.16 Mb 00:10:01 00:05:09 00:04:30 00:02:15 00:00:11   04Chapter2.pdf 823.32 Kb 00:03:48 00:01:57 00:01:42 00:00:51 00:00:04   05Chapter3.pdf 236.15 Kb 00:01:05 00:00:33 00:00:29 00:00:14 00:00:01   06Chapter4.pdf 433.27 Kb 00:02:00 00:01:01 00:00:54 00:00:27 00:00:02   07Chapter5.pdf 16.94 Kb 00:00:04 00:00:02 00:00:02 00:00:01 < 00:00:01   08VITA.pdf 8.22 Kb 00:00:02 00:00:01 00:00:01 < 00:00:01 < 00:00:01

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