Applications of Physical Chemistry in Solar Energy, Membrane Biophysics, and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

This dissertation records detailed applications of concepts and techniques in physical chemistry to a wide range of systems. Topics include: 1) A review of electrical scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods for analyzing properties of solar energy materials, particularly organic photovoltaics (OPVs), on the nanoscale. 2) Detection of charge traps induced by photooxidative damage in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OPVs via time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy (tr-EFM). 3) Development of a novel SPM technique with sub-microsecond time resolution. 4) Investigation of the morphology dependence of charge trap formation in BHJ OPVs using tr-EFM. 5) Direct observation of hallmarks of micron-scale liquid-liquid phase separation in the membranes of unperturbed, living cells via fluorescence microscopy. 6) A scientific investigation of the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s (IMA) Madonna and Child (IMA#51.98), a modern fake of a Trecento panel painting attributed to the artist, restorer, and forger Icilio Federico Joni. This body of work underscores the applicability and value of methods in physical chemistry to quantitative problems important in a wide range of fields. Here, those fields include solar energy, membrane biophysics, and cultural heritage.