Cavitand-, Fullerene-, and Porphyrin Porphyrincontaining Mechanically and Optically Active Monolayers

209 Pages·2004·6.754 MB·English

by  Marotti F.

Diss. ETH No. 15714
Cavitand-, Fullerene-, and Porphyrin-
containing Langmuir Films: Preparation of
Mechanically and Optically Active Monolayers
A dissertation submitted to the
SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ZÜRICH
For the degree of
Doctor of Natural Sciences
Presented by
Federica Marotti
Dottore in Chimica
Universitá “La Sapienza” di Roma, Italy
born May 21, 1972 in Rome, Italy
Accepted on the recommendation of
Prof. Dr. François Diederich, examiner
Dr. Carlo Thilgen, co-examiner
Prof. Dr. Peter Walde, co-examiner
Dr. Jean-Louis Gallani, co-examiner
Zürich 2004

Ai miei genitori

“Cogito, ergo sum!”
René Descartes

Aknowledgements
I would like to thank Prof. Dr. François Diederich for giving me the opportunity to work
on such an interesting and challenging project, and also for his guidance as well as for his
encouragement during my PhD Thesis. I greatly appreciated his enthusiasm as well as
the freedom I had in the execution of the project.
I sincerely thank Dr. Carlo Thilgen for accepting the co-examination of my Thesis and
for his rigorous and critical comments while proof-reading this manuscript. Thank you
very much; I know that it was hard time for you!
I am thankful to Dr. Jean-Louis Gallani for accepting the co-examination of my Thesis
and for helpful suggestions about the Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett technique.
Also, I would like to thank Prof. Peter Walde for being my co-examiner.
I would like to thank Becky Hof, and Dr. Davide Bonifazi for their critical proof-reading
of this manuscript.
I am grateful to Irma Näf for all very accurate help with administrative problems.
I want to thank all the members of the ETH staff for the valuable services they provided.
In particular, Rolf Häfliger for the rapidity in performing HR-MALDI mass analyses.
I thank all the members of the Diederich’s group for their friendship and for creating a
very pleasant working environment.
Merçi à Dr. David Carcache (il mio toro preferito), it was a really pleasure to know you
and to share with you nice moments in- and out- the lab.
With you, Markus Frei and Kaspar Schärer I shared a really great time and I really
enjoyed our “special” conversation; Tobias Welti for his prompt help in solving my
problems with the computers; Henry Dube for his help with Mopac and for his guidance
in cleaning the rotavap!
Dr. Olivier Enger, Dr. Nils F. Utesch, Dr. Nicolle Moonen, Dr. Severin Odermatt,
Markus Frei, Romain Siegrist, Marine Guillot, Dr. Fraser Hof, Becky and Sophie Hof,
Christine Crane, Vito Convertino, Dr. Nikos Chronakis, Dr. Jacob Olsen, Dr. Frieder
Mitzel, Dr. Delphine Felder, Dr. Peter Manini, Dr. Davide Bonifazi, Carmen Atienza,
and Lorenzo Alonso, I could never forget the nice time we had together in the chemistry
building, or outside of the ETH. You all made my life in Zürich a real pleasure!
I am grateful to Christine Crane, Vito Convertino, and Dr. Raffaella Faraoni for their
friendship, I will keep you in my heart.
I would like to thank a very special person Dr. Nikos Chronakis, you always supported
me with your suggestions and your encouragement. I am really glad to have found a very
good friendship.
Un grazie immenso al Dr. Peter Manini per la sua grande amicizia e disponibilitá e per
aver sopportato tutti i miei nervosismi. Porteró sempre con me ogni istante passato
insieme.
Un ringraziamento speciale va al Dr. Davide Bonifazi: hai avuto un grosso peso in questa
tesi di dottorato. Grazie per le interessanti dicussioni e per gli innumerevoli spunti che
mi hai dato. È stato divertente e anche un po’ doloroso dividere l’ufficio con te; chissá se
zio Bruno è dello stesso parere?
Grazie, grazie, grazie a Giulio Casi per la tua amicizia e ..... per le tue deliziose cenette;
Rudi Fasan (siamo gemelli!!!!!) che con il tuo sorriso (.....i tuoi bei dentoni) e buon
umore hai rischiarato le giornate un po’ piú scure; Dr. Silvia Rasi per essermi stata
amorevolmente vicino quando non era poi tanto facile farlo; Dr. Salvatore Chessari per
le interessanti analisi sulla vita: è stato un vero piacere condividere con te la mia
esperienza zurighese, sono molto contenta di averti conosciuto!
E non posso non dire GRAZIE alle mie due piú care amiche Dr. Paola Luci e Dr.
Francesca Vitali. Vi ringrazio per i bellissimi e significativi momenti che abbiamo
trascorso e continueremo a trascorrere insieme. Mi avete incoraggiato e supportato (e
anche sopportato) nei momenti belli cosí come in quelli brutti con un amore
incondizionato di cui solo una grandissima amicizia è capace. Vi adoro!!!
E infine un grazie di cuore va a mio padre e mia madre che mi hanno insegnato ad amare
la vita ed ad accettare e fronteggiare con un sorriso le difficoltá, senza mai demordere.
Grazie per avermi sostenuto, senza perdere mai la fiducia in me, e per avermi amato
senza chiedere nulla in cambio.