Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have been studied extensively because of their extraordinary electronic properties. Due to the unique relationship of bandgap and physical width, GNRs have become one of the most promising candidates for electronic devices. Current GNR synthesis methods usually incorporate unzipping of carbon nanotubes, which is difficult to control. Template growth synthesis is presented as a novel idea to create GNRs in a controllable manner without using harsh chemicals.

The objective of this project was to learn more about the mechanism and feasibility of template synthesis as a means to produce GNRs. In this project, metallic carbon nanotubes were used as template to synthesize GNRs. First, a thin film of nanotubes was deposited on desired substrates, and then they were subjected to plasma etching to convert into an amorphous structure. The samples were then annealed with and without a carbon source as an attempt to produce GNRs. Atomic force microscopy measurements showed that nanotube height decreased and width increased after annealing, which suggests that a planar structure may have formed, such as graphene. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy showed that after annealing, there was a slight increase in the G’ peak with respect to the G peak as well as a slight right-shift of the G’ band, which both indicate the presence of graphene structure. Future work will be to perform electrical measurements and transmission electron microscopy to further verify the presence of GNRs.

The coupling of an electromagnetic plane wave to a thin conductor depends on the sheet conductance of the material. A poor conductor interacts weakly with the incoming light, allowing the majority of the radiation to pass. A good conductor does not absorb light and reflects the wave almost entirely. For suspended films, the transition from transmitter to reflector occurs when the sheet resistance is approximately the characteristic impedance of free-space (Z0 = 377 Ω). Near this point, the interaction is maximized, and the conductor absorbs strongly. We show that monolayer graphene, a tunable conductor, can be electrically modified to reach this transition, thereby achieving the maximum absorptive coupling across a broad range of frequencies in terahertz (THz) band. This interaction with an electromagnetic wave, to be a transmitter or absorber, is based on tunable electronic properties (rather than geometric structure), and is realized by bottom-up engineering of large-area monolayer graphene devices.

Chemical vapor deposition is used to increase the graphene domain size and decrease grain boundaries. By using a fast two-step oxidized copper growth, individual graphene domains of 5-mm can be synthesized in less than 5-hours total growth duration. Following CVD synthesis, graphene transfer is optimized by removing bubbles that adhere to the graphene surface, and are transferred onto substrates modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAM), leading to improvement of the device on/off ratio. The high mobility graphene devices fabricated demonstrate the largest transmittance depth-of-modulation of THz waves to date, and by impedance matching devices using chemical doping, near maximum absorption is achieved.

Mitochondrial bioenergetics and its relationship to apoptosis, otherwise known as programmed cell death, has been the focus of numerous studies in the past, including cancer biology, neurodegenerative disorders, etc. Historically, mitochondrial functions, dysfunctions and their properties have been studied using millions of cells, via a series of molecular assays, and with high variability and heterogeneity within the mitochondrial populations under study. The rationale behind the methods used and developed in this thesis is to study these intricate organelles on micro and nano-scales, and on a single isolated vital mitochondrion capacity. Given the currently available nano technologies, it is now possible to design, optimize and develop platforms that would allow for such nano scale explorations of sub-cellular dynamics. Furthermore, we have attempted to optimize the design and deposition process of more pristine nanotube based biosensors. This process involved the testing and characterization of various types of filter papers, substrates and functionalization schemes, which were studied and will be the topic of research in future investigations.

New generation of biosensors based on nanofabrication techniques show great promise for clinical analysis, diagnosis of diseases and drug discovery. One of the areas in which development of new techniques and technologies is crucial is the field of analysis of individual sub-cellular organelles. Mitochondria not only produce cellular energy, they are also involved in cellular signaling and control the cell fate. Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in many human diseases; development of new technologies for mitochondrial analysis is essential to understanding the mechanism of these illnesses and finding a cure for them.

During the course of this research, three different types of devices for analyzing mitochondria were designed, fabricated and characterized. First a miniaturized on-chip ion-selective device for mitochondrial membrane potential assays was developed. This device facilitates mitochondrial evaluations when the available mitochondrial sample is very small and therefore commercial sensors cannot be used. The second device is a Nanofluidic platform to trap individual mitochondria and is extremely useful for fluorescence microscopy studies of different characteristics of individual mitochondria. Single mitochondrion membrane potential studies were demonstrated using this device. Finally, a novel method was developed for mitochondrial studies; this method is based on capacitive sensing of individual mitochondrion's membrane potential using carbon nanotube transistors integrated into a microfluidic channel. Assays of mitochondrial membrane potential using the prototype device is presented and shows unprecedented temporal resolution compared to prior studies.

This study examines the group-based emotions of vicarious shame and vicarious guilt using an elaboration of the perceptual control focus of identity theory. The concept of social identity is refined through incorporating categorical and corporate dimensions. This extends identity theory by including new dimensions of meaning, which have not been examined in the existing literature as well as by testing the predictive power of specific emotions as outcomes of the identity verification process. Moreover, the role of culture via interdependent self-construals is also considered within these processes. To empirically test these relationships, two surveys are administered to over three hundred students at a large Southwestern university. The survey contains a series of hypothetical scenarios measuring two social identities: ethnic and classmate. The purpose of the scenarios is to create the conditions in which vicarious shame and guilt are thought to occur in addition to activating the respondent's social identity. After respondents read each scenario, they are queried regarding their social identities, reflected appraisals, extent to which they saw the act as a violation, motivation to change how others perceive them and emotional responses among other things. Results are mixed; showing that while ethnic and classmate identities do not significantly predict shame and guilt, reflected appraisals do across all scenarios. In certain contexts degree of violation, degree of self-reported interdependence, and identity prominence are also shown to be significant predictors. Implications of the study findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.