In this dissertation, a wide range of materials which exhibit interesting properties with potential for energy efficiency applications are investigated. The bulk of the research was conducted using the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) technique. EXAFS is a powerful tool for elucidating the local structure of novel materials, and it's advantages are presented in Chapter 2.
In Chapter 3, I present details on two new techniques which are used in studies later in this dissertation, but are also promising for other, unrelated studies and, therefore, warrant being discussed generally. I explain the presence of and present a method for subtracting the X-ray Raman background in the fluorescence window when collecting fluorescence EXAFS data of a dilute dopant Z in a Z+1 host. I introduce X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and discuss the process to reduce XMCD data, including the self-absorption corrections for low energy K-edges.
In Chapter 4, I present a series of investigations on ZnS:Cu electroluminescent phosphors. Optical microscopy indicates that the emission centers do not degrade uniformly or monotonically, but rather, most of the emission centers blink on and off during degradation. The effect of this on various proposed degradation mechanisms is discussed. EXAFS data of ZnS:Cu phosphors ground to enable thinner, lower-voltage devices indicate that grinding preferentially causes damage to the CuS nanoprecipitates, quenching electroluminescence (EL) and concluding that smaller particles must be built up from nanoparticles instead. EXAFS data of nanoparticles show that adding a ZnS shell outside a ZnS:Cu core provides significant additional encapsulation of the Cu, increasing photoluminescence and indicating that this may increase EL if devices can be fabricated. Data from extremely dilute (0.02% Cu) ZnS:Cu nanoparticles is presented in order to specifically study the non-precipitate and suggests that the Cu dopant substitutes for Zn and is adjacent to a S vacancy.
In Chapter 5, I present a study into thermoelectric clathrates to determine how differences in size of one of the cage atoms affects the local structure and, therefore, the thermoelectric properties. I then discuss the effect of additional cage disorder on the scattering of phonons and the scattering of electrons, and thus the thermoelectric figure of merit.
In Chapter 6, I present an XMCD study of La1-xSrxCoO3, finding results that are consistent with Sr-induced formation of ferromagnetic clusters within the non-magnetic, insulating matrix. We also show that not only are the O states spin-polarized, but a significant fraction of holes from Sr-doping go onto the O sites. Further, experimental results are compared to density functional calculations and discussed.
