First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor Prof. Braja K. Mandal, for his support, patience, encouragement, inspiration and guidance throughout my Ph. D. study. It was a great honor to work under his supervision.
My sincere appreciation also goes to my thesis committee members: Prof.Carlo Segre, Prof. David Minh, and Prof. Hyun - Soon Chong for their time,helpful comments, and advice.
I am thankful to the Chemistry Department for providing me financial support throughout my program. Special thanks to my academic colleagues in my group, for giving me unforgettable memories.
To my parents, without your unconditional support and encouragement,this journey on the track of my graduate research career would have been impossible. Thank you very much.
I am dedicating this thesis to my grandfather and share the joy of this accomplishment. He has always been concerning about me during my adolescence.
Lastly, I would like to give my regards to my friends who supported me in many ways during the completion of the research work.