The ability to diagnose the structure of a material at extreme conditions of high-pressure and high-temperature is fundamental to understanding its behaviour, especially since it was found that materials will adopt complex crystal structures at pressures in the Terapascal regime (1TPa). Static compression, using the diamond anvil cell coupled with synchrotron radiation has to date been the primary method for structural studies of materials at high pressure. However, dynamic compression is the only method capable of reaching pressures comparable to the conditions found in the interior of newly discovered exo-planets and gas giants where such exotic high-pressure behaviour is predicted to be commonplace among materials. While generating extreme conditions using shock compression has become a mature science, it has proved a considerable experimental challenge to directly observe and study such phase transformations that have been observed using static studies due to the lack of sufficiently bright X-ray sources. However, the commissioning of new 4th generation light sources known as free electron lasers now provide stable, ultrafast pulses of X-rays of unprecedented brightness allowing in situ structural studies of shock compressed materials and their phase transformation kinetics in unprecedented detail. Bismuth, with its highly complex phase diagram at modest pressures and temperatures, has been one of the most studied systems using both static and dynamic compression. Despite this, there has been no structural characterisation of the phases observed on shock compression and it is therefore the ideal candidate for the first structural studies using X-ray radiation from a free electron laser. Here, bismuth was shock compressed with an optical laser and probed in situ with X-ray radiation from a free electron laser. The evolution of the crystal structure (or lack there of) during compression and shock release are documented by taking snapshots of successive experiments, delayed in time. The melting of Bi on release from Bi-V was studied, with precise time scans showing the pressure releasing from high-pressure Bi-V phase until the melt curve is reached off-Hugoniot. Remarkable agreement with the equilibrium melt curve is found and the promise of this technique has for future off-Hugoniot melt curve studies at extreme conditions is discussed. In addition, shock melting studies of Bi were performed. The high-pressure Bi - V phase is observed to melt along the Hugoniot where melting is unambiguously identified with the emergence of a broad liquid-scattering signature. These measurements definitively pin down where the Hugoniot intersects the melt curve - a source of some disagreement in recent years. Evidence is also presented for a change in the local structure of the liquid on shock release. The impact of these results are discussed. Finally, a sequence of solid-solid phase transformations is observed on shock compression as well as shock release and is detected by distinct changes in the obtained diffraction patterns. The well established sequence of solid-solid phase transformations observed in previous static studies is not observed in our experiments. Rather, Bi is found to exist in some metastable structures instead of forming equilibrium phases. The implications these results have for observing reconstructive phase transformations in other materials on shock timescales are discussed.

Pressure and temperature are two environmental variables that are increasingly being exploited by solid-state researchers probing structure-property relationships in the crystalline state. Modern high-pressure apparatus is capable of generating many billions of Pascals in the laboratory, and therefore can produce significantly greater alterations to crystalline materials than changes in temperature, which can typically be varied by only a few thousand Kelvin. Many systems such as single-molecule magnets exhibit interesting properties under low-temperature regimes that can be substantially altered with pressure. The desire by investigators to perform analogous single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies has driven the development of new high-pressure apparatus and techniques designed to accommodate low-temperature environments. [Ni(en)3][NO3]2 undergoes a displacive phase transition from P6322 at ambient pressure to a lower symmetry P6122/P6522 structure between 0.82 and 0.87 GPa, which is characterized by a tripling of the unit cell c axis and the number of molecules per unit cell. The same transition has been previously observed at 108 K. The application of pressure leads to a general shortening of O···H hydrogen bonding interactions in the structure, with the greatest contraction (24%) occurring diagonally between stacks of Ni cation moieties and nitrate anions. A novel Turnbuckle Diamond Anvil Cell designed for high-pressure low-temperature single-crystal X-ray experiments on an open-flow cryostat has been calibrated using the previously reported phase transitions of five compounds: NH4H2PO4 (148 K), ferrocene (164 K), barbituric acid dihydrate (216 K), ammonium bromide (235 K), and potassium nitrite (264 K). From the observed thermal differentials between the reported and observed transition temperatures a linear calibration curve has been constructed that is applicable between ambient-temperature and 148 K. Low-temperature measurements using a thermocouple have been shown to vary significantly depending on the experimental setup for the insertion wire, whilst also adding undesirable thermal energy into the sample chamber which was largely independent of attachment configuration. High-pressure low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction data of [Mn12O12(O2CMe)16(H2O)4] (known as Mn12OAc) reveals a pressure-induced expulsion of the crystallized acetic acid from the crystal structure and resolution of the Jahn-Teller axes disorder between ambient pressure and 0.87 GPa. These structural changes have been correlated with high-pressure magnetic data indicating the elimination of a slow-relaxing isomer over this pressure range. Further application of pressure to 2.02 GPa leads to the expansion of these Jahn-Teller axes, resulting in an enhancement of the slow-relaxing magnetic anisotropy as observed in the literature. Relaxation of pressure leads to a resolvation of the crystal structure and re-disordering of the Jahn-Teller axes, demonstrating that this structural-magnetic phenomenon is fully reversible with respect to pressure. The space group of the Prussian blue analogue Mn3[Cr(CN)6].15H2O has been re-evaluated as R-3m between ambient pressure and 2.07 GPa using high-pressure single-crystal X-ray and high-pressure neutron powder data. Reductions in metal-metal distances and gradual distortions of the Mn octahedral geometry have been correlated with previously reported increases in Tc and declines in ferrimagnetic moment in the same pressure range. Increasing the applied pressure to 2.97 GPa leads to partial amorphization and results in a loss of long-range magnetic order as shown by the literature. The application of pressure (1.8 GPa) to the structure of K2[Pt(CN)4]Br0.24.3.24H2O (KCP(Br)) causes a reduction in the Pt intra-chain and inter-chain distances, and results in an enhancement of the overall conductivity under these conditions as demonstrated in the literature. Almost no changes occur to the high-pressure crystal structure upon cooling to 4 K, except in the Pt-Pt intra-chain distances which converge and suppress the Peierls distortion known to occur at 4 K, resulting in a comparatively greater electrical conductivity under these conditions.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Andrew Michael Hawryluk. / Ph.D.

Three new tetrakis [Rh2(PhNCOCH3)4·xNCR] (R = {2-CH3}C6H4 (x=2), R = {3-CH3}C6H4 (x=1), R = (3-CN)C6H4∞ (x=1)) complexes have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes were characterized by IR and 1H NMR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography which solved with R1<0.05. [Rh2(PhNCOCH3)4·2NC{2-CH3}C6H4] was triclinic (a=9.79Å, b=14.79Å, c=16.36Å, α=103.84⁰, β=99.17⁰, γ=99.77⁰, P-1(#2), μCN=2227.78cm-1, Rh-Rh=2.42Å, N-C=1.13Å, 1.14Å, Rh-N=2.34Å, 2.35Å, Rh-N-C=151.6⁰, 152.5⁰, Rh-Rh-N=173.0⁰, 174.6⁰). [Rh2(PhNCOCH3)4·NC{3-CH3}C6H4] was triclinic (a=11.71Å, b=13.02Å, c=13.40Å, α=72.34⁰, β=66.78⁰, γ=82.74⁰, P-1(#2), μCN=2241.28cm-1, Rh-Rh=2.40Å, N-C=1.14Å, Rh-N=2.16Å, Rh-N-C=166.3⁰, Rh-Rh-N=175.9⁰). [Rh2(PhNCOCH3)4·2NC{3-CN}C6H4]∞ was triclinic (a=11.88Å, b=13.30Å, c=14.88Å, α=77.98⁰, β=74.61⁰, γ=65.48⁰, P-1(#2), μCN=2233.57cm-1, Rh-Rh=2.41Å, N-C=1.13Å, 1.13Å, Rh-N=2.18Å, 2.38Å, Rh-N-C=166.8⁰, 127.7⁰, Rh-Rh-N=178.4⁰, 175.4⁰). The bond distances, bond angles and bonding interactions (σ and π) are similar to the metal-carbene bond formed during carbenoid transformations catalyzed by dirhodium(II) compounds.

Modern non-destructive approaches for quality control in manufacturing often rely on X-ray computed tomography to measure even difficult-to-reach features. Unfortunately, such measurements require hundreds or thousands of calibrated X-ray projections, which is a time-consuming process and may cause bottlenecks. In the recent state-of-the-art research, tens and hundreds of projections are still required. In this thesis, we examine the radiography physics, technologies, and ex- isting solutions, and we propose a novel approach for non-destructive dimensional measurements from a limited number of projections. Instead of relying on com- puted tomography, we formulate the measurements as a minimization problem in which we compare our parametric model to reference radiographs. We propose the whole dimensional measurements pipeline, including object parametrizations, material calibrations, simulations, and hierarchical optimizations. We fully im- plemented the method and evaluated its accuracy and repeatability using real radiographs of real physical objects. We achieved accuracy in the range of tens or hundreds of micrometers, which is almost comparable to industrial computed tomography, but we only used two or three reference radiographs. These results are significant for industrial quality control. Acquiring...

Hydrolysis products of aluminum that exist in aqueous solutions play an important role in controlling the fate and transport of contaminants and are also used for coagulants to purification of wastewater streams. Adsorption of contaminants such as heavy metals and organics are widely recognized, but the molecular level understanding of the mechanism of action has not been clearly defined. In this research we present the crystallization, structural characterization and chemical characterization of three novel Keggin-type aluminum polycations including ((Al(IDA)H2O)2(Al30O8(OH)60(H2O)22)(2,6 NDS)4(SO4)2Cl4(H2O)40) (Al32-IDA),[(Cu(H2O)2(µ2-OH)2)2(Al2(µ4-O)8(Al28(µ2-OH)50(µ3-OH)6(H2O)26(2,6-NDS)9(H2O)52]-(CuAl30) and [(Zn(NTA)H2O)2(Al(NTA)(µ2-OH)2)2(Al30(µ2-OH)54(µ3-OH)6(µ4-O)8(H2O)20(2,6-NDS)5(H2O)64]-(ZnAl32) where IDA = iminodiacetic acid, NTA- Nitrilotriacetic acid, and 2,6 NDS = 2,6 napthalene disulfonate. These compounds are the first ever reported Keggin-type aluminum species that have been functionalized with organics and heavy metal cations. Structural characterization of these compounds was done by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction along with FTIR, TGA, SEM/EDS and PXRD techniques for chemical characterization. This study provides more insight into the coagulation process and can be employed in developing optimized coagulants for enhanced water purification.

The reaction between the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone and phenyl vinyl sulfoxide resulted in the formation of the novel bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 and the monoalkylated sulfoxide 218. The effects of variation in reaction time, temperature and concentration were studied. Under optimal conditions (10 minutes, -10°C and 0.085 M) the ratio of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 (75% yield) to the monoalkylated sulfoxide 218 was 95:5. The bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 were characterised as the sulfone derivatives, bicyclooctanol sulfones 219 and 220. X-ray crystal structures were used to determine the relative stereochemistry of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 and the bicyclooctanol sulfones 219 and 220. Bicyclo[4.2.0]octano-1-ol formation was determined to occur via an ionic mechanism. Mechanistic studies were carried out using variations in reaction lighting and reaction solvent, conducting the reaction in the presence of a radical trap and quenching the reaction with a deuterium label. The role of the counterion was determined to be important in the formation of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217. Sequestering lithium ions with HMPA and substituting lithium with potassium favoured alkylation. Substituting the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone with the dimethylaluminium enolate of cyclohexanone resulted in a different distribution of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 and the formation of bicyclooctanol sulfoxide 243. Transition states to account for these differences have been proposed. The stability of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides under conditions of acid, base and heating was studied. Thermal ring opening of the bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215 and 216 to the monoalkylated sulfoxides 218A and 218B respectively occurred with retention of the configuration at sulfur. The relative stereochemistry of the individual bicyclooctanol sulfoxides 215-217 was considered to account for the observed stability in each case. The reaction between the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone and (R)-(+)-p-tolyl vinyl sulfoxide 193 gave the bicyclooctanol tolyl sulfoxides 246, 251 and 252 and the monoalkylated tolyl sulfoxide 247. This showed that both bond rotation in the side chain of the intermediate and epimerisation at sulfur occurred in the bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1-ol forming process. The presence of the sulfoxide functionality in phenyl vinyl sulfoxide was determined to be crucial to the formation of bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1-ols. In the reaction with the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone, phenyl vinyl sulfide gave no reaction, phenyl vinyl sulfone gave the bicyclic disulfones 260-265, ethyl acrylate gave the diesters 266-268 and diphenylvinylphosphine oxide gave the phosphine oxide 269. The cyclobutanol 270 and the ketone 271 were the products resulting from the reaction between the reaction between the lithium enolate of acetophenone and phenyl vinyl sulfoxide. This demonstrated potential scope for the cyclisation process using both cyclic and acyclic ketones.

The staling of baked products remains a significant cause of economic loss due to the loss of enjoyment seen as crumb firming occurs. The aims of the current project have been to investigate the stability of amylases in bakery formulations. In addition, the impact of partial hydrolysis products of starch on staling is investigated. Specific assays were used to measure ƒÑ-amylase and ƒÒ-amylase, in the presence of the other potentially interfering activity. ƒÑ-Amylase activity levels appeared to gradually increase during the proofing stages and then to decline upon heating of the dough. However, the activity remaining in the final baked loaf was readily measurable indicating that not all of the enzyme had been inactivated. Free and total ƒÒ-amylase activities were also measured and most was found to be in the free form. ƒÒ-Amylase was unstable with only relatively low activities remaining in the final baked loaf. It appears that of the two amylolytic enzymes, ƒÑ-a mylase is sufficiently stable that it may exert some impact on the crumb characteristics in the freshly baked product and during subsequent storage. In order to assess the likelihood that amylolysis is of significance to crumb characteristics, HPLC was used to analyse aqueous extracts for sugars. Commercial flours were found to contain low levels of sugars with maltose being the predominant sugar present. A number of commercial breads were also analysed and the composition found to vary between the different samples. Typically maltose was present at higher levels than the other sugars. When experimental loaves were analysed, the patterns showed that other sugars declined during proofing whereas maltose remained at readily measurable levels. Upon baking and subsequent storage the amounts of maltose increased. These results are consistent with the findings that some amylolytic activity remains in the baked product. In the third phase of this study, a potential means of investigating the role of particular carb ohydrates in product textures and staling rates was examined. The approach of spray drying was used to prepare microencapsulated maltodextrin. The encapsulating agents used were based upon rice starch and guar galactomannan. When these microcapsules were incorporated into the breadmaking formulation and baked, it appeared that softer crumb characteristics were achieved. The data also indicates an effect of delay in the staling rates. In a preliminary evaluation of the potential of two X-ray scattering methods, it was found that both techniques appear useful. The differences seen for samples of bread crumb analysed at various stages of storage did not show large differences in the intensity patterns. Of the two approaches, small angle analysis (SAXS) appears to show greater potential for application in ongoing studies of staling. In conclusion, cereal grain ƒÑ-amylase may be more stable during breadmaking than previously thought. There appears to be an increase in the level of some low molecular weight sugars in the final, baked product. Microencapsulation may offer a useful technique for the study of the role of specific carbohydrates during baking and storage of breads.

The dinuclear cyclometallated gold(I) complex [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] was prepared in high yield from the reaction of 2-LiC6F4PPh2 with either [AuBr(AsPh3)] or [AuCl(tht)], and from the reaction of 2-Me3SnC6F4PPh2 with [AuCl(tht)]. The digold(I) complex undergoes oxidative addition reactions with halogens to give the metal-metal bonded dihalodigold(II) complexes [Au2IIX2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] (X = Cl, Br, I), which on warming or exposure to light, isomerise to give the heterovalent gold(I)-gold(III) species [XAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX] containing a four-membered cyclometallated ring on a gold(III) centre. Unlike its protio analogue, [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] did not undergo oxidative addition of methyl iodide or dibenzoyl peroxide. The dihalodigold(II) [Au2IIX2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and gold(I)-gold(III) compounds [XAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX] (X = Cl, Br) are further oxidised by halogens to give the digold(III) species [Au2X4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and [X3Au(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuX], respectively. The complexes [Au2X4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] are reduced to the dihalodigold(II) complexes in the presence of one equivalent of zinc powder; further addition of zinc gave the parent digold(I) dimer. Treatment of [Au2IICl2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] and [ClAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuCl] with an excess of silver nitrate, benzoate, acetate, trifluoroacetate or triflate gave the corresponding oxyanion complexes. Slow crystallisation of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex from dichloromethane and methanol gave the parent digold(I) complex derived by reductive elimination. The di(triflato)digold(II) complex behaved similarly, although in this case the novel gold(I) tetramer [Au4(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)4] was formed together with the dimer. Two closely related gold complexes containing the chelating κ2(C,O) phosphine oxide ligand, 2-C6F4P(O)PPh2, were isolated from the reaction of [ClAu(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)AuCl] with an excess of silver nitrate. The reaction of [Au2IICl2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] with two equivalents of potassium trifluoroethoxide failed to give the corresponding digold(II) bis(alkoxo) complex; instead, reduction took place to form the digold(I) dimer [Au2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2]. Treatment of a solution of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex with C6F5Li gave the pentafluorophenyl complex [Au2(C6F5)2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] which, when heated in toluene, rearranged to the gold(I)-gold(III) complex [(C6F5)Au(µ-2-C6F4PPh2)(κ2-2-C6F4PPh2)Au(C6F5)], analogous to the behaviour of the dihalodigold(II) complexes. The heterovalent, gold(I)-gold(III) dimethyl compound [Au2I,III(CH3)2(μ-2-C6F4PPh2)2] was obtained from the reaction of the di(benzoato)digold(II) complex with dimethylzinc. This compound is structurally similar to its tetraprotio analogue. The cycloaurated dinuclear gold complexes [Au2(μ-C6H3-n-F-2-PPh2)2] (n = 5, 6) were made similarly to the 2-C6F4PPh2 analogue from the appropriate lithium or tin reagents, though in some cases the dimers were formed in admixture with the corresponding gold(I) tetramers. Like their tetrafluoro analogues, the 6-fluoro complexes [Au2X2(μ-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)2] (X = Cl, Br, I) rearrange on heating to give the heterovalent gold(I)-gold(III) species [XAu(µ-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)(κ2-C6H3-6-F-2-PPh2)AuX]. Thus, the presence of a fluorine atom in place of hydrogen in the 6-position of the bridging aryl group is sufficient to stop the isomerisation of the digold(II) complexes [Au2X2(μ-2-C6H4PPh2)2] at the gold(I)-gold(III) stage and to prevent subsequent C-C coupling of the aryl groups at the gold(III) centre. In contrast, the dihalodigold(II) complexes containing the 5-fluoro substituted ligand undergo reductive elimination and coupling of the metallated aryl groups to give the digold(I) biphenyldiyl complexes [Au2X2(2,2'-Ph2P-5-FC6H3C6H3-5-F-PPh2)] (X = Cl, Br, I). The described complexes were characterised using 1H NMR, 31P NMR, 19F NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and 197Au Mössbauer spectroscopy.

<p>In a time of global environmental problems due to overuse of fossil fuels, and a subsequent depletion of the supplies, hydrogen is considered as one of the most important renewable future fuels for use in clean energy systems with zero greenhouse-gas emission. Hydrogen storage is the main issue that needs to be solved before the technology can be implemented into key areas such as transport. The high energy density, good stability and reversibility of metal hydrides make them appealing as hydrogen storage materials. In this thesis research on synthesis and hydrogen absorption properties for intermetallic compounds based on scandium and aluminium is reported. The compounds were synthesized by arc melting or induction melting and exposed to hydrogen in a high pressure furnace. Desorption investigations were performed by thermal desorption spectroscopy. The samples were analyzed by x-ray powder diffraction and electron microscopy. ScAlNi, crystallizing in the MgZn2-type structure (space group: P63/mmc; a = 5.1434(1) Å, c = 8.1820(2) Å), was found to absorb hydrogen by two different mechanisms at different temperature regions. At ~120 °C hydrogen was absorbed by solid solution formation with estimated compositions up to ScAlNiH0.5. At ~500 °C hydrogen was absorbed by disproportionation of ScAlNi into ScH2 and AlNi. The reaction was found to be fully reversible due to destabilization effects which lowered the decomposition temperature of ScH2 by ~460 °C.</p>