<p>  </p> <p>Organic synthesis is the application of one or more reactions to the preparation of a particular target molecule, and can pertain to a single-step transformation or to a number of sequential chemical steps depicted by a scheme overall. The selection of a reaction or series of reactions while considering chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivities in addition to protecting group strategies & redox manipulations highlights the complexity in designing & executing a synthetic plan while making a judgement about what is the most effective and efficient plan to synthesize any given chemical compound among numerous available options. To this end, chemical synthesis is the unifying theme of this thesis & was utilized and strategically applied to construct increasingly complex and diverse molecular architectures. </p> <p>Being the precise science that organic chemistry is, this discipline extends into many areas such as technology, biology & medicine, and even into the fine arts since it fosters unparalleled creativity and imagination in its practice. Research foci in chemical synthesis can encompass both the discovery and development of powerful reactions and the invention of strategies for the construction of defined target molecules, natural or man-made, more or less complex. Studies in the former area, synthetic methodology, fuel and enable studies in the latter area, target molecule and total synthesis campaigns, where the latter area offers a testing ground for the former. Consequently, the bulk of this research work is in organic methodology and will be covered in greater depth during chapters 2 and 3 where strategies, optimizations, & analyses are elaborated upon in light of searching & navigating the vast body of chemical literature in an effort to broaden and strengthen one's laboratory expertise as a synthetic chemist. Lastly, chapter 4 focuses not on traditional synthesis but on organic structure analysis relying on various techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) and/or X-ray crystallography to hypothesize and confirm established structures, specifically phenolic oligomers. An ability to use spectroscopic data to evaluate organic structures by combining practical experience with fundamental knowledge will serve as a hallmark skill in one’s ability to problem-solve as an organic chemist.</p>

Soil organic matter (OM) is a complex mixture of compounds, mainly derived from plants and microbes at various states of decay. It is part of the global carbon cycle and is important for maintaining soil quality. OM protection is mainly attributed to its association with minerals. However, clay minerals preferentially sorb specific OM structures, and clay sorption sites become saturated as OM concentrations increase. Therefore, it is important to examine how OM structures influence their association with soil minerals, and to characterize other protection mechanisms. Several techniques, which provide complementary information, were combined to investigate OM composition: Biomarker (lignin phenol, cutin-OH acid, and lipid) analysis, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy; and an emerging method, solution-state 1H NMR spectroscopy. OM composition of sand-, silt-, clay-size, and light fractions of Canadian soils were compared. It was found that microbial-derived and aliphatic structures accumulated in clay-size fractions, and lignin phenols in silt-size fractions may be protected from further oxidation. Therefore, OM protection through association with minerals may be structure-specific. OM in soils amended with maize leaves, stems, and roots from a biodegradation study were also examined. Over time, lignin phenol composition, and oxidation; and aliphatic structure contribution changed less in soils amended with leaves compared to soils amended with stems and roots. Compared to soils amended with leaves and stems, amendment with roots may have promoted the more efficient formation of microbial-derived OM. Therefore, plant chemistry influenced soil OM turnover. Synthetic OM-clay complexes and soil mineral fractions were used to investigate lignin protection from chemical oxidation. Coating with dodecanoic acid protected lignin from chemical oxidation, and overlying vegetation determined the relative resistance of lignin phenols in clay-size fractions from chemical oxidation. Therefore, additional protection from chemical oxidation may be attributed to OM composition and interactions between OM structures sorbed to clay minerals. Overall, these studies suggest that while association with minerals is important, OM turnover is also influenced by vegetation, and protection through association with clay minerals was modified by OM structure composition. As well, OM-OM interaction is a potential mechanism that protects soil OM from degradation.

Soil organic matter (OM) is a complex mixture of compounds, mainly derived from plants and microbes at various states of decay. It is part of the global carbon cycle and is important for maintaining soil quality. OM protection is mainly attributed to its association with minerals. However, clay minerals preferentially sorb specific OM structures, and clay sorption sites become saturated as OM concentrations increase. Therefore, it is important to examine how OM structures influence their association with soil minerals, and to characterize other protection mechanisms. Several techniques, which provide complementary information, were combined to investigate OM composition: Biomarker (lignin phenol, cutin-OH acid, and lipid) analysis, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy; and an emerging method, solution-state 1H NMR spectroscopy. OM composition of sand-, silt-, clay-size, and light fractions of Canadian soils were compared. It was found that microbial-derived and aliphatic structures accumulated in clay-size fractions, and lignin phenols in silt-size fractions may be protected from further oxidation. Therefore, OM protection through association with minerals may be structure-specific. OM in soils amended with maize leaves, stems, and roots from a biodegradation study were also examined. Over time, lignin phenol composition, and oxidation; and aliphatic structure contribution changed less in soils amended with leaves compared to soils amended with stems and roots. Compared to soils amended with leaves and stems, amendment with roots may have promoted the more efficient formation of microbial-derived OM. Therefore, plant chemistry influenced soil OM turnover. Synthetic OM-clay complexes and soil mineral fractions were used to investigate lignin protection from chemical oxidation. Coating with dodecanoic acid protected lignin from chemical oxidation, and overlying vegetation determined the relative resistance of lignin phenols in clay-size fractions from chemical oxidation. Therefore, additional protection from chemical oxidation may be attributed to OM composition and interactions between OM structures sorbed to clay minerals. Overall, these studies suggest that while association with minerals is important, OM turnover is also influenced by vegetation, and protection through association with clay minerals was modified by OM structure composition. As well, OM-OM interaction is a potential mechanism that protects soil OM from degradation.

Ο αρχικός στόχος της εργασίας μας ήταν η παρασκευή ετερομεταλλικών συμπλόκων Cd(II)/Ln(III) [Ln=λανθανίδιο] για να μελετηθούν οι φωτοφυσικές τους ιδιότητες. Διάφορα συστήματα αντιδράσεων Cd(II)/Ln(III)/οργανικός υποκαταστάτης έδωσαν μόνο ομομεταλλικές ενώσεις Cd(II) ή Pr(III).Χρησιμοποιώντας διάφορα αντιδρώντα Cd(II) και Pr(NO3)3∙6H2O, παρασκευάστηκαν τα ακόλουθα σύμπλοκα: [CdCl2(PhpaoH)]n (1), [Cd(O2CMe)2(NH2paoH)2] (2), [Cd(ΝΟ3)2(tzpy)2] (3), [CdI2(tzpy)2] (4), [Pr(ΝΟ3)3(tzpy)2]∙tzpy (5∙tzpy), [Cd4(NO3)4{(py)2C(H)(O)}4] (6) [(py)2C(H)(O)- είναι το ανιόν της δι-2-πυρίδυλο μεθανόλης που σχηματίζεται in-situ από τη μεταλλο-υποβοηθούμενη αναγωγή της (py)2CO με MeOH κάτω από σολβοθερμικές συνθήκες], [Cd(ΝΟ3)2(aphz)2] (7), [CdI2(aphz)2]n (8), [Pr(ΝΟ3)3(aphz)2] (9), [CdI2(bphz)2] (10), [Cd(NO3)2(bzdhz)2] (11). Η αντίδραση του Pr(NO3)3∙6H2O με δύο ισοδύναμα bzdhz σε H2O/Me2CO οδήγησε στην απομόνωση της Ν,Ν’-δι-ισοπροπυλιδενε-βενζίλιο διυδραζόνη (L’). Οι δομές των ενώσεων 1-11 προσδιορίσθηκαν με κρυσταλλογραφία ακτίνων Χ μονοκρυστάλλου. Όλα τα σύμπλοκα χαρακτηρίσθηκαν με φασματοσκοπία IR, και επιλεγμένες ενώσεις με τεχνικές RAMAN και 1H NMR. Τα φασματοσκοπικά δεδομένα εξετάζονται σε σχέση με τις γνωστές δομές των ενώσεων και των τρόπων ένταξης των υποκαταστατών.Πιστεύουμε ότι τα αποτελέσματα που παρουσιάζονται στη Διπλωματική Εργασία συνιστούν συνεισφορά στη χημεία του καδμίου(ΙΙ) και του πρασεοδυμίου(ΙΙΙ), καθώς επίσης και στη χημεία ένταξης των οργανικών υποκαταστατών. / The original goal of this work was to prepare heterometallic Cd(II)/Ln(III) complexes (Ln=lanthanide) in order to study their photophysical properties. A variety of CdII/PrIII/organic ligand reaction schemes led to only homometallic Cd(II) or Pr(III) complexes.Employing various Cd(II) sources and Pr(NO3)3∙6H2O, as starting materials, the following complexes have been prepared: [CdCl2(PhpaoH)]n (1), [Cd(O2CMe)2(NH2paoH)2] (2), [Cd(ΝΟ3)2(tzpy)2] (3), [CdI2(tzpy)2] (4), [Pr(ΝΟ3)3(tzpy)2]∙tzpy (5∙tzpy), [Cd4(NO3)4{(py)2C(H)(O)}4] (6) [(py)2C(H)(O)- is the anion of di-2-pyridyl methanol formed in-situ by the metal ion-assisted reduction of (py)2CO in MeOH under solvothermal conditions], [Cd(ΝΟ3)2(aphz)2] (7), [CdI2(aphz)2]n (8), [Pr(ΝΟ3)3(aphz)2] (9), [CdI2(bphz)2] (10), [Cd(NO3)2(bzdhz)2] (11). The reaction of Pr(NO3)3∙6H2O and 2 equivalents of bzdhz in H2O/Me2CO led to the isolation of N,N’-di-isopropylidene-benzil dihydrazone (L’). The structures of 1-11 and L’ have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. All the complexes have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, and selected compounds by RAMAN and 1H NMR techniques. The spectroscopic data are discussed in terms of the known structures and the coordination modes of the ligands.We believe that our results contribute into the chemistry of cadmium(II) and the praseodymium(III), and into the coordination chemistry.