<p> This thesis describes an attempt to develop a potentially useful route to seven-membered carbocycles. α-Diketones and their enol ether derivatives were proposed to be suitable three-carbon cycloaddition dienophiles when complexed with a Lewis acid. Reaction with 1,3-dienes should then lead to the desired cycloheptyl system.</p> <p> 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR studies were used to determine the stoichiometry and charge delocalization of complexes formed between 2,3-butanedione, 1,2-cyclohexanedione, 2-methoxy-cyclohex-2-en-1-one and the Lewis acids TiCl4 and SnCl4. Observations from these studies suggested that 1,2-cyclohexanedione and 2-methoxy-cyclohex-2-en-1one could behave as substituted allyl cations when complexed with TiCl4 or SnCl4.</p> <p> Reaction of the 1,2-cyclohexanedione/TiCl4 and 2-methoxy-cyclohex-2-en-1one/ TiCl4 complexes with 1 ,3-butadiene gave rise to six-membered carbocycles from [4C+2C] cycloadditions. The reaction of 2,3-butanedione-mono-trimethylsilyl enol ether/TiCl4 complex with 1,3-butadiene gave a mixture of the [4C+2C] and [4C+3C] cycloaddition products.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Biomass burning aerosols play an important role in the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and therefore, affect global climate. Biomass burning aerosols are generally aqueous and have a strong saccharidic component due to the combustion and pyrolysis of cellulose, a major component of foliar fuel. This class of aerosol is known to affect both the absorption and scatter of solar radiation. Also, biomass burning aerosols contribute to cloud formation through their action as cloud-condensation nuclei. Many questions exist about the chemical speciation and chemical aging of biomass burning aerosols and how this affects their atmospheric properties and ultimately, global climate. Also, knowledge of the chemical components of these aerosols is important in the search for chemical tracers that can give information about the point or regional source, fuel type, and age of a biomass burning aerosol parcel. Levoglucosan was chosen for these studies as a model compound for biomass burning aerosols because of its high measured concentrations in aerosol samples. Levoglucosan often dominates the aerosol composition by mass. In this dissertation, laboratory proxy systems were developed to study the solution-phase chemistry of levoglucosan with common atmospheric reactants found in biomass burning aerosols (i.e. H+, •OH). To mimic these natural conditions, acid chemistry was studied using sulfuric acid in water (pH=4.5). The hydroxyl radical (•OH) was produced by the Fenton reaction which consists of iron, hydrogen peroxide and acid (H2SO4) in aqueous solvent. For studies in aqueous sulfuric acid, oligomers of levoglucosan were measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). A rational mechanism is proposed based on both the acid-catalyzed cationic ring-opening of levoglucosan and nucleophilic attack of ROH from levoglucosan on the hemi-acetal carbon to produce pyranose oligomers through the formation of glycosidic bonds. Oligomer formation is further supported by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Reactions of levoglucosan with •OH produced from Fenton chemistry were studied in solution. Two modes of oligomerization (2000 u) were observed for reaction times between 1 and 7 days using MALDI-TOF-MS and laser desorption ionization (LDI) TOF-MS. Single-mass unit continuum mass distributions with dominant -2 u patterns were measured and superimposed by a +176/+162 u oligomer series. This latter oligomer pattern was attributed to a Criegee rearrangement (+14 u) of levoglucosan, initiated by •OH, forming a lactone (176 u). The acid-catalyzed reaction of any ROH from levoglucosan (+162 u) forms an ester through transesterification of the lactone functionality, whereupon propagation forms polyesters. Proposed products and chemical mechanisms are suggested as sources and precursors of humic-like substances (HULIS), which are known to possess a large saccharic component and are possibly formed from biomass burning aerosols. These products could also serve as secondary tracers, giving further information on the source and age of the aerosol.

The second order rate constants for nucleophilic substitution by methoxide of (Z)- and (E)-O-methylbenzohydroximoyl fluorides [C6H4C(F)=NOCH3] with various substituents on the phenyl ring [p-OCH3 (1h, 2h), p-CH3 (1g, 2g), p-Cl (1f, 2f), p-H (1e, 2e), (3,5)-bis-CF3 (1i, 2i)] in 90:10 DMSO:MeOH have been measured. A Hammett plot of these rate constants vs σ values gave positive ρ values of 2.95 (Z isomer) and 3.29 (E isomer). Comparison of these rates with methoxide substitution rates for Omethylbenzohydroximoyl bromide [C6H4C(Br)=NOCH3] and Omethylbenzohydroximoyl chloride [C6H4C(Cl)=NOCH3] reveal an element effect for the Z isomers of Br:Cl:F(1e) = 2.21:1.00:79.7 and for the E isomers of Cl:F(2e) = 1.00:18.3. With the p-OCH3-imidoyl halides the following element effects are found: Br:Cl:F(1h) = 2.78:1.00:73.1 for the Z isomer and Br:Cl:F(2h) = 1.97:1.00:12.1 for the E isomer. Measurement of activation parameters revealed ∆S≠ = -17 eu for 1e and ∆S≠ = -9.9 eu for 2e. Ab initio calculations (HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6-31+G*//HF/6-31+G*, B3LYP/6- 31+G*//HF/6-31+G*, HF-SCIPCM/6-31+G*//HF/6-31+G*) were performed to define the reaction surface. These calculations demonstrate a relatively large barrier for nucleophilic attack in relation to halogen loss and support the experimental findings that this reaction proceeds by an addition-elimination mechanism (AN# + DN). The imidoyl fluorides have been used to synthesize highly functionalized O-methyloximes by reaction with enolate anions derived from malononitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate, and diethyl malonate. Acid-catalyzed isomerization of compounds containing the O-methyloxime moiety have been investigated with ab initio calculations (HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6- 31+G*//HF/6-31+G*, B3LYP/6-31+G*//HF/6-31+G*). Barriers for rotation around the C-N bond following protonation have been calculated. The calculated barriers are discussed in relation to an isomerization mechanism of protonation-rotation versus a nucleophilic catalysis.

<p> This thesis presents the theoretical study of the mechanisms of gas-phase formamide hydrolysis using ab initio SCF-MO calculations. Four reaction paths were considered; (i) the reaction of formamide with OH- (ii) the acid catalyzed hydrolysis with protonation on the nitrogen atom (iii) the acid catalyzed hydrolysis with protonation on the oxygen (iv) the uncatalyzed hydrolysis. An unconstrained optimization of all parameters was performed on the transition state and equilibrium structures. The intrinsic reaction coordinate was then followed down from the transition state to the reactants and products. All of the molecular geometries were obtained using the 4-31G basis set and all wavefunctions and energies were calculated at the 6-31G** level of theory. The theory of atoms in molecules was applied to each reaction to study the mechanisms of structural change along the reaction coordinate. Molecular graphs were calculated at points along the reaction coordinate and these give a detailed pictorial outline of the entire reaction sequence. The Laplacian of the charge density successfully predicts the correct site of protonation and the enhanced reactivity of protonated formamide over that of neutral formamide. Both the acid catalyzed reaction with nitrogen protonation and the base enhanced hydrolysis reactions proceed without a barrier with respect to reactants and products. The acid catalyzed hydrolysis with protonation on the oxygen atom proceeds with a moderate activation barrier whereas the neutral hydrolysis involves the passage over a very high activation barrier. The two acid catalyzed reactions are competitive with the N-protonation mechanism being more favourable from a kinetic point of view while the O-protonation mechanism is thermodynamically more favourable.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

A single-step, extractive reaction for extraction of lipids such as biodiesel components, omega-3 fatty acids, or other triglycerides from microbial cells was examined. Conventional methods for lipid extraction use toxic solvents, and require multiple steps and long processing times. When the goal is to produce fatty acid methyl esters or FAMEs, the extracted lipids are subjected to a separate transesterification reaction with simple alcohols in the presence of an acid or base catalyst. A simplified, single-step reactive extraction method can be applied that combines the sequential extraction followed by transesterification using acidified alcohols - a process known as in situ transesterification. It was hypothesized that the in situ transesterification could be scaled-up for industrial processing by a systematic understanding of fundamental reaction parameters including temperature, catalyst concentration, and biomass/solvent ratios. The hypothesis was tested using a marine fungus, Schizochytrium limacinum SR21. Growth of SR21 resulted in biomass yields of 0.3g-biomass/g-glycerol and accumulated high amounts of palmitic acid (C16:0, 0.255g-FAME/g-biomass), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, 0.185g-FAME/g-biomass), myristic acid (C14:0) (0.017g-FAME/g-biomass), and pentadecanoic acid (C15:0, 0.012g-FAME/g-biomass). The bulk phase separation characteristics of the FAMEs were evaluated at high biomass concentrations. Recyclability of the acidified methanol in the system was also tested. A significant finding was that automatic phase separation of the FAMEs could be achieved. When FAME concentration reaches critical solubility, 22.7mg-FAME ml-1 methanol, all remaining FAMEs automatically phase separate. After FAME separation, the remaining methanol was recycled and used in subsequent in situ reactions. Upon recycling, greater than 85% of product extraction and recovery was achieved. The kinetics of the transesterification reaction was evaluated under various acid and biomass/solvent conditions. Based on the fundamental reaction mechanism governing the in situ transesterification, a theoretic model was derived to predict the conversion of TAGs into FAMEs. Kinetic parameters were estimated by fitting the experimental data and the resulting model. The model derived closely resembled the observations in this study. Through understanding of the fundamental reaction kinetics and limitations during processing, a new, reliable, and cost-effective system for large scale lipid production can be developed for microbial biomass including oleaginous algae, fungi, and yeast.

Im Rahmen dieser Dissertation wurde die säurekatalysierte Tandem-Aldol-MPV-Reaktion zur Darstellung von 1,3-Diolethern als Eintopfverfahren entwickelt. Dabei konnte ein Syntheseprotokoll entwickelt werden, das durch geschickte Wahl der Reaktionspartner, eines Katalysatorsystems aus LiClO4/ Trifluoressigsäure und geeigneter Reaktionsbedingungen ermöglichte, die klassische dreistufige Synthese von 1,3-Diolethern auf ein effizientes Eintopfverfahren zu reduzieren. Die Kombination mit umfangreichen mechanistischen Untersuchungen ermöglichte erstmals die Entwicklung einer asymmetrischen Variante der Tandem-Aldol-MPV-Reaktion. Dabei hat sich eine Kombination von chiralem Menthol und Methanol bewährt, wodurch die Reaktion mit hoher Chemoselektivität und ohne Konkurrenzreaktionen abläuft. Mit Hilfe dieser neuen Reaktionsbedingungen der asymmetrischen Tandem-Aldol-MPV-Reaktion gelang erstmals die Synthese von chiralen 1,3-Diolethern mit sehr guter Regio- und guter bis sehr guter Diastereo- und Enantioselektivität. Bemerkenswert ist die Möglichkeit der Steuerung der asymmetrischen Synthese und damit des selektiven Zugangs zu jeweils einem Enantiomer durch Variation zwischen (-)- bzw. (+)-Menthol. Als Erweiterung gelang erstmals eine intramolekulare Tandem-Aldol-MPV-Reaktion mit der Synthese verschieden substituierter pentacyclischer 1,3-Diolether. Auch hier gelang die Synthese ausgehend von zuvor synthetisierten Dialdehyden in einer Eintopfreaktion mit sehr hoher Diastereoselektivität. Auf dem zweiten großen Gebiet der Dissertation konnte eine neue innovative Syntheseroute zu Verbindungen in der Thiochromanreihe mit völlig neuartigem Substitutionsmuster entwickelt werden. Es gelang die Entwicklung einer milden Eintopfsynthese, die die Synthese hochsubstituierter anti-konfigurierter Thiochromane ermöglicht. Dabei gelang die Synthese eines Thiochromans ausgehend von racemischen Edukten, in dem stereoselektiv drei benachbarte Stereozentren aufgebaut wurden. / In this thesis, the acid-catalyzed tandem-aldol-Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley-reaction for the preparation of 1,3-diolethers was developed. By handy choice of the reactants, the LiClO4/ trifluoroacetic acid catalyst system and appropriate reaction conditions an efficient one-pot-reaction protocol has been established. The development of an asymmetric execution was enabled by employing extensive mechanistic examinations. Consequently, a combination of chiral menthol and methanol leads to products with high chemoselectivities and without occurrence of competitive reactions. For the first time, by employing the novel optimized synthetic scheme for the asymmetric tandem-aldol-MPV reaction, chiral 1,3-diolethers have been prepared with very high regio- and moderate to very high diastereo- as well as enantioselectivity. Moreover, an opportunity for controlling asymmetric synthesis by variation of (-)- and (+)-menthol was developed. Hence, a selective access to the desired enantiomer is given. In continuative work an intramolecular tandem-aldol-MPV-reaction for the preparation of highly substituted penta-cyclic 1,3-diolethers was developed. Also in this case, the reaction was realized as an one-pot reaction with high anti-diastereoselectivity. The second chapter of this thesis describes a new innovative synthesis of thiochromans with completely unknown substitution pattern. We were able to establish a mild one-pot synthesis of highly substituted anti-configured thiochromans. As a special highlight we suceeded in the steroeselective synthesis of a thiochroman with three adjacent stereogenic centers starting from racemic educts.

No description available.

Preparation of hierarchical zeolites for fine chemical synthesis Author: Bc. Ondřej Veselý Supervisor: Mgr. Pavla Eliášová, Ph.D. Prague, 2019 Abstract (in english): The thesis is focused on synthesis of hierarchical (micro-mesoporous) zeolites by several different methods and their application in catalytic reactions. Performance of hierarchical materials prepared by different approaches has been investigated, as well as the effect of framework topology and type of acidity on the outcome of the reactions. The work was elaborated in the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry of Charles University under the supervision of Mgr. Pavla Eliášová, Ph. D. The work is divided into three parts. In the first part several methods of preparation of hierarchical zeolites have been investigated and compared in catalytic reactions. Desilication, selective removal of silicon from the framework, is a post-synthetic method that can be used to introduce additional mesoporosity into a zeolite. The process leads to formation of mesopores by introducing defects into the zeolite structure. The resulting mesopore size is very broad. To partially control the pore size, alkylammonium cations may be added to the solution to protect the crystal surface. The desilication was performed on MTW zeolite which contains...

No description available.