Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento e caracterização de novos materiais catalíticos para a oxidação de metanol em aplicações em células a combustível de metanol direto. Os materiais foram preparados utilizando o método sol-gel pela incorporação de diversas quantidades de metais, tais como: Ru, Ir, Ce, Mo e Pb sobre amostras de pó de Pt/C da E-Tek (10% Pt). Na maioria dos casos, o compósito resultante estava formado pelos referidos óxidos metálicos como observado nas medidas de caracterização física. Os sistemas estudados incluíram as seguintes misturas binárias: (Pt0,50-(RuO2)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(IrOx)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(CeO,sub>2)0,50/C, (PtOx)0,50-(PbOx)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(Môo3)0,50/C) e as misturas ternárias: (Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C, Pt0,50 (RuO2-IrOx)0,50/C, Pt0,75(RuO2-IrOx)0,25/C, Pt0,25(RuO2-CeO2)0,75/C, Pt0,50 (RuO2-CeO2)0,50/C, Pt0,75(RuO2-CeO2)0,25/C, (PtOx)0,25(RuO2- PbOx)0,75/C, (PtOx)0,50 (RuO2-PbOx)0,50/C, (PtOx)0,75(RuO2-PbOx)0,25/C, Pt0,25(RuO2- Môo3)0,75/C, Pt0,50(RuO2-MoO3)0,50/C e Pt0,75(RuO2-MoO3)0,25/C). Medidas de difratometria de raios-X, mostraram que todos os metais incorporados às amostras de Pt/C sintetizam-se como óxidos (RuO2, IrO2, Ir2O3, CeO2, Pb3O4 e MoO3), enquanto que a platina manteve-se como Pt metálica com exceção nos compósitos contendo chumbo, nos quais na sua composição final mostraram Pt, assim como, PtO e PtO2. Os compósitos preparados pelo método sol-gel foram de tamanho nanométrico (2,8- 3,5 nm) como observado por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão assim como por difração de raios-X, enquanto que, medidas de energia dispersiva de raios-X mostraram que os compostos apresentam composições próximas aos valores usados na preparação experimental. A oxidação de metanol foi estudada em todos os compósitos por voltametria cíclica seguida pelas curvas de polarização em estado quase-estacionário com os correspondentes diagramas de Tafel e finalmente pelos testes cronoamperométricos com análise por cromatografia dos principais produtos na solução. x Os valores do coeficiente angular obtidos nos diagramas de Tafel (b) são um indicativo que a etapa determinante da velocidade da reação (rds) de eletro-oxidação de metanol sobre os catalisadores contendo Ir é a quebra de uma das ligações C-H na molécula de CH3OH com a transferência do primeiro elétron (b = 120 mV dec-1). Entretanto, para os outros catalisadores estudados os valores de (b estão em torno de 90 mV dec-1, indicando que a rds nesses casos pode ser à remoção oxidativa do COads pelos intermediários adsorvidos provenientes da oxidação da molécula de água (R-OH.). Por outro lado, análises cromatográficos dos produtos formados em solução durante os testes cronoamperométricos mostraram que o compósito Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C apresentou o melhor desempenho catalítico para oxidação de metanol. Isto devido a que, sobre este catalisador, não foi observado acúmulo de formaldeído em quanto que o ácido fórmico remanescente foi menor do que o observado sobre os outros catalisadores estudados, usando cargas elétricas equivalentes. Isto é um forte indicativo de que a oxidação de metanol em este material é eficiente, oxidando também moléculas de formaldeído e ácido fórmico até CO2 sem a formação de intermediários solúveis na solução. Portanto, este estudo mostra claramente que os melhores catalisadores para a oxidação de metanol são: Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C, Pt0,50(RuO2-IrOx)0,50/C e Pt0,75(RuO2-IrOx)0,25/C, confirmando que a combinação de Pt, Ru e Ir é promissora para esta aplicação. / The preparation and the physical and electrochemical characterization of several binary and tertnary new composite catalytic materials for the direct oxidation of methanol in fuel cell systems are described here. The materials were prepared using the sol-gel method for the incorporation of variable amounts of metals such as Ru, Ir, Ce, Mo and Pb onto commercial samples of Pt/C powder from E-Tek (10% Pt). In most cases, the resulting composite was formed by the corresponding metal oxides as indicated by the subsequent physical characterization measurements. The systems studied included the following binary mixtures: Pt0,50-(RuO2)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(IrOx)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(CeO,sub>2)0,50/C, (PtOx)0,50-(PbOx)0,50/C, Pt0,50-(Môo3)0,50/C and the ternary ones: Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C, Pt0,50 (RuO2-IrOx)0,50/C, Pt0,75(RuO2-IrOx)0,25/C, Pt0,25(RuO2-CeO2)0,75/C, Pt0,50 (RuO2-CeO2)0,50/C, Pt0,75(RuO2-CeO2)0,25/C, (PtOx)0,25(RuO2- PbOx)0,75/C, (PtOx)0,50 (RuO2-PbOx)0,50/C, (PtOx)0,75(RuO2-PbOx)0,25/C, Pt0,25(RuO2- Môo3)0,75/C, Pt0,50(RuO2-MoO3)0,50/C and Pt0,75(RuO2-MoO3)0,25/C X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that all metals incorporated to the Pt/C samples appeared as oxides (e.g. RuO2, IrO2, Ir2O3, CeO2, Pb3O4 e MoO3) while platinum remained metallic except for the composites containing lead where the final composition showed metallic Pt as well as PtO and PtO2. The sol-gel prepared composites were nanometric in size (2.8 - 3.5 nm) as shown by electronic transmission microscopy as well as by X-ray diffraction while energy dispersive Xray measurements indicated that the composites have compositions values very close to those of the experimental preparation. Methanol oxidation was studied on all composites by cyclic voltammetry followed by quasi steady-state polarization curves with the corresponding Tafel plots and, finally, by chronoamperometric tests with analyses of the main products in solution by chromatography. xii The measured values of the Tafel coefficient (b) are an indicative that the ratedetermining- step (rds) for methanol oxidation on catalysts containing Ir is the rupture of one of the C-H bonds in the CH3OH molecule with the transference of one electron (CH3OH = ~120 mV dec-1). For the other composites studied the b values are around 90 mV dec-1 indicating that the rds in those cases could be the oxidative removal of COads by the adsorbed intermediates of the water molecule oxidation (R-OH.). On the other hand, the chromatographic analyses of the products formed in solution during the chronoamperometric tests seem to point out that the Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C composite is the one with the best catalytic performance for methanol oxidation. This is because for that material an accumulation of formaldehyde was not observed while the remnant formic acid was lower than for the other tested composites using equivalent electric charges. This is a strong indicative that the oxidation of methanol on that material efficiently also oxidizes the formaldehyde and the formic acid molecules to CO2 not leaving soluble intermediates in solution. Therefore, the present studies clearly show that the best catalysts for methanol oxidation are: Pt0,25(RuO2-IrOx)0,75/C, Pt0,50(RuO2-IrOx)0,50/C e Pt0,75(RuO2-IrOx)0,25/C, thus confirming that a proper combination of Pt, Ru and Ir is very promising for such application.

A eletro-oxidação de metanol foi estudada em eletrodos de platina monocristalina de índices de Miller (100) e (111) modificados superficialmente com metais cobre e estanho nas condições de UPD (Underpotential Deposition) e OPD (Overpotential Deposition). Os experimentos foram conduzidos em EDRMP (Eletrodo de Disco Rotatório com Menisco Pendente) em conjunto com as técnicas eletroquímicas. Os depósitos de cobre foram realizados em condições de UPD e OPD enquanto que estanho em OPD, dada as limitações de rearranjo estrutural da superfície cristalográfica do eletrodo. As análises dos resultados indicaram que o grau de recobrimento dos metais sobre o suporte é menor que uma monocamada, cerca de 10% desta. Tais resultados comparados com a literatura indicam a formação de aglomerados, ilhas, em estruturas bi e tridimensionais no caso do cobre. Em estanho foi atingido maior grau de recobrimento. No entanto, comparando os resultados para estanho com o da literatura, este não se depositou na forma de adátomos, mas como hidróxido ou sulfato. Esta forma de interação do estanho com a platina é a responsável pela diminuição do potencial de oxidação do metanol sobre o substrato. Na eletro-oxidação do metanol os melhores resultados foram obtidos na presença de estanho, no entanto ressalta-se que neste caso a influência da rotação não foi significante e as medidas de cronoamperometria indicaram melhor atividade nesta situação com o eletrodo modificado. / Methanol oxidation reaction was studied with copper and tin modified single-crystal electrodes. This study was carried out using UPD and OPD techniques using the EDRMP configurations the results showed that the coverage degree of copper and tin on platinum single-crystal as less than one monolayer (_ 10% monolayer) and possible with the formation of islands in bi and tridimenision. The deposition of copper was not good to the methanol oxidation reaction, possible due to a higher solvatation by anions at the Cu sites, conducting to a blocking effect on the Pt neighboring atoms. The tin deposition have shown a higher activity for methanol oxidation reaction. This ascribed to the hydroxides formation at tin sites, which increase the kinetics of CO oxidation following the bifunctional mechanism.

Embora a entropia do universo evolua para um máximo, localmente, sistemas podem se odernar às custas do maior desordenamento de suas vizinhanças. Assim, a formação espontânea de padrões temporais e espaciais tem sido observada em diferentes sistemas, incluindo os eletroquímicos. Neste trabalho foram estudadas as dinâmicas oscilatórias temporais de potencial desenvolvidas durante a eletro-oxidação galvanostática de metanol e etanol em meio ácido sobre eletrodos de platina. Como a técnica galvanostática informa apenas sobre a totalidade dos processos a ocorrer na interface eletrodo/solução técnicas auxiliares devem ser empregadas em conjunto para obter informações a respeito de processos individuais. Desta forma as técnicas de espectroscopia de infravermelho in situ, em configuração de reflexão interna, e de espectrometria de massas on line foram utilizadas e permitiram alcançar as seguintes conclusões. Para a eletro-oxidação oscilatória de metanol os resultados mostraram que (i) em média, o grau de recobrimento de monóxido de carbono linearmente adsorvido (θCOL) decai continuamente ao longo do experimento oscilatório, sugerindo que um acúmulo de espécies oxigenadas adsorvidas desenvolve-se ao longo das oscilações de potencial e é o responsável pela deriva que age sobre o sistema; (ii) a variação negativa da posição da banda de COL com o aumento do potencial durante o período de indução sugere que não há formação de padrões ou ilhas de COads previamente à observação de oscilações. Já os resultados da eletro-oxidação oscilatória de etanol mostraram (i) também uma queda contínua, em média, em θCOL ao longo do tempo bem como um crescimento, em média, da população de acetato adsorvido; (ii) para a condição oscilatória estudada a produção de CO2 seguiu a mesma dinâmica temporal das oscilações de potencial, já a corrente iônica associada à produção de acetaldeído permaneceu estacionária dentro do regime oscilatório. / Although the entropy of the universe evolves to a maximum, locally systems can become ordered at the expense of greater disordering of their neighborhoods. Thus, the spontaneous formation of temporal and spatial patterns have been observed in different systems, including electrochemical ones. In this thesis, the temporal dynamics of potential oscillations developed during the galvanostatic electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol in acid medium on platinum electrodes were studied. As the galvanostatic technique informs just about all the processes occurring at the interface electrode/solution auxiliary techniques should be employed together to obtain information about individual processes. Thus the techniques of in situ infrared spectroscopy, in configuration of internal reflection, and online mass spectrometry were used and allowed to reach at the following conclusions. For the oscillatory electro-oxidation of methanol the results showed that (i) on average, the coverage degree of linearly adsorbed carbon monoxide (θCOL) decays continuously throughout the oscillatory experiment, suggesting that an accumulation of adsorbed oxygen species develops along the oscillations and causes the drift in the system, (ii) the negative change in the band position of COL with potential increasing during the induction period suggests that there is no tendency to pattern formation or islands formation of COads prior to the observation of oscillations. Concerning the oscillatory electro-oxidation of ethanol the results showed that (i) there is also a continuous drop on average in θCOL over time as well as an increase on average in the population of adsorbed acetate, (ii) for the oscillatory condition studied the production of CO2 followed the same temporal dynamics of the oscillations of potential, while the ionic current associated with the production of acetaldehyde remained stationary inside the oscillatory regime.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-05-16T12:36:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 wesleyaugustodiaspires.pdf: 2433576 bytes, checksum: fedecc1b5c320d77bfd511976f14e396 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-05-22T14:31:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 wesleyaugustodiaspires.pdf: 2433576 bytes, checksum: fedecc1b5c320d77bfd511976f14e396 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-22T14:31:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 wesleyaugustodiaspires.pdf: 2433576 bytes, checksum: fedecc1b5c320d77bfd511976f14e396 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-04 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A ionização induzida por impacto de elétrons e fragmentação iônica do metanol e do etanol foi investigada neste trabalho, utilizando um espectrômetro de massa quadrupolo HIDEN. Por se tratar da primeira vez que o espectrômetro foi utilizado no Laboratório de Espectroscopia Atômica e Molecular (LEAM) da UFJF, o trabalho se iniciou a com a caracterização do equipamento, para posterior aplicação nos estudos pretendidos. Nos estudos dos álcoois foram obtidos os espectros de massa e abundâncias relativas dos cátions gerados por impacto de elétrons com energia de 70 eV, onde registrou-se que o CH2O+H foi o cátion mais abundante para o metanol e o etanol. A seção de choque de ionização total (SCIT) para o metanol, bem como as seções de choque de ionização parcial (SCIP) para os cátions CH3O+H, CH3+, CH2+, CH2O+H, CO+H, CH2O+, CO+, C+, CH+, foram geradas para energias de impacto entre 10-100eV. Nossos resultados apresentam uma boa concordância com os valores teóricos e experimentais da literatura, para a maioria das massas formadas. Foram também registrados valores de SCIP para grupos de íons, para comparação com as medidas de Rejoub e cols., que reportaram dados com menor resolução ao registrado neste trabalho. Para o etanol, foram obtidas a SCIT e também, as SCIP para os cátions CH3CH2O+H, CH3CHO+H, CH3CHO+, C2H3O+, C2H2O+, C2HO+, CH3O+H, CH2O+H, CH2O+, C2H5+, CO+ ou C2H4+, C2H3+, C2H2+, C2H+, C2+, O2+ou CH4+, CH3+, CH2+, CH+ e C+. Ao nosso conhecimento, estas são as primeiras medidas de SCIP reportadas na literatura, para cada cátion individualmente. A única comparação possível foi com grupos de íons reportadas por Rejoub e cols. Finalmente, foram gerados os limiares de ionização do metanol e do etanol para os cátions formados. / The ionization and ion fragmentation of methanol and ethanol induced by electron impact were investigated in this work, using a HIDEN quadrupole mass spectrometer. Once, it is the first time that this spectrometer was used in the Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory (LEAM) at UFJF, the work began with the characterization of the apparatus, for subsequent application on the required studies. In studies of alcohols were obtained mass spectra and relative abundances of the cations generated by electron with energy impact of 70eV, where it was recorded that CH2O+H was the most abundant cation for methanol and for ethanol. The Total Ionization Cross Section (TICS) to methanol and the partial ionization cross sections (PICS) for the cations CH3O+H, CH3+, CH2+, CH2O+H, CO+H CH2O+, CO+, C+, CH+ were generated for electron impact energies of 10-100 eV. Our results are in good agreement with the theoretical and experimental values reported in literature, for most of the formed cations. It was also reported PICS values for ions groups for comparison with measurement of Rejoub et al., who reported data with lower resolution than was recorded in this work. For ethanol, was obtained TICS and also, PICS for the cations CH3CH2O+H, CH3CHO+H, CH3CHO+, C2H3O+, C2H2O+, C2HO+, CH3O+H, CH2O+H, CH2O+, C2H5+, CO+ or C2H4+, C2H3+, C2H2+, C2H+, C2+, O2+ or CH4+, CH3+, CH2+, CH+ and C+. To our knowledge, these are the first PICS measurement reported in the literature for each individual cation. The only possible comparison was with ion groups, reported by Rejoub et al. Finally, the ionization thresholds for methanol and ethanol for the formed cations were generated in this work.

De nombreuses mesures pour réduire les émissions anthropiques de gaz à effet de serre et plus particulièrement de CO2, existent déjà, elles restent cependant insuffisantes. C’est dans ce cadre qu’a vu le jour le projet ANR VItESSE2 visant à développer un procédé de conversion de CO2,issu de certaines industries, en méthanol par réduction à l’hydrogène produit par électrolyse de l’eau à partir d’électricité fournie par des énergies faiblement émettrices de CO2 (énergie nucléaire et les énergies renouvelables). Ce procédé permet aussi d’assurer, une fonction de gestion du système électrique en reliant la production d’hydrogène aux quantités d’électricités disponibles sur le réseau. Les principaux objectifs de la thèse sont la synthèse et la caractérisation de catalyseurs performants ainsi que la mise au point des conditions réactionnelles conduisant à la meilleure productivité en méthanol. L’optimisation des systèmes catalytiques a permis de développer un catalyseur de type CuO-ZnO-ZrO2 compétitif par rapport aux catalyseurs commerciaux actuellement sur le marché. / Numerous measures to reduce anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, already exist; however they are still insufficient. It is in this context that the ANR project VItESSE2 emerged to develop a method for converting CO2 produced by industries. The aim of this project is to transform CO2 into methanol, by reduction with hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using electricity provided by decarbonised energies (nuclear and renewable energies). This process also allows to secure a management function of the electrical grid by connecting the production of hydrogen to the available quantity of electricity in the network. The main objectives of this thesis are the synthesis and the characterization of efficient catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation into methanol and the development of reaction conditions leading to improved methanol productivity. The optimization of catalyst systems allowed to develop a CuO-ZnO-ZrO2 catalyst competitive in relation to commercial catalysts currently on the market.

Submitted in fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / A pertinent issue facing the materials industry is that of the lifespan of materials when exposed to certain solvents/ environments. Limitations to the applications of materials require further research into understanding their failure mechanisms and how such problems can be addressed in terms of re-engineering such materials to be more durable. PVC and HDPE are two common polymers used extensively in industrial applications. Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations were used to simulate systems of PVC and HDPE with methanol, respectively. The temperatures used in this work were 25, 30 and 40 oC and all systems were at atmospheric pressure. Laboratory tests were used to complement simulations for analysis purposes. Results showed an increase in temperature resulted in a decrease in the overall clustering in both polymers although PVC displayed a greater decrease than HDPE. Linear clustering dominated over other forms of clustering with increases in temperature, with dimers being the most prevalent topology type. The results of this study suggest that the presence of chlorine atoms in PVC may not directly affect clustering of absorbed methanol, and their effect may instead be indirect by means of altering the accessible free volume within the polymer. Swelling was also investigated in the simulated systems and it was found that PVC displayed a greater degree of swelling than HDPE despite its lower rate of clustering. The effect of cluster radius on the cluster analysis was also considered. / M

The methanol-to-olefins reaction is an important industrial process for the production of light olefins (C2-C4). Silicoaluminophosphates are the most common catalysts for this process with SAPO-34 (CHA), SAPO-18 (AEI) and their intergrowths being considered the most catalytically active and selective. Understanding the crystal growth of such materials is important for control of the structure and defect incorporation, which can have a large effect on the catalytic behaviour. In this thesis, the synthesis, characterisation, catalysis and crystal growth of such materials are investigated. A series of CHA/AEI intergrowth materials were synthesised by sequential increases in silicon content, where low silicon content led to formation of AEI and higher silicon content led to CHA and intergrowth formation. X-ray diffraction and MAS-NMR were used to quantify the amount of intergrowth and there was a strong correlation between both techniques. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) revealed the mechanism by which these intergrowth structures grow. There is competition at the surface between the spiral-growth and layer-growth mechanisms, which has a significant effect on the resulting intergrowth, as intergrowth formation is only permitted with a layer-growth mechanism. Intergrowth on screw dislocations is not allowed, and thus discrete blocks of pure-phase AEI or CHA form. These intergrowth materials were tested for their performance in the methanol-to-olefins reaction. With a higher level of silicon, the catalysts had a larger acid site density but equivalent acid strength. The conversion of methanol over the catalysts correlated with the acid site density, where a greater acid site density led to higher conversion and faster deactivation. The selectivity over time was similar for all catalysts, with a high selectivity to ethylene and propylene. However, at the same percentage conversion, the C2/C3 ratio showed a strong correlation to the cage shape. Catalysts with a higher ratio of AEI cages had a higher selectivity to C3 and C4 products than the other catalysts, owing to the larger size of the internal AEI cage compared to the CHA cage. The crystal growth mechanism on SAPO-18 was investigated in detail to interrogate the complex spiral pattern that forms on the surface. Spirals form in a triangular type pattern due to differences in growth rates in different crystallographic directions. Interlaced terraces were also present. The unit cell and the relative orientation of the AEI cages define the different growth rates. In-situ AFM was used to investigate the dissolution behaviour of SAPO-18 and SAPO-34. In both cases, dissolution occurred via classical step retreat. The similarity in the layer stacking in both materials led to equivalent structure dissolution in both cases. The 0.9 nm layers dissolved first to 0.7 nm (closed cages) then to 0.4 nm (unstable intermediates). Dissolution of SAPO-18 revealed unusual spiral dissolution pits near the core of the dislocations. CHA/AEI intergrowth materials were also prepared using a dual-template method, where two templates, morpholine for CHA and N,N-diisopropylethylamine for AEI, were combined during synthesis. The phase transition from CHA to AEI occurred at different molar ratios with different synthesis procedures. XRD modelling confirmed the synthesis of an intergrowth phase at a molar ratio of 70% morpholine and 30% DPEA. Changes in chemical shift in the 13C MAS-NMR were used to observe the different template interactions with the framework as the ratio of CHA and AEI cages changed.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / Diabetes Mellitus, one of the major diseases affecting human population all over the world has caused significant morbidity and mortality. The management of this condition has raised the demand of safe and cost effective remedial measures due to several side effects associated with the present use of modern medicines. Thus, it is crucial to explore other options for diabetes management such as the use of medical plants. Cnicus benedictus L. is one of the known plant species used by traditional medicine practitioners in South Africa for the treatment of various ailments including inflammatory conditions, pain and diabetes. Even though the plant species has been extensively studied, scientifically, no evidence exists in literature to corroborate the claim made by traditional medicine practitioners of its therapeutic success in the treatment of diabetes and pain. Therefore, the objectives of this present study were: to investigate the antidiabetic activity of C. benedictus using leaf methanol extract of the plant species on animal model involving male and female Albino rats; to investigate the antinociceptive activity of the plant species on mice; to determine the safety profile of the plant by investigating the acute toxicity and to carry out HPLC study in order to characterize the plant species. Animals were divided into groups of six each and fasted overnight prior to the induction of diabetes in rats using Streptozocin (STZ). The plasma glucose was measured at intervals of 30 min for 4 hours by means of a glucometer. Cnicus benedictus (100 – 400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the blood glucose concentrations of fasted normal rats with percentage maximum reduction ranging from 46 to 79% and chlorpropramide (250 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the blood glucose concentrations of fasted normal rats by 84%. Cnicus benedictus (100 – 400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the blood glucose concentrations of STZinduced diabetic rats with percentage maximum reduction ranging from 44.82 to 66.04% and chlorpropramide (250 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the blood glucose concentration of STZ-induced diabetic rats by 71.71%. In the oral glucose tolerance test, administration of leaf methanol extract of Cnicus benedictus (100 – 400 mg/kg, i.p.) following oral glucose load on fasted normoglycaemic rats significantly reduced the increased blood glucose concentrations with percentage maximum reduction ranging from 42.45 to 70.75%. Chlorpropramide (250 mg/kg, i.p.) following oral glucose load on fasted normoglycaemic rats significantly reduce the increased blood glucose concentration with a percentage maximum reduction of 79.04%. In acetic acid writhing test, animals were divided into groups of eight per dose. Cnicus benedictus (25-400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the number of writhes in mice with percentage inhibition of the writhes ranging from 67.95 to 73.71%. Indomethacin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) and paracetamol (500 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the number of writhes in mice with percentage inhibition of 75.44 and 69.18% respectively. Combined treatment of lowest and sub-effective doses of C.benedictus (12.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the writhes with a percentage inhibition of 58.32%. In hot plat test, animals were divided into groups of eight per dose. Cnicus benedictus (25-400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the reaction times of the mice to hot-plate thermal stimulation. Morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the reaction time of the mice to the hot-plate stimulation. The no-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of leaf methanol extract of Cnicus benedictus was obtained at 3200 mg/kg (p.o.) and the LD50 value of the plant species was found to be 4000 mg/kg (p.o.). The HPLC fingerprint of the leaf methanol extract of Cnicusbenedictus showed distinct peaks at the following retention times of 6.387, 14.628, 18.431, 23.228 and 29.829 min. In conclusion, the data obtained showed that leaf methanol extract of Cnicus benedictus possesses both antidiabetic and antinocipetive activities. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

This diploma thesis deals with the transport of dangerous goods by rail in order to present and map this issue. Carriage of such cargo poses a threat to persons, animals, property and the environment, therefore it folllows the special rules established in the international agreement RID. The emphasis is placed on its analysis and subsequent application of acquired theoretical knowledge to a practical example of transport of dangerous flammable and toxic substances to the East European country.

La conversion du méthanol par les zéolithes est l'une des applications les plus prometteuses pour l'obtention d'hydrocarbures (oléfines, essences, gasoils) à partir de sources alternatives au pétrole (gaz naturel, charbon, biomasse). Dans cette thèse, un procédé catalytique multi-étapes permettant la conversion du méthanol en hydrocarbures à longue chaîne a été imaginé.Le méthanol est converti en oléfines légères par différents catalyseurs zéolithiques dans un réacteur à lit fixe sous flux continu et en phase gazeuse. L'utilisation de la ferrierite dessilicatée, de la chabazite désaluminée, de la MCM-22 et de la MCM-36 est détaillée. Les oléfines inférieures sont ensuite oligomérisées. L'oligomérisation de l'éthylène catalysée par des solides mésoporeux de type MCM-41 échangés au nickel et la co-oligomérisation des oléfines inférieures par catalyse acide sur H-MCM-41 ont été étudiées. Ces réactions ont été mises en oeuvre dans un autoclave semi-continu de type slurry. / Methanol conversion into hydrocarbons (olefins, gasoline and diesel fuel) over zeolites is one of the most promising applications involving non-oil based sources (natural gas, coal, and biomass). In this thesis, a multi-step catalytic process for converting methanol into long-chain hydrocarbons has been designed.Methanol was converted into light olefins by different zeolitic catalysts in a fixed bed reactor under continuous flow in gas phase. The use of dessilicated ferrierite, dealuminated chabazite, MCM-22 and MCM-36 has been investigated. Then, the lower olefins were oligomerized. The oligomerization of ethylene catalyzed by nickel exchanged mesoporous MCM-41 and co-oligomerization of lower olefins by H-MCM-41 acid catalyst were studied. These reactions were performed in a gas-slurry reactor operating in semi-batch mode.