<p>This thesis describes the synthesis and application of new chiral bicyclic ligands and their application in asymmetric catalysis. The studies involved: [i] The development of novel chiral bicyclic amino sulfur ligands and their use in transfer hydrogenation. [ii] The development of the kinetic resolution of racemic epoxide through the use of chiral lithium amides. [iii] The synthesis and application of chiral bicyclic amine in the organocatalysed epoxidation of alkenes. [iv] Development and application of new chiral diamine ligands in the rearrangement of epoxides into allylic alcohols.</p><p>[i] The preparation of two-series of amino thiol ligands based on the structure of camphor is described, together with their application in the iridium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone using isopropanol as the hydrogen source. Excellent activity and good enantioselectivity have been achieved using 2 mol% of chiral ligand in combination with [IrCl(COD)]2.</p><p>[ii] The chiral diamines (1S,3R,4R)-3-(pyrrolidine-1-ylmethyl)-2-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and its (2R,5R)-dimethylpyrrolidine derivative were applied to the kinetic resolution of a variety of racemic 5-7 membered cycloalkene oxides with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) as the bulk base. Using 5 mol% of the chiral diamines, both unreacted epoxides and allylic alcohols could be produced in enantiomeric excess up to 99%.</p><p>[iii] The synthesis of chiral bicyclic amines and their use in the organocatalysed epoxidation of alkene has been described. Using a substoichiometric amount of the chiral amines and aldehydes as ligands precursors, with Oxone® as oxidant, a good activity but moderate enantioselectivity was observed for the epoxidation of trans-stilbene. </p><p>[iv] The preparation of 6-substituted-7-bromo-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes via nucleophilic addition of organocopper reagents to 3-bromo-1-azoniatricyclo[2.2.1.0]heptyle bromide has been described. These compounds have been utilised as chiral building blocks in the preparation of novel chiral diamine ligands, which have been successfully applied to the catalysed asymmetric rearrangement of epoxide into the corresponding allylic alcohol.</p>

The investigation and control of the properties of carbon based materials such as fullerenes and nanotubes is a highly dynamic research field. Due to its unique properties, e.g. an almost nano-dimensional size, three-dimensional cage topology, hydrophobicity, rich redox- and photochemistry, large absorption cross section, C60 has a high potential as building block for molecular devices and biological applications. It can be functionalized, anchored to a surface and self-assembled into larger supramolecular entities, such as monolayers. Mass spectrometry and related techniques such as ion-molecule reactions, action spectroscopy and ion mobility have been used throughout this work to study fullerene based systems, ranging from hydrides, derivatives, non-covalent complexes and coordinated metal complexes. Simulations predicting structural, electronic and mechanical properties have been combined with the experimental results to assist in their analysis and interpretation. Using ion molecule reactions, the reactivity of gas phase C60 anions with methanol has been studied. Hydride formation by simple collisions in the gas phase with methanol as well as reversible dehydrogenation by infrared multiphoton activation has been demonstrated. C60 functionalization by 3-azido-3-deoxythymidine (AZT) has been performed and the charged product characterized both by collisional activation and action spectroscopy. Deprotonation has been shown to lead to rearrangements of the nucleoside analogue and to a subsequent charge transfer to the fullerene. To prevent unwanted rearrangements and side reactions, encapsulation of C60 is suggested, the host molecule acting as a steric barrier. C60 complexation by γ-cyclodextrins has been performed and the ions of the complexes characterized both by collisional activation and ion mobility. It has been demonstrated that, compared to deprotonated species, the sodiated C60:(γ-cyclodextrin)2 ions were highly compact structures. With only two small polar caps accessible to reagents, sodiated C60: (γ-cyclodextrin)2 complexes sterically protect the C60 core from unwanted side reactions. Finally, explorative work on C60 immobilization on silver colloids using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and on the characterization of C60 complexes with iron and manganese porphyrin is presented.

This thesis describes stereoselective syntheses of four amino acids, three of which are C-glycosidic analogues of glycosylated amino acids. The overall goal of the project was to probe the interactions between MHC molecules, glycopeptide antigens and T cell receptors, that are essential for development of collagen induced arthritis. Collagen induced arthritis is a frequently used mouse model for rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks joint cartilage and leads to a painful and eventually crippling condition. The thesis is based on four studies. The first study describes the synthesis of hydroxylysine, an amino acid that is found in collagen and is an important constituent of the glycopeptide proposed as an antigen in collagen induced arthritis. During the synthesis of hydroxylysine some new insight into the mechanism of the reductive opening of p-methoxybenzylidene acetals was obtained. The remaining three studies deals with the synthesis of C-glycosidic analogues of glycosylated amino acids, hydroxy norvaline, threonine and hydroxylysine.The synthesis of each amino acid required control of several stereogenic centra and utilizes a variety of approaches such as use of stereoselective reactions, chiral auxilaries, chiral templates and asymmetric catalysis. The C-glycosidic analogues of galactosylated hydroxynorvaline and hydroxylysine were incorporated in glycopeptides from type II collagen and evaluated in T cell response assays. It was found that the T cells were stimulated by the C-glycopeptides, but that higher concentrations were required than for the native O-glycopeptide

This thesis describes the synthesis and application of new chiral bicyclic ligands and their application in asymmetric catalysis. The studies involved: [i] The development of novel chiral bicyclic amino sulfur ligands and their use in transfer hydrogenation. [ii] The development of the kinetic resolution of racemic epoxide through the use of chiral lithium amides. [iii] The synthesis and application of chiral bicyclic amine in the organocatalysed epoxidation of alkenes. [iv] Development and application of new chiral diamine ligands in the rearrangement of epoxides into allylic alcohols. [i] The preparation of two-series of amino thiol ligands based on the structure of camphor is described, together with their application in the iridium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone using isopropanol as the hydrogen source. Excellent activity and good enantioselectivity have been achieved using 2 mol% of chiral ligand in combination with [IrCl(COD)]2. [ii] The chiral diamines (1S,3R,4R)-3-(pyrrolidine-1-ylmethyl)-2-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and its (2R,5R)-dimethylpyrrolidine derivative were applied to the kinetic resolution of a variety of racemic 5-7 membered cycloalkene oxides with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) as the bulk base. Using 5 mol% of the chiral diamines, both unreacted epoxides and allylic alcohols could be produced in enantiomeric excess up to 99%. [iii] The synthesis of chiral bicyclic amines and their use in the organocatalysed epoxidation of alkene has been described. Using a substoichiometric amount of the chiral amines and aldehydes as ligands precursors, with Oxone® as oxidant, a good activity but moderate enantioselectivity was observed for the epoxidation of trans-stilbene. [iv] The preparation of 6-substituted-7-bromo-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes via nucleophilic addition of organocopper reagents to 3-bromo-1-azoniatricyclo[2.2.1.0]heptyle bromide has been described. These compounds have been utilised as chiral building blocks in the preparation of novel chiral diamine ligands, which have been successfully applied to the catalysed asymmetric rearrangement of epoxide into the corresponding allylic alcohol.

The development and application of unnatural amino alcohols,prepared via hetero-Diels-Alder reactions,in synthesis and catalysis is described.The studies are concerned with the [i]scope of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction and preparation of important intermediates in the synthesis of antiviral agents,[ii ]application of amino alcohols in the ruthenium transfer hydrogenation of ketones,[iii ]use of similar precursors in the in situ generation of oxazaborolidines for reduction of ketones,and [iv] development and application of new chiral auxiliaries for dialkylzinc additions to activated imines, respectively. [i ]The use of chiral exo -2-azanorbornyl-3-carboxylates in the preparation of enantiopure cyclopentyl-amines is described.At the same time the scope of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction,used in their preparation,is extended by manipulations of the dienophiles. [ii ]Application of 2-azanorbornyl-3-methanol as a very efficient ligand in the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones.This ligand (2 mol%)in combination with [RuCl2(p -cymene)]2 (0.25 mol%)gave rise to a very fast reaction (1.5 h)leading to the reduced products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 97%ee ). [iii ]Preparation of α-disubstituded 2-azanorbornyl-3-methanols,in situ generation of the corresponding oxazaborolidines,and use of the latter in reduction of aromatic ketones.Concentration, solvent,and temperature effects on the reaction outcome are described. [iv ]Development of two generations of chiral auxiliaries for the addition of dialkylzinc reagents to N - (diphenylphosphinoyl)imines.Studies using density functional computations allowed the rationalisation of the reaction mechanism and the development of a second generation of ligands that improved the previously reported results.Up to 98%ee could be obtained with these new ligands. Solvent effects on the outcome of the reaction and extension of the work to a larger variety of N - (diphenylphosphinoyl)imines are described.

Mechanistic studies on three different ruthenium-based catalysts have been performed. The catalysts have in common that they have been employed in hydrogen transfer reactions involving alcohols and ketones, amines and imines or both. Bäckvall’s catalyst, η5-(Ph5C5)Ru(CO)2Cl, finds its application as racemization catalyst in dynamic kinetic resolution, where racemic alcohols are converted to enantiopure acetates in high yields. The mechanism of the racemization has been investigated and both alkoxide and alkoxyacyl intermediates have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and in situ FT-IR measurements. The presence of acyl intermediates supports a mechanism via CO assistance. Substantial support for coordination of the substrate during the racemization cycle is provided, including exchange studies with both external and internal potential ketone traps. We also detected an unexpected alkoxycarbonyl complex from 5-hydroxy-1-hexene, which has the double bond coordinated to ruthenium. Shvo’s catalyst, [Ru2(CO)4(μ-H)(C4Ph4COHOCC4Ph4)] is a powerful catalyst for transfer hydrogenation as well as for dynamic kinetic resolution. The mechanism of this catalyst is still under debate, even though a great number of studies have been published during the past decade. In the present work, the mechanism of the reaction with imines has been investigated. Exchange studies with both an external and an internal amine as potential traps have been performed and the results can be explained by a stepwise inner-sphere mechanism. However, if there is e.g. a solvent cage effect, the results can also be explained by an outer-sphere mechanism. We have found that there is no cage effect in the reduction of a ketone containing a potential internal amine trap. If the mechanism is outer-sphere, an explanation as to why the solvent cage effect is much stronger in the case of imines than ketones is needed. Noyori’s catalyst, [p-(Me2CH)C6H4Me]RuH(NH2CHPhCHPhNSO2C6H4-p-CH3), has successfully been used to produce chiral alcohols and amines via transfer hydrogenation. The present study shows that the mechanism for the reduction of imines is different from that of ketones and aldehydes. Acidic activation of the imine was found necessary and an ionic mechanism was proposed.

Transition metal catalysis is a powerful tool for the construction of biologically active and pharmaceutically relevant architectures. With the challenge of continually depleting resources that this generation of scientists faces, it is becoming increasingly important to develop sustainable technologies for organic synthesis that utilize abundant and renewable feedstocks while minimizing byproduct formation and shortening the length of synthetic sequences by removing unnecessary protecting group manipulations and functionalizations. To this end, we have developed four new methods that transform inexpensive starting materials to valuable products. This dissertation covers the following key areas: 1) activation of CO2 for a mild and functional group tolerant synthesis of carboxylic acids, 2) oxidative twofold C–H bond activations as a strategy toward biaryls, 3) migratory O- to N-rearrangements in pyridines and related heterocycles for the preparation of N-alkylated heterocycles, and 4) asymmetric hydrogenations of cyclic imines and enamines en route to chiral 1,2- and 1,3-diamines and macrocyclic peptides.

Transition metal catalysis is a powerful tool for the construction of biologically active and pharmaceutically relevant architectures. With the challenge of continually depleting resources that this generation of scientists faces, it is becoming increasingly important to develop sustainable technologies for organic synthesis that utilize abundant and renewable feedstocks while minimizing byproduct formation and shortening the length of synthetic sequences by removing unnecessary protecting group manipulations and functionalizations. To this end, we have developed four new methods that transform inexpensive starting materials to valuable products. This dissertation covers the following key areas: 1) activation of CO2 for a mild and functional group tolerant synthesis of carboxylic acids, 2) oxidative twofold C–H bond activations as a strategy toward biaryls, 3) migratory O- to N-rearrangements in pyridines and related heterocycles for the preparation of N-alkylated heterocycles, and 4) asymmetric hydrogenations of cyclic imines and enamines en route to chiral 1,2- and 1,3-diamines and macrocyclic peptides.

This doctoral thesis was focused on the design and synthesis of novel chiral ligands for application in asymmetric catalysis. One of the best examples of asymmetric catalysis is the asymmetric hydrogenation reaction for its atom economy, ease of access to both S and R enantiomers and almost ultimate enantiomeric excess obtainable in a multitude of substrates. There has been much investigation into this reaction and there has been a plethora of chiral ligands designed which catalyze this reaction in high enantiomeric excess using metals such as rhodium, iridium and ruthenium. The vast majority of these ligands are diphosphines with their chirality lying either on the backbone of the ligand or on the coordinating phosphorus atom itself. In the beginning of this work investigation was undertook to explore the possibility of successfully employing a new type of ligand class in the asymmetric hydrogenation reaction, namely the N-phosphino sulfinamide or PNSO ligands. PNSO ligands had been successfully applied to the asymmetric Pauson-Khand reaction in the Riera group yielding cyclopentenone Pauson-Khand adducts in high yield and very high enantioselectivity. The family of PNSO ligands prepared in the Riera group was attractive because apart from the high yields and enantioselectivities obtained from the reactions in which they were used, they proved to be easily prepared in short syntheses from commercially available starting materials. It was believed if they could be successfully applied in asymmetric hydrogenation for their ease of preparation they would be an attractive alternative to the diphosphine ligand class. Unfortunately the first two PNSO-Rh complexes successfully prepared provided low enantioselectivities and difficulties were encountered while trying to prepare further analogues. After some time trying to achieve PNSO-Rh complex analogues unsuccessfully the direction of the project was shifted away from the N-phosphino sulfinamide ligand class in asymmetric hydrogenation. The MaxPhos ligand had recently been developed in the group and had proven highly promising. A study was demanded of its substrate scope as applied in rhodium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation. Substrates already described in the literature were prepared and the asymmetric hydrogenation of them catalyzed by the MaxPhos-Rh precatalyst was performed and conditions to do so were optimized. Of seven substrates prepared the MaxPhos-Rh proved to hydrogenate five of those with high enantioselectivity. The TOF of the MaxPhos rhodium catalyst applied in the hydrogenation of the Z-MAC substrate was examined by monitoring the flux of hydrogen and was calculated at 0.065 s-1. MaxPhos complexes of cobalt and palladium were prepared to form part of the investigation into widening the reaction scope of the ligand. [(MaxPhos)Co2(CO)4(C2H2)] proved to catalyze the Pauson-Khand reaction of norbornadiene and 1-hexyne with 24 % yield and 28 %, a noteworthy enantiomeric excess for the catalytic asymmetric Pauson-Khand reaction. Chalcogenated derivatives of MaxPhos were prepared. The diselenide was used to explore the electronic nature of the ligand. The MaxPhos-rhodium carbonyl stretching was examined. MaxPhos-BH3 was used to prepare mono-chalcogenated MaxPhos derivatives. They were applied also in asymmetric hydrogenation once complexed to rhodium but enantiomeric excess of no more than 21 % was obtained in the hydrogenation of the substrate Z-MAC. The aminophosphine, a chiral building block and key intermediate in the preparation of the MaxPhos ligand, was used in the attempt to prepare bulky chiral amidine ligands and although two such species were prepared they proved inapplicable in asymmetric catalysis. / Se desarrollaron los ligandos N-fosfino sulfinamida (PNSO) en el grupo de Riera para su aplicación en la reacción Pauson-Khand asimétrica. Se probaron que estos ligandos eran muy eficaces en esta reacción y daban rendimientos y enantioselectividades muy altos de los aductos Pauson-Khand. Probar la eficacia de estos ligandos PNSO en hidrogenación asimétrica formó parte de este trabajo. Se prepararon dos ligandos PNSO, se complejaron con rodio formando complejos neutros. Se protonaron los complejos neutros con ácido tetraflorobórico para formar los complejos catiónicos. Se usaron estos complejos de rodio- PNSO, tanto los complejos neutros como los catiónicos como catalizadores en la hidrogenación asimétrica del sustrato Z-MAC. Los complejos de rodio con el ligando PNSO substituido por el grupo tolilo en azufre no hidrogenaba el sustrato pero los complejos de rodio con el ligando PNSO dotado de tres grupos tert-butilos hidrogenaba el sustrato aunque con baja selectividad. Después de un tiempo intentando conseguir análogos de ligandos tipo PNSO sin éxito se cambió la dirección del proyecto. Se decidió centrarse en el ligando MaxPHOS el cual había sido desarrollado recientemente en el grupo Riera. El ligando MaxPHOS demostró gran eficacia en hidrogenación asimétrica con dos sustratos pero se deseaba un estudio mas amplio del potencial del ligando así que se sintetizaron siete sustratos y se probó el catalizador MaxPHOS en la hidrogenación asimétricas de esos sustratos. El catalizador MaxPHOS-Rh proporcionó excesos enantioméricos muy altos en cinco de los siete sustratos. Se hizo un estudio de las propiedades electrónicas del ligando MaxPHOS aprovechando los estudios de (31)P RMN y el MaxPHOS diselenuro lo cual se preparó anteriormente. También se estudió el “stretching” carbonilo del complejo MaxPHOS-Rh. Se demostró que el ligando MaxPHOS era menos rico en electronos que el ligando trichickenfootphos. Se prepararon complejos de MaxPHOS con paladio y cobalto para examinar la eficacia del ligando en reacciones mas allá de hidrogenación asimétrica como la reacción Pauson–Khand catalítica asimétrica. Se sintetizaron varios derivados del ligando MaxPHOS a partir de los intermedios clave en la preparación del ligando y se probaron en hidrogenación asimétrica proporcionando excesos enantioméricos bajos.

This thesis work aims at a better understanding of magneto-optical properties of dilute nitrides and II-VI diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum structures. The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part gives an introduction of the research fields, together with a brief summary of the scientific results included in the thesis. The second part consists of seven scientific articles that present the main findings of the thesis work. Below is a short summary of the thesis. Dilute nitrides have been of great scientific interest since their development in the early 1990s, because of their unusual fundamental physical properties as well as their potential for device applications. Incorporation of a small amount of N in conventional Ga(In)As or Ga(In)P semiconductors leads to dramatic modifications in both electronic and optical properties of the materials. This makes the dilute nitrides ideally suited for novel optoelectronic devices such as light emitting devices for fiber-optic communications, highly efficient visible light emitting devices, multi-junction solar cells, etc. In addition, diluted nitrides open a window for combining Si-based electronics with III-V compounds-based optoelectronics on Si wafers, promising for novel optoelectronic integrated circuits. Full exploration and optimization of this new material system in device applications requires a detailed understanding of their physical properties. Papers I and II report detailed studies of effects of post-growth rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and growth conditions (i.e. presence of N ions, N2 flow, growth temperature and In alloying) on the formation of grown-in defects in Ga(In)NP. High N2 flow and bombardment of impinging N ions on grown sample surface is found to facilitate formation of defects, such as Ga interstitial (Gai) related defects, revealed by optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). These defects act as competing carrier recombination centers, which efficiently decrease photoluminescence (PL) intensity. Incorporation of a small amount of In (e.g. 5.1%) in GaNP seems to play a minor role in the formation of the defects. In GaInNP with 45% of In, on the other hand, the defects were found to be abundant. Effect of RTA on the defects is found to depend on initial configurations of Gai related defects formed during the growth. In Paper III, the first identification of an interfacial defect at a heterojunction between two semiconductors (i.e. GaP/GaNP) is presented. The interface nature of the defect is clearly manifested by the observation of ODMR lines originating from only two out of four equivalent &lt;111&gt; orientations. Based on its resolved hyperfine interaction between an unpaired electronic spin (S=1/2) and a nuclear spin (I=1/2), the defect is concluded to involve a P atom at its core with a defect/impurity partner along a &lt;111&gt; direction. Defect formation is shown to be facilitated by N ion bombardment. In Paper IV, the effects of post-growth hydrogenation on the efficiency of the nonradiative (NR) recombination centers in GaNP are studied. Based on the ODMR results, incorporation of H is found to increase the efficiency of the NR recombination via defects such as Ga interstitials. In Paper V, we report on our results from a systematic study of layered structures containing an InGaNAs/GaAs quantum well, by the optically detected cyclotron resonance (ODCR) technique. By monitoring PL emissions from various layers, the predominant ODCR peak is shown to be related to electrons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices. This demonstrates the role of the SL as an escape route for the carriers confined within the InGaNAs/GaAs single quantum well. The last two papers are within a relatively new field of spintronics which utilizes not only the charge (as in conventional electronics) but also the quantum mechanical property of spin of the electron. Spintronics offers a pathway towards integration of information storage, processing and communications into a single technology. Spintronics also promises advantages over conventional charge-based electronics since spin can be manipulated on a much shorter time scale and at lower cost of energy. Success of semiconductor-based spintronics relies on our ability to inject spin polarized electrons or holes into semiconductors, spin transport with minimum loss and reliable spin detection. In Papers VI and VII, we study the efficiency and mechanism for carrier/exciton and spin injection from a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) ZnMnSe quantum well into nonmagnetic CdSe quantum dots (QD’s) by means of spin-polarized magneto PL combined with tunable laser spectroscopy. By means of a detailed rate equation analysis presented in Paper VI, the injected spin polarization is deduced to be about 32%, decreasing from 100% before the injection. The observed spin loss is shown to occur during the spin injection process. In Paper VII, we present evidence that energy transfer is the dominant mechanism for carrier/exciton injection from the DMS to the QD’s. This is based on the fact that carrier/exciton injection efficiency is independent of the width of the ZnSe tunneling barrier inserted between the DMS and QD’s. In sharp contrast, spin injection efficiency is found to be largely suppressed in the structures with wide barriers, pointing towards increasing spin loss.