published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Master / Master of Philosophy

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The philosophy of green chemistry has seen much development in the past decade. The use of environmentally benign solvents is amongst the areas of green chemistry that have received the most attention. In this context, imidazolium ionic liquids have been widely reported to offer high product yields, fast reaction rates, excellent selectivity and generally mild working conditions, when used as reaction media. In addition, concerns about costs of solvents and the long-term environmental impact that can potentially result when solvents are discarded after their use have led to focused investigations into solvent-free procedures, as reported in recent literature. We have set out to explore the extent to which these advantages could be realized within our research. Non-volatile, non-flammable imidazolium ionic liquids [bmim][I], [bmim][BF4] and [bmim][PF6] were used as green solvents in ferrocene chemistry. Ferrocenoate esters were synthesised efficiently by the respective DCC/DMAP-promoted reactions of ferrocenecarboxylic acid and substituted benzoic acids or, alternatively, the DMAP-promoted reactions of ferrocenoyl fluoride with a range of substituted phenols in [bmim][BF4] and [bmim][PF6]. High yields and short reaction times were achieved. In addition, the ionic liquid was reused several times without a reduction in product yields. Under solvent-free conditions, DCC/DMAP-promoted reactions provided high yields within 3 min of reaction. The possible rearrangement of one of the intermediates in these reactions was modelled theoretically using density function theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of approximation. Catalyst-free esterification was achieved by the application of microwave radiation to the reaction of ferrocenoyl fluoride and a range of substituted phenols. All the reactions were complete after 1 min of irradiation and products were isolated in high yield. DPAT, HfCl4, Sc(OTf)3 and Al(OTf)3 were screened as catalysts for esterification in [bmim][BF4] and under solvent-free conditions at various temperatures. All attempts at esterification of ferrocenecarboxylic acid with alcohols and phenols were unsuccessful. The Suzuki cross-coupling reaction was carried out in [bmim][BF4]. The isolated yields are, however, poor and suffer from poor reproducibility with different batches of [bmim][BF4] used.

The IL’s used in this study were either synthesized or commercially available. Preparation of the IL’s involved 2 step processes: firstly the heating of distilled 1-methylimidazole with distilled 1-chlorobutane under reflux to obtain 1-butyl-3- methylimidazolium chloride; secondly, the metathesis reaction of sodium tetrafluoroborate with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride to obtain 1-butyl-3- methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The addition of sodium tetrafluoroborate, sodium hexafluorophosphate and lithium trifluoromethane sulfonamide with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride produced good yields of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide respectively. The IL’s are hygroscopic and must be stored under a nitrogen atmosphere. The IL’s were analyzed using 1H and 13C NMR analysis with CDCl3 as solvent. The physical and chemical properties of these IL’s were compared to commercial products. The physical and chemical properties compared well to reference values from the literature. The physical properties measured include the density, conductivity and electrochemical window. The electrochemical window is dependant primarily on the resistance of the cation to reduction and the resistance of the anion to oxidation. The electrochemical windows of the IL’s were very similar to the reference windows obtained from literature and it can be seen that some IL’s have a slightly lower window which can be due to water present. Water content in the IL’s was determined with the use of a Karl Fischer titrator, with Hydranal 5 Composite as titrant and HPLC grade methanol as the base. The concentration of halide in the IL’s was determined with a Perkin-Elmer ICP-MS.

This thesis is concerned with the problems of sample preparation arising in the study of lead isotope abundances. The importance of this study to geophysics has been amply shown by R.D. Russell, R.M. Farquhar, F.G. Houtermans, J.T. Wilson, H.F. Ehrenberg and many others. Chapter 1 gives an outline of lead isotope measurement techniques, including types of mass spectrometers generally used and some of the problems encountered. The mass spectrometer used in the present research was designed and constructed by R.D. Russell and F. Kollar and descriptions of it will be found in their publications and in F. Kollar's Ph.D. thesis. The present techniques of producing lead tetramethyl for isotopic analysis from ore samples are discussed in Chapter 2. The remaining chapters deal with the purification of lead tetramethyl for mass spectrometer analysis, using vapour phase chromatography. This technique has found immediate application in the precise intercomparison of lead samples recently carried out in the Geophysics Laboratory at the University of British Columbia by F. Kollar and others (F. Kollar, R.D. Russell and T.J. Ulrych, in press). The long range object for developing this technique is to purify lead tetramethyl prepared by free methyl radicals reacting with metallic lead (cf. A.J. Surkan 1956) prior to isotopic analysis. The presence of impurities in samples prepared this way has discouraged the development of this method in the past. The final chapter deals with this aspect of the proposed problem. This thesis is intended as a preliminary to the writer's Ph.D. research which will also deal with isotopic lead analysis. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for degree of Master of Science in Chemistry / The mandate for renewable energy sources to replace the current reliance on fossil fuels as a primary energy source has recently attracted a lot of research interest. The research has also focussed on bringing the technologies that take into consideration the goal of reducing environmental pollution. Consequently, approaches using photovoltaic (PV) technologies have been a promising arena to tackle the problem facing energy sources. Recently, more focus has been placed on improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PV devices, such as organic and/or organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells. Therefore, in this work two different materials were applied in two independent PV devices, namely organic and/or organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells. One study employed nitrogen doped broken hollow carbon spheres (N-bHCSs), with an aim of enhancing the electronic properties of the P3HT:PCBM active layer of an organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell. N-bHCSs were successfully synthesized using a horizontal chemical vapour deposition method (H-CVD) employing a template-based method and the carbon was doped using in-situ and ex-situ doping techniques. Pyridine, acetonitrile and toluene were used as both carbon and nitrogen precursors. The dispersity of the SiO2 spheres (i.e. templates) was found to play a role on the breakage of the N-bHCSs. Incorporation of the N-bHCSs into the P3HT:PCBM active layer was found to enhance the charge transfer and this led to less recombination of photogenerated charges in the interface between the donor and acceptor. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the ITO/PEPOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM:N-bHCSs/Al solar cell devices revealed an increased chargetransport distance due to increased electron density by n-type doping from the N-bHCSs. The second study employed the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) material as a light harvesting layer in an ITO/PEDOT:PSS/CH3NH3PbI3/PC6BM/Al solar cell device. Initially, the device parameters were optimised to obtain the best performing device. These include parameters such as the degradation of the hybrid film as a function of time and air exposure. A rapid degradation was seen on the device after 24 h of air exposure which was accompanied by the decrease in the PV performance of the device. The degradation was visually seen by the formation of crystal grains (i.e. “islands”) on the perovskite film. / GR2019

In Chapter 1, I discuss the synthesis and characterization of lithium tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborato complexes, [TpR1,R2]Li. Group 1 [TpR1,R2]M complexes serve as key starting points to access many other main group and transition metal complexes; however, the synthesis and crystal structures of [Tp R1,R2]Li has not been reported. Molecular structures of [TpBut]Li and [TpBut,Me]Li show these complexes are trigonal pyramidal, an unusual geometry for lithium. These complexes are also able to bind small molecules to form four-coordinate pseudo-tetrahedral complexes, [Tp]Li-L (L = MeCN, pzButH, and H2O). The binding constants for the association of acetonitrile to [TpBut]Li and [TpBut,Me]Li are 0.84M-1 and 0.96M-1, respectively, indicating that the dissociation of MeCN is facile in solution. In addition, [TpBut,Me]Li serves as transmetallating agent to yield the cadmium halide complexes, [TpBut,Me]CdX (X = Cl, Br, I). In Chapter 2, I discuss the synthesis and characterization of organometallic cadmium complexes supported by the nitrogen-rich multidentate ligands, tris(pyridylthio)methane, [Tptm]H; tris(1-methyl-imidazolylthio)methane, [TitmMe]H; and tris(1-methyl-benzimidazolylthio)methane, [TitmiPrBenz]H. These ligands are in the nascent stages of development and there are only a few metal [Tptm] and [TitmMe] complexes in the literature. An investigation of the reactivity of [L]CdN(SiMe3)2, [L]CdOSiMe3, and [L]CdOSiPh3 ([L] = [Tptm], [TitmMe], [TitmiPrBenz]) shows these complexes provide access to a variety of organometallic cadmium complexes, [L]CdX, (X = OAc, Cl, Br, O2CH, NCO). The characterization of cadmium acetate and formate complexes is significant due to their structural similarity with the metal bicarbonate intermediate formed by zinc and cadmium-substituted carbonic anhydrase. In addition, the synthesis and characterization of cadmium methyl complexes, [L]CdMe, is discussed. The application of heat to a mixture of [TitmiPrBenz]H and CdMe2 results in isomerization of the ligand to [S3-TitmiPrBenz]CdMe. This sulfur-rich [S3-TitmiPrBenz] ligand is not reported in the literature and is ripe for further investigation. The solid state structures of these compounds provide a comparison with biologically relevant [Tp] or [Tm] cadmium methyl complexes in the literature. In Chapter 3, I describe the synthesis and structural characterization of [BmButBenz]M (M = Na, K) and [BmRBenz]Ca(THF)2 (R = Me, But) are discussed. The sulfur-rich tripodal ligand tris(imidazolylthio)hydroborato, [Tm], was previously designed to serve as a softer version of the [Tp] ligand. Metal [Tm] complexes are prevalent in the literature and have often been used as molecular mimics of sulfur-rich enzyme active sites. Recently, the benzannulated [TmRBenz]M complexes were reported and were found to promote k3 coordination toward the metal center. To allow for an in-depth investigation of the newly synthesized [BmRBenz] class of ligand, the [BmButBenz]M (M = Na, K, Ca) complexes were synthesized and compared to previously reported metal [BmMeBenz]M complexes. Additionally, the [BmMeBenz]2Ca(THF)2 was synthesized and characterized via X-ray diffraction. The molecular structure of [BmMeBenz]2Ca(THF)2 shows the complex is monometallic with an uncommon eight-coordinate dodecahedral calcium center. [BmMeBenz]2Ca(THF)2 is the first molecular structure of calcium coordinated to the [Tm] or [Bm] ligand class. In Chapter 4, I discuss the synthesis and characterization of mercury alkyl complexes supported by the [TmMe], [BmR], [TmRBenz] and [BmRBenz] ligands (R = Me or But). As previously mentioned, [Tm]M complexes are considered biologically relevant molecular models of enzyme active sites. With this in mind, [TmBut]HgR (R = Me,Et) complexes have served as mimics for the mercury detoxification enzyme MerB. A previous study by our group showed that the adoption of multiple coordination modes of the ligand in [TmBut]HgR plays a significant role in the activation of the Hg-C bond toward protonolysis. The molecular structures of the [TmR], [BmR], [TmRBenz], and [BmRBenz] mercury alkyl complexes show that they adopt various coordination modes, ranging from k1 to k3. Preliminary competition experiments in which benzenethiol was added to [TmR]HgEt and [TmRBenz]HgEt indicate that the Hg-C bond in [TmMeBenz]HgEt was cleaved faster than that in [TmMe]HgEt. Conversely, the Hg-C bond in [TmBut]HgEt was cleaved faster than that in [TmButBenz]HgEt, indicating that benzannulation and the size of the R-group on the [Tm] ligand play important roles in Hg-C bond cleavage.

This dissertation is a summary of my research developing the synthesis and assembly of functional materials from nanoscale building blocks and studying their emergent properties. Chapter 1 introduces superatoms as exciting atomically precise supramolecular building blocks for materials design. Bottom-up assembly of these superatoms into materials with increased dimensionality (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D) offers exciting opportunities to create novel solid-state compounds with tailored functions for widespread technological applications. I review recent advances to assemble superatomic materials and focus on assemblies from metal chalcogenide clusters and fullerenes. In subsequent chapters, I employ several of these nanoscale superatoms as the precursors to functional materials. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis and structural characterization of a hybrid solid-state compound assembled from two building blocks: a nickel telluride superatom and an endohedral fullerene. Although a varied library of binary superatomic solids has been assembled from fullerenes, this is the first demonstration of a superatomic assembly using an endohedral fullerene as a building block. Lu3N@C80 fullerenes are dimerized in this new solid-state compound with an unpreceded orientation of the encapsulated metal nitride cluster. I explore the structural characterization of this material supported with computational evidence to explain the dimerization and orientation of the endohedral fullerenes. In Chapter 3 I begin to detail my exploration into assembling superatoms at micro and meso-scales –which will be the focus of Chapters 3-5. Polymers offer attractive mechanical and self-assembly properties that when combined with the attractive redox, optical, and magnetic properties of molecular clusters, these materials chart new paths to developing advanced materials and technologies. Chapter 3 describes charge transfer interactions between perylene diimide and cobalt telluride superatoms that drive the assembly of a solid-state compound from these two building blocks and inspired the design of a diblock copolymer template. Chapters 4 and 5 detail the synthesis and characterization of a polymer with functionalized cobalt selenide side units. I describe a cationic homopolymer in Chapter 4 and diblock copolymer in Chapter 5 synthesized from ring opening polymerization of norbornene-derived monomers. Chapter 4 describes potential applications of the homopolymer system such as thin film fabrication. Chapter 5 discusses the self-assembly of the redox-active diblock copolymer into cross-linkable vesicle structures that can encapsulate molecular cargo. Finally, in Chapter 6 I introduce a new molecular building block to form gold metal surface bonds. Bisaminocyclopropenylidenes (BACs) are a class of carbenes that, much like N-heterocyclic carbenes, have been widely employed for catalysis but have yet to be explored for materials design. This chapter describes the structure and binding orientation of a BAC on an Au(111) surface. Each of these chapters illustrates how the synthetic flexibility of molecular building blocks enables the design of functional materials with tunable properties.

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The organic linker 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (BTC) has been widely used in the construction of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due the high symmetry and versatile nature of its structure. Under identical hydrothermal reaction conditions, it was discovered that lanthanide BTC MOFs will form one of four unique structures based on its location in the series (La-Sm, Eu-Tb, Dy-Tm, Yb-Lu). This is uncommon in LOF materials, as in many cases the same compound can be produced for all of the lanthanides or two different structures may be observed for the first and second half of the series. Descriptions and comparisons of these structures as discussed herein, noticeably the decrease in coordination number and the lanthanide-oxygen bond lengths as the lanthanide atomic number increases. This thesis also attempts to use these compounds to catalyze a model mixed-aldol reaction. Two closely related BTC compounds from yttrium and uranium are also presented. The structure of the yttrium BTC MOFs was identical to that of the Eu, Gd and Tb compounds. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection