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We have designed and engineered bi-catalyst magnesium hydride composites with superior sorption performance to that of ball milled magnesium hydride catalyzed with the individual baseline catalysts. We have examined the effect of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-metallic nanoparticle additions on the hydrogen desorption behavior of MgH2 after high-energy co-milling. We showed the synergy between SWCNT's and metallic nanoparticles in catalyzing the sorption of magnesium hydride. The optimum microstructure for sorption, obtained after 1 h of co-milling, consists of highly defective SWCNTs in intimate contact with metallic nanoparticles and with the hydride. This microstructure is optimum, presumably because of the dense and uniform coverage of the defective SWCNTs on the MgH2 surface. Cryo-stage transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the hydride powders revealed that they are nanocrystalline and in some cases multiply twinned. Since defects are an integral component of hydride-to-metal phase transformations, such analysis sheds new insight regarding the fundamental microstructural origins of the sorption enhancement due to mechanical milling. The nanocomposite shows markedly improved cycling as well. Activation energy analysis demonstrates that any catalytic effect due to the metallic nanoparticles is lost during cycling. Improved cycling performance is instead achieved as a result of the carbon allotropes preventing MgH2 particle agglomeration and sintering. The nanocomposite received over 100 sorption cycles with fairly minor kinetic degradation. We investigated the catalytic effect of Fe + Ti bi-metallic catalyst on the desorption kinetics of magnesium hydride. Sub-micron dimensions for MgH2 particles and excellent nanoscale catalyst dispersion was achieved by high-energy milling. The composites containing Fe shows DSC desorption temperature of 170 °C lower than as-received MgH2 powder, which makes it suitable to be cycled at relatively low temperature of 250 °C. The low cycling temperature also prevents the formation of Mg2FeH6. The ternary Mg-Fe-Ti composite shows best performance when compared to baseline ball milled magnesium hydride with only one catalytic addition. With a very high BET surface area it also shows much less degradation during cycling. The synergy between Fe and Ti is demonstrated through use of TEM and by carefully measuring the activation energies of the baseline and the ternary composites. / Materials Engineering

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2004. / Submitted to the Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-116). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-237).

This thesis describes the design, synthesis and application of artificial metalloenzymes for transition metal catalysed reactions not performed by natural enzymes. Unique cysteine containing protein templates were covalently modified with transition metal ligand complexes that generate catalytic activity, which allows for the use of virtually any protein template. SCP-2L was selected as template for the linear hydrophobic tunnel that traverses the protein, which has high affinity for linear aliphatic molecules. The use of catalysts based on this protein to induce increased activity in the biphasic hydroformylation of linear α-olefins is investigated in this work. For this purpose, unique cysteine containing mutants of SCP-2L were modified with phosphine ligands by application of a novel bioconjugation procedure. Application of rhodium adducts of the phosphine modified protein constructs led to up to a 100 fold increase of the turn over numbers was measured compared to a Rh/TPPTS model system which is used in industry. Furthermore, good selectivity towards the linear product was observed. If it can be confirmed that the found catalytic results truly are the result of substrate encapsulation by the protein scaffold, this system represents the first rationally designed artificial metalloenzyme which exploits the shape selectivity of the protein scaffold to direct the outcome of a catalytic reaction. In addition, a study was performed for the development of enantioselective artificial metalloenzymes. Nitrogen ligands were covalently introduced in SCP-2L and the obtained conjugates were applied in the copper catalysed Diels-Alder and Michael addition reaction. A promising 25% ee was found for the Diels-Alder reaction between azachalcone and cyclopentadiene using one of the created constructs. Further development of these catalyst systems with the use of both synthetic (e.g. optimisation of ligand structure) and biomolecular tools (e.g. optimisation of protein environment) for optimisation can lead to very efficient and enantioselective conversions in the future.

Ruthenium carbene complexes, with the general structure, [LL’Ru=CHR], are commonly known as Grubbs type catalysts, named after the discoverer of these metathesis catalysts. The discovery was quite revolutionary, since the catalysts proved to be easy to handle, tolerant towards various functional groups and more stable with regard to air and water than previous transition metal catalysts. Another important advantage was that all types of olefin metathesis reactions could be initiated without the help of co-catalysts or promoters. Today Grubbs type catalysts find wide application in especially organic and synthetic chemistry. A well-known example is the SHOP-process which produces long chain -olefins, while other important applications include the synthesis of macro-cyclic and cyclic olefins. The current study involved experimental and theoretical work to investigate various aspects comprising synthetic procedures, reactivity, kinetics, geometry and electronic properties of the complexes. Results are discussed briefly in the following paragraphs. The first aim of the project was to synthesise a Grubbs type catalyst. Initial efforts were focused on the preparation of a first generation catalyst through various methods. This included modifying the reported method for the synthesis of [(PPh3)2Cl2Ru=CH-CH=CMe2] to yield [(PPh2Cy)2Cl2Ru=CHCH= CMe2] instead; a phosphine exchange reaction with the complex [(PPh3)2Cl2Ru=CH-CH=CMe2] and free phosphine PPh2Cy; and utilising the analogue arsine ligand, AsPh3, to synthesise [(AsPh3)2Cl2Ru=CHCH=CMe2]; but unfortunately no success was achieved. However, it was possible to synthesise a novel second generation Grubbs type catalyst, [(IMesH2)(PPh2Cy)Cl2Ru=CHPh], through the phosphine exchange reaction of [(IMesH2)(NC5H5)2Cl2Ru=CHPh] and PPh2Cy. The new complex was tested in kinetic reaction studies and phosphine exchange reactions. Results showed that [(IMesH2)(PPh2Cy)Cl2Ru=CHPh] was catalytically active for the ring closing metathesis of commercial diethyl diallylmalonate. The reaction was first order with regard to the olefin, contrary to the second order kinetic results reported for similar reactions catalysed by first generation Grubbs catalysts. The phosphine exchange reactions were very successful and a rate constant could be determined. The rate constant was independent of the free phosphine concentration and activation parameters had relatively large, positive values; results indicative of a dissociative mechanism. These findings are in correlation with literature reports. A kinetic investigation was done on the catalyst-olefin coordination involving the functionalized olefins vinyl acetate, allyl acetate and allyl cyanide; and the first generation Grubbs catalyst, [(PCy3)2Cl2Ru=CHPh]. A two-step rate law, similar to an interchange mechanism, was determined. Phobcat, [(PhobCy)2Cl2Ru=CHPh], is modified first generation Grubbs type catalyst with rigid bicyclic phosphine rings which was recently developed by the Sasol Homogeneous Metathesis Group. In the current study Phobcat was compared to Grubbs1-PCy3 in the cross metathesis reaction of 1-octene. Results showed that Phobcat was up to 60% more active and had a 5 hour longer lifetime than Grubbs 1-PCy3. Theoretical studies were done on the three functionalized olefins of the earlier experimental study to gain fundamental understanding of steric and electronic influences on these catalyst-olefin systems. Without exception, coordination via the heteroatom of the olefin was significantly more favourable than coordination via the double bond functionality. This result indicates that metathesis of these olefins is highly unlikely, since the stable heteroatom coordination will suppress the parallel Ru=C/C=C interaction which is compulsory for the metathesis reaction. Orbital studies highlighted the difference between coordination of acetate and cyanide, but no trend of an electronic nature could be recognised. / Prof. A. Roodt