Cette étude a pour objectif d’élaborer des mousses de géopolymère à macroporosité connectée pour le traitement des effluents liquides radioactifs. La première partie de ce travail a consisté à synthétiser des monolithes de géopolymères par moussage direct en utilisant le peroxyde d’hydrogène (H2O2) comme agent porogène. Celui-ci se décompose en milieu basique pour produire de l’oxygène et ainsi produire la mousse de géopolymère par nucléation/croissance de bulles d’oxygène jusqu’à épuisement du terme source et/ou prise du matériau. Pour stabiliser les bulles de gaz générées, l’ajout d’un tensioactif est nécessaire pour limiter les phénomènes de coalescence. L’influence de la concentration en H2O2, de la nature chimique du tensioactif et de la viscosité de la pâte sur la cinétique de production et sur les propriétés finales de la mousse ainsi produite a été étudiée. Les résultats montrent classiquement qu’une forte concentration initiale de H2O2 produit des mousses de forte porosité, avec des tailles de pores élevées et des propriétés mécaniques moindres. Par contre, le choix de la nature chimique du tensioactif a une très forte influence d’une part de la rhéologie de la pâte de géopolymère et d’autre part sur les propriétés du réseau poreux. En effet, par un choix approprié du tensioactif, il est possible d’obtenir des mousses de géopolymères à macroporosité fermée ou ouverte, avec des distributions en taille de pores plus ou moins étalées et de bonnes propriétés mécaniques. A l’issue de cette première étape, un monolithe de géopolymère à porosité ouverte a été fonctionnalisé par précipitation des particules d’hexacyanoferrate de cuivre connues pour être très sélectives vis-à-vis du césium. Les essais ont été réalisés en mode batch dans différents milieux (eau pure, eau douce et eau douce chargée de cations compétiteurs de charge en concentration importante). Les cinétiques et les isothermes d’adsorption du césium ont été déterminées sur une large gamme de concentration en césium (de l’état de trace jusqu’à 1000 ppm) et la mousse de géopolymère fonctionnalisée a montré des performances remarquables pour le piégeage sélectif du césium par rapport à une mousse non fonctionnalisée. En effet, les essais en milieu radioactif (trace de césium dans l’eau douce) ont montré que la valeur du coefficient de distribution (Kd) pour la mousse fonctionnalisée est de l’ordre 5.5 105 ml.g-1. / This study aims to develop geopolymer foams with connected macroporosity for the treatment of radioactive liquid wastes. The first part of this work was to synthesize geopolymer monoliths by direct foaming using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as blowing agent. It decomposes in a basic medium to produce oxygen and thus produces the geopolymer foam by nucleation and growth of oxygen bubbles until exhaustion of the source term and/or setting of the material. To stabilize the generated gas bubbles, the addition of a surfactant is necessary to limit coalescence phenomena. The influence of the H2O2 concentration, the chemical nature of the surfactant and the viscosity of the paste on the kinetics of production and on the final properties of the foam thus produced, was studied. The results conventionally show that a high initial concentration of H2O2 produces high porous foams, with high pore sizes and less mechanical properties. On the other hand, the choice of the chemical nature of the surfactant has a very strong influence on the one hand on the rheology of the geopolymer paste and on the other hand on the properties of the porous network. Indeed, by an appropriate choice of the surfactant, it is possible to obtain geopolymer foams with closed or open macroporosity, with pore size distributions more or less spread and with good mechanical properties. At the end of this first step, a well-connected geopolymer monolith was functionalized by precipitation of copper hexacyanoferrate particles known to be very selective with respect to cesium. The tests were performed in batch mode in different media (pure water, fresh water and fresh water loaded with competitor cations in high concentration). The kinetic and adsorption isotherms of cesium were determined over a wide range of cesium concentration (from trace to 1000 ppm) and the functionalized geopolymer foam showed remarkable performance for selective entrapment of cesium as compared to an unfunctionalized foam. Indeed, the tests in radioactive medium (trace of cesium in fresh water) have shown that the value of the distribution coefficient (Kd) for the functionalized foam is around 5.5 105 ml.g-1.

Estudos realizados no sistema lacustre do Vale do rio Doce revelam um empobrecimento da ictiofauna após a introdução das espécies alóctones tucunaré (Cichla ocellaris) e piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri). Estas espécies, na fase adulta, não apresentam nenhum predador ou competidor efetivo nos ambientes estudados. Neste contexto e visando contribuir para medidas de manejo e prevenção de impactos com a introdução de espécies, este estudo objetivou conhecer a alimentação e avaliar, por meio de experimentos em laboratório, a seletividade alimentar e eficiência de alevinos destas duas espécies introduzidas na captura de invertebrados planctônicos comparadas a Astyanax cf bimaculatus e Geophagus brasiliensis (espécies nativas). Os alevinos, capturados em diferentes lagoas, foram medidos, pesados e tiveram seus estômagos analisados. A seletividade alimentar foi calculada através do índice de seletividade qualitativa de IVLEV (1961) e o índice da razão de procura por alimento (FRi) de Edmondson e Winberg (1971). A eficiência alimentar dos alevinos foi calculada e comparada através das taxas de predação. G. brasiliensis, A. cf bimaculatus e C. ocellaris apresentaram alimentação variada, baseada em itens de origem animal e vegetal. G. brasiliensis apresentou maior variação de itens alimentares baseado principalmente em organismos zooplânctônicos, enquanto C. ocellaris e A. cf bimaculatus consumiram essencialmente insetos. Os coeficientes de sobreposição alimentar foram significativos para G. brasiliensis, A. cf bimaculatus e C. ocellaris, indicando elevada similaridade na alimentação destas espécies. Entretanto, não foram significativos para P. nattereri, devido ao hábito exclusivamente carnívoro, desde a fase jovem. As taxas de predação diferiram significativamente na presença de outros alevinos e em diferentes concentrações de presas. Os alevinos de C. ocellaris, P. nattereri e A. cf bimaculatus foram mais eficientes na captura de presas ágeis, tais como copépodos adultos, comparados a G. brasiliensis, indicando boa adaptação na detecção, caça e sucesso na perseguição da presa, desde a fase jovem. A diversidade de peixes, amostrados na fase de alevinos, foi baixa nos diferentes ambientes estudados, não tendo sido coletadas espécies nativas nos lagos com presença de espécies introduzidas, indicando que as espécies nativas tem sido afetadas não apenas pela presença de competidores, mas também de predadores, desde a fase jovem. / Studies accomplished in the lacustrine environment of Vale do rio Doce show a decrease of the ichthyofauna after introduction of the aloctone species tucunaré (Cichla ocellaris) and piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri). These species, in mature phase, do not present any predators or effective competitors in the studied environment. In this context, and aiming to contribute to management and impact prevention measures concerning species introduction, this study was carried out to know the feeding habits and evaluate, through laboratory experiments, the feeding selectivity and efficiency of alevins of these introduced species in capturing planktonic invertebrates, compared to Astyanax cf bimaculatus and Geophagus brasiliensis (native species). The alevins, captured in different lakes, were measured, weighed and had their stomach analyzed. The feeding selectivity was calculated through the Ivlev (1961) qualitative selectivity rate, and the food searching reason rate (FRi) by Edmondson e Winberg (1971). The alevins feeding efficiency was calculated and compared through the predation rates. G. brasiliensis, A cf bimaculatus and C. ocellaris presented varied nutritional habits, based on both animal and vegetal items. G. brasiliensis presented more variation of food items based mainly on zooplanktonic organisms, while C. ocellaris and A cf bimaculatus consumed insects essentially. The feeding superposition coefficients were significative for G. brasiliensis, A. cf bimaculatus and C. ocellaris, indicating high similarity in their nutritional habits. However, they are not significative for P. nattereri, due to their exclusive carnivore habit since their juvenile phase. The predation rates differed significantly in presence of other alevins and in different prey concentrations. The C. ocellaris, p. nattereri and A. cf bimaculatus alevins were more efficient when capturing agile preys, such as adult copepods, compared to G. brasiliensis, indicating good adaptation for detecting, hunting and capturing prey since their juvenile phase. The diversity of fish, sampled in the alevin phase, was low in the different lakes studied, and native species were not collected in the lakes with introduced species, indicating that the native species have been affected not only by competitors, but also by predators\' presence, ever since their juvenile phase.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a video model, graduated exposure (i.e., touch, smell, try, eat), and positive reinforcement to first increase food exploration, and then increase consumption of non-preferred foods in young children that exhibit food selectivity in a school setting. A multiple probe design across behaviors replicated across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment package. The treatment package consisted of a video model of each target behavior (touch, smell, try, eat) and positive reinforcement which included preferred foods and materials. The results indicated that the treatment package was effective in increasing the food exploration and consumption of non-preferred foods for one participant, and was inconclusive for the second participant.

Depuis de nombreuses années, des notions telles que « l'économie d'atome » ou encore la nécessité de développer des méthodes de valorisation rapide des hydrocarbures, ont pris une place importante en chimie organique. Dans ce contexte, la fonctionnalisation de liaisons carbonehydrogène (C–H) s'avère être un outil puissant de la chimie moderne, thématique fort présente au sein du laboratoire depuis de nombreuses années. En 2010, le développement de la réaction de β- arylation d'esters a initié au sein du laboratoire de nouvelles perspectives. L'extension de cette réaction fait l'objet des travaux de recherches réalisés dans ce manuscrit, pour la fonctionnalisation de liaisons C(sp3)–H en position α, β et γ d'amines. Ces structures sont présentes au sein de nombreuses molécules naturelles de la famille des alcaloides, ou molécules d'intérêt pharmacologique, ce qui en fait des motifs d'intérêt majeur. Les travaux réalisés dans le cadre de ce projet de thèse s'articulent autour de la réaction de couplage de Negishi (co-lauréat du prix Nobel de Chimie 2010), qui est un outil de synthèse puissant pour la formation de liaisons carbone-carbone. Son application aux couplages migratoires est au coeur des développements présentés dans ce manuscrit, selon trois grands axes de recherche. Le premier s'intéresse à la réalisation de couplages palladocatalysés sélectifs en positions β de N-Boc-pipéridines. Il y est développé l'importance de la flexibilité des ligands biarylphosphines dans le contrôle de la sélectivité α/β. Le second étudie l'extension de ces premiers travaux pour l'α– et β–fonctionnalisation sélective de N-Boc-amines acycliques, qui a nécessité de nouvelles avancées pour la lithiation dirigée d'amines acycliques, et le développement de nouvelles biarylphosphines plus flexibles, et plus sélectives. L'étude des étapes de lithiation, et de transmétallation, a été réalisée par analyse IR in-situ, ainsi que l'influence d'aryles aux propriétés électroniques variées lors de l'α-arylation. Un dernier axe d'étude pour la γ- fonctionnalisation d'allylamines, permet d'étendre le champ d'application du couplage de Negishi pour la fonctionnalisation C–H d'alkylamines, pour la formation de γ–arylamines et β–aryles aldéhydes / Since several years, the emergence of terms such as atom- and step-economy, or the need for the development of rapid and efficient synthetic methods have taken an important place in chemistry. In this context, the transition-metal-catalyzed functionalization of unactivated carbonhydrogen bonds has emerged as a powerful tool and an important field of research. In 2010, the development of the β arylation of esters has initiated a new perspective in our laboratory, and has been at the origin of the research described in this manuscript on the selective C(sp3)–H functionalization of amines at α, β and γ positions. The work performed during this Ph.D. project is related to the Negishi cross-coupling reaction (co-laureate of Chemistry Nobel prize in 2010), an important method for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. Three different aspects are explored in this manuscript. The first one deals with the development of the palladium-catalyzed β -arylation of N-Boc-piperidines, which highlights the importance of ligand flexibility to control the α- vs. β- arylation selectivity. The second part focuses on the selective α - and β -functionalization of acyclic N-Boc-amines, which required to reinvestigate the directed lithiation of acyclic amines and to synthesize new biarylphosphines possessing greater flexibility. A kinetic analysis of each individual step from the lithiation to the α -arylation was performed by in situ IR spectroscopy, and proved an efficient method to gain further mechanistic insights. Finally, we have developed a selective γ - arylation reaction of allylamines, which represents a new extension of the Negishi cross-coupling for the C–H functionalization of alkylamines, and allows a direct access to valuable γ -arylamines and β - arylaldehydes

In this study, we contrasted socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006) with dynamic integration theory (DIT; Labouvie-Vief, 2003) using trajectories of quantitative and qualitative social support in later life. SST is a lifespan theory of motivational development (Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999). There is a normative decline in social support networks in later life. In other words, individuals who perceive the limitation on time left for their future are likely to decrease the quantitative social support and compensate for this decrease by improving qualitative social support with emotionally meaningful social partners. The theory also postulates that age is the primary proxy for perceived limitation of individuals' lives (Carstensen, Fung, & Charles, 2003). Further, self-reported health and functional status are factors that affect older adults' perception of limitation of time left in their lives (Carstensen, 2006). In contrast, DIT is a neo-Piagetian theory that emphasizes the presence of individual differences in quantitative and qualitative social support in later life depending on individuals' levels of cognitive resources that are associated with educational levels (Labouvie-Vief & Diehl, 2000). Despite these different arguments on the trajectories of quantitative and qualitative social support in later life, SST and DIT have not been tested within a same study. The current study examined the trajectories of frequency of social contact (quantitative social support) and reliance on family members and close friends (qualitative social support) in later life. Participants were drawn from the Normative Aging Study (NAS; N = 1,067, M[subscript age] = 60.83, SD = 8.08) who completed social support surveys three times from 1985 to 1991. Using unconditional and unconditional analyses (Raudenbush & Bryk, 1986), growth models of frequency of social contact with and reliance on family members and close friends were tested. Within subject analyses found that the trajectory of frequency of social contact was a U-shaped curve with the age of 54 years at a peak, while the trajectory of reliance on family and friends were stable and linear. Random effects of age for the intercept and slope were significant in both models of frequency of contact and reliance on family and friends, although the random effect for the latter were small in both models. Between subjects analyses were conducted to examine whether cognitive resources, marital status, health status, and functional status predicted variance in the intercept and slope of both types of support. As SST hypothesized, having better self-reported physical health predicted higher levels of frequency of contact over age. Being married was associated with higher quantity of social support. However, contrary to our hypothesis based on SST, having poorer functional status predicted more frequent social contact over age. The random effect of intercept was still significant after controlling for these psychosocial predictors. The evidence to test the DIT hypotheses was examined in the model of the qualitative social support. Having memory problems predicted decreasing reliance on social partners. However, marital status and education did not significantly predict change in qualitative social relationships. Contrary to the hypothesis based on SST that posited poor self-reported health was associated with higher qualitative social support, it was better self-reported health that predicted higher qualitative social support. The random effects for the intercept and slope were still significant after controlling for these psychosocial factors. Taken together, the findings of the current study suggest that SST and DIT can be used as theoretical frameworks that are complementary rather than contradictory in their predictions of socioemotional development in later life. SST is useful to illustrate the overall trajectory of quantitative social support in a normative development in late life. DIT's stance better explains the individual differences in qualitative social support in non-normative contexts. The findings also suggest that having memory problems and poor self-reported health as non-normative developmental outcomes may be risk factors of older adults' ability to seek for social support. / Graduation date: 2012

The selective infrared (IR) excitation of molecular vibrations is a powerful tool to control the photoreactivity prior to electronic excitation in the ultraviolet / visible (UV/Vis) light regime ("vibrationally mediated chemistry"). For adsorbates on surfaces it has been theoretically predicted that IR preexcitation will lead to higher UV/Vis photodesorption yields and larger cross sections for other photoreactions. In a recent experiment, IR-mediated desorption of molecular hydrogen from a Si(111) surface on which atomic hydrogen and deuterium were co-adsorbed was achieved, following a vibrational mechanism as indicated by the isotope-selectivity. In the present work, selective vibrational IR excitation of adsorbate molecules, treated as multi-dimensional oscillators on dissipative surfaces, has been simulated within the framework of open-system density matrix theory. Not only potential-mediated, inter-mode coupling poses an obstacle to selective excitation but also the coupling of the adsorbate ("system") modes to the electronic and phononic degrees of freedom of the surface ("bath") does. Vibrational relaxation thereby takes place, depending on the availabilty of energetically fitting electron-hole (e/h) pairs and/or phonons (lattice vibrations) in the surface, on time-scales ranging from milliseconds to several hundreds of femtoseconds. On metal surfaces, where the relaxation process of the adsorbate via the e/h pair mechanism dominates, vibrational lifetimes are usually shorter than on insulator or semiconductor surfaces, in the range of picoseconds, being also the timescale of the IR pulses used here. Further inhibiting factors for selectivity can be the harmonicity of a mode and weak dipole activities ("dark modes") rendering vibrational excitation with moderate field intensities difficult. In addition to simple analytical pulses, optimal control theory (OCT) has been employed here to generate a suitable electric field to populate the target state/mode maximally. The complex OCT fields were analyzed by Husimi transformation, resolving the control field in time and energy. The adsorbate/surface systems investigated were CO/Cu(100), H/Si(100) and 2H/Ru(0001). These systems proved to be suitable models to study the above mentioned effects. Further, effects of temperature, pure dephasing (elastic scattering processes), pulse duration and dimensionality (up to four degrees of freedom) were studied. It was possible to selectively excite single vibrational modes, often even state-selective. Special processes like hot-band excitation, vibrationally mediated desorption and the excitation of "dark modes" were simulated. Finally, a novel OCT algorithm in density matrix representation has been developed which allows for time-dependent target operators and thus enables to control the excitation mechanism instead of only the final state. The algorithm is based on a combination of global (iterative) and local (non-iterative) OCT schemes, such that short, globally controlled time-intervals are coupled locally in time. Its numerical performance and accuracy were tested and verified and it was successfully applied to stabilize a two-state linear-combination and to enforce a successive "ladder climbing" in a rather harmonic system, where monochromatic, analytical pulses simultaneously excited several states, leading to a population loss in the target state. / Die selektive Anregung von Molekülschwingungen mittels Infrarotlicht (IR) ist vorteilhaft, um die Wirkungsquerschnitte nachfolgender photochemischer oder photophysikalischer Prozesse zu steigern, welche durch Elektronenanregung mittels ultraviolettem (UV) bzw. sichtbarem (Vis) Licht ausgelöst werden. Für Adsorbatmoleküle auf Oberflächen wurden theoretische Vorhersagen getroffen, dass eine kombinierte (IR plus UV)-Strategie ("schwingungsvermittelte Chemie") die Ausbeute bei Photodesorption und anderen Photoreaktionen deutlich zu erhöhen vermag. Kürzlich wurde im Experiment gezeigt, dass eine rein IR-vermittelte Desorption möglich ist, welche über einen schwingungsangeregten Mechanismus erfolgt. Hierbei wurde molekularer Wasserstoff von einer Si(111)-Oberfläche desorbiert, an der atomarer Wasserstoff und atomares Deuterium gebunden waren. Eine thermische Anregung, die zum Bindungsbruch führt, konnte hierbei wegen der Isotopenselektivität ausgeschlossen werden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die selektive IR-Schwingungsanregung von Adsorbaten, die als multidimensionale Oszillatoren auf dissipativen Oberflächen behandelt wurden, mit Hilfe der Dichtematrixtheorie für offene Systeme simuliert. Nicht nur die potentialvermittelte Kopplung zwischen den einzelnen Moden ist ein Hindernis für selektive Anregung, sondern auch die Kopplung der Moden des Adsorbats ("Systems") an elektronische und phononische Freiheitsgrade des Substrats ("Bades"). Die Schwingungsrelaxation verläuft hierbei auf Zeitskalen, die von Millisekunden bis hin zu wenigen hundert Femtosekunden reichen, je nach Verfügbarkeit energetisch geeigneter Elektron-Loch-Paar-Anregungen bzw. Phononen (Gitterschwingungen) in der Oberfläche. Auf Metalloberflächen, bei denen die Schwingungrelaxation des Adsorbats zumeist von einem Elektronen-Loch-Paar-Mechanismus dominiert wird, sind die Schwingungslebensdauern normalerweise kürzer als auf Isolator- oder Halbleiteroberflächen und betragen einige Picosekunden, ebenso wie die Zeitskala der hier gewählten IR-Pulse. Weitere Faktoren, die die selektive Anregung behindern können sind die Harmonizität einer Mode und die geringe Dipolaktivität sogenannter "dunkler Moden", die eine Anregung mit moderat intensiven Feldern erschweren. Zusätzlich zu einfachen analytischen Pulsen wurden Felder mittels Optimaler Kontrolltheorie (OCT) erzeugt, um eine(n) Zielzustand/-mode maximal zu populieren. Komplexe OCT Pulse wurden mit Hilfe der Husimi-Transformation analysiert, welche das Kontrollfeld im Zeit- und Energieraum aufzulösen vermag. Die in dieser Arbeit untersuchten Adsorbat/Oberflächen-Systeme waren CO/Cu(100), H/Si(100) und 2H/Ru(0001), die sich als passende Modelle erwiesen, um oben genannte Faktoren zu untersuchen. Desweiteren wurden die Auswirkungen von Temperatur, reiner Dephasierung (elastische Streuprozesse), Dauer des IR-Pulses und Systemdimensionalit"at (Behandlung von bis zu vier Freiheitsgraden) studiert. Einzelne Schwingungsmoden konnten angeregt werden, in vielen Fällen sogar zustandsselektiv. Spezielle Prozesse wie die Anregung "heißer Banden", Desorption via alleiniger Schwingungsanregung und die Anregung "dunkler Moden" wurden simuliert. Schließlich wurde ein neuer OCT-Algorithmus in Dichtematrixdarstellung entwickelt, der es erlaubt, zeitabhängige Zieloperatoren einzuführen, um nicht nur Kontrolle über den Endzustand einer Anregung, sondern auch über den Anregungsmechanismus zu erlangen. Der Algorithmus basiert auf einer Kombination von globaler (iterativer) und lokaler (nicht-iterativer) optimaler Kontrollschemata in der Art, dass kurze, global kontrollierte Intervalle zeitlich lokal miteinander gekoppelt werden. Nach numerischen Tests wurde der Algorithmus erfolgreich angewandt, um eine Linearkombination aus zwei Zuständen zu stabilisieren, sowie um eine schrittweise "Leiteranregung" in einem harmonischen System zu forcieren, bei dem monochromatische, analytische Pulse mehrere Zustände zugleich anregen und somit einen Populationsverlust im angestrebten Zielzustand zur Folge haben.

The convective drying of thin layers of multicomponentliquid mixtures into an inert gas, and the influence ofdifferent process controlling mechanisms on drying selectivityis studied. Drying experiments under gas-phase-controlledconditions are performed by low intensity evaporation, fromfree liquid surfaces, of ternary mixtures without non-volatilesolutes. Liquid-side-controlled experiments are carried out bydrying a multicomponent polymeric solution containing twovolatile components, one non-volatile polymer and an optionalnonvolatile softening substance. Mathematical models to describe gas- andliquid-side-controlled drying based on interactive diffusion inboth liquid and gas phases as the main mechanisms for masstransfer are developed. For gas-phase-controlled drying, astability analysis of the ordinary differential equations thatdescribes the evaporation process is performed. Isothermal andnon-isothermal drying processes are considered in batch andcontinuous modes. The mathematical model to describe thecomposition profiles during batch drying of the polymeric film,considering liquid resistance, is solved numerically. Due tothe lack of experimental data, properties for this polymericsystem are estimated by using established methods. Ananalytical solution of the diffusion equation, by assuming anisothermal drying process and a constant matrix ofmulticomponent diffusion coefficients is developed. For thecontinuous case, liquid-side resistance is studied by modellingevaporation of a multicomponent falling liquid film into aninert gas including indirect heating. The results of the gas-phase-controlled model are in goodagreement with experimental results. For the polymeric film,the agreement is only qualitative since the model does notaccount for a membrane that develops on the film surface. Thestability analysis permits the prediction of trajectories andfinal state of a liquid mixture in a gas-phase-controlleddrying process. For isothermal evaporation of ternary mixturesinto pure gas, the solutions are trajectories in the phaseplane represented by a triangular diagram of compositions. Thepredicted ternary dynamic azeotropic points are unstable orsaddle. On the other hand, binary azeotropes are stable whenthe combination of the selectivities of the correspondingcomponents is negative. In addition, pure component singularpoints are stable when they are contained within theirrespective isolated negative selectivity zones. Undernon-isothermal conditions, maximum temperature valuescharacterise stable azeotropes. Incremental loading of the gaswith one or more of the components leads to a node-saddlebifurcation, where a saddle azeotrope and a stable azeotropecoalesce and disappear. For continuous drying, the singularpoints are infinite and represent dynamic equilibrium pointswhose stability is mainly dependent on the ratio of inletgas-to-liquid flow rates. As long as the process isgas-phasecontrolled, these results also apply to a porous solidcontaining a liquid mixture. In general, liquid-side control makes the drying processless selective but it is difficult to maintain this conditionduring the whole process. Under the influence of its owndynamics, a process starting as liquid-side-controlled tendstowards a gas-phase-controlled process. The presence ofnon-volatile components and indirect heating may delay thisdevelopment. Considering the evolution of the processcontrolling steps and its influence on selectivity, a modelaimed at describing the complete trajectory of a drying orevaporation process must include the coexistence of allrelevant mechanisms. Keywords:ternary mixture, falling film, diffusionequation, gas-phase control, liquid-phase control, selectivity,stability analysis, polymeric solution, evaporation, azeotrope,batch drying, continuous drying.

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A cryogenic (325-80 K) ion mobility-mass spectrometer was designed and constructed in order to improve the analytical figures-of-merit for the chemical analysis of small mass analytes using ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The instrument incorporates an electron ionization source, a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a uniform field drift cell spectrometer encased in a cryogenic envelope, and an orthogonal geometry time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The analytical benefits of low temperature ion mobility are discussed in terms of enhanced separation ability, ion selectivity and sensitivity. The distinction between resolving power and resolution for ion mobility is also discussed. Detailed experimental designs and rationales are provided for each instrument component. Tuning and calibration data and methods are also provided for the technique. Proof-of-concept experiments for an array of analytes including rare gases (argon, krypton, xenon), hydrocarbons (acetone, ethylene glycol, methanol), and halides (carbon tetrachloride) are provided in order to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of the instrument for obtaining analytically useful information. Trendline partitioning of small analyte ions based on chemical composition is demonstrated as a novel chemical analysis method. The utility of mobility-mass analysis for mass selected ions is also demonstrated, particularly for probing the ion chemistry which occurs in the drift tube for small mass ions. As a final demonstration of the separation abilities of the instrument, the electronic states of chromium and titanium (ground and excited) are separated with low temperature. The transition metal electronic state separations demonstrated here are at the highest resolution ever obtained for ion mobility methods. The electronic conformational mass isomers of methanol (conventional and distonic) are also partially separated at low temperature. Various drift gases (helium, neon, and argon) are explored for the methanol system in order to probe stronger ion-neutral interaction potentials and effectuate higher resolution separations of the two isomeric ions. Finally, two versatile ion source designs and a method for axially focusing ions at low pressure (1-10 torr) using electrostatic fields is presented along with some preliminary work on the ion sources.

<p>The convective drying of thin layers of multicomponentliquid mixtures into an inert gas, and the influence ofdifferent process controlling mechanisms on drying selectivityis studied. Drying experiments under gas-phase-controlledconditions are performed by low intensity evaporation, fromfree liquid surfaces, of ternary mixtures without non-volatilesolutes. Liquid-side-controlled experiments are carried out bydrying a multicomponent polymeric solution containing twovolatile components, one non-volatile polymer and an optionalnonvolatile softening substance.</p><p>Mathematical models to describe gas- andliquid-side-controlled drying based on interactive diffusion inboth liquid and gas phases as the main mechanisms for masstransfer are developed. For gas-phase-controlled drying, astability analysis of the ordinary differential equations thatdescribes the evaporation process is performed. Isothermal andnon-isothermal drying processes are considered in batch andcontinuous modes. The mathematical model to describe thecomposition profiles during batch drying of the polymeric film,considering liquid resistance, is solved numerically. Due tothe lack of experimental data, properties for this polymericsystem are estimated by using established methods. Ananalytical solution of the diffusion equation, by assuming anisothermal drying process and a constant matrix ofmulticomponent diffusion coefficients is developed. For thecontinuous case, liquid-side resistance is studied by modellingevaporation of a multicomponent falling liquid film into aninert gas including indirect heating.</p><p>The results of the gas-phase-controlled model are in goodagreement with experimental results. For the polymeric film,the agreement is only qualitative since the model does notaccount for a membrane that develops on the film surface. Thestability analysis permits the prediction of trajectories andfinal state of a liquid mixture in a gas-phase-controlleddrying process. For isothermal evaporation of ternary mixturesinto pure gas, the solutions are trajectories in the phaseplane represented by a triangular diagram of compositions. Thepredicted ternary dynamic azeotropic points are unstable orsaddle. On the other hand, binary azeotropes are stable whenthe combination of the selectivities of the correspondingcomponents is negative. In addition, pure component singularpoints are stable when they are contained within theirrespective isolated negative selectivity zones. Undernon-isothermal conditions, maximum temperature valuescharacterise stable azeotropes. Incremental loading of the gaswith one or more of the components leads to a node-saddlebifurcation, where a saddle azeotrope and a stable azeotropecoalesce and disappear. For continuous drying, the singularpoints are infinite and represent dynamic equilibrium pointswhose stability is mainly dependent on the ratio of inletgas-to-liquid flow rates. As long as the process isgas-phasecontrolled, these results also apply to a porous solidcontaining a liquid mixture.</p><p>In general, liquid-side control makes the drying processless selective but it is difficult to maintain this conditionduring the whole process. Under the influence of its owndynamics, a process starting as liquid-side-controlled tendstowards a gas-phase-controlled process. The presence ofnon-volatile components and indirect heating may delay thisdevelopment. Considering the evolution of the processcontrolling steps and its influence on selectivity, a modelaimed at describing the complete trajectory of a drying orevaporation process must include the coexistence of allrelevant mechanisms.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>ternary mixture, falling film, diffusionequation, gas-phase control, liquid-phase control, selectivity,stability analysis, polymeric solution, evaporation, azeotrope,batch drying, continuous drying.</p>