This work aims to develop fundamental insights about the underlying surface and bulk chemical processes instrumental to the efficiency of chemical looping combustion (CLC). CLC, which uses a solid-state oxygen carrier (e.g., metal oxides) to drive hydrocarbon combustion, is a promising combustion alternative that minimizes byproduct formation and facilities capture of CO2. In this work, we compare the performance of different transition metal oxides, namely iron, copper, cobalt, manganese, and nickel oxides, as oxygen carriers in CLC using CH4 as the reducing agent. Experiments used a continuous flow reactor across temperatures ranging from 500 to 800 oC and feed flowrates from 12.5 to 250 h-1. In addition to monitoring size-, temperature- and flow rate-dependent performance trends for CH4 conversion to CO2, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the solid-state mechanism of oxygen carrier reduction and the coupled surface chemical and bulk material processes influencing performance. Bulk (XRD) and surface (XPS) analysis reveal that oxygen carrier reduction can be generally represented by two models, the unreacted shrinking core model (USCM) and the nuclei growth model (NNGM). The reduction of some metal oxides can also proceed via a two-stage solid-state mechanism; for example, hematite reduction to magnetite follows USCM, while the subsequent reductions of magnetite to wustite and wustite to iron metal follow NNGM. Furthermore, our results reveal that minimizing the particle size promotes oxygen carrier performance, but only for metal oxides reduced according to the USCM, where metal oxide reduction initiates on the particle surface. In contrast, no benefit of decreasing particle size was observed for materials reduced according to the NNGM because the reaction initiates in the particle bulk, such that a more critical determinant of reactivity may be the available oxygen carrier volume rather than surface area. Beyond these fundamental insights, cycling experiments were also performed to provide more practical information about the effect of oxygen carrier particle size on their long-term performance in CLC applications.

It has been proven that platinum complexes are active in anticancer treatment as well as several other transition metals complexes. There is an effort in recent medicine to replace cisplatin complexes by drugs with smaller side effects. This work focuses on the reaction of 5'-dGMP (2'-deoxyguanosine-5'˗monophosphate) and cGMP (cyclic 2'-deoxyguanosine- monophosphate) with a platinum complex PtIV (dach)Cl4 (dach=diaminocyclohexane). In these two cases the Pt(IV) complex is only reduced in the presence of 5'-dGMP. The first part of the explored mechanism is the substitution reaction where a coordinate-covalent bond between platinum and nitrogen N7 of guanine is formed. In the next step oxygen of phosphate group is transferred to the C8 site. Subsequently the Pt(IV) complex is reduced. The final products represent 8˗oxo˗GMP and PtII (dach)Cl2, which are active in anticancer treatment in comparison with the kineticly inert reactant. The substitution of a chloride anion ends the reaction path for cGMP forming PtIV (dach)Cl3(N7-cGMP) complex. The structures were optimized at the DFT level with B3LYP functional in the basis set 6-31G(d) and PCM/UA0 solvation model. The energy parameters were computed at the B3LYP/6˗311++G(2df,2pd) level in the IEFPCM/sUAKS solvation model. Finally, the rate constants were...

This study aims to find how density affects the reduction extent and reduction rate. H2-CO gas mixture is used as reducing agent. Five groups of different density pellets were reduced at four different temperatures. Light optical microscope (LOM) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) used to detect completely and partially reduced pellets to investigate how density affects the reduction mechanisms. Results illustrate that density affects reduction extent and reduction rate a lot. However, when reaction temperature is 1123 K, density has less influenc on reduction extent. The carbon deposition occurred for high density pellets at 973 K and 1023 K. The reduction process cannot be described by a single rate controlling step. Reduced layer is denser compared with unreduced layer. Reaction at initial stages goes much faster than later stages.

Le tantale est un métal à utilisation stratégique notamment dansle domaine de l'électronique et des implants biomédicaux,domaines qui requièrent la réalisation de dépôts de tantale encouches minces. L’objectif de cette thèse est de déposer par voieélectrochimique et à température ambiante du tantale métalliqueà partir d'un sel de tantale solubilisé dans un électrolyte liquideionique qui possède à la fois les propriétés d’un solvant et d’unélectrolyte. Ils ont une fenêtre électrochimique large qui les rendprometteurs pour l’électrodéposition des matériaux réfractairescomme le tantale. Nous avons établis au cours de cette thèse denouvelles connaissances sur les propriétés physico-chimiques etde transport de l’électrolyte formé du sel de tantale TaF5 et duliquide ionique [BMPyr][TFSI]. Ces études corrélées à desanalyses électrochimiques et des analyses de la morphologie etde la composition élémentaire du dépôt ont conduit à proposerun mécanisme de réduction du sel de tantale pentavalent entantale métallique. Du tantale métallique sous une formeamorphe existe dans les couches profondes du dépôtaccompagné de résidus du liquide ionique enfermé dans lespores des couches déposées. / Tantalum is a metal of strategic uses such as in the field ofelectronics and biomedical implants. These fields require thedeposition of thin metallic tantalum films on different substrates.The aim of this thesis is to perform tantalum electrodepositionfrom tantalum salt at room temperature using room temperatureionic liquids as electrolytes. Tantalum electrodeposition isimpossible in aqueous solutions; therefore ionic liquids are thebest choice for this application because of their largeelectrochemical window. Room temperature ionic liquidsaccomplish both the roles of a solvent and an electrolyte. Theirperspectives are encouraging for the electrodeposition ofrefractory metals as tantalum. We have established in this thesisnew knowledge about the physicochemical and transportproperties of the electrolyte formed by tantalum salt TaF5 andthe room temperature ionic liquid [BMPyr][TFSI]. These studiescorrelated with electrochemical analysis, morphology andelemental composition analysis of the layers deposited served usin the understanding of the reduction mechanism of tantalumsalt into its metallic form. An amorphous metallic form oftantalum exists in deeper layers of the deposit in addition toresidues of the ionic liquid trapped in the pores of the layers.

Im Rahmen des BMBF-Projektes 'RevAl' wurden bereits bekannte Aminoalane in Bezug auf ihre physikalisch-chemischen Eigenschaften bei der chemischen Wasserstoffspeicherung untersucht. Es stellte sich heraus, dass die Freisetzung von Wasserstoff leicht und spontan realisierbar ist, wohingegen die reversible Speicherung (aufgrund von thermodynamischen Gesetzmässigkeiten) bei den gewählten Prozessbedingungen nicht realisierbar ist. Auch Modifikationen der bereits bekannten Aminoalane mit Neutralliganden und organischen Resten führten nicht zu den erhofften Eigenschaften. Jedoch wurde im Rahmen der Modifizierungsarbeiten die noch nicht beschriebene Verbindung 'Bis-Triphenylphosphinalan' strukturell und spektroskopisch charakterisiert. Weiterhin wurde diese im 9g-Maßstab hergestellte Verbindung für Reduktionsreaktionen von Carbonylderivaten eingesetzt, wobei sich, abhängig vom jeweiligen Carbonyl-Substrat, Unterschiede bei Umsatz und Ausbeute der Edukte bzw. Produkte ergaben. Weiterhin wurde die Reduktion von Benzaldehyd mit Bis-Triphenylphosphinalan NMR-spektroskopisch untersucht und eine Untermauerung des bereits postulierten Reduktionsmechanismus´ erhalten.