Master of Science / Department of Chemistry / Mark Hollingsworth / The crystal structures of the inclusion compounds 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea and 1,6-dicyanohexane/urea were refined at several temperatures from X-ray data. These urea inclusion compounds are commensurate structures with host:guest ratios of 6:1. In contrast with the ordinary helical topology of the urea host, these structures have stacked loop topologies of the host hydrogen bonds and crystallize in space group P21/n. At room temperature, both structures are distorted along [001] from hexagonal metric symmetry. As in earlier studies of 1-chloro-6-cyanohexane/urea, cooling 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea gives rise to an exothermic phase transition (Hº = -856 cal mol 1, Sº = -5 cal mol-1 K-1) at 175 K that results in the cooperative translation of guest molecules by 5.5 Å along the channel axis. In the low temperature form, 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea is distorted along [100], much like X(CH2)6Y, where X, Y = Br, Cl. Although the crystal structure of 1,6-dicyanohexane/urea is essentially isomorphous with that of the high temperature form of 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea, it does not undergo an equivalent phase transition at low temperatures. Both of these systems exhibit dynamic disorder between two gauche conformers of the guest, which have mean planes of the alkyl chains lying within 1º of [100] (major conformer) and approximately 14º from [001] (minor conformer). The temperature dependence of site occupancy factors for the disordered sites yielded enthalpy differences between major and minor sites in 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea and 1,6-dicyanohexane/urea of 216 and 127 cal mol 1, respectively. Since the low temperature form of 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea is distorted along [100], this is favored at low temperatures by an increased concentration of the major conformer, which predominates in 1,6-dibromohexane/urea and congeners. In 1,6-diisocyanohexane/urea, the phase transition to the low temperature form occurs at a threshold concentration for the major conformer of 67%. With its shallower temperature dependence, 1,6-dicyanohexane/urea should not reach this threshold population until approximately 92 K, at which temperature the system cannot overcome the barrier for cooperative translation of guests along the channel axis.

The recently discovered cucurbit[n]uril are a range of macrocyclic hosts which have enormous potential in industrial, medical and academic applications. Cucurbit[n]uril have a rigid repeating structure of methylene bridged glycouril, which give cucurbit[n]uril their gourd like shape of a cavity with two carbonyl fringed portals. In this thesis the host-guest binding abilities of three cucurbit[n]uril (n = 6, 7, 8) have been examined for a range of potential guests. These guests ranged from simple alkyl amines through globular alkyl and carboranyl amines to bipyridyl systems. In total 45 guest molecules where examined. Most of the guests examined where either cationically charged, capable of hydrogen binding, contained a substantial molecular dipole, or a combination of these. Furthermore, all of the potential guests examined had some solubility in an acidified aqueous sodium sulfate solution within which the host-guest properties were examined. It was generally found that the larger guests did have selectivity for the larger hosts. However, when the host became too large weaker complexes would form and for the range of materials examined here cucurbit[7]uril was found to be the 'best' host system. In one example, p-xylene diamine, a 2:1 complex with cucurbit[8]uril was observed. While not the focus of this work a new rapid purification method was developed for the cucurbit[n]uril using different metal ions to either solubilise or precipitate the different cucurbit[n]uril. In the second part of this work these same guest molecules where used as potential templates in the synthesis of cucurbit[n]uril. Surprisingly the guests that bound strongly to an individual host did not seem to template the cucurbit[n]uril synthesis at all. Rather these strong binders inhibited the reaction such that little or no cucurbit[n]uril formed under the reaction conditions studied. However, several examples provided excellent template results. Indeed the results indicate that guests which bound with intermediate rates of exchange are the best templates and using templates under these conditions we have been able to produce cucurbit[7]uril as 46% by mass of the total cucurbit[n]uril product. This is the highest yield ever recorded for cucurbit[7]uril and it is the first example of cucurbit[7]uril being the major product of this condensation reaction. In an another example cucurbit[8]uril formed 18% of the product an increase of 150% over the standard reaction conditions. While studying both the template reactions and the host-guest binding properties of the cucurbit[n]uril a new supramolecular form, an 'inverse rotaxane' was discovered. Inverse rotaxanes are not held in place by large blocking groups, rather the molecular structure encapsulated by the cucurbit[n]uril host prevents decomplexation of the axle.

No description available.

One of the main purposes with the subject of social studies is, according to The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), to foster future democratically active citizens and one way to achieve this is to use study visits and bring guests to the social studies education. The purpose of this study was therefore to research teachers’ opportunities and challenges to organize and conducting study visits and guest education. The study was based on three research questions which were related to the types of study visits teachers carried out and what kinds of guests they invite to the classroom and the purpose of these visits, factors that can hinder or in other ways affect study visits and guest education and how teachers perceive students’ attitudes and behaviour during study visits and guest education and their knowledge acquisition in social studies. Eight social studies teachers working at lower and upper secondary schools in Sweden were interviewed though semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the teachers organize study visits and guest education with several purposes and that study visits to the local courthouse, the Swedish Riksdag, local businesses and to the local municipal council were common. Common types of guest education included visits from governmental authorities or other organizations, businesses, and politicians. The results also showed that the teachers were largely affected by factors such as time and school funding to organize study visits and guest education but also by factors such as logistics, lack of control and the pandemic. The teachers believe that students can learn a great deal through study visits and guest education as they have the opportunity to see things first hand, but also that students have a varied ability to ask questions during these occasions and may behave in a non-desirable manner. The discussion section includes result comparisons to previous research and suggestions for future research. / Enligt Skolverket är ett av samhällskunskapens stora uppdrag att fostra framtida demokratiskt aktiva medborgare och ett sätt att göra detta på är att använda studiebesök och gästundervisning i samhällskunskapsundervisningen. Därför var studiens syfte att undersöka lärares möjligheter och utmaningar att arrangera och genomföra studiebesök och gästundervisning utifrån tre frågeställningar. Frågeställningarna är kopplade till vilka typer av studiebesök och gästundervisning lärarna genomför och syftet med dessa, hinder och påverkansfaktorer för att arrangera och genomföra studiebesök och gästundervisning och hur lärare uppfattar elevernas attityder, kunskapsökning och upplevelser av studiebesök och gästundervisning. Åtta verksamma samhällskunskapslärare på gymnasiet och högstadiet intervjuades genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet av de analyserade intervjuerna visade att lärarna genomför studiebesök och gästundervisning med flera syften och att besök till tingsrätten, riksdagen, näringsliv och kommunfullmäktige var vanliga studiebesök. Vanliga gästundervisningar var besök av myndigheter eller andra samhällsaktörer, näringsliv och politiker. Resultatet visade också att lärarna påverkas till stor del av tid och ekonomi för att arrangera och genomföra studiebesök och gästundervisning men också av logistik, brist på kontroll, pandemin och andra påverkansfaktorer. Lärarna berättar att eleverna lär sig mycket genom studiebesök och gästundervisning då de får se saker med egna ögon, men att eleverna också har en varierad förmåga att ställa frågor vid dessa typer av tillfällen och att eleverna kan uppföra sig på ett icke-eftersträvansvärt sätt. I diskussionen diskuteras resultatet kopplat till tidigare forskning och förslag på vidare forskning inom området.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to design ionic organic framework materials based on carboxylate salts with the intention of engineering interesting properties, such as porosity, into these framework materials. The first section focuses on the characterisation and porosity studies of an ionic framework material, 3,4-lutidinium pamoate hemihydrate, with THF-filled channels in the solid state. It was shown that this framework is able to exchange the THF in the channels for a wide variety of compounds, with many of these exchanges occurring in a single-crystal to single-crystal fashion. Competition experiments conducted with the framework, both by immersing crystals of the framework in solvent mixtures, as well as by exposing crystals of the framework to mixtures of solvent vapours, indicated that it is able to selectively exchange for one guest over another. The kinetics of exchange of this framework were studied, and it was possible to identify a kinetic model describing this process. A second novel framework-type material, 4-phenylpyridinium pamoate, was identified during the course of this study, as well as five isostructural frameworks containing different guest molecules. In this case the framework consists of discrete units that close-pack in such a way that guest molecules are included in constricted cavities in the solid state. Although this framework-type material is not porous, it is thermally quite stable and also highly selective. It is able to selectively encapsulate 1,4-dioxane when crystallised from various solvent combinations including 1,4-dioxane. In addition, eight novel structures with pamoic acid in combination with various pyridyl derivatives were obtained. A third novel framework material was obtained with N,N'-bis(glycinyl)pyromellitic diimide in which, due to the extended hydrogen-bonded network formed between the constituents of the framework, DMF molecules are aligned in channels. It was found that this framework material can also be formed by mechanochemical synthesis, and investigation of the thermal behaviour of this framework showed that it has the potential to be porous, since the framework appears to remain intact after desolvation. Furthermore, six novel structures with N,N'- bis(glycinyl)pyromellitic diimide in combination with various N-heterocycles were obtained. All structures obtained in this study were also further analysed to determine whether there are particular structural features that are required for framework formation. Insights gained from these investigations, in terms of degree of ionisation of the anion, packing arrangements and hydrogen bonding patterns as well as the molecular shape of the components are discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die werk wat in hierdie tesis voorgelê word is om ioniese organiese raamwerkmateriale gebaseer op karboksilaatione te ontwerp, met die voorneme om interessante eienskappe in hierdie materiale te bewerkstellig. Die eerste afdeling fokus op die karakterisering en porositeit van ‘n ioniese organiese raamwerkmateriaal, 3,4-lutidiniumpamoaathemihidraat, wat kanale gevul met tetrahidrofuraan (THF) besit. Dit is aangetoon dat dit moontlik is vir hierdie raamwerkmateriaal om die THF in die kanale te verruil vir ‘n wye verskeidenheid stowwe, waarvan baie van hierdie uitruilings geskied as ‘n enkelkristal tot enkelkristal transformasie. Kompetisie-eksperimente is met hierdie raamwerkmateriaal uitgevoer deur die kristalle in mengsels van oplosmiddels te onderdompel, sowel as deur die kristalle aan mengsels van die oplosmiddeldampe bloot te stel. Die resultate het aangedui dat dit moontlik is vir hierdie raamwerkmateriaal om een gasstof selektief teenoor ‘n ander te verruil vir die THF in die kanale. Die kinetika van die uitruilingsproses van hierdie materiaal is ook bestudeer en dit was moontlik om ‘n kinetiese model te identifiseer wat die uitruilingsproses beskryf. ‘n Tweede nuwe raamwerk-tipe materiaal, 4-fenielpiridiniumpamoaat, is deur die loop van hierdie studie geïdentifiseer, sowel as vyf isostrukturele raamwerkmateriale waarvan net die gasstof verskil. In hierdie geval bestaan die raamwerk uit diskrete eenhede wat op so ‘n wyse saampak dat die gasstowwe in vernoude porieë ingesluit word. Alhoewel hierdie raamwerk-tipe materiaal nie poreus is nie, is dit termies stabiel en ook hoogs selektief. Die raamwerkmateriaal kan selektief 1,4-dioksaan enkapsuleer wanneer dit gekristalliseer word vanuit ‘n verskeidenheid oplosmiddel kombinasies met 1,4-dioksaan. Verder is agt nuwe strukture verkry met die pamoaat ioon in kombinasie met ‘n verskeidenheid piridien-derivate. ‘n Derde nuwe raamwerkmateriaal is verkry met N,N'-bis(glisiniel)piromellitiese diïmied waarin, danksy die uitgebreide waterstofgebinde netwerk tussen die komponente van die raamwerk, die DMF molekules in kanale aangetref word. Hierdie raamwerkmateriaal kan deur meganochemiese sintese berei word en verdere ondersoek na die termiese gedrag van hierdie raamwerkmateriaal dui aan dat dit die potensiaal het om porositeit te toon, aangesien die raamwerk behoue bly nadat die DMF molekules verwyder is. Ses nuwe strukture is ook met N,N'-bis(glisiniel)piromellitiese diïmied in kombinasie met ‘n wye verskeidenheid stikstof-bevattende heterosikliese verbindings verkry. Alle strukture wat tydens hierdie studie verkry is, is verder ondersoek om te bepaal of daar spesifieke strukturele kenmerke is wat benodig word vir die vorming van raamwerkmateriale. Insigte wat verkry is vanuit hierdie ondersoeke, in terme van die graad van ionisasie van die anioon, die rangskikking van molekules in die struktuur en waterstofbindingspatrone, sowel as die molekulêre vorm van die komponente, word bespreek.

Three different types of cage crown ethers have been prepared and their complexation properties with Ag(I) have been studied. Atomic absorption, fluorescence quenching, and UV absorption have been used to study the interaction between the hosts (cage crown ethers) and guests (Ag+). For the cage-annulated crown ethers that contain aromatic rings, cation-π and π-π interactions may contribute significantly to the overall complexation ability of the host system. Piperazine groups may cooperate, and the piperazine nitrogen atoms provide unshared electrons, which may form a complex with Ag+. In addition, relatively soft donor atoms (e.g., Br) are well-suited for complexation with Ag+, which is a softer Lewis acid than alkali metal cations.

A novel cryptand was synthesized which contained a 3,5-disubstituted-4- oxahexacyclo[5.4.1.02,6.03,10.05,9.08,11] dodecane "cage" moiety. In alkali metal picrate extraction experiments the cryptand exhibited high avidity towards Rb+ and Cs+, when compared with the corresponding model compound. A computational study of a series of cage-functionalized cryptands and their alkali metal-complexes was performed. The X-ray crystal structure of a K+-complexed bis-cage-annulated 20-crown-6 was obtained. The associated picrate anion was found to be intimately involved in stabilization of the host-guest complex. The interaction energy between the host-guest complex and picrate anion has been calculated, and the energy thereby obtained has been corrected for basis set superposition error.

Symmetrical cage-annulated podands were synthesized via highly efficient synthetic strategies. Mechanisms to account for the key reaction steps in the syntheses are proposed; the proposed mechanisms receive support from the intermediates that have been isolated and characterized. An unusual complexation-promoted elimination reaction was studied, and a mechanism is proposed to account for the course of this reaction. This unusual elimination may generalized to other rigid systems and thus may extend our understanding of the role played by the host molecules in "cation-capture, anion-activation" via complexation with guest molecules. Thus, host-guest interaction serves not only to activate the anion but also may activate the leaving groups that participate in the complexation. Complexation-promoted elimination provides a convenient method to desymmetrize the cage while avoiding protection/deprotection steps. In addition, it offers a convenient method to prepare a chiral cage spacer by introducing 10 chiral centers into the host system in a single synthetic step. Cage-annulated monocyclic hosts that contain a cage-butylenoxy spacer were synthesized. Comparison of their metal ion complexation behavior as revealed by the results of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), alkali metal picrate extraction, and pseudohydroxide extraction with those displayed by the corresponding hosts that contain cage-ethylenoxy or cage-propylenoxy spacers reveals the effect of the length of the cage spacer upon the host-guest behavior. A series of cage-annulated cryptands, cavitands and the corresponding non-cage-annulated model compounds have been synthesized. These host molecules display unusual behavior when examined by using ESI-MS techniques, i.e., they bind selectively to smaller alkali metal ions (i.e., Li+ and Na+), a result that deviates significantly from expectations based solely upon consideration of the size-fit principle. It seems likely that this behavior results from the effect of the host topology on host-guest behavior. A series of non-cage-annulated cryptands also have been synthesized. These compounds can serve as starting materials for cavitand construction.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Christer B. Aakeroy / A family of three 2-aminopyrazine derivatives were prepared and co-crystallized with thirty carboxylic acids. Our theoretical charge calculations and experimental results from 90 reactions demonstrated that decreasing the charge on the hydrogen-bond acceptor sites results in a decrease of the supramolecular yield (the frequency of occurrence of the desired outcome). However, synthon crossover (undesired connectivity) was observed 7/12 times and was unavoidable due to competitive binding sites present in the N-heterocyclic bases chosen. To avoid synthon crossover, we used a strategy based on geometric bias. We utilized hydrogen-bonding two-point contacts and halogen-bonding single-point contacts for supramolecular reactions with the 2-aminopyrazine family of compounds. The desired two-point contact and single-point contact (N•••I or N•••Br) appeared in 9/9 times even in the presence of other potentially interfering intermolecular interactions. In addition, the role of charge in controlling the presence/absence of proton transfer was also highlighted. To establish a hierarchy in halogen-bonding interactions we designed and synthesized a library of eight molecules equipped with two different halogen bond donors and combined with variety of halogen-bond acceptors. 11 Halogen-bonded co-crystals were obtained; however, positional disorder of I/Br atoms obscures a complete analysis. This problem was solved by introducing asymmetry in the halogen-bond donor molecules. Finally, successfully demonstrated an unprecedented hierarchy in halogen-bond interactions based on electrostatics. We developed high-yielding Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions of tetraboronic pinacolyl ester cavitand to iodoarenes with a range of functional groups (electron withdrawing/donating group and a heterocycle) that show robustness and versatility, making it a ‘launch pad’ for the synthesis of many new cavitands in a facile manner. We have also successfully demonstrated cavitand functionalization from tetraaldehyde to tetraoximes using ‘solvent assisted grinding’, irrespective of the position of the aldehyde. Finally, we prepared tetra-substituted pyridyl and carboxylic acid cavitands having an ellipsoidal cavity capable of encapsulating asymmetric guest molecules and was subsequently obtained the first of its kind, C[subscript]2v symmetric molecular capsule with encapsulated asymmetric guest molecule.

No description available.