Producing renewable energy from biomass or from the wastewater treatment process has gained momentum in the past 20 years. Anaerobic digestion has historically been used as one step in the waste treatment process, to both reduce the mass of waste that needs to be disposed of and to generate biogas. This process is typically only able to reduce 30-40% of the waste mass because of the recalcitrant nature of the waste streams being treated. Anaerobic pretreatment with the thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor bescii (C. bescii) has been proven to increase the percentage of mass digested and consequently increase methane production to 75%-85%. However, even with the use of pretreatment with C. bescii, it still leaves 15%-25% of the methane potential wasted. In anaerobic digestion, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are of interest because they are the precursors to the production of methane. By using HPLC-UV-vis techniques, VFAs can be speciated and quantified in as little as 12-minutes. Depending on the pretreatment system, operational procedures for both the pretreatment and anaerobic digestion system, and substrate, the type and composition of VFAs can vary. For example, in several experiments analyzed it was found that valeric acid is a VFA that is dominate in waste activate sludge treatments, while acetic acid is in higher proportions with manure substrates. Besides methane production, VFA monitoring can detect issues with a bioreactor performance. By tracking VFA trends, the health of the system can be assessed.

<p>The objective for this work is to identify and develop an intramuscularly delivered cyanide scavenger. This dissertation outlines in vitro methods which are used to evaluate platinum-based complexes for the potential to scavenge cyanide. Examples of the in vitro techniques used are HPLC, UV-Vis and an ion-selective electrode as orthogonal strategies to monitor cyanide scavenging. Intramuscular formulations for the active platinum-based scavengers are prepared and evaluated for stability. Subsequently, the formulations are tested by collaborating labs for in vivo efficacy. In addition, Sprague Dawley rat studies are employed to investigate the potential toxicity for several platinum complexes. Taken together, this dissertation outlines a short list of novel platinum-based cyanide scavengers as potential alternatives to legacy cobalt-based scavengers. </p>

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Despite its extremely low solubility in water, fullerite C₆₀ can form colloidally stable aqueous suspensions containing nanoscale C₆₀ particles (nC₆₀) when it is subject to contact with water. nC₆₀ is the primary fullerene form following its release to the environment. The aim of the present study was to provide fundamental insights into the properties and environmental impacts of nC₆₀. nC₆₀ suspensions containing negatively charged and heterogeneous nanoparticles were produced via extended mixing in the presence and absence of citrate and other carboxylates. These low-molecular weight acids were employed as simple surrogates of natural organic matter. The properties of nC₆₀ were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. nC₆₀ produced in the presence of carboxylate differs from that produced in water alone (aq/nC₆₀) with respect to surface charge, average particle size, interfacial properties, and UV-Vis spectroscopic characteristics. Importantly, regularly shaped (spheres, triangles, squares, and nano-rods) nC₆₀ nanoparticles were observed in carboxylate solutions, but not in water alone. This observation indicates that a carboxylate-mediated 'bottom-up' process occurs in the presence of carboxylates. Changes in the UV-Vis spectra over time indicate that reactions between C₆₀ and water or other constituents in water never stop, potentially leading to significant morphologic changes during storage or as a result of simple dilution. These results suggest that studies examining the transport, fate, and environmental impacts of nC₆₀ should take the constituents of natural waters into consideration and that careful examination on the properties of the tested nC₆₀ should be conducted prior to and during each study. / Ph. D.

In the first part of this dissertation work, Al bond pad corrosion behavior was investigated in the presence of common industrial contaminants such as chloride (Cl-) and fluoride (F-). Al corrosion while in direct contact with Cu displayed rapid hydrogen (H2) gas evolution and dendrite propagation. In contrast, Al without bimetallic contact showed only minor surface roughening. This observed difference in the corrosion mechanism between Cl- and F- is attributed to the solubility of the corrosion products (AlCl3 vs. AlF3) formed on the Al surface. Our subsequent work explored corrosion prevention inhibition of wire-bonded devices (WBD) in the Cl- environment. Our research shows that the Al bond pad was protected against corrosion by chemically modifying the surface of the Cu wires, thereby preventing the H2 evolution. The inhibitor was observed to be highly selective, thermally stable, hydrophobic, and cost-effective, making it viable for industrial application of this coating for Al bond pad corrosion prevention. In the second part of the dissertation work, we utilized a novel approach of using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) as a chemical-sensitive monitoring tool of the chemical environment in Cu etch bath. The UV-Vis technique illuminates the roles of H+, Cl-, Cu+, and Cu2+ to the etch bath while also providing a means to monitor the Cl- in the broad UV peak at 250 nm. The UV-Vis probe successfully demonstrated the etch rate difference between the two etch bath solutions and help in the restoration of the etching bath. Additionally, the proof-of-concept experiments (POC) to investigate UV enhanced etching for achieving anisotropic etching in PCB fabrication showed promising preliminary results with the need to develop additional etching techniques.

Ytvattenberedningen i Vombs vattenverk börjar med att pumpa råvatten från Vombsjön genom mikrosilar som avskiljer vass, gyttja och större partiklar till ett flertal infiltrationsbäddar. Råvattnet får sedan långsamt genomtränga infiltrationsbädden som består av grövre lager av grus och finare lager av sand och alluvium som naturligt filtrerar vattnet från mindre fysiska föroreningar. Det filtrerade vattnet ansamlas i brunnar som sedan kan pumpas upp för vidare behandling. Anledningen till att detta går att utföra på vatten från Vombsjön är på grund utav den låga halten av NOM (Naturligt Organiskt Material) som är i Vomb-sjövattnet. NOM är den viktigaste byggstenen för mikrobiologisk tillväxt och har sitt ursprung från nedbrutet material av till exempel löv, grenar och döda djur. En hög halt av det i vattnet kommer att ledda till igensättning av infiltrationsbädden och måste därmed avskiljas innan det pumpas till bäddarna. Vombs vattenverk vill börja blanda in råvatten från sjön Bolmen till det råvatten som ska renas för att öka kapaciteten av råvatten, men detta är ett problem då råvatten från Bolmen har hög NOM-halt. Det mest effektiva och använda metoden för att avskilja NOM ur vattnet är att använda en fällningskemikalie som till exempel ALG (Aluminiumsulfattetradekahydrat) eller PAX-XL100 (Polyaluminiumklorid). En förberedande process måste därmed introduceras till Vombs vattenverk där vattnet först blandas, behandlas med koaguleringsmedel och genomgår en snabbsedimentering innan det pumpas ut till infiltrationsbädden på grund av den nya ökade NOM-halten från Bolmens råvatten. I detta arbete kommer PAX-XL100 och ALG’s effektivitet att avskilja NOM ur olika blandningar av Råvatten från Bolmen och Vomb att mätas, jämföras och diskuteras. Valet av koaguleringsmedel spelar stor roll då de är ofta olika i sin effektivitet att avskilja olika sorters föroreningar tillsammans med flera olika andra för och nackdelar. Testningen av koaguleringsmedel utförs i en 1 liters glasbägare som simulerar den verkliga miljön i en mindre skala, men som har fördelen att vara enklare att kontrollera. På Sydvatten AB som är ett kommunalägt vattenreningsföretag var det av intresse att utvärdera ifall en blandning av två koaguleringsmedel, PAX-XL100 och ALG kunde användas för att rena olika vattenblandningar av sjön Bolmen och sjön Vomb. Denna rening utvärderades med en spektrofotometrisk analys av vattnets absorbans på två våglängder. Den första våglängden som absorbansen mäts på är 254nm och är inom det ultravioletta spektrumet. Konjugerade och aromatiska kolföreningar absorberar ljus vid denna våglängd och är associerat med förekomsten av suspenderat organiskt material i vattnet. Den andra våglängden som absorbansen mäts på är 436nm och tillhör det visuella spektrumet. Absorbansen på våglängden 436nm mäts då ämnen som har färgen gult i vanligt solljus absorberar på denna våglängd och förekomst av organiskt material ofta färgar vatten gulbrunt. Ett högre värde på absorbansen vid 436nm våglängd visar en förhöjd förekomst av organiskt material. Gränserna som sattes för att vattnet skulle anses tillräckligt renat var A254nm=10m−1 och A436nm=0.700m−1. Efter tester var gjorde visade resultaten att en blandning av 50:50 (PAX-XL100:ALG) renade vattnet under dessa gränser med 𝐴254𝑛𝑚=8.12, 𝐴436𝑛𝑚=0.363 på en vattenblandning av 20:80(Vomb:Bolmen) och 𝐴254𝑛𝑚=7.56, 𝐴436𝑛𝑚=0.324 vid 50:50(Vomb:Bolmen). Skillnaden i avskiljningen mellan ren PAX-XL100 och ALG är 1.00±0.25 𝑚−1. Ingen NaOH behövdes tillsättas när en behandling med 100% PAX-XL100 användes i en vattenblandning av 20:80 (Vomb:Bolmen) tillsammans med ett mindre koldioxidavtryck. Detta betyder att frågan vid framtida användning blir ifall det är värt att avskilja 1.00±0.25 𝑚−1 extra NOM ur vattnet med ALG och påkosta 6.6 miljoner kronor i NaOH kostnader per år tillsammans med ett ökat koldioxidavtryck eller minska NOM avskiljningen med PAX-XL100 och minska kostnader och koldioxidavtryck. / Surface water preparation in Vombs water begins with pumping water from lake Vomb through micro-strainers that separate reeds, silt, and larger particles into several infiltration beds. The raw water is then allowed to slowly permeate the infiltration bed, which consists of coarser layers of gravel and finer layers of sand and alluvium that naturally filter the water from minor physical impurities. The filtered water is collected in wells which can then be pumped up for further treatment. The reason why this can be done on water from lake Vomb is because of the low NOM (Natural Organic Material) content in the Vomb lake water. NOM is the most important building block for microbiological growth and originates from decomposed material such as leaves, branches, and dead animals. A high content of it in the water will lead to clogging of the infiltration bed and thus must be separated before it is pumped to the beds. Vombs waterworks want to start mixing water from Lake Bolmen into the water to be purified to increase capacity and redundancy, but this is a problem as raw water from Bolmen has a high NOM content. The most effective and used method to separate NOM from the water is to use a precipitation chemical such as ALG (Aluminum sulfate tetra decahydrate) or PAX-XL100 (Poly aluminum chloride). A preparatory process must therefore be introduced to Vombs waterworks where the water is first mixed, treated with coagulants and undergoes rapid sedimentation before it is pumped out to the infiltration bed due to the newly increased NOM content from lake Bolmen. In this work, the efficiency of PAX-XL100 and ALG to separate NOM from different mixtures of water from Bolmen and Vomb will be measured, compared, and discussed. The choice of coagulant plays a major role in water purification as they are often different in their effectiveness to separate different kinds of impurities together with several other advantages and disadvantages. Testing of these coagulants is carried out in several samples with water that is aimed to be purified, on a smaller scale that is easy to control, these tests are called jar tests. At Sydvatten AB, which is a municipally owned water treatment company, it was of interest to evaluate if a mixture of two coagulants, PAX-XL100 and ALG, could be used to purify different water mixtures of lake Bolmen and lake Vomb. This purification was evaluated with a spectrophotometric analysis of the water at two wavelengths. The first wavelength measured was 254nm and is in the ultraviolet spectrum. Conjugated and aromatic carbon compounds absorb light at this wavelength and are associated with the presence of dissolved organic matter in the water. The second wavelength is 436nm and belongs to the visual spectrum. This wavelength is measured because substances that are observed to be yellow in ordinary sunlight absorb at this wavelength and the presence of organic material often colors water yellow. Thus, a higher value of 436nm will show an increased presence of organic material. The limits set for the water to be considered sufficiently purified at these wavelengths were A254nm=10m−1 and A436nm=0.700m−1. After tests were done, the results showed that a mixture of 50:50 (PAX-XL100:ALG) purified the water below these limits with 𝐴254𝑛𝑚=8.12, 𝐴436𝑛𝑚=0.363 on a water mixture of 20:80(Vomb:Bolmen) and 𝐴254𝑛𝑚=7.56, 𝐴436𝑛𝑚=0.324 at 50:50(Vomb:Bolmen). The difference in NOM separation between pure PAX-XL100 and ALG is 1.00±0.25 m-1. No NaOH needed to be added when a treatment with pure PAX-XL100 was used in a 20:80 water mixture (Vomb:Bolmen) along with a smaller carbon footprint. This means that the question for future use is whether it is worth separating 1.00±0.25 m-1 extra NOM from the water with ALG and spend 6.6 million kroner in NaOH costs per year together with an increased carbon footprint or reducing the NOM separation with PAX -XL100 and reduce costs and carbon footprint.

Yes / The association constants for formation of 1 : 1 complexes between a H-bond donor, 1-naphthol, and a diverse range of charged and neutral H-bond acceptors have been measured using UV/vis absorption and fluorescence emission titrations. The performance of 1-naphthol as a dual colorimetric and fluorescent molecular recognition probe for determining the H-bond acceptor (HBA) parameters of charged and neutral solutes has been investigated in three solvents. The data were employed to establish self-consistent H-bond acceptor parameters (β) for benzoate, azide, chloride, thiocyanate anions, a series of phosphine oxides, phosphate ester, sulfoxide and a tertiary amide. The results demonstrate both the transferability of H-bond parameters between different solvents and the utility of the naphthol-based dual molecular recognition probe to exploit orthogonal spectroscopic techniques to determine the HBA properties of neutral and charged solutes. The benzoate anion is the strongest HBA studied with a β parameter of 15.4, and the neutral tertiary amide is the weakest H-bond acceptor investigated with a β parameter of 8.5. The H-bond acceptor strength of the azide anion is higher than that of chloride (12.8 and 12.2 respectively), and the thiocyanate anion has a β value of 10.8 and thus is a significantly weaker H-bond acceptor than both the azide and chloride anions. / Supported by the ESPRC.

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