>Magister Scientiae - MSc / A novel monomer (Phenazine-2,3-diimino(pyrrole-2-yl)–PDP) derived from the condensation reaction between 2,3-diaminophenazine and a pyrrole derivative has been synthesized as a hinge molecule in the design of a zig-zag polymer with actuation possibility. The monomer was polymerized chemically and electrochemically to produce the new polymer material – polymerized Phenazine-2,3-diimino(pyrrole-2-yl) PPDP. Two very crucial properties of a good actuator material, relate specifically to its solubility testing and electrical conductivity. The hinged polymer material was studied intensively in terms of its spectroscopy; Fourier Transform Infrared - FTIR, 1H’NMR, thermal properties (Differential Scanning Calorimetry-DSC and Thermogravimetric Analysis-TGA) as well as voltammetry and conductivity. Conductivity was evaluated using three different approaches including; 4 probe measurements, plotting of I/V curves based on potentiostatic measurements and an electrochemical impedance experiment using a dielectric Solartron interface. Electrochemical kinetics of the polymer prepared as a thin film at glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was also done and it was clear that the thin film conductivity was vastly different from the compressed pellet conductivity (thick film). The zig-zag polymer was then further modified by homogeneous inclusion of gold nanoparticles to improve conductivity and solubility, in the thick film arrangement. Conductivity of the thin film was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with the relative charge transfer values being determined for unmodified and modified polymer systems. The solubility testing of the material plays an important role as it is required for a wide range of experimental applications. The zig-zag polymer showed great promise for applications; in dye sensitized solar cells and free standing interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), solubility testing and electrical conductivity would need to be improved in order to be used in these applications.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / A novel monomer (N,N'-Bis-(1H-pyrrol-2-ylmethylene)-benzene-1,2-diamine-BPPD) was derived from the condensation reaction between o-phenylenediamine and a pyrrole derivative. The monomer was polymerized electrochemically to produce the new polymer material - polymerized(N,N'-Bis-(1H-pyrrol-2-ylmethylene)-benzene-1,2-diamine) PBPPD. This novel polymer material was deposited at the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode, as a thin film, in the development of chemical sensors for the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The monomer material was characterized in terms of its optical (spectroscopy) and thermal properties. The polymer material was characterized in terms of its surface morphology and its redox electrochemistry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to confirm the azomethine bond formation during the condensation reaction of an aldehyde and primary amine derivative. / 2020-08-31

This thesis provides a general methodology for classifying and describing many combinatoric problems, systematising and finding theoretical expressions for quantities of interest, and investigating their feasible numerical evaluation. Unifying notation and definitions are provided. Our knowledge of random allocations is also extended. This is achieved by investigating new processes, generalising known processes, and by providing a formal structure and innovative techniques for analysing them. The random allocation models described in this thesis can be classified as occupancy urn models, in which we have a sequence of urns and throw balls into them, and investigate static, waiting-time and dynamic processes. Various structures are placed on the relationship(s) between cells, balls, and the selection of items being distributed, including varieties, batch arrivals, taboo sets and blocking sets. Static, waiting-time and dynamic processes are investigated. Both without-replacement and with-replacement sampling types are considered. Emphasis is placed on the distributions of waiting-times for one or more events to occur measured from the time a particular event occurs; this begins as an abstraction and generalisation of a model of departures of cars parked in lanes. One of several additional determinations is the platoon size distribution. Models are analysed using combinatorial analysis and Markov Chains. Global attributes are measured, including maximum waits, maximum room required, moments and the clustering of completions. Various conversion formulae have been devised to reduce calculation times by several orders of magnitude. New and extended applications include Queueing in Lanes, Cake Displays, Coupon Collector's Problem, Sock-Sorting, Matching Dependent Sets (including Genetic Code Attribute Matching and the game SET), the Zig-Zag Problem, Testing for Randomness (including the Cake Display Test, which is a without-replacement test similar to the standard Empty Cell test), Waiting for Luggage at an Airport, Breakdowns in a Network, Learning Theory and Estimating the Number of Skeletons at an Archaeological Dig. Fundamental, reduction and covering theorems provide ways to reduce the number of calculations required. New combinatorial identities are discovered and a well-known one is proved in a combinatorial way for the first time. Some known results are derived from simple cases of the general models. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1309598 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Mathematical Sciences, 2007

This thesis provides a general methodology for classifying and describing many combinatoric problems, systematising and finding theoretical expressions for quantities of interest, and investigating their feasible numerical evaluation. Unifying notation and definitions are provided. Our knowledge of random allocations is also extended. This is achieved by investigating new processes, generalising known processes, and by providing a formal structure and innovative techniques for analysing them. The random allocation models described in this thesis can be classified as occupancy urn models, in which we have a sequence of urns and throw balls into them, and investigate static, waiting-time and dynamic processes. Various structures are placed on the relationship(s) between cells, balls, and the selection of items being distributed, including varieties, batch arrivals, taboo sets and blocking sets. Static, waiting-time and dynamic processes are investigated. Both without-replacement and with-replacement sampling types are considered. Emphasis is placed on the distributions of waiting-times for one or more events to occur measured from the time a particular event occurs; this begins as an abstraction and generalisation of a model of departures of cars parked in lanes. One of several additional determinations is the platoon size distribution. Models are analysed using combinatorial analysis and Markov Chains. Global attributes are measured, including maximum waits, maximum room required, moments and the clustering of completions. Various conversion formulae have been devised to reduce calculation times by several orders of magnitude. New and extended applications include Queueing in Lanes, Cake Displays, Coupon Collector's Problem, Sock-Sorting, Matching Dependent Sets (including Genetic Code Attribute Matching and the game SET), the Zig-Zag Problem, Testing for Randomness (including the Cake Display Test, which is a without-replacement test similar to the standard Empty Cell test), Waiting for Luggage at an Airport, Breakdowns in a Network, Learning Theory and Estimating the Number of Skeletons at an Archaeological Dig. Fundamental, reduction and covering theorems provide ways to reduce the number of calculations required. New combinatorial identities are discovered and a well-known one is proved in a combinatorial way for the first time. Some known results are derived from simple cases of the general models. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1309598 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Mathematical Sciences, 2007