Thesis (M. S.)--Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Robert F. Speyer; Committee Member: George Kardomateas; Committee Member: Preet Singh; Committee Member: Robert L. Snyder; Committee Member: Thomas H. Sanders, Jr.

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Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Chemistry / unrestricted

The use of inexpensive metal catalysts for a range of acylation reactions including the activation of anhydrides and the aminolysis of esters. Discussion on the use of a heterogeneous copper catalyst for teh reduction of a range of organic functional groups and its use in amination of nitriles.

Zirconium diboride (ZrB₂) is a ceramic material possessing ultra-high melting temperatures. As such, this compound could be useful in the construction of thermal protection systems for aerospace applications. This work addresses a primary shortcoming of this material, namely its propensity to destructively oxidize at high temperatures, as well as secondary issues concerning its heat transport properties.To characterize and improve oxidation properties, thermogravimetric studies were per- formed using a specially constructed experimental setup. ZrB₂-SiC two-phase ceramic composites were isothermally oxidized for ∼90 min in flowing air in the range 1500-1900°C. Specimens with 30 mol% SiC formed distinctive reaction product layers which were highly protective; 28 mol% SiC - 6 mol% TaB₂ performed similarly. At higher temperatures, specimens containing lower amounts of SiC were shown to be non-protective, whereas specimens containing greater amounts of SiC produced unstable oxide layers due to gas evolution. Oxide coating thicknesses calculated from weight loss data were consistent with those measured from SEM micrographs. In order to characterize one aspect of the materials' heat transport properties, the thermal diffusivities of ZrB₂-SiC composites were measured using the laser flash technique. These were converted to thermal conductivities using temperature dependent specific heat and density data; thermal conductivity decreased with increasing temperature over the range 25-2000°C. The composition with the highest SiC content showed the highest thermal conductivity at room temperature, but the lowest at temperatures in excess of ∼400°C, because of the greater temperature sensitivity of the thermal conductivity of the SiC phase, as compared to more electrically-conductive ZrB₂. Subsequent finite difference calculations were good predictors of multi-phase thermal conductvities for the compositions examined. The thermal conductivities of pure ZrB₂ as a function of temperature were back-calculated from the experimental results for the multi-phase materials, and literature thermal conductivities of the other two phases. This established a relatively constant thermal conductivity of 88-104 W/m·K over the evaluated temperature range. Further heat transport characterization was performed using pre-oxidized, directly resistively heated ZrB₂-30 mol% SiC ribbon specimens under the observation of a spectral radiometer. The ribbons were heated and held at specific temperatures over the range 1100- 1330°C in flowing Ar, and normal spectral emittance values were recorded over the 1-6 μm range with a resolution of 10 nm. The normal spectral emittance was shown to decrease with loss of the borosilicate layer over the course of the data collection time periods. This change was measured and compensated for to produce traces showing the emittance of the oxidized composition rising from ∼0.7 to ∼0.9 over the range of wavelengths measured.

This thesis describes the synthesis and characterisation of new mononuclear and binuclear zirconium and hafnium compounds containing ansa-bridged ligands. Some olefin polymerization studies, employing the new compounds as catalysts, are also presented. <strong>Chapter 1</strong> begins with an introduction to Ziegler-Natta polymerization of olefins, concentrating on recently developed metallocene-based catalyst systems. The second part of the Chapter charts the development of group 4 ansa-metallocene derivatives, especially their use as stereospecific catalysts. Finally, a review of binuciear group 4 metallocene compounds containing bridging bis(cyclopentadienyl)-type ligands is presented. <strong>Chapter 2</strong> describes the synthesis and characterisation of some novel mononuclear metallocene compounds of zirconium and hafnium containing ansa-bridged ligands. The ansa-bridged mononuclear compounds [{Me₂C(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η²-C₉H₆)}M(η⁵C₅H₅)Cl] (M = Zr, Hf), [{(CH₂)₅C(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η²-C₉H₆)}M(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] (M = Zr, Hf) and [{Me₂(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η³-C₁₃H₈)}Zr(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] are described, along with the X-ray crystal structures of the zirconium compounds. The η²-indenyl and η³-fluorenyl coordination modes observed for these compounds are unprecedented. The synthesis and characterisation of the novel, mononuclear ansa-bridged compounds [{Me₂C(η⁵-C₅H₄)<sub<2</sub>}M(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] (M = Zr, Hf) is also described, along with their X-ray crystal structures. The variable temperature solid state ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectra of [{Me₂C(η⁵-C₅H₄)<sub<2</sub>}M(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] (M = Zr, Hf) show slow rotation of the C₅H₅ ring on the NMR timescale. <strong>Chapter 3</strong> describes the synthesis and characterisation of some novel homo- and hetero-binuclear metallocene compounds of zirconium and hafnium in which the metals are bridged by an unsymmetrical ansa ligand. The novel, chiral homobinuclear compounds [(η⁵-C₅H₅)MCl₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(η⁵-C₉H₆)}MCl₂(η⁵-C₅H₅)] (M = Zr, Hf) are described. The ansa-bridged mononuclear compounds [{Me₂C(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η²-C₉H₇)M(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] (M = Zr, Hf) are used as reagents for the selective synthesis of the heterobinuclear analogues [(η⁵-C₅H₅)MCl₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(η⁵-C₉H₆)}M*Cl₂(η⁵-C₅H₅)] (M = Zr, M* = Hf ; M = Hf, M* = Zr) and the unsymmetrical homobinuclear compound [(η⁵-C₅H₅)ZrCl₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(��⁵-C₉H₆)}ZrCl₂(η⁵-C₅Me₅)]. The methylated derivatives [(η⁵-C₅H₅)M(CH₃)₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(η⁵-C₅H₆)}M*(CH₃)₂(η⁵-C₅H₅)] (M = Zr, M* = Zr, Hf; M = Hf, M* = Zr, Hf) are also described. The structurally related mononuclear compounds [(η⁵-C₅H₅)MCl₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(C₉H₇)}] (M = Zr, Hf) and [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Zr(CH₃)₂{(η⁵-C₅H₄)CMe₂(C₉H₇)}] have also been prepared. <strong>Chapter 4</strong> presents some olefin polymerization studies using the new compounds described in Chapter 3 as catalysts, along with either methylaluminoxane or the recently developed co-catalysts [Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]^- and B(C₆F₅)₃. <strong>Chapter 5</strong> provides the experimental details for the reactions described in this thesis and the characterising data for all new compounds are given in <strong>Chapter 6</strong> Crystallographic data for the for the X-ray structure determinations in Chapter 2 are given in the <strong>Appendices</strong>.

Specimens of ZrB2 containing various concentrations of B4C, SiC, TaB2, and TaSi2 were pressureless-sintered and post-hot isostatic pressed to their theoretical densities. Oxidation resistances were studied by scanning thermogravimetry over the range 1150 - 1550 degree C. SiC additions improved oxidation resistance over a broadening range of temperatures with increasing SiC content. Tantalum additions to ZrB2-B4C-SiC in the form of TaB2 and/or TaSi2 increased oxidation resistance over the entire evaluated spectrum of temperatures. TaSi2 proved to be a more effective additive than TaB2. Silicon-containing compositions formed a glassy surface layer, covering an interior oxide layer. This interior layer was less porous in tantalum-containing compositions. The oxidation resistances of ZrB2 containing SiC, TaB2, and TaSi2 additions of various concentrations was studied using isothermal thermogravimetry at 1200, 1400, and 1500 degree C, and specimens were further characterized using x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Increasing SiC concentration resulted in thinner glassy surface layers as well as thinner ZrO2 underlayers deficient in silica. This silica deficiency was argued to occur by a wicking process of interior-formed borosilicate liquid to the initially-formed borosilicate liquid at the surface. Small (3.32 mol%) concentrations of TaB2 additions were more effective at increasing oxidation resistance than equal additions of TaSi2. The benefit of these additives was related to the formation of zirconium-tantalum boride solid solution during sintering, which during oxidation, fragmented into fine particles of ZrO2 and TaC. These particles resisted wicking of their liquid/glassy borosilicate encapsulation, which increased overall oxidation resistance. With increasing TaB2 or TaSi2 concentration, oxidation resistance degraded, most egregiously with TaB2 additions. In these cases, zirconia dendrites appeared to grow through the glassy layers, providing conduits for oxygen migration.

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