<p> This thesis describes an investigation into the effects of Lewis acid complexation on the photochemistry of α,β unsaturated carbonyl compounds.</p> <p> Initial studies involved the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy in examining Lewis acid modification of the photostationary state for E/Z isomerization of various acyclic enones. The results obtained provide a good understanding of the origin of the perturbation of the photostationary state of these systems. In the course of these investigations, the question also arose as to the possible effects of complexation upon the photochemistry of cyclic enone systems where E/Z isomerization cannot occur, particularly whether this would catalyze [2+2] cycloadditions to the enone carbon/carbon double bond. Lewis acid complexed enones are widely used as activated dienophiles in Diels Alder reactions, and have been recently reported to serve as activated 'enophiles' in a photochemical dimerization of coumarin.</p> </p> The examination here is focused upon endo-tricyclo [5.2.1.02,6] deca-4,8-dien-3-one. (See Diagram in thesis). </p> <p> Reported here is a detailed investigation of the photochemistry of the AlEtCl2 complex of this compound, and the results are interpreted mechanistically. The reaction gives rise to a single product which reaches a photostationary state with the reactant complex. The isomerization is formally a [1,3] sigmatropic shift involving the isolated double bond. It seems likely however, to proceed by the formation of an allyl cation intermediate.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The discovery and mechanistic investigation of a new class of photochemical reactions of benzophenones and related compounds is documented in this Thesis. Their photobehaviour in aqueous solvent media varied dramatically from their well-known behaviour in organic solvents and suggests unique and unprecedented mechanistic pathways. The aqueous photoredox chemistry of various substituted benzophenones was initially explored. Particular attention was paid to 3-(hydroxymethyl)benzophenone (47), which upon photolysis in acidic aqueous media undergoes an intramolecular photoredox reaction to produce 3-formylbenzhydrol (61). Extensive investigation into the mechanistic behaviour of 3-(hydroxymethyl)benzophenone (47) produced evidence of a unique solvent-mediated, acid catalysed photoreaction. A mechanism has been proposed for the intramolecular photoredox reaction that proceeds via the protonated triplet state. This protonated triplet state subsequently promotes the deprotonation of the benzylic carbon before rearranging to form the redox product. The modification of the benzylic carbon with an alkyl group or with a phenyl group resulted in only slight changes in the photobehaviour. In both cases intramolecular photoredox reactions were observed although significantly more oligomeric side products were observed in some cases. To more fully elucidate the photobehaviour and to test the generality of the photoredox reaction, a variety of structurally related hydroxyalkyl aromatic carbonyls were synthesized and studied. Alternative chromophores were explored using xanthone and fluorenone derivatives. Both types of derivative compounds underwent an intramolecular photoredox reaction, supporting the assertion that the intramolecular photoredox reaction could be considered a general feature of aromatic carbonyls under aqueous conditions. However, significant differences in photoreactivity were also observed. It was found that 2-(hydroxymethyl)xanthone (53) exhibited sufficient photoactivity that the intramolecular photoredox reaction was observable even under neutral conditions whereas 2-(hydroxymethyl)fluorenone (54) was nearly photoinert. The last topic focuses on the extension of the electronic transmission from the carbonyl functional group to the benzylic alcohol by insertion of an additional phenyl group. The addition of the phenyl group also provided a bichromophoric molecule, rather than the monochromophoric substrates studied to this point. The substituent’s position played an important role in the photobehaviour, in that both of the meta- and ortho- substituted compounds underwent intramolecular photoredox reaction, while the para- substituted compound primarily exhibited photobehaviour indicative of hydrogen abstraction.

Ce travail est en relation avec la thématique "Chimie Verte" en particulier, le rôle de la catalyse,l’utilisation des matières premières renouvelables et l’élimination des produits nocifs.- Quatre échantillons commerciaux de zircone tungstatée de Mel-Chemicals.- deux séries de zircone tungstatée préparées par deux méthodes différentes avec une teneuren WO3 de 1 à 20 % en masse.- des oxydes binaires tels que WO3-ZrO2, B2O3-ZrO2, Al2O3-ZrO2, Ga2O3-ZrO2 et In2O3-ZrO2.- des oxydes binaires tels que WO3-Me2O3 (Me = B, Al, Ga et In) et finalement des oxydesternaires WO3/(Me2O3-ZrO2) (Me = B, Al, Ga et In) ont été étudiés et préparés lors de cettethèse.La performance catalytique de ces catalyseurs a été évaluée dans l’hydrolyse de la cellobiose, ladéshydratation du fructose et la réduction catalytique sélective des NOx. Les propriétés acides etredox de surface ont été corrélées aux performances catalytiques. En général, la conversion totale est liée à l’acidité des catalyseurs. Les catalyseurs les plus sélectifs pour la déshydratation du fructose et en deNOx sont ceux présentant une acidité modérée. / This work is related to the subject “Green Chemistry” in particular the role of the catalyst, the useof renewable raw materials and the decrease of hazardous materials.- Four commercial tungstated zirconia provided by Mel-Chemicals.- Two series of tungstated zirconia catalysts prepared by two different methods in a range of(1-20) WO3 wt.% loading- Binary zirconia-based oxides WO3-ZrO2, B2O3-ZrO2, Al2O3-ZrO2, Ga2O3-ZrO2 and In2O3-ZrO2.- Binary oxides WO3-Me2O3 (Me = B, Al, Ga and In) and ternary oxides WO3/(Me2O3-ZrO2)(Me = B, Al, Ga and In) were prepared and studied during my PhD thesis.The catalytic activity of these mixed oxide catalysts was evaluated in cellobiose hydrolysis, fructosedehydration and selective catalytic reduction of NOx. The catalysts were thoroughly characterizedin terms of their acidic and redox properties in order to find correlations between the identifiedactive sites and the catalytic properties. The total conversion is related in general to the acidity ofthe tested catalysts and the most selective catalysts for fructose dehydration and deNOx are thosewith moderate acidity.

No description available.

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable raw material on the earth and it is so far the most suitable and promising resource for the production of biofuels to replace long-term use of fossil oil. This research aims to convert lignocellulose-based industrial residuals, fibre sludge (FS) from a pulp mill and pine sawdust (PSD) from a sawmill, into platform sugars by two different bifunctionalised pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass. The bifunctionalised pretreatment combines the ordinary pretreatment (deconstruction) of lignocellulosic biomass with lignocellulosic polysaccharides saccharification. The outcome from both pretreatments can be further transformed into biofuels and chemicals. PSD and FS were converted into platform sugars by acid-catalysed mechanical depolymerisation in a planetary ball mill in the first part of this research. The efficiency of the conversion was mainly affected by the transferred energy caused by collisions, the total milling time, acid concentration and moisture content in the reaction. Approximately 30 wt% of the sugars was yielded from PSD and FS both in the short milling process with a low acid/substrate (A/S) concentration without any prior treatment. The second part of this research focuses upon the conversion of FS into platform sugars using hydroxyalkylimidazolium hydrogen sulphate ionic liquids (ILs). Around 29 wt% of the sugars was produced from FS using an IL/water mixture. The added water acted as a co-solvent and played a critical role in the utilisation of these ILs. The blended water reduced the viscosity of the ILs and enhanced the mass transfer between solvent and solute. In addition, the anions of the ILs provided their acidic property in an aqueous solution and offered an acidic environment for hydrolysis simultaneously. / Tiivistelmä Lignosellulossapohjainen biomassa on runsaimmin saatavilla oleva ja yksi lupaavimmista raaka-aineista biopolttoaineiden valmistukseen korvaamaan fossiilisia polttoaineita. Väitöskirjassa tutkitaan teollisuuden lignoselluloosapohjaisten sivutuotteiden, selluteollisuuden kuitulietteen ja sahateollisuuden sahanpurun (mäntypuru), muuntamista sokereiksi kahdella erilaisella ns. bifunktionaalisella esikäsittelyllä, joissa yhdistyvät lignoselluloosabiomassan perinteinen esikäsittely (hajotus) ja polysakkaridien sokeroituminen. Muodostuneet sokerit voidaan edelleen muuntaa biopolttoaineiksi ja -kemikaaleiksi. Tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä vaiheessa sahanpuru ja kuituliete muunnettiin sokereiksi happokatalysoidussa mekaanisessa käsittelyssä, joka tehtiin kuulamyllyssä. Reaktiossa katalyyttisen käsittelyn tehokkuuteen vaikuttivat erityisesti jauhatuksen kineettinen energia, jauhatusaika, happokonsentraatio ja reaktioseoksen kosteus. Tulosten perusteella todettiin, että ilman lähtöaineen esikäsittelyä sekä sahanpurun että kuitulietteen sokerisaanto oli noin 30 massa% lyhyen, matalassa happokonsentraatiossa tehdyn jauhatuksen jälkeen. Tutkimuksen toisessa vaiheessa kuituliete muutettiin sokereiksi käyttämällä ionista liuotinta (IL), hydroksialkyyli-imidatsoliumvetysulfaattia. Sokerisaanto kuitulietteestä oli noin 29 massa% IL-vesiseoksessa. Vesi toimi reaktiossa apuliuottimena ja sen rooli on keskeinen ionisten liuottimien käytössä. Sekoittunut vesi laski ionisen liuottimen viskositeettia sekä edisti aineensiirtoa liuottimen ja liukenevan aineen välillä. IL:n anionit lisäsivät happamuutta vesiliuoksessa ja mahdollistivat happamat olosuhteet samanaikaiselle hydrolyysille. / Abstract Biomasse aus Lignocellulose ist der am häufigsten vorkommende nachwachsende Rohstoff der Erde und wird aktuell als eine der besten Alternativen für die Produktion von Biokraftstoffen gesehen. Diese sollen langfristig die fossilen Öl-basierten Produkte ersetzen. Diese Forschungsarbeit untersucht die Herstellung von Zucker aus Lignocellulose basierten Abfällen. Faserschlamm aus der Zellstoffindustrie und Kiefern-Sägemehl aus der Holzverarbeitung wurden durch zwei unterschiedliche Bifunktionelle Vorbehandlungen aufgespalten. Diese Bifunktionelle Vorbehandlung kombiniert zwei Schritte in einem Prozess; die gewöhnliche Dekonstruktion der Biomasse und die Verzuckerung von Polysacchariden aus der Lignocellulose. Das so erzeugte Produkt dient als Ausgangsstoff für die weitere Herstellung von Biokraftstoffen und Chemikalien. Im ersten Teil dieser Forschungsarbeit wurden Kiefern-Sägemehl und Faserschlamm in einer Planeten-Kugelmühle zermahlen und gleichzeitig durch eine Säure depolymerisiert. Der Wirkungsgrad dieser säurekatalysierten mechanischen Depolymerisation wurde hauptsächlich durch die Übertragung der Reibungsenergie, der Mahldauer der Zerkleinerung, der Konzentration der Säure und der Feuchtegehalt der Proben beeinflusst. Etwa 30 wt% Zucker wurde so durch den kurzen Zermahlungsprozess aus Kiefern-Sägemehl und Faserschlamm gewonnen. Dabei wurden die Proben nicht vorbehandelt und enthielten eine geringe Säure/Probe Konzentration. Der zweite Teil der Forschungsarbeit untersucht die Umwandlung von Faserschlamm in Zucker mittels der Ionischen Flüssigkeit (ILs) Hydroxyalkyl Imidazolium Hydrogensulfat. Aus den Faserschlamm Proben konnte 29 wt% Zucker durch eine Mischung von ILs und Wasser gewonnen werden. Das zugesetzte Wasser spielte als Co-Lösemittel eine wichtige Rolle in der Nutzung der Ionischen Flüssigkeit, dessen Viskosität so reduziert wurde. Dies führte zu einem erhöhten Stoffübergang zwischen dem Lösemittel und dem Solvat. Zusätzlich sorgten die Anionen der Ionischen Flüssigkeit für ein saures Milieu in der wässrigen Lösung und ermöglichten so eine gleichzeitige Hydrolyse.