Thesis advisor: Lawrence T. Scott / The Scott lab is interested in the functionalization of corannulene as a building block for large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon nanotube end-cap precursors. Toward that end, a new approach to the direct five-fold borylation of corannulene with iridium (I) catalysts via C-H activation has been explored. It has been discovered that the addition of catalytic amounts of base to the reaction mixture promotes the formation of symmetrical penta-borylated corannulene in a good yield on a sizable scale. All byproducts can be easily removed with iterative methanol washes. The present work also provides proof of the reversibility of the direct borylation reaction under the conditions used. Furthermore, modified Suzuki-Miyaura conditions have been employed to synthesize pentakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)corannulene, a precursor for a [5,5] carbon nanotube end-cap. The reported reactions provide good yields and are scalable. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

Em processo de fabricação de polióis, são gerados dois resíduos de catalisadores (RNi e RAl) considerados perigosos ao meio ambiente, devido aos seus respectivos altos teores de níquel e alumínio. A presente Tese trata do estudo da solidificação/estabilização simultânea desses dois resíduos catalíticos com cimento Portland tipo II, com o intuito de minimizar os impactos ambientais e verificar a possibilidade de uso do produto solidificado como elemento estrutural. Os ensaios realizados consistiram em: análise térmica diferencial não convencional (NCDTA), análises termogravimétricas (TG/DTG), análise de difração de raios X (DRX), ensaios de fluorescência de raios X (FRX), ensaio de lixiviação e resistência mecânica. A análise das primeiras etapas de hidratação do cimento assim como de amostras hidratadas em diferentes idades nos primeiros 28 dias, possibilitou avaliar os efeitos da presença dos rejeitos no processo, identificar as etapas onde ocorrem e permitiu quantificar as principais fases do cimento hidratado. Pastas com relação água/cimento igual a 0,5 foram utilizadas, às quais diferentes quantidades de cada resíduo foram adicionadas. Foi verificado que nos estágios iniciais de hidratação do cimento ocorrem efeitos de retardamento e aceleração, respectivamente, devido à presença de RNi e RAl. A utilização simultânea dos dois resíduos de catalisadores no processo de solidificação/estabilização em cimento, indica a ocorrência de um efeito sinérgico, permitindo melhores condições de solidificação do que quando cada resíduo é tratado separadamente. Os ensaios de lixiviação feitos para pastas e argamassas após 28 dias de solidificação, prazo padrão para avaliação de processos de solidificação, apresentaram valores abaixo dos limites permitidos para a concentração final de Ni e Al nos extratos de lixiviação, indicando que o processo de solidificação simultânea dos rejeitos atende à legislação ambiental e elimina o seu impacto ambiental original. Pastas e argamassas analisadas também após 28 dias por testes de resistência à compressão, apresentaram resultados aceitáveis para possível uso na construção civil. / In polyols production two catalyst wastes (RNi and RAI) are obtained, which are considered hazardous, due to their respective high nickel and aluminum contents. This Thesis presents the study of the simultaneous solidification/stabilization of both wastes with type II Portland cement (CPII), in order to avoid environmental impacts and to check the possibility of the use of the solidified products as structural elements. The experimental research performed for this study consisted of non-conventional differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, X ray diffraction, X ray fluorescence, leaching and compressive strength tests. The analysis of the first stages of the cement hydration, as well as of samples hydrated at different ages during the first 28 days of hydration, allowed evaluate the effects of the presence of the wastes on the process, identify the steps where the changes occur and have a quantitative information about the main cement hydrated phases. Pastes with water/cement ratio equal to 0.5 were used, into which different amounts of each waste were added. In the early stages of cement hydration retarding and accelerating effects occur, respectively due to RNi and RAl presence. During the simultaneous use of the two waste catalysts for their solidification/stabilization in cement, there is a synergic effect, which allows better operating conditions than when each waste is solidified separately. The leaching tests done for solidified pastes and mortars, after the standard evaluation period of 28 days of solidification, presented values for the final concentration of Ni and Al below accepted limits, indicating that the simultaneous solidification process attends environmental legislation, as well as eliminates the original environmental impact of the wastes. Pastes and mortars analyzed also after 28 days by compressive strength tests, presented acceptable results for the possible use of the solidified products in construction industry.

The concept of creating heterogeneous structures by nanocasting techniques from a combination of several homogeneous surfactant templated structures to model reservoir rock properties has not been approached prior to this research project, and will be used to test and provide better understanding of gas adsorption theories such as the pore blocking phenomenon (Seaton, 1991). Porous media with controlled pore sizes and geometry can be used to mimic a variety of reservoir rock structures, as it can be engineered to consist of a network of elements which, individually, could have either regular or irregular converging and diverging portions. The restrictions in these elements are called throats, and the bulges pores. Catalysts developed from a range of Nanotechnology applications could be used in down-hole catalytic upgrading of heavy oil. They could also be used as catalyst supports or to analyse the coking performance of catalysts. These studies will highlight the pore structure effects associated with capillary trapping mechanisms in rocks, and potentially allow the manipulation of transport rates of fluids within the pore structure of catalysts. Mercury-injection capillary pressure is typically favoured for geological applications such as inferring the size and sorting of pore throats. The difference between mercury injection and withdrawal curves will be used to provide information on recovery efficiency, and also to investigate pore level heterogeneity. Mercury porosimetry studies are carried out to provide a better understanding of the retraction curve and the mechanisms controlling the extrusion process and subsequently the entrapment of the non-wetting phase. The use of model porous media with controlled pore size and surface chemistry allows these two effects to be de-convolved and studied separately. The nanotechnology techniques employed mean that uncertainty regarding exact pore geometry is alleviated because tight control of pore geometry is possible. Trapping of oil and gas on a microscopic scale in a petroleum reservoir rock is affected by the geometric and topologic properties of the pores, by the properties of the fluids and by properties related to fluid-rock interaction such as wettability. Several distinct mechanisms of trapping may occur during displacement of one fluid by another in a porous media, however in strongly water-wet rocks with large aspect ratios, trapping in individual pores caused by associated restricting throats (may be/is) the most important mechanism of trapping. The results of the proposed research will be both relevant to the Irene Osagie Evbuomwan PhD. Thesis (2009) 9 oil and gas as well as the solid mineral sector for application as catalyst or catalyst supports. By providing a better understanding of the relationship between reservoir rock pore space geometry and surface chemistry on the residual oil levels, a more accurate assessment of the potential of a particular reservoir could be generated. The analysis of gas adsorption/desorption isotherms is widely used for the characterization of porous materials with regard to their surface area, pore size, pore size distribution and porosity, which is important for optimizing their use in many practical applications. Although nitrogen adsorption at liquid nitrogen temperature is considered to be the standard procedure, recent studies clearly reveal that the use of additional probe molecules (e.g. argon, butane, carbon dioxide, water, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons e.g. cyclohexane and ethane) allows not only to check for consistency, but also leads to a more comprehensive and accurate micro/mesopore size analysis of many adsorbents. Furthermore, significant progress has been achieved during recent years with regard to the understanding of the adsorption mechanism of fluids in materials with highly ordered pore structures (e.g., M41S materials, SBA-15). This has led to major improvements in the pore size analysis of nanoporous materials. However, there are still many open questions concerning the phase and sorption behaviour of fluids in more complex pore systems, such as materials of a heterogeneous nature/differing pore structures, which are of interest for practical applications in catalysis, separation, and adsorption. In order to address some of these open questions, we have performed systematic adsorption experiments on novel nanoporous materials with well defined pore structure synthesised within this research and also on commercial porous silicas. The results of this study and experiments allow understanding and separating in detail the influence of phenomena such as, pore blocking, advanced condensation and delayed condensation on adsorption hysteresis and consequently the shape of the adsorption isotherms. The consequences of these results for an accurate and comprehensive pore size analysis of nanomaterials consisting of more complex nanoporous pore networks are also investigated.

Modeling of fluid flow, heat transfer and reaction in fixed beds is an essential part of their design. This is especially critical for highly endothermic reactions in low tube-to-particle diameter ratio (N) tubes, such as methane steam reforming (MSR) and alkane dehydrogenation as two important commercial reactions. The modeling of fixed bed reaction is available in literatures with lots of assumptions. However, there is a need for implementing the reaction conditions with diffusion aspects on a real fixed bed reactor without assuming any pseudo conditions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been found as a suitable tool by many researchers to simulate fixed beds. CFD can simulate complex geometry of randomly-packed tubes, and provides us with more fundamental understanding of the transport and reaction phenomena in reactor tubes. CFD can be used to obtain detailed three-dimensional velocity, species and temperature fields that are needed to improve engineering approaches. Previously, the geometry of 120-degree wall segment (WS) of the whole reactor tube has been studied in our group. Previous works have introduced the coupling of gas flow and resolved species and temperature gradients inside pellets by CFD for methane steam reforming (MSR) and propane dehydrogenation (PDH) without considering deactivation. The deactivation of catalysts due to carbon formation is an important problem in industry, such as steam reforming and the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes, which are both strongly endothermic reactions. Many researches were carried out to study the effect of carbon formation and catalyst deactivation on the reactor performance. The local carbon deposition on catalysts can cause particle breakage and strongly decrease reaction rates. Catalyst deactivation in heated tubes removes the heat sink and can result in local hot spots that weaken the reactor tube. This is particularly a problem for a low tube-to-particle diameter ratio fixed bed reactor. A 3D resolved CFD model simulation was used to study the local details of carbon deposition in which the reactions and deactivation take place inside the catalytic solid particles. CFD simulations of flow, heat transfer, diffusion and reaction were carried out using the commercial CFD code FLUENT/ANSYS 6.3 in a 3D 120-degree periodic wall segment with N=4. The mesh used boundary layer prism cells at both the inside and outside particle surfaces and at the tube wall. These reactions were represented in the solid particles using user-defined scalars to mimic species transport and reaction, with user-defined functions supplying reaction rates. Diffusion in the particles was modeled by Fick's law using an effective diffusivity, given by Hite and Jackson's approximation of the Dusty Gas Model. The transient developments of particle internal gradients and carbon accumulation have been studied for the early stages of deactivation. Carbon concentration is initially strongest close to the surface and in the high temperature regions of the catalysts and affected by the wall heat flux. Deactivation of the endothermic reactions causes a slow increase in the average catalyst temperature. The second stage of the research was the verification of our CFD reaction model with experimental data under reacting conditions. The highly endothermic commercial methane steam reforming (MSR) reaction was studied experimentally in a fixed bed reactor. The temperature contributions inside catalyst particles were measured. The MSR reaction showed strong effects on the temperature profile along the reactor. Then, a CFD model was used to predict temperature profiles under MSR reaction conditions. Comparison of CFD and experimental data showed very good qualitative as well as quantitative agreement for temperature inside catalyst particles at different inlet gas temperatures. The last stage was to develop a fundamental energy equation without introducing new adjustable parameters to study heat transfer in fixed beds. In the past, many researchers have been carried out to simulate the heat transfer in fixed bed reactors by using kr (effective thermal conductivity) and hw (heat transfer coefficient). But the classical model with kr and hw cannot give a correct T(r) near tube wall, where deactivation is strongest. Therefore we need a better model which can represent the near wall heat transfer more accurate. CFD modeling was used to develop pseudo-continuum model for T(r) using Vr(r,z) and Vz(r). To get better temperature at the wall vicinity close to the physical reality. In this model radial thermal conductivity was obtained from Zehner-Schlünder model. The convection heat transfer was calculated in the 2D flow fluid from the CFD run. Results were obtained for Reynolds numbers in the range 240€“1900. The accuracy of the new model has been validated by analytical solution. The temperature calculated by the new velocity field pseudohomogenous energy equation showed reasonable quantitative agreement with values predicted by the CFD model.

Current ethanol oxidation catalysts in direct ethanol fuel cells (typically platinum-based) suffer from low conversion and are susceptible to CO poisoning. Therefore we determined to find viable alternative catalysts for ethanol oxidation based on iridium using density functional theory to model bimetallic alloy (111) surfaces. Iridium was alloyed with another transition metals M in an overlayer (one layer of metal M on top of bulk iridium) or subsurface configuration (M is inserted under the first layer of iridium). Complete oxidation of ethanol is limited by the breaking of strong C-C bonds, so any catalyst must lower the barriers for C-C bond breaking. We modeled the reaction CH+CO →CHCO.Segregation energies were calculated and the subsurface configuration was the most stable configuration in the vast majority of alloy cases. CO adsorption was also studied and a lower CO adsorption energy was found in many alloy cases compared to pure Pt (, providing encouraging results about the possibility of reducing CO poisoning. Activation energies were lowered for the vast majority of the alloys used in an underlayer structure, reinforcing our interest in the underlayer structures or “subsurfaceâ€� alloys. Finally, we found, based on the CO adsorption energies, activation energies of the C-C breakage reaction, and metal cost, three important catalyst descriptors, a number of promising catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction. The most interesting alloys all adopted the underlayer structure Ir/M/Ir. With M = Ta, Hf, Nb, V, Zr, they demonstrated enhanced reactivity and high CO tolerance, having the advantage of reducing the cost of the catalyst, potentially substituting expensive platinum group metals by more affordable components.

Sustainable energy management has become a high priority for many countries. A great majority of our energy stocks comes from non-renewable fossil fuels, which are currently dwindling. Biofuels are one of the most promising solutions being researched to address this urgent problem. In particular, using transesterified Jatropha curcas L. oil appears to be a promising method of producing biofuels due to several properties of the plant, such as the high oil yield of its seeds and the fact that it does not compete with food crops. The literature mentions many attempts of using zeolites as solid acid catalysts in transesterification reactions of vegetable oils with high free fatty acid (FFA) content. The acid catalysis prevents soap formation and emulsification, which can be observed in the basic process. The use of a solid catalyst makes the separation and purification of the final products steps easier to implement in comparison to catalysis in homogeneous conditions. However, the efficiency of the zeolite in the heterogeneous transesterification reaction of vegetable oil is not well-known yet and varies on the structure of the catalyst used. This project aims at better understanding the relationship between the type of zeolite used and the yield of this particular reaction using reconstituted Jatropha oil from Sesame seed oil, which has a similar composition. Five different types of zeolites were compared: Y, X, Beta, Mordenite & ZSM-5. Non-catalyzed reactions as well as homogeneously catalyzed - with H2SO4 - reactions were also implemented. Since we take advantage of the catalytic properties of different zeolites, the one that were not already in hydrogen form were ion-exchanged and the ion-exchanged species were then analyzed by Energy-Dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX). Three alcohol-to-oil ratios were tested at atmospheric pressure and at T=115°C for each catalyst in order to determine the influence of this ratio. All experiments were conducted in an airtight autoclave with butan-1-ol in order to obtain a biofuel whose cetane index is higher than regular petroleum-based diesels.

Catalisadores Ziegler-Natta (Z-N) de 4ª geração são preparados com suporte de dicloreto de magnésio com morfologia controlada, obtidos a partir de adutos etanólicos de dicloreto de magnésio (MgCl2.nEtOH). O objetivo deste trabalho foi otimizar o balanço entre as variáveis independentes concentração de reagentes, velocidade de agitação da emulsão e pressão de transferência, na preparação do aduto com controle morfológico. Os adutos etanólicos com controle da morfologia esférica foram preparados pela transferência controlada do aduto fundido a 125 ºC e precipitação por resfriamento brusco (quenching) em não-solvente a – 50 ºC, utilizando o método Controlled Turbulence Emulsion Method (CTEM). A ativação do MgCl2.nEtOH foi feita pela rota química para remoção do etanol e consequente aumento da área superficial do suporte. Os adutos foram preparados com razão molar EtOH/MgCl2 de 3,5 ou 63% (p/p) de etanol. Os experimentos foram realizados segundo planejamento fatorial 23 a dois níveis e ponto central replicado. As variáveis dependentes foram o diâmetro médio e distribuição de tamanho das partículas do suporte, densidade aparente compactada, morfologia e teor de álcool incorporado no aduto. Os catalisadores Z-N’s foram obtidos a partir dos suportes tratados com TiCl4 e um doador de elétrons interno, e testados em polimerização padrão de propileno. Foi observado que o controle do tamanho (diâmetro médio) da partícula do suporte é altamente dependente da velocidade de transferência, controlada pela pressão no reator de fusão. A concentração do reagente ([MgCl2]) teve efeito significativo nas quatro variáveis dependentes. A velocidade de agitação no reator de fusão ou da emulsão do aduto fundido teve efeito significativo somente na morfologia do suporte, sendo este efeito menor que o observado para a pressão de transferência. A velocidade de agitação não teve significância no processo de transferência CTEM, sendo este mais suscetível a variação da pressão no reator. / 4th Generation Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Z-N catalysts) are prepared with magnesium dichloride support with controlled morphology, obtained from ethanolic adducts of magnesium dichloride (MgCl2.nEtOH). The objective of this work was to optimize the balance between the independent variables reagent concentration, emulsion agitation speed and transfer pressure, in the preparation of the adduct with morphological control. The ethanolic adducts with spherical morphology control were prepared by controlled transfer of the molten adduct at 125 °C and quenching in nonsolvent at - 50 °C using the Controlled Turbulence Emulsion Method (CTEM). The activation of MgCl2.nEtOH was done by chemical route to remove the ethanol and consequently increase the surface area of the support. The adducts were prepared with EtOH/MgCl2 molar ratio of 3.5 or 63% (w/w) ethanol. The experiments were performed according to factorial design 23 at two levels and replicated central point. The dependent variables were the mean diameter and particle size distribution of the carrier, compacted bulk density, morphology and alcohol content incorporated in the adduct. The Z-N’s catalysts were obtained from TiCl4-treated media and an internal electron donor, and tested in standard polypropylene polymerization. It has been observed that size control (median diameter) of the carrier particle is highly dependent on the transfer rate, controlled by the pressure in the fusion reactor. The concentration of the reagent ( [MgCl2] ) had a significant effect on the four dependent variables. The stirring rate in the melt reactor or the cast adduct emulsion had significant effect only on the morphology of the support, this effect being smaller than that observed for the transfer pressure. The stirring speed was not significant in the CTEM transfer process, which is more susceptible to pressure variation in the reactor.

Visando a produção de hidrogênio, como uma fonte renovável de energia, estudaram-se as reações de reforma a vapor e oxidativa do etanol sobre catalisadores de Ru/CeO2-Al2O3. Foi verificado o efeito do suporte e das interações metal/suporte sobre a atividade e seletividade para as reações. Os suportes e catalisadores foram caracterizados por fisissorção de nitrogênio pelo método B.E.T., para avaliar as áreas superficiais específicas, espectroscopia dispersiva de raios-X (EDX), para determinar a distribuição qualitativa da fase metálica sobre os suportes, difração de raios-X (DRX), para identificação das fases óxidas, espectroscopia na região do ultra-violeta e do visível (UV-vis NIR), para avaliar as transições eletrônicas presentes no material, e redução a temperatura programada (RTP), para avaliação do comportamento de redução e das fases redutíveis. Através dos ensaios catalíticos, pode-se verificar que todos os catalisadores foram ativos para ambas as reações de reforma, sob as temperaturas de 400, 600 e 700ºC, onde a conversão do etanol aumentou com o aumento da temperatura e com o aumento da adição de CeO2 ao suporte catalítico. O catalisador 3%Ru/CeO2 foi o mais ativo frente a reação de reforma a vapor e o 3%Ru/25%CeO2-Al2O3 o catalisador mais ativo para a reação de reforma oxidativa do etanol. A maior seletividade para H2 foi obtida a 600ºC para ambas as reações de reforma, com exceção dos catalisadores 3%Ru/20%CeO2-Al2O3, que foi mais seletivo a 700ºC para a reforma a vapor, e 3%Ru/CeO2, que foi mais seletivo a 400ºC para a reforma oxidativa. / Aiming at hydrogen production, as a source of renewable energy, Ru/CeO2-Al2O3 catalysts were studied in ethanol steam reform and ethanol oxidative reforming. The effect of the support and metal/support interaction was verified on the activity and selectivity of the reactions. The supports and catalysts were characterized by x-rays dispersive spectroscopy (XDS), to verify the qualitative distribution of the metallic phase on the supports, x-rays diffraction (XRD), for identification of the crystalline oxide phases, spectroscopy in the region of the ultraviolet and the visible (UV-vis NIR), to evaluate the electronic transitions present in the material, and temperature programmed reduction (TPR), for evaluation of the reductive phases. According to the catalytic tests, all catalysts were active for both reactions under the temperatures of 400, 600 and 700ºC, where the ethanol conversion increased together with the increase of the temperature and, with the addition of CeO2 to the catalytic support. The 3%Ru/CeO2 catalyst was the most active for ethanol steam reforming and the 3%Ru/25%CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst was the most active for ethanol oxidative reforming. The higher selectivity for H2 occurred at 600ºC for both reactions, excluding the 3%Ru/20%CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst, which was more selective at 700ºC for steam reforming, and the 3%Ru/CeO2 catalyst, which was more selective for the oxidative reforming at 400ºC.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemical Engineering / Bin Liu / In the course of mitigating our dependence on fossil energy, it has become an urgent issue to develop unconventional and innovative technologies based on renewable energy utilization for fuels and chemicals production. Due to the lack of fundamental understanding of catalytic behaviors of the novel chemical compounds involved, the task to design and engineer effective catalytic systems is extremely challenging and time-consuming. One central challenge is that an intricate balance among catalytic reactivity, selectivity, durability, and affordability must be achieved pertinent to any successful design. In this dissertation, density functional theory (DFT), coupled with modeling techniques derived from DFT, is employed to gain insights into molecular interactions between elusive intermediates and targeted functional catalytic materials for novel electrochemical and heterogeneous catalytic processes. Two case studies, i.e., electroreduction of furfural and step-catalysis for cyclic ammonia production, will be discussed to demonstrate the capability and utility of DFT-based theoretical modeling toolkits and strategies. Transition metal cathodes such as silver, lead, and nickel were evaluated for furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran production through detailed DFT modeling. Investigation of the molecular mechanisms revealed that two intermediates, mh6 and mh7 from mono-hydrogenation of furfural, are the key intermediates that will determine the product formation activities and selectivities. Nickel breaks the trends from other metals as DFT calculations suggested the 2-methylfuran formation pathway is most likely different from other cathodes. In this work, the Brønsted–Evans–Polanyi relationship, derived from DFT energy barrier calculations, has been found to be particularly reliable and computationally efficient for C-O bond activation trend predictions. To obtain the solvation effect on the adsorptions of biomass-derived compounds (e.g., furfural and glycerol), influence of explicit solvent was probed using periodic DFT calculations. The adsorptions of glycerol and its dehydrogenation intermediates at the water-platinum surface were understood via various water–adsorbate, water–water, and water–metal interactions. Interestingly, the bond-order-based scaling relationship established in solvent-free environment is found to remain valid based on our explicit solvent models. In the second case study, step-catalysis that relies on manganese’s ability to dissociate molecular nitrogen and as a nitrogen carrier emerges as an alternative route for ammonia production to the conventional Haber-Bosch process. In this collaborative project, DFT was used as the primary tool to produce the mechanistic understanding of NH3 formation via hydrogen reduction on various manganese nitride systems (e.g., Mn4N and Mn2N). Both nickel and iron dopants have the potential to facilitate NH3 formation. A broader consideration of a wide range of nitride configurations revealed a rather complex pattern. Materials screening strategies, supported by linear scaling relationships, suggested the linear correlations between NHx (x=0, 1, 2) species must be broken in the development of optimal step catalysis materials. These fundamental findings are expected to significantly guide and accelerate the experimental material design. Overall, molecular modeling based on DFT has clearly demonstrated its remarkable value beyond just a validation tool. More importantly, its unique predictive power should be prized as an avenue for scientific advance through the fundamental knowledge in novel catalysts design.

Since the discovery that diazomethane, CH2N2, can effect the cyclopropanation of alkenes under palladium catalysis in the 1960s, this reaction has been used to great effect in synthesis. However, the necessity of preparing and handling diazomethane, a toxic and explosive reagent, is unappealing. The substitution of diazomethane for a commercially-available and thermally-stable silylated congener, namely trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSDAM), has been investigated. Under optimised conditions, designed to promote protodesilylation, use of this reagent affords the same products as would be obtained with the more hazardous diazomethane, with no trace of the corresponding silylated cyclopropanes. NMR spectroscopy has revealed that the protodesilylating agent employed in the reaction, tetrabutylammonium bifluoride (n-Bu4N+ HF2 -, TBABF), reacts cleanly with TMSDAM to generate diazomethane. Under catalytic conditions, the consumption of the desilylated diazo reagent by palladium is sufficiently rapid to prevent the accumulation of this hazardous reagent in solution. Spectroscopic titration studies also revealed a “hidden” mode of TBABF catalysis, whereby adventitious water drives the regeneration of the bifluoride salt. This observation was exploited by the development of an EtOH-driven reaction variant in which catalytic amounts (20 mol%) of TBABF could be employed. The ability to effect the in situ generation of diazomethane has allowed for mechanistic studies into the course of the cyclopropanation reaction to be undertaken. These reveal a partitioning in the consumption of nascent diazomethane between the desired cyclopropanation reaction and a side reaction. The product of the side reaction was identified as cyclopropane (C3H6), the product of formal methylene cyclotrimerisation, by employing EtOD in TBABF-catalysed deuterodesilylative cyclopropanation. The partitioning between the two pathways is dependent on the nature of the substrate, with efficient cyclopropanation dominating with electrondeficient alkenes. For an electronically-varied range of styrenes, the relative rate of productive diazomethane consumption correlates well with the energy of the frontier molecular orbitals (as determined by DFT calculations). These results are consistent with an initial, substrate-dependent partitioning of the palladium pre-catalyst between species able to effect alkene cyclopropanation, and those (likely higher-order) species which promote only the cyclotrimerisation of diazomethane.