The preparation of a number of supported rhenium catalysts is reported. The determination of their activity and selectivity and of optimal reaction parameters for the reduction of maleic anhydride and crotonaldehyde is reported. Optimal time of hydrogenation was chosen as one hour and pressures were chosen as 2000 psig for crotonaldehyde and 3000 psig for maleic anhydride. Quantitative reduction of maleic anhydride to tetrahydrofuran occurred at 275° with charcoal supported rhenium catalysts. Lower temperatures (ca. 200°) produce quantitative amounts of butyrolactone. Unsupported catalysts at low temperatures (100°) selectively reduce crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol, but at very low conversion rates. Temperatures of 150° for unsupported and 180° for supported catalysts effect complete reduction of crotonaldehyde to mixtures of crotyl alcohol, butanal and butanols. Catalyst reuseability for both systems is discussed. Reaction pathways are also determined from the reduction data of intermediate products.

This thesis describes and develops two experimental techniques, Time Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy (TRPES), and Time Resolved Coincidence Imaging Spectroscopy (TRCIS), to study ultrafast gas phase chemical dynamics. We use TRPES to investigate the effects of methyl substitution on the electronic dynamics of the simple alpha, beta-enones acrolein, crotonaldehyde, methylvinylketone, and methacrolein following excitation to the S2 state. We determine that following excitation, the molecules move rapidly away from the Franck-Condon region reaching a conical intersection promoting relaxation to the S1 state. Once on the S1 surface, the trajectories access another conical intersection leading them to the ground state. Only small variations between molecules are seen in their S2 decay times. However, the position of methyl group substitution greatly affects the relaxation rate from the S1 surface. Ab initio calculations used to compare the geometries, energies, and topographies of the S1/S0 conical intersections of the molecules are not able to explain the variations in relaxation behaviour. We propose a model that uses dynamical factors of specific motions in the molecules to explain the differing nonadiabatic S1/S0 crossing rates. The second part of this thesis examines the issues involved with design and construction of a Coincidence Imaging Spectrometer. This type of spectrometer measures the 3-dimensional velocities of both photoelectrons and photoions generated from probing of laser induced photodissociation reactions. Importantly, the photoelectrons and photoions are measured in coincidence from single molecules, enabling measurements such as recoil frame photoelectron angular distributions and correlated photoelectron/photoion energy maps, inaccessible using existing techniques. How to optimize the spectrometer resolution through design, tuning, and calibration is discussed. The power of TRCIS is demonstrated with the investigation of the photodissociation dynamics of the NO dimer. TRPES experiments first identified a sequential kinetic model following 209nm excitation resulting in NO(X) (ground state) and NO(A) (excited state) products. Using TRCIS, it was possible to measure time resolved vibrational energy distributions of the products, indicating the extent of vibrational energy redistribution within the dimers prior to dissociation. Recoil frame photoelectron angular distributions and theoretical support allow identification of a previously disputed intermediate on the dissociation pathway. / Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2007-04-01 10:12:39.968

Este trabajo ha sido realizado en el contexto de los proyectos de MAT 2002-03808 y MAT 2002-02158, financiados por la Dirección General de Investigación del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MCyT). Se han sintetizado y caracterizado catalizadores Rh-soportado (sólo o promovido con Sn) utilizando diferentes tipos de soportes. Como soportes de catalizadores se utilizaron tanto materiales microporosos, silicatos laminares (bentonitas) de distinta procedencia y bentonitas modificadas mediante la introducción de pilares (PILC's) o transformadas en productos zeolíticos; como materiales mesoporosos, MCM-41, con una o dos fuentes de Silicio. Los mencionados catalizadores han sido aplicados en la hidrogenación de crotonaldehído, en fase gaseosa y condiciones suaves, de alto interés tanto académico como industrial en química fina, farmacéutica y alimentaria. Se han analizado y discutido la actividad/selectividad en relación con las diferentes características de los soportes y las distintas condiciones de trabajo como: temperatura de reducción del Rh, temperaturas de reacción, y presencia de estaño como promotor. Se han caracterizado los soportes y catalizadores mediante diferentes técnicas instrumentales UV-Vis, espectroscopia IR, ATG/DTG, DRX, isotermas de adsorción-desorción de N2, quimisorción de O2/H2, quimisorción de NH3, adsorción-desorción de piridina mediante espectroscopia IR-TF, XPS y se utilizó la Cromatografia de gases para la hidrogenación de crotonaldehído. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto que tanto las arcillas de partida como las modificadas (con pilares o bien transformada en zeolitas) y materiales MCM-41, han resultado soportes idóneos para la formación de catalizadores heterogéneos de Rh y de Rh promovido con Sn, habiéndose generado, por tanto, nuevos materiales de alto valor añadido para el caso de las arcillas modificadas y nuevos retos de aplicación para los nuevos nanomateriales MCM-41. Así mismo se constata que la adición de Sn como promotor, modifica la conversión a todas las temperaturas de reacción, obteniéndose para todos los catalizadores, mayor selectividad hacia alcohol crotílico que en ausencia de Sn. En resumen, a lo largo de este trabajo se han logrado preparar catalizadores metal soportados utilizando unos nuevos soportes de catalizadores que muestran, generalmente, alta selectividad hacia alcohol crotílico en la hidrogenación de crotonaldehído, en condiciones suaves y a presión atmosférica, condiciones usuales de trabajo en la industria de química fina, farmacéutica y alimentaria, donde time mayor repercusión la aplicación de la reacción estudiada. / This work has been performed within the projects MAT 2002-03808 and MAT 2002-02158, financed by the DGESIC (Dirección General de Enseñanza Superior e Investigación y Ciencia) and CICYT (Comisión de Investigación Científica y Técnica), respectively.An Rh-supported catalyst (alone or promoted with Sn) has been synthesized and characterized using different types of supports. Aluminum silicate (clay) of different origins and clay modified by introduction of pillars (PILC's) or transformed into zeolytic products were used as microporous materials. MCM-41 (with one or two Silicon sources) was used as mesoporous materials. The catalyst has been applied in the hydrogenation of cortonaldehyde in gaseous phase and mild conditions. These have high academic and industrial interest. Activity and selectivity of catalysts have been analyzed at different conditions of work like: temperature of reduction of the Rh, temperatures of reaction and tin presence as promoter.These supports (micro and mesoporous materials) and catalysts have been characterized using different technical instruments: UV-Vis, spectroscopy IR, ATG/DTG, XRD, isotherms of adsorption-desorption of N2, chemisorptions of O2/H2, chemisorptions of NH3, adsorption-desorption of pyridine by DRIFTS, XPS and hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde by Gas Chromatography. The results obtained show that the natural clay material, as modified (with incorporation of pillars or transformed into zeolites), and materials MCM-41, have been good supports to the formation of heterogeneous catalysts of Rh and Rh promoted with Sn, having generated new materials of high value in the case of modified clays and raises new challenges of application for nanomaterials MCM-41. Also observed is that the addition of Sn as promoter was modifying the conversion at all temperatures of reaction, obtaining for all the catalysts greater selectivity to crotyl alcohol than without tin (Sn).In summary, throughout this work, we have been able to prepare and obtain metal supported catalysts using new supports of catalysts that show great selectivity towards crotyl alcohol in the hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde in mild conditions and atmospheric pressure. This is a very important reaction in the production of many pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fragrance compounds, having great repurcussion on the application of the studied reaction and attracting much interest in fundamental research in catalysis.