Dynamic abnormal grain growth (DAGG) is a phenomenon that produces abnormal grain growth at elevated temperatures during plastic deformation. It is distinct from classically studied static abnormal grain growth phenomena in that it only occurs during plastic deformation. Previous investigations of DAGG in a Mo sheet material produced using powder metallurgy techniques observed DAGG grains to grow more rapidly near the sheet surface than near the sheet center. This phenomenon is explored in the present study. A Mo sheet material produced using arc melting techniques is also studied to determine the morphology of DAGG grains. A preference for growth near the sheet center is observed in this material. The through-thickness variations in texture and grain size for both the arc-melted and powder-metallurgy Mo sheet materials are investigated. The preference for growth near the surface in the powder-metallurgy material is due to a through-thickness variation in grain size, with smaller grains near the surface and larger grains near the center. The preference for DAGG grain growth at the center of the arc-melted sheet material is because of very large grains that grow near the sheet surface. These large grains may be the product of multiple abnormal grains occurring near the sheet surface because of texture variation through the sheet thickness. Regardless, the DAGG grain cannot consume these large grains and leaves them as island grains decorating the region near the sheet surface. These results suggest that DAGG is driven primarily by grain boundary curvature. Microstructures that include DAGG grains are investigated with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). A new method to evaluate geometrically necessary dislocation densities using EBSD data is derived. DAGG grains are relatively undeformed compared to the polycrystalline microstructure. DAGG grains are not oriented either favorably or unfavorably for slip. Results of the analysis of the grain boundaries between DAGG grains and normal grains do not indicate any special character preference for these grain boundaries. / text

The equilibrium and the kinetics of the reaction of Mo (VI) with 8-hydroxyquinoline; 8-hydroxyquinaldine; KELEX 100; LIX63; and LIX65N were studied by solvent extraction. From the equilibrium studies it was concluded that in weakly acidic solution (pH 5 to 6) the overall extraction reaction is (UNFORMATTED TABLE FOLLOWS) MoO₄²⁻ + 2H⁺ + 2HL(o) ↔ (K(ex)) MoO₂L ₂(o) + 2H₂O (TABLE ENDS) where HL is the monoprotic bidentate ligand, "(o)" refers to the organic phase, and K(,ex) is the extraction constant. It was concluded that the complexation reaction requires four protons to convert molybdate into molybdenyl. The extractions constants for LIX63 and 8-hydroxyquinaldine, corrected for the side reaction of the ligand and metal, are 10¹⁶·⁴³ and 10¹⁴·⁴⁰, respectively. In the case of LIX65N, the plot of log(D) vs pH has a maximum at pH 1.0, which was explained qualitatively in terms of protonation of the ligand and molybdic acid at low pH. The extraction constant for the reaction of molybdic acid and the neutral ligand was estimated to be 100,000. The kinetics of extraction Mo (VI) with LIX63, 8-hydroxyquinoline, 8-hydroxyquinaldine, and Kelex 100 were studied in this work. In all cases, except 8-hydroxyquinoline, the rate-determining step of the reaction involves the formation of a 1:1 complex between the neutral ligand and several Mo(VI) species differing in the degree of protonation. The rate-determining step for the reaction of Mo(VI) with 8-hydroxyquinoline involves the formation of a 1:2 complex. The rate constant for the reaction of HMoO₄ with 8-hydroxyquinaldine is four orders of magnitude smaller than the corresponding value reported in the literature for 8-hydroxyquinoline. The slower reaction with 8-hydroxyquinaldine was attributed to the presence of the methyl group next to the nitrogen atom of the ligand which hinders its binding with molybdenum in the rate determining step of the reaction.

Mo-Si thin films have proven applications in semiconductor devices and x-ray optics. Since their performance in these applications is extremely sensitive to interface roughness, it is important to understand the nucleation and growth mechanisms which affect the microscopic interface structure. Investigations of the initial stages of interface formation in the Mo-Si system were carried out by depositing fractional-monolayer Mo films onto Si(100)-(2x1) and Si(111)-(7x7) surfaces using Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) with feedbackcontrolled electron-beam evaporation, and by characterizing these ultra-thin Mo films using in situ Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), LowEnergy Electron Diffraction (LEED), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), and xray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Continuous growth of multiple Mo coverages on a single Si wafer was accomplished with a technique developed for these experiments, involving a moveable substrate shutter. The coverages were corrected for the deposition profile (due to growth chamber geometry) with ex situ Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) data and computer modelling. The growth mode was determined using Auger intensity measurements. In order to correct for the time dependence of the Auger intensities due to trace surface contamination and instrumental drift, a technique was developed which used Auger measurements on bulk Si and Mo to further normalize the intensity data for the fractional-monolayer coverages of Mo. The AES results in this dissertation show that for relatively slow Mo deposition (i.e. rates of approximately 0.05 Angstroms per second) onto either (100) or (111) Si substrates maintained at low temperatures (i.e. 100 °C), the first atomic monolayer of Mo is deposited in a non-layer-by-layer fashion, implying interdiffusion and/or agglomeration of the Mo overlayer. The LEED and RHEED results on similar samples show that the Mo layer is non-crystalline, i.e. there is no long-range periodicity. In addition, the deposition of Mo destroys the periodicity of the underlying Si atoms. For these deposition conditions, both the growth mode and the lack of crystallinity are independent of Si surface crystal structure.

The research outlined in this dissertation focuses on understanding the role of metal-sulfur interactions as applied to bioinorganic and organometallic systems. This metal-sulfur interaction is analyzed using both gas-phase photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density functional theory (DFT). Gas-phase photoelectron spectroscopy is the most direct probe of electronic structure and is used in these studies to probe the molecular orbital energy levels of these model compounds, giving rise to an understanding of the metal and sulfur orbital interactions and characters (i.e. is an orbital primarily metal or sulfur based). Using density functional theory, orbital energies, overlap, and characters can be calculated and complement the PES experiments allowing for a detailed understanding of the electronic structure. The first part of my dissertation explains the design and implementation of a dual source gas-phase ultraviolet/X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (UPS/XPS). This gas-phase UPS/XPS can be used to quantify the bonding/antibonding character of frontier molecular orbitals, with specific applications to metal-sulfur interactions, allowing for a thorough analysis of the metal-sulfur interaction. The second part of the dissertation explores using model complexes, of the type Cp₂V(dithiolate) (where Cp is cyclopentadienyl and dithiolate is 1,2-ethenedithiolate or 1,2-benzenedithiolate), along with PES and DFT calculations to investigate the role of the pyranopterindithiolate cofactor and the d¹ electron configuration in modulating the redox potential and electron transfer in the active sites of molybdenum enzymes. This study shows that the d¹ electronic configuration offers a low energy electron transfer pathway for the reoxidation of the active site molybdenum center. The third part of the dissertation explores the use of model compounds that specifically focus on iron-thiolate interactions in biological systems, and the effect of electronic energy matching and sterics on the oxidation potential of this interaction. This study has shown that the metal-sulfur interaction is sensitive to the orientation of the thiolate ligand, and that during oxidation an “electronic-buffering effect” makes assigning a formal oxidation state to the metal center almost meaningless. All of these studies illustrate how the thiolate ligand can modulate the electron density and oxidation potential of the metal-sulfur interaction and the implication of this interaction to biological electron transfer.

Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda / We have synthesized Ru-carbene isocyanide complexes that promote both ring-opening metathesis polymerization of norbornene as well as cycloisomerization of diethyl diallylmalonate. We have also synthesized a N-heterocyclic carbene complex bearing a biphenylthiol moiety, and we installed this ligand on a Ru-carbene to produce a racemic chiral bidentate Ru-thiolate complex. Although the Ru-thiolate was found to initiate more slowly than the corresponding biphenoxide catalyst, both perform ring-opening/cross-metathesis (ROCM) with similar efficiency. Several other bidentate Ru-complexes were synthesized where the anionic ligand was varied (tosylate, pivalate, and phenylthiolate), as well as a new Re-alkylidene bis-pyrrolide. We have expanded the scope of Ru-catalyzed enantioselective ROCM of cyclopropenes utilizing a variety of ester, ketone, ether, and aliphatic olefin cross-partners. The utility of this method was demonstrated in the enantioselective total synthesis of the marine natural product (+)-sporochnol, which was synthesized in 8% overall yield across eleven linear steps. Additionally, we have developed an enantio- and Z-selective ROCM of enol ethers and oxabicycles; we propose the origin of Z-selectivity to arise from a lower barrier to ruthancyclobutane cleavage/formation for the cis-substituted ruthenacyclobutane vs the trans-substituted ruthenacyclobutane (which is favored for ROCM of oxabicycles and styrene). We also have found that stereogenic-at-Ru complexes are capable of undergoing non-metathesis isomerization through polytopal rearrangements. This observation may explain why cyclopropene ROCM suffers from low enantioselectivity for many substrates. We have developed a diasteroselective ROCM reaction, which utilizes commercially available ruthenium dichloride catalysts in the presence of chiral allylic alcohols and cyclopropenes. Our investigation revealed that the presence of a hydroxyl group dramatically accelerates the rate of ROCM vs the corresponding methyl ether and delivered products in high yield and diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, we found that the methyl ether delivered the opposite diastereomer vs the allylic alcohol; this led us to propose that intramolecular H-bonding between the hydroxyl proton and a chloride ligand controls the diastereoselectivity and enhances the rate of the ROCM. Protic additives have also been found to promote polytopal rearrangements in stereogenic-at-Ru complexes; H-bonding may facilitate olefin metathesis in a similar fashion to polytopal rearrangement by reducing the trans effect during the transition state to ruthenacyclobutane formation. A number of synthetically useful allylic alcohols and strained olefin substrates efficiently provide products in high diastereoselectivity and with good E:Z selectivity (89:11-97:3 dr, 4:1-11:1 E:Z). We have developed a Mo-catalyzed Z-selective cross-metathesis (CM) reaction. A wide range of olefin cross partners were found to be effective for both enol ether and allylic amide substrates (51-97% yield, 81 to 98% Z). We applied our Z-selective CM method to the synthesis of KRN7000, a potent immunostimulant (the Z-allylic amide was obtained in 85% yield and 96% Z). We also utilized Z-selective CM in the formal synthesis of an enol ether plasmalogen C18 (plasm)-16:0 (PC), a lipid membrane component found in mammalian brain tissue (the enol ether was obtained in >98:2 Z selectivity). Z-selective cross-metathesis is therefore a new tool for synthetic chemists to access important building blocks for the synthesis of biologically active molecules. We have developed a Z-selective cross-metathesis of vinyl and allyl boronates. Reactions of both substrate classes proceed to between 50-95% conv and deliver Z-vinylboronate and Z-crotylboronate products in 85-93% Z selectivity. Allylboronate CM provides Z-crotylboronates which can be used for diastereoselective crotylation. The utility of Z-selective vinylboronate CM was demonstrated in the synthesis of a dienyl boronate (obtained in 83% yield and >98% Z) that will be utilized in the total synthesis of the potent anti-cancer agent disorazole C1. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

This thesis describes the development of new procedures for the synthesis of homo- and hetero-bimetallic complexes [M-(C≡C-C≡C)-M*] linked by a butadiyndiyl (-C≡C-C≡C-) bridge (where M, M* = Mo(dppe)(η-C7H7) and Fe(dppe)Cp) and also of the diethynyl-anthracenyl bridged complex [{Mo(dppe)(-C7H7)}2(μ-C≡CC14H8C≡C)] in which an anthracenyl group is inserted into the butadiyndiyl bridge. The redox chemistry and mixed valence character of these systems are investigated by a range of synthetic, electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Chapter 1: (Introduction) presents a literature review related to all-carbon bridged bimetallics including their synthesis, redox chemistry and mixed valence properties. Chapter 2: describes the synthesis of the key precursor [FeI(dppe)Cp] in multi-gram quantities. A new synthetic protocol has been developed to vinylidene [Fe(C=CH2)(dppe)Cp][PF6] and acetylide [Fe(C≡CH)(dppe)Cp] complexes starting from the iodo precursor [FeI(dppe)Cp] which can be conveniently used in place of the chloro precursor [FeCl(dppe)Cp]. We also identified the carbene species [Fe{C(OMe)Me}(dppe)Cp][PF6], which is formed as a by-product from the reaction of the vinylidene with a molecule of methanol solvent. Chapter 3: describes the synthesis and characterisation of butadiyndiyl bridged [{Fe(dppe)Cp}2(-CCCC)]n+ (n = 0, 1, 2). The electronic structure of [{Fe(dppe)Cp}2(-CCCC)]n+ has been investigated in all thermally accessible oxidation states (0, 1, 2, 3) and compared directly with the closely related ruthenium analogue [{Ru(dppe)Cp}2(-CCCC)]n+. Particular focus was given to the formally 'mixed valent' radical cations [{Fe(dppe)Cp}2(-CCCC)]+ and [{Ru(dppe)Cp}2(-CCCC)]+, where the spectroscopic data highlight significant differences between the iron and ruthenium complexes. Furthermore, in this chapter the heterobimetallic complex [{Fe(dppe)Cp}(µ-C≡C-C≡C){Mo(dppe)(C7H7)}] was successfully synthesised and characterised by microanalysis, IR, mass spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. Chapter 4: discusses the synthesis of the diethynyl-anthracene bridged complexes [{Mo(dppe)(-C7H7)}2(μ-C≡CC14H8C≡C)]n+ (n = 0, 1, 2). The focus of the investigation is to determine the effect of a diethynyl-benzene vs. diethynyl-anthracene bridge in bimetallics supported by the Mo(dppe)(C7H7) end cap. In the mixed valence (n = +1) state, the odd electron should be more localised on the ligand bridge of the anthracene derivative and this principle was investigated by EPR spectroscopy.

As a key constituent of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules, nitrogen is essential to all living organisms including human beings. Dinitrogen represents the largest pool of nitrogen, about 79% of the Earth’s atmosphere, yet it is unusable by most living organisms due to its inertness. There are two ways to fix this inert dinitrogen to usable ammonia. One is the industrial Haber-Bosch process, which needs to be conducted at high temperature and pressure. This process uses a lot of the non-renewable fossil fuel as the energy source. The other major pathway is the biological nitrogen fixation carried out by some microorganisms called diazotrophs. The usable nitrogen output from this biological pathway ultimately supports an estimated 60% of the human population’s demand for nitrogen.The catalyst responsible for the biological nitrogen fixation is called nitrogenase, the most studied form of which contains molybdenum and iron in its active center, so called molybdenum nitrogenase. The work in this dissertation attempts to understand howthis biological catalyst breaks down dinitrogen to ammonia by application of different modern techniques. Firstly, an approach was developed to understand the stepwise reduction mechanism of dinitrogen to ammonia by molybdenum nitrogenase.The second goal of my research is to understand the roles of iron and molybdenum centers in nitrogenase function. My results using carbon monoxide as a probe for genetically modified molybdenum nitrogenase indicate that iron should be the metal sites functioning for nitrogen fixation. This is further supported by another study aimed at understanding the role of molybdenum during nitrogenase functioning.Moreover, an approach was developed to understand the mechanism for the obligatory production of hydrogen gas when nitrogenase activates dinitrogen for reduction. The same study also suggests possible pathways for the addition of hydrogenous species to nitrogen to produce ammonia.As part of this work, we also found that remodeled nitrogenases can use poisonous carbon monoxide and greenhouse-gas carbon dioxide to produce useful hydrocarbons by coupling one or more small molecules, which is hard to be achieved by other catalysts. Further study of these new reactions might give us deep insights on nitrogenase mechanism and inspire scientists to design better catalysts for relevant industrial processes.

No description available.

When nuclear fuel, fabricated for the purpose of transmuting spent fuel is irradiated, significant amounts of He is produced from alpha particles mainly emitted when 242Cm decays into 238Pu. From irradiation experiments it is known that the presence of He in the solids alters the swelling behaviour of the material. The thesis presents the theoretical background from which nucleation models of He bubbles can be formulated. Such models are presented for He in metals, and the case of He in Mo is studied as an example. MgO, which together with Mo is suggested as a matrix material in transmutation fuel is also studied and the stability of He containing bubbles in this material is discussed. By calculating parameters for a rate theory model derived from atomistic modelling, it is shown that He can stabilise vacancy clusters and cause cluster growth at temperatures and irradiation doses where nucleation and growth would not otherwise occur. At the initial stages of nucleation He can stabilise small bubbles while larger bubbles are unstable. This results in an incubation time of swelling, which implies that He does not always cause increased swelling, but can at certain irradiation conditions slow down the growth of large vacancy clusters and thereby delay swell\-ing beyond the time of the irradiation. When comparing the behaviour of bubble nucleation in Mo and MgO, it is found that He has a significant impact even at very low concentrations in Mo. In contrast, the concentration of He has to be considerably higher in MgO to affect the swelling behaviour. For an inert matrix fuel, designed for transmutation purposes, this implies that the Mo matrix will have a tendency to swell considerably at rather high temperatures due to He stabilised vacancy clusters. If operated at lower temperatures, the swelling could instead be reduced due to the incubation time. In a MgO matrix, the swelling behaviour will instead depend largely on the production rate of He. For a low production rate, the material will have a swelling behaviour similar to the one seen when He is not present in the material. A high production rate implies that He will remain in vacancy clusters, thereby stabilising the clusters and enhancing the growth and swelling.