Two main areas are considered in this manuscript. The first describes the synthesis of group 10 metal complexes incorporating the water-soluble 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) ligand and the second deals with the preparation of Cr(salen)X catalysts for the copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides. In the first topic, the synthesis of nickel(II) and palladium(II) salicylaldiminato complexes incorporating PTA has been achieved employing two preparative routes. Upon reacting the original ethylene polymerization catalyst developed by Grubbs and coworkers (Organometallics, 1998, 17, 3149), (salicylaldiminato)Ni(Ph)PPh3, with PTA using a homogeneous methanol/toluene solvent system resulted in the formation of the PTA analogs in good yields. Alternatively, complexes of this type may be synthesized via a direct approach utilizing (TMEDA)M(CH3)2 (M = Ni, Pd), the corresponding salicylaldimine, and PTA. Polymerization reactions were attempted using the nickel-PTA complexes in a biphasic toluene/water mixture in an effort to initiate ethylene polymerization by trapping the dissociated phosphine ligand in the water layer, thereby, eliminating the need for a phosphine scavenger. Unfortunately, because of the strong binding ability of the small, donating phosphine (PTA) as compared to PPh3, dissociation did not occur at a temperature where the complexes are not subjected to decomposition. Additionally, the unexplored PTA derivative, 3,7-diacetyl-1,3,7-triaza-5-phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (DAPTA), prepared by the literature procedure, was fully characterized by NMR and X-ray analysis. DAPTA is found be similar to its parent (PTA) in coordination mode and binding strength, as supported by its representative group 6 and group 10 complexes The second main topic involves the copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides (i.e., cyclohexene oxide (CHO)) for the formation of polycarbonate using Cr(salen)X (X = Br, OPh) catalysts with one equivalent of PR3 as the co-catalyst. The use of these catalysts and cocatalysts results in the most active chromium-based catalytic systems to date. The . hr-1highest activities observed are on the order of 109 mol CHO consumed . mol Cr-1 using PCy3 as the co-catalyst, and is clearly seen in the in situ monitoring of copolymer formation. An advantage of these systems involves the lack of cyclic carbonate production and high CO2 incorporation (>99%) within the polymer.

Aqueous ammonia treatment of organic material to increase enzymatic digestibility is a growing area of research for animal fodder and biofuel production. The application of this treatment in the municipal composting process has not previously been investigated. Litterbags were used to investigate the effects of an aqueous ammonia treatment prior to composting on source-separated organic waste. The treatment consisted of soaking organic material in aqueous ammonia prior to introducing the material back into the composting process. Dry mass, ash content, ash-free dry mass, and water-solubility were measured. Three experiments were performed: one in the laboratory, one in an in-vessel system, and one in windrows. The aqueous ammonia treatment removed more dry mass compared to controls; however, the results indicate that the majority of the loss occurred during the soak. This treatment may be of interest for compost facilities if the leachate produced can be used in an economically beneficial way. / Ontario Centres of Excellence

Syzygium cordatum is a medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa and Mozambique, commonly used to treat stomach aches, diabetes, respiratory problems and tuberculosis. In spite of the folklore use, adequate scientific data to credit its widespread traditional use is lacking. The objectives of this study were: to evaluate and validate scientifically the successful therapeutic claims by traditional medicine practitioners that Syzygium cordatum is effective in treating diarrhoea and diabetes / to determine the effects of the plant extract on gastrointestinal transit of a charcoal meal in mice / to determine the effects on castor oilinduced intestinal fluid accumulation / to determine the safety profile of the plant by carrying out acute toxicology study and to carry out preliminary screening of the active compounds present in the plant using standard phytochemical analytical procedures. The aqueous leaf extract of Syzygium cordatum (3.125 -50mg/kg, p.o) significantly reduced the faecal output caused by castor oil (0.7ml). All the doses used, reduced faecal output from 100% produced by castor oil to between 40 and 61%. S.cordatum (6.25 &ndash / 50mg/kg, p.o) significantly and in a dose dependent manner, delayed the onset of castor oil-induced diarrhoea.

No description available.

The focus of this thesis has been to determine the usable voltage range of carbon-based supercapacitors (SC). Supercapacitors are a relatively new type of capacitors with a vast increase in capacitance compared to capacitors which utilize a dielectric as charge separator. A SC consists of two electrodes and an electrolyte separating the electrodes. The charges are stored by electrostatic forces in the interface between the electrode and the electrolyte, forming the so called electrochemical double-layer (EDL). With porous electrodes the effective surface area of the interfacial zone can be made very large, giving SCs a large storage capacity. The limiting factors of a SC is the decomposition potential of the electrolyte and the decomposition of the electrodes. For commercially manufactured SCs the electrolyte is usually an organic solvent, which has a decomposition potential of up to 2.7-2.8 V. Compared to aqueous electrolytes with a thermodynamic limit of 1.23 V. The drawback of using non-aqueous electrolytes is that they are not environmentally friendly, and they increase the production cost. It is claimed that the voltage range can be up to 1.9 V using aqueous electrolytes. Some researchers have focused on aqueous electrolytes for these reasons. In this thesis two different electrolytes were tested to determine if the voltage range could be extended. The experiments were conducted using a three electrode cell and performing cyclic voltammogram measurements (CV). The carbon electrodes were made of  two different sources of grahite, battery graphite or exfoliated graphite, and nano fibrilated cellulose was added to increase the mechanical stability. The results show that the oxidation potential of the carbon electrode was the positive limit. A usable potential of about 1 V was shown. However, when cycling the electrodes to potentials below the decomposition limit, for hydrogen evolution, interesting effects were seen. A decrease in reaction kinetics, indicating a type of conditioning of the electrode was observed. An increase in charge storage capacitance was also observed when comparing the initial measurements with the final, probably corresponding to an increase in porosity. / KEPS projekt Sundsvall Mitt Universitet

Values of the rate constant for the alkaline hydrolysis of methyl acetate in various aqueous-organic solvent mixtures (dimethyl sulfoxide 0<x40.2, dioxane 0 <, x., < 0.2, methyl ethyl ketone 0<x<0.06 and diglyme, i. e. ether-bis (2-methyloxethyl) 0x<0.10) have been determined for the temperatures 15 0 C, 25 0C and 35 0C conductometrically. To interpret these results the approach adapted is to experimentally determine the activity coefficient of the ester (YE ) and the activity of the water (aH20', mechanistically, at least one molecule of water is involved in the rate-determining step) and then to use the Bronsted-Bjerrum equation to determine the residual activity coefficient ratio of the participating ions, y (Yf - for Oil the transition state). Values of YE and aH 20 have been determined by a transpiration method, using gas-chromatographic analysis of the vapours of solutions of methyl acetate in aqueous-organic solvent mixtures of dir. ethyl sulfoxide, dioxane, methyl ethyl ketone and diglyme in the same composition ranges as above, tetrahydrofuran 04x org z<, 0.15, methanol, ethanol and tert-butanol in t1h6e range 04x0.20'at 25oC. These results indicate that on changing org the solvent composition YE varies by a larger factor than is predicted for the ratio YOH-/yýO_ by the Debye-Iluckel approach, and hence is the dominant factor in determining the effects of solvent composition on the rates of the hydrolysis. This is in contradiction to the assumptions of the electrostatic theories of Laidler and Eyring, and of Amis and Jaffe. The gas-chromatographic results also indicate that whilst the concentration of the water varies in each mixture studied, the activity coefficient varies in the opposite way to produce almost constant values of aý, 0* Using the transpiratioii/gas-chromatogralýlic method, the thermodynamic properties of the ternary systems, methyl acetate-water-organic Solvcat, using the organic solvents mentioned above (excepting, diglyme) have been investigated, and the results indicate that the variation of *ýE with solvent composition, for the dilute solutions of ester used, can be estimated from the thermodynamic properties of the binary water-organic solvent mixtures, using the Gibbs-Dahem equation. Single ion activity coefficients in the literature for small negative ions, to represent the OH_ ion, and for large ions, to rep-resent the transition state ion, have been used to explain the experimentally fomd variation of the residual activity coefficient -ratio with solvent composition. Hence, it is concluded that the importance of the parameters involved in the hydrolysis of esters - an ion-molecule reaction - in aqueousorganic solvent mixtures are in the order of Ymolecule > aH 20> YOH_/YM+ -> (dielectric constant), and that the nonelectrostatic effects -- thermodynamic effects - are more important in these studies than the electrostatic effects. From a preliminary investigation of the data in the literature the thermodynamic approach also yields a valid interpretation of the effect of solvent composition on the rates of the acid hydrolysis of esters.

The aqueous phase photo-oxidation of water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) extracted from α-pinene ozonolysis secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was investigated using high resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-ToFMS). The results have shown that WSOC get more functionalized and fragmented as the reaction proceeds. The capabilities of three reagent ions, were assessed; specifically, (H2O)nH+ ionizes organic compounds with carbon oxidation state (OSC) ≤ 1.3, whereas CH3C(O)O- and I(H2O)n- ionize highly oxygenated organics with OSC up to 4, with I(H2O)n- showing more selectivity. The aqueous phase OH oxidation of cis-pinonic acid and tricarballylic acid (a surrogate for 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA), recognized as a tracer of α-pinene SOA) were also studied. The respective rate constants at 301 K were measured to be 3.4(±0.5)×10^9 M^-1s^-1 at pH=2 and 3.1(±0.3)×10^8 M^-1s^-1 at pH=4.6. This work also illustrates possible aqueous phase mechanism for MBTCA formation from cis-pinonic oxidation.

The aqueous phase photo-oxidation of water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) extracted from α-pinene ozonolysis secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was investigated using high resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-ToFMS). The results have shown that WSOC get more functionalized and fragmented as the reaction proceeds. The capabilities of three reagent ions, were assessed; specifically, (H2O)nH+ ionizes organic compounds with carbon oxidation state (OSC) ≤ 1.3, whereas CH3C(O)O- and I(H2O)n- ionize highly oxygenated organics with OSC up to 4, with I(H2O)n- showing more selectivity. The aqueous phase OH oxidation of cis-pinonic acid and tricarballylic acid (a surrogate for 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA), recognized as a tracer of α-pinene SOA) were also studied. The respective rate constants at 301 K were measured to be 3.4(±0.5)×10^9 M^-1s^-1 at pH=2 and 3.1(±0.3)×10^8 M^-1s^-1 at pH=4.6. This work also illustrates possible aqueous phase mechanism for MBTCA formation from cis-pinonic oxidation.

Un procédé innovant de production de fer par électrolyse d’une suspension d’oxydes de fer en milieu alcalin concentré est développé au centre de recherche d’ArcelorMittal de Maizières-lès-Metz. Ce procédé s’il atteignait la maturité industrielle permettrait de réduire significativement les émissions de dioxyde de carbone associées à l’industrie sidérurgique, en remplaçant le carbone utilisé comme agent réducteur dans les hauts-fourneaux par de l’électricité. Bien que ce procédé permette la production de fer à partir d’hématite commerciale (Fe2O3) à une densité de courant de l’ordre de 1000 A.m-2 avec une efficacité faradique supérieure à 80%, une dégradation des performances est systématiquement constatée lors de l’électrolyse de minerais de fer. Les impuretés majoritaires de ces minerais sont les oxydes et hydroxydes d’aluminium et de silicium, des composés solubles dans la soude concentrée. Ces composés pourraient donc être à l’origine de la baisse de réactivité observée lors de l’alimentation du procédé par des minerais de fer. Ainsi afin de tenter d’améliorer les performances de l’électrolyse alcaline à partir de minerais, des traitements de lixiviation alcaline sur un minerai défini ont été effectués dans cette thèse. La réactivité des minerais avant et après traitement a été comparée par chronoampérométrie. Bien que suite à l’élimination de ses composés alumineux, le minerai traité ait vu son rendement faradique réhaussé à environ 80% pour une valeur avant pré-traitement de 65%, sa densité de courant est restée deux fois moins élevée que celle de l’hématite pour une même tension électrique appliquée. Des expériences d’ajout d’ions aluminates et d’ions silicates lors de l’électrolyse d’hématite pure n’ont de plus eu pratiquement aucun effet indésirable sur son électrolyse. Les diverses expériences conduites dans cette thèse laissent supposer que les impuretés traitées n’ont que peu d’influence sur la réactivité des minerais. Le procédé est en revanche très sensible à la granulométrie des particules de minerais. Par ailleurs de forts phénomènes d’agglomération, qui n’ont pas lieu avec les oxydes de fer purs, ont été constatés lors de mesure de granulométrie du minerai étudié. Ainsi les expériences réalisées laissent supposer qu’un autre phénomène, probablement lié à la granulométrie secondaire des minerais en milieu alcalin concentré, soit à l’origine de la baisse de réactivité observée lors de leur électrolyse. Parallèlement une analyse thermodynamique avancée a été menée afin de déterminer les meilleures conditions théoriques de pression, de température et de concentration en NaOH pour effectuer l’électrolyse de l’hématite. La solubilité des composés de la gangue a été représentée avec des équations de Pitzer, et de nouveaux paramètres ont été calculés pour les interactions Na-SiO3-Al(OH)4. Cette étude thermodynamique a permis la conception et le pré-dimensionnement d’une étape de traitement des minerais par lixiviation alcaline / An innovative ironmaking process by alkaline electrolysis of suspended iron oxides is being developed at ArcelorMittal Global R&D Maizières-lès-Metz. Were it to achieve industrial maturity, this process would permit a significant reduction of steelmaking CO2 emissions. Indeed, the use of carbon as a reducing agent in blast furnace would be replaced by electricity. Although this process enables iron production from commercial hematite (Fe2O3) at current density of 1000 A.m-2 with faradaic efficiency higher than 80%, these performances are systematically lower when using iron ore instead. The main impurities in these ores are aluminium and silicon oxides and hydroxides, these compounds are soluble in concentrated sodium hydroxide solutions. These compounds could be the source of the decrease in reactivity observed when feeding the process with iron ores. To raise the electrolysis performance with iron ores, alkaline leaching treatments were conducted on a defined iron ore. Reactivity of iron ores before and after treatment was compared by chronoamperometry. Although the elimination of aluminous compounds resulted in the ore gaining a faradaic yield increase to a value of 80%, compared with 65% before treatment, its current density remained twice as low as the one of hematite for a same applied voltage. Furthermore, complementary experiments of aluminate and silicate ions addition during pure hematite electrolysis did not have any deleterious effect on its electrolysis. Based on all the experiments undertaken in this PhD, it seems unlikely that siliceous and aluminous impurities hold an important effect on iron ore reactivity in alkaline electrolysis. The process is nonetheless very sensitive to iron ores granulometry. On this subject, strong agglomeration phenomena were witnessed when measuring iron ores granulometry but did not occur with pure iron oxides. Therefore, it would seem that other phenomena may be the main cause of reactivity loss, these phenomena may well be linked to secondary granulometry of iron ores in concentrated alkaline media. In parallel, an advanced thermodynamic analysis was carried out to describe the best theoretical conditions for pressure, temperature and NaOH concentration to realize hematite electrolysis. Gangue compounds solubility was represented with Pitzer equations, and new parameters were calculated for Na-SiO3-Al(OH)4 interactions. This thermodynamic study enabled the design and pre-sizing of a treatment step for iron ores by alkaline leaching

L'objectif de ces travaux vise à évaluer les performances d'un contacteur membranaire à fibres creuses utilisé pour réaliser l'absorption chimique du CO2 dans une solution ammoniacale ainsi que la régénération de cette dernière. Les membranes utilisées sont composites, c'est-à-dire composées d'une fine couche dense recouverte sur un support microporeux, la couche dense permettant d'éviter le mouillage par pénétration de liquide dans la membrane. Pour réaliser ces études, une approche combinant expérimentation et modélisation a été adoptée. Lors de la réalisation de l'absorption chimique avec un contacteur membranaire, des chutes importantes d’efficacité de captage du CO2 au cours du temps ont été observées et confirment les résultats obtenus lors de travaux ultérieurs. Cette baisse des performances est attribuée à la précipitation de sels d’ammonium en phase gaz. Lors de l'utilisation d’un gaz saturé en vapeur d'eau, comme le seraient les fumées industrielles, les performances du procédé se sont révélées stables. Un modèle 1D multi-composant adiabatique du contacteur a été développé sur Aspen Custom Modeler® et validé à partir des résultats expérimentaux. Les simulations réalisées avec ce modèle ont confirmé le potentiel d'intensification volumique de la technologie, toutefois, la réduction des pertes de NH3, grâce à l'utilisation d’une couche dense sélective moins perméable à NH3 qu’au CO2, n’a pas été satisfaisante. Les phénomènes de condensation dans les contacteurs membranaires ont été étudiés par expérimentation et modélisation. Il a ainsi été montré que le mouillage par condensation de la membrane ne devrait pas survenir, par contre, la condensation dans le lumen des fibres creuses entraîne une augmentation importante de la perte de charge pouvant conduire à des coûts de compression des gaz à traiter plus élevés. Des expériences et des simulations sur la régénération de solutions ammoniacales chargées avec des contacteurs membranaires ont été effectuées et des disparités importantes ont été trouvées entre les flux de CO2 mesurés et simulés. Une réduction volumique de trois par rapport à la colonne à garnissage a pu être calculée laissant entrevoir un potentiel intéressant de la technologie pour l’étape de régénération. En collaboration avec les partenaires du projet C2B, dans lequel s’intègre cette thèse, des essais d’absorption de CO2 ont été réalisés sur site avec un contacteur de taille industrielle. Les résultats de ce pilote sont conformes aux résultats obtenus au laboratoire et encourageants quant au transfert de la technologie vers l’échelle industrielle / This work aims to evaluate the performances of hollow fiber membrane contactors used for the CO2 absorption in aqueous ammonia and the regeneration of the latter within the frame of post-combustion CO2 capture. Fibers are made of a thin dense layer coated on a microporous support, the dense layer prevent membrane wetting by liquid penetration. Both experiment and modelling were done. During absorption experiments, important decrease of the CO2 capture efficiency was observed due to ammonium salts precipitation in the gas-side corroborating results from previous works. Experiments with CO2/N2 mixture saturated with water vapor, as would be the case for flue gas, interestingly, showed stable performances of the process. A one-dimensional multi-component adiabatic transfer model for CO2 absorption in NH3 has been implemented in Aspen Custom Modeler® and validated with experimental results. The simulations performed with the model confirmed the volumetric intensification potential of the technology, however, the NH3 slip reduction expected, because of the use of a dense layer more permeable to CO2 than NH3, wasn’t satisfying. Water condensation phenomenon in membrane contactors were studied with both experiments and simulations. It was thus showed that membrane pore wetting by condensation should not happened but gas-side condensation led to an important increase of the pressure drop with the potential of increasing compression costs. Experiments and simulations of the desorption of CO2 from a loaded aqueous ammonia solution with a membrane contactor were performed and important disparities were found between CO2 flux measured and simulated. A volumetric reduction of the membrane contactor when compared to the packed column was calculated highlighting the potential of the technology for the stripping step. In collaboration with the partners of the C2B project, in which this thesis is integrated, CO2 absorption essays were carried out on site with an industrial scale membrane contactor. The results of this pilot are consistent with laboratory results and encourages the transfer of the technology to the industrial scale