Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 19, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed May 22, 2007). PDF text: 466 p. : ill. ; 17.94Mb. UMI publication number: AAT3237597 . Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Orientador: Watson Loh / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T11:45:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Anselmo_AleteiaGarcia_M.pdf: 1348079 bytes, checksum: 03480ee468bf0185ae57c464c2020046 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Neste trabalho estudou-se a partição do poli (óxido de propileno), PPO, poli (N - isopropilacrilamida), PNIPAM, poli (N-vinil-2- pirrolidona), PVP, e poli (óxido de etileno), PEO em sistemas líquidos bifásicos, entre as fases aquosa e orgânica (CHCI3, CH2Cl2 e C6H5CI). Os resultados obtidos indicaram que a partição do PPO, polímero hidrofóbico, é preferencial para as fases orgânicas em todos os sistemas bifásicos estudados, enquanto que para os polímeros hidrofílicos, tais como, o PVP e PNIPAM, a partição ocorre preferencialmente para a fase aquosa. As entalpias de transferência, da fase aquosa para a fase orgânica para estes polímeros, foram determinadas através da técnica de titulação calorimétrica isotérmica e revelaram que para todos os sistemas estudados o processo de transferência é endotérmico. Isto sugere que a solvatação dos polímeros pela fase aquosa é mais energética que quando comparada com a solvatação dos polímeros pela fase orgânica, e que, portanto, para o PPO, o processo de transferência é entropicamente dirigido. Spitzer e colaboradores observaram resultados similares para a partição do poli (óxido de etileno), PEO, em sistemas bifásicos contendo CHCl3 e CH2Cl2, (Spitzer et aI.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 12448). Em comparação com o PEO, os valores de entalpia de transferência obtidos para o PPO são mais positivos, o mesmo pode ser observado para o coeficiente de partição. A partição do PPO pode ser explicada em termos de efeito hidrofóbico, o qual propõe a liberação das moléculas de água que estariam solvatando o polímero quando este é transferido para a fase orgânica. / Abstract: In this work the partitioning of poly (propylene oxide), PPO, poly (Nisopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), PVP and poly (ethylene oxide), PEO between aqueous and organic phases (CHCI3, CH2Cl2 and C6H5CI) was investigated. The results reveal that for all biphasic systems the partitioning of PPO, a hydrophobic polymer, to organic phase is predominant, while for PVP and PNIPAM, hydrophilic polymers, partitioning is always preferential towards the aqueous phase. The enthalpies of transfer for these polymers from aqueous to organic phases were calorimetrically determined and revealed an endothermic process for all the systems investigated, suggesting that solvatation of polymers in aqueous phase is more energetic than organic phase and, therefore, the process of transfer must be entropically driven for PPO. Spitzer and coworkers observed similar results for the partitioning of PEO in biphasic systems containing CHCl3 and CH2Cl2, (Spitzer et aI.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 12448). In comparison with PEO, the enthalpies of transfer of PPO are more positive, the same being observed for the partition coefficients. These data indicate that partitioning of PPO can be explained within the framework of the hydrophobic effect, whereby water molecules that were originally solvating the polymer are released when this is transferred to the organic phase. / Mestrado / Físico-Química / Mestre em Química

Amphiphilic tri- and penta-block copolymers containing a polyurethane central block with pendant carboxylic acid groups flanked by hydroxyl functional polyether tails were synthesized. Our intention was to investigate the activities of these copolymers as dispersants for magnetite nanoparticles in biological media. A benzyl alkoxide initiator was utilized to prepare poly(ethylene oxide) (BzO-PEO-OH), poly(propylene oxide) (BzO-PPO-OH) and poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide) (poly(BzO-EO-b-PO-OH)) oligomeric tail blocks with varying lengths of PEO and PPO. The oligomers had a hydroxyl group at the terminal chain end and a benzyl-protected hydroxyl group at the initiated end. The polyether oligomers were incorporated into a block copolymer with a short polyurethane segment having approximately three carboxylic acid groups per chain. The block co-polyurethane was then hydrogenated to remove the benzyl group and yield primary hydroxyl functionality at the chain ends. End group analysis by 1H NMR showed the targeted ratio of PEO to PPO demonstrating control over block copolymer composition. Number average molecular weights determined by both 1H NMR and GPC were in agreement and close to targeted values demonstrating control over molecular weight. Titrations of the pentablock copolymers showed that the targeted value of approximately three carboxylic acid groups per chain was achieved. Heterobifunctional poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide) (PEO-b-PPO) copolymers were synthesized utilizing heterobifunctional initiators to yield polymers having a hydroxyl group at one chain end and additional moieties at the other chain end. For PEO homopolymers, these moieties include maleimide, vinylsilane, and carboxylic acid functional groups. Heterobifunctional PEO oligomers with a maliemide end group were synthesized utilizing a double metal cyanide coordination catalyst to avoid side reactions that occur with a basic catalyst. PEO oligomers with vinylsilane end groups were synthesized via alkoxide-initiated living ring-opening polymerization, and this produced polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions. Heterobifunctional PEO-b-PPO block copolymers were synthesized in two steps where the double metal cyanide catalyst was used to polymerize propylene oxide (PO) initiated by 3-hydroxypropyltrivinylsilane. The PPO was then utilized as a macroinitiator to polymerize ethylene oxide (EO) with base catalysis. Heterobifunctional PEO and PEO-b-PPO block copolymers possessing carboxylic acid functional groups on one end were synthesized by reacting the vinyl groups with mercaptoacetic acid via an ene-thiol addition. / Ph. D.

As far as the replacement of fossil fuels with more environmentally friendly options is concerned, hydrogen is considered as the most promising source of energy. Currently, hydrogen is mainly produced through the method of methane reforming. This method requires the utilisation of catalysts made of precious metals. This master's degree thesis therefore investigates perovskite materials SmCoO3, Sm0,8Ca0,2CoO2,9, SmCo0,8Al0,2O3 and Sm0,8Ca0,2Co0,8Al0,2O2,9, which could be utilised as catalysts in the production of hydrogen by methane reforming. Methane reformation occurs on the surface of a catalyst. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure that the specific surface area of a catalyst material is as large as possible. For that reason, the aforementioned perovskite materials were prepared by two sol-gel methods, which are expected to create perovskites with large specific surface areas. It was investigated in the course of the work how the method of synthesis affects the structure and catalytic properties of individual materials. The SmCo0,8Al0,2O3 material prepared by a sol-gel synthesis with propylene oxide as a gelation agent demonstrated the best results - the measurement of catalytic activity showed that the methane conversion had achieved the value of 99%.

<p> Propylene oxide (PO), is a key intermediate in the production of value-added products, such as polyurethanes and propylene glycol. Current industrially practiced methods of propylene epoxidation, including hydrochlorination, epoxidation by organic peroxides, and the Hydrogen Peroxide to Propylene Oxide (HPPO) process either produce PO unselectively, necessitating energy intensive separation processes, produce environmentally damaging byproducts, or require several sequential reaction vessels. A potential solution for these issues exists in the form of a single-step, highly selective gas phase reaction to produce PO. Industrial adoption of a process utilizing this technology has not occurred due to the failure of state-of-the-art Au/TS-1 catalysts, consisting of gold supported on titanium MFI, to meet economic targets for hydrogen use efficiency, selectivity to PO, and PO rate-permass, improvement on all of which has been hindered by a lack of understanding of how Au-TS-1 catalysts fundamentally operate. Therefore, the goal of this work has been to understand the active site requirements and reaction kinetics with the aim of lowering barriers to commercialization of this more environmentally benign process. Once we had developed a general understanding of product inhibition, we applied this knowledge to the kinetics of propylene epoxidation over Au/TS-1 catalysts. We measured gas phase kinetics in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) free from temperature and concentration gradients. Apparent reaction orders measured at 473 K for H2, O2, and propylene for a series of Au-DP/TS-1 with varied Au and Ti contents were consistent with those reported previously. Co-feeding propylene oxide enabled measurement of the apparent reaction order in propylene oxide and the determination that relevant pressures of propylene oxide reversibly inhibit propylene epoxidation over Au-DP/TS-1, while co-feeding carbon dioxide and water had no effect on the propylene epoxidation rate. The measured reaction orders for propylene epoxidation, after corrected to account for propylene oxide inhibition, are consistent with a ‘simultaneous’ mechanism requiring two distinct, but adjacent, types of sites. H2 oxidation rates are not inhibited by propylene oxide, implying that the sites required for hydrogen oxidation are distinct from those required for propylene epoxidation. 26 We then shifted focus to elucidate structural details of gold active sites and their interaction with Ti active sites. To determine whether the roles of extracrystalline and intracrystalline gold nanoparticles supported on titanosilicate-1 on direct propylene epoxidation are intrinsically different, the kinetics of direct propylene epoxidation were measured in a gas-phase continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) over PVP-coated gold nanoparticles (Au-PVP/TS-1) deposited on TS-1 supports. The PVP-coated gold nanoparticles were too large to fit into the micropores of TS-1, even after ligands were removed in situ by a series of pretreatments, as confirmed by both TEM and TGA-DSC. The activation energy and reaction orders for H2, O2, propylene, propylene oxide, carbon dioxide, and water for propylene epoxidation measured on Au-PVP/TS-1 catalysts were consistent with those reported for Au/TS-1 prepared via deposition-precipitation (Au-DP/TS-1). However, while the reaction orders for hydrogen oxidation on Au-PVP/TS-1 were similar to those measured on AuDP/TS-1, a decrease in activation energy from approximately 30 kJ mol−1 for Au-DP/TS-1 to 4-5 kJ mol−1 for Au-PVP/TS-1 suggests there is a change in mechanism, rate-limiting step, and/or active site for hydrogen oxidation. Additionally, an active site model was developed which determines the number of Ti within an interaction range of the perimeter of extracrystalline Au nanoparticles (i.e., the number of Au-Ti active site pairs). Turnover frequencies estimated for this active site model for a dataset containing both Au-DP/TS-1 and Au-PVP/TS-1 were ∼20x higher than any previous report ( 80 s−1 vs. 1-5 s−1 at 473 K) for catalytic oxidation on noble metals, suggesting that the simultaneous mechanism occurring over proximal Au-Ti sites alone is incapable of explaining the observed rate of propylene epoxidation and that short-range migration of hydrogen peroxide is necessary to account for the catalytic rate. The agreement of reaction orders, activation energy, and active site model for propylene epoxidation on both Au-DP/TS-1 and Au-PVP/TS-1 suggests a common mechanism for propylene epoxidation on both catalysts containing small intraporous gold clusters and catalysts with exclusively larger extracrystalline nanoparticles. Rates of hydrogen oxidation were found to vary proportionally to the amount of surface gold atoms. This is also consistent with the hypothesis that the observed decrease in hydrogen efficiency and PO site-time-yield per gold mass with increasing gold loading are driven primarily by the gold dispersion in Au/TS-1 catalysts. </p>

No description available.

Well-defined heterobifunctional homopolyethers and amphiphilic block copolyethers containing a variety of functionalities were designed, synthesized, and characterized via GPC and 1H NMR. These have included controlled molecular weight cholesterol-PEO-OH, mono- and trivinylsilyl-PEO-OH, monovinylsilyl-PEO-PPO-OH, monovinylsilyl-PEO-PPO-PEO-OH, maleimide-PEO-OH, stearyl alcohol-PEO-OH, propargyl alcohol-PEO-OH, trivinylsilyl-PPO-OH, trivinylsilyl-PPO-PEO-OH, and benzyl alcohol-initiated poly(allyl glycidyl ether)-OH. The focus of polymers utilized in this study involved the mono- and trivinylsilyl polyethers. The vinylsilyl endgroups on these materials were functionalized with various bifunctional thiols through free radical addition of SH groups across the vinylsilyl double bonds. The resultant end-functional polyethers were adsorbed onto magnetite nanoparticles and the stabilities of the polymer-magnetite complexes were compared as a function of the type of anchoring moiety and the number of anchoring moieties per chain. Anchoring chemistries investigated in this work included carboxylates, alkylammonium ions, and zwitterionic phosphonates. The anchor group-magnetite bond stability was investigated in water and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Through these studies, the zwitterionic phosphonate group was shown to be a better anchoring group for magnetite than either carboxylate or ammonium ions. Tri-zwitterionic phosphonate anchor groups provided stability of the complexes in PBS for a broad range of polymer loadings. Thus, investigations into the stability of polyether-magnetite complexes in PBS focused on hydrophilic zwitterionic phosphonate-PEO-OH and amphiphilic zwitterionic phosphonate-PPO-b-PEO-OH oligomer coatings on the surface of magnetite. Superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles are of interest as potential contrast-enhancement agents for MRI imaging. Thus, transverse NMR relaxivities of these complexes were studied as a function of chemical composition and nanostructure size and compared to commercial contrast agents. The amphiphilic polyether-magnetite nanoparticles were shown to be stable in both aqueous media as well as physiological media and have much higher transverse relaxation values, r2, than those of commercial contrast agents and other materials in the literature. / Ph. D.

The composition and stability of polymer-magnetite complexes is essential for their use as a treatment for retinal detachment, for drug targeting and delivery, and for use as a MRI contrast agent. This work outlines a general methodology to design well-defined, stable polymer-magnetite complexes. Colloidal modeling was developed and validated to describe polymer brush extension from the magnetite core. This allowed for the observation of deviations from expected behavior as well as the precise control of polymer-particle complex size. Application of the modified Derjaguin-Verwey-Landau-Overbeek (DLVO) theory allowed the determination of the polymer loading and molecular weight necessary to sterically stabilize primary magnetite particles. Anchoring of polyethers to the magnetite nanoparticle surface was examined using three different types of anchor groups: carboxylic acid, ammonium, and zwitterionic phosphonate. As assessed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), the zwitterionic phosphonate group provided far more robust anchoring than either the carboxylic acid or ammonium anchor groups, which was attributed to an extremely strong interaction between the phosphonate anchor and the magnetite surface. Coverage of the magnetite surface by the anchor group was found to be a critical design variable for the stability of the zwitterionic phosphonate groups, and the use of a tri-zwitterionic phosphonate anchor provided stability in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for a large range of polymer loadings. Incorporation of an amphiphlic poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethyelene oxide) (PPO-b-PEO) diblock copolymer attached to the magnetite surface was examined through colloidal modeling and DLS. The relaxivity of the complexes was related to aggregation behavior observed through DLS. This indicated the presence of a hydrophobic interaction between the PPO layers of neighboring complexes. When this interaction was large enough, the complexes exhibited an increased relaxivity and cellular uptake. Thus, we have developed a methodology that allows for design of polymer-magnetite complexes with controlled sizes (within 8% of predicted values). Application of this methodology incorporated with modified DLVO theory aids in the design of colloidally stable complexes with minimum polymer loading. Finally, determination of an anchor group stable in the presence of phosphate salts at all magnetite loadings allows for the design of materials with minimum polymer loadings in biological systems. / Ph. D.