Inorganic Chemistry Commons^™

Epitaxial Electrodeposition Of Cu-Btc Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films Onto The (100), (110), And (111) Surfaces Of Single-Crystal Gold And Cuprous Oxide Buffer Layers, Xiaoting Zhang, John Z. Tubbesing, Jay A. Switzer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have well-defined pore structures. Epitaxial MOFs can produce films with uniform pore sizes and open porosity. However, the growth of epitaxial MOF thin films has remained a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a cathodic electrodeposition method for the epitaxial growth of a well-known MOF material, copper (II)-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC), from solution precursors. The epitaxial electrodeposition of Cu-BTC was achieved in a Cu (NO₃)₂-H₃BTC-H₂O₂ bath using H₂O₂ reduction to deprotonate the H₃BTC molecule. The Cu-BTC films can be grown to micrometer thicknesses with Faradaic efficiencies up …

Comparative Nitrene-Transfer Chemistry To Olefins Mediated By First-Row Transition Metal Catalysts Supported By A Pyridinophane Macrocycle With N4 Ligation, Himanshu Bhatia, Lillian P. Adams, Ingrid Cordsiemon, Suraj Kumar Sahoo, Amitava Choudhury, Thomas R. Cundari, Pericles Stavropoulos

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

A 12-membered pyridinophane scaffold containing two pyridine and two tertiary amine residues is examined as a prototype ligand (^tBuN4) for supporting nitrene transfer to olefins. The known [(^tBuN4)M^II(MeCN)2]²⁺ (M = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) and [(^tBuN4)Cu^I(MeCN)]⁺ cations are synthesized with the hexafluorophosphate counteranion. The aziridination of para-substituted styrenes with PhI=NTs (Ts = tosyl) in various solvents proved to be high yielding for the Cu(I) and Cu(II) reagents, in contrast to the modest efficacy of all other metals. For α-substituted styrenes, aziridination is accompanied by products of aziridine …

Development Of Ligands And Metal Complexes With Weakly Coordinating Apical Elements And Their Application To Nitrene Insertion And Addition To C‒H And C=C Bonds, Meenakshi Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

"We present a family of triangular coinage metal M₃Cl₃ complexes [M = Cu (I), Ag (I)] supported by antimony [Sb (III)], and bismuth [Bi (III)]-centered highly basic tetramethyl-guanidinyl [TMG₃trphen-E] (E = Sb, Bi) ligand frameworks with their applications as catalysts toward the construction of C‒N bond through aziridination and amination reaction methodologies.

The [(TMG₃trphen-Sb)Cu₃(µ-Cl)₃] catalyst gives better yields of aziridines with styrenes than [(TMG3trphen-Bi)Cu₃(µ-Cl)₃] with PhINTs as a nitrene source. However, the catalytic reactivity of both catalysts is enhanced by an electrophilic nitrene, PhINTces for …

Applications Of Tetramethyl-Guanidine Supported Cationic Transition Metal Sites Towards C─N Bond Construction Methodologies And [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions, Suraj Kumar Sahoo

Doctoral Dissertations

"We present a family of divalent cationic bipodal and tripodal M(II) reagents (M = Mn, Fe, Co) supported by superbasic tetramethyl-guanidinyl (TMG) residue framework with applications towards C─N bond construction methodologies. These cationic reagents possess unique characteristics since their enhanced Lewis acidity facilitates in situ elaboration of the primary nitrene-transfer product (aziridine). Indeed, further aziridine-ring opening and cycloaddition of several dipolarophiles (nitriles, alkenes, ketones) permits the three-component synthesis of valuable five-membered N-heterocycles, commonly found in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.

We undertake a more systematic study to unravel parameters that make certain divalent metal sites more suitable as catalysts for the in-situ …

C-H Amination Chemistry Mediated By Trinuclear Cu(I) Sites Supported By A Ligand Scaffold Featuring An Arene Platform And Tetramethylguanidinyl Residues, Meenakshi Sharma, Reece M. Fritz, Himanshu Bhatia, Joseph O. Adebanjo, Zhou Lu, Mohammad A. Omary, Thomas R. Cundari, Amitava Choudhury, Pericles Stavropoulos

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tripodal ligands that can encapsulate single or multiple metal sites in C3-symmetric geometric configurations constitute valuable targets for novel catalysts. Of particular interest in ligand development are efforts toward incorporating apical elements that exhibit little if any electron donicity, to enhance the electrophilic nature of a trans positioned active oxidant (e.g., metal-oxo, -nitrene). The tripodal ligand TMG3trphen-Arene has been synthesized, featuring an arene platform 1,3,5-substituted with phenylene arms possessing tetramethylguanidinyl (TMG) residues. Compound [(TMG3trphen-Arene) Cu₃(μ-Cl)₃] has been subsequently synthesized by extracting a Cu₃(μ-Cl)₃ cluster from anhydrous CuCl and shown to encapsulate a crown-shaped …

Chiral Recognition Of Chiral (Hetero)Cyclic Derivatives Probed By Tetraaza Macrocyclic Chiral Solvating Agents Via ¹H Nmr Spectroscopy, Yu Wang, Hongmei Zhao, Chunxia Yang, Lixia Fang, Li Zheng, Hehua Lv, Pericles Stavropoulos, Lin Ai, Jiaxin Zhang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the Field of Chiral Recognition, Chiral Cyclic Organic Compounds, Especially Heterocyclic Organic Compounds, Have Attracted Little Attention and Have Been Rarely Studied as Chiral Substrates by Means of 1H NMR Spectroscopy. in This Paper, Enantiomers of Thiohydantoin Derivatives, Representing Typical Five-Membered N,N-Heterocycles, Have Been Synthesized and Utilized for Assignment of Absolute Configuration and Analysis of Enantiomeric Excess. All Enantiomers Have Been Successfully Differentiated with the Assistance of Novel Tetraaza Macrocyclic Chiral Solvating Agents (TAMCSAs) by 1H NMR Spectroscopy. Surprisingly, Unprecedented Nonequivalent Chemical Shift Values (Up to 2.052 Ppm) of the NH Proton of Substrates Have Been Observed, a New …

Nitrene-Transfer Chemistry To C-H And C═C Bonds Mediated By Triangular Coinage Metal Platforms Supported By Triply Bridging Pnictogen Elements Sb(Iii) And Bi(Iii), Meenakshi Sharma, Reece M. Fritz, Joseph O. Adebanjo, Zhou Lu, Thomas R. Cundari, Mohammad A. Omary, Amitava Choudhury, Pericles Stavropoulos

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tripodal Ligands (TMG3trphen-E) That Feature Heavy Pnictogen Elements (E = Sb(III), Bi(III)) And Tetramethylguanidinyl (TMG) Arms Have Been Explored In Stabilizing Cu(I) And Ag(I) Sites And Facilitating Nitrene-Transfer Chemistry. Compounds [(TMG3trphen-E)M3(Μ-X)3] (M = Cu(I), Ag(I); X = Cl, Br, I) Have Been Generated Upon Extraction Of M3(Μ-X)3 Units From MX Sources, Exhibiting Support Of The Crown-Shaped M3(Μ-X)3 Fragment By M-NTMG Bonds And Triply Bridging E → M3 Interactions. Orbital Interactions Between Cu(I) Sites And NTMG Residues Are More Dominant Than Sb/Bi → Cu3 Donor Interactions Between The Sb 5s Or Bi 6s Orbitals And Admixed Cu 4s/3d Orbitals, With Larger …

A Comparative Study Of Cationic Copper(I) Reagents Supported By Bipodal Tetramethylguanidinyl-Containing Ligands As Nitrene-Transfer Catalysts, Suraj Kumar Sahoo, Brent Harfmann, Himanshu Bhatia, Harish Singh, Srikanth Balijapelly, Amitava Choudhury, Pericles Stavropoulos

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Bipodal Compounds [(TMG2biphenN-R)CuI-NCMe](PF6) (R = Me, Ar (4-CF3Ph-)) And [(TMG2biphenN-Me)CuI-I] Have Been Synthesized With Ligands That Feature A Diarylmethyl- And Triaryl-Amine Framework And Superbasic Tetramethylguanidinyl Residues (TMG). The Cationic Cu(I) Sites Mediate Catalytic Nitrene-Transfer Reactions Between The Imidoiodinane PhI = NTs (Ts = Tosyl) And A Panel Of Styrenes In MeCN, To Afford Aziridines, Demonstrating Comparable Reactivity Profiles. The Copper Reagents Have Been Further Explored To Execute C-H Amination Reactions With A Variety Of Aliphatic And Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Two Distinct Nitrene Sources PhI = NTs And PhI = NTces (Tces = 2,2,2-Trichloroethylsulfamate) In Benzene/HFIP (10:2 V/v). Good Yields …

Cationic Divalent Metal Sites (M = Mn, Fe, Co) Operating As Both Nitrene-Transfer Agents And Lewis Acids Toward Mediating The Synthesis Of Three- And Five-Membered N-Heterocycles, Suraj Kumar Sahoo, Brent Harfmann, Lin Ai, Qiuwen Wang, Sudip Mohapatra, Amitava Choudhury, Pericles Stavropoulos

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The tripodal compounds [(TMG₃trphen)M^II-solv](PF₆)₂ (M = Mn, Fe, Co; solv = MeCN, DMF) and bipodal analogues [(TMG₂biphen)M^II(NCMe)_x](PF₆)₂ (x = 3 for Mn, Fe; x = 2 for Co) and [(TMG₂biphen)M^IICl₂] have been synthesized with ligands that feature a triaryl- or diarylmethyl-amine framework and superbasic tetramethylguanidinyl residues (TMG). The dicationic M(II) sites mediate catalytic nitrene-transfer reactions between the imidoiodinane PhI═NTs (Ts = tosyl) and a panel of styrenes in MeCN to afford aziridines and low yields of imidazolines (upon …

Epitaxial Single-Domain Cu-Btc Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films And Foils By Electrochemical Conversion Of Cuprous Oxide, Xiaoting Zhang, Bin Luo, Avishek Banik, John Z. Tubbesing, Jay A. Switzer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Are an Important Class of Crystalline Porous Materials with Extensive Chemical and Structural Merits. However, the Fabrication of MOF Thin Films Oriented Along All Crystallographic Axes to Achieve Well-Aligned Nanopores and Nanochannels with Uniform Apertures Remains a Challenge. Here, We Achieved Highly Crystalline Single-Domain MOF Thin Films with the [111] Out-Of-Plane Orientation by Electrochemical Conversion of Cuprous Oxide. Copper(II)-Benzene-1,3,5-Tricarboxylate, Cu₃(BTC)₂ (Referred to as Cu-BTC), is a Well-Known Metal-Organic Open Framework Material with a Cubic Crystal System. Epitaxial Cu-BTC(111) Thin Films Were Manufactured by Electrochemical Oxidation of Cu₂O(111) Films Electrodeposited on Single-Crystal Au(111). …

Epitaxial Electrodeposition Of Ordered Inorganic Materials, Jay A. Switzer, Avishek Banik

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Conspectus The quality of technological materials generally improves as the crystallographic order is increased. This is particularly true in semiconductor materials, as evidenced by the huge impact that bulk single crystals of silicon have had on electronics. Another approach to producing highly ordered materials is the epitaxial growth of crystals on a single-crystal surface that determines their orientation. Epitaxy can be used to produce films and nanostructures of materials with a level of perfection that approaches that of single crystals. It may be used to produce materials that cannot be grown as large single crystals due to either economic or …

Electrocatalytic Processes For Energy Storage & Conversion, Apurv Saxena

Doctoral Dissertations

"The continuous excessive usage of fossil fuels has resulted in its fast depletion leading to an escalating energy crisis as well as several environmental issues leading to increased research towards sustainable energy conversion. Electrocatalysts play crucial role in the development of numerous novel energy conversion devices including fuel cells and solar fuel generators.

High-efficiency and cost-effective catalysts are required for large-scale implementation of these new devices. Over the last few years transition metal chalcogenides have emerged as highly efficient electrocatalysts for several electrochemical devices such as water splitting, carbon dioxide electroreduction and, solar energy converters. These transition metal chalcogenides exhibit …

Transition Metal Chalcogenide Hybrid Systems As Catalysts For Energy Conversion And Biosensing, Siddesh Umapathi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Generation of hydrogen and oxygen through catalyst-aided water splitting which has immense applications in metal air batteries, PEM fuel cells and solar to fuel energy production, has been one of the critical topics in recent times. The state of art oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are mostly comprised of precious metals. The current challenge lies in replacing these precious metal-based catalysts with non-precious earth-abundant materials without compromising catalytic efficiency.

This research explores mixed metal selenides containing Fe-Ni, Fe-Co and RhSe which were hydrothermally synthesized and/or electrodeposited and tested for OER and ORR …

Designing Novel Multinary Transition Metal Selenides As High-Efficiency Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalysts And Investigating Surface Properties, Xi Cao

Doctoral Dissertations

”Water splitting has been widely considered to be an efficient way to generate sustainable and renewable energy resources in fuel cells, metal-air batteries and other energy conversion devices. Exploring efficient electrocatalysts to expedite the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial task that needs to be addressed to boost the practical application of water splitting. This research focuses on the identification of OER electrocatalysts by systematically designing non-stochiometric mixed transition metal-based selenide OER electrocatalysts through combinatorial electrodeposition and investigation of selenide-based naturally occurring minerals as effective OER electrocatalyst. Paper I describes the study of Ni-Fe-Co selenides as OER catalysts …

Three-Dimensional Nanotube Arrays For Solar Energy Harvesting And Production Of Solar Fuels, Wipula P. R. Liyanage

Doctoral Dissertations

"Over the past decade extensive research has been carried out on photovoltaic semiconductors to provide a solution towards a renewable energy future. Fabricating high-efficiency photovoltaic devices largely rely on nanostructuring the photoabsorber layers due to the ability of improving photoabsorption, photocurrent generation and transport in nanometer scale. Vertically aligned, highly uniform nanorods and nanowire arrays for solar energy conversion have been explored as potential candidates for solar energy conversion and solar-fuel generation owing to their enhanced photoconversion efficiencies.

However, controlled fabrication of nanorod and especially nanotube arrays with uniform size and shape and a pre-determined distribution density is still a …

Research And Development Of Optically Transparent Join With Low Processing Temperatures, Eric Kevin Muskovin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate durable solar cell cover glass joins produced by diffusion bonding with deep eutectic solvents (DES) and to develop a novel process of joining optically transparent materials at low temperatures. A joined PV cell-glass specimen was characterized using Raman, μ-FTIR, SEM-EDS, and thin-film XRD. DESs were created with malonic acid (MAL) and choline chloride (ChCl) of varying composition factors (CF; CF=MAL/ChCl). Joining borosilicate glass coupons was attempted using DESs with CF = 0.65 and 1 at temperatures between 100-150 °C for 20 hours. Joining the glass coupons failed at all temperatures and oxygen …

Designing High Performance Overall Water Splitting Electrocatalysts From Non-Precious Metal Selenides, Abdurazag T. Swesi

Doctoral Dissertations

“The energy production has been depending mostly on fossil fuel which will be depleted someday in the near future. Aspects such as the loss of energy resources and destruction of the environment have motivated researchers for pursuing transition away from fossil fuels to renewable solar-fuels. Therefore, in order to meet the continuous increasing demand for energy, the hydrogen, with the largest energy density stored in it, can then efficiently be used in fuel cells without concern of contaminants. Water splitting reaction to generate H₂ and O₂ is one promising method of converting solar energy into fuels. The major …

An Electrodeposited Inhomogeneous Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Junction For Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation, James C. Hill, Alan T. Landers, Jay A. Switzer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The photoelectrochemical splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen requires a semiconductor to absorb light and generate electron-hole pairs, and a catalyst to enhance the kinetics of electron transfer between the semiconductor and solution. A crucial question is how this catalyst affects the band bending in the semiconductor, and, therefore, the photovoltage of the cell. We introduce a simple and inexpensive electrodeposition method to produce an efficient n-Si/SiOx/Co/CoOOH photoanode for the photoelectrochemical oxidation of water to oxygen. The photoanode functions as a solid-state, metal-insulator-semiconductor photovoltaic cell with spatially non-uniform barrier heights in series with a low overpotential water-splitting electrochemical cell. …

Combined Mössbauer Spectral And Density Functional Theory Determination Of The Magnetic Easy-Axis In Two High-Spin Iron(Ii) 2-Pyrazinecarboxylate Complexes, Gary J. Long, Stefania Tanase, Françoise Remacle, Ganga Periyasamy, Fernande Grandjean

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

A combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used to determine that the magnetic easy-axis is coincident with its crystallography c-axis in [Fe(pca) 2(py)2] · py, where pac is the 2- pyrazinecarboxylate ligand. This easy-axis bisects the approximately axial O-Fe-O coordination axes of molecules adjacent to each other along the c-axis. in {[Fe(pca)2(H₂O)]-H₂O) n the easy magnetic axis is not coincident with any of its crystallographic axes nor with the Fe-O(water) coordination axis, but is coincident with one of the Fe ... Fe axes in the crystal structure. the DFT calculations, …

Unleaded Drinking Water: Equilibrium Potential Measurements For Monochloramine Disinfectant, Brandi Clark

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The strength of monochloramine, NH₂CI, as an oxidizing agent can be linked to its effect on Pb levels in drinking water. In this study, the equilibrium potential was measured as a function of pH from pH 8 to 12 and compared to a theoretical plot of formal potentials derived from the Nemst equation. The measured equilibrium potential was consistently about 300 mV more negative than the calculated potential - NH₂CI is a weaker oxidizing agent than predicted. When the measured potentials are plotted on a Pourbaix diagram, it is found that NH₂CI can oxidize …

Effects Of Monochloramine And Free Chlorine On Copper Dissolution In Drinking Water, Ryan C. Abington

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The effects of the disinfectant's free chlorine and monochloramine have been studied on thin copper films using the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. It has been found that after twenty-four hours of immersion, the hypochlorite and the monochloramine both convert some of the copper into cuprous oxide. However, after immersion in monochloramine, tiny pinholes in the copper develop on the electrode and the gold substrate is visible underneath. This leads to suggest that while free chlorine may oxidize copper, monochloramine will oxidize copper and can cause pitting in the metal.

Synthetic, Structural, Magnetic, And Mössbauer Spectral Study Of {Fe[Hc(3,5-Me2pz)3]2}I2 And Its Spin-State Crossover Behavior, Daniel L. Reger, Christine A. Little, Mark D. Smith, Arnold L. Rheingold, Kin Chung Lam, Thomas L. Concolino, Gary J. Long, Raphaël P. Hermann, Fernande Grandjean

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The complex {Fe [HC(3,5-Me₂pz)₃]₂} I₂ (1) has been prepared from the reaction of FeI₂ and HC(3,5-Me₂pz)₃ (pz = pyrazolyl ring) in a 1:2 ratio. The complex is high spin in both the solid state and in solution at ambient temperature. In the solid state, magnetic susceptibility and Mössbauer spectral studies indicate that samples of the complex that have been crystallized and dried change completely from high-spin to low-spin upon cooling below 195 K, with a substantial two-step thermal hysteresis in the transition. The spin-crossover properties of 1 are sample …

A Structural, Magnetic, And Mössbauer Spectral Study Of Dy2fe17 And Its Hydrides, O. Isnard, Dimitri Hautot, Gary J. Long, Fernande Grandjean

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The structural and magnetic properties of the [formula omitted] compounds, where x is 0, 1, 2, 3, and 3.8, have been investigated by means of powder x-ray diffraction, thermomagnetic and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements, and iron-57 Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Dy₂Fe₁₇H_x compounds crystallize in a hexagonal Th₂Ni₁₇ -like structure which has both an iron-rich stoichiometry and disorder of the Dy and Fe–Fe dumbbell sites. The increase in the lattice parameters, the magnetic ordering temperature, the saturation magnetization, and the dependence of the Mössbauer hyperfine parameters upon hydrogen content support a two-step filling by …