Inorganic Chemistry Commons^™

Photocathodes From Aerobic Oxidation Of Tellurorhodamines, Amelia Jellison

Dissertations and Theses

Growing environmental concerns have facilitated an increased need for renewable energy. Solar energy is an excellent source of renewable energy, however current dye-sensitized solar cells are not efficient enough for commercial use. This thesis attempts to create a novel dye-sensitized cathode to increase the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-sensitized cathodes could lower the energy level on the cathode and thereby increase the overall efficiency of the solar cell, however until now it has not been attempted. A tellurorhodamine dye with a mesityl ring was chosen as the dye for its ability to aerobically oxidize in the presence of light. …

Recovering Relativistic Effects In Electronic Structure Calculations Of F-Element Single Molecule Magnets, Nathan Roy Loutsch

Dissertations and Theses

There has been a great interest in developing new information technologies. Single molecule magnets (SMMs) are emerging as materials for high density data storage, qubits, and molecular spintronics. SMMs containing lanthanide or actinide centers are of interest due to their potentially high magnetic anisotropy. This would enable the use of SMMs at higher temperatures. Accurately modelling the electronic structure of f-element complexes can be quite challenging. Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a popular choice for optimizing geometry and studying the electronic structure due to its relatively low cost. In certain cases, more accuracy is desired or necessary to predict experimental …

Functionalizing Metal-Organic Super-Containers (Moscs) For Selective Anion Recognition, Hanying Li

Dissertations and Theses

Anions are ubiquitous in Nature and play critical roles in both chemistry and biology. Biologically important molecules like enzymes, DNA, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) are either anionic or contain negatively charged regions. Inorganic anions such as Cl- and HCO3- play essential roles in various physiological, environmental, and technological processes. Compared to cations, anions have larger ionic radii and more diffuse charge distribution, resulting in weaker electrostatic interactions. Developing synthetic receptors for controlled anion recognition is vital but poses significant challenges. Recent decades have shown remarkable progress in anion recognition, yielding diverse synthetic receptors with promising binding abilities. However, traditional approaches …

Electronic Structure And Molecular Geometries Of Metal Complexes With Dft And Multireference Method, Rina Bhowmick

Dissertations and Theses

Metal complexes are ubiquitous for their diverse applications including catalysis, sensing, medicine, and environmental applications. For effective use of metal complexes, understanding their electronic structure is essential. In most cases, molecules can be represented as a single electron configuration. However, in some cases, especially transition metal and actinide complexes, multireference electronic structures are observed. This is because the valence d (and f) orbitals in metals are often nearly degenerate, leading to close-lying energy states and the subsequently more frequent presence of multiconfigurational electronic structures. The traditional approach to modeling these systems is to use density functional theory to optimize the …

Exploring Structure-Function Relationship In Small-Molecular Catalysts Using Computational And Experimental Methodologies, Avik Bhattacharjee

Dissertations and Theses

Molecular modeling is a useful tool in the field of catalyst design for various processes. The use of Density Functional Theory (DFT) is routine in almost every discipline of chemistry. This allows for a deeper understanding of a molecular system even in situations where implementation of an experimental technique is unfeasible. However, without the right choice of theory and insufficient description, the model becomes susceptible to produce ambiguous results. This often leads to poor correlation with experimental findings hence an incomplete understanding of the system under study. Hence, to acquire a thorough knowledge of the intricacies involved in a system, …

Exploring The Potential Use Of Porous Silica Nanoparticles In Cest-Mri, Lydia Makotamo

Dissertations and Theses

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used modality in diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring various conditions due to its ability to generate high-resolution images using non-ionizing radiation. The advent of contrast agents, which generally work by increasing the spin relaxation rate constants of water protons, has led to image enhancement. Despite the usefulness of this class of agents in diagnostic medicine, their inability to provide in-depth functional and anatomical information, coupled with their high detection limits, has led to new agents being explored.

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) presents an alternative route to generate signals via repetitive saturations transfers between …

Designing Environmentally Responsible And Highly Effective Bioorthogonally Functionalized Chiral Mri Contrast Agents, Karley Breann Maier

Dissertations and Theses

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revolutionized diagnostic imaging and modernized the characterization of numerous diseases. The clinical success of MRI is in large part due to the employment of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Due to sensitivity limitations, GBCAs are indicated at markedly high dosages (~1 g Gd³⁺ per exam). The routine use of such large quantities of gadolinium poses significant health and environmental risks. There are growing concerns over the effects of dechelation of the metal in vivo and the possible effect of resulting gadolinium deposition. Concurrently, there is a rising awareness of gadolinium anomalies borne by GBCAs which undergo …

Tellurorhodamine Photocatalysts In Aerobic Oxidation Reactions: Development Of Synthetic Methods And Reaction Mechanisms, Irving D. Rettig

Dissertations and Theses

Aerobic oxidation photocatalysis involves the use of oxygen as an oxidant species, coupled to a light driven catalyst to achieve useful chemical transformations. Catalytic aerobic oxidation reactions can be defined as either oxidase-like, in which O₂ acts as an electron donor/acceptor but is not incorporated into the reaction products, or oxygenase-like where O₂ acts as an electron donor/acceptor and is incorporated into the reaction products. A multitude of inorganic catalysts have been developed that can achieve a wide scope of oxidase-like or oxygenase-like reactivity, however, it is rare for a catalyst to be capable of both. We report …

Synthesis And Assessment Of Radiotherapy-Enhancing Nanoparticles, Hayden Winter

Dissertations and Theses

Radiation Therapy (RT) is a common treatment for cancerous lesions that acts by ionizing matter in the affected tissue, causing cell death. The disadvantage of RT is that it is most often delivered via an external beam of radiation which must pass through healthy tissues to reach the target site, ionizing matter within healthy tissues as well. To address this drawback, techniques are being developed for increasing RT-induced cell death in a target tissue while minimizing cell death in surrounding tissues. This effect is known as radiation dose enhancement or RT enhancement.

The approach to RT enhancement studied in this …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Some Sf₅- Containing Sulfonic Acids, Robert J. Willenbring

Dissertations and Theses

Pentafluorosulfur (VI) bromide (SF₅Br) adds to olefins of the form CX₂=CX₂, where X= H or F, with the pentafluorosulfur group usually adding to the carbon with more hydrogens attached to it. This series of compounds was used in an attempt to prepare the corresponding sulfonic acid hydrates of the general formula SF₅CX₂CX₂SO₃H·nH₂O, in order to have these compounds tested as possible fuel cell electrolytes. The reaction scheme involved reflux of the SF₅Br adduct with an equimolar amount of sodium sulfite in 50% …

High Valent Chromium (V) And Chromium (Vi) Complexes, Harry Bennett Davis

Dissertations and Theses

A new preparative route to the only neutral chromium(V) oxide fluoride, chromium oxide trifluoride, has been accomplished by the reaction of xenon difluoride with chromyl fluoride at high temperature. The chromium oxide trifluoride is produced as crystals which are suitable for single crystal studies. In reactions of chromium oxide trifluoride with alkali and alkaline metal fluorides in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, new chromium(V) oxide fluoride salts were obtained; these salts were not of high purity due to unknown problems. An attempt to prepare chromium oxide tetrafluoride by the reaction of xenon difluoride with chromyl fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride failed to …

An Investigation Of Cadmium And Sulfur Reactions In Dimethylsulfoxide, Howard W. Hogle

Dissertations and Theses

The study of the reaction of cadmium and sulfur in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is presented. Specifically, the reaction of dissolved molecular sulfur in DMSO at temperatures greater than 90°C with freshly precipitated metallic cadmium is followed by UV-visible spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, and Raman spectrometry. Evidence for the formation of a new cadmium-sulfur species and S₃^- is discussed. In a second reaction, an equilibrium sodium polysulfide solution in DMSO is titrated with a solution of cadmium ion at room temperature and the reaction progress is followed by means of UV-visible spectrometry. A calculation of the average number of polysulfide …

Chemistry Of Chromium Oxyfluorides And Group Vib Perfluoroglutarates, Bruce Michael Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

Pure chromium oxide trifluoride was prepared for the first time by reaction of CrO₃ and ClF with subsequent multiple fluorine treatments at 120°C. On the basis of its infrared spectrum, the purple CrOF₃ was assigned as a fluorine-bridged polymer with terminal oxygen groups. Chromium oxide trifluoride was found to be stable to 300°C, where it decomposes with the loss of oxygen to CrF₃.

Reaction Of Aqueous Catechol Solutions With Minerals, Boonthong Poocharoen

Dissertations and Theses

The effectiveness of catechol, an aromatic vic-diol, in dissolving silicate minerals was studied. A synthetic amorphous magnesium trisilicate, Mg₂Si₃O₈∙5H₂O, as well as the minerals olivine, sepiolite, diopside, augite, and enstatite were used to react with catechol in slightly acidic, basic, and neutral solutions. It was found, depending on the solvent used, that 33-52, 8-17, 14-30, 5-11, 3-6, and 0.5-1 % of the minerals dissolved, respectively.

The reaction with Mg₂Si₃0₈·5H₂0 resulted in the formation of crystals of magnesium tris (catecholato) siliconate nonahydrate Mg[Si(Cat)₃]∙9H₂0. Dehydration of the crystals at room temperature resulted in the loss of 6 moles of water to form …

On The Mechanism Of The Diels-Alder Reaction--Dimerization Of Trans-Phenylbutadiene, Michael Ward Mcnicholas

Dissertations and Theses

The Diels-Alder dimerization of trans-1-substituted butadienes is expected to yield a cyclohexene adduct with the substituents in the 3 and 4 positions cis to one another. This prediction is based on past observations of other Diels-Alder additions. The cis-isomer is the only one consistent with a two-stage mechanism proposed by Woodward and Katz.

In the case of trans-phenylbutadiene, the expected adduct is cis-3-phenyl 1-4-(trans-styry1) cyclohexene. Alder, Haydn and Vogt, however, reported that the corresponding trans-isomer is the dimerization product. There is reason to believe that the observation of the trans-isomer may have been the result of product isomerization during purification. …