Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sulfonated carbon'

The issues of energy security, climate change, and environmental protection attract the use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel worldwide despite several potential setbacks such as deforestation and escalating food prices. A better biodiesel production scheme is needed to reduce the setbacks, to increase the economical value, and to have a safer production process. The use of waste oil and fat as feedstock, and conversion of glycerol into fuel oxygenates are the key solutions in this scheme. Motivated by the high activity of the sugar catalyst, a low surface area and non-porous carbon-based catalyst, this study investigates the synthesis of mesoporous, high surface area and acidity carbon-based catalysts that are active for the conversion of oleic acid and glycerol into biodiesel and fuel oxygenates, respectively. The results showed that a silica templating technique, prepared via confined activation process, was effective for synthesizing mesoporous and high surface area catalyst, but low in total acidity. The technique of catalyst functionalization in liquid fuming sulfuric acid was effective, but destroyed the internal pores of the char. The activity of the mesoporous catalyst was lower than the sugar catalyst in esterification of oleic acid. The catalyst activity was dependant on the total acidity, but independent of surface area and porosity. Further investigation showed that multiple vapour phase sulfonation was effective in synthesizing higher acidity catalyst while maintaining the mesoporous and high surface area structure. Vapour phase sulfonation caused less pore destruction in the char compared with liquid phase sulfonation. Repeated vapour phase sulfonation was effective in loading increased functional groups on the catalyst at the expense of its surface area. Evaluation of the activities of carbon-based catalysts on esterification of oleic acid showed that it depended on density and accessibility of active sites, and catalyst deactivation. Evaluation of etherification of glycerol showed that all catalysts, despite having huge differences in surface area, had comparable activity per unit mass. The carbon-based catalysts had a high selectivity to di- and tri- glyceryl ethers. In conclusion, the carbon-based catalysts synthesized through multiple vapour phase sulfonation processes are promising catalysts for a better biodiesel production process.

Ion-containing segmented polyurethanes exhibit unique morphology and physical properties due to synergistic interactions of electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. A fundamental investigation on a series of well-defined ion-containing polyurethanes elucidated the influence of charge placement, charge density, and soft segment structure on physical properties, hydrogen bonding, and morphologies. An unprecedented comparison of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based sulfonated polyurethanes containing sulfonate anions either in the soft segments or hard segments revealed that sulfonate charge placement dramatically influenced microphase separation and physical properties of segmented polyurethanes, due to altered hydrogen bonding and thermodynamic immiscibility between soft and hard segments. Moreover, studies on sulfonated polyurethanes with identical sulfonated hard segments but different soft segment structures indicated that soft segment structure tailored sulfonated polyurethanes for a wide range of mechanical properties. Sulfonated polyurethanes incorporated with ammonium-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) generated novel polyurethane nanocomposites with significantly enhanced mechanical performance. Modification of MWCNTs followed a dendritic strategy, which doubled the functionality by incorporating two ammonium cations per acid site. Complementary characterization demonstrated successful covalent functionalization and formation of surface-bound ammonium salts. Upon comparison with pristine MWCNTs, ammonium-functionalized MWCNTs exhibited significantly enhanced dispersibility in both DMF and sulfonated polyurethane matrices due to good solvation of ammonium cations and intermolecular ionic interactions between anionic polyurethanes and cationic MWCNTs. Segmented polyurethanes containing sulfonated PEO-based soft segments and nonionic hard segments were incorporated with various contents of room temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate (EMIm ES), to investigate the influence of ionic liquid on physical properties, morphologies, and ionic conductivity. Results indicated that EMIm ES preferentially located in the sulfonated PEO soft phase, leading to significantly enhanced ionic conductivity and well-maintained mechanical properties. These properties are highly desirable for electromechanical transducer applications. Electromechanical actuators fabricated with sulfonated polyurethane/IL composite membranes exhibited effective response under a low applied voltage (4 V). However, in the case of an imidazolium-containing segmented polyurethane with imidazolium ionic hard segments and hydrophobic poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) soft segments, EMIm ES selectively located into the imidazolium ionic hard domains, as evidenced with a constant PTMO soft segment glass transition temperature (Tg) and systematically reduced imidazolium hard segment Tg. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy demonstrated that ionic conductivity of imidazolium-containing segmented polyurethanes increased by five orders of magnitude upon incorporation of 30 wt% EMIm ES. Imidazolium-containing sulfonated pentablock copolymers were also investigated to elucidate the influence of imidazolium counter cation structures on solution rheology, morphology, and thermal and mechanical properties. Combination of living anionic polymerization and post functionalization strategies provided well-defined sulfonated pentablock copolymers containing structured imidazolium cations in sulfonated polystyrene middle block. Varying alkyl substitute length on imidazolium cations tailored physical properties and morphologies of sulfonated pentablock copolymers. Results indicated that long alkyl substitutes (octyl and dodecyl) on imidazolium cations significantly influenced solution rheological behavior, morphology, and water uptake properties of sulfonated pentablock copolymers due to the altered characteristic of imidazolium cations. Imidazolium-containing sulfonated pentablock copolymers exhibited systematically tailored mechanical properties due to the plasticizing effect of alkyl substitutes. In addition, incorporation of ionic liquids into sulfonated pentablock copolymers further tailored their mechanical properties and ionic conductivity, which made these materials suitable for electromechanical transducer applications. All sulfonated pentablock copolymers were successfully fabricated into actuator devices, which exhibited effective actuation under a low applied voltage (4 V).
Ph. D.

Magister Scientiae - MSc
In this research project, nanostructured composites based on Tin dioxide (SnO2) and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) with poly-4-styrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) doped polyaniline (PANI) conducting polymer has been investigated based on their structural, electrical and electrochemical properties. The synthesis of conducting polymers and their metal oxide or composites have been carried out chemically or electrochemically according to methods modified from the literature. Layer-by-layer construction of nano-Metal Oxide/PSSA doped polyaniline composites were successfully constructed by electroanalytical methods on the surface of a glassy carbon working electrode (GCE).
South Africa

Dans le contenu de l’amélioration des performances des piles à combustible, des catalyseurs Pt/Vulcan ont été greffés soit avec du polystyrène sulfonate (PSSA) soit avec de l'acide 4-phenysulfonique (PSA). L'influence du ratio du greffage, de la couche de diffusion de gaz et de la qualité de Nafion, sur les performances électrochimiques ont été étudiées en demi-pile et en assemblage membrane-électrodes (AME). La surface électrochimique du catalyseur a été améliorée en présence de la couche microporeuse sur le papier carboné en tant que couche de diffusion de gaz, aussi une densité de courant supérieure et une résistance de transfert de charge inférieure ont été observées. Pt/Vulcan catalyseurs ont été greffés des chaines PSSA avec 5, 10 et 20 wt.% 4-styrènesulfonate de sodium. Les résultats en demi-pile et en pile ont montré que des taux de sulfonation de 5 à 10 wt.% étaient optimaux. La sulfonation des catalyseurs a aussi été effectuée avec 5.8, 11.6, 18.0 et 23.3 wt.% PSA. Des résultats meilleurs ont été obtenus par la sulfonation. L'AME ayant 18.0 wt.% PSA a présenté une excellente stabilité pendant 3000 cycles de test de vieillissement accéléré. Moins de Nafion a entraîné une plus faible performance des demi-piles, aussi des AMEs ayant catalyseurs des greffé de 5 wt.% PSSA ou PSA. Cependant, celles contenant 10 et 20 wt.% de PSSA, ont montré un une densité de puissance élevé lors que la quantité de Nafion a diminué de 0.50 à 0.25 mg•cm-2
In the development of the performances of PEM fuel cell, sulfonated Pt/Vulcan catalysts were prepared by grafting with either polystyrene sulfonate (PSSA) or with 4-phenysulfonic acid (PSA). The influences of the graft ratio, the amount of Nafion and the gas diffusion layer, on the electrochemical performances were studied in a half-cell and membrane electrode assembage (MEA). Larger electrochemical surface area of the catalyst was obtained in the presence of microporous layer on the carbon paper, as well as higher ORR current and lower charge transfer resistance. PSSA was grafted onto Pt/Vulcan catalysts by in-situ radical polymerization with 5, 10 and 20 wt.% sodium styrene sulfonate. It was presented in the half-cell tests and fuel cell tests that the catalysts grafted with 5 and 10 wt.% sulfonated groups performed improved properties. Pt/Vulcan catalysts were also grafted with 5.8, 11.6 18.0 and 23.3 wt.% PSA. Compared with non-functionalized catalysts, significant developments were achieved because of the sulfonation. The MEA with 18.0 wt.% PSA was studied in accelerated durability tests and showed excellent durability after 3000 cycles. For half-cells and MEAs with catalysts grafted with 5wt.% PSSA or PSA groups, low Nafion addition resulted in to lower performances. However, the MEAs with 10 and 20 wt.% PSSA exhibited an enhanced performance than the counterparts with 0.50 mg•cm-2 Nafion

This dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of high performance polymers, specifically polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) for gas separation applications and polyimides (PI) for water purification and as interfacial agents for thermoplastic carbon fiber composites. Two methods for improving the gas transport properties (for H2/CO2 separation) of a tetraaminodiphenylsulfone (TADPS)-based polybenzimidazole were investigated. Low molecular weight poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were incorporated as sacrificial additives that could be removed via a controlled heat treatment protocol. PBI films containing 7 and 11 wt% PPC (blend) and 13 wt% PEO (graft) were fabricated and the gas transport properties and mechanical properties after heat treatment were measured and compared to the PBI homopolymer. After heat treatment, the 7 wt% PPC blend exhibited the highest performance while retaining the toughness exhibited by the PBI homopolymer. Novel sulfonated polyimides and their monomers were synthesized for use as interfacial agents and water purification membranes. Polyimides are high performance polymers that have high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability. The objective was to assess structure-property relationships of novel sulfonated polyimides prepared by direct polymerization of the diamine monomers. A series of sulfonated polyimides was synthesized using an ester-acid polymerization method with varying degrees of sulfonation (20%, 30%, and 50% disulfonated and 50% and 100% monosulfonated polyimides). The results showed that the toughness of the polyimides in the fully hydrated state was much better than current commercial cation exchange membranes. A 100% disulfonated polyimide (sPI) and poly(amic acid) salt (PAAS) using the same monomers used for the synthesis of Ultem® were utilized as suspending agents for the fabrication of coated sub-micron polyetherimide (PEI) particles. Sub-micron particles were obtained using 1 wt% PAAS and 4 wt% sPI to coat the PEI. The PEI particles were coupled onto ozone treated carbon fibers using a silane coupling agent. SEM images showed a significant amount of particle coating on the treated carbon fibers compared to the non-silane treated carbon fibers.
PHD

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a potential electrochemicalpower device for vehicles, auxiliary power units and small-scale power plants. In themembrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is the core of the PEMFC single cell,oxygen in air and hydrogen electrochemically react on separate sides of a membraneand electrical energy is generated. The main challenges of the technology are associatedwith cost and lifetime. To meet these demands, firstly, the component expensesought to be reduced. Secondly, enabling system operation at elevated temperatures,i.e. up to 120 °C, would decrease the complexity of the system and subsequentlyresult in decreased system cost. These aspects and the demand for sufficientlifetime are the strong motives for development of new materials in the field.In this thesis, MEAs based on alternative materials are investigatedwith focus on hydrocarbon proton-conducting polymers, i.e. ionomers, and newcatalyst supports. The materials are evaluated by electrochemical methods, such ascyclic voltammetry, polarisation and impedance measurements; morphological studiesare also undertaken. The choice of ionomers, used in the porous electrodes andmembrane, is crucial in the development of high-performing stable MEAs for dynamicoperating conditions. The MEAs are optimised in terms of electrode compositionand preparation, as these parameters influence the electrode structure andthus the MEA performance. The successfully developed MEAs, based on the hydrocarbonionomer sulfonated polysulfone (sPSU), show promising fuel cell performancein a wide temperature range. Yet, these membranes induce mass-transportlimitations in the electrodes, resulting in deteriorated MEA performance. Further,the structure of the hydrated membranes is examined by nuclear magnetic resonancecryoporometry, revealing a relation between water domain size distributionand mechanical stability of the sPSU membranes. The sPSU electrodes possessproperties similar to those of the Nafion electrode, resulting in high fuel cell performancewhen combined with a high-performing membrane. Also, new catalystsupports are investigated; composite electrodes, in which deposition of platinum(Pt) onto titanium dioxide reduces the direct contact between Pt and carbon, showpromising performance and ex-situ stability. Use of graphitised carbon as catalystsupport improves the electrode stability as revealed by a fuel cell degradation study.The thesis reveals the importance of a precise MEA developmentstrategy, involving a broad methodology for investigating new materials both as integratedMEAs and as separate components. As the MEA components and processesinteract, a holistic approach is required to enable successful design of newMEAs and ultimately development of high-performing low-cost PEMFC systems.
QC 20100922

La catalyse solide acide a été pendant longtemps l'objet d'activité de recherche intense, en particulier pour l'industrie pétrochimique. Aujourd'hui, les catalyseurs solides acides sont de plus en plus étudiés dans d'autres domaines et en particulier dans celles liées à la "chimie verte" et à la valorisation des bioressources, telles que la synthèse de biodiesel et la transformation des polysaccharides. L'objectif de la thèse est d'étudier le potentiel des matériaux poreux sulfonés ayant une porosité contrôlée dans des réactions catalysées par un acide en condition eau surchauffé telle que l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose. Dans une première partie, nous décrivons la préparation et la caractérisation des organosilicates mésoporeux périodiques sulfonés de type SBA-15, SBA-1 et KIT-6 par co-condensation de 1,4-bis (triéthoxysilyl) benzène (BTEB). Les matériaux ont été acidifiés suivant des voies différentes à l'aide de 3-mercaptopropyltriméthoxysilane (MPTMS)/H2O2 ou d'acide chlorosulfonique (ClSO3H). Leur propriété acide a été étudiée par adsorption d'NH3 suivie par calorimétrie et par la réaction de déshydratation d'isopropanol (IPA) comme réaction modèle en phase gazeuse. Contrairement à notre attente, l'adsorption d'NH3 suivie par calorimétrie a mis en évidence l'hétérogénéité de la force des sites suggérant la présence de sites distincts de la sulfonation. Les solides sulfonés avec l'acide chlorosulfonique ont une activité équivalente à celle de la résine sulfonée, Amberlyst 15, mais ils sont moins stables en raison de la libération des espèces de soufre. Les catalyseurs préparés en utilisant un groupement mercapto-propyle suivie d'une oxydation sont moins acides et ils ont donné des niveaux d'activité plus basse dans la réaction de déshydratation d'IPA. Pour l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose, de bonnes performances ont été obtenues à 150°C, mais, ces matériaux se sont montrés instables dans des conditions hydrothermales avec une lixiviation totale de soufre réalisant alors la réaction en phase homogène. Un lavage dans l'eau surchauffée des matériaux contenant des groupements propyles-SO3H conduit à une diminution de leur efficacité dans l'hydrolyse de la cellobiose, mais un gain de stabilité a été obtenu, permettant le recyclage de ces matériaux. Dans une deuxième partie, des répliques carbonées sulfonées par l'acide chlorosulfonique ou l'acide sulfurique ont été synthétisé. La sulfonation par l'acide sulfurique suivi par un lavage dans l'eau bouillante puis un prétraitement thermique à 300°C sous azote, de ces matériaux aboutissent au meilleur catalyseur en termes d'activité/stabilité.

In rivers, association of organic contaminants with dissolved organic carbon may limit freely dissolved or bioavailable fractions and toxicity of organic contaminants. Consequently, assessment of toxicity of organic contaminants on the basis of their total chemical concentrations may lead to overestimation of risks to organic contaminants. Therefore, to achieve reliable and accurate risks assessment for organic contaminants, determination of bioavailability is important. The influence of humic acid on the bioavailability of organic contaminants in rivers was studied, using three chemicals with different properties as model contaminants, which at the start of the study were detected in wastewater effluents. It was hypothesized that in the presence of dissolved organic carbon, a fraction of the total concentration of an organic contaminant would not be bioavailable in river water. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine bioavailability and its impact on toxicity. Bioavailability in the presence of humic acid was determined chemically and using a yeast estrogen screen assay. The chemical method comprised solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine freely dissolved and the fraction of the chemicals associated with dissolved organic carbon. The results indicated increased binding to dissolved organic carbon with the hydrophobicity of the test compounds except for perfluorooctane sulfonate. The dissolved organic carbon-water partition coefficient for ethinylestradiol was determined to be Log KDOC 2.36. Log KDOC values of 4.15 and 4.41 at 10 and 100 mg/L humic acid, respectively, were derived for hexabromocyclododecane indicating greater binding than ethinylestradiol due to the more hydrophobic character. The yeast estrogen screen was used as a biological method to measure the effect of humic acid on the bioavailability of ethinylestradiol and a more hydrophobic compound, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Results of the yeast estrogen screen indicated that the presence of humic acid had no effect on bioavailability of either of the chemicals.

Predicted climate changes have been suggested to alter future distribution and toxicity of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Until now, little effort has been put into investigating such interactive effects between POPs and elevated CO2 levels (hypercapnia) in the aquatic environment. In the present study, juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were exposed to the emerging POP perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS; 0, 100 and 200 µg/L) for 1 hour/day in 5 days, followed by changes in elevated water CO2 saturation (0, 0.3 and 0.9%) for 3, 6 and 9 days. Endocrine disrupting potential of PFOS and elevated CO2 levels, both singly and in combination, were examined by analyzing levels of sex steroid hormones (E2, T, 11-KT) and transcript expression of estrogen responsive genes (ER-α, Vtg-α, Vtg-β, ZP-2, ZP-3), in addition to steroid and xenobiotic metabolism (CYP1A, CYP3A) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α). Elevated CO2 produced increased levels of sex steroid hormones (E2, T, 11-KT) with concomitant increases in transcriptional expression of estrogen responsive genes. PFOS produced a weak time- and dose-dependent estrogenic effect as measured in mRNA expression of estrogen responsive genes, but no effect on steroid hormone levels. Exposure to elevated CO2 and PFOS in combination produced gene expression patterns that are different from the effects observed for CO2 and PFOS alone, indicating interactive effects. These observations suggest that hypercapnia and emerging POPs such as PFOS in combination could modulate the estrogen signaling in juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), with potential consequences for sexual development and reproduction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report hypercapnia-induced sex steroid disruption in any fish species or lower vertebrate. These findings suggest a potential for adverse effects of increased anthropogenic CO2 emissions on sexual development and reproduction in fish. This also raises the question whether such interactive effects might be observed in other aquatic species and with other endocrine disrupters and POPs as well. Such findings could have implications for the accuracy of current risk assessments of emerging POPs, under changing climatic conditions.

Thesis advisor: Amir H. Hoveyda
Chapter 1. A Review of Catalytic Enantioselective Allylic Substitution (EAS) with Chiral Sulfonate Containing N-heterocyclic Carbenes (NHC). A comprehensive review of enantioselective allylic substitution reactions, which are promoted by a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene metal complex that features a unique sulfonate motif, is provided in this chapter. Reactions are classified into two categories. One class of transformations is catalyzed by a series of easily modifiable sulfonate bearing NHC-Cu complexes, with which a range of nucleophilic organometallic reagents (i.e., organozinc-, aluminum-, magnesium- and boron-based) that carry different carbon-based units are readily utilized in efficient and highly selective C-C bond forming processes. Another set of reactions exclude the use of a copper salt; catalytic amount of a sulfonate containing imidazolinium salt is capable of promoting additions of alkyl Grignard, zinc and aluminum species to easily available allylic electrophiles in a site- and enantioselective fashion. The mechanistic scenarios of both catalytic systems that account for the observed experimental data are discussed in detail. Chapter 2. Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Substitutions with Aryl- and Heteroarylaluminum Reagents. In this chapter, the first examples of EAS reactions of aryl- and heteroaryl-substituted dialkylaluminum reagents to a wide range of trisubstituted allylic phosphates are demonstrated through a facile and selective catalysis rendered possible by an in situ generated sulfonate containing NHC-Cu complex, delivering enantiomerically enriched olefin products that bear an all carbon quaternary stereogenic center. The requisite organometallic species are easily prepared from either the corresponding aryl- and heteroaryl halides, or through efficient and site selective deprotonation at the C-2 position of furan and thiophene; such aluminum entities are readily used in situ without the requirement of purification. Application to small molecule natural product synthesis is also carried out to illustrate the utility of the present protocol. Chapter 3. Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Substitutions with Alkenylaluminum Reagents. This chapter focuses on our research towards construction of enantioenriched tertiary and quaternary stereogenic centers that are substituted with two further functionalizable alkenes. The first combination of the study involves the addition of stereochemically well-defined trisubstituted alkenylaluminum reagents to disubstituted allylic phosphates; the transformation commences with a silyl-directed stereoselective hydroalumination and finishes with an enantioselective Cu-catalyzed EAS promoted by a sulfonate bearing NHC. Such reactions deliver molecules that feature silicon containing trisubstituted olefin adjacent to the tertiary stereogenic center; subsequent conversion of the versatile silicon group to a proton reveals the first set of examples that incorporate pure Z alkene in Cu-catalyzed EAS. The stereoselective and concise synthesis of naturally occurring small molecule nyasol demonstrates the utility of the above method. On a different front, Ni-catalyzed site-selective hydroalumination of terminal alkynes has opened new possibility of introducing 1,1-disubstituted olefins in Cu-catalyzed EAS in the formation of tertiary stereogenic center containing enantioenriched organic building blocks. Such catalytic hydrometallation procedure also allows efficient access to alkenylaluminums that are derived from the conventionally problematic aromatic alkynes. The importance of efficient and selective synthesis of terminal aryl-substituted alkenylaluminum species is showcased in NHC-Cu-catalyzed EAS reactions that construct all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers; a three-step convergent synthesis of natural product bakuchiol in enantiomerically enriched form highlights the potential of the current protocol in chemical synthesis. Chapter 4 Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Allylic Substitutions with Alkenylboronic Acid Pinacol Ester Reagents and Applications in Natural Product Synthesis. Within this chapter, we disclose the efficient utilization of alkenylboron reagents in Cu-catalyzed EAS reactions, which lead to highly site and enantioselective formations of molecules that contain both tertiary and quaternary carbon stereogenic centers. Unlike their aluminum-based counterparts, the use of boron-based reagents allows effective delivery of sensitive organic function groups, such as a carbonyl, which would be incompatible in the hydrometallation process with dibal-H. Our efforts accumulate to the first report of incorporation of all carbon quaternary centers that are substituted with unsaturated ester and aldehyde units in the EAS products; such a method facilitates the concise diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of Pummerer's ketone and it's trans isomer. Further development of the above protocol towards the construction of tertiary stereogenic centers requires the design of new chiral sulfonate-containing imidazolinium salts as the ligand precursors and has lead to the employment of a broader range of alkenylboron species, which feature readily functionalizable motifs. Subsequent demonstrations in enantioselective synthesis of a variety of small molecule natural products showcase the utility
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Chemistry

L'extraction d'un constituant d'un mélange gazeux peut être réalisée par couplage des phénomènes de diffusion et réaction à travers une membrane. Ce mode de transport a été appliqué à des membranes échangeuses d'ions dont les contre-ions, appelés transporteurs, réagissent réversiblement avec le substrat pour former un ou des complexes. Cette étude théorique a été appliquée au transport facilité du dioxyde de carbone par les ions éthylènediamines à travers différentes membranes échangeuses de cations (permion et nafion)

19 Dec 2004.
Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. "IS-T 1944" Lisa M. Ponton. 12/19/2004. Report is also available in paper and microfiche from NTIS.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
The Biginelli reaction involves the cyclocondensation of three reagents in the presence of an acid catalyst to obtain dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs).This compound and its analogues are widely known to possess various pharmacological properties, such as antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer and antihypertensive. This reaction is usually carried out via homogeneous catalysis, which presents, however, some difficulties, such as regeneration of the catalyst and difficult separation of the final product, thus becoming an obstacle for industrial use. In the present work, it was proposed the use of two classes of heterogeneous catalysts, which are: metal oxides and acid carbons in order to achieve attractive characteristics in the Biginelli reaction, as a reduction of reaction time and increase in yield. The acidic carbons were prepared by carbonization by impregnation of agroindustrial residues with sulfuric acid at a temperature of 200 °C in the mass ratio of 1:10 (precursor: H2SO4) for 6 h. The pure HY-340 and Nb2O5 were both tested and chemically treated with a solution of 30% sulfuric acid. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), textural adsorption/desorption analysis of N2 at -196 °C and desorption of ammonia at programmed temperature (DTP-NH3), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Dispersive Energy Spectrometry (EDS). The contents of C, N, O and S present on the surface of the coals were quantified by Elementary Analysis (CHNS-O). Exploratory catalytic tests were carried out to define the best experimental conditions of solvent, temperature, molar ratio and amount of catalyst. The results obtained allowed to establish the best experimental conditions for the realization of the Biginelli reaction. Thus, the following parameters were adopted to evaluate the performance of the different catalysts. These are: 5% catalyst content (by mass), molar ratio of 1 Benzaldehyde: 1,5 Methyl acetoacetate: 1,5 Urea, without solvent and temperature of 130 °C. The best catalyst was Nb2O5 treated with sulfuric acid, whereby a yield of 94% of dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs).
A reação de Biginelli envolve a ciclocondensação de três reagentes na presença de um catalisador ácido para a obtenção de Dihidropirimidinonas (DHPMs). Este composto e seus derivados são amplamente conhecidos por possuir diversas propriedades farmacológicas e terapêuticas. Esta reação é geralmente realizada via catálise homogênea, que apresentam, no entanto, algumas dificuldades, como regeneração do catalisador e difícil separação do produto final, tornando-se dessa forma um obstáculo para utilização industrial. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo geral avaliar diferentes catalisadores ácidos heterogêneos na produção de dihidropirimidinonas, como óxidos de nióbio sulfonados e carvões sulfonados produzidos a partir de resíduos agroindustriais (casca de arroz e bagaço de tomate). Os carvões ácidos foram preparados por carbonização, por meio da impregnação de resíduos agroindustriais com ácido sulfúrico a uma temperatura de 200 °C na proporção mássica de 1:10 (precursor: H2SO4), por 6 h. Testou-se, também, o ácido nióbico (HY-340) e Nb2O5 ambos puros e tratados quimicamente com uma solução de 30% de ácido sulfúrico. Os catalisadores foram caracterizados por Difração de Raios X (DRX), Espectroscopia no Infravermelho (IV), Termogravimetria (TG), Análise Térmica Diferencial (DTA), Análise Textural por Adsorção/Dessorção de N2 a -196 °C, Dessorção de Amônia a Temperatura Programada (DTP-NH3), Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) e Espectrometria de Energia Dispersiva de Raios X (EDS). Os teores de C, N, O e S presentes na superfície dos carvões foram quantificados por Análise Elementar (CHNS-O). Foram realizados testes catalíticos exploratórios para definir melhores condições experimentais de solvente, temperatura, razão molar e quantidade de catalisador. Os resultados obtidos permitiram estabelecer as melhores condições experimentais para a realização da reação de Biginelli. Desse modo, adotaram-se os seguintes parâmetros para avaliar o desempenho dos diferentes catalisadores. São estes: teor de 5% de catalisador (em massa), razão molar de 1 Benzaldeído: 1,5 Acetoacetato de metila: 1,5 Ureia, sem solvente e temperatura de 130 °C. O melhor catalisador foi o Nb2O5 tratado com ácido sulfúrico, em que obteve-se um rendimento de 94% de dihidropirimidinonas (DHPMs).

博士
國立中興大學
材料科學與工程學系所
98
The water-soluble sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI)/carboxylic groups containing multi-walled carbon nanotube (c-MWCNT) composites with core-shell tubular structure have been prepared by solution mixing of c-MWCNT and SPANI aqueous colloids. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field- emission scanning (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to characterize their structure and morphology of composites. The results of Raman, UV-Vis and XPS spectra revealed the presence of electrostatic interaction between the C-N+ species of the SPANI and the COO- species of the c-MWCNTs. The addition of c-MWCNTs can improve the thermal stability of SPANI specimens. The conductivity of 3 wt% SPANI/c-MWCNT composites at room temperature is sixteen times higher than that of SPANI. The above results demonstrate that the addition of a small number of c-MWCNTs into SPANI matrix can efficiently form a conducting network in the well dispersed composites, thus increasing the electrical properties of the composites. In addition, similar methodology has been applied to fabricate the water-soluble sulfonated polypyrrole (SPPy)/c-MWCNT composites by aqueous mixing of c-MWCNT dispersions and SPPy colloids. The electrochemical performances of these SPANI/c-MWCNT composites have been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectro- scopy. The incorporation of the c-MWCNTs to SAPNI increases the electrochemical activity of SPANI/c-MWCNT composite films and promotes the electron transfer of the redox processes. Furthermore, the presence of c-MWCNTs also leads to more active sites for electrochemical reactions and a faster electron transfer than pure SAPNI. In addition, the morphology of SPANI/c-MWCNT composites measured by SEM and atomic force microscopy indicates the presence of well-distributed tubular structures that are individually coated with ED-SPANI on the surface of composite films. The relatively rough topography of composite films would provide a large surface area for electrolyte access. Therefore, it is expected that the difference in the structure of the composite films can result in high electrochemical properties of the electrodes constructed from these composite films. The electrospinning process has been successfully used to fabricate ultrafine fibers consisting of the mixture of SPANI and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The key factor of fiber formation with uniform size of fibers were dependent on the solution viscosity. The SEM images showed that the average diameter of SPANI/PEO electrospun fibers were evidently decreased with increasing loading of SPANI content. This trendency may be attributed to the increase in the net charge density of the solution with the presence of SPANI, which favors the formation of thin fibers. The conductivity of SPANI/PEO electrospun fibers fabricated with the weight ratio of SPANI/PEO at 0.33 is about five times of magnitude higher than that of electrospun fibers with SPANI/PEO at 0.2. In addition, conducting composite fibers were also obtained through electro- spinning of SPANI/PEO solution containing different contents of c-MWCNTs. HRTEM images confirmed that the c-MWCNTs were encapsulated within the fibers as individual elements, mostly aligned along the fiber axis. The measured results showed that the electrical conductivity of the electrospun fiber mats improved with increasing the content of c-MWCNTs.

碩士
逢甲大學
化學工程學系
107
In this study, a sulfonated polyaniline/polyimide composite film with excellent water vapor responsive properties developed as photocatalytic substrates for photoreduction of carbon dioxide. First, the soluble polyimide (PI) solution was prepared. Then, sulfonic acid groups were introduced into polyaniline (PANI), which has excellent conductivity and redox ability, to obtain sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI) with improved water affinity and solubility. A suitable ratio of PI and SPANI was mixed to control the rigidity and water vapor responsive properties of the composite film. In order to maintain the conductivity of PANI, a low temperature (80 °C) imidization process was applied to fabricate the film, and the flexible SPANI/PI film was obtained. Through the twice coating technique, the graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) was dispersed on SPANI/PI. The SPANI/PI-gCN films were obtained. The SPAIN/PI film would automatically and reversibly be fold and unfold under the stimuli of water vapor gradient. Water vapor responsive properties were improved after the loading of gCN. Under the illumination of the LED bulb (14W), the film would photocatalytic reduce gas phase CO2 with the presence of trace amount of water or ethanol. A gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a high sensitivity pulsed discharge helium ionization detector was used to identify products such as CO, methanol and hydrocarbons. The SPANI/PI-gCN film mainly produced methanol, and the yield reached 8705 mol/g-gCN after 12 hours of irradiation. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of gCN supported SPANI/PI film was better than gCN powder (methanol yield: 629 mol/g-gCN). The photoenergy conversion efficiency (PCE) of SPANI/PI-gCN film (area =9 cm2) reached 1.74%.

In this research project, nanostructured composites based on Tin dioxide (SnO2) and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) with poly-4-styrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) doped polyaniline (PANI) conducting polymer has been investigated based on their structural, electrical and electrochemical properties. The synthesis of conducting polymers and their metal oxide or composites have been carried out chemically or electrochemically according to methods modified from the literature. Layer-by-layer construction of nano-Metal Oxide/PSSA doped polyaniline composites were successfully constructed by electroanalytical methods on the surface of a glassy carbon working electrode (GCE).

This thesis reports on the synthesis and characterisation of various types of oxidised multiwalled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNTs) modified polymeric membranes. These OMWCNT modified polymeric membranes were then assessed in terms of their remediation potential, in particular for the removal of estrogenic hormones, dissolved proteins and salts from brackish water sources. The fabricated O-MWCNT-based polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were applied as (i) adsorptive membranes, (ii) molecular-sieving membranes and (iii) as membrane substrates for thin-film composite nanofiltration (NF) membrane preparation. The research work commences with the preparation of MWCNTs via a facile catalytic chemical vapour deposition method and their chemical oxidation with strong acids in order to introduce hydrophilic carboxylic (–COOH) and hydroxyl (–OH) surface functional group moieties on the MWCNT outer walls. Intrinsically, MWCNTs are chemically inert and tend to form agglomerated nanoclusters (due to van der Waals interaction forces), which induce further difficulties in their homogenous dispersion in polar solvents (such as N-methyl-2- pyrrolidone and dimethylacetamide) employed to dissolve the polymers in the study. The introduction of these oxygen-containing moieties was therefore necessary to aid the dispersion of MWCNTs in organic solvents and for their enhanced interaction with PES and sulfonated polysulfone (SPSf). The PES/O-MWCNT ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were produced via a non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method and employed in the adsorptive removal of natural hormone estrone (E1). The PES/O-MWCNT UF membranes thus prepared were characterised using SEM, AFM, zeta potential measurements and MWCO experiments. It was found that the adsorption of E1 initially increased with an increase in O-MWCNT content followed by a constant decline on further increments. Moreover, the inclusion of OMWCNTs (0.5 wt.%) in the PES membrane matrix resulted in an increase in the maximum adsorption capacity for E1 compared to pristine PES membrane, i.e., 31.25 mg/g adsorption capacity was achieved for PES/O-MWCNT compared to 23.81 mg/g for bare PES UF membrane. Based on the correlation coefficients, the Freundlich isotherm provided a better fit for the adsorption data and the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Interestingly, after five regeneration cycles, the PES/O-MWCNT membranes were found to maintain similar adsorption efficiencies. The PES/O-MWCNT membranes thus prepared, present a viable approach for the removal of natural hormones and other endocrine disruptors present in water systems compared to the use of common adsorbents such as activated carbon, which end up generating large amounts of chemical sludge that require disposal in the environment. The third part of the study focused on the controlled formation of macrovoid-free polyethersulfone/sulfonated polysulfone (PES/SPSf) UF membranes with high water permeabilities, mechanical strength and antifouling properties, in the presence of O-MWCNTs. To date, the majority of polymeric nanocomposite membranes modified with O-MWCNTs as nanofillers, generally have finger-like structures and macrovoids in the membrane sublayer. While the presence of finger-like structures is favoured for the reduction in mass flow resistance, their presence induces mechanically weak points in the membrane and reduces the nanocomposite membranes’ mechanical strength properties and long-term performance stability. As such macrovoid-free PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT membranes were fabricated via the NIPS techniques, using H2O and polyethylene glycol (PEG 20 kDa) as non-solvent additives. The SEM cross-sectional images showed that a fully sponge-like morphology of the PES/SPSf membrane can be achieved in the presence of different loadings of O-MWCNTs. This was attributable to the formation of stronger hydrogen bonds between the SPSf polymer and non-solvent additives i.e., H2O, PEG 20kDa and OMWCNTs. The combination of the macrovoid-free morphology and homogenous distribution of high mechanical strength O-MWCNTs in the membrane matrix provided excellent mechanical strength enhancements for PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT membranes. Additionally, pure water flux initially increased from 598 L/m2 .h to 713 L/m2 .h followed by a decline to 578 L/m2 .h upon further increments in O-MWCNT contents, due to agglomeration of O-MWCNTs at higher loadings. The fabricated PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT membranes also displayed superior antifouling properties (FRR > 90%) and antibacterial properties (99% bacterial killing ratio) against E. coli bacteria. The fabricated support fabricfree PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT UF membranes with macrovoid-free sublayer morphologies displayed attractive features for use as UF membranes in the pre-treatment stages of water treatment and as support substrates for the preparation of TFC membranes. In general, sponge-like and macrovoid-free membrane structures are regarded as unfit for use as support membranes for TFC membrane preparation since they increase the membrane’s resistance to water flow, thereby reducing the overall TFC membrane permeability. This assumption has largely been based on sponge-like and macrovoid-free membranes structures achieved through the use of extremely high polymer concentrations, particularly using polysulfone (PSf) polymer. Hence, the sponge-like structures formed are very dense and less porous. Nevertheless, the macrovoid-free PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT membranes produced in this study, consisted of open cellular network microstructures within the membrane sublayer, which could be visualised at higher SEM magnifications. This part of the work therefore investigated the role of hydrophilic, macrovoid-free PES/SPSf and PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT as support membranes on the performance of TFC NF membranes. The TFC NF membranes were prepared via an efficient interfacial polymerization reaction between piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The deposition of the polyamide thin-film layer was confirmed by ATR-FTIR, SEM, AFM, contact angle and zeta potential measurements. Membrane performance results showed that TFC NF membranes fabricated on PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT support membranes displayed a 35% improvement in pure water flux with comparable salt rejections from those prepared on bare PES/SPSf support membranes. Salt rejection followed the order of Na2SO4 > MgSO4 > NaCl, which is typical for negatively charged NF membranes. It was established that the presence of hydrophilic O-MWCNTs in the support membrane allowed for the formation of a thin polyamide layer on the top surface of the support membrane, which gave rise to enhanced water permeability of the TFC NF membrane and the possibility of polyamide rejection layer within the support membrane pore channels. To further improve the performance of the TFC NF membranes, in particular, the monovalent/bivalent salt selectivity, a mixture of PIP and 2,4-diaminobenzene sulfonic acid (2,4-DABSA) at different weight ratios was prepared in the aqueous solution and reacted with TMC in the organic phase solution. It was found that the addition of low monomer weight ratio of 2,4-DABSA in the amine mixture, lead to the generation of a sulfonated TFC NF membrane with superior membrane performance in terms of pure water permeability (30.2 L/m2 .h), monovalent/bivalent salt selectivity (𝛼NaCl/Na2SO4 = 25.0) at low operating pressures (3 bar) and salt concentrations in the range of brackish waters. This was attributable to the combined presence of sulfonic acid groups on the membrane surface and the formation of the thin polyamide layer. Moreover, sulfonated TFC NF membranes exhibited good antifouling properties against bovine serum albumin (BSA), with FRR of 96.4% after three cycles of fouling and cleaning, with a fairly stable membrane performance over a 10-day period of pure water flux and Na2SO4 rejection testing. Indeed, the use of a macrovoid-free PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT support membrane did not only provide the mechanical strength for the deposition of TFC NF membrane, but also their open, cellular network microstructure, combined with high hydrophilicity and large surface pore sizes were beneficial in the reduction of polyamide layer thickness, and subsequently in the enhancement of TFC NF membrane performance. The study provided insightful information on lesser known aspects of O-MWCNT incorporated polymeric membranes, with regards to membrane structural configurations in relation to the membrane structure-performance relationships. It has been deduced that (i) the right combination of membrane surface characteristics and adsorbate solution chemistry is necessary for an open UF membrane to display reasonable removal efficiencies for low molecular-weight solutes, (ii) the combination of macrovoid-free membrane morphology with good dispersion of O-MWCNTs in the polymer matrix is necessary to realise significant enhancements in the mechanical properties of sulfonated membrane and (iii) formation of a thin sulfonated polyamide layer on top of the hydrophilic PES/SPSf/O-MWCNT support membrane is necessary to achieve high salt selectivity, and allow for the sulfonated TFC NF membrane to be operated at low pressures.
College of Engineering, Science and Technology

碩士
南臺科技大學
光電工程系
107
The formation of p-n junction in a traditional silicon solar cell needs hightemperature process. Recently, polymer/n-Si hybrid solar cells feature the low cost advantage for their simple and low temperature processing therefore it is worthy for further study. In this study, we will replace PEDOT:PSS with CNT-PEDOT:PSS composite to fabricate the CNT-PEDOT:PSS/n-Si heterojunction solar cell. PEDOT:PSS is commonly used as a p-type semiconductor or hole transport layer in the organic solar cell because its high transparency and good conductivity. This study hopes to optimize the characteristics of PEDOT:PSS by the doping of CNT, so that the efficiency of CNT-PEDOT:PSS/n-Si heterojunction solar cell can be further improved. CNT-PEDOT:PSS films were fabricated with mixed of PEDOT:PSS and CNT aqueous solutions by spin coating. In order to optimize the conductivity of CNT-PEDOT:PSS, we first optimized the content of DMSO in PEDOT:PSS, and then followed a systematic study in varying CNT content. The optical and electrical properties of CNT-PEDOT:PSS films were characterized by UV-VIS spectrometry and four point probe, respectively. Finally, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CNT-PEDOT:PSS/n-Si heterojunction solar cell was performed under AM1.5 illumination with a solar simulator. The results show that CNT-PEDOT:PSS composite could effectively enhance the PCE of CNT-PEDOT:PSS/n-Si heterojunction solar cell. The highest PCE of 7.1% is achieved for CNT-PEDOT:PSS/n-Si solar cell with 3% CNT in composite. This value is 47% higher than the PCE of PEDOT:PSS/n-Si solar cell.