Over the past few decades, mankind has observed an unprecedented and remarkable growth in industry, resulting in a more prosperous lifestyle for peoples of many countries. In developing countries, however, explosive industrial growth is just now beginning to raise the living standards of the people. Most industries, especially in these developing countries, are still powered by the burning of fossil fuels; con- quently, a lack of clean energy resources has caused environmental pollution on an unprecedented large and global scale. Toxic wastes have been relentlessly released into the air and water leading to serious and devastating environmental and health problems while endangering the planet and life itself with the effects of global warming. To address these urgent environmental issues, new catalytic and photocatalytic processes as well as open-atmospheric systems are presently being developed that can operate at room temperature while being totally clean and ef?cient and thus environmentally harmonious. Essential to technologies harnessing the abundant solar energy that reaches the earth are the highly functional photocatalytic proce- es that can utilize not only UV light, but also visible light.

The series Topics in Organometallic Chemistry presents critical overviews of research results in organometallic chemistry. As our understanding of organometallic structure, properties and mechanisms increases, new ways are opened for the design of organometallic compounds and reactions tailored to the needs of such diverse areas as organic synthesis, medical research, biology and materials science. Thus the scope of coverage includes a broad range of topics in pure and applied organometallic chemistry, where new breakthroughs are being achieved that are of significance to a larger scientific audience. The individual volumes of Topics in Organometallic Chemistry are thematic. Review articles are generally invited by the volume editors.

Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This thesis reports the discovery of metal nanoparticles having new structures that do not exist in bulk state and that exhibit hydrogen storage ability or CO oxidation activity. Research into the reaction of hydrogen with metals has attracted much attention because of potential applications as effective hydrogen storage materials, as permeable films, or as catalysts for hydrogenation. Also, CO oxidation catalysts have been extensively developed because of their importance to CO removal from car exhaust or fuel-cell systems. At the same time, atomic-level (solid solution) alloying has the advantage of being able to continuously control chemical and physical properties of elements by changing compositions and/or combinations of constituent elements. This thesis provides a novel strategy for the basis of inter-elemental fusion to create highly efficient functional materials for energy and material conversions.

Urea-SCR Technology for deNOx After Treatment of Diesel Exhausts presents a complete overview of the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by ammonia/urea. The book starts with an illustration of the technology in the framework of the current context (legislation, market, system configurations), covers the fundamental aspects of the SCR process (catalysts, chemistry, mechanism, kinetics) and analyzes its application to useful topics such as modeling of full scale monolith catalysts, control aspects, ammonia injections systems and integration with other devices for combined removal of pollutants.

In this dissertation, Marie-Hélène Larraufie develops original radical and pallado-catalyzed methodologies to enable the synthesis of several classes of bioactive nitrogen-containing heterocycles. New radical cascades employing the N-acylcyanamide moiety offer straightforward routes to quinazolinones and guanidines, as well as new insights into the mechanism of homolytic aromatic substitutions. In parallel, Larraufie expands the scope of visible light photoredox catalysis to the ring opening of epoxides and aziridines, thus providing new sustainable alternatives for the generation of radicals. Furthermore, in a collaborative effort with the Catellani group, the author investigates dual palladium/norbornene catalysis. First, she develops a C-amination coupling variant of the Catellani reaction with unprotected amines which provides an expeditious route to phenanthridines. Then, she examines the influence of the chelating effect on Pd(IV) intermediates reactivity with the help of experimental studies and DFT calculations. The work in this thesis has resulted in numerous publications in high impact journals.The clarity and depth of the experimental section will be useful for students and researchers working in this field. 

In this thesis, the author describes the total synthesis of natural product Maoecrystal V in detail. In the first part of the thesis, the author introduces the research background and reviews the research progress in total synthesis of Maoecrystal V. In the second part, the author develops a novel and concise approach for the stereo selective construction of the tetracyclic model system of Maoecrystal V. The model system is accomplished in 8 steps with 20% yield. In the third part, the author describes the first successful total synthesis of Maoecrystal V and investigates four strategies for constructing the key tetrahydrofuran oxa-bridge skeleton. The total synthesis starts from a known compound and is accomplished in 17 steps with 1.2% yield. The successful total synthesis of Maoecrystal V will contribute to the development of efficient synthetic strategies for natural products and other compounds with complex structures.

The Role of Metals and Ligands in Organic Hydroformylation, by Luca Gonsalvi, Antonella Guerriero, Eric Monflier, Frédéric Hapiot, Maurizio Peruzzini. Hydroformylation in Aqueous Biphasic Media Assisted by Molecular Receptors, by Frédéric Hapiot, Hervé Bricout, Sébastien Tilloy, Eric Monflier. Asymmetric Hydroformylation, by Bernabé F. Perandones, Cyril Godard, Carmen Claver. Domino Reactions Triggered by Hydroformylation, by Elena Petricci, Elena Cini. Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydroformylation in Fused Azapolycycles Synthesis, by Roberta Settambolo. Hydroformylation in Natural Product Synthesis, by Roderick W. Bates, Sivarajan Kasinathan.

The series Structure and Bonding publishes critical reviews on topics of research concerned with chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience. Thus each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years should be presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. A description of the physical basis of the experimental techniques that have been used to provide the primary data may also be appropriate, if it has not been covered in detail elsewhere. The coverage need not be exhaustive in data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the new principles being developed that will allow the reader, who is not a specialist in the area covered, to understand the data presented. Discussion of possible future research directions in the area is welcomed. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research scientists at universities or in industry, graduate students Special offer For all customers who have a standing order to the print version of Structure and Bonding, we offer free access to the electronic volumes of the Series published in the current year via SpringerLink.

The union of covalent and noncovalent chemistries manifested in the mechanical bond represents one of the great chemical triumphs of the last half century. However, until recently, the preparation of mechanically interlocked compounds has often been an inefficient and limiting process. This thesis provides a detailed account of the great strides taken to increase the synthetic accessibility of donor-acceptor mechanically interlocked molecules by the application of highly efficient and ultra mild chemical transformations during their template-directed synthesis. These new departures in synthesis have indeed played a transformative role in that more complex, higher-order, and functional architectures - once only a dream - are now comfortably within reach. Specifically, the formation of mechanical bonds in higher order rotaxanes and catenanes has become ever easier through the use of highly efficient click chemistries. The resulting mechanically interlocked compounds are functional molecular media for a host of applications including information storage, mechanical actuation, and drug release.

The work presented in Thomas M. Gogsig's thesis deals with the discovery of new metal-catalyzed transformations ranging from Kumada-, Heck- and Suzuki-type reactions. The thesis starts with a formidable introduction to Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. New results have been obtained on: (i) Pd-catalyzed 1,2-migration reactions, (ii) Pd-catalyzed Heck reactions employing heteroaromatic tosylates, (iii) Ni-catalyzed Heck reactions, and (iv) Pd-catalyzed carbonylative Heck reaction. Metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions are today a highly competititve field (the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis", the 2001 and 2005 Nobel Prizes in closely related fields). Thomas M. Gogsig obtained new results in his thesis that will help to improve the outcome of catalytic processes and improve their scope. The results will thus become key references for tomorrow's new applications. All chapters include insightful discussions and in-depth descriptions of the key principles of these new discoveries.

This book examines the meso- and nanoscopic aspects of fluid adsorption in porous solids using a non-invasive method of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Starting with a brief summary of the basic assumptions and results of the theory of small-angle scattering from porous media, the author focuses on the practical aspects and methodology of the ambient and high pressure SANS and SAXS experiments and corresponding data analysis. It is illustrated with results of studies of the vapor and supercritical fluid adsorption in porous materials published during the last decade, obtained both for man-made materials (e.g. porous fractal silica, Vycor glass, activated carbon) and geological samples (e.g. sandstones, shales and coal). In order to serve the needs of broad readership, the results are presented in the relevant context (e.g. petroleum exploration, anthropogenic carbon capture and sequestration, ion adsorption in supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, etc.).

Over the past twenty years, Catalysis by Heteropolyacids (HPAs) has received wide attention and led to new and promising developments both at academic and industrial level. In particular, heterogeneous catalysis is particularly attractive because it generally satisfies most of green chemistry's requirements. By emphasizing the development of third generation catalysts, this volume presents trends and opportunities in academic and industrial research. The book appeals to postgraduates, researchers, and chemists working in the field of environmentally benign catalysts as well as catalytic processes.

Bruce Yoder's thesis outlines his investigation of the dissociative chemisorption of methane (CH4) on a nickel single crystal. In this work Bruce uses a molecular beam and infrared laser techniques to prepare methane in excited rovibrational states. The excited methane molecules are aligned relative to the target nickel surface. Bruce describes the discovery and exploration of a previously unknown steric effect in the dissociation reaction between a vibrationally excited methane molecule and a nickel crystal. From these studies we see that methane molecules are up to twice as reactive when the vibration is aligned parallel rather than perpendicular to the surface. This discovery will help guide the development of detailed predictive models of methane chemisorption, which in turn may lead to better catalysts for the synthesis of several industrially relevant chemicals, including hydrogen fuel from natural gas.

Manuel Kroiss examines the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells using machine learning methods. This work is based on experiments focusing on the lineage choice of CMPs, the progenitors of HSCs, which either become MEP or GMP cells. The author presents a novel approach to distinguish MEP from GMP cells using machine learning on morphology features extracted from bright field images. He tests the performance of different models and focuses on Recurrent Neural Networks with the latest advances from the field of deep learning. Two different improvements to recurrent networks were tested: Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) cells that are able to remember information over long periods of time, and dropout regularization to prevent overfitting. With his method, Manuel Kroiss considerably outperforms standard machine learning methods without time information like Random Forests and Support Vector Machines.

This brief presents the state of the art on enzymatic synthesis of structured triglycerides and diglycerides, focusing on glycerol as the substrate and covering interesterification of vegetable oils in one and two steps. It critically reviews the available literature on enzymatic and chemo-enzymatic synthesis of di- and triglycerides in one or more steps. The effects of the structure, length and unsaturation of the fatty acids are carefully considered, as well as the inhibitory potential of highly unsaturated complex fatty acid structures. The brief also addresses acyl migration and the use of adsorbents, taking into account the most recent literature and presenting the problem in an industrial context. It discusses experimental and analytical problems concerning, e.g. the lab scale and the scaling up to bench and pilot plants. Several examples are presented, and their successes and failures are assessed. Biocatalysts based on lipases are analyzed with regard to problems of immobilization, stability on storage time and activity after multiple uses. The need for specific Sn-2 lipases is presented and strategies for optimizing Sn-2 esterification are discussed. Lastly, practical aspects are examined, e.g. lipase "leaching" with loss of activity, taking into account the latest findings on continuous and batch reactor configurations and presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Most chemical reactions in industry and biology are catalytic and play a role at some stage of the processing of about 80% of the goods manufactured in the U.S., yet catalysis is a neglected subject in chemical education. The fragmentary treatment accorded the topic until now is integrated. It covers, in a unified way, catalysis in solutions, by enzymes, in synthetic polymers within the molecular scale cages of zeolites and other molecular sieves, and on surfaces of inorganic solids. The central ideas are chemical; principles are illustrated by emphasizing industrial reactions and catalysts.

This thesis addresses two fundamental areas in contemporary organic chemistry: synthesis of natural products and catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Firstly, a new methodology, developed by our research group, which allows the asymmetric synthesis of lactones, a structural unit ubiquitous in natural products, was utilised in the synthesis of a number of natural product analogues that showed significant biological activity. Secondly, the development of a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a key structural motif present in a number of natural products and pharmaceuticals was accomplished. During the course of this work we discovered dual stereo control, which is significant because it allows the configuration of a new stereo centre to be controlled by a simple change of proton source.

This book highlights major achievements made in the last five years concerning sustainable C(sp3)-H bond functionalization and offers a promising and emerging tool-kit for organic synthesis. The book is divided into three chapters demonstrating key advances in C(sp3)-H bond functionalization. Chapter 1 reviews transition-metal-catalyzed C(sp3)-H bond functionalization using different directing groups, while Chapter 2 addresses the new methods of transition-metal-catalyzed and metal-free C(sp3)-H bond functionalization without directing groups, in addition to briefly highlighting redox-neutral C(sp3)-H bond functionalization. In closing, Chapter 3 examines visible-light photoredox catalysis, an emerging and highly sustainable C(sp3)-H bond functionalization strategy. The book offers an intriguing and useful reference guide for a broad readership working and/or interested in the fields of organic, organometallic, and green chemistry.

This compilation provides advanced graduate students and researchers with a structured overview of olefin polymerization. Divided into eight chapters written by international experts, this book covers polymerization using various organotransition-metal catalysts, including early and late transition metal complexes, new trends in olefin oligomerization and related reactions. All authors address the historic and scientific backgrounds of the field as well as current research progress and potential for further research. The complete book is designed to present eight independent lectures and, because all authors are well versed in organometallic chemistry, each is based on a profound understanding of the reactions and structures of organotransition metal complexes. This book is an ideal accompaniment for researchers taking courses in olefin polymerization and also serves as a valuable resource for teachers and lecturers of chemistry when planning and researching material for advanced lecture courses.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

This book is devoted to the new development of zeolitic catalysts with an emphasis on new strategies for the preparation of zeolites, novel techniques for their characterization and emerging applications of zeolites as catalysts for sustainable chemistry, especially in the fields of energy, biomass conversion and environmental protection. Over the years, energy and the environment have become the most important global issues, while zeolitic catalysts play important roles in addressing them. With individual chapters written by leading experts, this book offers an essential reference work for researchers and professionals in both academia and industry. Feng-Shou Xiao is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, China. Xiangju Meng is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, China.

This book underscores the essential principles of photocatalysis and provides an update on its scientific foundations, research advances, and current opinions, and interpretations. It consists of an introduction to the concepts that form the backbone of photocatalysis, from the principles of solid-state chemistry and physics to the role of reactive oxidizing species. Having recognised the organic link with chemical kinetics, part of the book describes kinetic concepts as they apply to photocatalysis. The dependence of rate on the reaction conditions and parameters is detailed, the retrospective and prospective aspects of the mechanism of photocatalysis are highlighted, and the adsorption models, photocatalytic rate expressions, and kinetic disguises are examined. This book also discusses the structure, property, and activity relationship of prototypical semiconductor photocatalysts and reviews how to extend their spectral absorption to the visible region to enable the effective use of visible solar spectrum. Lastly, it presents strategies for deriving substantially improved photoactivity from semiconductor materials to support the latest applications and potential trends.

This book presents wet chemical sol-gel and hydrothermal methods for 1D oxide nanostructure preparation. These methods represent an attractive route to multifunctional nanomaterials synthesis, as they are versatile, inexpensive and, thus, appropriate for obtaining a wide range of oxide materials with tailored morphology and properties. Three specific oxides (SiO2, TiO2, ZnO) are discussed in detail in order to illustrate the principle of the sol-gel and hydrothermal preparation of 1D oxide nanostructures. Other oxides synthesized via this method are also briefly presented. Throughout the book, the correlation between the tubular structure and the physico-chemical properties of these materials is highlighted. 1D oxide nanostructures exhibit interesting optical and electrical properties, due to their confined morphology. In addition, a well-defined geometry can be associated with chemically active species. For example, the pure SiO2 nanotubes presented a slight photocatalytic activity, while the Pt-doped SiO2 tubular materials act as microreactors in catalytic reactions. In the case of titania and titanate nanotubes, large specific surface area and pore volume, ion-exchange ability, enhanced light absorption, and fast electron-transport capability have attracted significant research interest. The chemical and physical modifications (microwave assisted hydrothermal methods) discussed here improve the formation kinetics of the nanotubes. The ZnO nanorods/tubes were prepared as random particles or as large areas of small, oriented 1D ZnO nanostructures on a variety of substrates. In the latter case a sol-gel layer is deposited on the substrate prior to the hydrothermal preparation. Using appropriate dopants, coatings of ZnO nanorods with controlled electrical behavior can be obtained.