Chemistry thesis and dissertation collection
The School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh is the top rated for teaching and research in Scotland.
Presented here is a selection of research from the School
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Recent Submissions
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Synthesis of s-Tetrazines for biomedical applications
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Tetrazines are aromatic six-membered heterocycles, containing four nitrogen atoms that can react as dienes in inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder (IEDDA) reactions leading to the formation of pyridazines. Owing to their ... -
Synthesis of optical probes for the visualization of human neutrophil elastase
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Optical medical imaging is a new technology that uses light to improve clinical processes such as disease diagnosis and tumour margin delineation. It has the potential to produce high-resolution images in real-time, with ... -
Probing SMM behaviour in Heterometallic 3/4d-4f Complexes
(The University of Edinburgh, 209-11-28)In recent years the field of molecular magnetism has focused its attention on creating novel magnetic molecules that can retain their magnetisation in the absence of a magnetic field, below a blocking temperature. These ... -
Iron and titanium amino-phenolate complexes in controlled alkene polymerisation
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Transition metals have long been used as both catalysts and mediators in the polymerisation of many monomers. This thesis explores the use of iron and titanium amino-phenolate complexes as mediators in the polymerisation ... -
Novel microporous polymers for gas separation membranes
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) owe their microporosity to their rigid and contorted structure which prevents efficient space packing. Their microporosity and processability make them attractive for many ... -
Behaviour of intermolecular interactions at extreme pressures
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)In organic solids, pressures of only a few gigapascals modify and rearrange intermolecular contacts such as H-bonds and van der Waals contacts leading to extensive phase diversity. Applications in this rich area of ... -
Disilenes, silylenes and silyl anions fundamentals and catalysis
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Disilenes, silylenes and silyl anions are examples of compounds with silicon in oxidation state +II. They are fundamentally interesting due to their analogy with common, reactive organic compounds and intermediates, such ... -
Bimetallic uranium and cerium tetraphenolate complexes for the activation and functionalisation of small molecules
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)thesis describes the synthesis of bimetallic f-element complexes of meta-functionalised tetraphenol arene ligands, (mTP), and their reactivity, primarily towards small molecular substrates such as dinitrogen. Chapter ... -
Theoretical modelling of ultrafast photodynamics
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)This thesis presents detailed electronic structure calculations and mixed quantum-classical dynamics simulations of the photodynamics of two small polyatomic molecules using "on-the-fly" surface-hopping. Most of the ... -
Prodrugs activated by implantable microsystems
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)The need to improve selectivity in cancer therapies has driven much research into the design and methods of activation of prodrugs. These are primarily reliant on biological processes that are present ubiquitously in ... -
Biomimetic synthesis of brevianamide alkaloids
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)The brevianamides are a family of fungal derived prenylated indole alkaloids. Their range of complex structures are accompanied by a diverse array of biological activity. The brevianamides were the first reported examples ... -
Synthesis and reactivity of low valent main-group compounds
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Low-valent, low-coordinate or multiply bonded main group compounds are of interest for their reactivity. Properties usually observed for transition metals, such as small molecule activation, are possible for these classes ... -
Study of bismuth-based perovskite-like materials for solar cell and supercapacitor applications
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Low-cost, stable and solution-processable materials have attracted significant research interest for their green and economical applications in solar energy harvesting and energy storage. The rapid emergence of lead-halide ... -
Application of boronate complexes in Earth-abundant metal catalysis
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-11-28)Catalysis by Earth-abundant transition metals represents one of the most promising avenues towards a sustainable, environmentally-benign bulk and fine chemical industry. Increasing effort has been applied to the development ... -
Developments in reaction monitoring by NMR
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)NMR is a highly informative non-destructive technique which is why it is so commonly used. However, for the purposes of reaction kinetics there are limitations of the rate at which data can be obtained. There are two ... -
Integrated platform for the accelerated engineering of microorganisms: application to industrial bioprocessing
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)Due to climate change and uncertainties in global fuel prices, there is a need to adopt biomass derived feed stocks for sustainable manufacturing of fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. As a result, many major industrial ... -
Polymeric Frustrated Lewis Pairs
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) chemistry is a significant and growing field since it offers a novel non-metal catalyst for hydrogenation and small molecule activation. Once it was discovered, different FLPs with varying ... -
Activation and catalytic transformation of carbon oxygenates by uranium, yttrium and palladium complexes
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)In recent years the use of renewable feedstocks, instead of fossil fuels, for the production of industrially important chemicals has drawn increasing attention. An interesting aspect of moving towards low-carbon technologies ... -
Polymers, proteins and cells
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)Biopolymers such as proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides are essential components in living systems and enabling the modification and modulation of various cellular functions and cellular behaviour. Many synthetic ... -
Understanding the modes of action of solvent extraction reagents
(The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)Chapter 1 consists of a review of solvent extraction of metals, primarily focused on the fundamental chemical processes involved in the technique, and techniques previously applied to the elucidation of extraction ...