| Summary: | This thesis is split into six chapters. The first chapter introduces the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids, surfactants and aqueous solutions and nanoparticles. The second chapter describes the synthesis of two different bisimidazolyl palladium catalysts, the characterisation of these catalysts, particularly the crystal structure, formation of aqua- and halogeno- complexes by NMR spectroscopy and the pKa with varying halide concentration in both Laureth-10 and CTAB and the use of the of these catalysts in both Laureth-10 and CTAB to catalyse the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acid and the pH rate profile in CTAB and in Laureth-10 at a variety of different halide concentrations, the origin of which is identified. The third chapter describes the use of polystyrene-immobilised polypyrrole-palladium nanocomposite catalyst in the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids in aqueous solutions, with a particular interest in the effect of pH and halide addition on the reaction, and that the particles are recoverable and reusable with centrifugation. The fourth chapter describes the use of a paper-immobilised palladium nanoparticle catalyst in the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids in aqueous and ethanolic aqueous solutions, and the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in ethanolic aqueous solutions. The fifth chapter describes the effect of nitric oxide release in the body and the synthesis of CTAB capped gold nanoparticles and their use in the release of nitric oxide from S-Nitrosothiols which will be measured using an NO selective probe. The final chapter is an epilogue in which ideas for future experiments, or plans for experiments that were not accomplished are discussed.
|
|---|
