Synthesis, characterisation and properties of benzenepolycarboxylate metal-orgnanic frameworks

PhD ThesisMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination polymers that extend in one, two or three dimensions, forming networks. These materials need to be strongly bonding metal centres linked by organic ligands to form a geometrically well-defined structure. MOFs are of interest due to our ability to identify some of the principles that govern the design and assembly of the target framework. The careful selection of MOF building blocks such that their properties are retained by the framework can yield unique materials with a host of physical characteristics and applications. The nature of the organic linkers often leads to voids present in the structure; these are usually occupied by guest molecules such as solvent, which need to be removed or exchanged for the MOF to be activated. The design of frameworks that are robust and withstand the desolvation can lead to porous compounds with the ability to adsorb other guest molecules, giving a platform for numerous scientific and industrial applications. This thesis describes the synthesis, the structural characterisation and the study of thermostability and gas adsorption characteristics of MOFs. The structures of compounds of some transition metal ions [Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II)] and some other metals with symmetrical benzenepolycarboxylates (terephthalic, trimesic, pyromellitic and mellitic acid) are described. A detailed adsorption study of one particular compound is presented. The compounds presented were prepared using a variety of methods: solvothermal, hydrothemal, ionothermal, vapour diffusion and solvent diffusion using specially adapted reaction vessels. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic techniques were used for structure determination and characterisation, utilising in-house and synchrotron facilities. Further analysis was carried out using elemental analysis and powder X-ray diffraction to determine overall „bulk‟ sample purity. Thermogravimetric analysis and hot-stage microscopy were used to assess the thermal stability of selected compounds, producing the temperature profile needed for Intelligent Gravimetric Analysis which determined the pore characteristics and potential applications of the compounds. A total of forty-four metal–benzenepolycarboxylate complexes are presented, mostly with transition metals. Nine complexes containing the 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate ligand (terephthalate) (1-9) are reported. This ligand formed complexes with zinc (3,5,6,8), cobalt (2,4), nickel (1), cadmium (7) and copper (9). The structures of the compounds include one-dimensional chains (1,2), two-dimensional sheets (3-6) and three-dimensional coordinated frameworks (7-9). Twelve complexes containing the 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate ligand (trimesate) (10-21) are reported. This ligand formed complexes with zinc (11,12,17), cobalt (14,18), nickel (13), cadmium (15,16) and manganese (19,10,21). The structures of the compounds include two-dimensional sheets (10-12,16) and three-dimensional coordinated frameworks (17-21). Fifteen complexes containing the 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate ligand (pyromellitate) (22-36) are reported. This ligand formed complexes with zinc (32,33,36), cobalt (22,25,34,35), nickel (26), cadmium (27,28,31), copper (23,24,29) and the alkali metal potassium (34). The structures of the compounds include two-dimensional sheets (22-27) and three-dimensional coordinated frameworks (28-36). Eight complexes containing the fully substituted 1,2,3,4,5,6-benzenehexacarboxylate ligand (mellitate) (37-44) are reported. This ligand formed complexes with cobalt (41), nickel (37,38), cadmium (42,43), copper (39,40,44). The structures of the compounds include one-dimensional chains (37), two-dimensional sheets (39,41,42) and three-dimensional coordinated frameworks (38,40,43,44). The adsorption characteristics of the porous MOF NEW105 (compound 17) were studied. N2 and CO2 adsorption at low temperatures gave a pore volume that was much lower than the value calculated from the crystallographic data. Virial analysis of the CO2 isotherm confirmed interactions that are equivalent to ultra-nanoporous materials, indicating that the structure has undergone a structural rearrangement. Further kinetic analysis of gas adsorption isotherms of CO2, N2 and O2 showed the new nanoporous material was capable of kinetic molecular sieving of gases, a process observed only once before in MOFs. The Adsorption studies were carried out by Northern Carbon Research Laboratories; M. Thomas, J. Bell and J. Armstrong

The Postharvest Education Foundation’s role in reducing postharvest losses: Poster

The Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF) was founded to address postharvest losses through education and training. Postharvest expertisewas identified as a key weakness in many developing countries. The PEF provides innovative programs that motivate and empower people to reduce food losses and waste. At the heart of the PEF is a structured e-learning program that provides a practical curriculum to address the causes of postharvest losses, as well as methods to minimize these losses for horticultural crops and staple foods. E-learning is an efficient and cost-effective way to reach interested parties globally, and keeping costs low enables PEF to train and mentor a large number of candidates in developing countries. The curriculum entails several assignments and participants can conduct these assignments on a crop of their choice, making the training relevant to their situations. Most of the 154 people who have completed the program have in turn trained hundreds of farmers, traders and marketers in their own regions inhandling fresh produce, crop storage, and food processing, thereby delivering maximum impact with minimum input. In addition to its e-learning program, the PEF provides education on improved technical practices along the postharvest chain and on extension education. This training includes a wide range of topics from measuring postharvestlosses to designing demonstrations on storage, pest management, packaging and temperature management, from building and using low cost cold storage systems to calculating return on investment of changes in handling practices. The PEF also provides advice on designing postharvest training and service centers. This information is available on the organization’s website. In addition, mentoring is provided through social media sites, continuing with the philosophy of providing distance education and training.The Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF) was founded to address postharvest losses through education and training. Postharvest expertisewas identified as a key weakness in many developing countries. The PEF provides innovative programs that motivate and empower people to reduce food losses and waste. At the heart of the PEF is a structured e-learning program that provides a practical curriculum to address the causes of postharvest losses, as well as methods to minimize these losses for horticultural crops and staple foods. E-learning is an efficient and cost-effective way to reach interested parties globally, and keeping costs low enables PEF to train and mentor a large number of candidates in developing countries. The curriculum entails several assignments and participants can conduct these assignments on a crop of their choice, making the training relevant to their situations. Most of the 154 people who have completed the program have in turn trained hundreds of farmers, traders and marketers in their own regions inhandling fresh produce, crop storage, and food processing, thereby delivering maximum impact with minimum input. In addition to its e-learning program, the PEF provides education on improved technical practices along the postharvest chain and on extension education. This training includes a wide range of topics from measuring postharvestlosses to designing demonstrations on storage, pest management, packaging and temperature management, from building and using low cost cold storage systems to calculating return on investment of changes in handling practices. The PEF also provides advice on designing postharvest training and service centers. This information is available on the organization’s website. In addition, mentoring is provided through social media sites, continuing with the philosophy of providing distance education and training

Lions and Tigers and Bison, Oh My! Adventures in Developing Experiential Learning Opportunities

During a Fall 2018 sabbatical, Nancy Holcroft, professor, Biology, developed experiential learning opportunities for JCCC students through two projects. The first project involved the creation of a dual-listed JCCC Honors/Science Special Topics biology course based on the National Collegiate Honors Council’s “Partners in the Parks” model. This course, to be offered in Spring 2020, will allow JCCC students to explore first-hand the biodiversity of the Black Hills and Badlands regions of South Dakota. In the second project, Holcroft performed servicelearning at Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory and Education Center in Louisburg, Kansas, in preparation for offering service-learning contracts in her JCCC General Zoology and Biology of Organisms courses. These experiences are summarized herein, including a comprehensive sabbatical summary, the draft course outline for the new Special Topics course, service-learning journals and summary evaluation, and a Cedar Cove service-learning white paper written for students considering service-learning at that facility

Volunteering for INSPIRE : the AGI experience.

The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) is the UK volunteer membership body for everyone with an interest in geographic information. It serves members from all sectors including public, private, the third sector, academia, students and individuals. This paper describes how a voluntary organisation with very limited funds, and representing a wide cross section of the industry, has made – and is continuing to make – a significant contribution to the development of the INSPIRE Directive. It includes a summary of how AGI has supported the Directive, documenting the validity, the experience and the lessons learnt. Both AGI and INSPIRE seek to ‘maximise the use of geographic information for the benefit of the citizen, good governance and commerce.' AGI has been actively engaged from the first stages of the INSPIRE programme. It has responded to all consultations from the EC as well as those from the UK. This has been achieved by volunteers from across the UK and particularly those in the Devolved Administrations such as Scotland. AGI set up an Action Working Group in 2007 which tracked the Transposition stage and is now ensuring that AGI contributes to the Implementation phase. The AGI’s Scottish committee prepared a report to encourage the Scottish Government to act. This led to the publication of ‘One Scotland - One Geography’ in 2005 which is regarded as a model for other countries to follow. AGI is represented by its Director on the UK Location Council – responsible for the UK Location Strategy and oversight of the UK Location Programme – where it provides a focus for commercial, academic and third sector organisations. AGI has provided direct help for awareness events and technical workshops as well as organising an annual conference that always has INSPIRE or Location Programme ‘streams’

Mealiness of Forelle pears - Quo vadis

The original publication is available at http://www.actahort.org/books/671/671_52.htm‘Forelle’ (Pyrus communis), a late season blushed pear cultivar grown in South Africa, requires a minimum of 12-weeks cold storage (-0.5 °C) to ripen evenly. Mealiness, a dry texture disorder, may develop at this time. In contrast to other pear cultivars, longer cold storage periods result in less mealiness. This could be related to insufficient total ACC build up and ethylene production, during the first 12 weeks of cold storage, for juicy texture development, during ripening. ‘Forelle’ pears were stored for 3 weeks at -0.5°C, treated with ethylene (100 μL L-1, 24h, 20°C), stored at 20°C for 2 days and thereafter 3 weeks at -0.5°C. Ethylene treatment led to an increase in mealiness after this period. However there were no differences in treated and control fruit following further ripening at 15°C for 7 days. Mealiness could not be linked to insufficient ethylene during shorter storage periods. Harvest maturity, a factor known to influence mealiness, was tested by harvesting fruit 2 weeks prior to commercial harvest, during commercial harvest, and 2 and 4 weeks after commercial harvest. Mealiness occurred at all harvest dates after 6 weeks at -0.5°C and 7 days at 15°C. Storage temperature was also tested as another factor influencing mealiness. Fruit were stored at -0.5°C, 4°C and 7.5°C for 6 weeks and ripened for 7 days at 15°C. Fruit stored at 4°C and 7.5°C ripened with 0 and 8% mealiness, respectively, in contrast to 70% in control fruit. Results could, however, not be confirmed in 2002 and 2003 as all treatments exhibited low mealiness levels (<4%). As high temperatures prior to harvest may influence mealiness, overhead evaporative cooling was applied during 2003 from early fruit development or from 2 weeks prior to harvest. Little to no mealiness developed in all treatments making it difficult to conclude if cooling prior to harvest affects mealiness

Choice! NZ contemporary art

New Zealand was once described as ‘a country with no momentous present, but with a future’. Its geographical remoteness from the rest of the world continues to be a thought at the back of the minds of its countrymen, but enough time has passed for it to be less of a hang up now: remoteness is its own virtue, as its artists and writers have pointed out. In this new exhibition, twenty New Zealand artists have been invited to exhibit in an exhibition called “Choice!” The exhibition’s title is a play on the exclaimative slang word synonymous with “Awesome!” Its tone is celebratory and affirmative. The art has journeyed from many places and has come in varying shapes and sizes. Many pieces have been mailed to Melbourne and resemble bulky postcards from home

The other side

Exhibition Judges: Prof. Andrew Sibley , Julian Holcroft, Lecturer, Monash Wendy Garden , Curator of Maroondah Art Galler