As nickel and platinum are in the same group of the periodic table, the Ni(111) and Pt(111) surfaces may be expected to show similar interaction with water and hydrogen. However in this thesis, we... Show moreAs nickel and platinum are in the same group of the periodic table, the Ni(111) and Pt(111) surfaces may be expected to show similar interaction with water and hydrogen. However in this thesis, we show these interactions for Ni(111) are quite different from those of Pt(111). Moreover, our results show that the Ni(111) surface is a unique surface with regards to its chemistry of water and hydrogen. Show less
Described in this thesis are the investigations into the chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands and transition-metal complexes thereof. Specifically, a variety of N-heterocyclic carbene... Show moreDescribed in this thesis are the investigations into the chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands and transition-metal complexes thereof. Specifically, a variety of N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of nickel were prepared, characterized and used as catalysts in three types of homogeneous catalytic processes. First, nickel(II) complexes of monodentate NHC ligands were successfully used as catalysts in the hydrosilylation of internal alkynes. Second, nickel(II) complexes bearing bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligands or functionalized NHC ligands were shown to be highly effective in the Kumada coupling of aryl halides with aryl Grignard reagents. In addition, the nickel-catalyzed Kumada coupling was investigated using quantum-chemical calculations. Finally, all three types of nickel complex were tested for their catalytic activity in the vinyl polymerization of norbornene. Furthermore, a silv er(I) NHC complex was isolated, characterized and used in the preparation of a nickel(II) NHC complex. Show less
