Interdisciplinary Approaches to New Chemical Analysis

The primary focus of this dissertation is the development of new chemical analyses for inorganic, organic, and organometallic compounds. Interdisciplinary approaches combining analytical, polymer, inorganic, organic, and materials chemistry have been used to develop new analytical methods. Topics discussed in this dissertation include the development of a sol-gel based metal ion sensor, photochemical oxidation of a biomimetic Cr(III) complex, photochemical oxidation of organic ligands and other interferences in model Pd catalyst complexes, modified Fujiwara reactions for the detection of halogenated hydrocarbons, and the development of a controlled-release polymer for delivery of reagents needed for chemical sensing applications.