L'objectif de cette thèse est le développement de nouveaux échangeurs d'anions à base d’ionosilices. Différents matériaux contenant des entités ammoniums ont été synthétisés par la procédure d'hydrolyse-polycondensation à partir de précurseurs silylés d'ammonium. Ces solides, présentant différentes textures, différentes architectures ou des morphologies ont été obtenus en faisant varier des paramètres de réaction, comme par exemple la nature du tensioactif utilisé. Outre les caractérisations structurales et texturales (adsorption-désorption d’azote, DRX, MET / MEB), nous nous sommes concentrés sur les analyses plus détaillée des propriétés physico-chimiques de ces ionosilices. En particulier, elles présentent une contribution hydrophile élevée par rapport aux silices mésoporeuses classiques ou les organosilices du type PMO (Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica). En outre, ces propriétés interfaciales d’hydrophilie peuvent être modulées soit par l'utilisation de différents précurseurs d'ammonium, soit par l'incorporation par échange d'anions hydrophobes. Enfin, nous avons utilisé ces nouveaux matériaux pour la rétention d’espèces anioniques en milieu aqueux. Nos études montrent que ces ionosilices sont des échangeurs d'anions très efficaces présentant une capacité d'adsorption de Cr (VI) élevée (jusqu’à 2.5 mmol g-1). Ces matériaux possèdent également une capacité d’adsorption d’iodure élevée combinée à une bonne stabilité radiolytique pour des applications de rétention de radionucléides. Des résultats similaires ont été obtenus pour des polluants organiques anioniques tels que les principes actifs (le diclofénac, le sulindac et le p-aminosalicylate) ou des colorants (méthyl orange). Outre le grand potentiel d’application de ces matériaux dans les procédés de séparation, cette étude donne un aperçu intéressant de la morphologie des matériaux grâce à l'accessibilité presque complète des sites cationiques. Toutes ces caractéristiques font de ces matériaux des systèmes de choix pour les applications dans le traitement de l’eau polluée, le stockage à long terme des déchets radioactifs et en tant que support de catalyseur. / The objective of this thesis is the development of new anion exchangers based on ionosilica materials. Various materials containing ammonium groups were synthesized by template directed hydrolysis-polycondensation reactions starting from silylated ammonium precursors. Solids displaying different textures, architectures and morphologies were obtained via the modifications of reaction parameters, such as the nature of the used surfactant. Besides the standard structural and textural characterizations (N2 adsorption, XRD, TEM / SEM), we focused on a more detailed physico-chemical analysis of these original and innovative materials. Ionosilicas show an unusually high hydrophilicity compared to classical mesoporous silica or organosilicas of the PMO-type (Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica). Furthermore, the hydrophilicity of ionosilicas can be finely tuned either by the use of various ammonium precursors or the incorporation via exchange of hydrophobic anions. Finally, we used these new anion exchangers for the removal of various anionic species in aqueous media. Our studies show that ionosilicas are highly efficient anion exchanger displaying high capacity for the adsorption of Cr (VI) (up to 2.5 mmol g-1). These materials exhibit also high capacity of iodide combined with high radiolytic stability for radionuclides uptake. Similar results were obtained for organic anionic pollutants, e.g. drugs (diclofénac, sulindac and p-aminosalicylate) and dyes (methyl orange). Besides the high potential of these materials in separation processes, this study gives interesting insights in the materials morphology through the nearly complete accessibility of the cationic sites. All these features make ionosilicas materials of choice for solid-liquid separation processes in water treatment, depollution of industrial wastewater, the nuclear fuel cycle or catalytic support.

Un grand nombre de 3,4-bisindolylmaléimides possède une activité inhibitrice des protéine-kinases. Les 3-isothiazolone-1,(1)-(di)oxydes pouvant être considérées comme des analogues de la maléimide, la fonctionalisation des 5-chloro- et 4,5-dichloro-3-isothiazolone 1,(1)-(di)oxydes par des réactions de couplage palladocatalysé de Suzuki-Miyaura, permet d'accéder aux analogues “thia” des 3,4-bisindolylmaléimides. La synthèse de sulfonamides primaires tels que les dérivés 4-(hétéro)aryl substitués du benzènesulfonamide comme inhibiteurs potentiels de l'anhydrase carbonique, a également été envisagée dans ce travail.Une collection de matériaux hybrides constitués de nanoparticules de palladium adsorbées sur des nanostructures de carbone a été préparée et testée dans des réactions de couplages palladocatalysés, comme catalyseurs en milieu hétérogène. Le plus efficace d'entre eux, associant des nanoparticules de palladium stabilisées par le dodécanethiol et adsorbées sur des nanotubes de carbones “multi-walled”, a été employé afin de préparer vingt-quatre nouveaux dérivés 4-(hétéro)aryl substitués du benzènesulfonamide. L'échec de l'utilisation de ce catalyseur dans les reactions de fonctionalisation des isothiazolone-1,(1)-(di)oxydes nous a contraints à employer un catalyseur plus conventionnel, le PdCl2(dppf)•CH2Cl2.Le dernier volet de ce projet visait à concevoir des catalyseurs à base de nanoparticules de palladium encapsulées dans des nanofibres de carbone “grafitisées” (nanoréacteurs). Une série de nanoréacteurs a pu être préparée et nous avons étudié l'effet du confinement généré à l'intérieur de la nanofibre, sur la réaction palladocatalysée de Suzuki-Miyaura. / 3,4-bisindolylmaleimides possess an inhibitory activity against protein kinase. Because 3-isothiazolone-1,(1)-(di)oxide can be considered as maleimide analog, 5-chloro and 4,5-dichloro-3-isothiazolone-1,(1)-(di)oxide were functionalised using a palladium-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction achieving the “thia” analogs of 3,4-bisindolylmaleimides. We were also interested in the preparation primary sulfonamides such as 4-(hetero)aryl substituted benzenesulfonamides as carbonic anhydrases inhibitors.A series of hybrid materials comprising palladium nanoparticles adsorbed on carbon nanostructures has been prepared and tested as heterogeneous catalysts of palladium-mediated cross-coupling reactions. The best catalyst, resulting in palladium nanoparticles stabilised by dodecanethiol adsorbed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes, was employed in Suzuki-Miyaura reactions for the preparation of twenty-four new 4-(hetero)aryl substituted benzenesulfonamides. As this catalyst failed in the functionalisation of isothiazolone-1,(1)-(di)oxides, this latter was realised using a more conventional catalyst, PdCl2(dppf)•CH2Cl2.A last part of the project aimed to the conception of catalysts made of palladium nanoparticles encapsulated in graphitised carbon nanofibres (nanoreactors). We prepared a series of nanoreactors and we studied the effect of the confinement inside the nanofibre channel on the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.

Shape and size control as well as the control of the assembly of nanostructures are current challenges in nano sciences. Focussing on metal nanostructures all of these aspects have been addressed in the frame of the present work. It was possible to develop a new aqueous seeded growth method that produces gold nanoparticles with adjustable diameters over a large range of sizes. The spherical particles obtained show very low polydispersities and a good long term stability. Furthermore it was possible to reveal the growth mechanism of these particles utilizing electron microscopy and optical investigations coupled with theoretical calculations. It was found that there is a formation of small nucleation sites on the surface of the seeds in the beginning of the growth process. These sites then subsequently grow into "blackberry-like" intermediate particles. A final intraparticle ripening step leads to smooth and uniform spherical gold nanoparticles. By correcting the dielectric function of gold for charging and the free mean path effect and taking into account the particle size distribution it was possible to accurately model the optical properties of the gold sols obtained using Mie theory. By controlling the concentration of chloride ions it was possible to influence both the ripening of the "blackberry-like" shaped particles and the morphology of gold nanoparticles. An increased concentration of the chloride ions in the standard citrate reduction procedure leads to larger and elongated particles, whereas the complete removal of the chloride ions made it possible to obtain star shaped, decahedral and \"desert-rose\" shaped particle morphologies. Using the layer-by-layer technique gold nanoparticles of different sizes could be immobilized on glass substrates. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering intensity of these mixed films were about 60% higher than compared to a film made of a single particle size. The optical properties were further investigated by comparing experimentally obtained UV/Vis spectra with generalized Mie theory simulations. Additionally it could be shown that tetrazole and its derivatives are suitable stabilizing agents in the aqueous synthesis of silver nanoparticles. It was found that depending on the tetrazole derivative used the tendencies of the nanoparticles to agglomerate vary significantly. Different agglomeration stages have been investigated by UV/Vis and Raman spectroscopy. The removal of the ligands used and a resulting improvement of the applicability of the silver nanostructures as SERS substrates is still a challenge. In the last part of this work the focus was changed from the optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles to their catalytic properties. Therefore gold and palladium nanoparticles have been successfully immobilized on highly porous zinc oxide aerogels. It was possible to synthesize sponge-, flake-, and ribbon-like zinc oxide gels with high specific surface areas. The facile approach of generating mixed metal oxide/noble metal aerogels is very promising for the preparation of highly selective and highly active heterogenous catalysts. First catalytic investigations of a sponge-like palladium loaded zinc oxide aerogel toward the semi-hydrogenation of acetylene showed very high selectivities of up to 85%.

Les travaux de thèse présentés dans ce manuscrit portent essentiellement sur la préparation, le criblage et l’utilisation des catalyseurs hétérogènes à base de polysaccharides. L’objectif principal du projet de thèse a plus particulièrement consisté à évaluer deux polysaccharides : les alginates et le chitosane en tant que supports renouvelables pour la catalyse hétérogène. Ces deux types de polysaccharides ont des structures et des propriétés physico-chimiques très différentes : les alginates sont connus pour être de bons complexants de métaux di ou trivalents de par la présence des fonctions carboxylates dans leur matrice, le chitosane résulte quant à lui de l’assemblage d’unités N-glucosamine pouvant être facilement modifiées chimiquement.Dans un premier temps, nos travaux ont essentiellement portés sur des catalyseurs bimétalliques Mn+ Pd supportés sur alginate dont nous avons évalué l’activité catalytique dans les réactions de couplage C—C de Mizoroki-Heck, Sonogashira et Suzuki-Miyaura. D’une manière générale, seuls les catalyseurs à base de nanoparticules de palladium ont montré une réactivité intéressante pour la catalyse de la réaction de Suzuki-Miyaura. Par la suite, nous avons également étudié les réactions d’oxydations d’alcools catalysées par du palladium (II) complexé à l’alginate. Cette étude nous a permis d’identifier deux catalyseurs actifs vis-à-vis de l’oxydation d’alcools allyliques et benzyliques.Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons développé de nouveaux ligands de type NHC en vue de les greffer sur la matrice chitosane : un ligand NHC pour les réactions de métathèse d’oléfines, et plusieurs ligands NHC de type pincer CNC pour les réactions de couplage C—C dans l’eau. Bien que les performances catalytiques des systèmes hétérogènes correspondant soient limitées, ces travaux ont conduit à l’élaboration de nouveaux ligands amphiphiles construits autour d’un noyau pyrazine porteurs de quatre ligands carbéniques. Après complexation de métaux tels que le palladium ou l’or, ces systèmes conduisent à des nanocatalyseurs ayant des performances catalytiques intéressantes. Enfin, dans un troisième temps, nous avons développé une nouvelle réaction de cyanation décarboxylante pallado-catalysée permettant de transformer en une étape des acides carboxyliques aromatiques en benzonitriles correspondants. Outre son intérêt synthétique, cette réaction présente un grand intérêt pour le marquage isotopique. / This work describes the preparation, screening and use of heterogeneous catalysts based on polysaccharides. The main goal of our project was to evaluate two polysaccharides: alginates and chitosan as renewable supports for heterogeneous catalysis.Alginates are known to form gels with most di- and multivalent cations due to the presence of the carboxylate functions of their matrix. And chitosan is an attractive polysaccharide for application in catalysis owing to the presence of readily functionalizable amino group and its insolubility in organic solvents.First, our work focused on evaluating the catalytic activity of bimetallic Mn+-Pd catalysts supported on alginate in C—C coupling reactions. Among them, one system demonstrated remarkable catalytic properties for the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. Then, the oxidation of alcohols catalyzed by Alginate-Mn+-Pd2+ catalyst was investigated. Two catalysts demonstrated good activity for oxidation of benzylic and allylic alcohol.In a second time, we developed new NHC ligands in order to anchor them on chitosan: two new NHC ligands for olefin metathesis and several NHC pincer CNC ligands for C—C coupling reactions in water. A palladium complex obtained with one our new ligand bearing long alkyl chains showed good activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling in pure water.Finally, a new palladium (II) catalyzed decarboxylative cyanation reaction was investigated. This methodology is the first example of direct conversion of aryl carboxylic acid into the corresponding aryl nitrile. This reaction is well adapted to labeled compound synthesis.

The cell is the basic unit of all living organisms. It is an amazing machine capable of self-replicating, growing, and synthesizing and shuttling thousands of compounds. To perform all of these activities the cell needs energy. The original source of energy for all living beings is the Sun. The energy of the sun is collected by the autotrophs (mostly plants) through photosynthesis and stored in the chemical bonds of carbohydrates and lipids through carboxylic acid intermediates; animals use these compounds to obtain the energy for their cells. Most of the energy extracted by the cell comes from the citric acid cycle. Therefore, two crucial energy transfer checkpoints are photosynthesis and citric acid cycle. With growing need for energy, the limited supply of fossil fuel, and the search for a cleaner environment, scientists have turned to the Sun (directly or indirectly through wind, tides, biomass, etc.) to satisfy the needs of modern society trying to reach the dual Holy Grail of energy: harvesting energy through Artificial Photosynthesis and Low Temperature Biomass Oxidation. This work represents one more step toward reaching these Holy Grails. The core reagent used in our technique is ferritin. Ferritin recapitulates some of the essential features of a plant cell: it contains a semiconductor capable of charge separation, like chlorophyll, acts as a membrane to isolate compartments, and has an enzymatic activity that prevents charge build up and oxidative damage. The energy absorbed by ferritin from the artificial “solar” radiation is used to extract reducing equivalents from stable and partially oxidized compounds, mainly carboxylic acids. The energized electrons produced are then used for a number of technical applications, from synthesis of catalytically active nanoparticles, to reductive precipitation of contaminant heavy metals (i.e.: mercury), to hydrogen evolution.

Ph. D. (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Driven by the need of sustainably sourced catalysts and the use of reaction systems that generate environmentally benign by-products, the present study aimed to deposit stable, dispersed palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on the modified surfaces of granular macadamia nutshell (MNS) biomass for catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] to trivalent chromium [Cr(III)]. Through wet impregnation with Pd(II) ions and subsequent hydrazine-mediated reduction to Pd(0), Pd nanoparticles were embedded in a scaffold of polyethyleneimine grafted on bleached MNS previously coated with a chemically bound layer of polyglycidyl methacrylate. Visualization and imagery from scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of different layers of the polymeric coating and dispersed palladium resulting from surface modification and palladium nanoparticle synthesis, respectively. X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis confirmed the formation of Pd on the modified MNS surface. An estimate of 5.0 nm for crystallite size was calculated by application of the Scherrer equation. The composite material, denoted Pd@PEI-MNS, exhibited catalytic activity in formic acid-mediated Cr(VI) reduction. Through a one-factor-at-a-time experimental design, the activity of the Pd@PEI-MNS was illustrated to be dependent on solution pH; initial Cr(VI) concentration, initial formic acid concentration, and presence of competing anions; Pd@PEI-MNS dose; and temperature. Subsequent modeling of the Cr(VI) removal process by response surface methodology revealed that the most influential factor was Pd@PEI-MNS dose followed by temperature and formic acid concentration. The influence of initial Cr(VI) concentration, was surpassed by the dose-temperature and dose-formic acid concentration interactive effects. Elucidation of the Cr(VI) removal mechanism by XPS and FTIR demonstrated the active participation of surface -CH2OH functional groups, the bulk of which originated from the reduction of esters of the grafted ligands. Replacement of formic acid to carbon dioxide, the -CH2OH groups were converted to -COO- groups.