The diploma thesis deals with the heterogeneous technique of preparation of grafted polypropylene g maleic anhydride (PP-g-MAH). The knowledge of the course of the reaction and its impact on the PP grafting process are summarized in the theoretical part. The preparation of the grafted PP was carried out in a fluidized polymerization reactor at 115 °C, speed of mixing 210 rpm, reaction time 60 min and pressure 6 bar. The amount of grafted MAH was monitored by using a MAH concentration 3 and 5 wt% and an initiator concentration 0.25; 0.5; 1; and 1.5 wt%. Modification efficiency was compared by using 3 types of PP with different particle morphology and specific surface area. By creating the theoretical model, the maximum surface concentration of MAH was calculated and compared with experimental data. Characterization of PP materials was performed by Electron Scanning Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and particle surface analysis by BET. Quantitative analysis of grafted MAH was determined by FTIR spectroscopy and acid-base titration.

Předložená diplomová práce se zabývá přípravou biodegradabilního termosenzitivního triblokového kopolymeru na bázi polyethylenglykolu, kyseliny polymléčné a polyglykolové (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) a dále pak především jeho modifikací anhydridem kyseliny itakonové (ITA), který dodá kopolymeru jak reaktivní dvojné vazby tak i funkční karboxylové skupiny důležité pro reakci s biologicky aktivními látkami. Hlavním cílem bylo optimalizovat reakční podmínky pro dosažení nejvyššího stupně navázání ITA na polymer za vzniku ITA/PLGA-PEG-PLGA/ITA. Uvedený kopolymer je po vytvoření heterogenního kompozitu např. s hydroxyapatitem vhodný pro biomedicíncké aplikace především v oblasti tkáňového inženýrství jako dočasná náhrada či fixace tvrdých tkání (kostí). V teoretické části uvedené práce jsou na základě literární rešerše obecně popsány hydrogely, jejich rozdělení, síťování a degradace. Stručně jsou rozepsány fyzikální a chemické vlastnosti a syntéza jednotlivých biomateriálů použitých při syntéze, anhydridu kyseliny itakonové a jejich kopolymerů. Experimentální část popisuje detailně syntézu PLGA-PEG-PLGA kopolymeru polymerací za otevření kruhu pomocí vakuové linky a Schlenkových technik. Byla sledována i kinetika polymerace s navržením nejvhodnějších podmínek syntézy. Uvedený kopolymer byl následně modifikován anhydridem kyseliny itakonové opět katalytickou reakcí za otevření kruhu. V důsledku optimalizace reakčních podmínek byl sledován vliv teploty, rozpouštědla, času a čistoty vstupních látek. Výsledný ITA/PLGA-PEG-PLGA/ITA kopolymer byl charakterizován pomocí 1H NMR, FT-IR a GPC metody. Byly sledovány kinetiky polymerace PLGA-PEG-PLGA kopolymeru a to z přesublimované a nepřesublimované kyseliny polymléčné a polyglykolové. V obou případech probíhala kinetika reakcí bez přítomnosti rozpouštědla při 130 °C po dobu 3 hodin s konverzí asi 90 %. Delší čas neměl vliv na růst konverze. U kinetiky z nepřesublimovaných monomerů byl sledován během několika prvních minut prudký nárůst konverze a pak již byl průběh konstantní, na čase nezávislý. Výsledná polydisperzita kopolymeru byla 1,26 a molekulová hmotnost 7155 g/mol. Optimálních podmínek bylo dosaženo u polymerace z přesublimovaných monomerů, kdy byl nárůst konverze do hodnoty 88 % získané během 2,5 hodin téměř lineární (polymerace byla živá) a poté byl progres konstantní. Byl získán přesně definovaný PLGA-PEG-PLGA kopolymer o molekulové hmotnosti 7198 g/mol a polydisperzitě 1,20. Nejlepších podmínek při syntéze ITA/PLGA-PEG-PLGA/ITA kopolymeru bylo dosaženo reakcí bez přítomnosti rozpouštědla při 110 °C po dobu 1,5 hodiny s přesublimovaným anhydridem kyseliny itakonové, kdy bylo na původní kopolymer navázáno 76.6 mol. %. Výsledná molekulová hmotnost kopolymeru (5881 g/mol) s polydisperzitou 1,37 stanovená pomocí GPC se shodovala s vypočítanou molekulovou hmotností z 1H NMR i s teoretickou molární hmotností (Mn(teor)/Mn(GPC)/Mn(NMR) = 1/0,89/0,96).

Syringolin A, a plant elicitor, was isolated in 1998 and has been identified as a potential anti-cancer compound based on its activity against proteasome. The unique structure of this natural product consists of a 12-membered diamide ring, formed by two non-proteinogenic amino acids 3,4-dehydrolysine and 5-methyl-4-amino-2-hexenoic acid, and a bis(valinyl)urea side chain which is connected to the macrocycle by a peptide bond. The construction of this challenging macrocylic core was achieved by a macrolactamization reaction using peptide coupling reagents BOP/HOAt, while the two (E)-configured double bonds in the ring were introduced by a Johnson-Claisen rearrangement and Wittig olefination respectively. Ru(bpy)3Cl2 which is an excellent visible light photoredox catalyst, has been extensively applied to organic syntheses in recent years. Although much research has focused on the study of the reductive quenching pathway, the oxidative quenching pathway has rarely been explored. Using persulfate as the electron acceptor, we have successfully developed a protocol for the oxidative functionalization of dialkylamides under mild reaction conditions. Further application has demonstrated a Friedel-Crafts amidoalkylation methodology applying various nucleophilic alcohols and arenes. The reaction can also be conducted under thermolysis condition without the photocatalyst, but requires elevated temperature. Both of the reactions generate N-acyliminium ion in situ as the key intermediate. The first example of photocatalytic halogenation has been achieved at room temperature using Ru(bpy)3Cl2 and polyhalomethanes (CBr4 and CHI3) as the electron acceptors. Excellent yields and high functional group tolerance have been established. Mechanistic studies indicate a single electron transfer (SET) pathway and the transformation is via a Vilsmeier-Haack type intermediate. Further expansion of this methodology to anhydride formation was achieved, providing a mild avenue for the synthesis of symmetric anhydrides. Furthermore, the use of a continuous flow reactor enabled the efficient large scale synthesis of anhydrides.

Polymeric coatings are being used in a growing number of applications, contributing to protection against weather conditions and localized corrosion, reducing the friction and erosion wear on the substrate. In this study, various polypropylene (PP) coatings were applied onto steel substrates by compression molding. Chemical modification of PP has been performed to increase its adhesion to metallic surfaces by grafting of maleic anhydride (MAH) onto PP in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). Influence of different concentrations of MAH and DCP on the properties of resulting materials have been examined. The coated steel samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shear adhesion testing, FTIR and tribometry. The coatings with 3 wt. % MAH have shown the maximum adhesion strength due to maximum amount of grafting. The wear rates increased with increasing the amount of MAH due to simultaneous increase in un-reacted MAH.

Difficulties with stand establishment are a major factor limiting further agronomic use of native warm season grasses. One significant cause of stand failure is competition with rapidly growing annual weed species during the early development of the perennial native grass. Broad spectrum preemergent herbicides can provide the needed weed control, but only if tolerance exists in the desired grass. Herbicide safeners, synthetic compounds that protect crops from herbicide injury, applied as seed treatments offer a potential strategy to achieving the needed herbicide tolerance where it does not naturally occur. This study tested the efficacy of five herbicide safeners (benoxacor, fenclorim, fluxofenin, naphthalic anhydride, and oxabetrinil) in protecting three native warm season grass species (big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman; little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash; indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash) from herbicidal injury caused by preemergent application of S-metolachlor and quantifies this establishment method’s impact on early stand performance.

This article presents reaction rate data for the simple hydrolysis of acetic anhydride in the acetonitrile/water and acetone/water cosolvent systems and regression analyses using recently developed thermodynamic rate equations that contain electrostatic and solvent-solute terms. The isomole fraction plots for these reaction systems are linear, and previous theoretical work has shown that the electrostatic term is negligible for such systems. On the other hand, the reaction rates are dependent upon the cosolvent mole fraction, indicating that the solvent-solute term, which is modeled empirically, is significant. The results of the analyses provide the foundation for a paradigm shift away from the emphasis on electrostatic effects to more tenable explanations of kinetic behavior in solvent systems.

The hydrolysis of acetic anhydride is a widely-studied liquid phase reaction studied since 1906. Different approaches have been used to study the kinetics of this reaction. Approaches used by researchers have involved the use of sophisticated experimental set-ups. In this work, the pH technique has been adopted which involves the use of a pH meter to monitor the hydrolysis reaction. Analysis of the hydrolysis reaction has been performed for water/acetone cosolvent systems over a range of temperatures and mole fractions. Eyring analysis was performed under isomole fraction conditions and activation enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy for hydrolysis of acetic anhydride have been determined. The isomole fraction Eyring plots are linear, because, activation enthalpy and entropy are independent of temperature under these conditions. Activation free Gibbs energy increases with increasing temperature at a constant water mole fraction, while it decreases with increasing water mole fraction at constant temperature.

Genom ringöppningssampolymerisation av utvalda epoxider och anhydrider möjliggjordes en enkel strategi för att syntetisera funktionella sampolymerer. Sampolymererna hade förmågan att bilda tvärbundna material, och var dessutom benägna för både hydrolytisk och enzymatisk nedbrytning. Användning av organokatalysatorn PPNCl gjorde det möjligt att bilda sampolymerer genom alternerande ringöppning av epoxider och anhydrider. Utbytet var högt, och polymererna nådde molekylvikter i intervallet 0,7–7,6 kg mol-1. De omättade bindningarna i sampolymerernas sidokedjor gav dem förmågan att bilda tvärbundna nätverk. Graden av tvärbindning dikterades av sampolymerernas molekylära struktur och molekylvikt. De termiska egenskaperna hos sampolymererna reglerades genom att variera anhydriden, där strukturella skillnader mellan de valda anhydriderna hade en inverkan Tg och T5%. Tvärbindningsreaktionen resulterade i en ökning av både Tg och T5% i förhållande till de ursprungliga linjära sampolymererna. De klyvbara estergrupperna i sampolymerkedjorna gjorde det möjligt för sampolymererna att genomgå både hydrolytisk och enzymatisk nedbrytning. De nedbrutna sampolymererna påvisade en förändring i molekylvikt och dispersitet, samt en ökad viktminskning. De nedbrutna tvärbundna materialen visade på större svällning och lägre gelinnehåll än de initiala värdena före nedbrytning. Dessa resultat ger en ökad förståelse kring hur strukturen hos epoxid/anhydrid-baserade sampolyestrar påverkar deras egenskaper, så som förmågan att bilda tvärbundna material samt deras nedbrytbarhet. Förhoppningen är att denna studie ska gynna utvecklingen av nya material inom denna klass av polyestrar, och vara till hjälp för att förutse deras potentiella tillämpningar. / The ring-opening copolymerization of selected epoxides and anhydrides enabled a simple strategy to synthesize functional copolymers with the ability to form crosslinked materials and prone to hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation pathways. The synthesis utilized PPNCl as an organocatalyst and allowed the formation of copolymer chains by alternating ring-opening of epoxides and anhydrides in high yield and molar mass in the range of 0.7-7.6 kg mol-1. The pendant unsaturated bonds in the copolymer chains endowed the copolymers with the ability to form crosslinking networks. The degree of crosslinking was dictated by the molecular structure and molar mass of the copolymers. The thermal properties of the copolymers were regulated by varying the anhydrides, the difference in the structure of each anhydride influence the Tg and T5%. Crosslinking reaction indeed increased the Tg and T5% from the native copolymers. The presence of ester as cleavable groups in the copolymer chains allowed the copolymers to undergo hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation. The degraded copolymers showed a change in molar mass and dispersity and increased mass loss. The degraded crosslinked materials showed higher swelling ratio and lower gel content than the initial values before degradation. These results deliver a better understanding of the structure-property relationships, the ability to form crosslinked materials, and the degradation behavior of epoxides/anhydrides-based copolyesters. They should favor the design of new materials belonging to this class of polyesters and to envisage their potential applications.

As a preliminary starting point for the present study, physical and mechanical properties of polypropylene nanocomposites (PPNCs) for samples received from Queen's University Belfast have been evaluated. Subsequently, polymer/clay nanocomposite material has been produced at Bradford. Mixing and processing routes have been explored, and mechanical properties for the different compounded samples have been studied. Clay intercalation structure has received particular attention to support the ultimate objective of optimising tensile and fracture behaviour of isotropic and die-drawn PPNCs. Solid-state molecular orientation has been introduced to PPNCs by the die-drawing process. Tensile stress-strain measurements with video-extensometry and tensile fracture of double edge-notched tensile specimens have been used to evaluate the Young¿s modulus at three different strain rates and the total work of fracture toughness at three different notch lengths. The polymer composite was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy, wide angle x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. 3% and 5% clay systems at various compatibilizer (PPMA) loadings were prepared by three different mixing routes for the isotropic sheets, produced by compression moulding, and tensile bars, produced by injection moulding process. Die-drawn oriented tensile bars were drawn to draw ratio of 2, 3 and 4. The results from the Queen's University Belfast samples showed a decrement in tensile strength at yield. This might be explained by poor bonding, which refers to poor dispersion. Voids that can be supported by intercalated PP/clay phases might be responsible for improvement of elongation at break. The use of PPMA and an intensive mixing regime with a two-step master batch process overcame the compatibility issue and achieved around 40% and 50% increase in modulus for 3% and 5% clay systems respectively. This improvement of the two systems was reduced after drawing to around 15% and 25% compared with drawn PP. The work of fracture is increased either by adding nanoclay or by drawing to low draw ratio, or both. At moderate and high draw ratios, PPNCs may undergo either an increase in the size of microvoids at low clay loading or coalescence of microvoids at high clay loading, eventually leading to an earlier failure than with neat PP. The adoption of PPMA loading using an appropriate mixing route and clay loading can create a balance between the PPMA stiffness effect and the degree of bonding between clay particles and isotropic or oriented polymer molecules. Spherulites size, d-spacing of silicate layers, and nanoparticles distribution of intercalated microtactoids with possible semi-exfoliated particles have been suggested to optimize the final PPNCs property. / SABIC

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent l'utilisation de la chimie ''click'' Diels-Alder pour la construction d'hétérocycles oxygénés bioactifs. Dans un premier temps, une nouvelle méthodologie de synthèse versatile menant à des anhydrides maléiques disubstitués est illustrée par la synthèse de l'anhydride chaetomélique A (2.31a, inhibiteur nanomolaire de la FTase) ainsi que la synthèse d'un agent inducteur de la germination (1.26) et d'un nouveau bis-anhydride (1.27) utilisé comme agent de réticulation pour la fixation de cellules ou de tissus. En débutant avec des alcynes commercialement disponibles ou facilement préparables, ces cibles sont assemblées en deux étapes par chimie "click " oxazole-alcyne cycloaddition-cycloréversion suivi par une oxyfonctionnalisation des furanes obtenus. Ensuite, une méthode de synthèse efficace, conciseet modulaire des cadiolides A, B et D est rapportée. Les étapes importantes comportent : (i) l'assemblage du motif β-aryl--benzoyl-buténolide en un seul pot via un tandem Diels-Alder cycloaddition-cycloréversion (oxazole-ynone) régiocontrolé de type "click-unclick"suivi parune hydrolyse du 2-alkoxyfuraneet (ii) une condensation de type Knoevenagel sans groupement protecteur permettant l'obtention rapide des cadiolides A, B et D à partir d'un même précurseur. Par la suite, la découverte inusitée du réarrangement des 3-acyl-2-alkoxyfuranes en furan-3-carboxylate d'alkyle estabordée. Cette transformation, une fois optimisée, permet l'obtention de 13 furan-3-carboxylates d'éthyle. De plus, elle est utilisée comme étape clé dans la synthèse du pumiloxyde aldéhyde, un labdane furfural rare isolé de Tarreanthus africanus, un arbre de la famille des méliacées utilisé au Cameroun pour traiter les vers intestinaux. Finalement, les derniers travaux présentés concernent la synthèse defuro[2,3-b]chromones par tandem Diels-Alder rétro Diels-Alder / addition-élimination oxa-Michael. Cette transformation permet la préparation de cinqfuro[2,3-b]chromones substituées en position C-3. Le potentiel remarquable de cette réaction est démontrée par la première synthèse du bothriofurane A, un produit naturel isoléde Bothriocline laxa. Bien que d'autres groupes de recherche se sont intéressés à la synthèse de ce type de composé, nos travaux constituent le premier exemple de synthèse d'une furo[2,3-b]chromone d'origine naturelle. / This work concerns the use of Diels-Alder ''click'' chemistry for the construction of biologically active oxygen containing heterocycles. First of all, aversatile pathway to substituted maleic anhydrides is illustrated by the synthesis of the nanomolar FTase inhibitor chaetomellic anhydride A(2.31a), a germination promoter(1.26), and a novel bis-anhydride (1.27) cross-linking reagent for cell or tissue fixation. Starting from commercial or easily prepared alkynes, these targets were assembled in two steps by click-unclick oxazole-alkyne cycloaddition-cycloreversion and furan oxyfunctionalization. Secondly, a concise, modular and efficient synthesis of cadiolides A, B, and Dis reported. Prominent steps include : (i) one-pot assembly of a key β-aryl--benzoylbutenolide building block by regiocontrolled "click-unclick"oxazole-ynone Diels-Alder cycloaddition-cycloreversion and ensuing 2-alkoxyfuran hydrolysis, and (ii) a protecting group-free vinylogous Knoevenagel condensation enabling rapid access to cadiolides A, B and D from a common precursor. Then, the unexpected discovery of the ring-degenerate rearrangement of 3-acyl-2-alkoxyfurans to 2-substituted 3-carboalkoxyfurans is described. This transformation, once optimized, enabled the rearrangement of 13 different substrates. The scaffolding power of this chemistry is demonstrated by the first synthesis of pumiloxide aldehyde, a rare labdane furfural isolated from Turreanthus africanus, a cameroonian medicinal treeused to treat intestinal worms. Finally, the synthesis of furo[2,3-b]chromones by a Diels-Alder retro Diels-Alder / oxa-Michael addition-elimination tandem is discussed. This new methodology gives access to 5 different 3-substituted furo[2,3-b]chromones. The remarkable service ability of this transformation is highlighted by the first synthesis of bothriofuran A, a natural product isolated from Bothriocline laxa. Even though many research groups demonstrateinterest in the synthesis of suchcompounds, our work represents the first exemple of a natural furo[2,3-b]chromone synthesis.