The present thesis demonstrates and discusses polymeric ion and mixed ion-electron conductors for rechargeable batteries based on lithium viz. lithium-ion and lithium-sulphur batteries. The proposed polymer ion conductors in the thesis are discussed primarily as potential alternatives to conventional liquid and solid-crystalline electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries. These discussions are part of Chapters 2-4. On the other hand, the polymer based mixed ion-electron conductor is demonstrated as a novel electrode for lithium-Sulphur battery in Chapter 5. Possibility of application of polymer ion conductors is discussed in the context of Li-S battery in Chapter 6. A distinct correlation between the physical properties and electrochemical performance of the proposed conductors is highlighted in detail in this thesis. Systematic investigation of the ion transport mechanism in the polymeric ion conductors has been carried out using various spectroscopic techniques at different time and length scales. Such detailed investigations demonstrate the key structural and physical parameters for design of alternative polymer conductors for rechargeable batteries. Though the thesis discusses the various polymeric conductors in the context of lithium-based batteries, it is strongly felt that the design strategies are equally likely to be beneficial for different battery chemistries as well as for other electrochemical generation and storage devices. A brief discussion of the contents and highlights of the individual chapters are described below: The thesis comprises of six Chapters. Chapter 1 briefly reviews the important developments and materials of lithium-based batteries, with specific focus on Li-ion and Li-S batteries. It starts with discussions on different types of liquid, solid crystalline and solid-like electrolytes. Their materials characteristics, advantages and disadvantages are discussed in the context of secondary batteries such as lithium-ion and lithium-sulphur batteries. As prospective alternative electrolytes polymer based soft matter electrolytes are discussed in detail. Special emphasis is given to the recent developments in polymer electrolytes and their ion conduction mechanism, which are central themes to this thesis. The importance of investigation of charge transport, typically ion, on electrochemical processes is also briefly discussed in Chapter 1. A brief discussion about the characteristics, materials and non-trivialities of the electrochemical storage process in Li-S battery is also reviewed. Chapter 2A demonstrates a binary polymer physical network based gel (PN-x) electrolyte, comprising of an ionic liquid confined inside a binary polymer system for electrochemical devices such as secondary batteries. The synthesis, physical property and electrochemical performances are studied as a function of content of one of the polymers in this Chapter. A physical network of two polymers with different functional groups leads to multiple interesting consequences. The polymer physical network characteristics determine all physical properties including electrochemical property of the ionic liquid integrated PN based GPE. The conductivities of the proposed gel are nearly an order in magnitude higher than the unconfined ionic liquid electrolyte and displays good dimensional stability and electrochemical performance in a separator-free battery configuration. The ac-impedance spectroscopy, steady shear viscosity measurement, dynamic rheology are employed to study physical properties of the proposed gel polymer electrolyte. Chapter 2B discusses the detailed investigations of the ion transport mechanism of the gel polymer electrolyte, as discussed in Chapter 2A. Ion conduction mechanism is investigated in the light of ion diffusion and solvent dynamics of the entrapped ionic liquid inside the polymer. The studies reveal a heavy influence of network characteristics on the ion conduction mechanism. The influence of solvent dynamics on the ion transport is drastically altered by polymer physical network. Consequently, a drastic change in the ion mobility and nature of predominant charge carrier is observed in the polymer physical network based gel electrolyte. A clear transformation from dual ion conductivity to a predominantly anion conductivity is observed on going from single polymer to a dual polymer network. The spectroscopic tools such as pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG–NMR), Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy, ac-impedance spectroscopy, FT-Raman and FTIR spectroscopy were used to elucidate the ion transport mechanism in the Chapter. Chapter 3 demonstrates a simple design strategy of gel polymer electrolyte comprising of a lithium salt (lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide, LiTFSI) solvated by two plastic crystalline solvents, one a solid (succinonitrile, abbreviated as SN) and another a (room temperature) ionic liquid (1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide, (abbreviated as IL) confined inside a linear network of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The concentration of the IL component determines the physical properties of the unconfined electrolyte and when confined inside the polymer network in gel polymer electrolyte. Intrinsic dynamics of one plastic crystal influences the conduction mechanism of gel polymer electrolytes. The enhanced disordering in the plastic phase of succinonitrile by IL doping alters both the local ion environment and viscosity. The proposed plastic crystal electrolytes show predominantly anion conduction (tTFSI ≈ 0.5) however, lithium transference number (tLi ≈ 0.2) is nearly an order higher than the ionic liquid electrolyte (IL-LiTFSI) (tLi ≈ 0.02-0.06), discussed in Chapter 2. The gel polymer electrolyte displayed high mechanical compliability, stable Li-electrode | electrolyte interface, low rate of Al corrosion and stable cyclability. The promising electrochemical performance further justifies simple strategy of employing mixed physical state plasticizers to tune the physical properties of polymer electrolytes requisite for application in rechargeable batteries. Chapter 4A proposes a novel liquid dendrimer–based single ion conducting liquid electrolyte as potential alternative to conventional molecular liquid solvent–salt solutions and conventional solid polymer electrolytes for rechargeable batteries, sensors and actuators. The physical properties are investigated as a function of peripheral functionalities in the first generation poly(propyl ether imine) (G1-PETIM)–lithium salt complexes. The change in peripheral group simultaneously affects the effective physical properties viz. viscosity, ionic conductivity, ion diffusion coefficients, transference numbers and also the electrochemical response. The specific change from ester (–COOR) to cyano (–CN) terminated peripheral group resulted in a remarkable switch over from a high cation (tLi+ = 0.9 for –COOR) to a high anion (tPF6- = 0.8 for –CN) transference number. Chapter 4B presents an analysis of the frequency dependent ionic conductivity of single ion dendrimer conductors by using time temperature scaling principles (TTSPs) and dielectric modeling of the electrode polarization. The TTSP provides information on the salt dissociation and number density of mobile charges and hence provides direct insights into the ion conduction mechanism. Summerfield and Baranovskii–Cordes scaling laws, which are well known TTSPs, have been applied to analyze the ion conductivity. The electrode polarization, which quantifies the number density of mobile charges and ionic mobility, is studied using Macdonald-Coelho model of electrode polarization. The combination of these two theoretical investigations of the experimental data emanating from one technique i.e. ac– impedance spectroscopy, predicts independently the contributions of the effect of mobile ion charges and ionic mobility to ion conduction mechanism. In Chapter 5 focus shifts from polymer ion conductors to polymer mixed ion-electron conductor. The polymer mixed ion-electron conductor is demonstrated as a novel electrode material for Li-S battery. A simple strategy to overcome the challenges towards practical realization of a stable high performance Li–S battery is discussed. A soft mixed conducting polymeric network is utilized to configure sulphur nanoparticle. The soft matter network provides efficient and distinct pathways for lithium and electron conduction simultaneously. A lithiated polyethylene glycol (PEG) based surfactant tethered on ultra-small sulphur nanoparticles and wrapped up with polyaniline (PAni) (abbreviated as S-MIEC) is demonstrated here as an exceptional cathode for Li–S batteries. The S-MIEC is characterized by several methods: powder-X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), ac-impedance spectroscopy and dc current-voltage measurements are performed to evaluate conductivity of S-MIEC cathode. Electrochemical studies such as cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, galvanostatic intermittent titration (GITT) are performed to demonstrate feasibility of S-MIEC in the Li–S battery performance. Chapter 6 provides a brief summary of the work carried out as part of this thesis and also demonstrates the future perspective of the present work. Potential of the polymer physical network based gel polymer electrolytes, which are discussed in Chapter 2A-B for lithium-ion batteries, are demonstrated in Li-S battery. The proposed polymer physical network confines higher order lithium polysulfides (typically Li2S8) dissolved in tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) based electrolyte (TEGDME-1M LiTFSI). The three dimensional polymer network is proposed to be formed by physical blending of the poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) with the copolymer of AN and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA), [ P(AN–co–PEGMA)]. We extend here the similar synthetic approaches as described in Chapter 2A. The approach proposed and demonstrated in this concluding Chapter is expected to mitigate some of the major issues of Li-S chemistry. The proposed Li2S8 confined gel electrolyte exhibits moderately high values of ionic conductivity, 2 × 10-3 Ω-1cm-1 and shows a stable capacity of 350 mAhg-1 over 30 days in a separator free Li-S battery.

Les dendrimères sont très prometteurs du fait de leur structure unique et de leur multivalence. Cependant, leur synthèse souffre de problèmes de défauts de structure et de présence de produits secondaires très similaires. Des approches synthétiques alternatives sont donc fortement désirées. L'objectif de ma thèse consiste à explorer la synthèse sur support solide et l’approche d'autoassemblage pour la préparation de dendrimères.La première partie de ma thèse se concentre sur la synthèse de dendrimères en phase solide. Nous avons tout d'abord développé une méthode de synthèse pour les dendrimères poly(amidoamines) basée sur la chimie des peptides. Nous avons ensuite construit une petite bibliothèque de dendrimères de type triazine en faisant varier la taille et la terminaison des dendrimères pour créer une variété de dendrimères. Nous avons aussi tenté de synthétiser des dendrimères poly(aminoesters) bien que nous n'ayons pu les obtenir du fait du caractère labile de ces dendrimères.La deuxième partie de ma thèse vise à appliquer l’approche d'autoassemblage pour la construction de dendrimères supramoléculaires comme théranostiques combinant l'imagerie et la thérapie. Nous avons synthétisé un petit dendrimère amphiphile portant DOTA pour chélater le Gd (III). Ce dendrimère est capable de s'autoassembler en supramolécule et d’encapsuler l’agent anticancéreux doxorubicine, pour construire des agents théranostiques à base de dendrimères multivalents.L’ensemble de ma thèse se consacre au développement de stratégies en phase solide et de l'autoassemblage pour construire des dendrimères pour les applications dans les domaines biomédicaux et des matériaux. / Dendrimers hold great promise for wide applications thanks to their unique structural architecture and multivalent cooperativity. However, dendrimer synthesis often suffers from structural defects caused by incomplete reactions and difficulties associated with purification. Consequently, alternative synthetic approaches to overcome the limitations of current dendrimer synthesis are in high demand.My first PhD project mainly focuses on establishing novel strategies and methodologies for solid-phase dendrimer synthesis with advantages of convenient complete synthesis and easy purification procedures. We first developed a new and concise solid-phase synthesis of PAMAM dendrimers based on the adoption of peptide synthesis chemistry. We then constructed a small library of triazine dendrimers varying in generations and surface groups with a view to rapidly synthesizing dendrimers with structural diversity. We also strived to synthesize poly(aminoester) dendrimers although we had difficult to get it thorough.My second PhD program aims to apply the self-assembly approach for constructing supramolecular dendrimer theranostics. A small DOTA-conjugated amphiphilic dendrimer with Gd(III)-chelation was synthesized and self-assembled into supramolecular nanomicelles to encapsulate the anticancer drug doxorubicin. The obtained system constitutes a multivalent nanotheranostic to combine imaging purpose with therapeutic utility.In summary, my PhD program mainly contributes to elaborating strategies for dendrimer synthesis using both solid-phase method and self-assembly approach in the view to realizing and broadening their applications in the arenas of biomedical and material sciences.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Darstellung von paramagnetischen diskreten mono-, di- und multinuklearen sowie polymeren Koordinationsverbindungen. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit bildet neben der chemischen und strukturellen Charakterisierung die magnetische Charakterisierung mittels SQUID-Magnetometrie und ESR-Spektroskopie. Für eine Reihe von Koordinationsverbindungen wurden darüber hinaus die thermischen Stabilitäten bzw. das Zersetzungsverhalten als auch die gebildeten Rückstände untersucht. Des Weiteren werden multinukleare Koordinationsverbindungen vorgestellt, die sich der Klasse der „Metallo-dendrimere“ zuordnen lassen. Im Sinne einer konvergenten Dendrimersynthese wurde an Poly(amidoamin)-Dendrimere (PAMAM) carbonsäurefunktionalisierte Bis(oxamat)-Leweis-Basen kovalent angebunden und anschließend mit CuII-Ionen komplexiert. Die so isolierten endständigen mononuklearen Einheiten konnten durch eine weitere Komplexierung mit {Cu(pmdta)}2+-Komplexfragmenten und unter Ausnutzung ihrer flexidentaten Eigenschaften in trinukleare {CuII}3-Einheiten überführt werden. Da die CuII-Ionen aller individuellen {CuII}3-Einheiten über intramolekulare magnetische Austauschwechselwirkungen verfügen, können diese Verbindungen als „Magnetodendrimere“ bezeichnet werden, wobei die magnetischen Eigenschaften sich aus der Summe der individuellen Bausteine zusammensetzen. Ein dendritischer Effekt ist in dieser Dendrimerengröße nicht erkennbar. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt der Arbeit war die Synthese formiatbasierender NiII-, CoII und CuII- Komplexe und deren magnetischer sowie thermischer Charakterisierung. In der Regel werden mononukleare Komplexe vorgestellt, die im festen Zustand aber auch mittels Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen 1D-, 2D- oder auch 3D-Netzwerke ausbilden. Auf die potentielle Eignung dieser Komplexe als Präkursoren zur Niedertemperaturgenerierung reiner Metalle, wie z.B. in Druck- oder Fügeprozessen, wird eingegangen. Basierend auf die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erreichten Ergebnissen zu dinukleare NiII-haltigen Formiatkomplexen, wurde ein strukturell analoger NiII- als auch CoII-haltiger Vertreter mit Ferrocenylcarboxylatdonoren synthetisiert und die magnetischen, elektrochemischen und thermischen Eigenschaften bestimmt. Als zusätzliche Weiterentwicklung der Thematik formiathaltiger Komplexverbindungen wurden die 3D-aufgebauten Übergangsmetallformiate [{MII(O2CH)2}∙2H2O] (MII = Mn, Co, Ni) unter solvothermalen Bedingungen mit dem N-Donoren Pyridin umgesetzt. Die so erhaltenen MnII- und CoII-haltigen Edukte sind 2D-aufgebaute Addukte des Typs [M(O2CH)2(py)m]n (M = Mn, m = 2; M =Co, m = 7), die via π-π-Wechselwirkungen ihrer Pyridinliganden 3D-Netzwerke ausbilden. Die Struktur dieser Komplexverbindungen sowie deren Stabilität nach Isolation ihrer Feststoffe werden diskutiert.:Bibliografische Beschreibung und Referat I Ort und Zeitraum der Durchführung III Inhaltsverzeichnis IV Selbständigkeitserklärung VI Präambel VII Abkürzungsverzeichnis VIII Kapitel A – Einleitung 1 Kapitel B – Kenntnisstand 7 1. Carboxylatoliganden als Mediatoren von magnetischen Austauschwechselwirkungen 8 2. Bis(oxamato)-Liganden als Mediatoren von magnetischen Austauschwechselwirkungen 10 3. Dendrimere und der dendritische Effekt 17 4. Der Strukturtyp [M2(O2CR)4(H2O)(LN)2] 25 5. Thermische Zersetzungsreaktionen von Formiatverbindungen und die Reduktion der Zersetzungstemperaturen derer im Allgemeinen 29 6. Motivation 34 C – Publikation: CuII bis(oxamato) end-grafted poly(amidoamine) dendrimers 36 D – Publikation: Tri- (M = CuII) and hexanuclear (M = NiII, CoII) heterometallic complexes with ferrocene monocarboxylate and chelating diamines as ligands 58 E.1 – Publikation: Nickel(II) Formate Complexes with Bi- and Tridentate Nitrogen-based Ligands: Synthesis, Solid State Structures, Thermal and Magnetic Properties 68 E.2 – Weiterführende Diskussion: Das thermische Zersetzungsverhalten von stickstoffhaltigen Metallformiat-Verbindungen 86 F.1 – Poster: Synthesis of poly- and monomeric transition metal complexes with formato and pyridine ligands. 91 F.2 – Vorbereitende Arbeiten für ein Manuskript: Darstellung und kristallografische Beschreibung von 2D-polymeren und diskreten Metall-Pyridin-Komplexen 93 Kapitel G – Zusammenfassung 106 Literaturverzeichnis 110 Danksagung 119 Lebenslauf 120

Moderne analytische Verfahren ermöglichen eine höchst effiziente Auftrennung und eine selektive Detektion von Zielanalyten. Dies ist vor allem in der Medizin von Bedeutung, da eine frühzeitige Diagnose von Krankheiten in den meisten Fällen zu einer wesentlich erfolgreicheren Behandlung beiträgt. In unserer heutigen Industriegesellschaft werden daher hochsensitive und effiziente Analysemethoden stärker benötigt als je zuvor. Diverse Umweltgifte oder gesundheitliche Schadstoffe gelangen vermehrt in Grundwasser und Umwelt. Eine Analyse ist aufgrund der oft nur geringen Konzentrationen und der Komplexität diverser Proben häufig mit großen Schwierigkeiten verbunden. Obwohl die Sensitivität und Effizienz zur Bestimmung von Krankheitsmarkern (Biomarker) und Schadstoffen immer weiter zunimmt, stoßen selbst höchstsensitive Analysemethoden an ihre Grenzen. Gerade bei kleinsten Konzentrationen an Zielanalyten oder bei komplexen Gemischen ist eine direkte Detektion ohne weitere Vorbehandlung, wie Aufkonzentrierungen oder Markierungen, äußerst schwierig oder nicht möglich. Eine Optimierung dieser Methoden, deren Automatisierung sowie sensitivere Detektorsysteme werden benötigt. Darüber hinaus ist die Entwicklung von neuartigen, selektiveren mobilen und stationären Phasen ein hochinteressantes und umfangreich untersuchtes Forschungsgebiet. Die Verwendung von hochselektiven Additiven, wie Cyclodextrinen, Kronenethern, Mizellen und andere chirale Selektoren in der Hochleistungsflüssigkeitschromatographie (HPLC), Kapillarelektrophorese (CE)[1,2] oder in der Dünnschicht-Chromatographie (TLC)[3] wurde bereits umfangreich untersucht und etabliert. Hochfunktionalisierte Polymere als äußerst spezifische Selektoren mit hoher Selektivität stellen vielversprechende Materialien dar, die ebenfalls eine Optimierung in der HPLC und CE erzielen.[4-9] Der Einsatz von Polymeren in molekular geprägten Matrizen (molecular imprinted polymers, MIP) oder in monolithischen Trennsäulen wird bereits äußerst erfolgreich in der TLC, HPLC und CE genutzt.[7-11] Eine solch hochselektive Säulenmodifizierung bietet eine sehr gute Performance und hervorragende Trennleistungen. Ein Nachteil dieser hochselektiven Modifizierung ist jedoch die Spezialisierung nur auf das jeweilige Problem. Eine universelle Verwendung für komplexe Gemische und eine Fülle von Analyten ist limitiert. Ein sehr vielversprechender Aspekt ist der Einsatz von Polymeren als chirale Selektoren in der stationären wie auch in der mobilen Phase. Die große Anzahl an kommerziell erhältlichen Trennsäulen mit einer Polymermodifizierung und das ständig umfangreichere Angebot solcher Säulen[12] verdeutlichen diesen Trend und zeigen, dass die Nutzung von polymeren Architekturen für eine weitere Optimierung diverse Möglichkeiten bietet. Hochverzweigte Polymere stellen unter den Polymeren vielversprechende Materialien dar, die aufgrund ihrer Vorteile zu einer effektiven Optimierung beitragen können.[12] Die hohe Anzahl an terminalen Gruppen ermöglichen es, gut zugängliche anwendungsorientierte Modifizierungen durchzuführen, um gewünschte Eigenschaften zu generieren. Durch die hohe Variabilität der Polymere selbst und der diversen Modifizierungsmöglichkeiten zeigen maßgeschneiderte Polymere ein enormes Potential und die Möglichkeit hochselektive Wechselwirkungen mit Zielanalyten zu etablieren. Die Modifizierung mit einer Schale um den polymeren Kern ermöglicht weitere Optimierungen für den Einsatz von Kern-Schale-Architekturen. Beispiele hierfür sind unter anderem die Vermittlung höherer Löslichkeit durch eine Modifizierung des hydrophilen/hydrophoben polymeren Kerns zur Etablierung einer äußeren Schale. Ebenso können durch die Modifizierung gezielte Eigenschaften generiert werden, die eine spezifische Interaktion mit Oberflächen oder Wirkstoffen ermöglichen. Die Zielsetzung dieser Arbeit ist die Synthese und die Untersuchung von Kern-Schale-Architekturen als chromatographische Selektoren. Als polymerer Kern wird hochverzweigtes Poly(ethylenimin) (PEI) verwendet, das mit einer Oligosaccharidschale modifiziert wird. Das PEI wird mit den Kerngrößen 5 und 25 kDa verwendet, wodurch eine Untersuchung des Kerneinflusses möglich ist. Weiterhin wird die Dichte der Oligosaccharidschale eingestellt. Dafür wird eine dichte, moderate bis offene und eine sehr offene Oligosaccharidschale um den polymeren Kern generiert. Infolge dessen kann der Einfluss der Schalendichte auf die Interaktion mit Beispielanalyten evaluiert werden. Für die Oligosaccharidschale (OS) werden darüber hinaus drei verschiedene Oligosaccharide (Maltose, Lactose und Maltotriose) verwendet, um den Einfluss der Art der Schale zu prüfen. Durch diese Variationen können 15 unterschiedliche PEI-OS Kern-Schale-Architekturen synthetisiert und untersucht werden. Weiterhin soll der hydrophobe Anteil der Kern-Schale-Architekturen durch die Anbindung von unpolaren Seitenketten an einen PEI-Kern erhöht werden. Auf diese Art und Weise können nicht-kovalente Wechselwirkungen mit lipophilen Systemen untersucht werden. Um polymere Kern-Schale-Architekturen möglichst effizient in der TLC, HPLC und CE einsetzen zu können, ist es essentiell, ihre Eigenschaften und die Art und Weise der Wechselwirkungen zu kennen, die sie mit möglichen Gastmolekülen eingehen. Durch die Untersuchung dieser Wechselwirkungen können Informationen über deren Interaktionen und eine mögliche Manipulation bzw. Optimierung dieser erhalten werden. Ein zielgerichteter und effektiver Einsatz mit diesen Kern-Schale Architekturen kann so vorbereitet werden. [1] T. J. Ward, K. D. Ward, Anal. Chem. 2012, 84, 626-35. [2] W. J. Cheong, S. H. Yang, F. Ali, J. Sep. Sci. 2013, 36, 609-28. [3] M. D. Bubba, L. Checchini, L. Lepri, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2013, 405, 533-554. [4] M. Hanson, K. K. Unger, Trends Anal. Chem. 1992, 11, 368-373. [5] J. Kirkland, J. Chromatogr. A 2004, 1060, 9-21. [6] F. Gasparrini, D. Misiti, R. Rompietti, C. Villani, J. Chromatogr. A 2005, 1064, 25-38. [7] A. Martin-Esteban, Trends Anal. Chem. 2013, 45, 169-181. [8] I. Nischang, J. Chromatogr. A 2013, 1287, 39-58. [9] R. D. Arrua, M. Talebi, T. J. Causon, E. F. Hilder, Anal. Chim. Acta 2012, 738, 1-12. [10] P. Jandera, J. Chromatogr. A 2013, 1313, 37-53. [11] F. Svec, J. Sep. Sci. 2004, 27, 1419-1430. [12] M. Tang, J. Zhang, S. Zhuang, W. Liu, Trends Anal. Chem. 2012, 39, 180-194.

Use of metal based anticancer medication began with the clinical approval of cisplatin in 1978. Research led to the development of six platinum based drug candidates which are in use around the world. However there is a great need to develop better treatment strategies. The present work entitled “Cytotoxicity of Metal Based Anticancer Active Complexes and Their Targeted Delivery Using Nanoparticles” is an effort to prepare cytotoxic metal complexes based on platinum(IV) and copper(II) and deliver them selectively to cancer cells using a targeting ligand, biotin, with two different delivery vehicles, viz. PEGylated polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to cancer and its characteristic features, followed by a short description about different treatment modalities in clinical practice. An account of the development of anticancer drugs starting from purely organic drugs to the field of metal based anticancer drugs is discussed. An overview of the available targeting strategies are discussed with specific examples. The section ends with the scope of the present work. Platinum based anticancer drugs currently in use contain platinum in the +2 oxidation state. These drugs showed side effects and are often ineffective against resistant cells, especially in the latter stages of treatment. A recent focus of metal based anticancer drug research is the development of platinum(IV) systems which shows promise to have greater activity in cancer cells in a reducing environment. Reported platinum(IV) dual drugs contain the components of “cisplatin” or an analogue along with an active organic drug. But there are no known dual drugs based on platinum(IV) that would generate a cytotoxic metal complex along with cisplatin. In Chapter 2, a bimetallic dual drug (M4) (Figure 1), the first of its kind, with components of cisplatin and copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) has been prepared (Figure 1). The components and the bimetallic complex were characterized using several spectroscopic techniques. The dual drug M4 was found to be highly cytotoxic (IC50 1.3 M) against HeLa cells and was better than cisplatin (IC50 6.8 M). The bimetallic complex turned out to be better than the mixture (IC50 7.2 M) of individual drugs which indicated possible synergism of the released cisplatin and the copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) from the dual drug. Figure 1: Structure of the platinum(IV) and copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complexes. A novel approach towards conjugation of platinum(IV) drugs to a carrier has been developed using a malonate moiety (Figure 2). The bis(butyric acid) complex, Pt(NH3)2(OCOC3H7)2Cl2 (M1), was taken as model complex to demonstrate the conjugation strategy. The complex M4 was also conjugated to the partially PEGylated 5th generation PAMAM dendrimers. Figure 2: Schematic representation of the platinum(IV) drug conjugated PAMAM dendrimer. The cytotoxicity of M4 was reduced to a small extent on conjugation to the dendrimer. In the presence of 5 mM sodium ascorbate as a reducing agent, sustained release (40 %) of the drug was shown to occur over a period of 48 h by the drug release study. The reduction in cytotoxicity of the dendrimer conjugates could be due to incomplete release of the active drug. Unfortunately, no enhanced activity was observed with the additional targeting ligand, biotin. The drug uptake study revealed that the dendrimer conjugates were successful in entering cancer cells. There was no preferential uptake with biotin conjugated dendrimers which explained the similar cytotoxicity of dendrimer conjugates with and without biotin. Different delivery vehicles showed varied efficiency in delivering the pay load (drugs) to the cancer site. In this connection, PEGylated gold nanoparticles have shown good promise as a drug delivery vehicle. In Chapter 3, M1 and M4 are both conjugated to malonate functionalized PEGylated gold nanoparticles (30 nm). Biotin was also attached to the AuNPs for targeting HeLa cells. Figure 3: Schematic representation of the platinum(IV) drug and biotin conjugated AuNPs. The AuNPs were highly stable in water without agglomeration. There was no shift in the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) band after conjugation of the drug molecules and targeting ligands. TEM images and DLS measurements showed there was no change in particle size. Drug conjugated AuNPs were also very stable in high salt concentrations as well as over a large range of pH. AuNPs with M1 were found to be less cytotoxic than the parent drug. Biotinylated AuNPs with M1 were more potent than non-biotinylated nanoparticles and increased cytotoxicity (35 %) was observed with biotin conjugation. Surprisingly, the enhanced activity of biotinylated AuNPs could not be correlated to the drug uptake study. The cytotoxicity of the bimetallic dual drug containing AuNPs were about 10-fold less and no increased activity was observed with the biotinylated conjugates. The reduced activity of AuNPs with the bimetallic drug was due to incomplete release from the AuNPs (20 % release after 48 h). But the release kinetics was very slow and sustained which might increase in vivo activity. The unexpected lower activity of biotinylated conjugates with copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) was suggestive of interference between bis(thiosemicarbazone) complex and the biotin receptor resulting in reduced drug uptake. Copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complexes hold very good promise as a class of non-platinum anticancer drug candidates. However, they lack selectivity towards malignant cells. Recently, CuATSM has shown hypoxia selectivity and very good cytotoxicity resulting in 64CuATSM being used in advanced stages of clinical trials for imaging hypoxic cells. In Chapter 4, a copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complex analogous to Cu(ATSM) with a redox active cleavable disulfide linker and a terminal carboxylic acid group (CuATSM-SS-COOH) was synthesised and characterised spectroscopically. The complex was highly cytotoxic and has an IC50 value (6.9 M) similar to that of cisplatin against HeLa cells. The complex was conjugated to PEGylated gold nanoparticles by amide coupling between the acid group from the drug molecule and the amine on the AuNPs (20 nm) for smart drug delivery. The gold nanoparticles were decorated with biotin for targeted delivery to the HeLa cells. Figure 4: Schematic representation of the CuATSM-SS-COOH and biotin decorated AuNPs. The CuATSM-SS-COOH was insoluble in water but conjugation to PEGylated gold nanoparticles made it water soluble. The drug molecules and biotin conjugated AuNPs were highly stable which was confirmed by TEM and DLS measurements. Similar to the study described in the previous chapter, these AuNPs were also stable in a wide range of pH and salt concentrations. In vitro glutathione (GSH) triggered release study demonstrated substantial release of the cytotoxic agent from the AuNPs (60 %) over a period of 48 h. In vitro cell viability study with HeLa cells showed reduced cytotoxicity (IC50 15 M) of AuNPs with and without biotin containing drug conjugates relative to the parent copper complex (IC50 6.9 M). The reduction of the cytotoxicity correlated well with the released amount of the active drug from the nanoconjugates over the same time period. In vivo studies demonstrated the effectiveness of these nanoparticle carriers as suitable vehicles as they exhibited nearly four-fold reduction of tumor volume without significant loss in body weight. Moreover, the biotin targeted nanoparticle showed significant (p < 0.5) reduction in tumor volume compared to the non-targeted gold nanoparticles. Thus, this smart linking strategy Can be extended to other cytotoxic complexes that suffer from non-specificity, low aqueous solubility and toxicity. Multinuclear anticancer active complexes do not act in the same way as that of their corresponding mononuclear analogues. In the case of multinuclear platinum complexes, the activity not only depends on the active moiety but also on the spacer length between the moieties. In Chapter 5, a series of multinuclear copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complexes were prepared and characterised using different techniques. Figure 5: General structures of binuclear copper bis(thiosemicarbazone) complexes. All the complexes showed redox activity and have a very high negative reduction potential, i.e. these compounds would not be easily reduced in the biological medium and would remain as copper(II) species. As the concentration of the reducing agents are more within cancer cells, once these complexes are inside cells they would be reduced to Cu(I). These compounds were shown to be highly lipophilic from the large log P values. Unfortunately, these binuclear complexes were less active than similar mononuclear complexes. One possible reason for the reduced cytotoxicity of these complexes could be adherence of the complexes to the cell membrane due to the high lipophilicity of these complexes. Out of five different methylene spacers between two bis(thiosemicrarbazone) moieties, the complex with a three carbon spacer was shown to be the most active against HeLa cells. The complexes with five and six methylene spacers turn out to be noncytotoxic. Further experiments are necessary to reveal the mechanism of action in these complexes. In summary, bimetallic complexes can be very active and may be a way of overcoming drug resistance in platinum based therapy. A dual drug can be delivered using a malonate moiety and a disulfide linker. Gold nanoparticles are good delivery vehicles for these dual drugs and show great potential for improvement and translation to the next stage. (For figures pl refer the abstract pdf file)

Les analogues de nucléosides sont d'une importance considérable dans la recherche de nouveaux candidats médicaments antiviraux et anticancéreux. La ribavirine est en effet le premier nucléoside triazole antiviral synthétique. Elle est toujours activement utilisée en milieu hospitalier pour le traitement de l'hépatite C et celui des pandémies virales émergentes. Récemment, le besoin de nouveaux agents thérapeutiques efficaces dotés de nouveaux mécanismes d'action a donc créé un regain d'intérêt dans la création de nouvelles entités structurelles de nucléosides triazoles. Au cours de mon doctorat, j’ai été activement engagée dans l’élaboration de nouvelles structures O-arylées et S-arylées de nucléosides triazoles. Les nucléosides triazoles O-arylés ont été obtenus par substitution nucléophile aromatique initiée par micro-ondes, tandis que les nucléosides triazoles S-arylés ont été synthétisés par réaction de couplage C-S en utilisant un catalyseur palladié possédant des ligands mixtes nouvellement mis au point dans notre laboratoire. Le concept du système de catalyseur à ligands mixtes est extrêmement avantageux et enrichissant puisqu’il permet de combiner de façon rationnelle des ligands possédant des fonctionnalités complémentaires afin de promouvoir des réactions avec des substrats pour lesquels ces réactions sont très compliquées. Enfin, afin d'améliorer la solubilité dans l'eau des analogues nucléosidiques triazoles actifs que nous avons identifiés, j’ai tenté de conjuguer le nucléoside triazole à un dendrimère amphiphile dans le but d'élaborer un système de délivrance efficace des médicaments et ainsi d’améliorer leur biodisponibilité. / Nucleoside mimics are of considerable importance in the search of antiviral and anticancer drug candidates. One noteworthy example is ribavirin, the first synthetic antiviral triazole nucleoside discovered 40 years ago, which is still actively in clinic use for treating hepatitis C infection and emerging viral pandemics. Recently, ribavirin has been also reported to demonstrate apoptosis-related anticancer effects and is in clinical trial for treating leukemia. Consequently, there is a renewed interest in creating new structural entities of triazole nucleosides with the aim of developing potent therapeutic agents with novel mechanisms of action. During my PhD program, I have been actively engaged in constructing structurally novel O-arylated and S-arylated triazole nucleosides. The O-arylated triazole nucleosides were obtained via microwave promoted aromatic nucleophilic substitution, whereas the S-arylated triazole nucleosides were synthesized via C-S coupling reaction using our newly developed mixed ligand Pd catalyst (Pd2(dba)3/Xantphos/CyPF-tBu). The concept of the mixed ligand catalyst system is extremely advantageous and rewarding, offering a unique opportunity to rationally combine ligands with complementary features in order to promote the reactions with challenging substrates which are otherwise difficult to proceed. Finally, in order to improve bioavailability of the active triazole nucleoside analogues identified in our group, I have attempted to conjugate the triazole nucleoside to an amphiphilic dendrimer in the view to establishing an effective drug delivery system and offering a better bioavailability.