This dissertation covers two different topics within the area of diaza-containing aromatic five-membered rings: biimidazoles and pyrazoles. With the exception that both these subject matters are explored in the context of developing new anion binding agents, the background and research associated with these two topics are vastly different and will be treated as such. Chapter two, dealing with biimidazoles, focuses solely on expanded porphyrins, while chapter three discusses pyrazoles as potential macrocyclic building blocks and as diamidic-functionalized anion binders. The first chapter covers several different topics in order to put into perspective the diverse subject matter presented in this dissertation. It begins with an overview of some well-known expanded porphyrins. The synthesis, classical applications, and newer studies of the biimidazole synthetic efforts are then described. The third part of the introductory chapter covers the synthesis and applications of pyrazoles. The use of heterocycles with more than one heteroatom in the construction of expanded porphyrins is just beginning to be explored, and is the focus of chapter two. The synthesis of a novel expanded porphyrin is described and its applications are investigated. More specifically, chapter two covers the synthesis of several biimidazole dialdehydes and their condensation with three 3,3',4,4'-functionalized bis-[alpha]-free bipyrroles to form a series of novel macrocycles. The characterization of these new compounds has been investigated and is discussed in detail. Also presented are preliminary studies of their anion binding properties. Pyrazoles, the subject of chapter three, are another overlooked class of potential building blocks in the area of expanded porphyrins and molecular recognition chemistry. Pyrazoles have rarely been reported in the literature as being part of a larger molecular framework. Until this work, their anion binding potential had remained unexplored. Thus, the attempted incorporation of a pyrazole fragment into an expanded porphyrin framework is described. Second, and more significantly, the design, synthesis, and anion binding properties of a new series of diamidic pyrazoles are reported. / text

Functionalized polymeric membrane based techniques are becoming increasingly popular in biotechnology, food and pharmaceutical industries due to their versatility and hydrodynamic benefits over traditional materials and methods. This research work has been directed towards the development of functionalized polymeric membranes, extensive experimental and theoretical analyses of some of the fundamental aspects of accessibility, membrane fouling and enzyme catalysis, and applications in affinity based bioseparation and biocatalysis. In this research work, the impact of different types of functionalization techniques, such as functionalization of different membrane materials, covalent and electrostatic immobilization, on interaction of various biomolecules and active sites in membrane has been studied in detail. Avidin was used as model biomolecule, and covalently immobilized within acyl anhydride derivatized nylon based membrane. Quantification of the accessibility of covalently immobilized avidin sites was carried out by model biotinylated probe molecules, such as biotin 4-amidobenzoic acid and biotinylated-BSA. This study has been further extended to separate and purify a target protein, HIV-Tat, from a complex mixture of proteins (97-99 % unwanted protein) using avidin-biotin affinity interaction. It has been demonstrated that covalent immobilization of avidin in membranes reduces the accessibility of active sites for probe molecules. Accessibility decreases further for the biotinylated target protein present in the mixture of other unwanted proteins. Affinity based membrane separation of proteins is also associated with decrease in permeate flux due to fouling in membrane structure. Fouling in the membrane has been discussed by analyzing the characteristics of adsorbed protein layer in membrane. In order to improve the accessibility and fouling behavior of affinity separation of Tat protein, a pre-filtration step has been introduced prior to affinity separation. Significant enhancement in accessibility and reduction in fouling has been observed for pre-filtered cases as it removes unwanted proteins prior to affinity interaction. Contribution of the pre-filtration step in reduction of fouling has been elucidated by simple model equations. Improvement in accessibility and fouling behavior reflects in higher separation efficiency (protein recovery) and lower processing time for the pre-filtered cases. Quality of membrane purified Tat protein was examined by different analytical techniques, such as SDS-PAGE, Western Blot and biotin analysis, and then compared with that purified by traditional packed-bead column chromatography. It has been demonstrated that membrane based technique was able to isolate superior quality of pure monomeric Tat protein compare to column chromatographic technique. The other study carried out as a part of this dissertation, has involved development of high capacity, highly active, stable and reusable functionalized membrane domains for electrostatic immobilization of enzymes. Glucose oxidase (GOX) was used as a model enzyme to study the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide under convective flow condition. Two different approaches of functionalization of membranes have been presented. In the first approach, alternative electrostatic attachment of cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes was carried out using Layer-By-Layer (LBL) assembly technique within a functionalized nylon based membrane. In the second one, a hydrophobic PVDF membrane was functionalized by in-situ polymerization of acrylic acid. Kinetics of glucose oxidation, effect of pH and flow rate on the activity of GOX was discussed. A comparative study was presented between the activity of free GOX, electrostatically immobilized GOX and covalently immobilized GOX, along with the advantage of convective mode of operation over soaking mode. A novel study has also been conducted on detachment and reattachment of GOX in the same membrane matrix. Further study has been directed towards implementation of the above mentioned immobilized enzymatic system for oxidative dechlorination of chloro-organics. A first time attempt was made to use a 2-stack functionalized membranes system for simultaneous enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide in first membrane, and oxidative dechlorination of 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol (TCP) in the Fe+2 immobilized (by ion exchange) second membrane by Fenton reaction. The technique was efficient in destruction of TCP as evident from the overall dechlorination of 70-80 %. This technique provides additional benefit of reusing the same membrane matrices by reattaching fresh GOX and Fe+2.

Membrane process including microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) have provided numerous successful applications ranging from drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, to material recovery. The addition of functional moiety in the membranes pores allows such membranes to be used in challenging areas including tunable separations, toxic metal capture, and catalysis. In this work, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) MF membrane was functionalized with temperature responsive (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAAm) and pH responsive (polyacrylic acid, PAA) polymers. It’s revealed that the permeation of various molecules (water, salt and dextran) through the membrane can be thermally or pH controlled. The introduction of PAA as a polyelectrolyte offers an excellent platform for the immobilization of metal nanoparticles (NPs) applied for degradation of toxic chlorinated organics with significantly increased longevity and stability. The advantage of using temperature and pH responsive polymers/hydrogels also includes the high reactivity and effectiveness in dechlorination. Further advancement on the PVDF functionalization involved the alkaline treatment to create partially defluorinated membrane (Def-PVDF) with conjugated double bounds allowing for the covalent attachment of different polymers. The PAA-Def-PVDF membrane shows pH responsive behavior on both the hydraulic permeability and solute retention. The sponge-like PVDF (SPVDF) membranes by phase inversion were developed through casting PVDF solution on polyester backing. The SPVDF membrane was demonstrated to have 4 times more surface area than commercial PVDF MF membrane, allowing for enhanced nanoparticles loading for chloro-organics degradation. The advanced functionalization method and process were also validated to be able to be scaled-up through the evaluation of full-scale functionalized membrane provided by Ultura Inc. California, USA. Nanofiltration (NF) between UF and RO presents selectivity controlled by both steric and electrostatic repulsions, which are widely used to reject charged species, particularly multivalent ions. In this work, selective permeation of CaCl2 and high sucrose retention are obtained through the modification of nanofiltration membranes with lower charge compared to commercial nanofiltration membrane. The membrane module also shows high stability with constant water permeability in a long-term (two months) test. Extended Nernst-Planck equation were further used to evaluate the experimental results and it fits well.

The synthesis of mesoporous silica thin films using surfactant templating typically leads to an inaccessible pore orientation, making these films not suitable for membrane applications. Recent advances in thin film synthesis provide for the alignment of hexagonal pores in a direction orthogonal to the surface when templated on chemically neutral surfaces. In this work, orthogonal thin film silica membranes are synthesized on alumina supports using block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (P123) as the template. The orthogonal pore structure is achieved by sandwiching membranes between two chemically neutral surfaces, resulting in 90 nm thick films. Solvent flux of ethanol through the membrane demonstrates pore accessibility and suggests a silica pore size of approximately 10 nm. The permeability of ions and fluorescently tagged solutes (ranging from 4,000 to 70,000 Da) is used to demonstrate the membrane’s size selectivity characteristics. A size cut off occurs at 69,000 Da for the model protein BSA. By functionalizing the silica surface with a long chained alkyl group using n-decyltriethoxysilane (D-TEOS), the transport properties of the membranes can be altered. Contact angle measurements and FTIR results show the surface to be very hydrophobic after functionalization. Solvent flux of ethanol through the silica thin film membrane is similar before and after functionalization, but water flux decreases. Thin film silica membranes show much promise for applications in catalysis, bio-sensing, and affinity separations.

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Organic electrical energy storage (EES) is a growing field of research that is expected to play an important role in the future, as the need for sustainable EES increases. Conducting redox polymers (CRPs), i.e. conducting polymers with incorporated redox active moieties e.g. as pendant groups (PGs), are proposed as a promising class of compounds for this purpose. Redox cycling of the PGs can be utilized for high charge storage capacity, while the conducting polymer backbone provides fast charge transport through the material. Some of the major challenges with small-molecule systems for EES could be solved by using CRPs, e.g. capacity fading due to dissolution of the active compound, and high resistance due to slow charge transport between molecules. The latter issue is often solved by adding large amounts of conducting additives to the active material, drastically lowering the specific capacity. In this project, CRPs are shown to be able to function in battery cells without any additives, making both high capacity and high power possible. Although several CRPs have been reported in the literature, very few detailed studies have been conducted on the electrochemical processes of the two systems (i.e. the conducting polymer backbone and the redox active PGs). An important factor to consider in CRP design is the possibility for interaction between the two redox systems, which could be either beneficial or detrimental to the function as EES material. In this thesis, CRP model systems composed of hydroquinone functionalized polypyrrole have been studied, and they exhibit separate redox reactions for the PGs and the backbone, overlapping in potential. Significant interaction between them was observed, as oxidation of the PGs has severe impact on the backbone: When the oxidized and hydrophobic p-benzoquinone PGs are formed, they pack and force the polymer backbone to twist, localizing the bipolarons, and decreasing the conductivity. This is accompanied by a contraction of the polymer film and expulsion of electrolyte. Overall, the interaction in these polymers is destructive for their EES function, and it could be eliminated by introduction of a long linker unit between the PGs and the backbone.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained tremendous attention in the last decade as a result of their size-dependent spectroscopic properties. These nanoparticles have been a subject of intense study to bridge the gap between macroscopic and atomic behavior, as well as to generate new materials for novel applications in therapeutics, biological sensing, light emitting devices, microelectronics, lasers, and solar cells. One of the most promising areas for the use of these nanoparticles is in biotechnology, where their size-dependent optical properties are harnessed for imaging and sensing applications. However, these nanoparticles, as synthesized, are often not stable in aqueous media and lack simple and reliable means of covalently linking to biomolecules. The focus of this work is to advance the progress of these nanomaterials for biotechnology by synthesizing them, characterizing their optical properties and rendering them water-soluble and functional while maintaining their coveted optical properties. QDs were synthesized by an organometallic chemical procedure that utilizes coordinating solvents to provide brightly luminescent nanoparticles. The optical interactions of these QDs were studied as a function of concentration to identify particle size-dependent optimal concentrations, where scattering and indirection excitation are minimized and the amount light observed per particle is maximized. Both QDs and AuNPs were rendered water-soluble and stable in a broad range of biologically relevant conditions by using a series of ligands composed of dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) appended to poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether. By studying the stability of the surface modified AuNPs, we revealed some interesting information regarding the role of the surface ligand on the nanoparticle stability (i.e. solubility in high salt concentration, resistance to dithiothreitol competition and cyanide decomposition). Furthermore, the nanoparticles were functionalized using a series of bifunctional ligands that contain a dithiol group (DHLA) for surface binding, a PEG segment to instill water-solubility and a terminal functional group for easy bioconjugation (i.e. NH 2 , COOH, or biotin). Finally, a sensing application was demonstrated to detect the presence of microbial DNA (unmethlylated CpG) by using Toll-like receptor 9 proteins as the recognition components and the QDs as the transduction elements via Förster Resonance Energy Transfer.

Orientador: Celso Valentim Santilli / Coorientador: Thiago Faheina Chaves / Banca: Regina Célia Galvão Frem / Banca: Wellington Henrique Cassinelli / Resumo: Este trabalho descreve o estudo de uma nova metodologia de síntese para obtenção de zeólitas MFI contendo uma estrutura hierárquica de poros. A porosidade hierárquica é uma propriedade que aumenta a acessibilidade dos reagentes aos sítios ativos dos cristais zeolíticos, sendo importante na melhora do desempenho desses materiais em diversas aplicações como adsorção, catálise e troca iônica. São vários os métodos que abordam a utilização de organossilanos como geradores de porosidade hierárquica mas poucos são os estudos que abordam esses compostos sendo empregados em sistemas de síntese bifásicos, por exemplo, em sistemas microemulsionados. Neste trabalho, a metodologia de síntese consistiu primeiramente na funcionalização de núcleos zeolíticos com três diferentes organossilanos em uma etapa de pré-cristalização a 40oC: octiltrietoxisilano (C8), dodeciltrietoxisilano (C12) e hexadeciltrimetoxisilano (16). A análise estrutural dos materiais foi feita por meio das técnicas de difração de raios X, RMN no estado sólido, termogravimetria e espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, enquanto as propriedades texturais foram avaliadas por fisissorção de nitrogênio e porosimetria de mercúrio. O organossilano C8 apresentou os resultados mais promissores levando a obtenção de zeólitas MFI contendo poros hierárquicos (Vmicro ~ 0,130 cm3g-1, Vmeso ~ 0,211 cm3g-1) e elevadas área externa específica (Sext ~ 273 m2g-1) e hidrofobicidade (θ ~ 140o). Este organossilano foi então utilizado no es... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This work describes a new approach to the synthesis to obtain MFI zeolites with hierarchical porosity. Hierarchical porosity is a property that improves the accessibility of reactants to active sites in the zeolite crystals, which is important in different technical applications like as adsorptive or catalytic processes. There are many methods using organosilane to create the hierarquical porosity but are few studies that explores this compounds in two-phase systems like a micro-emulsion systems. In this work, the methodology first consisted of zeolite nucleus functionalization with three organosilanes in a temperature at 40 oC: octyltriethoxysilane (C8), dodecyltrietoxisilane (C12) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (C16). The structural analysis of the materials was done by the using of X-ray diffraction, solid state NMR, thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy, while the textural properties were evaluated by nitrogen physisorption and mercury porosimetry. The octyltriethoxysilane demonstrated the best results to obtainment of MFI zeolites containing hierarchical pores (Vmicro ~ 0,130 cm3g-1, Vmeso ~ 0,211 cm3g-1), large surface area (Sext ~ 273 m2g-1) and hydrophobic profile (θ ~ 140o). This organosilane was used in the study of addition of an oil phase (dodecane) after the nucleus functionalization. The oil phase was stabilized by functionalized and hydrophobic zeolite nucleus around the oil phase during the hydrothermal crystallization process at 150o C. In this stage, the... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Throughout this body of work, three classes of sorbent materials were created and optimized, each designed to selectively capture organics or desired metals from natural water sources. These target species included toxic heavy metals, uranium, rare earths, and simple organics, such as benzene. Each class of sorbent materials is functionalized nanostructured silicas, created by the development of several functionalization methods: utilizing thiol-ene click chemistry, aromatic interactions, and the formation of inclusion complexes. Thiol-ene click surface modification gave rise to sorbent materials with impressive affinities for both soft metals, such as gold, and harder metals, such as uranium and rare earth elements. Applications of these materials for aqueous mining of uranium and rare earth elements from various natural water sources are presented. Two classes of materials based on supramolecular functionalization methods were prepared. In the first class, aromatic interactions allowed for surface functionalization with thiol containing aryl ligands. These materials proved to have an excellent affinity for heavy metals from natural waters, and hold promise for regenerable nanostructured silica sorbents. The second class of materials utilizes the ability of β-cyclodextins to form inclusion complexes with small molecule organics, such as benzene. The formation of inclusion complexes drove both surface functionalization and the capture of small molecule organics from aqueous solutions. This work serves to inspire the development of novel functionalized nanostructured sorbents for trace collection of toxic organics from aqueous streams. These supramolecular methods for surface medication can be expanded to nanomaterials at large. This dissertation includes both previously published/unpublished and co-authored material. / 10000-01-01

Esta dissertação de mestrado aborda dois estudos que foram desenvolvidos utilizando a técnica de microscopia FTIR (micro-FTIR): a reatividade do grafeno funcionalizado e a eletroquímica in-situ com micro-FTIR para avaliação de reações redox. A reatividade e a distribuição de cargas em materiais 2D, mais especificamente em folhas individuais de grafeno, têm sido alvo de muita investigação na última década. No entanto, ainda não é conhecido como elas se apresentam em grafeno com grandes áreas, uma vez que a maioria dos estudos utilizam áreas muito pequenas (~μm2). Neste estudo, investigou-se experimentalmente como um eletrodo formado por uma única folha de grafeno se comporta quando sua estrutura é alterada por funcionalização covalente. Utilizando microespectroscopia na região do infravermelho, avaliou-se a funcionalização de grafeno com unidades de ácido benzoico no grafeno ancorados eletroquimicamente. O mapeamento químico mostrou que a distribuição espacial dessas unidades não ocorre uniformemente, ao invés disso, existem pontos específicos de ancoramento. Por fim, observou-se que a funcionalização ocorre mais intensamente na borda da folha de grafeno, alterando as propriedades óticas e eletroquímicas deste material, reduzindo o ganho ótico proporcionado pelos plásmons e aumentando a resistência de transferência heterogênea de elétrons. Para o segundo capítulo dessa dissertação, aplicou-se a microespectroscopia FTIR multiplex ao estudo da mudança química de um eletrodo de ouro modificado com azul da prússia (AP). Para isso, observou-se que uma etapa limitante era a confecção de um porta-amostra que reduzisse a camada de eletrólito ao mínimo de forma que a água não mais absorvesse a radiação de forma majoritária. Logo, foi possível o estudo vibracional de vários pontos da superfície do eletrodo, observando-se a influência do potencial aplicado, onde tem-se uma grande dependência dos sinais referentes ao estiramento C≡N do AP com a condição de potencial imprimida no eletrodo. / This Masters dissertation approaches two studies developed using the FTIR microspectroscopy technique (micro-FTIR): the activity of graphene functionalized and the in-situ electrochemistry with micro-FTIR for the evaluation of redox reactions. Reactivity and charge distribution in 2D materials, especially in single graphene sheets, have been the focus of extensive investigation during the last decade. However, there is still no knowledge on how large-area graphene behaves, since most of the studies utilize too small areas (~μm2). In this study, we aim to investigate experimentally how an electrode composed of only one single sheet of graphene behaves when its structure is changed by covalent functionalization. Using infrared microspectroscopy, the electrochemically induced covalent functionalization of graphene with benzoic acid unities was evaluated. The chemical mapping showed that the spatial distribution of these unities does not occur uniformly, instead, there are specific anchoring points. Lastly, it was observed that the functionalization occurs more intensely on the edges of the graphene sheet and that the covalent, affecting its optical and electrochemical properties, reducing the optical gain provided by the plasmons and increasing the resistance of heterogeneous electron transfer. In the second chapter of this dissertation, multiplex FTIR microspectroscopy was applied to the study of the chemical changes of a gold electrode modified with Prussian blue (PB). It was observed that the limiting step for this type of analysis was the building of a sample holder that reduces the electrolyte layer to the minimum in a way that water did not absorb the radiation in majority. Therefore, a vibrational study of several points of the electrode surface was possible evaluating the influence of the applied potential, where there is a dependence of the signals related to the C≡N stretching mode from PB on the potential condition applied to the electrode.