A range of copper(I) alkynyl ladder polymers have been prepared via a simple single step microwave reaction at 100 °C for 2 minutes, using copper hydroxyacetate (Cu2(OH)3Ac.H2O) as the copper source, all with yields in excess of 80 %. A variety of functional groups were chosen ranging from a simple aromatic phenol ring, substituted aromatic groups, groups with a long carbon chain, and an example of 2 alkynyl units in one chain. The polymeric structure of these materials has been elucidated by powder X-ray diffraction, the results of which confirm that by changing the R groups on the copper ladder chains the structure of the ladder itself is altered to accommodate the variety of sizes and shapes. This was further detailed using a series of methyl substituted phenyl rings as the R group (ortho, meta and para), which were further examined by solid state NMR, and Raman spectroscopy. The raman data confirmed that the copper copper distance in the ladder backbone varied based on the side group present. The NMR results suggest that not only are there variations to copper backbone, but also there are different possible positions for the aromatic group to stack in based on the substitution on the aromatic ring. All data collected indicates the crystallinity of the polymer is strongly affected by the choice of alkyne. The range of ladder polymers has been used to catalyse a series of dipolar cycloaddition reactions of terminal alkynes and organic azides, with the aim to obtain additional mechanistic information on the alkyne-azide click reactions. These reactions were carried out using a simple microwave method requiring an excess of alkyne (1.5 eq) to azide (1 eq), using 10 mol% of the ladder polymer as catalyst for 10 minutes at 100 °C. These conditions were then modified slightly to allow for on water catalysis of the click reactions using copper(I) alkynyl ladder polymers. Triazole products were obtained in excellent yields ranging from approximately 60 -95%. Using similar conditions it was also possible to introduce an iodo group to the triazole product when starting with iodoacetylene rather than a terminal alkyne, with only slightly reduced yields of 50-70%. Flow chemistry was briefly tested and was shown to be a viable option for the synthesis of 1,2,3-traizoles using copper(I) alkynyl ladder polymer catalysts. The support material copper on carbon was investigated for comparison with the copper(I) alkynyl ladder polymers. The support material was found to actually be a composition of copper hydroxynitrate, a layered material capable of forming copper(I) ladder polymers, and carbon. A series of these materials were made using different supports using the same method as carbon, and all resulted in a mixture of copper hydroxynitrate and support material. An impurity was discovered in specific carbon batches (depending on the carbon preparation method) and was identified as libethenite (copper hydroxyphosphate). A series of click reactions were carried out using these copper hydroxynitrate/carbon mixtures and excellent yields of 80-90% were obtained, the impurity libethenite was also tested but found to not catalyse the click reaction.

This thesis describes applications in co-crystal reactivity, structure determination, and mechanochemical preparation. We also investigate the solution-phase reactivities of products derived from a template-directed synthesis. Specifically, we described the acid treatment of an achiral molecular ladder of C2h symmetry composed of five edge-sharing cyclobutane rings, or a [5]-ladderane, with acid results in cis- to trans- isomerization and/or oxidation of end pyridyl groups. Solution NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations support the isomerization to generate two diastereomers; namely, an achiral and a unique chiral ladderane. The NMR data, however, could not lead to unambiguous configurational assignments of the two isomers. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was employed to determine each configuration. One isomer readily crystallized as a pure form and X-ray diffraction revealed the molecule as being achiral based on Ci symmetry. The second isomer resisted crystallization under a variety of conditions. Consequently, a strategy based on a co-crystallization was developed to generate single crystals of the second isomer. Co-crystallization of the isomer with a carboxylic acid readily afforded single crystals that confirmed a chiral ladderane based on C2 symmetry. We also demonstrate how the stereochemistry can be retained upon treatment with acid. It will be shown how a monocyclobutane can be used as a model system when investigating the reactivity of the [5]-ladderane. While investigating the reactivity of a diene diacid we determined that a bicyclobutyl that bears six carboxylic acid groups results from a trimerization of the solid in pure form in the solid state. Powder X-ray diffraction and a co-crystallization are used to solve the structure of the diene and elucidate the stereochemistry of the bicyclobutyl, respectively. Having established the reactivity of the diene diacid we used hydrogen-bond-acceptor (HBA) templates to assemble the diacid in the solid state in a photoactive solid for an intermolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition as well as a photostable solid. To enhance strategies to generate stereocontrolled products derived from reactive co-crystals mechanochemical methods were applied to eliminate or reduce the solvent used to prepare the co-crystal solids. In particular, we show how supermolecules with olefins organized by hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor templates that react in the solid state rapidly form co-crystals via solvent-free and liquid-assisted grinding.

Ces travaux de thèse ont pour but de synthétiser des squelettes ladderanes en une seule étape de photocycloaddition [2+2] multiple. Le produit naturel acide pentacycloanammoxique est la molécule visée au terme de ce projet. Dans une première partie, nous avons développé une méthode originale de photocycloaddition [2+2] intramoléculaire à partir de précurseurs polyéniques soufrés. Ainsi, quatre types de composés cycliques ont été obtenus et caractérisés. Cette méthodologie a été appliquée à des composés mono, di et triènes, sulfures et sulfone, par irradiation au sein d’un photoréacteur Rayonet, ou dans des conditions plus douces avec des LED bleues. Différentes stratégies ont été testées dans le but de former des ladderanes, comme la modification des extrémités des chaînes polyéniques, les catalyses au cuivre (I) et photoredox, ou encore la photosensibilisation, mais aucune n’a permis la formation de plus d’un cyclobutane. La technique de l’encapsulation supramoléculaire au sein de cavités cyclodextrines et cucurbituriles a permis de préparer quantitativement un composé cyclobutanique de configuration syn-trans-syn sur petite échelle. Ce résultat étudié en photochimie de flux, représente une perspective encourageante pour la synthèse de ladderanes. Nous avons également étudié la synthèse d’un modèle de métabolite de l’acide pentacycloanammoxique, qui représenterait un étalon analytique. Dans ce contexte, une cétone tricyclique a été dans un premier temps préparée en sept étapes avec un rendement de 67% par le biais de la cycloisomérisation catalysée au platine (II) d’un précurseur énynylester. Puis l’intermédiaire alcool le plus avancé de la synthèse a été obtenu après six étapes supplémentaires avec un rendement de 7,4%. Enfin, une méthodologie de synthèse a été développée autour de l’intermédiaire cétone tricyclique de structure originale, permettant des transformations hautement régio et diastéréosélectives. Des réactions d’additions nucléophiles ou d’extensions de cycles telles que l’homologation de Bayer-Villiger ou le réarrangement de Beckmann ont été étudiées. / The aim of this PhD work was to synthesize ladderane skeletons in one multiple [2+2] photocycloaddition step. The natural product pentacycloanammoxic acid is the target molecule of the project. In a first part, we developped an original method of intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition from sulfide polyenic precursors. Thus, four kind of cyclic compounds were obtained and characterized. This metodology has been applied to mono, di, and triene compounds, either sulfide or sulfone, by irradiation in a Rayonet photoreactor or in milder conditions with blue LEDs. Different strategies have been tested in order to create ladderanes, such as modification of polyene chain end, copper(I) and photoredox catalysis, or photosensitization, but none allowed the formation of more than one cyclobutane. Supramolecular encapsulation in cyclodextrins and cucurbiturils have provided quantitatively cyclobutane compound with syn-trans-syn configuration on small scale. This result studied in flow photochemistry is an encouraging perspective for ladderane preparation. We have also studied the synthesis of a pentacycloanammoxic acid metabolite model. In this context, a tricyclic ketone has been prepared first in seven steps with a gobal yield of 67%, based on a platinum(II) catalysed cycloisomerization as a key step. Then, the most advanced alcohol intermediaite has been obtained after six more steps in a 7.4% yield. Finally, a synthesis methodology has been developped around the tricyclic ketone intermediaite, of novel structure, allowing highly regio and diastereoselective transformations. Nucleophilic additions or ring expansion reactions such as Bayer-Villiger homologation or Beckmann rearrangement have been studied.