Solid porous materials are network materials that contain space void. Porous Organic Polymers (POPs) are porous materials, which are constructed from organic building blocks and exhibit large surface area with low densities. Due to these characteristics, POPs have attracted attentions because of their potential use in application such as gas storage and chemical separation. This thesis presents a study of the synthesis of novel POP being a network based on 2,5- dibromobenzaldehyde and 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene linked together via Sonogashira- Hagihara (SH) coupling. This network showed a relatively good surface area of 770 m2/g and total pore volume of 0.59 cc/g. In addition, it proved to be chemically and thermally stable, maintaining the thermal stability up to 350oC. In addition to synthesize novel aldehyde-POP network, it was also possible to post synthetically modify a network via one-step post synthetic functionalization by amine. Ethelynediamine (EDA), Diethylenetriamine (DETA), and Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (Tris-amine) are three different amines used for aldehyde-POP functionalization. The produced networks were aminated via different amine species substitution the aldehyde group present within the network. Modification to these networks resulted in a decrease in surface area from 770 m2.g-1 to 333 m2.g-1, 162 m2.g-1, and 211 m2.g-1 in respective to EDA, DETA, and Tris-amine. Although the surface areas were decreased, the CO2 adsorption was enhanced as evidenced by the increase of Qst (i.e., from 25 to 45 kJ.mol-1 for DETA at low coverage). Our findings are expected to strengthen existing research areas of the influence of different type of amines (e.g aromatic amine) on CO2 adsorption. Although amine grafting has been studied in other systems (e.g., PAFs and MOFs), we are the first to reported amine functionalized POPs using a novel one-step amine grafting PSM procedure. Future research might extend to study the interaction between CO2 and amine species under real working conditions.

Abstract: The aim of this research is to fabricate thin-film composite (TFC) membranes using a synthetic derivative of plant-based phenols, as a non-toxic building block for interfacial polymerization. Classical interfacially polymerized composite membranes are heavily integrated in reverse osmosis and nanofiltration applications for water and wastewater treatment and most recently for chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Implementing sustainable practices in membrane fabrication by exploiting greener alternatives to conventional chemicals can directly reduce hazardous waste and ultimately lower the global energy and environmental burdens. In this study, allyl gallate was chosen as a monomer to form selective thin films by the interfacial reaction with trimesoyl chloride on top of an asymmetrically porous polyacrylonitrile support. The advantage of the unreacted allyl groups is that they can be in the future used as post-functionalization sites. The highly volatile organic phase solvents were additionally replaced by an isoparaffinic fluid, commercially known as Isopar G. The chemical composition and morphology of the membrane was evaluated using solid-state 13C NMR, FTIR, and SEM. The optimized membrane resulted in a permeance of 12±2 and 48±14 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 for respectively pure water and methanol with a rejection in the nanofiltration range.

Les MOFs résultent de l’organisation de polyèdres métalliques reliés par des molécules organiques chélatantes pour former un réseau poreux. La construction de solides hybrides organiques/inorganiques permet d’imaginer un très grand nombre de matériaux aux propriétés structurales et physico-chimiques variées. Le confinement du substrat dans une structure rigide, associé à des propriétés particulières des clusters métalliques ainsi qu’à des parois pouvant être fonctionnalisées, fournissent un environnement catalytique unique, plaçant les MOF à la frontière entre les espèces types zéolites et les enzymes. Cependant, il existe aujourd’hui très peu de MOFs possédant plus d’une fonction catalytique. Néanmoins, les propriétés catalytiques des MOFs peuvent être améliorées de façons non négligeables grâce aux méthodes de post-fonctionalisation. Dans ce travail, nous reportons le développement d’une méthode de post-fonctionnalisation originale des amino-MOFs. La première étape consiste à convertir la fonction amine en fonction azoture. Puis, sans isolation ni purification, le MOF fonctionnalisé est obtenu par « Click Chemistry » en ajoutant l’alcyne correspondant. Cette méthode peut être appliquée à tous les types d’amino-MOFs et à quasi toutes les fonctions chimiques que l’on souhaite greffer. Une large librairie de nouveaux matériaux a ainsi été obtenue et complètement caractérisée. Cette méthode a aussi été utilisée pour créer des MOFs catalytiques à façon pour une réaction de transesterification, ainsi que pour l’investigation de nouvelles applications plus fines (niches industrielle) / MOFs result from the association of metallic clusters connected by organic linkers to form a net. It is acknowledged that ultimately MOFs could mimic “enzymes” using “molecular recognition” concept to allow high chemio-, regio-, enantio-selectivity. We could indeed anticipate MOFs as potential “artificial enzymes” that can combine several properties at the nanometer scale in a concerted fashion. However to date, the number of MOFs with more than one reactive “catalytic” function is rather scarce. A key to address advanced MOF materials suitable for more sophisticated applications is to add functionalities of greater complexity in a controlled manner. The ability to modify the chemical environment of the cavities within MOFs would allow tuning of the interactions with guest species, and serve as a route to tailor the chemical reactivity of the framework. However, the introduction of reactive chemical functions by self-assembly methods is not a trivial task. In this work, we report an original PSM method starting from amino derived MOFs. The first step consists in converting the amino group into azide (N3). Without isolation nor purification, the desired functionalized material is obtained by grafting the corresponding alkyne using “Clik Chemistry”. This method can be applied to all kind of amino-MOFs and to all kind of grafted chemical functions. A diverse library of original MOFs was synthesized and characterized. Finally, this method was used to engineer catalytic MOFs for the transesterification of ethyldecanoate with methanol or to investigate applications in specialized industrial niches

Global warming along with the climate change derived from the World's demand for energy are among the greatest challenges to our society. To tackle climate change issue, research must focus on proposing practical approaches for carbon emissions reduction and environmental remediation. This thesis focuses on carbon dioxide separation mainly from flue gases (major sources of carbon dioxide emissions) using metal organic frameworks (MOFs) to reduce its impact on the global warming hence the climate change. MOFs are a class of crystalline porous adsorbents with structures that attract CO2 selectively and store it in their porous frameworks. Over the course of this PhD research, the fundamental aspects of these materials, as well as their practical applications, have been investigated. For example, the synthesis recipe of copper (II) benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC) MOF was improved to deliver a product of high yield ( > 89%) and free of by-product. Also, a mechanism study on the hydrothermal stability CuBTC MOF was carried out under simulated flue gas conditions and delivered the first experimental proof of the decomposition mechanism of CuBTC MOF caused by the water vapour. The fundamental understanding of the stability of materials then motivated the research into the development of a facile method of using an economic functional dopant (i.e. glycine) to strengthen the structure of CuBTC MOF (completely stable towards water vapour), as well as to improve the selectivity of resulting materials to CO2 (by 15% in comparison to the original CuBTC MOF). The suitability of the CuBTC MOF for fixed bed adsorption processes was also assessed using a combined experimental and process simulation method. In addition to the experimental approaches, molecular simulation based on grand canonical Monte Carlo method was also used to understand the effect of structural defects of MOFs on the CO2 adsorption isotherms.

Orientador: Alexandre César Rodrigues da Silva / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram programados dois algoritmos descritos na literatura denominados de XOR e MDM que realizam a síntese de circuitos reversíveis a partir da tabela verdade. Programou-se também algoritmos relacionados com a otimização pós-síntese, denominados Greedy, Simulated Annealing e Variable Neighbourhood Descent, que empregam métodos heurísticos e regras de reescrita, cujo objetivo é reduzir a quantidade de portas lógicas reversíveis do circuito sintetizado. A contribuição deste trabalho foi o emprego do método Divisão que divide o circuito sintetizado em vizinhanças e aplica o método Simulated Annealing ou Variable Neighbourhood Descent nas partes do circuito. Os métodos de otimização implementados foram comparados utilizando como testes 42 circuitos. Constatou-se que os métodos Simulated Annealing e Variable Neighbourhood Descent em conjunto com o método Divisão geraram circuitos menores. Além disso, o algoritmo que aplica a meta-heurística Simulated Annealing comparado ao Variable Neighbourhood Descent obteve menor quantidade de portas em 7 dos 42 circuitos, mesmo custo em 29 circuitos e pior custo em 6. / Abstract: In this work, two algorithms described in the literature denominated of XOR and MDM are programmes that realize the synthesis of reversible circuits from the truth table. It has been programmed also algorithms related to the post-synthesis optimization, called Greedy, Simulated Annealing and Variable Neighbourhood Descent, which use heuristic methods and rewriting rules, whose objective is to reduce the number of reversible logic gates of the synthesized circuit. The contribution of this work was the use of the Division method that divides the synthesized circuit into neighborhoods and applies the Simulated Annealing or Variable Neighbourhood Descent method in the circuit parts. The implemented optimization methods were compared using 42 circuits as a test. It was found that the Simulated Annealing and Variable Neighborhood Descent methods together with the Division method generated smaller circuits. Furthermore, the algorithm that applies the Simulated Annealing meta-heuristic compared to the Variable Neighbourhood Descent obtained the lowest number of gates in 7 of the 42 circuits, even cost in 29 circuits and the worst cost in 6. / Mestre

L’attribution des signatures spectrales liées aux défauts dans l’oxyde de zinc fait encore l’objet de controverses. Ceci est probablement dû à la grande variété de défauts possibles, à l’incertitude de leur niveau d’énergie ainsi que leur énergie de formation dans la bande interdite. De plus, l’imprécision concernant les conditions de mesures et la possible présence d’impuretés inhérentes à certaines méthodes de synthèse peuvent souvent mener à des interprétations erronées. Le but de ce travail de thèse est donc d’identifier les défauts intrinsèques naturellement présents dans du ZnO fraîchement préparé ou bien formés via différents types de traitements post-synthèse. Pour atteindre ce but, notre stratégie fut (i) de préparer des nanoparticules modèles de ZnO en utilisant deux types de synthèses en phase vapeur (Combustion et CVS) (ii) de combiner des mesures in situ de photoluminescence (PL) et de RPE, également associées à des spectroscopies complémentaires (Raman, UV visible, FTIR) de façon à révéler, attribuer les défauts et discuter leur comportement selon les conditions de synthèses et de traitements post-synthèse et (iii) de révéler la réactivité des surfaces défectueuses de nos échantillons de ZnO en étudiant leur interaction avec des molécules d’eau ou de 2-méthyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MBOH). Nous avons ainsi observé que VO2+ et Zni+ sont les défauts natifs prédominants dans tous les échantillons fraîchement préparés de ZnO, dans des quantités relatives dépendant de la pression partielle d’oxygène utilisée lors de la synthèse. Les lacunes neutres d’oxygène (VO0) ont également été détectées dans le cas des préparations effectuées dans des conditions particulièrement riches en zinc. VO+ peut se former dans le ZnO smoke après post-traitement (recuit sous vide ou sous vapeur de zinc), la formation d’électrons associée participant à la réduction de Zni+ en Zn0. Au contraire, calciner sous O2 mène à des processus opposés, voire, sous excès d’O2, à la formation de défaut de type Oi. La dissociation de l’eau sur des surfaces préalablement calcinées sous vide mène au remplissage de VO+ et à la réduction de Zn2+ en Zn+. Des tests catalytiques de conversion du MBOH ont montré que de tels processus redox, contrôlés par les conditions de prétraitement, affectent la réactivité de surface de nos matériaux. / By far, the assignment of defects-related spectroscopic features of zinc oxide is still a matter of great controversy. This is probably due to the variety of possible defects in ZnO as well as to their still uncertain formation energies and positions within the band gap. Uncontrolled measurement conditions and impurities related to some synthesis methods can additionally mislead interpretations. The aim of this work is to identify the intrinsic native defects in pure ZnO or formed upon different kind of post-synthesis treatments. To fulfill this goal our strategy was to: i) prepare model zinc oxide nanoparticles using two different vapor-phase synthesis techniques (Combustion and CVS) ii) identify, assign and discuss the occurrence of the defects in line with the synthesis and post treatments conditions by combining in situ PL and EPR measurements together with other complementary spectroscopies (Raman, UV vis, FTIR) and iii) reveal the surface reactivity of defective ZnO samples by studying the interaction with water or 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MBOH). We observed that in all as-synthesized ZnO samples VO2+ and Zni+ are the predominant native defects with relative amounts depending on the partial pressure of oxygen used during the synthesis. Neutral oxygen vacancies (VO0) are additionally detected in samples prepared in conditions particularly rich in zinc. The formation of Vo+ is demonstrated in ZnO smoke upon post treatment (annealing in high vacuum or zinc vapor) while the associated electron release is shown to participate to the reduction of Zni+ into Zn0. On the contrary, annealing in oxygen leads to reverse processes while if used in an excess, to creation of Oi-related defects. Dissociation of water on vacuum annealed surface leads to the filling up of VO+, and reduction of Zn2+ into Zn+. Such redox processes controlled by the pretreatment conditions affect the surface reactivity through the change of the acid base balance, as revealed by MBOH conversion catalytic tests.

Porous organic polymers containing nitrogen-rich building units are among the most promising materials for selective CO2 capture and separation applications that impact the environment and the quality of methane and hydrogen fuels. The work described herein describes post-synthesis modification of Nanoporous Organic Frameworks (NPOFs) and its impact on gas storage and selective CO2 capture. The synthesis of NPOF-4 was accomplished via a catalysed cyclotrimerization reaction of 1,3,5,7-tetrakis(4-acetylphenyl)adamantane in Ethanol/Xylenes mixture using SiCl4 as a catalyst. NPOF-4 is microporous and has high surface area (SABET = 1249 m2 g-1). Post-synthesis modification of NPOF-4 by nitration afforded (NPOF-4-NO2) and subsequent reduction resulted in an amine-functionalized framework (NPOF-4-NH2) that exhibits improved gas storage capacities and high CO2/N2 (139) and CO2/CH4 (15) selectivities compared to NPOF-4 under ambient conditions. These results demonstrate the impact of nitro- and amine- pore decoration on the function of porous organic materials in gas storage and separation application.

Les nanotubes de carbone (CNT) suscitent un vif intérêt en raison de leurs propriétés intrinsèques remarquables. Cependant, les méthodes de synthèse permettant une production de CNT en grande quantité conduisent à des échantillons le plus souvent impurs, hétérogènes et enchevêtrés, ce qui limite fortement leur développement technologique à grande échelle. Ce travail de thèse se situe en amont des enjeux d'application des CNT et vise à mettre en oeuvre des traitements chimiques efficaces permettant d'améliorer la qualité des échantillons tout en préservant les propriétés des CNT. Nous nous sommes tout d'abord intéressés à l'élimination sélective des impuretés métalliques dans les échantillons par un traitement sous flux de dichore. Un procédé d'intercalation-dispersion-désassemblage a ensuite été appliqué aux échantillons purifiés. Une dernière étape de mise en forme a conduit à un matériau présentant une surface accessible augmentée. La caractérisation poussée des échantillons à l'issue de chaque traitement et à l'aide de techniques variées et complémentaires a permis leur description complète. Nous avons porté une attention particulière à l'analyse des surfaces qui a été menée par volumétrie d'adsorption. Cette technique, particulièrement sensible aux modifications de surfaces liées aux traitements chimiques sur les échantillons de CNT, a permis de caractériser l'évolution des différentes fractions de surface des échantillons en fonction des traitements mis en oeuvre. A l'aide d'une modélisation des mesures de physisorption de krypton il a été possible de quantifier macroscopiquement l'état de désassemblage des faisceaux dans le matériau mis en forme / Due to their superior chemical and physical properties, Carbon NanoTubes (CNTs) and, in particular, Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) are recognized to have a huge potential in many fields of applications. Nevertheless large scale production of high quality CNT samples is still challenging. The presence of metallic particles and the gathering of CNTs into bundles in as-produced samples constitute strong obstructions for their technological development. In this work, we develop effective chemical treatments to increase the sample purity and reduce the bundle size without damaging the CNT structure. To remove metal-related impurities, we used an alternative purification process which consists in heating the as-produced CNT samples under a chlorine atmosphere. The obtained purified samples were then processed with an intercalation-dispersion-debundling procedure. The dispersed and ramified SWNTs are afterward self-assembled at an air/solvent interface. The obtained assembled SWNTs show an improved adsorption capacity and increased accessible surfaces compared to those of the as-produced SWNTs. The precise characterization of samples by means of complementary techniques after each treatment constitutes an important part of this work. In particular, surface analyses were carried out by adsorption volumetry, which is particularly sensitive to surface modifications related to chemical treatments. By means of the modeling of krypton adsorption measurements, we quantify the debundling state - at a macroscopic scale - of the processed CNT samples

Les matériaux de type graphène suscitent depuis une dizaine d’années un grand engouement de la part de la communauté scientifique en raison de leurs propriétés remarquables. Les mousses de graphène, notamment, offrent la restitution d’une partie des propriétés du graphène combinée à une surface accessible élevée, et sont particulièrement intéressantes dans certains domaines d’application tels que l’énergie. Ce travail de thèse s’attache à l’étude de l’élaboration de mousses graphéniques par voie solvothermale, une méthode originale qui consiste en une réaction solvothermale entre un alcool et du sodium métallique, suivie par un traitement thermique. L’étude des produits issus de la réaction solvothermale ainsi que de la pyrolyse sous azote a été menée à l’aide de techniques de caractérisation complémentaires et multi-échelles : des mécanismes de formation du composé solvothermal ainsi que des mousses graphéniques ont pu être proposés. Les conditions optimales de pyrolyse ont également été déterminées, et permettent l’obtention d’une mousse de graphène possédant une grande qualité structurale et une surface accessible élevée. Par ailleurs, plusieurs traitements post-élaboration ont été mis en place : un recuit sous vide, en particulier, améliore sensiblement la qualité structurale et la pureté des échantillons. Enfin, l’étude de la modification des propriétés physico-chimiques des mousses à travers la chimie de l’intercalation des matériaux carbonés a été effectuée. Des films de graphène ont pu être préparés à partir des mousses intercalées et leurs propriétés électriques ont été évaluées / Graphene-based materials have attracted a great interest these last years, due to their outstanding properties. In particular, graphene foams offer a part of the properties of graphene, combined with a high surface area: they show great potentiality in some application domains such as energy. This thesis work is focused on the elaboration of graphene foams by a solvothermal-based process, an original method involving a solvothermal reaction between an alcohol and sodium, followed by a thermal treatment. The study of the compounds produced by the solvothermal reaction and the pyrolysis under a nitrogen flow was lead through multi-scale and complementary characterization techniques: mechanisms of formation of the solvothermal compound and graphenic foams have been proposed. The optimal conditions of pyrolysis were also determined, and provide the obtaining of graphene foams with a high structural quality and a large specific surface area. Furthermore, some types of post-elaboration treatments were carried out: notably, a vacuum annealing significantly improves the structural quality and the purity of the samples. Lastly, the modification of the physico-chemical properties of the foams through the chemistry of carbon materials intercalation has been studied. Graphene films were prepared from the intercalated foams and their electrical properties were evaluated

Dans cette thèse, nous avons développé l'utilisation de l'activation microondes pour fonctionnaliser des pérovskites lamellaires et notamment la phase d'Aurivillius Bi2SrTa2O9 (BST), connue pour ses propriétés ferroélectriques. Nous sommes parvenus à protoner cette phase (HST) et à la fonctionnaliser par diverses amines et polyamines, avec des temps de réaction considérablement réduits par rapport aux fonctionnalisations en conditions classiques. Cette approche nous a permis de fonctionnaliser HST par des amines plus encombrées et plus complexes. Cette stratégie a ensuite été étendue au greffage d'alcools et de polyols. Nous avons également établi une stratégie de modification post-synthèse, pour synthétiser in situ la molécule désirée, en utilisant la chimie "click" et l'activation microondes. Enfin, nous sommes parvenus à insérer des ions métalliques et des complexes de métaux de transition, ce qui constitue une première étape vers la synthèse de nouveaux hybrides multiferroïques. / During this PhD thesis, we have developed the use of microwave activation to functionalize layered perovskites, among which the Aurivillius phase Bi2SrTa2O9 (BST), known for its ferroelectric properties. We managed to protonate this phase (leading to HST) and to functionalize it by various amines and polyamines, with reaction times much shorter than using classical conditions. This approach allowed us to functionalize HST by bulkier and more complex amines. This strategy has further been extended to the grafting of alcohols and polyols. We have also established a postsynthesis modification strategy, in order to synthesize the desired molecule in situ, within the interlamellar space, using "click" chemistry and microwave activation. Finally, we managed to insert transition metal ions and complexes, which constitutes a promising step towards the synthesis of new multiferroic hybrid materials.