Polypropylene films are widely used in industry, especially for packaging purposes. However, these films become statically charged when they are subject to friction. The accumulation of charges in some applications can be harmful, especially for the electronic devices and can cause undesirable appearance due to the attraction of dusts. Furthermore, minimum susceptibility to mechanically induced surface damage is a desired property since scratches reduce the mechanical strength and the bright texture of the film in packaging of commercial items and limit the applications of the material. This study aims to provide antistatic character to polypropylene films by the utilization of conductive fillers which function independent of humidity and enhance their scratch resistance by means of aromatic based additives. Polypyrrole-polypropylene composites including 2%, 5%, 7% and 9% pyrrole were synthesized by chemical modification. 2% of pyrrole was adequate to provide antistatic character to the films. Moreover, they attained conductive property when the pyrrole content exceeds 7%. Polypropylene based materials containing four different compositions of 1,7-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene, pphenylene diamine and hydroquinone were prepared by mechanical mixing. Scratch resistance of polypropylene films increased significantly with the insertion of additives. The material containing 2% 1,7-dihydroxynaphthalene introduced the highest enhancement by more than 60%. Moreover, mechanical analysis results showed that insertion of the additives except hydroquinone increased Young&amp / #8217 / s modulus of the polypropylene films. In addition, tensile strength and elongation at break of polypropylene films were enhanced significantly with insertion of the additives regardless of the additive type.

Synthesis of new electroactive monomers are highly desired since these compounds can be utilized as active layers in many device applications such as ECDs, LEDs and solar cells. Pyrrole and selenophene bearing polymers were also proven to be excellent candidates as electrochromic materials. Benzothiodiazole can be coupled to to pyrrole and selenophene yield materials that can be polymerized to give donor acceptor type polymers. These donor-acceptor type materials / Poly(4,7-di(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole P(PYBTPY) and poly(4,7-di(selenophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole P(SEBTSE) were synthesized via bromination, stannylation and Stille coupling reactions. Electrochemical and electrochromic properties of the polymers were examined in detail.

Nitrogen containing heterocycles have always constituted a subject of great interest due to their wide presence in biologically important compounds so the development of efficient methods for the preparation of pyrrole derivatives and formation of new pyrrole-based heterocyclic compounds are an attractive goal in heterocyclic chemistry. In this study, starting from dimethoxytetrahydrofurane and amino acid esters, unsubstituted pyrrole derivatives, and treatment of amino acid esters with convenient chloroenones 1,2-disubstituted and 1,2,4-trisubstituted pyrrole derivatives were synthesized without racemization. Reaction of unsubstituted pyrrole derivatives with norephedrine toward inter- and intramolecular cyclizations give new interesting heteropolycylic compounds with oxazole-pyrrole-pyrazine structures. Study continued with cyclization reaction of these synthesized substituted and unsubstituted pyrrole derivatives with BBr3 and new bicyclic pyrrole derivatives were obtained in moderate yield.

Syntheses of biodegradable PLLA homopolymers and PLLA-mPEG diblock copolymers for the formation of thermo-sensitive gels were performed. The sol-gel transition temperature of the matrix was adjusted by altering the length of each PEG and LA component. PLLA-mPEG biocompatible copolymers, having appropriate length of each block component, showed sols at around 42-45 oC, suitable for the injection, then a gel with subsequent rapid cooling to body temperature. Topotecan and camptothecin were selected as anti-cancer drugs. Both drugs can easily hydrolyze at physiological conditions (pH=7.4). This causes the loss of its activity, and it turns into inactive toxic carboxylate form from active lactone state. To keep those anti cancer drugs in the lactone form, they were efficiently loaded into PLLA-mPEG gels in different loading ratios. Their stability in gel was fully examined with HPLC and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that both drugs were highly stable and in active form in the prepared gels (&gt / 95 %). Then, both release profile of drugs at different loading ratios showed prolonged release over weeks. Mechanistic studies on the stabilization of CPT anti cancer drug with PLLA-mPEG gels were carried out using ATR-FTIR, confocal and optic microscopes. The cytotoxic efficacy of TPT in the PLLA-mPEG platform (PLLA-mPEG-TPT) was evaluated on LLC-1 and 4T1 cancer cell lines by MTT assay. In vivo, the administration of PLLA-mPEG-TPT to the mice bearing breast tumours established with 4T1 cells resulted in a significant reduction in tumour size and better survival percentages. Additionally, stabilization of CPT and TPT with gels may find another application on solid tumors in brain via local injection. A novel conducting polymer was successfully synthesized via electropolymerization of 1-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole. The electrochemical and electro-optical properties of the corresponding polymer, which was the first example of polymer containing 1,1&rsquo / -bipyrrole units, were elaborated using electroanalytical and spectroscopic techniques. Cyclic voltammograms and electrooptical studies showed that the polymer has a stable and well-defined reversible redox process as well as electrochromic behavior. The processable polymer film also possessed a yellowish orange light emitter property.

The fascinating role that porphyrins play in natural processes such as photosynthesis and respiration, continues to provide a compelling motivation to study these chromophores and to design new analogues with improved functions. This dissertation describes the interdisciplinary study of several classes of compounds that include π-extended porphyrins, expanded porphyrins, porphycenes, polypyrroles and porphyrins. Dictated by the need to capture efficiently red and near-infrared light, the so-called π-extension approach has been established as a powerful tool in the synthesis of large aromatic chromophores. Many of these artificial systems demonstrate properties similar to natural porphyrins. Often, however, a reduced bandgap is seen due to a greater π-system. Synthetic challenges associated with the preparation of the linearly annulated porphyrins have long been recognized. Many of these have now beed overcome as the result of a newly developed synthetic protocol described in Chapter 1. This protocol allows for the synthesis of a pyrrolic building block under milder conditions. As a continuation of this work, naphthobipyrroles were obtained via the π-extension strategy applied to a benzobipyrrole. The utility of this new building block was demonstrated with the syntheses of an electrochromic polynaphthobipyrrolic polymer (Chapter 3) and a dinaphthoporphycene (Chapter 2), a chromophore isomeric to porphyrin. Chapter 4 describes a different approach to porphyrin functionalization. Here, the goal was to effect substitution at the so-called β pyrrolic positions with using two bithiophene groups. Although, the resulting product is not completely rigid, enhancement in the sensitizing properties of the basic porphyrin chromophore was seen in a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) assembly, as studied by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The synthetic contributions concerning this work, carried in collaboration with Bard group, are expected to lay the groundwork for the development future photovoltaic materials. Expanded porphyrins are the more diverse group of porphyrinic derivatives. In effort to develop new conjugated expanded porphyrin systems and to understand their spectroscopic behavior in greater detail, a set of expanded porphyrins, based on the direct electrochemical oxidation of terpyrrole-like fragments, was developed in conjunction with the Bucher group (Grenoble, France). This effort is described in Chapter 5. Specifically it is shown that trithiacyclo[9]pyrrole may be prepared by means of an electrochemical synthesis. / text

The study of the binding and recognition of anions has emerged as a significant branch of supramolecular chemistry over the past 20 years. Of particular interest is the binding in aqueous media of industrially or biologically relevant anions including fluoride, pyrophosphate, and terephthalate. To date, most anion recognition using synthetic systems has been accomplished with small molecule receptors operating in organic media. We believe the challenge of sensing and binding anionic species in aqueous media could be addressed through polymers. This is due to their solubility, which can be tuned by judicious selection of the appropriate polymer backbone. Further, polymers can be cross-linked (forming interchain bonds) to produce insoluble materials that are attractive for use as filter materials for liquids and gases. The polymer network can also act as a net to strip away the solvent shell of the anions, leading to increased sensitivity toward hydrated analytes. In addition, the multi-valency due to multiple binding sites in a polymer can lead to increased affinities for analytes. This dissertation details the author’s work focused on the preparation of anion receptor-containing polymers and their subsequent evaluation as both sensors for the fluoride anion and as extractants for bisanions under conditions of liquid-liquid extraction. Chapter 1 gives a brief review of the challenges of anion binding and a primer on the field of sensing and extracting anions using polymeric systems. Chapter 2 describes our work incorporating three quinoxaline-based anion receptors into poly(methyl methacrylate) polymers and their sensing of anionic targets. Chapter 3 describes our work incorporating calix[4]pyrrole anion receptors into poly(methyl methacrylate) polymers. These polymeric systems were found to undergo reversible crosslinking in organic media when combined with certain ditopic anions. Chapter 4 describes our work to investigate chemopreventives of prostate cancer based on the phytochemicals 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. The mechanism of action was linked to the inhibition of inflammation pathways. Derivatives of 6-shogaol were synthesized and their ability to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth was evaluated. Chapter 5 details all the syntheses and characterization data of the compounds discussed in this dissertation, as well as spectra from titrations and extraction studies. / text

High spin has been shown to be necessary for optimal reactivity of transition metal complexes toward the activation and functionalization of C-H bonds. This thesis presents our examination of the weak-field, tripodal, trianionic tris(pyrrolyl)ethane (tpe) ligand and its complexes. Outer-sphere oxidation of the manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and zinc complexes of tpe were performed by electrochemical and chemical methods. Electrochemical oxidation occurred at the same potential for each species, suggesting a ligand-based oxidation. The reaction product of chemical oxidation of iron showed oxidation of a pyrrole unit followed by H-atom abstraction to form a dichelated species. Density functional theory calculations confirm these results, and in silico oxidation of the complexes is entirely ligand-based. These results establish that tpe complexes are oxidized at the pyrrolide subunits in outersphere electron transfers, and elucidate minimal metal-ligand electronic communication. The more reactive \([(tpe)Fe(THF)]^−\) anion exhibits rapid binding of three equivalents of tert-butyl isonitrile, while reaction with excess carbon monoxide induces ligand fragmentation to form a species wherein two molecules of carbon monoxide have been reductively coupled. A mechanism based on the observed isonitrile species is proposed. The use of inner-sphere oxidant reagents allows for several stable iron (III) complexes of tpe to be isolated and characterized. Alkyl peroxides and alkyl disulfides, organic azides, and diphenyldiazomethane are all shown to oxidize iron by a single electron. Reaction with organic azides results in the formation of iron (III) amide species, likely as a result of Hatom abstraction. The weak-field of tpe creates a high propensity for forming high-spin iron (III) complexes, to the extent that diphenyldiazoalkane acts as a redox-active ligand and provides a one-electron reservoir to reveal a high-spin \(Fe^{3+}\). Spectroscopic and computational studies were undertaken to rigorously assign the physical oxidation state of iron in all cases. Given the outer-sphere redox liability of the tpe ligand, and the capability for inner-sphere oxidation local to iron, tpe complexes of iron represent a new class of metal-ligand redox activity, wherein the metal and ligand form two separate redox reservoirs, accessible via different mechanisms. / Chemistry and Chemical Biology

La presente tesis consta de dos vertientes interrelacionadas. La primera se centra en intentar cuantificar experimentalmente la contribución energética en disolución de la interacción anión-, mediante el uso de calix[4]pirroles aril substituidos en las posiciones meso- como moléculas modelo. El trabajo realizado muestra que la interacción anión- es repulsiva para anillos con valores de ESP negativos y a medida que el efecto electrón atrayente de los sustituyentes aumenta la interacción se vuelve menos repulsiva, hasta que, cuando el valor de ESP en el centro del anillo aromático es positivo la interacción se vuelve ligeramente atractiva. La segunda en el uso de estos receptores simples para obtener arquitecturas supramoleculares más complejas, y su autoensamblaje en capsulas. Los estudios muestran que calix[4]pirroles sustituidos con grupos urea en sus anillos aromáticos se autoemsamblan en capsulas diméricas en presencia de un huesped adecuado como los N-óxidos de alquil aminas y piridinas en disolventes apolares. / This thesis consists of two interrelated aspects. The first one pretends to quantify experimentally the energetic contribution in solution of the anion- interaction, using aryl extended calix[4] pyrroles substituted in their meso- positions as a model system. The work performed shows that the anion- interaction is repulsive for aromatic rings with negative ESP values, as the electron withdrawing character of the substituent increases the interaction becomes less repulsive, until eventually, when the ESP value in the center of the aromatic ring is positive the interaction turns into slightly attractive.The second one is based on the use of these simple receptors as scaffolds to obtain complex structures and their self-assembly into capsules. The studies performed show that aryl extended calix[4]pyrroles substituted with urea functions on their upper rim self-assemble into dimeric capsules in the presence of a suitable guest like the N-oxides of alkyl amines and pyridines in non-polar solvents.

Les pyrrole-2-aminoimidazoles (P-2-AIs) sont des métabolites secondaires spécifiques des éponges marines. Ils sont principalement rencontrés dans les familles d'éponge Agelasidae, Halichondridae et Axinellidae. Ainsi l'étude chimique de l'éponge marine Axinella donnani dans le but d'isoler de nouveaux composés P-2-AIs a-t-elle permis un élargissement des connaissances au niveau de la diversité de la famille ainsi qu'une meilleure compréhension de leur biogénèse. Deux lots de cette éponge ont été étudiés afin de mener à l'isolement de 29 composés : parmi lesquels six P-2-AIs dimères nouveaux, un nouveau composé de la famille des manzacidines et un nouveau dimère 3,5-dibromotyrosinique. Les structures de ces nouvelles molécules ont déterminées à l'aide d'expériences RMN 1D et 2D. Une étude de leur stéréochimie absolue a aussi été menée à l'aide de dichroïsme circulaire. Par ailleurs la réalisation d'une chimiothèque d'analogues du dispacamide A a permis l'obtention de 29 analogues différemment substitués qui seront testés sur de nombreuses cibles biologiques afin d'évaluer leurs activités.

Synthesis of 2-[(3-thienylcarbonyl)oxy]ethyl 3-thiophene carboxylate (TOET), 2,3-bis-[(3-thienylcarbonyl)oxy]propyl 3-thiophene carboxylate (TOPT), and 3-[(3-thienylcarbonyl)oxy]-2,2-bis{[(3-thienylcarbonyl)oxy]}propyl 3- thiophene carboxylate (TOTPT), and their copolymerization either with thiophene or pyrrole were achieved. The chemical structures of the monomers were investigated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Electrochemical behavior of the monomers and copolymers were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The resultant conducting copolymers were characterized via FTIR, Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and morphologies of the films were inspected by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Conductivities of the samples were measured by using four-probe technique. The electrochromic and spectroelectrochemical properties of the copolymers were investigated.