In this work I describe various approaches to electrochemical energy storage at the grid-scale. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to energy storage and an overview of the history and development of flow batteries. Chapter 2 describes work on the hydrogen-chlorine regenerative fuel cell, detailing its development and the record-breaking performance of the device. Chapter 3 dives into catalyst materials for such a fuel cell, focusing on ruthenium oxide based alloys to be used as chlorine redox catalysts. Chapter 4 introduces and details the development of a performance model for a hydrogen-bromine cell. Chapter 5 delves into the more recent work I have done, switching to applications of quinone chemistries in flow batteries. It focuses on the pairing of one particular quinone (2,7-anthraquinone disulfonic acid) with bromine, and highlights the promising performance characteristics of a device based on this type of chemistry. / Engineering and Applied Sciences

Stable organic semiconductors are critical to produce inexpensive, efficient and flexible thin film organic solar cells. A current chemical focus is the synthesis of stable, electron-accepting materials to be utilized as an acceptor layer in photovoltaics.1 The Anthony group has shown that the functionalization of pentacene with suitable electron withdrawing groups provides a catalog of suitable acceptors for this purpose.2 These pentacenes can be further modified to pack in a unique 1-dimensional "sandwich herringbone" crystal packing, leading to improved device current.3 To improve the stability of acene acceptors, we have taken two hetero-atom themed approaches. First, we have studied the acenequinone as an electron-accepting chromophore.4 Further, we replaced the terminal aromatic rings with heterocycles, such as furan or thiophene. In order to enhance the crystal engineering versatility of the chromophore, we utilize c-fused heterocycles (rather than the more commonly used b-fused cycles seen in e.g. anthradithiophenes). The c-fused acenequinones can be tetra-functionalized with silylethynyl groups to influence crystal packing and increase solubility.5 The silylethyne groups are known to increase the photostability and lower the energy gap (Eg) of pentacenes.5 The functionalization of the silylethyne groups also aids in lowering the lowest unoccupied orbital (LUMO) of acene structures.5

Although the chemistry of benzenoid and nonbenzenoid quinones have been the subject of extensive theoretical and experimental studies, the extent of our present understanding regarding the geometries and stabilities of quinones of pentalene is meager. After studying the existence of cyclopentadienone and its reactivity as a diene and dienophile in the literature, the study of some related species, particularly the ones with fully unsaturated pentalenic structures were started. In this thesis, the elusive compound bicyclo[3.3.0]octa-3,5,8-triene-2,7-dione was tried to synthesize by using the synthetic strategy which was developed by us. We used cycloheptatriene as the starting material. The bicyclic endoperoxiedes mixture obtained by the photooxygenation of cycloheptatriene was v treated with triethylamine to give tropone in high yield. Selective reduction of tropone afforded cyclohepta-3,5-dione which was converted by the way of photochemistry to the bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-en-3-one. After protection of the carbonyl group, dibromocarbene was added to the double bond to give desired bicyclic compound with pentalene skeleton. Substitution of the allylic bromide with hydroxyl group followed by PCC oxidation resulted in the formation of a diketone. All efforts to convert this diketone into fully conjugated system failed.

Substitution reactions of TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) with suitable electron donor moieties extended the range of gamma-bridged adducts R(4)Q3CNQ and R(4)P3CNQ of which the short chain Z-beta-(l-butyl-4'-quinolinium)-alpha-cyano-4-styryldicyanomethanide (C[4]H[9](4)Q3CNQ) is a typical example. These zwitterionic D-pi-A materials (where D and A are electron donors and acceptors respectively) exhibit properties such as solvatochromism, molecular rectification and second harmonic generation. Further synthetic work concentrated on modifying the donor, the acceptor and the substitution position within these zwitterions to create a series of diverse materials for non-linear optic research. Modification of the picolinium and quinolinium systems where the TCNQ substitution is in the alpha-position, has created the extensive analogous series-R(2)Q3CNQ and R(2)P3CNQ, their properties being compared and contrasted to the original gamma-bridged adducts. The behaviour of the materials on the subphase and their resultant Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film fabrication was studied. The abrupt change in molecular orientation in LB films of the gamma-bridged adducts occurring at R= C[15]H[31] and above was not seen in the more flatly orientated alpha-bridged adducts. Further characterisation of the LB films was performed using reflectance-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR).A number of N-alkylpyridinium benzimidazolate betaine derivatives and the related betaine-TCNQ adducts were prepared and their LB film forming properties were studied.

abstract: It has been well established that mitochondria play a critical role in the pathology of Friedreich's Ataxia. This disease is believed to be caused by a deficiency of frataxin, which research suggests is responsible for iron sulfur cluster assembly. This incomplete assembly of iron sulfur clusters is believed to be linked with dysfunctional complexes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, increased oxidative stress, and potential cell death. Increased understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease has enabled the development of various therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring mitochondrial respiration. This thesis contains an analysis of the biological activity of several classes of antioxidants against oxidative stress induced by diethyl maleate in Friedreich's Ataxia lymphocytes and CEM leukemia cells. Analogues of vitamin E α-tocopherol have been shown to protect cells under oxidative stress. However, these same analogues show various levels of inhibition towards the electron transport chain complex I. Bicyclic pyridinols containing a ten carbon substituent provided favorable cytoprotection. N-hydroxy-4-pyridone compounds were observed to provide little protection. Similarly, analogues of CoQ10 in the form of pyridinol and pyrimidinol compounds also preserved cell viability at low concentrations. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biochemistry 2012

No description available.

Harvesting only 4 % of light striking the Earth could possibly fulfill present energy demands of a mankind. Chlorosome of green sulfur bacteria is re- garded as suitable light-harvesting system for photosynthesis imitation. This work presents comparison of absorption and hole burning spectra of artificially prepared aggregates similar to chlorosomes with different compositions in order to verify the proposed role of quinones in excitation quenching and its redox de- pendence. Absorption spectra at room and helium temperature showed a resem- blance between artificial aggregates and chlorosomes. Hole burning experiments verified the role of quinones in excitation quenching under aerobic conditions. Even more pronounced excitation quenching was observed under anaerobic con- ditions. Significant improvements of the original experimental set-up provided better experimental data which raised many further question that are worth trying to answer in the future.

The molecular mechanism responsible for degenerative process in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains unknown. One major advance in this field has been the discovery of several genes associated to familial PD, including alpha synuclein, parkin, LRRK2, etc., thereby providing important insight toward basic research approaches. There is an consensus in neurodegenerative research that mitochondria dysfunction, protein degradation dysfunction, aggregation of alpha synuclein to neurotoxic oligomers, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and neuroinflammation are involved in degeneration of the neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic neurons that are lost in the disease. An update of the mechanisms relating to neurotoxins that are used to produce preclinical models of Parkinson´s disease is presented. 6-Hydroxydopamine, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, and rotenone have been the most wisely used neurotoxins to delve into mechanisms involved in the loss of dopaminergic neurons containing neuromelanin. Neurotoxins generated from dopamine oxidation during neuromelanin formation are likewise reviewed, as this pathway replicates neurotoxin-induced cellular oxidative stress, inactivation of key proteins related to mitochondria and protein degradation dysfunction, and formation of neurotoxic aggregates of alpha synuclein. This survey of neurotoxin modeling—highlighting newer technologies and implicating a variety of processes and pathways related to mechanisms attending PD—is focused on research studies from 2012 to 2014.

"Au cours des dernières années, les systèmes quinoniques hétérocycliques ont connu un essor fulgurant en raison du potentiel pharmacologique important déployé par certaines de ces substances naturelles. Devant l'intérêt accru suscité par ces composés, il devenait impératif de concevoir de nouvelles méthodes de synthèse, dans le but d'accéder à de plus grandes quantités de matériel biologiquement actif, mais aussi afin de préparer facilement des substances analogues. Des travaux antérieurs portant sur la préparation de xanthones naturelles ont permis de substituer des quinones halogénées par le salicylate de méthyle. Tirant profit de ces résultats, nous avons alors entrepris de développer une méthode de substitution nucléophile d'un groupe labile dans une quinone par une amine et ainsi effectuer la synthèse régiospécifique d'anilinoquinones jusqu'à maintenant inaccessibles par les méthodes classiques. Puisque les amines ont montré par le passé une très faible sélectivité face aux quinones, nous les avons transformées en sulfonamides de façon à leur conférer un caractère nucléophile et un comportement voisins de celui des salicylates. Une étude exhaustive de la réaction des esters N-mésylanthraniliques avec de nombreux substrats quinoniques en présence de fluorure de césium dans le N, N-diméthylformamide vient en effet confirmer la régiospécificité du processus (C. Mongrain, L. Lee et P. Brassard; Synthesis, 678, 1993). Dans la seconde partie de nos travaux, nous avons démontré l'importance des anilinoquinones dans la synthèse de substances hétérocycliques azotées. A l'aide de réactions simples et efficaces, nous avons complété la synthèse de nombreuses acridones et benz[b]acridones polyfonctionnalisées. L'approche explorée permet également de préparer diverses substances isomères difficilement accessibles par les méthodes couramment utilisées. Nous avons ainsi pu confirmer la régiospécificité de cette nouvelle approche. Cette étude a été complétée par la synthèse de quelques acridones naturelles afin d'apporter certaines précisions quant à la nature exacte des produits décrits dans la littérature, ainsi que par une étude de cytotoxicité (C. Mongrain et P. Brassard; Heterocycles, 36, 2109, 1993). Nous avons aussi contribué à l'élaboration de méthodes pour la synthèse de la phomazarine et de l'isophomazarine, deux 1-azaanthraquinones naturelles. Malgré les nombreux progrès effectués dans la synthèse de la phomazarine, nous avons été incapables de cycliser l'intermédiaire I, ce qui nous aurait permis de compléter la construction de l'hétérocycle azoté. Dans ce chapitre, nous décrivons aussi la préparation de nouveaux diènes et la formation d'aminoquinones à l'aide de la méthodologie des cycloadditions régiospécifiques développé dans notre laboratoire. Finalement, la cycloaddition du 2-butyl-l, 3-diméthoxy-ltriméthylsiloxybuta- l, 3-diène à la 6-chloro-4-hydroxy-2-méthoxycarbonylquinoléine-5,8-quinone a fourni le squelette tricyclique de base de l'isophomazarine dans lequel, seul la position 9 n'est pas convenablement substitué." / Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 2018

Dans le cadre d’un programme de recherche dédié à la découverte de petites molécules à visée anticancéreuse, nous avons envisagé de concevoir des composés originaux dérivés de quinones. Notre premier objectif a été d’élaborer des mimes non-peptidiques de la protéine Smac, susceptibles de participer à relancer le phénomène d’apoptose, dont la structure est rigidifiée par des contraintes conformationnelles. Par ailleurs, les kinases et les phosphatases, jouant des rôles complémentaires de phosphorylation / déphosphorylation dans le cadre du contrôle du cycle cellulaire notamment, apparaissent aussi comme des cibles intéressantes. Une étude attentive de leurs inhibiteurs connus nous a permis de mettre en avant des analogies structurales qui nous ont conduit à vouloir synthétiser des motifs fonctionnalisés de dérivés de naphtoquinones.L’introduction directe de chaînes latérales aliphatiques sur nos substrats, par création de liaisons de type C(sp2)–C(sp3), a été rendue possible grâce au développement d’une méthodologie de décarboxylation radicalaire. Dans les conditions réactionnelles mises au point, le couple Ag(I)/S2O82- est utilisé comme initiateur radicalaire et autorise la génération de radicaux alkyles par décarboxylation d’acides aminés. L’introduction directe de cycles aromatiques fonctionnalisés, via la création de liaisons de type C(sp2)–C(sp2), a été réalisée par l’intermédiaire de la génération de radicaux aryles issus de sels de diazonium stables ou d’anilines. Les procédés décrits dans ce manuscrit nous ont permis d’apporter certains éclaircissements sur la réactivité des substrats et sur les mécanismes réactionnels impliqués. / In our ongoing course dedicated to the discovery of small anticancer molecules, we designed novel quinone derivatives. Our first objective was to fashion non-peptidic Smac mimics, able to trigger apoptosis in tumor cells, displaying a structure rigidified by conformational restrictions. Otherwise, the kinases and the phosphatases, acting as phosphorylating / dephosphorylating agents mostly in the control of the cell cycle, were thought to be other relevant biological targets. An intent study of their known inhibitors allowed us to underline trends in their chemical structure and made us plan the synthesis of functionalized naphthoquinones.A dedicated approach involving radical decarboxylation of amino acids allowed the introduction of aliphatic side chains on our substrates though C(sp2)–C(sp3) bond formation. Ag(I)/S2O82- was used as alkyl radical initiator and the direct C-H alkylation of the quinonic positions could take place. C(sp2)–C(sp2) bonds were created through aryl radicals generation from stable diazonium salts or anilines which allowed the direct C-H arylation of quinones. The procedures described along this manuscript let us formulate several advances on the substrates reactivity and on the reaction mechanisms involved.