Despite their increasing usefulness in a wide variety of applications, organic electrochemical transistors still lack a comprehensive and unifying physical framework able to describe the current-voltage characteristics and the polymer/electrolyte interactions simultaneously. Building upon thermodynamic axioms, we present a quantitative analysis of the operation of organic electrochemical transistors. We reveal that the entropy of mixing is the main driving force behind the redox mechanism that rules the transfer properties of such devices in electrolytic environments. In the light of these findings, we show that traditional models used for organic electrochemical transistors, based on the theory of field-effect transistors, fall short as they treat the active material as a simple capacitor while ignoring the material properties and energetic interactions. Finally, by analyzing a large spectrum of solvents and device regimes, we quantify the entropic and enthalpic contributions and put forward an approach for targeted material design and device applications.

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">As the demand for energy rises and the threat of climate change looms, the need for clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions like renewable energies has been more crucial. Energy storage systems (ESSs) are indispensable in addressing the intermittent nature of renewable energies and optimizing grid efficiency. Redox flow batteries (RFBs), thanks to their scalability, independent energy and power, swift response time, and minimal environmental impact, are a particularly promising ESS technology for long-duration storage applications. Despite the technological maturity of aqueous RFBs, nonaqueous organic RFBs (NAORFBs) are a prospective solution due to their wider operational voltage, potentially higher energy density, and larger pool of redox-active materials. However, the current state-of-the-art NAORFBs face challenges due to the lack of suitable organic redox-active materials (ORMs).</p><p dir="ltr">Despite the development of new materials, how their variables influence the total system cost of RFBs remains an unsolved challenge. With this regard, we established a techno-economic (TE) model to calculate the capital cost of nonaqueous hybrid RFBs (NAHRFBs). Prior to this work, NAHRFBs, which employs lithium metal as the anode, were regarded as an RFB system with the highest energy density. However, the correlation between their features and the system cost remained unclear, leaving a research gap for new ORMs. In our model, we selected a state-of-the-art NAHRFB system where 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) serves as the catholyte and lithium metal functions as the anode. Thereafter, sensitivity analyses identified several key factors that determine the system cost, including operational current density, area-specific resistance, cell voltage, electrolyte composition, and both the price and equivalent molecular weight of the ORM. To enhance the cost-competitiveness of current NAHRFBs, it is advised to increase the current density by 10 times and modulate the ORM-related characteristics. The virtually optimized condition manifests that the system cost of NAHRFB can meet the long-term cost target set by the U. S. Department of Energy.</p><p dir="ltr">Informed by the TE model, we discovered that elevating the oxidation potential of catholyte ORMs is instrumental in reducing the system cost of RFBs. To explore this possibility, we incorporated fluorine atoms, a potent electron-withdrawing group (EWG), into a dimethoxybenzene (DMB) derivative, yielding a new ORM (ANL-C46) with an oxidation potential enhanced by ~0.41 V. Surprisingly, ANL-C46 demonstrated superior kinetic and electrochemical stability compared to its parent molecule, as indicated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study and bulk electrolysis. In particular, the cycling performance of ANL-46 during the bulk electrolysis outperformed most reported high-potential (> 1 V vs. Ag/Ag⁺) ORMs. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveals that the introduced fluorine substituents suppress the typical side reaction pathways of the DMB series. These findings offer valuable insights into molecular engineering strategies that concurrently improve multiple desired ORM properties.</p><p dir="ltr">The stability of ORMs is critical for ensuring the extended lifetime of RFBs. We conducted a systematic exploration of the conjugation effect, which potentially stabilizes the ORMs by facilitating a more homogeneous distribution of delocalized charges. This was applied to tailor the electrochemical and physical properties of several DMB derivatives with varying aromatic ring counts. As we extended the aromatic core from 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (1,4-DMB) to 1,4-dimethoxynaphthalene (1,4-DMN), we noted a decrease in oxidation potential, enhanced kinetic stability, and an extended cycling life. However, further extending the aromatic core to 2-ethyl-9,10-dimethyanthracene (EDMA) results in rapid dealkylation of the radical cation due to increased strain in the methoxy substituents. Additionally, 1,4-DMN shows cross-reactions between radical cations, likely via disproportionation. This study demonstrates that extending the π-conjugation changes reactivity in multiple ways. Therefore, attempts to lower oxidation potential and improve ORMs stability through π-conjugation should be pursued with caution.</p>

Les supercapacités électrochimiques sont des dispositifs de stockage d’énergie à haute puissance, permettant d’emmagasiner et de relarguer l’énergie très rapidement. Parce qu’ils ne peuvent stocker de grandes quantités d’énergie, ces dispositifs sont souvent utilisés en tandem avec des batteries qui, elles, ont de grandes densités d’énergie. Le stockage d’énergie dans les supercapacités se fait principalement par le déplacement des ions dans la double couche électrique de carbones activés (élaboré par un traitement thermique en base concentrée pour augmenter la taille et la quantité des pores) à haute surface spécifique. La présence de réactions faradiques lors du stockage permettrait d’augmenter l’énergie spécifique des supercapacités et d’en améliorer l’utilisation. L’approche préconisée dans le groupe Rochefort pour arriver à ce but est d’ajouter une espèce redox soluble dans l’électrolyte. Les liquides ioniques redox (donc modifiés avec un centre électroactif) sont particulièrement prometteurs par leur grande solubilité dans les électrolytes à base de solvants organiques. Il y a toutefois bien peu de connaissances sur leur fonctionnement et leurs interactions avec les électrodes de carbone activé. Dans le cadre de ce mémoire, nous avons étudié les interactions entre un liquide ionique redox modifié avec le groupement ferrocène [EMIm][FcNTf] (1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Ferrocénylsulfonyl(trifluorométhylsulfonyl) imide) et deux matériaux en carbone poreux. L’utilisation de deux carbones commerciaux YP-80F et YP-50F, qui ont une des formes de pores semblable, mais des distributions des pores différentes, a permis de mieux comprendre l’effet de la taille des pores sur le stockage. Le carbone avec la plus grande proportion de pores de grande taille allant jusqu’à 3 nm, le YP-80F, a révélé une forte augmentation de l’énergie spécifique de l’ordre de 30 % à 40 % par rapport à celui avec des pores plus restreints (32,9 Wh/kg pour YP-80F contre 19,7 Wh/kg pour YP-50F). Pour déterminer si l’augmentation de l’énergie spécifique est à l’origine d’une meilleure accessibilité des ions redox volumineux aux pores du carbone, nous avons utilisé la spectroscopie de résonance magnétique nucléaire à l’état solide (RMN en 19F). Les études RMN ont montré que le carbone YP-80F, lors de sa charge, contient une plus grande proportion d’ions dans les pores que le YP-50F qui présente des pores de plus petite taille. Ces résultats permettront de développer des espèces électroactives mieux adaptées aux carbones avec lesquels elles sont utilisées et d’améliorer le stockage d’énergie dans les supercapacités électrochimiques. / Electrochemical supercapacitors are high-power energy storage devices that can store and release energy very quickly. Because they cannot store large quantities of energy, these devices are often used in tandem with batteries, which have high energy densities. Energy storage in supercapacitors is mainly achieved by moving ions in the electric double layer of activated carbons with high specific surface area. The addition of faradic reactions during storage would increase the specific energy of supercapacitors and improve their utilization. The approach followed by the Rochefort group to achieve this goal is to add a soluble redox species to the electrolyte of the supercapacitor. Redox ionic liquids (i.e. modified with an electroactive center) are particularly promising because of their high solubility in electrolytes. However, very little is known about how they work and interact with activated carbon electrodes. In this work, we studied the interactions between a redox ionic liquid modified with the ferrocene moiety and two porous carbon materials. Using two commercial carbons YP-80F and YP-50F, which have similar porosity but different pore distributions, we were able to gain a better understanding of the effect of pore size on storage. The carbon with the highest proportion of large pores, YP-80F, showed a strong increase in specific energy of the order of 30% to 40% over that with smaller pores (32,9 Wh/kg for YP-80F vs. 19,7 Wh/kg for YP-50F). Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to determine whether the increase in specific energy was due to greater accessibility of bulky redox ions to the carbon pores. NMR studies have shown that YP-80F carbon, when charged, contains a higher proportion of ions in the porosity than YP-50F, which has a more restricted porosity. These results will enable us to develop electroactive species better suited to the carbons with which they are used, and to improve energy storage in electrochemical supercapacitors.

No description available.

A fundamental analysis performed at LKAB is the determination of the iron (II) content of the company’s iron ore products. Currently, a redox titration method using potassium dichromate as the titrator is used to determine this content. However, LKAB is considering replacing its current method due to the titrator’s harmful effects on the health and the environment. The purpose of this study is to compare different redox titration methodsvalidation parameters, to find the most suitable method for the determination of the iron (II) content. The titrators in focus for this study is potassium dichromate, cerium (IV) sulphate and potassium permanganate. Several experiments were performed to compare the three titration methods. The validation parameters determined for each method were precision, accuracy, linearity, LOD, LOQ and robustness. The titration error was also calculated. The results showed that the redox titration with potassium dichromate as the titrator had the highest accuracy at 98.95 %, while the redox titration with cerium (IV) sulphate as the titrator had the best precision at 0.099 % (for samples with a similar matrix as LKAB’s iron ore products). Based on the acquired results, it was concluded that LKAB’s current method is the most suitable for the determination of the iron (II) content in LKAB’s iron ore products. The redox titration method using cerium (IV) sulphate as a titrator is a good competitor, butdue to the method’s slightly inferior accuracy and vague end point, it fails to outcompeteLKAB’s current method. / En grundläggande analys som utförs på LKAB är fastställandet av järn (II)-halten i företagets järnmalmsprodukter. För närvarande används en redox-titreringsmetod med kaliumdikromat som titrator för bestämmelsen av denna halt. LKAB överväger dock att byta ut sin nuvarande metod på grund av titratorns hälso- och miljöfarliga effekter. Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra olika redox-titreringsmetoders valideringsparametrar, för att hitta den mest lämpligaste metoden för fastställandet av järn (II)-halten. De titratorer som studeras är kaliumdikromat, cerium (IV) sulfat och kaliumpermanganat. Flertalet experiment utfördes, för att kunna jämföra de tre titreringsmetoderna med varandra. De valideringsparametrar som bestämdes för vardera metoden var precision, noggrannhet, linjäritet, LOD, LOQ och robusthet. Titrerfelet beräknades också. Resultaten visade att redox-titrering med kalimdikromat som titrator hade högst noggrannhet på 98,95 %, medan redox-titrering med cerium (IV) sulfat som titrator hade bäst precision på 0,099 % (för prover med liknande matris som LKAB:s järnmalmsprodukter). Utifrån de resultat som erhölls så drogs slutsatsen att LKAB:s nuvarande metod är den mest lämpligaste för fastställandet av järn (II)-halten i företagets järnmalmsprodukter. Redox-titreringsmetoden med cerium (IV) sulfat som titrator är en bra konkurrent, men på grund av metodens något sämre noggrannhet och otydligare slutpunkt så misslyckas den med att konkurrera ut LKAB:s nuvarande metod.

Die für Pflanzen lebenswichtige Synthese von Tetrapyrrolen bedarf einer fein justierten Anpassung an die Umweltbedingungen und erfolgt auf transkriptioneller und post-translationaler Ebene. In den Chloroplasten hat sich die Regulation von Enzymen über ihren Redox-Status als probates Mittel zur Koordination der photosynthetischen Energiegewinnung und des Metabolismus erwiesen. Die bei der Photosynthese generierten Reduktionsäquivalente werden zum Teil über die Ferredoxin-Thioredoxin-Reduktase auf eine Vielzahl plastidärer Thioredoxine (TRX) übertragen, welche Disulfidbrücken ihrer Zielproteine reduzieren können. Unter den Enzymen der Tetrapyrrolbiosynthese (TBS) wurden bisher mehrere TRX-Interaktionspartner identifiziert, darunter die Glutamyl-tRNA-Reduktase (GluTR) und die 5-Aminolävulinsäure-Dehydratase (ALAD). In Arabidopsis Mutanten, in denen die NADPH-abhängige Thioredoxin-Reduktase (NTRC) oder f- und m-Typ-TRX fehlen, konnten verringerte Chlorophyll- und Hämgehalte beobachtet werden. Diese ließen sich auf die verringerte Stabilität verschiedener TBS-Enzyme in den Mutanten zurückführen, darunter auch die GluTR und ALAD. Die Relevanz der Cysteine (Cys, C) für die Regulation der GluTR1-Stabilität wurde in vivo über transgene Arabidopsis Cys➔Serin (Ser, S)-Substitutionslinien untersucht. Dabei erwies sich GluTR1(C464S) stärker vor dem Abbau über die kaseinolytische Protease (Clp) geschützt als das WT-Protein. Eine intermolekulare Disulfidbrücke zwischen den beiden Cys464-Resten des GluTR1-Homodimers wird daher als Abbausignal postuliert. Mit Hilfe der rekombinanten ALAD1(Cys➔Ser)-Substitutionsmutanten konnte gezeigt werden, dass nicht nur die Stabilität, sondern auch die Aktivität der ALAD1 in vitro vom Redox-Status des Enzyms abhängig ist. Die ALAD1(Cys➔Ser)-Substitutionsmutanten konnten über Enzymaktivitäts- und gel shift-Assays unter oxidierenden und reduzierenden Bedingungen zur Identifizierung der redox-sensitiven Cys beitragen. / The synthesis of tetrapyrroles, such as chlorophyll, is vital for plants and requires a finetuned regulation. The control mechanisms involved in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis (TBS) take place both on transcriptional and post-translational levels. A broadly spread post-translational regulatory mechanism in the chloroplast involves the reduction of inter- or intramolecular disulfide bonds of redox-sensitive target enzymes by thioredoxins (TRX). Thereby the coupling of photosynthetic energy production with several energy-consuming metabolic processes can be accomplished. The reduction of disulfide bonds in redox-sensitive enzymes was previously shown to lead usually to their activation. Regarding the TBS, several TRX interacting proteins have been identified, including glutamyl-tRNA-reductase (GluTR) as well as the 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD). Through the detailed and combined analysis of mutants with deficient NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC), TRX-f and TRX-m, a correlation became evident between decreased chlorophyll and heme levels of the mutants and lower amounts of several TBS enzymes, including GluTR and ALAD. For GluTR1, transgenic Arabidopsis cysteine (Cys, C) ➔ serine (Ser, S) substitution lines were generated and analyzed to identify the redox-sensitive Cys residues in vivo. In these studies, GluTR1(C464S) was shown to be better protected from degradation by the caseinolytic protease (Clp) than the GluTR1 WT protein. Thus, an intermolecular disulfide bond between the Cys464 residues in the dimerization domain of the GluTR1 homodimer is postulated to serve as a degradation signal under oxidizing conditions. However, it was shown by activity- and gel shift-assays with recombinant ALAD1(Cys➔Ser) substitution mutants that not only the stability, but also the in vitro activity of ALAD1 depends on the enzyme's redox state. Redox-sensitive inter- and intramolecular disulfide bridges of ALAD1 were identified among Cys71, Cys152 and Cys251.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute -- Animal Science & Industry / Karen A. Schmidt / Yogurt starter and probiotic bacteria have been reported to confer health benefits to the consumer; however, to confer these health benefits yogurt and probiotic bacteria should be live and present at the recommended concentration of 6 to 8 log cfu g-1. Cegemett® Fresh (Cognis Nutrition & Health, Monheim, Germany) is a plant extract that possesses antioxidant properties. This research was divided into two experiments. The objective of experiment-I was to investigate the effect of plant extract supplementation on the redox potential (Eh) and the viability of starter cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus) in nonfat yogurt. Five yogurt samples [non-supplemented, supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0% (w/v) plant extract, or supplemented with 0.014 or 0.028% (w/w) L-cysteine.HCl] were prepared, stored at 5ºC for 50 days and analyzed weekly. L. bulgaricus counts in supplemented yogurts were > 6 log cfu mL-1 for additional 7 to 21 days compared with non-supplemented yogurt; however, S. thermophilus counts in all yogurts were > 6 log cfu mL-1 throughout the storage. Overall, Eh of plant extract supplemented yogurts were similar to non-supplemented yogurt during storage; therefore the improvement in L. bulgaricus viability cannot be attributed to the Eh alone. The objective of experiment-II was to investigate the effect of plant extract supplementation on the buffering ability of the yogurt mix, and on the viability of starter and probiotic (Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus) cultures in nonfat yogurt stored at 5ºC for 50 days. Nine yogurt samples were prepared with 0.5% (w/v) plant extract, 0.25% (w/v) sodium acetate or no supplement, fermented with starter cultures and B. animalis, L. acidophilus or both probiotics, and analyzed weekly. The plant extract and sodium acetate supplemented yogurt mixes had greater buffering capacities compared with non-supplemented yogurt mix. L. bulgaricus and L. acidophilus counts in supplemented yogurts were > 6 log cfu mL-1 for additional 7 to 35 days compared with non-supplemented yogurts. S. thermophilus and B. animalis counts were not affected by supplementation. These results suggested that greater buffering capacity could improve the viability of L. bulgaricus and L. acidophilus in yogurt during storage.

Le rôle des protéines avec un motif TerD est depuis toujours insaisissable. La séquence en acides aminés qui correspond au motif TerD est répandue dans les génomes de plusieurs espèces bactériennes. Les recherches effectuées dans le cadre de ce doctorat avaient pour objectif d’identifier le rôle du gène tdd8 (SCO2368) qui code pour une protéine avec un motif TerD chez Streptomyces coelicolor. Sur la base d’une étude comparative du transcriptome de souches présentant une expression différentielle de tdd8, il a été possible de déterminer l’implication de tdd8 dans plusieurs systèmes de régulation. Les résultats obtenus ont permis d'établir que le niveau d’expression de tdd8 peut jouer un rôle dans le mécanisme de la différenciation morphologique et de la sporulation, dans le métabolisme de l’azote et dans l’équilibre redox. La protéine Tdd8 semble avoir un rôle dans divers processus cellulaires de par son implication dans l’homéostasie du calcium intracellulaire qui a été démontrée dans cette étude. Parmi les gènes qui semblent affectés par le taux d’expression de tdd8, ces recherches ont identifié un regroupement de gènes impliqués dans la réponse au stress redox. La plupart de ces gènes sont positionnés sur deux loci et leur expression implique un système de régulation analogue au régulon DosR retrouvé chez Mycobactérium tuberculosis. La croissance de la souche M145 de S. coelicolor en conditions de stress (hypoxie et présence d’oxyde nitrique) a permis de confirmer l’induction de ces gènes et des recherches bioinformatiques ont permis d’identifier un motif de liaison DosR dans les séquences qui précèdes la région codante de plusieurs gènes situés dans les deux loci identifiés. Les recherches ont également permis une meilleure caractérisation du métabolisme de l’azote et notamment une implication de tdd8 dans la régulation de ce métabolisme. Ces travaux s’inscrivent dans un processus de recherche fondamentale qui permet de mieux comprendre le rôle des protéines avec un motif TerD.

Redox-active ligands deliver redox equivalents to impart multi-electron functionality at 3d metals that typically undergo to one electron redox events. It was proposed that 3d metals with redox-active ligands could form unusually well-defined catalysts for C-C bond forming reactions to mimic palladium-type reactivity. Therefore, several new complexes containing an iron or cobalt with redox-active ligands were synthesized and tested for their ability to form new C-C bonds. A bis(iminosemiquinone) iron (III) complex was able to homocouple aryl Grignards using dioxygen as the terminal oxidant. However, ligand redistribution prevented detailed mechanistic study of the C-C bond forming reaction and led to catalyst degradation. To address the challenges seen in the iron catalyst a new cobalt electron transfer (ET) series containing a pincer-type bis(phenolate) N-heterocyclic carbene ligand (CoNHC) was synthesized. Studies indicate the CoNHC ET series spans multiple-electrons by corporative metal and ligand redox. These complexes were evaluated for cross-coupling of alkyl halides and aryl Grignards. Mechanistic studies imply that the low cross-coupling yields were due to ligand degradation. However, CoNHC catalytically activate cross-couples ether nitriles and aryl Grignards via a novel C-O bond activation leading to a new C-C bond. Findings concerning redox-active ligands on iron and cobalt for C-C bond forming reactions and implications for future research are discussed.