The recently synthesized series of PtII complexes containing cyclometallating (phenylpyridine or benzoquinoline) and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands possess intriguing structures, topologies, and light emitting properties. Here, we report curious physicochemical interactions between in situ PVD-grown films of a typical representative of the aforementioned PtII complex compounds and Li, Na, K and Cs atoms. Based on a combination of detailed core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations at the density functional theory level, we found that the deposition of alkali atoms onto the molecular film leads to unusual redistribution of electron density: essential modification of nitrogen sites, reduction of the coordination PtII centre to Pt0 and decrease of electron density on the bromine atoms. A possible explanation for this is formation of a supramolecular system "Pt complex-alkali metal ion"; the latter is supported by restoration of the system to the initial state upon subsequent oxygen treatment. The discovered properties highlight a considerable potential of the PtII complexes for a variety of biomedical, sensing, chemical, and electronic applications.

Le projet de recherche de cette thèse a pour ambition la conception de nouveaux récepteurs moléculaires artificiels exploitant les propriétés complexantes des calixarènes, des éther-couronnes et des complexes insaturés de lanthanides liées aux propriétés photophysiques et photochimiques de photochromes spiropyraniques. L’alliance supramoléculaire ainsi formée doit permettre d’exploiter les processus de photoéjection et ensuite de détection par un site distant, c’est-à-dire d’établir une communication à l’échelle moléculaire grâce à la lumière. Un récepteur moléculaire employant le calix[4]arène substitué sur un bord par une aza-éther-couronne et sur l’autre bord par des groupements pyrène a été synthétisé et ses capacités à complexer différents cations ont été étudiées ; la migration des ions à travers la cavité du calix[4]arène provoquée par protonation a également été examinée. De même, des aza-éther-couronnes substituées par des spiropyranes ont été synthétisées et ont été étudiées dans le but d’établir une communication avec un récepteur fluorescent. Enfin, un exemple de complexe d’europium(III) dont la luminescence est photocontrôlée est montré. La stratégie de photoncontrôle est démontrée et optimisée dans les milieux organisés que sont les micelles. / The research project of this thesis focuses on the development of new artificial molecular receptors based on the complexation properties of calix[4]arenes, crown ethers and coordinatively unsaturated lanthanide complexes as well as photochromic spiropyrane derivatives : while the fluorescent receptors detect the presence of ions, the photochromes can reversibly release protons and metal ions. The supramolecular alliance of these moieties should allow processes such as photoejection and then detection, thus setting up molecular communication induced by light. A molecular receptor based on a calix[4]arene which one of the rims is substituted by an azacrown ether and the other one by pyrenes was synthetised and its ability to complexe several cations was studied ; the cation migration through the calix[4]arene cavity provoked by protonation was also investigated. Equally, two azacrown ethers substituted by spiropyrans were synthetised and studied in order to establish communication between them and fluorescent receptors. In a different approach, a proof-of-principle example of an Europium(III) complex whose luminescence is photocontrolled via the intermediacy of a molecular messenger is given, proving optimal in micellar domains.

The recently synthesized series of PtII complexes containing cyclometallating (phenylpyridine or benzoquinoline) and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands possess intriguing structures, topologies, and light emitting properties. Here, we report curious physicochemical interactions between in situ PVD-grown films of a typical representative of the aforementioned PtII complex compounds and Li, Na, K and Cs atoms. Based on a combination of detailed core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations at the density functional theory level, we found that the deposition of alkali atoms onto the molecular film leads to unusual redistribution of electron density: essential modification of nitrogen sites, reduction of the coordination PtII centre to Pt0 and decrease of electron density on the bromine atoms. A possible explanation for this is formation of a supramolecular system 'Pt complex-alkali metal ion'; the latter is supported by restoration of the system to the initial state upon subsequent oxygen treatment. The discovered properties highlight a considerable potential of the PtII complexes for a variety of biomedical, sensing, chemical, and electronic applications.