The dissertation describes research work on development of bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts for oxidation of organic compounds. Binuclear metal complexes are an interesting class of compounds due to their catalytic activity. The approach involves anchoring a triketone ligand to Cab-O-Sil via a linker. Specifically, silica gel was allowed to react with p-chloromethylphenyltrimethoxysilane followed by coupling with deprotonated triketone compounds. The viability of this approach was verified by performing the benzylation reaction of triketones with benzyl halides under basic conditions. The benzylation of 2,4,6-heptanetrione and 1,5-diphenyl-1,3,5-pentanetrione is achieved with benzyl bromide using n-tetrabutylammonium fluoride as base. These benzylation reaction conditions were used to attach the triketones to the surface-attached linker. Once the ligand is attached to the silica gel, the catalyst is formed by coordinating two copper(II) ions from solution to the deprotonated triketone. The coordination of copper(II) ions to the triketone was monitored using UV-vis spectroscopy. The modified silica gel is characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) at the different stages of catalyst formation. All techniques indicated significant attachment of linker and triketone to the support. The oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butyl catechol (DTBC) and benzyl alcohol was carried out under aerobic conditions using these catalysts. The kinetics of the DTBC oxidation and benzyl alcohol oxidation was studied using bimetallic and monometallic catalytic systems. The copper complexes of the triketone ligands were also evaluated as catalysts for the oxidation of DTBC. New bimetallic metal complexes with triketone ligands having a benzyl group were synthesized and characterized by high resolution mass spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. In addition to a detailed description of the synthesis and characterization of new triketone compounds, and the heterogeneous catalyst systems, a comparison of the kinetics of the oxidation of DTBC using these catalysts will be discussed.

<p>Polysaccharides constitute an important source of raw materials for the packaging industry today. Polysaccharides have good natural barrier properties which are necessary for packaging films. Cellulose is the forerunner among renewable polymers for such applications. Hemicelluloses represent a new interesting breed of barrier materials. We have chosen to work with the hemicellulose O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan (AcGGM). The high water solubility of this particular hemicellulose extracted from process waters is both an advantage and a limiting factor. However, through the right modification, the water sensitivity of AcGGM can be regulated.</p><p>This thesis presents four ways to modify AcGGM: (i) benzylation, (ii) plasma surface treatment followed by styrene addition, (iii) vapor-phase (VP) surface grafting with styrene, and (iv) lamination of an unmodified film with a benzylated material. The most important methods of analysis of the films produced include contact angle measurement, dynamic mechanical analysis under moisture scan, and oxygen gas permeability measurement.</p><p>It was found that unmodified AcGGM films have low oxygen permeability at intermediate relative humidity (50 % RH) and good dynamic mechanical properties over a wider humidity range. Films of benzylated material (BnGGM) exhibited a decrease in oxygen permeability at lower humidity but showed better tolerance to higher humidities and indicated better dynamic mechanical behavior than AcGGM films. Lamination proved to be the most promising technique of modification, combining the good gas barrier properties of AcGGM films with the moisture-insensitivity of the BnGGM films.</p>

Vu l’importance des molécules fluorées dans différents domaines et vu la réactivité engendrée par le 4,4,4-trifluorobut-2-ynoate d’éthyle 1 lors des travaux antérieurs réalisés au laboratoire, nous avons décidé d’étudier le comportement de dérivé fluoré 1 vis-à-vis d’hydrure tributylétain sans l’emploi de catalyseurs ou d’additifs. Le but est d’accéder à de nouveaux synthons fluorés par voies originales.Après une étude préliminaire pour effectuer cette réaction d’hydrostannation dans les meilleures conditions, nous avons réalisé pour la première fois la synthèse totalement régio- et stéréosélective des vinylétains (Z)-2α et (Z)-2β par un simple choix de solvant et sans l’utilisation d’aucun additif. Ces résultats inédits et très encourageants, nous ont conduis à étendre cette stratégie à d’autres hydrures comme l’hydrure de diphénylphosphine et l’hydrure de triphénylgermane..Les vinylétains (Z)-2α et (Z)-2β- de configurations bien définies sont des réactifs de choix pour élaborer de nouvelles structures fonctionnelles trifluorométhylées. En effet, le couplage cupro-catalysé de ces vinylétains en présence d’une quantité catalytique de CuI (10 moles%) avec une variété de bromures d’allyles, de propargyles, d’aryles, de benzyles et d’alcynyles conduisent à une grande variété de composés fluorés jamais décrits dans la littérature.Les méthodes de synthèse développées dans ce travail sont originales et permettent la synthèse d’une grande famille de composés fluorés avec un moindre coût. / The development of a simple method to obtain perfluoroalkylated building blocks for their subsequent utilization in the synthesis of Rf-containing compounds is therefore essential to organofluorine chemistry. Perfluoroalkylated vinyl metals constitute an important class of these building blocks.In order to prepare a new perfluoroalkylated bulding blocks, we investigated transition metal-catalyzed-free hydrostannylation of ethyl 4,4,4-trifluorobut-2-ynoate 1. The hydrostannylation took place smoothly in the absence of additive, providing regioselectively high yields of the corresponding α or β stannylated alkenoates depending on the nature of the solvent used. Indeed, we have demonstrated that the hydrostannylation of 1 in hexane provided the β-stannylated product with high regioselectivity (>95%) and excellent yield (>97%). Using methanol as solvent, total α-regioselectivity of the hydrostannylation of 1 was observed, providing α -tributylstannylacrylate as the sole regioisomer in a nearly quantitative yield.Theses new vinyltins reagents readily undergo copper (I) catalyst coupling reactions with various electrophiles as allyl, propargyl, benzyl and alkynyl bromides to provide good yields of the new corresponding acrylates esters bearing a β-trifluoromethyl group.This method provided a new efficient entry to this important class of compounds

Polysaccharides constitute an important source of raw materials for the packaging industry today. Polysaccharides have good natural barrier properties which are necessary for packaging films. Cellulose is the forerunner among renewable polymers for such applications. Hemicelluloses represent a new interesting breed of barrier materials. We have chosen to work with the hemicellulose O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan (AcGGM). The high water solubility of this particular hemicellulose extracted from process waters is both an advantage and a limiting factor. However, through the right modification, the water sensitivity of AcGGM can be regulated. This thesis presents four ways to modify AcGGM: (i) benzylation, (ii) plasma surface treatment followed by styrene addition, (iii) vapor-phase (VP) surface grafting with styrene, and (iv) lamination of an unmodified film with a benzylated material. The most important methods of analysis of the films produced include contact angle measurement, dynamic mechanical analysis under moisture scan, and oxygen gas permeability measurement. It was found that unmodified AcGGM films have low oxygen permeability at intermediate relative humidity (50 % RH) and good dynamic mechanical properties over a wider humidity range. Films of benzylated material (BnGGM) exhibited a decrease in oxygen permeability at lower humidity but showed better tolerance to higher humidities and indicated better dynamic mechanical behavior than AcGGM films. Lamination proved to be the most promising technique of modification, combining the good gas barrier properties of AcGGM films with the moisture-insensitivity of the BnGGM films. / QC 20101117

Ces travaux de thèse ont consisté à développer de nouvelles réactions radicalaires dans le domaine de la glycochimie. Deux cascades radicalaires, n’utilisant aucun dérivé stannylé et impliquant un transfert d’hydrogène intramoléculaire, ont été étudiées. La première permet de synthétiser des motifs spirocétaliques [6.5] nonanomériques et la deuxième consiste à débenzyler régiosélectivement un éther de benzyle par proximité. Les spirocétals [6.5] nonanomériques sont des motifs présents dans de nombreuses structures de produits naturels. Pour obtenir ce squelette, dont la synthèse est généralement difficile, nous avons développé une cascade radicalaire en chaîne impliquant des précurseurs homopropargyliques et des dérivés phosphorés non toxiques. Plusieurs étapes se succèdent dont l’addition du radical phosphoré sur la triple liaison, un transfert 1,5 d’hydrogène permettant de générer un radical anomère de O-glycoside, à l’origine de la diastéréosélectivité du centre spiranique, et une cyclisation 5-exo-trig. Cette stratégie s’est révélée particulièrement efficace puisque de bons rendements et une excellente diastéréosélectivité ont été obtenus notamment en série glucose et glucosamine. La nouvelle réaction de O-débenzylation par proximité, développée dans la deuxième partie, permet de déprotéger sélectivement un éther de benzyle en α d’un groupement hydroxyle préalablement fonctionnalisé sous forme d’éther de silyle xanthate. Cette réaction se déroule en deux étapes successives dans le même ballon. La première est une cascade radicalaire constituée, entre autres, d’un transfert 1,7 d’hydrogène et de l’addition du radical benzylique, ainsi formé, sur le peroxyde de dilauroyle. L’acétal mixte intermédiaire obtenu est alors hydrolysé lors de la deuxième étape. Cette méthodologie a été appliquée avec succès à divers mono- et disaccharides polybenzylés et s’est révélée efficace en présence de nombreuses autres fonctionnalités chimiques (acétal de benzylidène, azido..). / The aim of this thesis was the development of new tin-free radical reactions in the field of glycochemistry. For this purpose, an intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer was the key step of these methodologies. The first reaction allowed the access to nonanomeric [6.5] spiroketals and the second one is a new regioselective de-O-benzylation reaction through proximity effect. The nonanomeric [6.5] spiroketals are widely distributed in natural products and have been difficult to access. To synthesize this scaffold, we have developed a chain radical cascade involving homopropargyl precursors and non-toxic phosphorus derivatives. The phosphorus-centered radical adds to the triple bond followed by a radical translocation through intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer. This key step of the reaction provides an intermediate O-glycoside anomeric radical, which ensure the diastereoselectivity of the reaction. Finally a 5-exo-trig cyclization yields the desired spiroketal. This strategy has been proved to be highly efficient since good yields and selectivity were obtained especially in glucose and glucosamine series. The new regioselective de-O-benzylation reaction through proximity effect, developed in the second part, allowed the deprotection of a benzyl ether in α position of a hydroxyl group previously functionalized as a xanthate silyl ether. This reaction occurs in two successive steps in the same flask. The first one is a radical cascade involving an 1,7 intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer and the addition of the newly formed benzylic radical on dilauroyl peroxide. The mixed ketal intermediate thus obtained is then hydrolyzed during the second step. This methodology has been successfully applied to several polybenzylated mono- and disaccharides and tolerates the presence of various chemical functions (benzylidene ketal, azido...) showing its versatility.