La première partie du projet consiste à synthétiser de nouveaux chromophores de structure D-π-[M]-π-A pour des applications en cellules solaires à colorant. La synthèse de complexes symétriques contenant deux fragments métalliques [Ru(dppe)2] sera ensuite envisagée pour obtenir des architectures de type D-π-A-π-D pouvant être testées comme matériau de type n ou p en cellules solaires organiques. Enfin, comme il a été précédemment démontré que la communication électronique peut avoir lieu à travers plusieurs centres ruthénium, la longueur du complexe pourra être augmentée par addition de plusieurs unités métallo-organiques pour conduire à des structures oligomériques aux propriétés d’absorption de l’énergie lumineuse exaltées. / The first part of the research project will consist in the synthesis and study of new chromophores based on the D-π-[M]-π-A model. At that stage, easy synthesis of symmetrical complexes including two [Ru(dppe)2] metal fragments will be envisaged to afford D-π-A-π-D architectures to be tested in n-type solar cells and p-type solar cells. Later on, as it has been demonstrated that electronic communication may occur through several Ru-based metal centres,the complexes length might be incremented by addition of multiple metal-organic units to create oligomeric structures with strong light-harvesting properties.

Ces travaux de thèse concernent la mise en place de nouvelles méthodologies de synthèse de porphyrines meso-substituées. Certaines porphyrines ont été synthétisées dans l’optique de réaliser des études d’assemblage sur surface, après post-fonctionnalisation ou non, dans le cadre de plusieurs collaborations internationales. D’autres porphyrines, en revanche, ont servi de modèles pour évaluer le potentiel d’application des nouvelles méthodologies proposées. Enfin, durant ces travaux, nous avons pu aussi mettre en œuvre une nouvelle méthodologie de synthèse permettant l’accès à des hexaphyrines meso substituées, avec des degrés de symétrie alors jamais décrits pour de tels composés. Le premier chapitre de ce manuscrit fait le point sur les caractéristiques, la caractérisation et la réactivité des porphyrines et des hexaphyrines. Le second chapitre propose quant à lui, après un état de l’art sur les méthodes de synthèse des macrocycles concernés, d’exposer les méthodologies de synthèse développées au cours de ces travaux pour les alkyle-porphyrines A4, puis une méthode non-scrambling appliquée à la synthèse de porphyrines de plus bas degré de symétrie, et enfin d’hexaphyrines. Le dernier chapitre fait état de l’utilisation de ces chromophores dans des procédés d’assemblage ainsi que leurs fonctionnalisations éventuelles pour l’intégration à ces procédés. / This thesis focuses on the development of new meso-substituted porphyrin synthetic methodologies. Some porphyrins were synthesized from the perspective of assembly studies on surfaces after postfunctionalization or not, in the context of several international collaborations. Other porphyrins however served as a model to evaluate the application potential of the proposed new methodologies. Finally, during this work we could also implement a new synthetic methodology allowing access to hexaphyrines meso substituted with degrees of symmetry never described for such compounds.The first chapter of this manuscript reports on the properties, characterization and reactivity of porphyrins and hexaphyrines. The second chapter provides, after a state of the art description on methods of synthesis of macrocycles concerned, exposing synthetic methodologies developed in the heart of this work for alkyl porphyrins A4 then a non-scrambling method applied to porphyrins with lower symmetry degree and finally hexaphyrines. The last chapter refers to the use of these chromophores in assembly processes and their possible functionalization for integrating these processes.

<p>A RET network consists of a network of photo-active molecules called chromophores that can participate in inter-molecular energy transfer called resonance energy transfer (RET). RET networks are used in a variety of applications including cryptographic devices, storage systems, light harvesting complexes, biological sensors, and molecular rulers. In this dissertation, we focus on creating a RET device called closed-diffusive exciton valve (C-DEV) in which the input to output transfer function is controlled by an external energy source, similar to a semiconductor transistor like the MOSFET. Due to their biocompatibility, molecular devices like the C-DEVs can be used to introduce computing power in biological, organic, and aqueous environments such as living cells. Furthermore, the underlying physics in RET devices are stochastic in nature, making them suitable for stochastic computing in which true random distribution generation is critical.</p><p>In order to determine a valid configuration of chromophores for the C-DEV, we developed a systematic process based on user-guided design space pruning techniques and built-in simulation tools. We show that our C-DEV is 15x better than C-DEVs designed using ad hoc methods that rely on limited data from prior experiments. We also show ways in which the C-DEV can be improved further and how different varieties of C-DEVs can be combined to form more complex logic circuits. Moreover, the systematic design process can be used to search for valid chromophore network configurations for a variety of RET applications.</p><p>We also describe a feasibility study for a technique used to control the orientation of chromophores attached to DNA. Being able to control the orientation can expand the design space for RET networks because it provides another parameter to tune their collective behavior. While results showed limited control over orientation, the analysis required the development of a mathematical model that can be used to determine the distribution of dipoles in a given sample of chromophore constructs. The model can be used to evaluate the feasibility of other potential orientation control techniques.</p> / Dissertation

Différents types de copolymères fluorés de poly (arylène éther) ont été synthétisés par polycondensation, le remplacement des groupes C-H par des groupes C-F permettant de diminuer les pertes optiques à 1,55 ¤m en vue d¤applications dans le domaine des télécommunications. Dans ce but, différents types de chromophores, qui contiennent des groupes accepteurs tricyanovinyle ont été synthétisés; ensuite ils ont été greffés de manière covalente sur ces polymères afin d¤avoir de bonnes propriétés en ONL du second ordre. Les analyses thermiques ont montré des stabilités thermiques jusqu¤à 350 °C et des températures de transition vitreuse élevées (Tg>160 °C). Les indices de réfraction mesurés par ellipsométrie sont voisins de 1.55. Les coefficients de susceptibilité non linéaire de second ordre (d33) déterminés par génération de second harmonique (GSH) des différents films orientés sous champ électrique (décharge Corona) ont été trouvés voisins de 15 pm.V-1 à 1,907 ¤m, et une stabilité thermique de l¤orientation a été observée jusqu¤à 130 °C. Pendant les orientations, une chute réversible du signal de GSH au cours du refroidissement a été observée autour de 120 °C. Différents hypothèses ont été étudiées pour expliquer cette chute. Finalement l¤existence d¤une sous-transition vitreuse dans les copolymères fluorés a été mise en évidence par analyse diélectrique. Son origine semble fortement liée aux interactions dipolaires inter-chaînes

Phytochromes constitute one of the six well-characterized families of photosensory proteins in Nature. From the viewpoint of computational modeling, however, phytochromes have been the subject of much fewer studies than most other families of photosensory proteins, which is likely a consequence of relevant high-resolution structural data becoming available only in recent years. In this work, hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods are used to calculate UV-vis absorption spectra of Deinococcus radiodurans bacteriophytochrome. We investigate how the choice of QM/MM methodology affects the resulting spectra and demonstrate that QM/MM methods can reproduce the experimental absorption maxima of both the Q and Soret bands with an accuracy of about 0.15 eV. Furthermore, we assess how the protein environment influences the intrinsic absorption of the bilin chromophore, with particular focus on the Q band underlying the primary photochemistry of phytochromes.

Le principal objectif de ce travail de thèse était d'imaginer, de synthétiser et de caractériser de nouveaux chromophores "push-pull" pour finalement évaluer leurs propriétés photovoltaïques en cellules solaires à colorant. Deux approches distinctes ont été développées : i) la première consiste en l'élaboration de chromophores tout-organiques de type " push-pull " basés sur un motif électro-donneur carbazole à potentiel d'oxydation élevé. Ces nouveaux colorants ont été conçus dans le but d'être utilisés avec des électrolytes à potentiel standard supérieur à celui du couple rédox I-/I3- ; ii) la seconde approche est basée sur un nouveau concept de chromophores organométalliques de type ruthénium-acétylure. Ces chromophores ont été développés dans le but de combiner à la fois les propriétés avantageuses d'une structure de type " push-pull " et les transferts de charges (MLCT) impliquant le motif [Ru(dppe)2], également connu pour constituer un excellent relai électronique.

Nonlinear organic liquids that exhibit two-photon absorption (TPA) function as good optical limiters for sensor protection from laser pulses. L34 (4-butyl-4'-propyl-diphenylethyne) is a liquid organic compound exhibiting nonlinear optical absorption. A thiol- derivatized analog of L34 (“thiol-L34”) was prepared to bind the molecules to the surface of gold nanoparticles. Surface binding is necessary to investigate synergy between nonlinear optical absorption of gold nanoparticles and thiol-L34. Thiol-L34 was prepared in a six-step organic synthesis starting from 3-(4-bromophenyl) propionic acid. Au nanoparticles with <15 nm diameter have been prepared and sensitized with the thiol-L34 compound for assessment of their nonlinear optical behavior. Diazolylmethenes a class of metal-coordinating dyes that are similar to dipyrrins with some substitutions of nitrogen atoms in place of carbon atoms. Modification in the framework of dipyrrinoid dyes via this replacement of nitrogen for carbon atoms may lead to compounds that serve as effective agents for bioimaging and/or photodynamic therapy. Several routes to the synthesis of di-(1,2,3)-triazolylmethenes, di-(1,2,4)-triazolylmethenes, and ditetrazolylmethenes are presented.

A series of 28 square-planar dithiol(diimine)platinum(II) chromophoric complexes have been synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for potential efficacy in sensitization of solid state photovoltaic devices to the near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The effect of molecular stacking in the solid state and self-association in solution are shown to influence spectral, electronic, and magnetic properties of the chromophores. Such properties are investigated in the pure form and as partners in donor-acceptor charge transfer adducts. Finally, selected chromophores have been incorporated into single layer schottky diodes as neat films and as dopants in multi-layer organic photovoltaic devices. Evaluation of the devices internal quantum efficiency and voltage-current was measured as proof of concept.

Artificial photosynthesis, for the purpose of converting solar energy into fuel, is one of the most viable and promising alternative approaches to solve the current global energy and environmental issues. Among the challenges faced in artificial photosynthesis is in building photosystems that can effectively and efficiently perform light absorption and charge separation in broad-band capturing donor-acceptor systems. While having a broad-band capturing antenna system that can harness incoming photons is crucial, another equally important task is to successfully couple the antenna system, while maintaining its optical properties, to an energy or electron acceptor which serves as the reaction center for the generation of charged species of useful potential energy. The stored potential energy will be utilized in different applications such as driving electrons in solar cells or in splitting water for the generation of fuel. Hence, the particular endeavor of this thesis is to study and synthesize molecular/supramolecular systems with wide-band capturing capabilities to generate long-lived charge separated states. The sensitizer used in building these systems in the present study is 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene, for short, BF2 chelated Azaboron dipyrromenthene or AzaBODIPY. A handful of novel donor-acceptor systems based on AzaBODIPY have been successfully designed, synthesized and their photochemistry have been investigated using various techniques. In these systems, Azabodipy has been covalently attached to several donors like porphyrin, bodipy, subphthalocyanine, phenothiazine, ferrocene, bithiophene and effectively coupled to an electron acceptor, C60. These systems have been fully characterized by NMR, Mass, optical absorption and emission, X-ray crystallographic, computational, electrochemical, and photochemical studies. It has been possible to demonstrate occurrence of efficient electron and energy transfer events and long-lived charge separated states upon photoexcitation in these model compounds. By changing the arrangements of the donor and acceptor entities, it has also been possible to show directional, through-space and through-bond electron transfer processes. The present study brings out the importance of utilizing near-IR sensitizers in building solar energy harvesting model systems.

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