>Magister Scientiae - MSc / This thesis focuses on the electroanalysis of some dienes (2-methyl-1.3-butadiene (MBD), tran-1.3-pentadiene (PD), 1.3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) and 3-cyclooctadiene (COD)) found in gasoline and the development of simple electrochemical diene sensors. The detection of dienes in fuels is important as they readily polymerise and form gum in fuel tanks. The electroctivity of the dienes was studied with glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and Pt electrode in tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP)/acetonitrile solution. Polyaniline-polystyrene sulfonic acid (PANi-PSSA) composite films were electro-deposited or drop-coated on GCE, with and without gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Both composite polymers were found to be of nanofibral structure, and the spherical gold nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly within the polymer. The dienes exhibited no redox peaks on GCE/PANi-PSSA and GCE/PANi-PSSA/AuNPs electrode systems from -1.0 V to +1.5 V, beyond which PANi would overoxidize and lose its electroactivity. Therefore, cyclic voltammetry and steady state amperometry of the four dienes (MBD, PD, CHD and COD) were studied with unmodified Pt and GCE electrodes. Subtractively normalised interfacial-fourier transform infra-red (SNIFTIR) spectroscopic studies of the dienes were performed with Pt electrode. SNIFTIR data showed that there was a definite electro-oxidation of 1.3-cyclohexadiene as electrode potential was changed from E = 770 mV to E = 1638 mV. Severe electrode fouling was observed when steady state amperometric detection of CHD, as a representative diene, was performed on Pt electrode. Randel-Sevčik analysis of the CVs of the dienes on Pt electrode gave diffusion coefficient (Dox) values of 10.65 cm²/s, 9.55 cm²/s, 3.20 cm²/s and 3.96 cm²/s for CHD, COD, PD, and MBD, respectively. The corresponding detection limits (3σn-1) were 0.0106 M, 0.0111 M, 0.0109 M, and 0.0107 M.

Os compostos carbonílicos no estado triplete (CCT) são considerados espécies reativas de oxigênio uma vez que possuem comportamento químico semelhante ao de radicais alcoxil. Quando formadas em sistemas biológicos, estas espécies podem estar envolvidas tanto em processos benéficos quanto deletérios ao organismo, como é o caso da lipoperoxidação, onde CCT não só são gerados como também iniciam ou amplificam o processo. Visando estudar a capacidade de dienos conjugados de suprimir a energia triplete de tais compostos, de forma a diminuir seus efeitos deletérios, determinou-se as constantes de supressão, para quatro diferentes dienos, de acetona triplete gerada pela da termólise do tetrametil-1 ,2- dioxetano e pelo sistema enzimático isobutanal/ \"horseradish peroxidase\"/O2 Todos os dienos apresentaram constantes de supressão de ordem difusional. Foi analisada também a forma pela qual os dienos suprimem a acetona triplete e concluiu-se que tanto dienos com hidrogênios alílicos (2,4-hexadienoato e seu éster etílico), potencialmente abstraíveis, quanto dienos sem estes hidrogênios (2 ,4-pentadienoato e seu éster metílico), suprimem a acetona por um processo físico de transferência de energia, que leva à sua fotoisomerização cis,trans. A reatividade destes dienos frente a espécies reativas de oxigênio comumente formadas em sistemas de lipoperoxidação, como o oxigênio singlete, radicais hidroxil, peroxil e superóxido, foi também testada, mostrando que nenhum dos dienos apresenta atividade sequestradora destas espécies. Experimentos preliminares de lipoperoxidação em sistemas biomiméticos (mitocôndrias e microssomos isolados de fígado de rato), mostraram que o trans, trans-2,4-hexadienoato de etila é capaz de inibir o inchamento mitocondrial induzido por benzofenona triplete e de suprimir a quimiluminescência de microssomos induzida por Fe2+/ ascorbato. Concluiu-se assim que dienos conjugados, contendo ou não hidrogênios alílicos, podem ser usados como supressores específicos de compostos carbonílicos triplete em sistemas biológicos e contribuir para o esclarecimento dos mecanismos de reação destes processos. / Triplet carbonyls can be named reactive oxygen species once they behave chemically as alkyloxyl radicals and therefore can potentially drive beneficial and deleterious processes in biological systems. In the case of lipid peroxidation, these species have been found not only to be reaction products but also to amplify the radical chain by hydrogen abstraction of polyunsatured lipid molecules. With the aim of finding efficient and reliable chemical probes for triplet carbonyls, we studied here the quenching properties of conjugated dienes, namely 2,4-hexadienoate and 2,4- pentadienoate anions and corresponding alkyl esters, upon triplet acetone generated either chemically (thermolysis of tetramethyl-1 ,2-dioxetane) or enzymically (aerobic oxidation of isobutanal/horseradish peroxidase). As expected, the quenching rate constants were found to be diffusion controlled, although those for the pentadienoate derivatives were 3-fold lower than those measured for the hexadienoates. Therefore, independently of the presence of allylic hydrogens in the diene probe, the triplet acetone quenching occurred by a physical process followed by cis,trans-isomerization, without hydrogen abstraction from the quencher. The reactivity of the studied dienes towards oxygen reactive species known to be formed during lipid peroxidation, such as singlet oxygen, and peroxyl, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, was also investigated to assure they would not interfere with the radical lipoperoxidation chain. Indeed, none of the dienes showed antioxidant activity on classical model systems. Preliminary experiments with model systems widely used to study lipid peroxidation showed that the trans, trans-ethyl sorbate can inhibit the mitochondrial swelling induced by enzymically formed triplet benzophenone and to quench the chemiluminescence of microsome preparations challenged with iron/ascorbate. This is in agreement with reported work showing that the lipid peroxidation chain associated with mitochondria permeabilization and polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation is amplified by intermediate triplet carbonyl products. Altogether our data indicate that conjugated dienes can be used as specific quenchers of triplet carbonyls formed in biological systems without reacting with other reactive intermediates.

Forty-five Angus steers (358 kg BW) were utilized in a completely randomized block design with a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments to evaluate the hypothesis that differing dietary linolenic acid (from corn, flaxseed plus corn, or milo) and whole cottonseed (WCS) inclusion (0, 5, or 15% DM) would interact to alter fatty acid metabolism and deposition of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in subcutaneous (s.c.) and interfasicular (i.f.) adipose tissues, and thereby decrease carcass quality score. During the feeding period (135 d), steers receiving flaxseed or corn diets had a greater gain:feed ratio (0.119 and 0.108, respectively) than steers receiving the milo diet (0.093). Following transportation to a local abattoir and overnight starvation, there was less decrease in weight in flaxseed-fed steers (1.51%) than in steers fed the corn (2.89%) or milo diets (3.11%). Ribeye area of steers fed milo was less than that of steers fed the corn or flaxseed diets. Lipogenesis from acetate in s.c. adipose tissue was greater in steers fed flaxseed (5.42 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) than in the corn (3.10 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) or milo (1.92 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) groups. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity in s.c. adipose tissue was unchanged between the 0% WCS group (88.1 nmol mg protein-1 7 min-1) and the 15% WCS group (20 nmol mg protein-1 7 min-1). The i.f. saturated fatty acid percentages increased with increasing levels of WCS. The i.f. cis-9, trans-11 CLA percentage increased with increasing WCS in the steers fed the corn diet, whereas it remained unchanged or even decreased slightly in the steers fed the flaxseed or milo-based diets. Steers fed flaxseed had a greater s.c. adipose concentration of vaccenic acid (18:1trans-11) than the steers fed milo. Steers fed flaxseed also had greater s.c. and i.f. percentages of linolenic acid (18:3, n-3) than steers fed either of the other grain sources. Increased dietary linolenic acid from flaxseed may have increased s.c. adipocyte volume by stimulating lipogenesis. These data indicate that rations formulated to provide increased levels of linolenic acid (i.e., flaxseed) will increase feed efficiency and lipogenesis from acetate without altering either the quality or composition of the beef carcasses.

Forty-five Angus steers (358 kg BW) were utilized in a completely randomized block design with a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments to evaluate the hypothesis that differing dietary linolenic acid (from corn, flaxseed plus corn, or milo) and whole cottonseed (WCS) inclusion (0, 5, or 15% DM) would interact to alter fatty acid metabolism and deposition of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in subcutaneous (s.c.) and interfasicular (i.f.) adipose tissues, and thereby decrease carcass quality score. During the feeding period (135 d), steers receiving flaxseed or corn diets had a greater gain:feed ratio (0.119 and 0.108, respectively) than steers receiving the milo diet (0.093). Following transportation to a local abattoir and overnight starvation, there was less decrease in weight in flaxseed-fed steers (1.51%) than in steers fed the corn (2.89%) or milo diets (3.11%). Ribeye area of steers fed milo was less than that of steers fed the corn or flaxseed diets. Lipogenesis from acetate in s.c. adipose tissue was greater in steers fed flaxseed (5.42 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) than in the corn (3.10 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) or milo (1.92 nmol h-1 105 cells-1) groups. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity in s.c. adipose tissue was unchanged between the 0% WCS group (88.1 nmol mg protein-1 7 min-1) and the 15% WCS group (20 nmol mg protein-1 7 min-1). The i.f. saturated fatty acid percentages increased with increasing levels of WCS. The i.f. cis-9, trans-11 CLA percentage increased with increasing WCS in the steers fed the corn diet, whereas it remained unchanged or even decreased slightly in the steers fed the flaxseed or milo-based diets. Steers fed flaxseed had a greater s.c. adipose concentration of vaccenic acid (18:1trans-11) than the steers fed milo. Steers fed flaxseed also had greater s.c. and i.f. percentages of linolenic acid (18:3, n-3) than steers fed either of the other grain sources. Increased dietary linolenic acid from flaxseed may have increased s.c. adipocyte volume by stimulating lipogenesis. These data indicate that rations formulated to provide increased levels of linolenic acid (i.e., flaxseed) will increase feed efficiency and lipogenesis from acetate without altering either the quality or composition of the beef carcasses.

Os compostos carbonílicos no estado triplete (CCT) são considerados espécies reativas de oxigênio uma vez que possuem comportamento químico semelhante ao de radicais alcoxil. Quando formadas em sistemas biológicos, estas espécies podem estar envolvidas tanto em processos benéficos quanto deletérios ao organismo, como é o caso da lipoperoxidação, onde CCT não só são gerados como também iniciam ou amplificam o processo. Visando estudar a capacidade de dienos conjugados de suprimir a energia triplete de tais compostos, de forma a diminuir seus efeitos deletérios, determinou-se as constantes de supressão, para quatro diferentes dienos, de acetona triplete gerada pela da termólise do tetrametil-1 ,2- dioxetano e pelo sistema enzimático isobutanal/ \"horseradish peroxidase\"/O2 Todos os dienos apresentaram constantes de supressão de ordem difusional. Foi analisada também a forma pela qual os dienos suprimem a acetona triplete e concluiu-se que tanto dienos com hidrogênios alílicos (2,4-hexadienoato e seu éster etílico), potencialmente abstraíveis, quanto dienos sem estes hidrogênios (2 ,4-pentadienoato e seu éster metílico), suprimem a acetona por um processo físico de transferência de energia, que leva à sua fotoisomerização cis,trans. A reatividade destes dienos frente a espécies reativas de oxigênio comumente formadas em sistemas de lipoperoxidação, como o oxigênio singlete, radicais hidroxil, peroxil e superóxido, foi também testada, mostrando que nenhum dos dienos apresenta atividade sequestradora destas espécies. Experimentos preliminares de lipoperoxidação em sistemas biomiméticos (mitocôndrias e microssomos isolados de fígado de rato), mostraram que o trans, trans-2,4-hexadienoato de etila é capaz de inibir o inchamento mitocondrial induzido por benzofenona triplete e de suprimir a quimiluminescência de microssomos induzida por Fe2+/ ascorbato. Concluiu-se assim que dienos conjugados, contendo ou não hidrogênios alílicos, podem ser usados como supressores específicos de compostos carbonílicos triplete em sistemas biológicos e contribuir para o esclarecimento dos mecanismos de reação destes processos. / Triplet carbonyls can be named reactive oxygen species once they behave chemically as alkyloxyl radicals and therefore can potentially drive beneficial and deleterious processes in biological systems. In the case of lipid peroxidation, these species have been found not only to be reaction products but also to amplify the radical chain by hydrogen abstraction of polyunsatured lipid molecules. With the aim of finding efficient and reliable chemical probes for triplet carbonyls, we studied here the quenching properties of conjugated dienes, namely 2,4-hexadienoate and 2,4- pentadienoate anions and corresponding alkyl esters, upon triplet acetone generated either chemically (thermolysis of tetramethyl-1 ,2-dioxetane) or enzymically (aerobic oxidation of isobutanal/horseradish peroxidase). As expected, the quenching rate constants were found to be diffusion controlled, although those for the pentadienoate derivatives were 3-fold lower than those measured for the hexadienoates. Therefore, independently of the presence of allylic hydrogens in the diene probe, the triplet acetone quenching occurred by a physical process followed by cis,trans-isomerization, without hydrogen abstraction from the quencher. The reactivity of the studied dienes towards oxygen reactive species known to be formed during lipid peroxidation, such as singlet oxygen, and peroxyl, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, was also investigated to assure they would not interfere with the radical lipoperoxidation chain. Indeed, none of the dienes showed antioxidant activity on classical model systems. Preliminary experiments with model systems widely used to study lipid peroxidation showed that the trans, trans-ethyl sorbate can inhibit the mitochondrial swelling induced by enzymically formed triplet benzophenone and to quench the chemiluminescence of microsome preparations challenged with iron/ascorbate. This is in agreement with reported work showing that the lipid peroxidation chain associated with mitochondria permeabilization and polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation is amplified by intermediate triplet carbonyl products. Altogether our data indicate that conjugated dienes can be used as specific quenchers of triplet carbonyls formed in biological systems without reacting with other reactive intermediates.

Whole grains are an increasingly popular health food in America. However, shelf life of whole grains is compromised due to the presence of lipoxygenases in the bran and germ, which lead to rancidity and generation of oxidative byproducts. These byproducts reduce sensory quality and may have a degradative effect on vitamins in whole grain products. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of lipid and vitamin degradation during long-term storage of three whole grains: whole wheat flour, brown rice, and rolled oats. We also examined vitamin loss after cooking to determine if oxidative byproducts had an effect on vitamins during typical household cooking. Whole wheat flour, brown rice, and rolled oats were stored for 12 months and periodically analyzed for conjugated dienes, free fatty acids, tocopherols, thiamin, and riboflavin. Whole wheat bread, steamed brown rice, and oat porridge were made from samples stored for 0 months and 12 months and were analyzed for thiamin and riboflavin. Conjugated dienes increased significantly only in rolled oats, while tocopherols decreased significantly in whole wheat flour and rolled oats and insignificantly in brown rice. Free fatty acids increased significantly in whole wheat flour and brown rice. Thiamin and riboflavin were stable in raw stored grains and cooked products made from stored grains with the exception of brown rice, in which we observed a significant decrease in thiamin after 12-month storage and cooking. These results suggest whole wheat flour, brown rice, and rolled oats experience significant lipid and tocopherol degradation, but it does not appear to affect thiamin and riboflavin in raw stored products. Cooking appears to cause degradation of thiamin after storage of brown rice, but thiamin and riboflavin were otherwise stable in these whole grains.

L'utilisation de matières premières renouvelables issues de la biomasse a récemment trouvé un regain d'intérêt pour des raisons économiques et écologiques. Les triglycérides issus d'oléagineux, les terpènes extraits de plantes, et les dérivés phénoliques contenus dans la lignine représentent de grandes familles de molécules naturelles qui offrent un potentiel important pour l'accès à des produits à haute valeur ajoutée. Dans ce contexte, des transformations par catalyse homogène offrent des perspectives intéressantes dans le cadre d'une chimie verte et durable. La métathèse des oléfines en présence de catalyseurs commerciaux du ruthénium a permis d'accéder à de nouveaux terpènes fonctionnalisés par métathèse croisée avec des oléfines fonctionnelles pauvres en électron. L'application de la même réaction de métathèse à des dérivés de l'eugénol en contrôlant en même temps la position de la double liaison terminale dans ces substrats a permis l'accès à de nouveaux dérivés allyliques du phénol par métathèse croisée avec des acrylates, l'acrylonitrile et les acrylamides. Enfin une cascade réactionnelle mettant en jeu la métathèse croisée de dérivés d'esters gras, de terpènes et de l'eugénol insaturés avec des chlorures allyliques suivie d'une réaction d'élimination a conduit à une méthode générale de formation de diènes conjugués terminaux. Ces réactions séquentielles en un seul pot permettent de diminuer les quantités de déchets générés pendant les traitements intermédiaires. Ces transformations catalytiques de ressources renouvelables ont été réalisées dans des solvants ''verts'' tels que des dialkyl carbonates ou en absence de solvant, leur permettant ainsi de répondre à plusieurs critères de la chimie verte. / The utilization of renewable feedstocks arising from biomass has recently found a renewed interest for economic and ecological reasons. Triglycerides arising from oil seeds, terpenes extracted from plants, and phenolic derivatives found in lignin represent important families of natural molecules with important potential for the access to high added value products. In this context, homogeneous catalytic transformations offer interesting perspectives towards green and sustainable chemistry. Olefin metathesis in the presence of commercially available ruthenium catalysts has given access to new functionalized terpenes using cross metathesis with electron deficient alkenes. The same type of reaction applied to eugenol derivatives controlling at the same time the position of their terminal double bond has provided access to new allylic derivatives of phenol by using acrylates, acrylonitrile and acrylamides as cross metathesis partners. Finally a cascade reaction involving cross metathesis of fatty ester, terpene and eugenol derivatives with allylic chlorides followed by an elimination reaction has led to a general method for the synthesis of terminal conjugated dienes. These sequential reactions in one pot allow decreasing the amount of wastes, which are usually generated during intermediate treatments. The reported catalytic transformations of renewable resources have been carried out in green solvents such as dialkyl carbonates or without solvent under neat conditions, and thus fulfill several criteria of green chemistry.

La détection par RPE en solution du radical NO n’est possible qu’après piégeage sur une molécule appropriée. Les travaux décrits dans ce manuscrit concernent l’étude des potentialités des composés PG3 et DSB dans ce domaine : ces deux molécules possèdent un motif diénique conjugué devant permettre, après une cycloaddition [4+1] avec NO, l’obtention d’adduits nitroxyde détectables en RPE. En présence d’oxygène, le PG3 piège efficacement NO et NO2 dans le tert-butylbenzène, conduisant respectivement à un nitroxyde et à un oxynitroxyde stables avec des spectres de RPE très caractéristiques. En solvant plus polaire ou en milieu aqueux, le PG3 ne piège pas directement NO mais son dérivé oxydé NO2. Le DSB a montré, en présence d’oxygène, une bonne capacité de piégeage du radical NO dans divers solvants organiques, conduisant à un nitroxyde cyclique stable aisément indentifiable par RPE, bien qu’aucun adduit n’ait jamais été observé par RPE après réaction avec NO2. Les deux composés PG3 et DSB sont stables et ne nécessitent donc pas d’être générés in situ. L’ensemble des résultats obtenus relance l’intérêt d’utiliser des diènes conjugués comme piège à NO, bien que des composés plus hydrophiles doivent maintenant être élaborés en vue d’utilisations en milieux biologiques. / NO radical requires to be trapped before its EPR detection in solution. The work described therein deals with the study of the potentialities of the compounds PG3 and DSB in this field: both molecules show a conjugated diene moiety that could allow a [4+1] cycloaddition with NO, thereby yielding EPR detectable nitroxide adducts. In the presence of oxygen, PG3 trapped efficiently NO and NO2 radicals in tert-butylbenzene, leading to stable cyclic nitroxide and oxynitroxide, respectively, with characteristic EPR spectra. In more polar solvents and in aqueous media, PG3 was found to trap NO2, formed after NO oxidation, rather than NO itself. In the presence of oxygen, DSB trapped efficiently NO in various solvents, yielding a stable cyclic nitroxide easily identified on the basis of its EPR spectrum, though no EPR signal was ever detected after reaction between DSB and NO2. PG3 and DSB both showed a high thermal stability and no in situ generation is necessary. All these results re-boost interest in using conjugated dienes as NO traps, though more hydrophilic compounds should now be elaborated for biological applications.

Nous effectué des réactions de cyclisations [3 +2] énantiosélectives entre des allénoates et des énones, catalyseées par des phosphines, donnant accès à des hétérocycles soufrés présentant des motifs moléculaires spirocycliques porteurs de nombreux centres asymétriques. De bons rendements chimiques et des bon excès énantiomériques ont été obtenus en utilisant le (S,S)-FerroPHANE comme le catalyseur chiral.D’autre part, nous avons développé de nouvelles réactions catalysées par les phosphines donnant accès à des hétérocycles azotés. En tenant de la réactivité des phosphines connue dans la Littérature, nous avons envisagé des substrats permettant la combinaison de différents processus catalytique.Des réactions de cyclisation [3+2], catalysées par les phosphines, entre des imines et des diènes conjugués, doublement activés à leurs extrémités, permet d’accéder en une seule étape à des 3-pyrrolines tri-substituées de manière diastéréosélective. Nous avons alors évalué les possibilités et limitation de cette nouvelle voie d’accès aux pyrrolines en mettant en jeu de toute une gamme de diènes et d’imines diversement fonctionnalisés.Nous avons ensuite étudié ce nouveau mode de cyclisation en utilisant des diènes où l’une des deux insaturations est inscrite dans un cycle. Dans le cas de ces substrats cycliques, des composés portant le motif hexahydroisoindol-4-one ont été obtenus de manière très efficace.Enfin, il a été montré que des diènes portant le motif coumarine réagissaient avec des imines en présence de quantités stœchiométriques de phosphine et d'eau pour donner lieu à un processus domino sans précédent: une réaction de aza-Morita-Baylis Hillman suivi d’une réaction de réduction. Ce processus s'est avéré très chimiosélectif et procède avec un excellent contrôle des configurations relatives des deux centres asymétriques contigus nouvellement formés.L’ensemble de ces études ont permis de mettre en valeur l’efficacité de la catalyse par les phosphines nucléophiles pour la formation d’hétérocycles soufrés et azotés, structurellement diversifiés et hautement fonctionnalisés, à partir de matières premières facilement accessibles. / We have applied the enantioselective [3+2] cyclisations between allenoates and enones, under phosphine catalysis, to the asymmetric synthesis of sulfides and sulfoxides displaying unprecedented spirocyclic molecular scaffolds and multiple stereocentres. Notably, good yields and e.e’s were obtained by using (S,S)-FerroPHANE as the chiral catalyst. Then, we established a highly diastereoselective oxidation procedure which converts the enantiomerically enriched spirocyclic sulfides into the corresponding sulfoxides. On the other hand, we have developed new phosphine promoted reactions for the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. From the known modes of action of phosphine nucleophiles, we have designed new combinations of properly functionalized substrates that have been processed in the presence of phosphorus catalysts. The [3+2] annulation reaction between imines and acyclic conjugated dienes, properly activated by electron withdrawing groups on both ends, affords a new efficient and diastereoselective approach to functionalized 3-pyrrolines, under phosphine catalysis. We have studied the scope and limitations of this strategy by considering a whole range of differently substituted dienes and imines. As an extension, we have also considered analogous cyclizations between imines and cyclic conjugated dienes in which one of the double bonds is embedded in a cyclic moiety which afforded the functionalized hexahydroisoindol-4-one derivatives. Coumarin derived dienes reacted however with stoichiometric amounts of phosphine and water to give an unprecedented domino process, i.e. a formal aza-Baylis Hillman-reduction sequence. The process proved to be highly chemoselective and allowed an excellent stereochemical control of the relative configurations of two, newly created, contiguous carbon centres.These studies have demonstrated that the phosphine catalysis affords simple and efficient methodologies for the synthesis of structurally diverse and highly functionalized heterocycles, starting from easily available starting materials