Le but de mon projet est de développer des capteurs moins chers qui sont capables de détecter rapidement les présences des ions métalliques dans l'eau. Deux types de capteurs sont élaborés dans la cadre de ce projet: des capteurs optiques sont développés à partir de polymères conjugués (PCs) avec des ligands spécifiques car ils peuvent amplifier le signal de fluorescence et faciliter la migration des électrons, améliorant ainsi la sensibilité des capteurs1 ; et des capteurs ohmiques qui permettent des mesures in-situ.Concernant les capteurs optiques, deux séries de polymères conjugués avec trois ligands différents sont synthétisés pour étudier l’influence des groupes ligands ainsi les structures des squelettes des polymères sur leur capacité à reconnaître des ions métalliques (Figure 1). Les titrations photoluminescences de ces polymères avec dix ions métalliques (Al3+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Hg2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, et Zn2+) ont montré que le polymère nommé P1 est sensible à Cu2+ et Ni2+, et le polymère P6 émet une couleur orange en présence des ions Cd2+ et Zn2+ sous lumière UV (Figure 2). Ces faits permettent d’utiliser les polymères comme capteurs optiques pour ces ions à partir des quantités en ppb (µg/L). Nous avons aussi montré la possibilité d’utiliser ces polymères sous forme solide ce qui permet de recycler ces capteurs en films (Figure 3).Les capteurs ohmiques sont développés en combinant des PCs avec des nanotubes de carbone (NTC) comme éléments de détection2. Une telle combinaison devrait apporter à la fois une sélectivité par une fonctionnalisation chimique adéquate des PC3, et une sensibilité grâce aux propriétés électriques des NTC. En effet, dans les nanohybrides PC/NTC, les squelettes conjugués des polymères sont physisorbés sur les parois du NTC par des interactions d'empilement (Figure 4 - a). La modification électronique induite par l'interaction entre les PC et les analytes devrait être transférée aux NTC, qui agissent comme des transducteurs dans les capteurs, en modifiant leur conductivité. Les polymères synthétisés précédemment sont fonctionnalisés sur les parois de NTC afin de formuler des nanohybrides PCs/NTC pour l’élaboration des capteurs ohmiques. Les nanohybrides PCs/NTC sont caractérisés par des méthodes expérimentales (microscopie électronique en transmission, Raman, etc.) et numérique (simulation, Figure 4 - b) pour confirmer l’interaction entre PCs et NTC. Les nanohybrides sont ensuite déposés sous forme de films sur des puces avec les électrodes (Figure 4 - c) qui servent d’éléments résistif dans les dispositifs. La réponse des dispositifs aux concentrations métalliques est mesurée et étudiée. / Different pollutants can be found in water, inorganic material (chloride, chlorine, heavy metal ions…) and organic material (trace of medicament…). Among them, heavy metal ions are of among the most toxic for human and the environment. 
Analysis of water contaminants that are toxic for human being and aquatic life is of primary importance. Especially, the measurements of the quality of drinking water delivered in private dwelling is a significant public health concern. A family of undesired contaminants is heavy metals. An elevated concentration of metal ions in water is mostly due to an intensive human activity (industry, farming, and housing). In small quantities, certain heavy metals (e.g., iron, copper, manganese, and zinc) are nutritionally essential for a healthy life. However, heavy metals show a great trend to form complexes, especially with ligands of biological matter containing nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen. As a result, changes in the molecular structure of proteins, breaking of hydrogen bonds, or inhibition of enzymes can occur[1]. These interactions, among others, may explain the toxicological and carcinogenic effects of heavy metals. These ions can cause damages to many organs and are responsible of diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases[2-6]{Liu, 2015 #101;Liu, 2015 #101;Kim, 2012 #102;Kim, 2012 #102;Liu, 2015 #101;Kim, 2012 #102;Liu, 2015 #101;Kim, 2012 #102;Liu, 2015 #101}. Respiratory and cardiac problems can be caused by nickel ingestion[7], and accumulation of the Ni2+ ion in the body leads to oxidative stress[8]; Ni2+ and Cu2+ are also noxious to teeth and bones. These negative effects result from the formation of coordination complexes between the metal ions and biological matter.Heavy metals are not biodegradable and therefore they remain in ecological systems and in the food chain indefinitely, exposing top-level predators to very high levels of pollution.Different methods are used to determine their quantity concentration in aqueous phase such as anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) [4, 6], solid phase extraction combined with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry ICP-OES[4, 6] and cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method[9]. These methods are well established, but are costly, time consuming, lack portability, and rely on trained personnel because of their complexity[10].Therefore, cheap, portable and real-time response real-time sensors for the determination of heavy metals in aqueous solutions are needed, particularly in sensitive environments, such as drinking water and industrial wastewater effluents. Here we design and elaborate The aim of the project is to develop these kinds of sensors to satisfy the current need. Two kinds of sensors have been elaborated in the project: the first one is optical sensors based on functionalized conjugated polymers (CPs). The second one is a communicating resistive sensors based on conjugated polymers (CPs)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanohybride for the quick detection of pollutants in aqueous water. To our knowledge, no this kind of resistive of sensors has been developed yet. The start of the project focuses onWe start the project for the detection of metal ions, however, it can later be extended to other kinds of pollutants (such as nitrate, chloride, even drugs) using different polymers with the same working mechanism.

Cette thèse visait à concevoir et à synthétiser des matériaux hybrides organiques-inorganiques à luminescence contrôlée et à les étudier en tant que luminophores pour l'éclairage à LED. L'objectif final était d'obtenir une source de lumière blanche. En effet, les LED blanches commerciales sont constituées d'un dispositif émetteur bleu recouvert d'un luminophore jaune. La combinaison de ces deux couleurs produit une lumière blanche. Cependant, cette lumière n'est pas de bonne qualité car il lui manque une composante rouge. Cela entraîne un mauvais rendu des couleurs des objets éclairés par ces sources de lumière. Dans notre travail, des polymères conjugués de différentes couleurs d'émission ont été obtenus avec succès. En particulier, plusieurs émetteurs de blanc ont pu être isolés.Dans cette thèse, non seulement les procédures de synthèse et les caractérisations chimiques sont présentées en détail, mais également les études des propriétés photophysiques des polymères, en solution et à l'état solide. Des études à l'état solide ont été effectuées sur les polymères et sur les polymères dispersés dans une matrice polymère. Ces études ont permis d'identifier les facteurs limitants quant aux utilisations pratiques de ces matériaux. Des solutions ont été proposées pour améliorer les performances d’émission et de stabilité des matériaux. De plus, ces travaux ont permis d'introduire la 2,2’-bipyrimidine comme nouvelle unité constitutrice pour le développement de polymères conjugués. / This thesis aimed at designing and synthesizing organic-inorganic hybrid materials with controlled luminescence and at investigating them as phosphors for LED lighting. The final goal was to obtain a white source of light. Indeed, commercial white LEDs are made up of a blue emitting device covered with a yellow phosphor. Combining these two colors yields white light. However, this light is not of good quality as it lacks some red component. This results in a bad rendering of the colors of objects illuminated by these sources of light. In our work, conjugated polymers with different emission colors have successfully been obtained. In particular, several single white emitters have been isolated.In this PhD thesis, not only the synthetic procedures and chemical characterizations are presented in detail, but also the studies of the photophysical properties of the polymers, either in solution or in the solid state. Solid state studies were performed on the bulk polymers and on the polymers dispersed into a polymeric matrix. These studies have lead to identify the limiting factors that could hamper the use of the materials. Solutions have been proposed to improve the materials performance and stability. Furthermore, 2,2’-bipyrimidine has been introduced as a new synthon for designing and developing conjugated polymers.

<p dir="ltr">Conjugated polymers are organic macromolecules that are characterized by a backbone chain of alternating double- and single-bonds. This alternating pattern results in delocalized π electronic systems, contributing to electronic conduction. In the solid state, conjugated polymers exhibit weak intermolecular interactions, rendering them soft nature in comparison to many of their inorganic counterparts, such as silicon, which consist of ‘hard' three-dimensional networks of rigid covalent bonds. In electrolyte, this weak intermolecular interaction creates free pathways for ion penetration and facilitates mixed ionic-electronic coupling. The ionic-electronic coupling of conjugated polymers impacts nearly all their properties, including light absorption, electronic conductivity, mechanical strength, etc.</p><p dir="ltr">Organic iono-optoelectronics represent a class of devices where the ionic-electronic coupling in conjugated polymers can be synergistically or independently controlled by light irradiation and electrical voltage, enabling multimode electronic and optical functionalities. This dissertation explores two types of organic iono-optoelectronic devices: electrochromic devices and artificial eyes. In electrochromic devices, the ionic-electronic coupling is dynamically modulated by electrical voltage, which induces optical changes of conjugated polymers for applications in information visualization, thermal management, camouflage, etc. Conversely, artificial eyes utilize optical stimulation to tailor the electronic-ionic coupling, with electrical potential changes serving as readout. This paradigm shift opens the door to the development of light-driven biomedical electronics and intelligent visual systems. In the development of electrochromic devices, we introduce two strategies that expand the color palette and enhance the optical control of electrochromic devices, promoting their potential use in display and camouflage. In the development of artificial eye development, we introduce an electrochemical transistor device with integrated functions of light perception, memorization, and recognition by leveraging photon-modulated ion-electronic coupling. This device demonstrates great potential for intelligent visual systems and promises future optoelectronic neural interfaces.</p>

In traditional electronics, inorganic materials such as silicon and germanium are used as semiconductors due to their outstanding semiconducting properties. Unfortunately, inorganic materials are rigid due to their high crystalline nature, and processing these materials is complex and expensive. Furthermore, traditional semiconducting materials do not have favorable mechanical properties in applications such as wearable devices and large-area applications with complicated shapes. Conjugated conducting polymers (CCPs) are being explored as alternative materials to conventional semiconductors due to their mechanical properties and high conductivity. CCPs offer properties such as solution and low-temperature processability, flexibility, thermal and optical properties that traditional semiconductors could not provide. These characteristics are essential in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFETs), and Photovoltaic (PVs) devices. This dissertation focuses on synthesizing rhodamine- and diketopyrrolopyrrole- containing CCPs. Chapter I focuses on the synthesis, and characterization of polyrhodamine (PRho), a semiconducting conjugated polymer containing the rhodamine core in the polymer’s backbone. PRho was synthesized by the Buchwald-Hartwig polycondensation and characterized for its optical and electrochemical properties. We have discovered that the polymer is electrochemically reversible and stable up to 1000 cycles as recorded by cyclic voltammetry between -0.4 and 1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl and stable to extreme acidic and basic conditions without noticeable degradation. Remarkably, the polymer has a conductivity in the semiconductor range of 8.38 x 10-2 S cm–1 when treated with 20% HCl. Chapter II focuses on the synthesis and characterization of four different alkenyl flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) polymers ( PDPPVTV, PDPPVTT, PDPPV3T, and PDPPV4T) synthesized via Stille polycondensation. Different pi-conjugated segments (alkenyl/ PDPPVTV, thiophene/ PDPPVTT, thienothiophene/ PDPPV3T, and dithienothiophene/ PDPPV4T) were used to tune the optoelectrical properties of the polymers. The effect of the alkenyl groups and different pi-conjugated segments on the optoelectrical and charge mobility properties were determined by UV/visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and FET characteristics. Three of the four polymers, except PPP4T, showed good solubility in chloroform. All the polymers showed high thermal stabilities in TGA and semi-crystalline nature in X-Ray diffraction patterns. PDPPVTV and PDPPVTT exhibited hole mobilities of 1.8 x 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 0.25 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. .

Due to the drastic required thermodynamical requirements, a photoelectrode material that can function as both a photocathode and a photoanode remains elusive. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that, under simulated solar light and without co-catalysts, donor-acceptor conjugated acetylenic polymers (CAPs) exhibit both impressive oxygen evolution (OER) and hydrogen evolution (HER) photocurrents in alkaline and neutral medium, respectively. In particular, poly(2,4,6-tris(4-ethynylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine) (pTET) provides a benchmark OER photocurrent density of ~200 μA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at pH 13 and a remarkable HER photocurrent density of ~190 μA cm−2 at 0.3 V vs. RHE at pH 6.8. By combining theoretical investigations and electrochemical-operando Resonance Raman spectroscopy, we show that the OER proceeds with two different mechanisms, with the electron-depleted triple bonds acting as single-site OER in combination with the C4-C5 atoms of the phenyl rings as dual sites. The HER, instead, occurs via an electron transfer from the tri-acetylenic linkages to the triazine rings, which act as the HER active sites. This work represents a novel application of organic-based materials and contributes to the development of high-performance photoelectrochemical catalysts for the solar fuels’ generation.

In smart textiles, electrical conductivity is often required for several functions, especially contacting (electroding) and interconnecting. This thesis explores electrically conductive textile surfaces made by combining conventional textile coating methods with the intrinsically conductive polymer complex poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). PEDOT:PSS was used in textile coating formulations including polymer binder, ethylene glycol (EG) and rheology modifier. Shear viscometry was used to identify suitable viscosities of the formulations for each coating method. The coating methods were knife coating, pad coating and screen printing. The first part of the work studied the influence of composition of the coating formulation, the amount of coating and the film formation process on the surface resistivity and the surface appearance of knife-coated textiles. The electrical resistivity was largely affected by the amount of PEDOT:PSS in the coating and indicated percolation behaviour within the system. Addition of a high-boiling solvent, i.e. EG, decreased the surface resistivity with more than four orders of magnitude. Studies of tear strength and bending rigidity showed that textiles coated with formulations containing larger amounts of PEDOT:PSS and EG were softer, more ductile and stronger than those coated with formulations containing more binder. The coated textiles were found to be durable to abrasion and cyclic strain, as well as quite resilient to the harsh treatment of shear flexing. Washing increased the surface resistivity, but the samples remained conductive after five wash cycles. The second part of the work focused on using the coatings to transfer the voltage signal from piezoelectric textile fibres; the coatings were first applied using pad coating as the outer electrode on a woven sensor and then as screen-printed interconnections in a sensing glove based on stretchy, warp-knitted fabric. Sensor data from the glove was successfully used as input to a microcontroller running a robot gripper. These applications showed the viability of the concept and that the coatings could be made very flexible and integrated into the textile garment without substantial loss of the textile characteristics. The industrial feasibility of the approach was also verified through the variations of coating methods.

Organic solar cells offer the possibility for lightweight, flexible, and inexpensive photovoltaic devices. This thesis studies the physics of a wide range of materials designed for use in organic solar cells. The materials investigated include conjugated polymers, conjugated dendrimers, and inorganic nanocrystals. The materials studied in this thesis fall into five categories: conjugated polymers blended with a buckminsterfullerene derivative PCBM, nanocrystals synthesised in a conjugated polymer matrix, conjugated polymers designed for intramolecular charge separation, conjugated dendrimers blended with PCBM, and nanocrystals synthesised in a matrix of conjugated small molecules or dendrimers. Conjugated polymers blended with PCBM have been extensively studied for photovoltaic applications, and hence form an ideal test bed for new experiments. In this thesis this blend was used to achieve the first pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance experiments on organic solar cells. Nanocrystals are attractive for photovoltaics because it is possible to tune their band gap across the solar spectrum. In this thesis a one-pot synthesis is used to grow PbS and CdS nanocrystals in conjugated polymers, soluble small molecules, and dendrimers, and characterisation is performed on these composites. Previous work on dendrimer: nanocrystal composites has been limited to non-conjugated molecules, and the synthesis developed in this thesis extends this work to a conjugated oligomer and a conjugated dendrimer. This synthesis can potentially be extended to a variety of conjugated soluble small molecule: nanocrystal and dendrimer: nanocrystal systems. Conjugated dendrimers have been successfully employed in organic light emitting diodes, and in this thesis they are applied to organic solar cells. Materials based on fluorene and cyanine dye cores show excellent absorption tunability across the solar spectrum. A set of electronically asymetric polymers designed for intramolecular charge separation were investigated. Quenching of the luminescence was observed, and light induced electron paramagnetic resonance measurements revealed that photoexcitation led to approximately equal numbers of positive polarons and nitro centred radical anions. This indicates that charge separation is occurring in these molecules.

Conjugated polymers are novel organic electronic materials highly important for organic photovoltaic applications. Charge transport is one of the key properties which defines the performance of conjugated polymers in electronic devices. This work aims to explore the charge transport anisotropy in thin films of P3HT, one of the most common conjugated polymers. Using X-ray diffraction techniques and charge transport measurements, the relation between vertical charge transport through thin P3HT films and structure of the films was established. It was shown that particular orientations of crystalline domains of P3HT, namely face-on and chain-on, are beneficial for vertical charge transport. These orientations provide the efficient pathways for the charges to be transported vertically, either via π-π stacking interaction between the adjacent conjugated chains, or via the conjugated chain backbones. It was also demonstrated that particular orientations of crystallites are favourable for the formation of interconnected percolated pathways providing enhanced vertical charge transport across the film. Deposition of P3HT on most commonly used silicon substrates typically results in the formation of mostly edge-on orientation of crystallites which is unfavourable for vertical charge transport. Nanoimprint lithography was demonstrated as a powerful processing method for reorienting the edge-on crystalline domains of P3HT into chain-on (vertical) orientation. It is also shown that thin P3HT films with preferentially face-on orientations of crystallites can be deposited on graphene surface by spin coating. Using patterning of thin P3HT films by nanoimprint lithography, unprecedentedly high average vertical mobilities in the range of 3.1-10.6 cm2 V-1 s-1 were achieved in undoped P3HT. These results demonstrate that charge transport in thin films of a relatively simple and well-known conjugated polymer P3HT can be significantly improved using optimization of crystallinity,orientation of crystallites, polymer chain orientation and alignment in the films.

Organic photovoltaics have attracted considerable research and commercial interest due to their lightness, mechanical flexibility and low production costs. There are two main approaches for the fabrication of organic solar cells – solution and vacuum processing. The former relies on morphology control in polymer-fullerene blends resulting from natural phase separation in these systems. The latter takes advantage of solvent-free processing allowing highly complex multi-junction architectures similar to inorganic solar cells. This work aims to combine the benefits of both by depositing conjugated polymers using vacuum thermal evaporation. By employing this unconventional approach it aims to enhance the efficiency of organic photovoltaics through increased complexity of the thin-film architecture while improving the nanoscale morphology control of the individual active layers. The thesis explores the vacuum thermal deposition of polythiophenes, mainly poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and side-group free poly(thiophene) (PTh). A variety of chemical techniques, such as NMR, FT-IR, GPC, DSC and TGA, are used to examine the effect of heating on chemical structure of the polymers. Optimal processing parameters are identified and related to the resulting thin-film morphology and charge transport properties. Efficient photovoltaic devices based on polythiophene donors and fullerene acceptors are fabricated. Materials science techniques AFM, XRD, SEM, TEM and MicroXAM are used to characterize topography and morphology of the thin films, and UV-Vis, EQE, I-V and C-V measurements relate these to the optical and electronic properties. The results of the study show that polymer side groups have a strong influence on molecular packing and charge extraction in vacuum-deposited polymer thin films. Unlike P3HT, evaporated PTh forms highly crystalline films. This leads to enhanced charge transport properties with hole mobility two orders of magnitude higher than that in P3HT. The effect of molecular order is demonstrated on polymer/fullerene planar heterojunction solar cells. PTh-based devices have significantly better current and recombination characteristics, resulting in improved overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) by 70% as compared to P3HT. This confirms that the chemical structure of the molecule is a crucial parameter in deposition of large organic semiconductors. It is also the first-ever example of vacuum-deposited polymer photovoltaic cell. Next, vacuum co-deposited PTh:C60 bulk heterojunctions with different donor-acceptor compositions are fabricated, and the effect of post-production thermal annealing on their photovoltaic performance and morphology is studied. Co-deposition of blended mixtures leads to 60% higher photocurrents than in thickness-optimized PTh/C60 planar heterojunction counterparts. Furthermore, by annealing the devices post-situ the PCE is improved by as much as 80%, achieving performance comparable to previously reported polythiophene and oligothiophene equivalents processed in solution and vacuum, respectively. The enhanced photo-response is a result of favourable morphological development of PTh upon annealing. In contrast to standard vacuum-processed molecular blends, annealing-induced phase separation in PTh:C60 does not lead to the formation of coarse morphology but rather to an incremental improvement of the already established interpenetrated nanoscale network. The morphological response of the evaporated PTh within the blend is further verified to positively differ from that of its small-molecule counterpart sexithiophene. This illustrates the morphological advantage of polymer-fullerene combination over all other vacuum-processable material systems. In conclusion, this processing approach outlines the conceptual path towards the most beneficial combination of solution/polymer- and vacuum-based photovoltaics. It opens up a fabrication method with considerable potential to enhance the efficiency of large-scale organic solar cells production.

3 ABSTRACT Complexes [Rh(cycloolefin)(acac)] (cycloolefin = norborna-2,5-diene, cycloocta- 1,5-diene and cyclooctatetraene) were investigated as catalysts of polymerization of monosubstituted acetylenes into stereoregular cis-transoid polyacetylenes. All complexes were highly active in arylacetylenes polymerizations in both coordinating and non-coordinating solvents. Selection of solvent and cycloolefin ligand of the catalyst allowed the control over polymer MW. The onset of initiation in the [Rh(cycloolefin)(acac)]/monomer systems proceeded as the proton transfer from the monomer molecule to the acac ligand under the release of acetylacetone and coordination of -C≡CR ligand to Rh(cycloolefin) moiety. Cis-transoid poly(phenylacetylene) and poly[(2,4-difluorophenyl)acetylene]s with required initial MW were prepared with these catalysts and submitted to the long-term ageing in which the polymers were exposed to the atmosphere and diffuse daylight either dissolved in tetrahydrofuran or in the solid state. Tightly connected processes of cis-to-trans isomerization of the polymer main-chains double bonds and oxidative degradation were found to proceed during polymers ageing in the solution. Besides, the formation of corresponding cyclotrimers accompanied the polymers ageing. However, the cyclotrimers amount was...