This thesis presents strategies for constructing multi-functional biomaterials based on hyaluronan (HA) derivatives for various biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and imaging biomaterials. The aim of this study is to improve the functionalities of HA biomaterials as well as simplify the preparation procedures.  Native HA polymer contains D-glucuronic acid residue with a carboxyl group per disaccharide unit that can be easily modified by carbodiimide-mediated amidation reaction. Therefore, we have designed a series of orthogonal groups (hydrazide, carbazate, aldehyde, and thiol) that can be linked to HA under mild conditions using the carbodiimide chemistry. Multiple functionalities can be introduced to the obtained HA derivatives via chemoselective “click”-type transformations.   The modified HA derivatives were used for the preparation of either nanogel particles (NPs) or bulk hydrogels. Due to “click” character of the reactions used, structural HA transformations were performed with high fidelity on different scales including molecular (polymers), nanometer (NPs), and a visible scale (bulk hydrogels). By linking pyrene or camptothecin to hydrophilic HA backbone, amphiphilic polymers were obtained and utilized as drug delivery carriers or prodrugs, respectively. Subsequently, physically loaded drug (doxorubicin) could be released upon degradation of HA carriers, while the chemically linked camptothecin was released intact by a thiol-triggered cleavage reaction. Bisphosphonated HA (HA-BP) polymers were prepared to induce hydrogel scaffold bio-mineralization for bone regeneration application. Moreover, we could recruit strong binding capacity of bisphosphonate (BP) groups to calcium ions for the formation of physically crosslinked HA-BP gel upon simple mixing of the polymer and calcium phosphate nanoparticle components. This gel was more stable in vivo compared to hydrazone crosslinked HA gels. Furthermore, the hydrogel composed of fluorine-19 (19F) linked HA polymer was successfully observed by both 1H and 19F MR imaging.         In conclusion, the presented herein study describes new approaches for building up multi-functional biomaterials from the HA-based blocks. The utilization of carbodiimide and click chemistries along with the enzymatic degradation of HA allowed simple and efficient interconversion between HA macromolecules, nanoparticles and macroscopic hydrogels. These HA-based biomaterials show high potential for use in the fields of drug delivery, bone regeneration, and imaging techniques.

Due to the high specific surface area and aspect ratio (length to diameter ratio, or L/D) of carbon nanotubes, they tend to bind strongly through the van der Waals interactions prevailing among tubes. Thus, they agglomerate and settle in water to form large conglomerates. The adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) or surfactants onto raw multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was shown to effectively enhance the dispersibility and stabilization of MWCNTs. The two kinds of dispersants used were humic acid and peptone. Also, two functionalized MWCNTs (-OH and -COOH functional groups) were also dispersed in humic acid (HA) to evaluate the effect of surface property on CNT biological interactions. Based on the dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses, the use of surfactants increased the steric hindrance as well as the charge repulsion between adjacent CNT particles, thereby enhancing their suspension. HA and peptone sorption onto the surface of MWCNTs can cover their hydrophobic surfaces and help stabilize CNTs. Furthermore, hydroxyl modification of MWCNTs resulted in stable dispersions in water containing HA at 10 and 1000mg/L, while COOH-MWCNT suspensions displayed stable dispersion with lower negative surface charges solely at 100g/L. While, TEM images agreed with the DSL analysis that HA-stabilized MWCNTs were well-dispersed compared to pep-stabilized MWCNTs. Both f-MWCNT types showed a significant reduction in agglomerates as compared to the non-functionalized one. It was noted that the dispersion state as well as the surface properties of both MWCNTs and f-MWCNTs plays an effective role in the potential toxic effects of CNTs. Decreases in the growth rate, chlorophyll index, water uptake, dry weight, and root elongation rate along with a rise in mortality were detected as an indication of phyto-toxicity in both the pep-MWCNT suspensions at 1000mg/L and the peptone control seedlings in contrast to the seedlings treated with pep-MWCNTs at 10 and 100mg/L doses . This was an indicator for the presence of suspended MWCNTs as well as their unstable dispersion in the water column. However, the interaction between the HA-CNTs and the plants improved development in terms of water uptake, growth rate, chlorophyll index, dry weight and root elongation rate due to their well- dispersed stability in water. There were no differences among the f-MWCNT, MWCNT and HA plant groups in terms of their quantum yield and chlorophyll content. While the f-MWCNTs significantly enhanced the plants' growth, water transpiration, and dry root and shoot weight as compared to the non-functionalized MWCNTs. It appeared that exposure to OH-MWCNTs improved the development of tomatoes in terms of water uptake, root elongation rate, and growth rate as well as light- and dark-adaptation, whereas COOH-MWCNTs and non-functionalized MWCNTs were apparently toxic in terms of root leakage and dark-adaptation. Overall, our results suggest that the surface properties of CNTs associated with their dispersion stability specify their influence on the growth of tomato plants. Moreover, the nature of the dispersant agent itself plays an active role in the toxicity of MWCNTs on tomatoes. Our investigation indicated that there is a significant correlation between the toxicity of unfunctionalized MWCNTs and f-MWCNTs and the toxicity of the dispersant agent.

L’objectif de cette thèse portait sur la synthèse de complexes portant un ligand NHC associé à une fonction oxygénée et à leur application en catalyse d’oligomérisation de l’éthylène. Dans le but de synthétiser des complexes avec des ligands NHCalcool, les complexes d’argent correspondants ont été synthétisés et utilisés en transmétallation. Aucun résultat concluant n’a pu être obtenu avec le nickel à cause de l’acidité du proton alcoolique. Mais un ligand NHC-alcoolate a pu être obtenu par déprotonation directe du pro-ligand avec une base forte. Il fut alors possible d’accéder à des complexes de nickel polynucléaires, certains incorporant dans leur structure des cations lithium provenant de la base utilisée. Par comparaison, des complexes de palladium ont été synthétisés avec des NHCs-alcool ou -alcoolate par réaction des pro-ligands avec Pd(acac)2 suivie de réactions acido-basiques. Etant donné la difficulté d’obtention des complexes de nickel avec des ligands NHC-alcool, la fonction éther a été étudiée. Les complexes résultants ont été testés en oligomérisation de l’éthylène. / The purpose of this work was the synthesis of complexes bearing O-functionalized NHC ligands in order to test their catalytic properties in ethylene oligomerization. In order to have access to alcohol-functionalized complexes, the corresponding silver complexes were synthesized for transmetallation purpose. Whereas no concluding results were obtained with the alcohol function in association with nickel, it was possible to access an alcoholate-functionalized NHC ligand by deprotonation of the corresponding pro-ligand. Thus, polynuclear nickel complexes were prepared, some of them included in their structure a lithium cation originating from the base. For comparison, alcohol- and alcoholate-functionalized NHC palladium complexes were synthesized by direct reaction of the pro-ligand with Pd(acac)2 followed by acidobasic reactions. Because of the complexity of the chemistry of NHC-alcohol ligands associated with nickel, the ether functionality was explored. A library of nickel complexes was synthesized and tested in the catalytic ethylene oligomerization.

No description available.

L’objectif de ce travail est la synthèse de complexes contenant des ligands NHC protiques fonctionnalisés avec un groupement imine dans le but de développer des méthodologies de synthèse donnant accès à des ligands pNHC ainsi que la synthèse des groupes imidazolide anioniques liés par le C et leurs complexes homo et hétéro-dinucléaires. Dans le cas des imidazoles sans groupe fonctionnel, la déprotonation à l’aide de n-butyl lithium a permis l’obtention de (1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)lithium avec de bons rendements. La réaction de (1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)lithium avec [Ir(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 ou [Rh(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 a conduit à des complexes dinucléaires bipontés en C2,N3. Dans le cas de l’imidazole possédant une fonctionnalité imine, le complexe de l’Ir(I) lié au N de l’imidazole peut se tautomériser en complexe de l’Ir(I) imine avec un ligand pNHC suite à la réaction d’abstraction du chlorure à température ambiante, alors que la tautomérisation de l’analogue du Rh(I) nécessite une température de 110°C. La déprotonation des complexes de l’Ir(I) et Rh(I) liés par le N de l’imidazole avec addition de [Ir(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 ou de [Rh(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 in situ permet l’obtention de complexes homo et hétéro-dinucléaires. La métallation des sels d’imidazolium fonctionnalisés avec un groupement imine s’est avére être une méthode efficace pour la synthèse de complexes métallés ayant un ligand pNHC et a été étendue des complexes bidentes aux complexes chélatants pNHC. / The purpose of this work is the synthesis of complexes containing imine-functionalized protic NHC ligands in order to further develop synthetic methodologies giving access to pNHC, C-bound ‘anionic’ imidazolide, and homo- and heterodinuclear complexes. In the case of imidazoles without functional group, deprotonation with n-butyl lithium afforded (1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)lithium in good yield. Reaction of (1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)lithium with [Ir(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 or [Rh(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 yielded a doubly C2,N3-bridged dinuclear complex. In the case of imine-functionalized imidazole, the Ir(I) N-bound imidazole complex can tautomerize to Ir(I) imine-functionalized pNHC complex chloride abstraction at room temperature, while in the Rh(I) analog the tautomerization can be achieved at 110 °C. In situ deprotonation of the N-bound imidazole Ir(I) or Rh(I) complexes, followed by addition of [Ir(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 or [Rh(cod)(μ-Cl)]2 led to the isolation of homo- and heterodinuclear complexes. The metalation of imine-functionalized imidazolium salts is also an effective procedure for synthesis of pNHC metal complexes, and it was extended from bidentate to pincer-type pNHC complexes.

No description available.