Le développement de technologies plus propres et économes en énergie amène aujourd’hui l’industrie du raffinage à modifier ses stratégies de préparation de catalyseurs et à se tourner vers l'utilisation plus massive de catalyseurs hétérogènes plus actifs, sélectifs, stables et régénérables.Récemment une méthode originale a été développée par Dufaud et al. (J. Mater. Chem., 2009, 19, 1142-1150) pour encapsuler des polyoxométallates (POMs) dans les murs des silices mésoporeuses. Le projet de thèse a visé l’élaboration de nouveaux catalyseurs basés sur cette nouvelle méthodologie qui devrait conduire à des systèmes à haute teneur en métal actif Mo/W bien dispersé, avec une meilleure proximité spatiale entre le Mo/W et son promoteur. Afin de mettre en évidence cette proximité, différentes voies ont été envisagées :i) synthèse en deux étapes comportant l'encapsulation des POMs dans les murs de SBA-15, suivie d’une imprégnation à sec des promoteurs (Ni(NO3)2 ou Co(NO3)2)ii) synthèse en une seule étape comportant l'imprégnation à sec de POMs substitués Co3PCoMo11O40H, Ni3PNiMo11O40H, Co3/2PMo12O40 ou Ni3/2PMo12O40 iii) préparation traditionnelle par co-Imprégnation à sec d’une silice SBA-15 par une solution de POMs et Ni(NO3)2 ou Co(NO3)2, afin de mettre en évidence non seulement l'intérêt de la nouvelle méthode de préparation mais aussi le gain lié à l'utilisation de supports de type SBA-15 (par rapport aux supports aluminiques conventionnels) ayant des caractéristiques texturales aussi remarquables. L’effet du traitement de sulfuration sur ces solides a été étudié et l’évaluation des propriétés catalytiques de ces matériaux a été réalisée sur des molécules modèles en hydrogénation du toluène, hydrodésulfuration du thiophène et du 4,6-DMDBT. A partir des résultats obtenus, une des stratégies de synthèse a été optimisée, en vue de l'élaboration de matériaux encore plus actifs. / Economic growth in the developing countries over the past decade has increased the global demand for crude oil. It is projected that the global crude slate will become sourer, with a sulfur content above 1.3 wt%. An overall aim of policymakers is thus to ensure that transportation fuels do not surpass a sulfur content of 10 ppm. Several solutions are possible to achieve the nowadays goals, that affect either the process or the catalyst. The latter solution, which does not involve significant additional costs for refiners, is therefore the most studied. One way to improve the nowadays catalysts would be to increase the content of active metal (eg cobalt and molybdenum in the case of CoMo systems). Nevertheless, at higher metal loadings, the formation of refractory species such as CoMoO4 or Co3O4 by sintering during calcination and/or sulfidation steps has been reported for alumina-Supported catalysts. This PhD project is based on the development of new hydrotreating catalysts, through a 2-Step one-Pot method : synthesis of polyoxometalates-Containing mesoporous SBA-15 materials, followed by incipient wetness impregnation of active phase promoter. The encapsulation of these species within the silica matrix would prevent the agglomeration of large particles during sulfidation reactions and could thus lead to systems with high content of active metal well dispersed over the support. One aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of these catalysts in the hydrotreating of several feedstocks, such as diesel oil, gasoline or vegetal oil. A second objective was the understanding of the nature of the different interactions between the active phase precursors and the support, according to each preparation technique.The non-Promoted hybrid catalyst showed a better dispersion of the metallic phase in the oxide state, compared to the catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation, which can be correlated with stronger interactions between encapsulated POM and silica functionalities, such as siloxanes and silanols, as evidenced by Raman spectroscopy. However, the wide-Angle XRD showed the presence of MoO3 crystallites. HRTEM analyzes of the sulfided catalysts showed different species on this catalyst: small MoS2 slabs and metal particles (∼ 1 nm) mainly in the walls but also on the surface of pores; curved MoS2 slabs at mesopores surface leaving the entrance of the pore free; MoS2 hanks blocking the pores.This catalyst showed a relatively low sulfidation rate (determined by XPS), which could be associated with the presence of refractory species already present before activation. Thus, the toluene conversion represented per MoS2 clearly showed the interest of the catalyst prepared by this innovative method, presenting an intrinsic activity two-Fold higher than that of the catalyst prepared by dry impregnation.The subsequent impregnation of the active phase promoter of the hybrid catalyst (Pr(NO3)2, Pr = Ni or Co; 4 <pH <6), resulted in a very heterogeneous distribution of species, which could be attributed to a POM destruction by the impregnation solution, that afterward led to the sintering of large clusters. However, the hybrid catalysts promoted showed improved catalytic performances when compared to the traditional alumina-Based catalysts, when nickel is used as a promoter. However, the sulfidation and promotion rates of these catalysts must be improved: the catalyst with the highest Ni content showed (i) a high Ni/Mo atomic ratio of 0.4, which would lead to a loss of active sites by excessive decoration, and (ii) the formation of species such as NixOwSy or NixSy, which could lead to the loss of active sites, dispersion and access to the active phase.Perspectives towards an enhanced HDT catalyst based on the findings of this project are:Milder synthesis calcination conditionsSulfidationPost-Synthetic treatment in order to introduce Ni and Mo in proximal vicinityRegeneration of HDT hybrid catalysts

Master of Science / Department of Chemical Engineering / Keith Hohn / Acid catalysts have been shown to be very successful in the pretreatment of cellulosic biomass to improve glucose yield and improve overall yield of ethanol. This report presents the results of a techno-economic study that looks into the use of nanoscale magnetic solid acid catalysts for glucose production. Magnetic solid acid catalysts are an improvement over using diluted acid due to eliminating acid-waste generation and corrosion hazards. Their magnetic nature also allows them to be easily separated from reaction products by an external magnetic force. After the technology is analyzed, a series of unit operations is proposed to go from the laboratory scale to the industrial plant scale. The next step was to develop material and energy balances using HYSYS process simulation software. Capital and operating costs are estimated and all the information is combined into a discounted cash flow economic model. The economic portion of the report uses a probabilistic cost assessment. It is used to quantify the range of risks in the project from swings in feedstock costs, differences in yield from catalysts, and any other significant variables. Both capital costs (initial equipment & construction investment) and operating costs (feedstock supply, chemicals, and personnell) are included with ranges of error based on databases and expert opinion. This method of evaluating investment efficiency can be helpful for predicting the cost benefits of proposed future research. The yield and percent catalyst magnetically recovered is assumed based on laboratory research to simplify the model. A 2000 metric tons of biomass per day facility was analyzed. Using the magnetic solid acid catalyst technology, the capital costs are estimated to be $160 million and this technology saves around 10% of capital costs compared to ethanol plants that uses conventional acid hydrolysis. The yield of the magnetic solid acid catalysts should be around 75% to compete with existing ethanol technologies. The metric used for this report is the discount profitability index (DPI) which is the ratio of future cash flows divided by investment. A DPI “hurdle rate” of 1.3 is used, which is similar to industry economic metrics of projects that include new process plants. The calculated DPI for the project is 1.38 DPI which is higher than using conventional cellulose treatment technologies. The recommendation is continue to study this technology’s large scale applicability before attempting any plant pilot studies.

O hidrog&ecirc;nio &eacute; visto como um importante combust&iacute;vel alternativo aos combust&iacute;veis convencionais, como a gasolina e o &oacute;leo diesel, devido a sua alta efici&ecirc;ncia energ&eacute;tica e n&atilde;o gera&ccedil;&atilde;o de poluentes. Por&eacute;m, a maior parte do hidrog&ecirc;nio produzido &eacute; proveniente de fontes n&atilde;o renov&aacute;veis, como o g&aacute;s natural e o petr&oacute;leo. Novas tecnologias para a gera&ccedil;&atilde;o de hidrog&ecirc;nio vem sendo estudadas e dentre elas se destaca a rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor de compostos oxigenados. Os &aacute;cidos graxos vol&aacute;teis gerados durante o tratamento anaer&oacute;bio de &aacute;guas residu&aacute;rias constitui uma mat&eacute;ria-prima interessante para a produ&ccedil;&atilde;o de hidrog&ecirc;nio a partir de biomassa. Os principais produtos gerados no tratamento de &aacute;guas residu&aacute;rias s&atilde;o o etanol, o &aacute;cido ac&eacute;tico e o &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico, este, chega a representar 35 % em massa podendo ser utilizado como mol&eacute;cula modelo na rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor. Neste trabalho, foram desenvolvidos catalisadores a base de n&iacute;quel (Ni) modificados com van&aacute;dio (V), zinco (Zn) e ni&oacute;bio (Nb) suportados em alumina (&#947;-Al2O3), visando minimizar os dep&oacute;sitos carbon&aacute;ceos, assim como aumentar a atividade e seletividade para o hidrog&ecirc;nio na rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor do &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico. Os catalisadores foram modificados com diferentes teores de V, Zn e Nb (2,5, 5 e 10 % em massa). Nas rea&ccedil;&otilde;es feitas a 600 &ordm;C utilizando raz&atilde;o estequiom&eacute;trica &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico:vapor, dentre os catalisadores modificados com V, o com 5 % (10Ni2,5VAl2O3) apresentou o melhor desempenho, chegando a uma convers&atilde;o de 86 % para o &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico, al&eacute;m de aumentar a estabilidade do catalisador quando comparado ao catalisador contendo apenas Ni (10NiAl2O3). Para o grupo de catalisadores modificados com Zn, o catalisador com 10 % em massa de Zn (10Ni10ZnAl2O3) apresentou uma convers&atilde;o de 83 %, sendo este grupo o com menor taxa de forma&ccedil;&atilde;o de carbono. Dentre os catalisadores modificados com Nb, o com menor teor (10Ni2,5NbAl2O3) foi o que apresentou o melhor desempenho, alcan&ccedil;ado uma convers&atilde;o de 82 %. Testes catal&iacute;ticos utilizando excesso de &aacute;gua mostraram alta convers&atilde;o, superiores a 90 %, e alta seletividade para H2. Dessa forma, a adi&ccedil;&atilde;o de metais com diferentes propriedades pode contribuir para uma maior seletividade para hidrog&ecirc;nio, seja pela redu&ccedil;&atilde;o dos dep&oacute;sitos de carbono ou pela melhora na estabilidade catal&iacute;tica.&#8195; / Hydrogen is an important alternative fuel to conventional fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, due to its high energy efficiency and non-generation of pollutants. However, most of the hydrogen produced comes from non-renewable sources such as natural gas and diesel oil. New technologies for the generation of hydrogen have been studied, among them the reaction of steam reforming of oxygenated compounds. Volatile fatty acids generated during the anaerobic treatment of wastewater are an interesting raw material for the production of hydrogen from biomass. The main products generated in the treatment of wastewater are ethanol, acetic acid and butyric acid, which represents 35% by mass and can be used as a model molecule in the steam reforming reaction. In this work, nickel-based (Ni) catalysts modified with vanadium (V), zinc (Zn) and niobium (Nb) supported on alumina (&#947;-Al2O3) were developed, aiming at minimizing carbonaceous deposits, as well as increasing activity and selectivity for the hydrogen in the steam reforming reaction of butyric acid. The catalysts were modified with different levels of V, Zn and Nb (2.5, 5 and 10 % by mass). In the reactions made at 600 &ordm;C using stoichiometric butyric acid: steam ratio, among the catalysts modified with V, the 5 % (10Ni2,5VAl2O3) showed the best performance, reaching a conversion of 86 % to butyric acid, besides increasing The stability of the catalyst when compared to the catalyst containing only Ni (10NiAl2O3). For the group of catalysts modified with Zn, the catalyst with 10 % by mass of Zn (10Ni10ZnAl2O3) showed a conversion of 83 %, this group being the one with the lowest rate of carbon formation. Among the catalysts modified with Nb, the one with the lowest content (10Ni2,5NbAl2O3) was the one that presented the best performance, achieving a conversion of 82 %. Catalytic tests using excess water showed high conversion, higher than 90%, and high selectivity for H2. Thus, the addition of metals with different properties may contribute to a higher selectivity for hydrogen, either by reducing carbon deposits or by improving catalytic stability.

The aim of this dissertation is to appraise and critically reflect on the physical pertinence of governing equations and closure relations often used for the modeling of gas-phase transport phenomena in high-temperature solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). More precisely, this work conducts a critical literature review on the concentration-induced voltage losses (i.e., concentration polarization) resulting from mass transfer limitations. Thus, the overall object of this work was to stress awareness of the limits of mathematical models studied and developed in the SOFC literature to date, and which are specifically related to concentration polarization processes. To a great extent, the design of SOFC porous layers is likened to that of optimizing the transport of multicomponent gas mixtures in structured porous catalysts, for which diffusional and flow limitations are of cardinal importance. In both cases, severe inconsistencies in mass transport models cannot be simply ignored and the main uncertainties in utilizing such models should be clarified. It is hoped that the information herein will serve usefully to support future developments of more consistent theoretical frameworks, thereby improving the confidence on the results of numerical simulations. The critical literature review has been carried out so to identify a number of physical inconsistences, ill-defined approximations, and misleading mathematical derivations. Along the review, it is argued that the choice (or, more properly, the lack of conceptual refinement) of a particular mathematical model can significantly impair the \"prediction\" of transport processes relevant to concentration-induced power losses in SOFCs. One of the keystones of this work was therefore to re-interpret and thus to reassess the frequently contradictory literature related to certain classes of gas-phase transport models pertinent to the evaluation of concentration polarization. With this revisionary approach, it is expected that one could reduce confusion, clear up apparent contradictions, and improve the possibility of gaining new insights. / Esta dissertação tem o objetivo de avaliar e refletir criticamente sobre a pertinência física de equações de conservação e de relações de fechamento, frequentemente utilizadas na modelagem multiescala de fenômenos de transporte em células a combustível de óxido-sólido (SOFC). Dêu-se atenção especial ao escoamento em \"microescala\" de misturas gasosas multicomponentes, dentro de meios porosos quimicamente reativos. Em outras palavras, esta monografia busca ressaltar quais os limites para aplicação de certas classes de modelos matemáticos, os quais têm sido desenvolvidos e utilizados na literatura de SOFCs até o presente momento. O projeto de camadas porosas de SOFCs assemelha-se à tarefa de otimizar processos de transporte em catalisadores estruturados, para os quais a existência de limitações de transporte por difusão e por escoamento tem importância primordial. Por esta razão, inconsistências originadas em modelos de fenômenos de transporte não podem ser, simplesmente, negligenciadas e, portanto, as principais incertezas ao se utilizar tais modelos devem ser devidamente esclarecidas. Espera-se, com efeito, que as informações contidas neste trabalho sejam úteis para futuros desenvolvimentos teóricos mais consistentes, de forma a aumentar a confiabilidade no uso de resultados obtidos por simulações numéricas.

Les matériaux chiraux à base de polyoxométallates (POMs) ont montré un intérêt croissant ces dernières années, à cause de leurs propriétés remarquables et de leurs applications potentielles, notamment dans le domaine de la catalyse. L’objectif de cette thèse était de concevoir une série d’hybrides hélicoïdaux chiraux à base de polyoxométallates (NANOPOM) énantiopurs, pour des applications en catalyse hétérogène d’oxydation. Deux approches ont été utilisées pour préparer ces nouveaux matériaux. La première consiste à immobiliser les unités POM sur des nanohélices et des nanorubans de silice par couplage électrostatique et par adsorption directe du POM sur les nano-objets, car ces structures sont plus stables et moins sensibles à l’environnement extérieur. La deuxième approche consiste à fixer le POM sur des nanorubans et des nanohélices organiques préparés par auto-assemblage d’amphiphile gemini 16-2-16 (L)- ou (D)-tartrate et du POM dans l’eau. La caractérisation de ces hybrides NANOPOM par des techniques de microscopie (TEM, HR-TEM et EDX) et de spectroscopie (RMN 31P, UV-Vis, DRIFT et Raman) a permis de mettre en évidence la structure des hybrides et notamment le greffage du POM. Ces matériaux sont généralement stables, et l’induction de chiralité des supports chiraux sur le POM a été confirmée par dichroïsme circulaire, mettant en évidence l’énantiopureté de ces NANOPOMs. Ces NANOPOMs sont actifs et recyclables pour l’oxydation de sulfures, mais aucune énantiosélectivité significative n’a été observée. Les résultats obtenus durant la thèse sont encourageants et permettent d’envisager de nouveaux systèmes NANOPOMs basés sur l’incorporation du POM dans les structures hélicoïdales lors de la formation du gel, suivi d’une solidification du système organique par une couche de silice, afin d’augmenter la stabilité, propriété indispensable pour les applications en catalyse. / Chiral polyoxometalates (POMs)-based materials have attracted particular attention in recent years due to their remarkable properties and potential application, especially in the field of catalysis. The goal of this thesis is to design a series of enantiopure nanohelical structures based on polyoxometalates (NANOPOM), for their use as heterogeneous oxidation catalysts. Two approaches were used to prepare these new materials. The first one based on the immobilization of POMs on silica nanohelices and nanoribbons by electrostatic and direct adsorption grafting. These inorganic structures increase the stability and make them less sensitive to external environment. The second approach is to include POM units within the structure of organic nanoribbons and nanohelices during self-assembly of 16-2-16 (L)- or (D)-tartrate gemini amphiphile and POM in water. The characterization of these NANOPOM hybrids by using various techniques such as 31P NMR, UV-Vis, DRIFT, Raman, TEM, HR-TEM and EDX was performed and confirms the structure of these materials, especially the grafting of POM to helical supports. These materials are generally stable, and the induction chirality to the POM anion was confirmed by circular dichroism, highlighting the enantiopurity of these NANOPOM materials. The catalytic properties of these POM hybrids have been tested in the oxidation of sulfides. They are active and recoverable catalysts, unfortunately with no significant enantioselectivity observed in the condition used. We expect that new NANOPOM systems in which POM units are introduced within the structure of nanostructure during gel formation, followed by silica transcription will be more stable, an important feature for their use as recoverable catalyst.

O hidrog&ecirc;nio &eacute; visto como um importante combust&iacute;vel alternativo aos combust&iacute;veis convencionais, como a gasolina e o &oacute;leo diesel, devido a sua alta efici&ecirc;ncia energ&eacute;tica e n&atilde;o gera&ccedil;&atilde;o de poluentes. Por&eacute;m, a maior parte do hidrog&ecirc;nio produzido &eacute; proveniente de fontes n&atilde;o renov&aacute;veis, como o g&aacute;s natural e o petr&oacute;leo. Novas tecnologias para a gera&ccedil;&atilde;o de hidrog&ecirc;nio vem sendo estudadas e dentre elas se destaca a rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor de compostos oxigenados. Os &aacute;cidos graxos vol&aacute;teis gerados durante o tratamento anaer&oacute;bio de &aacute;guas residu&aacute;rias constitui uma mat&eacute;ria-prima interessante para a produ&ccedil;&atilde;o de hidrog&ecirc;nio a partir de biomassa. Os principais produtos gerados no tratamento de &aacute;guas residu&aacute;rias s&atilde;o o etanol, o &aacute;cido ac&eacute;tico e o &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico, este, chega a representar 35 % em massa podendo ser utilizado como mol&eacute;cula modelo na rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor. Neste trabalho, foram desenvolvidos catalisadores a base de n&iacute;quel (Ni) modificados com van&aacute;dio (V), zinco (Zn) e ni&oacute;bio (Nb) suportados em alumina (&#947;-Al2O3), visando minimizar os dep&oacute;sitos carbon&aacute;ceos, assim como aumentar a atividade e seletividade para o hidrog&ecirc;nio na rea&ccedil;&atilde;o de reforma a vapor do &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico. Os catalisadores foram modificados com diferentes teores de V, Zn e Nb (2,5, 5 e 10 % em massa). Nas rea&ccedil;&otilde;es feitas a 600 &ordm;C utilizando raz&atilde;o estequiom&eacute;trica &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico:vapor, dentre os catalisadores modificados com V, o com 5 % (10Ni2,5VAl2O3) apresentou o melhor desempenho, chegando a uma convers&atilde;o de 86 % para o &aacute;cido but&iacute;rico, al&eacute;m de aumentar a estabilidade do catalisador quando comparado ao catalisador contendo apenas Ni (10NiAl2O3). Para o grupo de catalisadores modificados com Zn, o catalisador com 10 % em massa de Zn (10Ni10ZnAl2O3) apresentou uma convers&atilde;o de 83 %, sendo este grupo o com menor taxa de forma&ccedil;&atilde;o de carbono. Dentre os catalisadores modificados com Nb, o com menor teor (10Ni2,5NbAl2O3) foi o que apresentou o melhor desempenho, alcan&ccedil;ado uma convers&atilde;o de 82 %. Testes catal&iacute;ticos utilizando excesso de &aacute;gua mostraram alta convers&atilde;o, superiores a 90 %, e alta seletividade para H2. Dessa forma, a adi&ccedil;&atilde;o de metais com diferentes propriedades pode contribuir para uma maior seletividade para hidrog&ecirc;nio, seja pela redu&ccedil;&atilde;o dos dep&oacute;sitos de carbono ou pela melhora na estabilidade catal&iacute;tica.&#8195; / Hydrogen is an important alternative fuel to conventional fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, due to its high energy efficiency and non-generation of pollutants. However, most of the hydrogen produced comes from non-renewable sources such as natural gas and diesel oil. New technologies for the generation of hydrogen have been studied, among them the reaction of steam reforming of oxygenated compounds. Volatile fatty acids generated during the anaerobic treatment of wastewater are an interesting raw material for the production of hydrogen from biomass. The main products generated in the treatment of wastewater are ethanol, acetic acid and butyric acid, which represents 35% by mass and can be used as a model molecule in the steam reforming reaction. In this work, nickel-based (Ni) catalysts modified with vanadium (V), zinc (Zn) and niobium (Nb) supported on alumina (&#947;-Al2O3) were developed, aiming at minimizing carbonaceous deposits, as well as increasing activity and selectivity for the hydrogen in the steam reforming reaction of butyric acid. The catalysts were modified with different levels of V, Zn and Nb (2.5, 5 and 10 % by mass). In the reactions made at 600 &ordm;C using stoichiometric butyric acid: steam ratio, among the catalysts modified with V, the 5 % (10Ni2,5VAl2O3) showed the best performance, reaching a conversion of 86 % to butyric acid, besides increasing The stability of the catalyst when compared to the catalyst containing only Ni (10NiAl2O3). For the group of catalysts modified with Zn, the catalyst with 10 % by mass of Zn (10Ni10ZnAl2O3) showed a conversion of 83 %, this group being the one with the lowest rate of carbon formation. Among the catalysts modified with Nb, the one with the lowest content (10Ni2,5NbAl2O3) was the one that presented the best performance, achieving a conversion of 82 %. Catalytic tests using excess water showed high conversion, higher than 90%, and high selectivity for H2. Thus, the addition of metals with different properties may contribute to a higher selectivity for hydrogen, either by reducing carbon deposits or by improving catalytic stability.

Over the last two centuries, the discovery and application of catalysts has had a substantial impact on how and what chemicals are produced.Given their broad significance, our group has focused on developing new catalyst systems that are recoverable and reusable, in an attempt to reduce concomitant costs. Our efforts have centered on constructing a recyclable chiral heterogeneous catalyst capable of effecting asymmetric hydrogenations of olefins with high stereoselectivity. A class of phosphinoimidazoline ligands, developed by researchers at Boehringer-Ingelheim, known as BIPI ligands, have proven efficacious in the asymmetric reduction of alkenes. However, these chiral ligands are homogeneous and coordinated to precious metals, rendering them irrecoverable and expensive. To address these issues, our group has derivatized the BIPI ligand-metal complex and immobilized it to the surface of graphene oxide as well as polystyrene. Their efficacy and recyclability toward the asymmetric hydrogenation of a functionalized olefin have been evaluated. Another facet of our work has included developing a cost effective synthetic process to artemisinin, the gold standard drug in the treatment of malaria.As a natural product, artemisinin’s worldwide supply remains highly unpredictable, contributing to great price volatility.Combining the benefits of catalysis and the advantages of continuous flow chemistry, our research has sought to develop an economical approach to convert a biosynthetic precursor, artemisinic acid, to artemisinin in three chemical transformations. High-throughput experimentation allowed us to screen a prodigious number of catalysts and identify those effective in the asymmetric hydrogenation artemisinic acid to dihydroartemisinic acid, the first step in the transformation. This screening directed us to an inexpensive, heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst. The second step of the process includes the photooxygenation of dihydroartemisinic acid, which involves photochemically generated singlet oxygen. We have evaluated a commercially available heterogeneous photocatalyst packed in a transparent bed, surrounded by light emitting diodes in the continuous photooxygenation of dihydroartemisinic acid to dihydroartemisinic acid hydroperoxide. The third and final step, an acid induced hock cleavage, initiates an intricate cascading reaction that installs an endoperoxide bridge to deliver artemisinin. Our process afforded a 57% yield from dihydroartemisinic acid to artemisinin.

Au début du XXIème siècle, la Microscopie Electronique à Transmission en mode Environnemental (ETEM) est devenue l’une des techniques les plus fiables de caractérisation de nanomatériaux dans des conditions simulant leur vie réelle. L’ETEM est maintenant en mesure de suivre l’évolution dynamique des nanomatériaux dans des conditions variables comme l’exposition à des températures élevées, l’observation en milieux liquide ou gazeux à diverses pressions. Parmi différents domaines de recherche et développement concernés, la catalyse peut bénéficier de manière significative des avancées permises par la microscopie électronique environnementale. Cette thèse, dédiée au développement de l’ETEM au laboratoire MATEIS, a commencé avec l’étude du système catalytique Pd-alumine. Les nanoparticules de Pd déposées sur alpha -Al2O3 et delta-Al2O3 sont très utilisées en physicochimie avec un impact environnemental important : en particulier dans le domaine de l’hydrogénation sélective, pour la synthèse de polymères ou l’hydrogénation de CO2 pour la production de méthane. Nous avons tout d’abord effectué des analyses 2D aux différentes étapes du processus de synthèse du catalyseur : imprégnation du précurseur, séchage et chauffage pour la calcination dans l’air à la pression atmosphérique. La motivation de cette approche a été de comparer des analyses post mortem avec des traitements en ETEM où l’évolution des nanoparticules peut être mesurée in situ et pas seulement « avant » et « après ». De manière générale, les études faites en ETEM en 2D donnent un aperçu limité sur la morphologie des objets et la distribution spatiale des nanoparticules supportées. Nous avons développé une nouvelle approche d’acquisition rapide pour collecter dans des temps très courts des séries d’images sous différents angles de vue pour la tomographie électronique, la rapidité de cette acquisition étant un prérequis pour appréhender correctement la morphologie d’un nano-système au cours de son évolution dynamique in situ. La technique a ensuite été utilisée pour l’étude de plusieurs systèmes où une acquisition tridimensionnelle rapide est indispensable, notamment sur un sujet concernant un enjeu sociétal important, la dépollution des moteurs diesel : l’oxydation de la suie a été étudiée in situ sur des supports à base de zircone entre 400 et 600°C et une pression de 2 mbar d’oxygène à différents degrés de combustion, ce qui a permis d’extraire des données cinétiques telle que l’énergie d’activation du processus. La tomographie électronique rapide a été également appliquée à des matériaux sensibles au faisceau électronique, comme des nanocomposites polymères et des objets biologiques, montrant le large spectre d’applications possibles pour cette technique, qui constitue un pas important vers la caractérisation operando 3D de nanomatériaux en temps réel. / In the beginning of the XXIst century, Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy has become one of the reliable characterization techniques of nanomaterials in conditions mimicking their real life. ETEM is now able to follow the dynamic evolution of nanomaterials under various conditions like high temperature, liquid or various gas pressures. Among various fields of research, catalysis can benefit significantly from Environmental Microscopy. This contribution starts with the study of the Palladium-Alumina catalytic system. Pd nanoparticles supported by α-Al2O3 and δ-Al2O3 are of an important physicochemical and environmental interest, particularly in the field of selective hydrogenation in petrochemistry, for the synthesis of polymers or CO2 hydrogenation for methane production. We first performed 2D analyses at different steps of the synthesis process, then the same synthesis steps were performed under in situ conditions. The motivation of this approach was to compare post mortem treatments with ETEM observations. In general, 2D data provide limited insights on, for example, the morphology and position of supported nanoparticles. We have then developed a new fast acquisition approach to collect tomographic tilt series in very short times, enabling to reconstruct nano-systems in 3D during their dynamical evolution. Taking advantage of this approach, we have determined the activation energy for soot combustion on YSZ oxidation catalysts for diesel motors from volumetric data extracted from in situ experiments. Fast electron tomography was also applied to electron beam sensitive materials, like polymer nanocomposites and biological materials, showing the wide spectrum of possible applications for rapid 3D characterization of nanomaterials.

La lignine est l'un des biopolymères les plus importants sur Terre. Elle est extraite des plantes et représente la plus grande source de noyaux aromatiques dans la biomasse. De nombreux projets ayant pour but la dépolymérisation de la lignine en molécules de faibles poids moléculaires, valorisables par les industries chimiques, sont de plus en plus développés au vu du fort potentiel de cette bio-ressource. Le but de notre projet était de développer un nouveau système catalytique pour la dépolymérisation de la lignine. Nous nous sommes intéressés à la conception de nouveaux catalyseurs homogènes et hétérogènes, basés sur la structure connue du complexe Fe(TAML). Nous avons étudié leurs réactivité et stabilité en conditions de catalyse oxydante, et les avons comparés aux caractéristiques du Fe(TAML) existant. Pour ce faire, l'étude catalytique a été réalisée sur des molécules modèles de la lignine, dans le but d'éviter les problèmes analytiques liés à la structure du polymère. Dans un premier temps, nous présenterons la stratégie de fonctionnalisation du ligand TAML connu afin d'obtenir de nouveaux complexes qui puissent être greffés sur un support de silice. Dans un deuxième temps, nous parlerons des résultats de la catalyse oxydante en conditions homogènes et hétérogènes, et de l'influence du changement de la structure des ligands sur l'activité des catalyseurs / Lignin is one of the most abundant biopolymers on earth. It is issued from plants and represents the largest source of aromatics in biomass. Projects aiming at depolymerizing lignin to obtain value-added small molecules for the chemical industry are more and more developed due to the high potential of this bio-resource. The goal of our project was to develop a new catalytic system for the depolymerization of lignin. We have been interested in designing new homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts based on the known structure of the Fe(TAML) complex. We have studied their reactivity and stability under oxidative catalysis conditions, and have compared them to the characteristics of the existing Fe(TAML). To do so, the catalysis study has been realized on lignin small model molecules to avoid the analytical problems related to a polymer backbone. In a first hand, we will present the strategy of functionalization of the known TAML ligand to design new complexes to be grafted on a silica support. In a second hand, we will talk about the results of oxidative catalysis in homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions, and the influence of the ligand structure change on the activity of the catalysts

Les hydrotropes sont de petites molécules amphiphiles utilisées dans de nombreux domaines d'applications (détergence, extraction, solubilisation, etc …). Les hydrotropes sont principalement d'origine pétrosourcée et des molécules alternatives d'origine biosourcée ont été synthétisées selon des voies de synthèse éco-compatibles.Deux tétraols, l'érythritol et le pentaérythritol, ont été utilisés comme tête polaire. La partie apolaire est incorporée via une liaison éther car celle-ci est plus résistante en milieux salins. L'alkylation réductrice directe de dérivés carbonylés conduisant à des résultats non satisfaisants, une synthèse en deux étapes d'acétalisation puis d'hydrogénolyse a donc été développée, conduisant aux éthers de tétraols avec de bons rendements. Les propriétés physico-chimiques de ces éthers sont meilleures que celles d'hydrotropes standards, mais non suffisantes pour l'application visée. Ainsi, des éthers de glycérol fonctionnalisés par une fonction carboxylate ont été synthétisés. Une première étape d'alkylation réductrice permet d'accéder aux mono-éthers de glycérol. Une réaction en cascade d'acétalisation puis d'hydrogénolyse à partir de céto-esters permet de greffer la fonction carboxylate. L'alcool libre peut ensuite être méthylé à l'aide du phosphate de triméthyle. Cette méthode de méthylation a ensuite été étendue à de nombreux polyols (érythritol, glycérol, diglycérol, acide tartrique, etc …). Les produits de perméthylation sont obtenus avec de bons rendements, et le catalyseur acide est une résine recyclable / Hydrotropes are small amphiphilic molecules with applications in numerous fields such as extraction, detergency, solubilization, etc … Generally, hydrotropes are petrosourced, thereby biosourced alternatives molecules have been synthesized using eco-compatible synthesis.Two tetraols, erythritol and pentaerythritol, were used as polar head. Ethers bond was retained to link the two parts of the amphiphilic molecule due to its better resistance in saline media. Using carbonyl derivatives, the reductive alkylation didn’t allow to reach the corresponding ethers. A two-step strategy of acetalisation and hydrogenolysis was developed to reach good yields in ethers. The physico-chemical properties of these compounds are better than standard hydrotropes, but they are not sufficient for the targeted application. Thereby, functionalized glycerol ethers with a carboxylic acid have been synthesized. First, reductive alkylation led to glycerol mono-ethers in good yields. Then, acetalisation/hydrogenolysis cascade using ceto-ester enable the addition of carboxylic acid in good yields. Free hydroxyl group can be methylated using trimethylphosphate. This methylation process has been extended to other polyols (erythritol, pentaerythritol, glycerol, diglycerol, etc …). The permethylated products have been obtained in good yields, and the acid catalyst is a recyclable resin