Cell-surface engineering has been attracting increased interest in the field of biotechnology, tissue engineering, cell therapy, or biosensors/bioelectronics. Thin nanocoatings or sometimes referred as nanoshells allow for modifying and controlling variety of cell properties, specifically retardation of cell division or growth, masking immunological properties, providing chemical and mechanical resistance to external stressors, and ability to further functionalize shells in order to guide cells attachment, their proliferation and function in artificial environment. Bottom-up approach, utilizing layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of wide variety of different components (synthetic and natural polyelectrolytes, nanoparticles, and other nano-structures) has been introduced and elaborated to modify cell surfaces. Despite successful examples of the LbL-based cell encapsulation with polyelectrolytes, cytotoxicity of their polycation components possesses severe limitations for this approach. Additionally, by constructing rigid non-permeable shells can suppress the essential properties of cells. In this view, the goal of this research is to explore the formation of cyto-compatible ultrathin coatings from synthetic and natural polymers through utilization of non-cationic counterparts, with possibility to actively control cell division, provide protection from external environment, and temper shell properties in order to elicit or change specific cell response.

Des polymères supramoléculaires liés par liaisons hydrogènes basés sur des motifs associatifs de type benzène-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) et bis-urée ont été étudiés comme support dynamique pour la catalyse. Les propriétés catalytiques d'un lot de ligands, comprenant une série de onze nouveaux ligands bis-urées, et des co-monomères complémentaires ont été étudiés pour diverses réactions catalysées par des métaux. Des copolymères formés par mélange de monomères achiraux fonctionnalisés par des phosphines (les ligands) et des additifs sans fonctions phosphines (les co-monomères) ont été étudiés comme supports pour la catalyse asymétrique. L'objectif était de transférer, amplifier et changer la chiralité supramoléculaire du support polymère vers le centre métallique intrinsèquement achiral localisé à sa périphérie. Des mélanges de BTA ont été utilisés aves succès dans deux différentes catalyses asymétriques avec jusqu'à 85% ou 80% d'e.e. pour respectivement l'hydrogénation de l'itaconate de diméthyle catalysée par le rhodium et l'hydrosilylation de la 4'-nitro-acétophénone catalysée par le cuivre. Les centres catalytiques de rhodium et de cuivre supportés par les BTA montrent de fortes propriétés d'amplification de chiralité : i) pour la catalyse au rhodium, la quantité nécessaire de co-monomère chiral peut être réduite jusqu'à un quart de celle du ligand sans détérioration de l'énantioséléctivité de la réaction et ii) la chiralité du catalyseur au cuivre peut être changée pendant le déroulement de la réaction. Une autre plateforme, basée sur des mélanges de monomères bis-urée, a aussi été étudiée dans plusieurs réactions asymétriques catalysées par des métaux mais de l’énantioséléctivité n’a été obtenue que pour l’hydrosilylation de la 4’-nitro-acétophénone catalysé par le cuivre (22% e.e.). Dans le contexte de l’organocatalyse, la possibilité de modifier l’activité d’un centre catalytique de type thiourée en contrôlant son auto-assemblage a aussi été étudié. Au bilan, nos études montrent clairement les propriétés innovantes de catalyseurs supportés par des polymères supramoléculaires liés par liaisons hydrogène. / Hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymers based on benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) and bis-urea recognition units were investigated as dynamic scaffolds for catalysis. The catalytic properties of a full set of ligands, including a series of eleven new bis-urea ligands, and complementary co-monomers have been investigated in various metal-catalyzed reactions. Co-polymers formed by mixing an achiral phosphine-functionalized monomer (the ligand) and a chiral phosphine-free additive (the co-monomer) were investigated as scaffolds for asymmetric catalysis. The aim was to transfer, amplify and switch the supramolecular chirality of the polymer scaffold to intrinsically achiral metal centres located at its periphery. BTA mixtures have been successfully applied in two different asymmetric reactions providing up to 85% and 80% e.e. in the rhodium-catalysed hydrogenation of dimethylitaconate and in the copper-catalysed hydrosilylation of 4’-nitro-acetophenone respectively. The BTA scaffold supporting the catalytic rhodium and copper centres display strong chirality amplification properties: i) for the rhodium catalysis, the amount of chiral co-monomer can be decreased down to one-fourth of that of the ligand without deteriorating the enantioselectivity of the reaction and ii) the chirality of the copper catalyst can be switched during the course of the catalytic reaction. In the case of the bis-urea platform, mixtures of monomers have been investigated in several asymmetric metal-catalysed reactions but selectivity was obtained only for the copper-catalyzed hydrosilylation of 4’-nitro-acetophenone (22% e.e). We also tested the use of supramolecular polymers in the context of organocatalysis: the possibility of tuning the activity of a thiourea catalytic centre by controlling its self-assembly behaviour was investigated. Overall, our studies clearly reveal the innovative properties of catalysts supported by hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymers

No description available.

A core level spectroscopy study of ice and water is presented in this thesis. Combining a number of experiments and spectrum calculations based on density functional theory, changes in the local valence electronic structure are shown to be sensitive to the local H-bonding configurations. Exploiting this sensitivity, we are able to approach important scientific problems for a number of aggregation states; liquid water, the water-metal interface, bulk and surface of hexagonal ice. For the H-bonded model system hexagonal ice, we have probed the occupied valence electronic structure by x-ray emission and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Stepwise inclusion of different types of interactions within density functional theory, together with a local valence electron population analysis, show that it is essential to include intermolecular charge transfer together with internal s-p rehybridizations in order to describe the changes in electronic structure seen in the experiment. The attractive electrostatic interaction between water molecules is enhanced by a decrease in Pauli repulsion. A simple electrostatic model due to charge induction from the surrounding water is unable to explain the electronic structure changes. By varying the probing depth in x-ray absorption the structure of the bulk, subsurface and surface regions is probed in a thin ice film. A pronounced continuum for fully coordinated species in the bulk is in sharp contrast to the spectrum associated with a broken symmetry at the surface. In particular molecular arrangements of water with one uncoordinated OH group have unoccupied electronic states below the conduction band that are responsible for a strong anisotropic pre-edge intensity in the x-ray absorption spectrum. The topmost layer is dominated by an almost isotropic distribution of these species, which is inconsistent with an unrelaxed surface structure. For liquid water the x-ray absorption spectrum resembles that of the ice surface, indicating a domination of species with broken hydrogen bond configurations. The sensitivity to the local hydrogen bond configuration, in particular the sensitivity to broken bonds on the donor side, allows for a detailed analysis of the liquid water spectrum. Most molecules in liquid water are found in two-hydrogen-bonded configurations with one strong donor and one strong acceptor hydrogen bond. The results, consistent with diffraction data, imply that most molecules are arranged in strongly H-bonded chains or rings embedded in a disordered cluster network. Molecular dynamics simulations are unable to describe the experimental data. The water overlayer on the close-packed platinum surface is studied using a combination of core-level spectroscopy and density functional theory. A new structure for water adsorption on close-packed transition metal surfaces is found, where a weakly corrugated non-dissociated overlayer interacts via alternating oxygen-metal and hydrogen-metal bonds. The latter results from a balance between metal-hydrogen bond formation and OH bond weakening. The ultrashort core-hole lifetime of oxygen provides a powerful probe of excited state dynamics via studies of the non-radiative or radiative decay following x-ray absorption. Electrons excited into the pre-edge state for single donor species at the ice surface remain localized long enough for early time solvation dynamics to occur and these species are suggested as strong pre-existing traps to the hydrated electron. Fully coordinated molecules in the bulk contribute to a strong conduction band with electron transfer times below 0.5 femtoseconds. Upon core-ionization, both protons are found to migrate substantial distances on a femtosecond timescale. This unusually fast proton dynamics for non-resonant excitation is captured both by theory and experiment with a measurable isotope effect.

This thesis deals with the so-called Basis Set Superposition Error (BSSE) from both a methodological and a practical point of view. The purpose of the present thesis is twofold: (a) to contribute step ahead in the correct characterization of weakly bound complexes and, (b) to shed light the understanding of the actual implications of the basis set extension effects in the ab intio calculations and contribute to the BSSE debate. The existing BSSE-correction procedures are deeply analyzed, compared, validated and, if necessary, improved. A new interpretation of the counterpoise (CP) method is used in order to define counterpoise-corrected descriptions of the molecular complexes. This novel point of view allows for a study of the BSSE-effects not only in the interaction energy but also on the potential energy surface and, in general, in any property derived from the molecular energy and its derivativesA program has been developed for the calculation of CP-corrected geometry optimizations and vibrational frequencies, also using several counterpoise schemes for the case of molecular clusters. The method has also been implemented in Gaussian98 revA10 package. The Chemical Hamiltonian Approach (CHA) methodology has been also implemented at the RHF and UHF levels of theory for an arbitrary number interacting systems using an algorithm based on block-diagonal matrices. Along with the methodological development, the effects of the BSSE on the properties of molecular complexes have been discussed in detail. The CP and CHA methodologies are used for the determination of BSSE-corrected molecular complexes properties related to the Potential Energy Surfaces and molecular wavefunction, respectively.First, the behaviour of both BSSE-correction schemes are systematically compared at different levels of theory and basis sets for a number of hydrogen-bonded complexes. The Complete Basis Set (CBS) limit of both uncorrected and CP-corrected molecular properties like stabilization energies and intermolecular distances has also been determined, showing the capital importance of the BSSE correction. Several controversial topics of the BSSE correction are addressed as well. The application of the counterpoise method is applied to internal rotational barriers. The importance of the nuclear relaxation term is also pointed out. The viability of the CP method for dealing with charged complexes and the BSSE effects on the double-well PES blue-shifted hydrogen bonds is also studied in detail. In the case of the molecular clusters the effect of high-order BSSE effects introduced with the hierarchical counterpoise scheme is also determined.The effect of the BSSE on the electron density-related properties is also addressed. The first-order electron density obtained with the CHA/F and CHA/DFT methodologies was used to assess, both graphically and numerically, the redistribution of the charge density upon BSSE-correction. Several tools like the Atoms in Molecules topologycal analysis, density difference maps, Quantum Molecular Similarity, and Chemical Energy Component Analysis were used to deeply analyze, for the first time, the BSSE effects on the electron density of several hydrogen bonded complexes of increasing size. The indirect effect of the BSSE on intermolecular perturbation theory results is also pointed out It is shown that for a BSSE-free SAPT study of hydrogen fluoride clusters, the use of a counterpoise-corrected PES is essential in order to determine the proper molecular geometry to perform the SAPT analysis.

No description available.