Les cellules dendritiques plasmacytoïdes (pDCs) font le lien entre l'immunité innée et l'immunité adaptative en produisant de l'interféron de type 1 en grandes quantités ainsi qu'en induisant l'activation et la prolifération des cellules T naïves de manière antigène-spécifique. Les pDCs expriment à haut niveau les récepteurs TLR7 et TLR9 et détectent ainsi les acides nucléiques d'origine virale. Les TLRs 7 et 9, localisés dans le réticulum endoplasmique (RE) à l'état basal, sont relocalisés vers les endosomes tardifs, lors de l'activation, pour initier la signalisation. Ce processus est dépendant de la protéine chaperon UNC93B1. Au cours de ma thèse, j'ai caractérisé une nouvelle molécule de la famille des protéines membranaires associées aux lysomes (LAMP), nommée BAD-LAMP. Cette protéine est, au sein du système immunitaire humain, exprimée spécifiquement dans les pDCs. Contrairement aux autres membres de la famille, BAD-LAMP n'est pas détectée dans les lysosomes mais est retenue dans le RE. J'ai également démontré que BAD-LAMP est régulée négativement lors de l'activation des pDCs induite par un ligand de TLR9. L'utilisation d'un système de cellules HeLa tranfectées et de différents mutants de BAD-LAMP avec des défauts de localisation m'ont permis d'établir que BAD-LAMP et UNC93B1 sont capables d'influencer mutuellement les adressage, par un mécanisme restant à identifier. BAD-LAMP pourrait aussi remplir un rôle de chaperon du complexe UNC93B1-TLR9 et moduler la réponse TLR9. L'étude d'un tel mécanisme de contrôle permettrait de mieux comprendre la régulation fine de la réponse immunitaire. / Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) link innate and adaptative immunity by producing large amounts of type-1 interferon and inducing naive T cell activation and proliferation in an antigen-specific manner. pDCs express high levels of TLR7 and TLR9 and thereby sense viral nucleic acids. TLRs 7 and 9, which rest in the endoplamic reticulum (ER) at steady-state, are re-localized to the late endosomal compartment upon activation for signaling. this process is dependent of the interaction between TLRs and the chaperone UNC93B1. During my thesis, I characterized a new molecule of the lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP) family, named BAD-LAMP. In the human immune system, this protein is exclusively expressed in pDCs. BAD-LAMP is not detected in lysosomes, as opposed to the other LAMP family members, but is retained in the ER compartment. I also demonstrated that BAD-LAMP is down-regulated after pDCs activation by a TLR9 ligand. Using trnasfered HeLa cells and several mutant forms of BAD-LAMP with localization defects, I etablished that BAD-LAMP and UNC93B1 can influence reciprocally their intercellular trafficking by a yet uncharacterize mechanism. BAD-LAMP could therefore act as a chaperone of UNC93B1-TLR9 complex and moduate the TLR9 response. The study of such a regulatory mechanism could help to understand better the fine tuning of the immune response.

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Les cellules dendritiques plasmacytoïdes humaines (pDCs) ont été montrées comme les principales cellules productrices d'interférons de type I (IFN) suivant une stimulation de leurs récepteurs TLRs intracellulaires. Après activation, les pDCs contrôlent la localisation subcellulaire de ces TLRs menant à une production séquentielle de cytokines. Une première vague d’IFN due la voie IRF dans les endosomes précoces, suivi de la production des cytokines pro-inflammatoires due à la voie NfκB dans les endosomes tardifs. BAD-LAMP/LAMP5, membre de la famille des protéines LAMP, spécifique du cerveau chez la souris est également exprimée par les pDCs humaines. Nous révélons ici le rôle de BAD-LAMP dans la régulation du transport de TLR9 dans les pDCs. Suite à une stimulation par CpG, BAD-LAMP et TLR9 atteignent des endosomes spécialisés dans la signalisation IRF VAMP3+. Le blocage de BAD-LAMP altère le transport intracellulaire de TLR9 par sa rétention dans les endosomes VAMP3+. Alors que l’expression ectopique de BAD-LAMP accélère le transport de TLR9 dans les lysosomes LAMP1+. La rétention dans les compartiments VAMP3+ impact directement la signalisation TLR9, en augmentant la production IFN et en diminuant celle du TNFα. De plus, nous avons démontré que BAD-LAMP est régulée négativement par l’IFN. A l’inverse, les pDCs traitées avec des surnageants tumoraux ainsi que les pDCs infiltrant les tumeurs mammaires présentent à la fois un défaut dans la production d'IFN et un maintien de l’expression de BAD-LAMP. BAD-LAMP est donc un régulateur essentiel du transport de TLR9 dans les pDCs humaines qui traduit l’efficacité de la signalisation TLR9 dans des conditions pathologiques. / Human plasmacytoïd dendritic cells (pDCs) have been shown to be the principal producer of type-I interferons (IFNs) following intracellular TLRs stimulation. Upon activation, pDCs tightly control TLRs sub-cellular localization in specialized endosomes, leading to sequential programs of cytokines production: a first rapid wave of type-I IFN, due to IRF signalling from early endosomes, followed by pro-inflammatory cytokines production, dependent on NfκB signalling from late endosomal compartments. BAD-LAMP/LAMP5, an atypical member of the LAMP protein family, is brain specific in mice. In Human, BAD-LAMP is also expressed in pDCs. We reveal here a novel step of TLR regulation mediated by BAD-LAMP, that controls TLR9 access to, and signalling from, specialized subsets of endosomes in human pDCs. Upon CpG stimulation, BAD-LAMP and TLR9 follow a common endocytic sorting step, in order to reach early, IRF-signalling, VAMP3+ endosomes. BAD-LAMP silencing alters TLR9 traffic and promotes its retention in VAMP3+ endosomes, while ectopic BAD-LAMP expression triggers accelerated TLR9 transport to LAMP1+ lysosomes. Retention in VAMP3+ endosomes impacts directly on TLR9 signalling by increasing IFN production and decreasing TNFα. Importantly, we found that BAD-LAMP expression is down-regulated by IFN exposure. Conversely, pDCs treated with tumour supernatants or pDCs infiltrating human breast tumors, present both sustained BAD-LAMP expression, and defect in IFN production. BAD-LAMP is therefore an essential regulator of TLR9 transport in human pDCs and a marker of TLR9 signalling efficiency under pathological conditions.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease where failure to remove apoptotic cells, due to a defect in phagocytic cells, or deficient opsonisation, leads to secondary necrosis and the release of DNA and chromatin. The nuclear constituents from apoptotic cells are targeted by autoantibodies, which form immune complexes. Immune complex-mediated TLR9 activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and subsequent secretion of interferon (IFN-α) is thought to drive inflammation in SLE. It is currently believed that pDCs do not normally respond to apoptotic cells, as self-DNA is hidden from TLR9. However, DNA and chromatin expressed on membrane bound apoptotic bodies is essential for inducing IL-10 secreting regulatory B cells through TLR9 stimulation. The overall objective of this thesis was to understand how apoptotic cells influence immune responses in health and in patients with SLE. Splenic mouse pDCs were activated with the synthetic TLR7 agonist R848 and TLR9 agonists CpGB and CpGA and were co-cultured with apoptotic cells, or with freeze-thawed necrotic cells. PDCs co-cultured with apoptotic cells down-regulated the expression of CD40 and CD86. When pDCs were activated by R848 or CpGB, IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-6 secretion was significantly induced in the presence of apoptotic cells. PDCs so cultured induced T cells to secrete immune-regulatory IL- 10. In contrast, co-culturing apoptotic cells with pDCs activated by CpGA, augmented IFN-α secretion. These cytokine responses by pDCs were only stimulated by DNA on whole apoptotic cells; not by free nucleic acids derived from necrotic cells. This data demonstrates that the inflammatory context in which pDCs sense whole apoptotic cells is crucial to determining the threshold of tolerance to apoptotic self. It questions the perception that pDCs see all apoptotic cells and their necrotic cellular debris as dangerous and suggests that there may be something intrinsically different about SLE apoptotic cells, which causes inflammation. SNPs near ATG5, a protein of the cell survival pathway autophagy, have been linked to SLE susceptibility, but the role of autophagy in SLE pathogenesis is unclear. We hypothesised that dysfunctional autophagy is linked to abnormal apoptosis of SLE lymphocytes. Western blotting revealed that ATG5-ATG12 protein complex expression was significantly reduced in SLE lymphocytes and they failed to convert LC3-I to LC3- II, the hallmark of a functioning autophagy pathway, which caused accelerated secondary necrosis. Apoptotic SLE lymphocytes had an impaired ability to stimulate IL-10 secreting regulatory B cells and they induced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion by monocyte-derived macrophages. Phagocytosis of apoptotic SLE lymphocytes by healthy macrophages was also impaired; however this was independent of ATG5 protein expression. The novel findings of this thesis suggest SLE apoptotic lymphocytes are intrinsically pro-inflammatory, which may be caused by diminished autophagy leading to an inability of lymphocytes to correctly execute apoptosis. Furthermore, inefficient clearance of SLE apoptotic cells results from a defect in the apoptotic cell, rather than the phagocytic cell.

Viral protein U (Vpu) is an accessory protein of HIV‐1 that efficiently targets BST2/Tetherin, a cellular restriction factor that acts as molecular anchor impeding the release of various enveloped viruses from the cell surface. The recently discovered natural receptor of BST2 is ILT7, a molecule exclusively expressed at the surface of the professional type 1 interferon (IFN‐1) producing cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). The interaction between BST2 and ILT7 has been reported to efficiently induce a repression of IFN­‐1 secretion by pDCs. Here, we investigated the impact of Vpu mediated antagonism of BST2, in regards to this newly described immune function of BST2. Using a system of CD4+ T cell lines infected with wild type or Vpu‐deficient HIV-­1 cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells or purified pDCs, we report that the presence of Vpu efficiently reduces IFN-­1 production from sensing pDCs. Furthermore, we observed that this Vpu effect is dependent on the availability of BST2 molecules at the surface of the infected cells, since the Vpu's immunoregulation is abrogated when blocking any potential BST2 trans interaction with anti­‐BST2 antibodies. Similarly, depleting ILT7 from pDCs by means of small interfering RNA treatment equally negates the downregulation of pDC IFN-­1 secretion by Vpu. Finally, the use of recombinant soluble ILT7 competes with pDC‐bound ILT7 for the free BST2 and similarly results in high IFN-­1 production, causing an identical phenotype. Overall, our results demonstrate that Vpu heightens ILT7 activation and subsequent repression of IFN‐1 production by pDCs in response to HIV­‐1 infected CD4+ T cells by promoting it's trans interaction with infected T cell bound BST2, through a yet uncharacterized mechanism. By allowing efficient particle release and restraining pDCs antiviral functions, Vpu exerts a double role on BST2 that seems crucial for the replication and dissemination of HIV‐1. / La protéine accessoire U (Vpu) du VIH‐1 cible efficacement BST2/Tetherin, facteur de restriction restreignant la relâche de divers virus enveloppés à même la surface cellulaire. Le récepteur naturel de BST2 récemment découvert est ILT7, une protéine exclusivement exprimée à la surface des cellules produisant l'essentiel de l'interféron de type 1 (IFN-­1) lors d'infections virales, les cellules dendritiques plasmacytoïdes (pDCs). L'interaction entre BST2 et ILT7 réprime la production d'IFN‐1 des pDCs. Considérant le potentiel immunorégulateur de BST2 récemment décrit, nous avons entrepris d'évaluer cet aspect de l'antagonisme de Vpu sur BST2. À l'aide d'un système de co­‐culture entre une lignée de cellules T CD4+ infectée avec un virus exprimant ou n'exprimant pas Vpu et les cellules mononucléées du sang périphérique ou de pDCs purifiés, nous avons observé que Vpu est responsable d'une atténuation majeure de la sécrétion d'interféron de type 1 (IFN-­1) produite en réponse aux cellules infectées. La présence de molécules de BST2 de surface libres est essentielle à ce processus, puisque le bloc de toute interaction en trans de BST2 par des anticorps polyclonaux α­‐BST2 abroge l'effet de Vpu. Similairement, Vpu ne peut exercer cet effet lorsque ILT7 est déplété dans les pDCs à l'aide de petits ARN interférents. Enfin, l'introduction de protéines recombinantes solubles d'ILT7 dans le système de co-culture semble prévenir l'effet inhibiteur de Vpu, suggérant que Vpu exploite l'interaction de BST2 avec ILT7 pour moduler la sécrétion d'IFN-­1 des pDCs. En conclusion, nos résultats démontrent que Vpu exerce un contrôle sophistiqué de la production d'IFN‐1 par les pDCs en réponse aux lymphocytes T CD4+ infectés par le VIH-­1. Il semble ainsi que l'action de Vpu favorise, par un mécanisme encore méconnu, l'activation d'ILT7 à travers BST2. En effet, cette fonction de Vpu semble tout aussi dépendante de BST2 que de l'ILT7. En favorisant la relâche virale et en menant à l'inhibition de la réponse antivirale des pDCs, la régulation ciblée de BST2 par Vpu est non seulement cruciale à la dissémination du virus, mais aussi à sa réplication.

Bien que proposant des avantages importants par rapport à d'autres matériaux, les céramiques présentent un défaut récurrent, qui est leur plus ou moins grande fragilité due à des défauts de structure ou à des impuretés dans les réseaux structuraux. On s’affranchit de ces contraintes en améliorant la pureté des matériaux de base, en maîtrisant mieux les processus de fabrication, en les renforçant et en nanostructurant le matériau. C’est ce qui a donné naissance aux méthodes chimiques d’élaboration dites de « Bottom-up » qui reprennent le schéma de principe de la conception de la céramique naturelle en s’adaptant à la démarche des chimistes : des briques élémentaires représentant une architecture moléculaire sont assemblées pour former un composé macromoléculaire dont la composition est contrôlée à l’échelle atomique. Ce composé est mis en forme, durcit pour être transformé par cuisson en une céramique dont la composition est directement liée à la structure moléculaire des briques. Cette démarche est à l’origine de la voie dite des « polymères précéramiques ». Cette voie chimique s’adapte aux exigences des domaines de l’énergie. Notamment et afin d’exploiter et de saisir les opportunités que constituent l’apparition de nouveaux besoins en matériaux et/ou l’établissement de cahiers des charges stricts au regard des propriétés des matériaux dans ce domaine, la présente étude a pour objet d’élaborer des matériaux à base de BN comme les composites à renforts fibreux, les nanocomposites et les mousses.Après une introduction générale, le chapitre 1 décrit l’état de l’art de BN. Il s’intéresse à la littérature sur les propriétés des différentes formes du BN. La voie PDCs est détaillée et son application à l’élaboration du h-BN. Les différents types de précurseurs et de polymères sont décrits et l’accent est mis sur le borazine et le polyborazylène. La dernière partie concerne l’élaboration des composites à renforts fibreux, les nanocomposites et les mousses à base de BN qui sont considérés.Le chapitre 2 s’intéresse à l’élaboration de C/BN composites à partir de polyborazylènes qui est un projet de recherche sur ITER. Après un rappel sur le contexte de CEA, les différentes étapes liées au procédé d’élaboration des composites sont décrites et étudiées à l’aide d’outils de caractérisation comme la RMN solide,TGA, XRD et SEM. Le chapitre 3 s’intéresse à des nanocomposites qui se caractérisent par des phases nanocristallines de nitrure métallique parmi le nitrure de titane, de zirconium et d’hafnium dispersés dans une matrice de BN faiblement cristallisée. L’accent est mis sur la chimie moléculaire et sur la synthèse de polymétalloborazines qui permettent de conduire par pyrolyse à la formation directe de ces nanocomposites par croissance in-situ de la phase nanocristalline dans la matrice BN. Une étude préliminaire sur la possibilité de mettre en forme les polyméres en vue d’élaborer des structures massives nanocomposites est abordée.Le chapitre 4 se consacre à deux procédés de préparation de mousses. Le premier procédé qui combine la voie PDCs à la chimie intégrative vise à élaborer des mousses BN à porosité hiérarchisée. Le second procédé consiste à mélanger PMMA avec polyborazylènes pour subir des étapes de compactage et de pyrolyse générant des mousses. Pour ces deux types de matériaux, des mesures texturales comme BET et la porosimétrie mercure sont entreprises.Une conclusion générale termine le manuscrit. Elle fait un rappel des travaux entrepris dans chacun des trois chapitres et donne des perspectives liées aux trois types de matériau étudiés pendant la thèse. / Energy developments have brought hexagonal boron nitride-based materials increasing interest for future materials and technologies. The objective of this thesis concerns the preparation of BN shapes for energy applications including fiber-reinforced BN composites, BN-based nanocomposites and BN foams. Fiber-reinforced BN composite and BN nanocomposites display potential as tiles for protection limiters for the Ion Cyclotron Range Frequency antennas in fusion nuclear reactors. Porous BN materials have interests as host material for hydrogen storage and as catalyst supports. The Polymer-Derived Ceramics route which offers new preparation opportunities in chemistry and ceramic sciences is applied to manufacture shaped BN-based materials.Firstly, in the context of C/BN composite, polyborazylene vacuum-assisted infiltration and pyrolysis process was successfully introduced. We focused on the design, elaboration and properties of the C/BN composite through the study of the (1) synthesis and polymerization of borazine, (2) the polyborazylene-to-boron nitride conversion, (3) the morphological texture and mechanical properties of derived C/BN composites. We firstly demonstrated that it is possible to obtain dense-derived C/BN composites (density: 1.773 g cm-3, open porosity: 5.09%) by tuning the viscosity of polyborazylene in the infiltration process. SEM observation presented a very strong bonding between fibers and matrix. TGA under air analysis confirmed the improved oxidation resistance property of C/BN composite compared with C fiber.Secondly, we investigated the design, processing, and properties of transition metal-containing boron nitride nanocomposites from polymetalloborazine. With proper choice of boron nitride precursor, and by controlling the B/M ratio (M = Ti, Zr, Hf), a set of representative polymetalloborazines has been prepared as precursors of nanocomposites. In the reaction of BN source with metal precursor leading to polymetalloborazines, two main mechanisms are mainly concerned: N-H and B-H units of BN percursor react with N-alkyl groups presented in metal precursors. After its pyrolysis under ammonia up to 1000 oC then nitrogen from 1000 to 1500oC, the derived nanocomposites reveal the presence of metal nitride nanocrystales with an average diameter of 6.5 nm homogeneously embedded in a poorly crystallized boron nitride matrix. A preliminary study is presented on the preparation of monolith-type nanocomposites from selected polytitanoborazines. Finally, we applied two PDCs route-based strategies to prepare hierarchically porous and micro cellular BN foams. In the first strategy, monolith-type BN foams with a hierarchical porosity were synthesized from polyborazylene using an integrative chemistry combined-based sequence set-up that consists of the impregnation of silica and carbonaceous templates followed by pyrolysis process and elimination of the template. These novel porous BN architectures display hierarchical and high porosity (76 %) with an open-cell interconnected macroporosity and a surface area up to 300 m2g-1. In the second strategy, a sacrificial processing route has been proposed to fabricate micro cellular BN foams with a porosity of 79 % from a mixture of polyborazylene and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads by warm-pressing followed by pyrolysis consisting of the burn-out of PMMA while polyborazylene is converted into BN. These novel BN foams display potential as catalyst supports and host material for hydrogen storage.

Albert Font Haro ABSTRACT Modulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell function: role of immunoreceptors TIM-3 and BDCA-2 Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are key players in the antiviral response as well as in linking innate and adaptive immune response. They express endosomal toll-like receptors 7 and 9, which can detect ssRNA and unmethylated CpG DNA, respectively. Due to the constitutive expression of the transcription factor IRF7, pDCs are able to rapidly produce massive quantities of type I (α, β, ω) and type III (1, 2, 3, 4) interferons (IFN-I and IFN-III) as well as pro- inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α. After maturation, they also function as antigen-presenting cells. Despite intense research, the mechanisms of IFN and pro-inflammatory cytokines production and regulation are still poorly understood. Using the pDC cell line GEN2.2 and also primary human pDCs, we shed light on the role of kinases MEK and SYK in IFN-I production and regulation. We found that SYK is not only involved in the regulatory receptor (RR)-mediated BCR-like pathway that represents the negative regulation of IFN-I and IFN-III secretion but also in the positive TLR7/9-mediated signal transduction pathway that leads to IFN-I production, representing the immunogenic function. We also found that MEK plays a...

Ceramic metal matrix composites (CMMCs) are materials generally created by mixing of hard ceramic particles in a metal matrix. They were expected to combine the ductility and toughness of the metal with the high strength and elastic modulus of the ceramic. MMCs have potential applications in automotive, aeronautical and aerospace industries. Hence, a simple and economical method for fabricating MMCs is an area of intense research. In MMCs, damage evolution starts preferentially at particle matrix interface or at particle clusters in the matrix. This is due to the different physical and mechanical properties of the particle and matrix. Higher local particle volume content leads to higher stress triaxiality making it a preferential site for damage nucleation. Problems with lowering of ductility, fatigue, fracture and impact resistance, agglomeration of ceramic phase and issues related to the predictability of properties of MMCs have been the major issues that have limited their use. In order to overcome some of these shortcomings, the use of nano particles has been attracting increasing attention. The reason is their capability in improving the mechanical and physical properties of traditional MMCs. The dispersion of a nanoscale ceramic phase is needed in order to overcome the problems related to fatigue, fracture toughness, and creep behaviour at high temperatures. However, manufacturing costs, preparation of nano composites and environmental concerns have to be addressed. Agglomeration of nano particles, when produced by the melt stir casting route, the primary route to produce MMCs, is a serious issue that limits the use of nano-particles to produce MMCs with good properties. To avoid agglomeration of the ceramic phase MMCs/nano MMCs have been produced through the powder metallurgy route. Agglomeration is avoided as this is a solid state process. Secondary processing, such as extrusion and rolling are often needed to fully consolidate materials produced in this manner. A high extrusion ratio is often required to get MMCs without porosity. A new method of making nano-ceramic MMC using a polymer derived ceramics (PDC) has been reported. A polymer derived ceramic is a material that converts itself into a ceramic when heated above a particular temperature. In the PDC method a polymer precursor is dispersed in the metal and then converted in-situ to a ceramic phase. A feature of this process is that all the constituents of the ceramic phase are built into the organic molecules of the precursor (e.g., polysilazanes contain silicon, carbon, and nitrogen); therefore, a reaction between the polymer and the host metal or air is not required to produce the ceramic phase. The polymer can be introduced through casting or powder metallurgy route. In the casting route, the polymer powder is directly added to molten metal and pyrolyzed in-situ to create castings of metal-matrix composites. These composites have shown better properties at elevated temperatures but the problem of agglomeration of particles due to Van der Waal's forces and porosity still remains. In the powder method, the organic precursor was milled with copper powder and then plasma sprayed to produce a metal matrix composite. It is reported that these composites retains its mechanical strength close to the melting point of the copper. However, getting a nano sized distribution is difficult through this route as the plasma spray route is a melting and solidification method. Solid state processing by powder metallurgy is possibly a better method to produce well dispersed nano-MMCs. However, powder metallurgy routes are much more expensive and only parts of limited sizes can be produced by this method. Another solid state process Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has successfully evolved as an alternative technique to fabricating metal matrix composites. FSP is based on the principles of Friction Stir Welding (FSW). In FSW, a rotating tool with a pin and a shoulder is inserted into the material to be joined, and traversed along the line of the joint. The friction between the tool and the work piece result in localized heating that softens and plasticizes the material. During production of MMCs using FSP method, the material undergoes intense plastic deformation resulting in mixing of ceramic particles and the metal. FSP also results in significant grain refinement of the metal and has also been used to homogenize the microstructure. FSP technology has also been used to fabricate surface/bulk composites of Al-SiC, friction stir surfacing of cast aluminum silicon alloy with boron carbide and molybdenum disulphide powders and to produce ultra-fine grained Cu-SiC composites. A major problem in the FSP of MMCs is severe tool wear that results from abrasion with hard ceramic particles. The progressive wear of the tool has been reported to increase the likelihood of void or defect development. This change in geometry has been reported in the friction stir welding of several MMCs. The problems concerning the tool life has become a serious issue in the application of FSP for producing MMCs. In the present work the advantages of the PDC method and FSP have been combined to produce polymer derived nano ceramic MMCs. This method mainly consists of three steps. In the first step, a polymer, which pyrolysis to form a PDC at temperatures lower than the melting point of the metal, is dispersed in the metal by FSP. This step is different from the melt route where the PDC forms at temperatures above the melting point of the metal. In the second step, external pyrolysis of the polymer dispersed material is carried out. Since this is a solid state process at stresses much higher than the shear or fracture of the polymer is expected to get evenly and finely distribution in the metal. This is done by heating the polymer dispersed material to a temperature above the pyrolysation temperature of the ceramic but lower than the melting point of the metal matrix. It should be mentioned that some pyrolysis of the polymer is possible during the FSP process itself. In the third step FSP is carried out on the pyrolised material for removing porosity that would form due to gas evolution during pyrolysis and to get a more uniform dispersion of polymer derived ceramic particles in the matrix. This method will produce nano-scale metal matrix composites with a relatively high volume fraction of the ceramic phase. This method can be extended to big sheets or a particular region in a sheet with no or low wear of tools. The material selected for the present study were pure Copper (99.9%) and Nickel Aluminum Bronze (NAB) copper alloy. The polymer precursor was poly (urea methyl vinyl) silazane, which is available commercially as CERASET. The polymer consists of silicon, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The liquid precursor was thermally cross-linked into a rigid polymer, which was milled into a powder. This powder, having angular shaped particles of an average size of 10 µm, was used as the reinforcement. The polysilazanes convert into a highly refractory and amorphous ceramic upon pyrolysis and is known as polymer-derived silicon carbonitride which consists principally of silicon, carbon and nitrogen. The in-situ process is feasible because copper melts above the temperature at which the organic phase begins to pyrolise. The polysilazanes pyrolise in the temperature range of 973 to 1273 K, which lie below the melting temperature of copper, 1356K.The precursor has a density of approximately 1 gcm-3 in the organic phase and approximately 2 gcm-3 in the ceramic state. In the present work, we seek to introduce approximately 20 vol% of the ceramic phase into copper. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the developed copper-based in-situ polymer derived nano MMCs have been characterized in detail to understand the distribution of particles. The microstructure of the as received, processed as well as the FSP composite material was characterized using Optical Microscope (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). OM and SEM microstructural observations show that PDC particles are distributed uniformly with a bimodal (submicron+micron) distribution. In addition, TEM micrographs reveal the formation of very fine PDC particles of diameter 10-30 nm. X-ray diffraction and Thermo-gravimetric analysis confirms the presence of ceramic phase (Si3N4/SiC) in the matrix. Significant improvement in mechanical properties of the FSP PD-MMCs has been observed. This in-situ formed Cu/PDC composites show five times increase in micro-hardness (260Hv - 2.5GPa) compared to processed copper base metal and in-situ NAB/PDC composite shows two times increase in micro-hardness (325Hv- 3.2GPa) compared to NAB matrix. The Cu-PDC composites exhibited better tensile strength at room temperature. In-situ formed Cu-PDC composite’s yield strength increased from 110MPa to 235MPa as compared to processed base metal, where as ultimate tensile strength increases from 246MPa to 312MPa compared to processed base metal at room temperature. This strengthening could be attributed to the presence of in-situ formed hard phases and the concomitant changes in the microstructure of the matrix material such as reduction in grain size and contribution from Orowan strengthening. In the present work, we have observed tool wear by observing tool after each FSP pass and apart from producing a significantly harder material with higher elastic modulus, possibly for the first time, the issue of tool wear has been overcome. This is due to the fact that the composite is made by the polymer route and that the ceramic fractures easily till it reaches the nano-size. Wear studies of this composite was carried out in a pin-on-disc machine by sliding a pin made from the composite against an alumina disc. The wear rate of the FSP PD-MMC composites increased from 1.63×10-5 to 5.72×10-6 mm3/Nm. Improved wear resistance could be attributed to the presence of the in-situ formed hard nano-phase.