Polymer/ceramic nanocomposites benefit by combining high permittivities (r) of metal oxide nanoparticles with high dielectric strength and excellent solution-processability of polymeric hosts. Simple mixing of nanoparticles and polymer generally results in poor quality materials due mainly to the agglomeration of nanoparticles and poor miscibility of nanoparticles in host materials. Surface modification of metal oxide nanoparticles with phosphonic acid-based ligands was found to afford a robust surface modification and improve the processablity and the quality of nanocomposites. The use of phosphonic-acid modified barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanoparticles in dielectric nanocomposites dramatically improved the stability of the nanoparticle dispersion and the quality of the nanocomposites. Surface modification of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles allowed high quality nanocomposite thin films in ferroelectric polymer hosts such as poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) with large volume fractions (up to 50 vol. %), which exhibited a remarkable combination of a high permittvity (35 at 1 kHz) and a high breakdown strength (210 V/µm) leading to a maximum energy storage density of 6.1 J/cm³. The effect of nanoparticle volume fractions on the dielectric properties of this nanocomposite system was investigated and compared with theoretical models. At high volume fraction of nanoparticles, the porosity of the nanocomposites was found to have important role in the dielectric performance. A combined effective medium theory and finite difference simulation was used to model the dielectric properties of high volume fraction dielectric nanocomposites with porosity. These results provide a guideline to optimize the volume fractions of nanoparticles for maximum energy density. Nanocomposites based on phosphonic acid-modified BaTiO₃ nanoparticles can also be used as printable high permittivity dielectrics in organic electronics. High volume fractions (up to 37 vol. %) of phosphonic acid-modified BaTiO₃ nanoparticles dispersed in cross-linked poly(4-vinylphenol) allowed solution-processable high permittivity thin films with a large capacitance density (~50 nF/cm²) and a low leakage current (10 8 A/cm²) suitable as a gate insulator in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Pentacene-based OFETs using these nanocomposites showed a low threshold voltage (< -2.0 V) and a large on/off current ratio (Ion/off 104 ~ 106) due to the high capacitance density and low leakage current of the gate insulator.

Chemisorption of an organic monolayer to tune the surface properties of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrode can improve the performance of organic electronic devices that rely on efficient charge transfer between an organic active layer and a TCO contact. Here, a series of perylene diimides (PDIs) was synthesized and used to study relationships between monolayer structure/properties and electron transfer kinetics at PDI-modified indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. In these PDI molecules, one of the imide substituents is a benzene ring bearing a phosphonic acid (PA) and the other is a bulky aryl group that is twisted out of the plane of the PDI core. The size of the bulky aryl group and the substitution of the benzene ring bearing the PA were both varied, which altered the extent of aggregation when these molecules were absorbed as monolayer films (MLs) on ITO, as revealed by both attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and total internal reflection fluorescence spectra. Polarized ATR measurements indicate that, in these MLs, the long axis of the PDI core is tilted at an angle of 33-42 degrees relative to the surface normal; the tilt angle increased as the degree of bulky substitution increased. Rate constants for electron transfer (k(s,opt)) between these redox-active modifiers and ITO were determined by potential-modulated ATR spectroscopy. As the degree of PDI aggregation was reduced, k(s,opt) declined, which is attributed to a reduction in the lateral electron self-exchange rate between adsorbed PDI molecules, as well as the heterogeneous conductivity of the ITO electrode surface. Photoelectrochemical measurements using a dissolved aluminum phthalocyanine as an electron donor showed that ITO modified with any of these PDIs is a more effective electron-collecting electrode than bare ITO.

Interfaces between semiconductors and adsorbed molecules form a central area of research in surface science, occurring in many different contexts. One such application is the so-called Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) where the nanostructured dye-semiconductor interface is of special interest, as this is where the most important ultrafast electron transfer process takes place. In this thesis, structural and electronic aspects of these interfaces have been studied theoretically using quantum chemical computations applied to realistic dye-semiconductor systems. Periodic boundary conditions and large cluster models have been employed together with hybrid HF-DFT functionals in the modeling of nanostructured titanium dioxide. A study of the adsorption of a pyridine molecule via phosphonic and carboxylic acid anchor groups to an anatase (101) surface showed that the choice of anchor group affects the strength of the bindings as well as the electronic interaction at the dye-TiO2 interface. The calculated interfacial electronic coupling was found to be stronger for carboxylic acid than for phosphonic acid, while phosphonic acid binds significantly stronger than carboxylic acid to the TiO2 surface. Atomistic and electronic structure of realistic dye-semiconductor interfaces were reported for RuII-bis-terpyridine dyes on a large anatase TiO2 cluster and perylene dyes on a periodic rutile (110) TiO2 surface. The results show strong influence of anchor and inserted spacer groups on adsorption and electronic properties. Also in these cases, the phosphonic acid anchor group was found to bind the dyes significantly stronger to the surface than the carboxylic acid anchor, while the interfacial electronic coupling was stronger for the carboxylic anchor. The estimated electron injection times were twice as fast for the carboxylic anchor compared to the phosphonic anchor. Moreover, the electronic coupling was affected by the choice of spacer group, where unsaturated spacer groups were found to mediate electron transfer more efficiently than saturated ones.

Phosphonic acids are known to bind strongly to a variety of metal oxide surfaces. Phosphonic acids were designed in order to impart specific properties to the surface of a range of metal oxides upon formation of a monolayer. A large number of novel phosphonic acids were synthesized and fully characterized. The binding of phosphonic acids to the surface of several metal oxides, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and barium titanate, was studied in detail and determined to be a mixture of bidentate and tridentate binding modes. The modification of several key surface properties of ITO by phosphonic acid modification was also studied. The work function of ITO could be increased or decreased with respect to unmodified ITO by controlling the dipole of phosphonic acids bound to the surface. Additionally, the surface energy could be substantially lowered by attaching phosphonic acids with non-polar terminal functional groups to the ITO surface. The ability to control these surface properties resulted in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) which showed superior lifetimes and stability with respect to OLEDs incorporating ITO without a phosphonic acid monolayer. In addition, the binding of phosphonic acids to a number of other oxides, such as zinc oxide and zeolites, was also studied.

Les superplastifiants sont des adjuvants permettant de considérablement fluidifier les pâtes cimentaires sans en changer le rapport eau/ciment. Parmi eux, les polycarboxylates sont les plus utilisés et les plus étudiés. Ces copolymères en peigne sont porteurs de fonctions acide carboxylique et de chaînes latérales de poly(ethylène glycol). Leurs fonctions anioniques leur permettent de s’adsorber sur les grains de ciment, tandis que les chaînes latérales génèrent de la répulsion stérique entre ces derniers. Cela conduit à la désagglomération des agglomérats, et donc la dispersion des particules. Macroscopiquement, la pâte cimentaire devient plus fluide, plus facile à mettre en oeuvre. Mais dans certaines circonstances, la présence d’anions compétiteurs peut réduire la capacité d’adsorption et donc l’efficacité des polycarboxylates. De nombreux auteurs ont tenté d’améliorer les performances de ces structures en modifiant l’architecture macromoléculaire. Parmi ces travaux, des chercheurs ont remplacé les acides carboxyliques par des fonctions acide phosphonique, et cela a considérablement amélioré la résistance des superplastifiants au phénomène de compétition ionique.Ce travail de thèse rapporte la synthèse d’une dizaine de nouveaux copolymères en peigne, de structure proche de polycarboxylates classiques mais possédant des fonctions phosphonées. Ces copolymères ont été obtenus par télomèrisation ou bien par polymérisation radicalaire RAFT. Leurs performances ont ensuite été évaluées sur des suspensions minérales de carbonate de calcium, un matériau modèle souvent utilisé pour modéliser le comportement du ciment aux premiers âges de son hydratation. Les efficacités d’adsorption, de dispersion des particules minérales et de fluidification des suspensions ont ainsi été investiguées et mises en relation avec la structure macromoléculaire. De plus, leur résistance à la compétition ionique a également été examinée à travers l’augmentation de la force ionique par ajouts de sulfate de sodium et de nitrate de sodium.Enfin, ce manuscrit rapporte la tentative de conception d’un superplastifiant biosourcé à travers la fonctionnalisation d’oligomères de chitosan par des fonctions phosphonées et des chaînes latérales de poly(éthylène glycol). Les efficacités d’adsorption, de dispersion et de fluidification des suspensions de calcite de ce composé biosourcé ont finalement été évaluées et comparées à celles des copolymères en peigne de synthèse. / Superplasticizers are admixtures allowing the fluidification of cement pastes without any changes of the water/cement ratio. Among them, polycarboxylates are the most used and the most studied. These comb-like copolymers have carboxylic acid moieties and poly(ethylene oxide) side chains. Their anionic functions make possible their adsorption onto cement grains while side chains create steric repulsion between these latter. This leads to deagglomeration and dispersion of particles. From a macroscopic point of view, cement paste becomes more fluid, easier to place. But in some cases, competitive anions can reduce their adsorption ability and thus polycarboxylates dispersion efficiency. Lots of authors tried to improve structures performances by modifying macromolecular architecture. Among these works, some searchers have replaced carboxylic acids by phosphonic acid moieties, and this greatly improved superplasticizers resistance to ionic competition phenomenon.This work focuses on the synthesis of several new comb-like copolymers, whose structures are similar to conventional polycarboxylates but with phosphonic acid functions instead of carboxylic acids. These copolymers were obtained from telomerization or RAFT copolymerization. Their performances were evaluated on calcium carbonate suspensions, a model material widely used to simulate early-age cement behavior. Adsorption, dispersion and fluidification efficiencies of synthetized copolymers were examined and linked to their macromolecular structures. Moreover, their resistance to ionic competition was investigated through the increase of ionic strength by addition of sodium sulfate and sodium nitrate.Finally, this manuscript relates the conception of a biobased superplasticizer through the functionalization of oligomers of chitosan by phosphonated functions and poly(ethylene oxide) side chains. Adsorption, dispersion and fluidification efficiencies of this biobased compound were evaluated on calcite suspensions and compared to those of previously synthetized comb-like copolymers.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOX) are biocompatible polymers that act as hydrophilic "stealth" drug carriers. As block copolymers, the PEOX group offers a wider variety of functionalization. The goal of this project was to synthesize a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEO-b-PEOX) block copolymer and functionalize pendent groups of PEOX with phosphonic acid. This was achieved through cationic ring opening polymerization (CROP) of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline monomer onto PEO. These polymerizations used tosylsulfonyl chloride as initiator. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to determine the molecular weights of the block copolymers. Two samples of 1:2 and one sample of 1:3 of PEO-to-PEOX block copolymers were made. These samples underwent partial hydrolysis of the PEOX pendent groups to form the random block copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-co-poly(ethyleneimine) (PEO-b-PEOX-co-PEI). These reactions showed that there was a degree of control based on the moles of acid. Diethyl vinyl phosphonate was attached to the nitrogen of PEI units via Michael addition where the phosphorylation left <1% of PEI units unattached. The ethyl groups on the phosphonates were further hydrolyzed off phosphonate with HCl acid leaving phosphonic acid. After each step of synthesis, structures and composition were confirmed using ¹H NMR. Due to the nature of the phosphonic acid, the polymer can be utilized in the incorporation and release of cationic drugs. / Master of Science

This Thesis describes the synthesis, reactivity, coordination properties, and catalytic activity of novel electronically dissymmetric bisphosphines structurally related to 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf). First, a methylene spaced congener containing a primary phosphine group, which is stable in the air, Ph2PfcCH2PH2 (fc = ferrocene-1,1'-diyl), was prepared. While studying its reactivity, an unprecedented stable primary phosphine oxide, Ph2PfcCH2P(O)H2, was isolated. The primary phosphine, the corresponding phosphine oxide, dppf and the known bis-tertiary phosphine Ph2PfcCH2PPh2 were studied as ligands in Ru(II) complexes. The catalytic activity of the defined complexes was compared in two ruthenium-catalyzed reactions: cyclization of (Z)-3-methylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ol into 2,3-dimethylfuran and isomerization of estragole to anethole. Second, the remarkable stability of the prepared primary phosphine oxide called for a detailed investigation of this poorly described class of compounds. As a result, stable primary phosphine chalcogenides lacking steric protection FcCH2P(Y)H2 (Fc = ferrocenyl; Y = O, S, Se) were isolated for the first time. These compounds were studied as ligands in reactions with hard and soft Lewis acids (Zn(II) and Ru(II)), and the reactivity of the P-H hydrogens was...

When a material is adhered onto a specific surface it is relevant to know how to make thematerial stay on the surface. By investigating different primers to use with a triazine-basedadhesive, further improvements to using the adhesive on metals can be achieved. This studyfound that an adhesive of (2,4,6-trioxo-1,3,5-triazinane-1,3,5-triyl)tris(ethane-2,1-diyl)tris(3-mercaptopropanoate) (TEMPIC) and 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazinane-2,4,6-trione(TATATO) adhered to titanium and stainless steel, two clinically used metal surfaces. Itfurther found that between a phosphonic acid primer, a biomimetic catechol primer and acommercially available silane primer the phosphonic acid primer gave the best adhesion.These results could be because of a higher amount of crosslinking for the phosphonic acidprimer. For further testing increased pH and increased amount as well as increasedhydrolysation time for the catechol and silane primers respectively is suggested. Shearstrength testing was used to determine the adhesion strength. The shear strength testswere done with conditioning in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution for 24h beforehand

Le travail de thèse présenté dans ce manuscrit a pour objectif la synthèse de copolymères thermosensibles complexants innovants pour la mise en place d'un nouveau procédé de traitement des effluents aqueux chargés en métaux. Ce procédé original est en effet basé sur l'utilisation de copolymères porteurs de groupements phosphonés permettant la sorption des métaux en solution aqueuse et possédant un caractère thermosensible de sorte à contrôler la solubilité du copolymère et à faciliter les étapes de sorption et de séparation. Dans un premier temps, la synthèse de copolymères thermosensibles phosphonés a été réalisée par polymérisation radicalaire conventionnelle puis par polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée (PRC) ce qui a conduit à différentes architectures. Parmi les composés préparés, le P(NnPAAm-stat-hMAPC1) a été sélectionné car il présente une basse température critique de solution proche de la température des effluents industriels chargés en métaux. Les propriétés de sorption de ces copolymères ont ensuite été déterminées en réacteur statique afin de mettre en évidence les facteurs influents (temps de contact, température, pH, composition de l'effluent). Ces différents essais ont également permis d'étudier les mécanismes de sorption intervenant entre les groupements acide phosphonique et les différents cations métalliques évalués (Ni2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Al3+). Enfin, les étapes de séparation post-sorption et de régénération ont également fait l'objet d'études approfondies, permettant de proposer à l'issue de ce travail un procédé innovant de traitement de la pollution métallique, appelé procédé TEMF (Thermosensitive polymer Enhanced Microfiltration). L'efficacité des différentes étapes constituant ce procédé a été évaluée en batch à l'échelle du laboratoire et en semi-continu sur un pilote de laboratoire conçu dans le cadre du projet. / This Ph-D work aims at synthetizing thermosensitive and complexing polymers for the implementation of an innovative process targeting the removal of metallic cations from wastewater. This process is based on the use of copolymers bearing phosphonic acid groups as sorption moieties whereas thermoresponsiveness allows adjusting the solubility of the polymeric sorbent according to the process step considered. First, the synthesis of various thermosensitive copolymers bearing phosphonated moieties is reported. The use of free radical polymerization or Reversible Addition Fragmentation Transfer (RAFT) polymerization allowed synthesizing copolymers with different architectures. Among all macromolecular compounds, the P(NnPAAm-stat-hMAPC1) copolymer was chosen as the most relevant polymeric sorbent for the process. Sorption properties of this copolymer were then evaluated and results highlighted that the contact time, the temperature, the pH and more generally the effluent composition were the main influencing parameters. These studies also enable to figure out the sorption mechanisms involved between phosphonic acid and the cationic metals studied (Ni2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Al3+).The studies carried on the separation and regeneration steps of the process allowed the development of an innovative process for the removal of metallic pollution from wastewaters named Thermosensitive polymer Enhanced Microfiltration (TEMF) process. Finally, the conception of a pilot plant permitted the study of the TEMF process at larger scale.

Various compounds were studied with solid-state 119Sn and 31P NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Connections were made between the shielding tensors and the geometric and electronic structures of the molecules. First, the 119Sn chemical shielding anisotropy of various para substituted tetraaryl tin compounds was shown to be dependent on the tilt angle of the phenyl rings. Tetrakis(o-tolyl) tin did not have the shielding anisotropy predicted by the tilt angle of the rings. It was suggested that ortho substitution distorts the structures of the phenyl rings causing the discrepancy. Analysis of the solid-state 31P NMR spectra of triphenylphosphorane ylides, Ph3P=CHC(O)R, determined that increasing the electron-donating effects of the R group decreased the δ33 component. Theoretical calculations showed that the component lay along the ylidic bond and was dependent on the difference in phosphorus-carbon bond lengths between the phenyl and ylidic bonds. Another study concerned the solid-state 31P NMR of the series of triphenylphosphine derivatives, PPh3-x(o-tolyl)x where x = 0 to 3. The addition of ortho methyl groups changed the position of the δ11 component which could be the result of the change in energy gap between the lone pair (HOMO) and σ* anti-bonding (LUMO). The solid-state 31P NMR spectra of deuterated piperazinium phosphonate and phosphonic acid were influenced by the shielding, dipolar and spin-spin interactions, as well as, second order quadrupolar effects. The spectrum of deuterated piperazinium phosphonate had a chemical shielding anisotropy of 130 ppm, an effective dipolar coupling of 2500 kHz and a one-bond phosphorus-deuterium J coupling of 90 Hz. The phosphorus-deuterium bond length was predicted to be 1.44(2) Å. A deuterium quadrupolar coupling constant of 104 kHz was obtained from the CP/MAS 2H spectrum. The non-axial symmetry of phosphonic acid complicated the analysis of the 31P spectrum. Phosphorus-deuterium bond lengths of 1.44(5) Å and 1.40(4) Å were obtained for the two inequivalent sites in the unit cell.