The deep seabed polymetallic nodules are one the major types of deep-sea ore resources. Oceanic deposits of these raw materials represent a potential source of numerous metals that are in short supply on the land-base deposits at the nearest future. The process of geological survey to the deep ocean floor is considered to be an onset of a quantitatively new stage in the process of mineral resource extraction. Continuation of the on-going work on polymetallic nodule deposits within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone is regarded as a serious task to be undertaken over a period until the year 2025, with a due consideration to advance in designing of an efficient mining unit and application of modern processing technologies for extraction of major metals : manganese, nickel, cobalt and copper. A prerequisite of a rational management of oceanic resources is the preservation of natural oceanic environment. Considered is the extraction's profitability of a concrete deposit within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is the exploration area of the IOM, with annual production scale of 2.2 Mt of wet nodules for the year 2025.

La complexation de l'arénophile à un ligand naphtalène substitué sur un seul noyau par un ou deux groupe triméthylsilyléthynyle conduit à la formation des deux régio-isomères A (arénophile coordiné au cycle substitué) et B (arénophile lié au cycle libre). L'isomère A est le produit cinétique et l'isomère B le produit thermodynamique de la réaction. La substitution du groupe trimétylsilyle par le fragment organométallique électro-actif permet d'étudier l'isomérisation A B . La migration haptotropique électro-induite, réalisée à 20 °C, est quasi quantitative . Elle résulte de l'activation de la liaison Ru provoquée par l'oxydation mono-électronique du centre redox organofer en présence d'un solvant coordinant . La synthèse du complexe ortho disubstitué, stériquement très encombré, et de ses dérivés mono- et di-oxydés a été effectuée avec succès. L'espèce mono-oxydée qui possède un couplage électronique fort est un dérivé à valence mixte de classe II B, à la limite entre les classes II et III. Les complexes tétranucléaires ont également été synthétisés et caractérisés par différentes techniques incluant notamment la radiocristallographie. Ces composés présentent des interactions électroniques à la fois en ortho, meta et para, générant de nouvelles propriétés qui pourraient s'avérer totalement inédites dans le domaine de l'électronique moléculaire. Finalement, une nouvelle famille de composés hybrides organiques inorganiques trans- a aussi été préparée (TTF = tétrathiafulvalène; n = 0-3). Le dérivé mono-oxydé est un composé à valence mixte de classe II. Le transfert d'électron intramoléculaire peut se faire selon un mécanisme par effet tunnel et par un mécanisme multi-étape par sauts entre les centres redox inorganiques et organiques. / The complexation of the arenophile to a naphthalene ligand bearing one or two trimethylsilylethynyle group gives the two regioisomers A (arenophile coordinated to the substituted ring) and B (arenophile coordinated to the free cycle). Isomer A is the kinetic product and isomer B is the thermodynamic product of the reaction. The substitution of the trimethylsilyl group by the electroactive organometallic fragment allows to control the isomerization from A to B. The electro induced haptotropic migration, performed at 20 ° C, is almost quantitative, and results from the activation of the Ru bond induced by the one-electron oxidation of the organoiron redox center in the presence of a coordinating solvent. The synthesis of the sterically constraint ortho disubstituted complex, and its mono and di-oxidized forms were successfully achieved. The mono-oxidized species that shows a strong electronic coupling is a Class-II B mixed valence compound. The tetranuclear complexes were also prepared and characterized by various methods including X-ray crystallography. These compounds exhibit electronic interactions in the ortho, meta and para positions, generating new properties that could be of great interest in the field of molecular electronics. Finally, a new family of organic-inorganic hybrids trans- has also been prepared (TTF = tetrathiafulvalene; n = 0-3). The mono-oxidized complex (n = 1) is a Class-II mixed-valence compound in which the spin density varies with the respective orientation of the metal termini. Intramolecular electron transfer occurs through single-step tunneling and multiple-step hopping mechanisms.

Background: Oruro is a mining city in the Bolivian highlands. Most of its citizens are exposed to polymetalic cocktails. This study aims to determine whether the neuropsychological development of one year-old children can be associated with 1) polymetalic exposures and/or 2) growth patterns. Methods: The thesis builds from data collected by the ToxBol multidisciplinary project. The health task was centred on the follow-up of a birth-cohort that set to evaluate child development. Children were examined at 11 and 12 months of age using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID). Results: 1) Analyses revealed no high concentrations of metals in the blood of pregnant women. 2) No neuropsychological anomalies were observed in association with metal concentrations or growth patterns. 3) A positive association was observed between low lead values in blood and the neuropsychological development of children. 4) During the first 6 months of life, growth rate was negatively associated with weight at birth and positively associated with the BMI at 12 months of age. Conclusion: Although heavy metallic pollution was demonstrated by environmental studies, unexpected low levels of exposure were registered from pregnant women. Neither the level of exposure to metals nor the growth patterns appear to have an impact on child neuropsychological development. We argue that the positive effect that was observed in association to lead might be caused by factors such as diet. / Antecedentes: Oruro es una ciudad minera del altiplano boliviano. Muchos de sus habitantes están expuestos a un cóctel polimetálico. El objetivo principal es el de determinar si existe una asociación entre desarrollo neuropsicológico de los niños de un año y 1) la exposición polimetálica y/o 2) los patrones de crecimiento. Métodos: Esta tesis está basada en los datos recogidos del Proyecto multidisciplinario ToxBol. Se realizó el seguimiento de una cohorte de niños para evaluar su desarrollo. Para evaluar el desarrollo neuropsicológico de los niños se utilizaron las escalas de Bayley de desarrollo infantil (BSID). Resultados: 1) No se observaron altas concentraciones de metales en sangre de las mujeres embarazadas. 2) No se observaron anormalidades neuropsicológicas en relación con concentraciones de metales o patrones de crecimiento. 3) Se observó una asociación positiva entre exposiciones bajas de plomo y el desarrollo neuropsicológico del niño al año de vida. 4) La velocidad de crecimiento, desde el nacimiento hasta los 6 meses, se asoció negativamente con el peso al nacer y positivamente con el BMI a los 12 meses. Conclusión: A diferencia de lo demostrado en otros estudios epidemiológicos, se observó una inesperada baja exposición. No se observó una relación entre el grado de exposición a metales- o los patrones de crecimiento -y el desarrollo neuropsicológico del niño. El efecto positivo del plomo creemos que se debe a otros factores como la dieta. / Antecedents: Oruro es una ciutat minera del altiplà Bolivià. La població es troba es contacte amb fonts de contaminación polimetàlica. L’objectiu principal es el de determinar si existeix una associació entre el desenvolupament neuropsicològic dels nens d’un any i 1) la exposició polimetálica i/o 2) patrons de creixement. Mètodes: Esta tesi està basada en dades del Projecte multidisciplinari ToxBol. La tasca de salut es va centrar en el seguiment del desenvolupament d’una cohort de nens. El desenvolupament neuropsicològic infantil es va avaluar amb les escales de Baley de Desenvolupament infantil (BSID). Resultats: 1) No es van observar concentracions altes de metalls en sang de les dones embarassades. 2) No es va observar anormalitats neuropsicològiques en realció amb les concentracions de metalls o patrons de creixement. 3) Es va observar una associació positiva entre concentracions baixes de plom en sang i el desenvolupament neuropsicològic dels nens d’un any. 4) La velocitat de creixement, des del naixement fins els 6 mesos, es va associar negativament amb el pes al néixer i positivament amb el BMI als 12 mesos. Conclusió: A diferencia del que esperàvem, es van registrar baixes concentracions de metalls a les dones embarassades. Tampoc s’observa una relació entre el grau d’exposició a metalls, o patrons de creixement, i el desenvolupament neuropsicològic del nens. El efecte positiu que observem del plom, pensem que es deu a altres factors com la dieta.

Dirhodium complexes have been known for their catalytic reactivities toward C-H bond activation for nearly two decades. However, both experimental and theoretical studies have not given a clear explanation on the roles of each metal in the reactivities, largely due to the limited number of available bimetallic species. To study the system systematically, we set our goal to synthesize bimetallic complexes from two independent approaches. In the first approach, five N, N’ -diarylformamidines with symmetric or asymmetric substituents on the phenyl groups were synthesized and fully characterized. Formamidines without bulky substituents exhibited fluxionality in solution, which was proved by a single set of signal in 1 H NMR. In contrast, two sets of signals were observed for formamidines with bulky substituents in the ortho positions, indicating two major stereoisomers ( E and Z conformers) co-existing in solution. In solid state, strong stability for E conformers was gained from a pair of H bonds between two ligands facing each other. The phenomenon was observed for all ligands but N, N’ -bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)formamidine ( L2 ), in which ligands in Z conformation were connected through H bonds from both sides of a ligand and an infinite chain structure formed in solid state. Metallation of the formamidines with diethylzinc and mesitylmagnesium bromide produced ten complexes in a variety of geometries, indicating a rich diversity in geometry for the formamidine family as coordination ligands. Among these complexes, three bimetallic complexes, with metal atoms close in distance, are potential candidates for the formation of complexes with metal-metal bonds. In each dizinc complex, two formamidinates (deprotonated formamidines) spanned over the two Zn atoms and brought them together, while in the dimagnesium complex, the two Mg atoms were bridged by two bromides, resulting in a Mg 2 Br 2 cubic core. In the other approach, two newly designed tripodal ligands were obtained at relatively high yields. Each of the ligands contains three branches built up from a central atom C or N. Lone pairs on the three branches of a deprotonated ligand working together could behave like a three-prong clamp and secure two metal centers closely in the pocket. A dichromium complex with a geometry matching our initial design was successfully synthesized. Meanwhile, two monometallic complexes, potential candidates as precursors to heterobimetallic complexes, were obtained.