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En dépit de l’importance considérable des matériaux alumino- et borosilicates pour la catalyse, l’origine moléculaire de leur activité demeure mal comprise. Ceci tient à la difficulté de caractériser le désordre structural local généré au sein du réseau silicaté par l’incorporation d’hétéroatomes. Le caractère local de la résonance magnétique nucléaire (RMN) à l’état solide en fait une technique adaptée pour résoudre cette question majeure. Les silicates en feuillés auto-assemblés en présence de surfactants sont d’excellents systèmes modèles pour l’étude de la structure locale autour d’hétéroatomes de B ou d’Al car la synthèse, la structure moléculaire et la signature RMN 29Si simple de leurs formes siliceuses sont parfaitement maîtrisées. L’incorporation dans leurs réseaux silicatés de différentes quantités d’Al ou de B et leurs conséquences ont été étudiées par des méthodologies avancées de RMN permettant de sonder les interactions à travers l’espace ou les liaisons chimiques entre noyaux de 29Si, 27Al, 11B et/ou 1H, une approche qui peut être étendue à la substitution atomique dans une argile aluminosilicate et un nouveau borosilicate de calcium. Ces résultats ont été combinés à la modélisation moléculaire pour construire et valider des modèles structuraux capables de décrire les distorsions et les réarrangements parfois profonds du réseau résultant de la substitution. Cela a révélé des différences frappantes entre les conséquences de l’incorporation d’Al ou de B dans deux matériaux de morphologie semblables mais de structures moléculaires différentes, et offre une occasion unique de comprendre les propriétés régissant l’incorporation d’hétéroatomes dans les silicates. / While alumino- and borosilicate materials have paramount importance in catalysis, the molecular origin of their activity is not completely understood. This is mainly because the incorporation of heteroatoms into the silicate framework deteriorates the molecular order by generating local disorder that is particularly difficult to establish. Because of its local vision of ordered and disordered environments, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can play a key role to solve this long-standing issue. Surfactant-directed layered silicate materials with short-range molecular order are particularly interesting model systems to study the local structures around Al or B heteroatoms because the synthesis, molecular structures, and simple 29Si NMR signatures of their pure-silicate forms are well understood. Various amounts of Al and B atoms were incorporated into their frameworks, and their consequences on the local structure were investigated by state-of-the-art multidimensional NMR measurements probing spatial proximities or bonding interactions between 29Si, 11B, 27Al, and 1H nuclei, an approach that could be extended to atomic substitution in an aluminosilicate clay and a new calcium borosilicate. These results were combined with molecular modeling to build and evaluate structural models that capture the local framework distortions and sometimes profound rearrangements resulting from the atomic substitutions. This reveals remarkable differences between the consequences of the incorporation Al or B in two distinct frameworks of otherwise strongly-related materials, and offers a unique opportunity to understand the properties that drive heteroatom incorporation.

Nesta tese, a ressonância magnética nuclear do estado sólido (SSNMR) foi utilizada para estudar a composição química e estrutura dos componentes da parede celular de plantas. Visando contribuir no desenvolvimento de estratégias de despolimerização da biomassa, SSNMR foi inicialmente utilizada para estudar efeitos dos pré-tratamentos químicos e físicos, e da ação de enzimas sobre algumas biomassas. Os resultados mostraram que, em baixas concentrações, tratamentos ácidos são altamente efetivos na remoção das frações de hemicelulose, com pouco efeito nas frações de lignina e celulose. Já tratamentos alcalinos promovem eficiente deslignificação da biomassa, sendo que a mínima concentração da solução alcalina necessária para obter a máxima deslignificação depende do tipo de biomassa e da temperatura do tratamento. Os estudos por SSNMR foram correlacionados com estudos por outras técnicas, contribuindo para um entendimento mais profundo sobre o efeito dos pré-tratamentos e da hidrolise enzimática em diferentes biomassas. Outra parte da tese aborda a determinação da cristalinidade de celulose nativa (não extraída) de biomassa de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Utilizando a técnica de polarização cruzada em múltiplas etapas (Multi-CP) e um procedimento de subtração espectral, foi possível isolar os sinais de RMN da celulose nativa e a partir daí avaliar o índice de cristalinidade (CI). Esse método foi utilizado para avaliar o CI da celulose nativa de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar submetido à pré-tratamentos com H2SO4 e NaOH e os resultados não mostraram variações significativas do CI da celulose nas concentrações utilizadas, apesar do aumento da eficiência da hidrólise. Assim, ao contrário de muitos trabalhos encontrados na literatura, não parece que a cristalinidade da celulose seja um fator primordial no aumento de eficiência da hidrólise enzimática. Na parte final da tese, as interações intermoleculares entre os dois principais polissacarídeos da biomassa: celulose e xilano foram investigadas utilizando uma variedade de técnicas avançadas de RMN bidimensional. Neste trabalho, a arquitetura molecular de hastes de plantas de Arabidopsis Thaliana, sem nunca serem seca foi estudada. Utilizando a técnica refocused J-INADEQUATE (Increadible Natural Abundance Double Quantum Transfer Experiment via J coupling) observamos dois conjuntos de deslocamentos químicos distintos para o xilano, sendo um deles coincidente com aquele observado em solução. Em seguida, utilizamos experimentos SSNMR com o intuito de investigar se algum desses domínios de xilano estaria vinculado com a celulose. Experimentos CP-PDSD (Proton Driven Spin Diffusion detected via 13C through Cross-Polarization) demonstram a existência de proximidade espacial entre o novo domínio do xilano e o domínio da celulose. A comparação de resultados entre as amostras de padrão e o seu mutante deficiente em celulose (irx3) indicaram que o xilano com novo deslocamento químico é fortemente dependente da presença de celulose. A análise da mobilidade molecular pela técnica Dipolar Chemical Shift Correlation (DIPSHIFT), mostrou que as moléculas do novo domínio do xilano são altamente rígidas - uma característica partilhada com a celulose. Combinados, esses dados fornecem evidências de uma arquitetura molecular específica entre os dois polissacarídeos majoritários da parede celular. / Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) was used to study the chemical composition and structure of plant cell wall components. Aiming the development of depolymerization strategies, SSNMR was initially used to study the effects of chemical and physical pre-treatments, as well as the enzymatic action on the structure and composition of biomasses. The results showed that, at low concentrations, pre-treatments with acids are highly effective for removal of hemicellulose without significant effect on lignin and cellulose. In turn, the alkaline pre-treatment promotes efficient delignification of the biomass. The minimum concentration of the alkaline solution required to achieve the maximum delignification depends on the type of biomass and treatment temperature. SSNMR studies were correlated with studies using other techniques, contributing to an in-depth understanding of the effect of pre-treatments and enzymatic hydrolysis in different biomasses. Another part of the thesis discusses is the determination of native cellulose crystallinity (not extracted) of sugarcane bagasse biomasses. Using the cross-polarization technique in multiple blocks (Multi-CP) and a spectral subtraction approach, it was possible to isolate the NMR signals of the native cellulose and to evaluate the crystallinity index (CI). This method was used to accessof the CI of cellulose in sugarcane bagasse samples pre-treated with H2SO4 and NaOH. The results did not show significant variations of the cellulose CI, at the concentration used here, despite the increase in the hydrolysis efficiency. Thus, in contrast to some studies in the literature, it does not appear that the crystallinity of cellulose is a primary limiting factor concerning the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency in biomasses. In the final part of this thesis, the intermolecular interactions between the two main polysaccharides of the plant cell wall, cellulose and xylan, were investigated using advanced two-dimensional NMR techniques. The molecular architecture of 13C labelled never-dried Arabidopsis Thaliana stems was studied. Using refocused J-INADEQUATE (Increadible Natural Abundance Double Quantum Transfer Experiment via J coupling) we observed two distinct chemical shifts in xylan, one of which coincides with that observed in solution. Next, we used SSNMR experiments toinvestigate the interaction between the novel xylan and cellulose domains. CP-PDSD (Proton Driven Spin Diffusion detected via 13C through Cross-Polarization) experiments demonstrated spatial proximity between the new xylan and cellulose domains. The same approach was used to study cellulose deficient (irx3) mutants and the comparison between the results indicate that the new xylan domain is cellulose-dependent. Dipolar Chemical Shift Correlation (DIPSHIFT) experiments were performed to analyse the molecular mobility of these polysaccharides showing that the novel xylan is highly rigid - a characteristic which is shared with cellulose. Combined, these data provide evidence for a specific molecular architecture between the two most common polysaccharides in plant cell walls.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se a obtenção e caracterização de materiais luminescentes baseados em matrizes mesoporosas incorporadas com espécies moleculares altamente emissivas; o corante rodamina 6G (R6G) e o complexo de irídio (III) (N,N-trans-[Ir-(1-benzil-4-(2,4-difluorofenil)-1,2,3-triazol)2(4,4´-dimetil-2,2´-bipiridina)]+). Na incorporação da R6G foram explorados xerogéis mesoporosos sílica de composições puramente inorgânica e modificada com grupos aromáticos, além de vidros mesoporosos sódio aluminosilicato. O complexo de Irídio (III) foi incorporado somente aos vidros sódio aluminosilicato. As matrizes hospedeiras preparadas por metodologia sol-gel foram planejadas e desenvolvidas em consonância com as propriedades físico-químicas das espécies emissoras, a fim de promover maior incorporação e dispersão molecular via diferentes interações químicas. Por exemplo, no caso da sílica modificada com grupos aromáticos, espera-se que haja interação por afinidade química entre tais grupos e as ligações insaturadas das moléculas de R6G, resultando em maior taxa de incorporação e de retenção do centro emissor, bem como minimizando agregações moleculares. No caso dos vidros sódio aluminosilicato, a incorporação de ambas espécies catiônicas, o corante e o complexo de Ir(III), ocorre via troca iônica com íons Na+, que atuam como compensadores de carga dos sítios (AlO4)- da rede. Neste caso, um controle de dispersão molecular do centro emissor foi proposto variando-se a relação Si/Al na matriz (entre 2 e 9), a fim de promover a distribuição espacial dos sítios aniônicos ativos (AlO4)- entre os sítios neutros SiO4. A partir dessas abordagens foram obtidos materiais luminescentes quimicamente estáveis, com alto grau de dispersão molecular, fácil preparação, e excelentes propriedades fotofísicas. Previamente à incorporação, as matrizes foram caracterizadas do ponto de vista estrutural por diversas técnicas de RMN de estado sólido, DRX e sorção de N2. As propriedades fotofísicas dos emissores em solução e em estado sólido foram caracterizadas por medidas de absorção UV-Vis, espectroscopia óptica, tempo de vida de estado excitado e rendimento quântico absoluto. Adicionalmente, as matrizes contendo R6G foram submetidas a testes de ação laser e fotoestabilidade. Os resultados destes sistemas foram analisados com base na teoria do éxciton (em inglês, Single Exciton Theory). No que concerne os sistemas contendo o complexo de Irídio (III), suas propriedades fotofísicas foram relacionadas à eletrônica do centro emissor obtida por teoria do funcional de densidade (em inglês, Density Functional Theory, DFT). Neste caso, a partir do tratamento convencional realizado para moléculas em estado líquido, foram desenvolvidos e analisados métodos alternativos para tratar o problema em uma matriz hospedeira. O formalismo aplicado contribuiu para uma descrição detalhada da estrutura eletrônica do complexo, bem como mudanças devido à inserção deste na matriz. / This work presents the preparation and characterization of luminescent materials based on mesoporous host matrices loaded with highly emissive molecular species (the organic dye Rhodamine 6G (R6G), and the Iridium (III) complex (N,N-trans-[Ir-(1-benzyl-4-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,2,3-triazole)2(4,4´-dimethyl-2,2´-bipyridine)]+). In the case of R6G loading we have explored purely inorganic and organically modified silica compositions, as well as sodium-aluminosilicate glasses. The Ir(III) complex was loaded solely into the sodium-aluminosilicate glasses. The host matrices were designed and developed, via sol gel methodology, in consonance with the physicalchemical properties of the emitters aiming at improved molecular incorporation and dispersion through various chemical interactions. For instance, in the case of silica modified with aromatic groups, interaction among such groups with the unsaturated bonds of the R6G molecule is expected, resulting in higher molecular incorporation and retention efficiencies, as well as decreased aggregation. In the case of the sodium-aluminosilicate glasses, the loading of both cationic species, dye and Ir(III) complex, takes place via ionic exchange with Na+ at the (AlO4)- network sites. In this case, control of molecular dispersion of the emitting center was attempted by varying the Si/Al ratio in the matrix (between 2 and 9), so as to promote the spatial distribution of the active anionic sites among neutral SiO4 sites. Through these approaches, we were able to obtain materials with high chemical stability, high molecular dispersion, facile and low cost obtainment and excellent photophysical properties. Prior to loading, the matrices were characterized from the structural point of view through several solid state NMR techniques, XRD and N2 sorption. The photophysical properties of the emitters in solution and in the solid state were characterized and compared through UV-Vis absorption and emission, excited state lifetimes and absolute quantum yields measurements. Moreover, the R6G loaded materials were tested in a laser cavity with respect to their laser efficiencies and photo stabilities. The results of these systems were analyzed in terms of the Single Exciton Theory. As for the materials loaded with Ir(III) complex, the photophysical studies were complemented by a theoretical approach though Density Functional Theory, DFT. From the conventional treatment performed for iridium (III) complexes in liquid state, alternative methods were developed and analyzed for treating the problem in the host matrix. The applied formalism contributed to a detailed description of the electronic structure of the complex, as well as of the changes perceived due to insertion in the matrix.

L’estimation du délai post mortem est une étape fondamentale en anthropologie médico-légale. À ce jour, peu de méthodes précises et fiables existent. Les objectifs de notre travail étaient d’étudier le tissu osseux et son évolution dans les années et siècles suivant le décès en développant la Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire (RMN) des solides du carbone13C et du proton1H. Nous avons analysé une centaine d’os humains et animaux pour lesquels nous connaissions l’âge au décès, le sexe, la date de décès et les conditions de conservation. Nous avons caractérisé les os au niveau moléculaire en identifiant le collagène, les lipides et l’hydroxyapatite constitutifs du tissu osseux. Nous avons développé une méthode RMN permettant de distinguer des altérations de certains échantillons attestant de la présence d’adipocire au sein du tissu osseux, ou des dégradations sur des échantillons très anciens. L’étude de l’âge au décès et du sexe des sujets n’a pas mis en évidence une grande influence de ces facteurs sur les données RMN même si, pour des délais post mortem de 0 ou 1 an, les sujets féminins présentent quantitativement plus de lipides que les sujets masculins. L’analyse des conditions de conservation des individus montre un développement plus important d’adipocire pour les os laissés à l’air libre comparés aux os enterrés. Enfin, nous rapportons une décroissance quantitative du collagène et des lipides présents au sein du tissu osseux lorsque l’intervalle post mortem augmente. Cette décroissance est beaucoup plus rapide pour les lipides (quelques années) que pour le collagène (plusieurs millénaires) alors que l’hydroxyapatite présente une relative stabilité dans les premiers siècles suivant le décès. / The post mortem interval estimation is a fundamental step in forensic anthropology and up to now there are little accurate and reliable methods to do so. The objectives of our study were to investigate the bone composition and its evolution over years and centuries following the death by developing carbon 13C and proton 1H solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We analyzed about one hundred human and animal bones for which the age at death, sex, date of death and the storage conditions were known. Bones were characterized at the molecular level by identification of collagen, lipids and hydroxyapatite embedded in the bone matrix. We have designed a NMR-based method that allows determining alterations on some samples, evidencing the presence of adipocere (bone wax) within the bone, or finding bone tissue deterioration on some very old samples. Subject age at death and sex did not reveal significant changes on NMR data, except for post mortem interval ranging between 0 to 1 year, where female subjects had quantitatively more lipids in their bones than males. Storage conditions may promote a greater development of adipocere especially for bones left in the open air compared to those buried. Finally, we report a quantitative decrease of collagen and lipids present in the bone tissue when the post mortem interval increases. This decrease is much faster for lipids than for collagen where as the hydroxyapatite has a relative stability in the first centuries after the death. Decreases occur with very different time constants, ranging from years to millennia.

L’objectif des travaux est de mieux comprendre durant la torréfaction de différentes biomasses l’évolution chimique à la fois des phases solide et gaz. Des expériences de torréfaction ont été menées selon un profil de température dynamique entre 200 et 300°C, sous atmosphère inerte, sur du pin, du frêne, du miscanthus et de la paille de blé. La perte de masse et la formation des espèces condensables ont été analysées par ATG-GCMS, et l’évolution chimique de la phase solide par RMN du solide 13C CP/MAS. Trente espèces condensables ont été détectées ; la moitié a été formée dans l’ensemble de la gamme de température explorée et un tiers l’a été par toutes les biomasses. Les principaux phénomènes qui semblent associés à la dégradation du solide sont la décristallisation de la cellulose, une sévère dégradation de l’hémicellulose, la dévolatilisation des groupes acétyles, la conservation des groupes méthoxys et la formation d’un résidu solide. Il a été par ailleurs montré que perte de masse et évolution chimique du solide n’étaient pas directement corrélées pour différentes biomasses. A partir de ces résultats expérimentaux, un modèle conceptuel a été développé pour décrire la dégradation de la biomasse. Trente réactions ont été associées aux trois constituants macromoléculaires principaux que sont la cellulose, l’hémicellulose et la lignine, respectivement représentées par deux sucres en C5 et C6 et par trois unités detype H, G et S. Ce modèle présente l’originalité de s’appuyer sur une description détaillée de ces deux derniers constituants et de prévoir la formation de seize espèces condensables, cinq gaz permanents et six formes de char solide, grâce à des réactions ayant un sens chimique et équilibrées d’un point de vue stoechiométrique. / The objective of the present work is to better understand chemical evolution of both solid and gaseous phases during torrefaction of various biomasses. Torrefaction experiments were carried out with a dynamic profile of temperatures between 200 and 300°C, under inert atmosphere, for pine, ash-wood, miscanthus and wheat straw. Mass loss and formation of condensable species were analyzed by TGA-GC-MS, and chemical evolution of solid phase was characterized by 13C CP/MAS solid-state NMR. Thirty condensable species could be detected; a half of these species were formed during the whole temperature range, and a third were formed by all biomass types. The main phenomena that occurred in solid phase were found to be decrystallization of cellulose, severe degradation of hemicellulose, devolatilization of acetyl groups, conservation of methoxyl groups and charring. It was also found that mass loss and chemical evolution of solid were not directly correlated for different biomasses. Based on the experimental results, a conceptual model was developed to describe biomass degradation duringtorrefaction. Thirty reactions were determined for the three major macromolecular constituents, namely cellulose, hemicellulose – represented by C5 and C6 sugars – and lignin – represented by H, G and S units. The main innovations of this model are in thedetailed approach of hemicellulose and lignin compositions, as well as in the prediction of sixteen condensable and five permanent species, and six forms of solid char, through chemically meaningful and stoichiometrically valid reactions.

The study of quadrupolar nuclei using NMR spectroscopy in the solid state significantly increased in popularity from the end of the 20th century, with the introduction of specific methods to acquire spectra free from the effects of the quadrupolar interaction, that results in broadened lineshapes that cannot be completely removed by spinning the sample at the magic angle (MAS), unlike most of the other interactions present in the solid state. The first technique which allows, without any specific hardware, the removal of this broadening has been the Multiple-Quantum MQMAS experiment. The method quickly gained a popularity within the NMR community, with numerous successful applications published. However, the multiple-quantum filtration step in this experiment relies on severely limits sensitivity, restricting application to the most sensitive nuclei. Extending the applicability of MQMAS to less receptive nuclei requires the use of signal improvement techniques. There are multiple examples of such approaches in the literature, but most of these require additional optimisation that may be time-consuming, or simply impossible, on less receptive nuclei. This work introduces a novel signal improvement technique for MQMAS, called FAM-N. Its optimisation is solely based on density matrix simulations using SIMPSON, implying no additional experimental optimisation is required, while improving the signal in MQMAS spectra by equivalent or higher amounts than other common methods. In order to prove the applicability of this method on virtually any system, FAM-N has been investigated by simulation, and tested experimentally using a number of model samples, as well as samples known to be challenging to study by NMR. This work also explores other aspects of NMR spectroscopy on quadrupolar nuclei. Adiabatic inversion of the satellite populations can be performed to improve the central transition signal in static or MAS spectra. A range of methods has been tested and compared, with particular attention given to hyperbolic secant-shaped pulses, for which its performance have been described. Finally, cross-polarisation from a spin I = 1/2 nucleus to a quadrupolar nucleus has been investigated. After reviewing the theory for the static case, simulations have been performed under MAS in order to identify the conditions for efficient magnetisation transfer, with applications in spectral editing or for the combination with MQMAS.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se a obtenção e caracterização de materiais luminescentes baseados em matrizes mesoporosas incorporadas com espécies moleculares altamente emissivas; o corante rodamina 6G (R6G) e o complexo de irídio (III) (N,N-trans-[Ir-(1-benzil-4-(2,4-difluorofenil)-1,2,3-triazol)2(4,4´-dimetil-2,2´-bipiridina)]+). Na incorporação da R6G foram explorados xerogéis mesoporosos sílica de composições puramente inorgânica e modificada com grupos aromáticos, além de vidros mesoporosos sódio aluminosilicato. O complexo de Irídio (III) foi incorporado somente aos vidros sódio aluminosilicato. As matrizes hospedeiras preparadas por metodologia sol-gel foram planejadas e desenvolvidas em consonância com as propriedades físico-químicas das espécies emissoras, a fim de promover maior incorporação e dispersão molecular via diferentes interações químicas. Por exemplo, no caso da sílica modificada com grupos aromáticos, espera-se que haja interação por afinidade química entre tais grupos e as ligações insaturadas das moléculas de R6G, resultando em maior taxa de incorporação e de retenção do centro emissor, bem como minimizando agregações moleculares. No caso dos vidros sódio aluminosilicato, a incorporação de ambas espécies catiônicas, o corante e o complexo de Ir(III), ocorre via troca iônica com íons Na+, que atuam como compensadores de carga dos sítios (AlO4)- da rede. Neste caso, um controle de dispersão molecular do centro emissor foi proposto variando-se a relação Si/Al na matriz (entre 2 e 9), a fim de promover a distribuição espacial dos sítios aniônicos ativos (AlO4)- entre os sítios neutros SiO4. A partir dessas abordagens foram obtidos materiais luminescentes quimicamente estáveis, com alto grau de dispersão molecular, fácil preparação, e excelentes propriedades fotofísicas. Previamente à incorporação, as matrizes foram caracterizadas do ponto de vista estrutural por diversas técnicas de RMN de estado sólido, DRX e sorção de N2. As propriedades fotofísicas dos emissores em solução e em estado sólido foram caracterizadas por medidas de absorção UV-Vis, espectroscopia óptica, tempo de vida de estado excitado e rendimento quântico absoluto. Adicionalmente, as matrizes contendo R6G foram submetidas a testes de ação laser e fotoestabilidade. Os resultados destes sistemas foram analisados com base na teoria do éxciton (em inglês, Single Exciton Theory). No que concerne os sistemas contendo o complexo de Irídio (III), suas propriedades fotofísicas foram relacionadas à eletrônica do centro emissor obtida por teoria do funcional de densidade (em inglês, Density Functional Theory, DFT). Neste caso, a partir do tratamento convencional realizado para moléculas em estado líquido, foram desenvolvidos e analisados métodos alternativos para tratar o problema em uma matriz hospedeira. O formalismo aplicado contribuiu para uma descrição detalhada da estrutura eletrônica do complexo, bem como mudanças devido à inserção deste na matriz. / This work presents the preparation and characterization of luminescent materials based on mesoporous host matrices loaded with highly emissive molecular species (the organic dye Rhodamine 6G (R6G), and the Iridium (III) complex (N,N-trans-[Ir-(1-benzyl-4-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,2,3-triazole)2(4,4´-dimethyl-2,2´-bipyridine)]+). In the case of R6G loading we have explored purely inorganic and organically modified silica compositions, as well as sodium-aluminosilicate glasses. The Ir(III) complex was loaded solely into the sodium-aluminosilicate glasses. The host matrices were designed and developed, via sol gel methodology, in consonance with the physicalchemical properties of the emitters aiming at improved molecular incorporation and dispersion through various chemical interactions. For instance, in the case of silica modified with aromatic groups, interaction among such groups with the unsaturated bonds of the R6G molecule is expected, resulting in higher molecular incorporation and retention efficiencies, as well as decreased aggregation. In the case of the sodium-aluminosilicate glasses, the loading of both cationic species, dye and Ir(III) complex, takes place via ionic exchange with Na+ at the (AlO4)- network sites. In this case, control of molecular dispersion of the emitting center was attempted by varying the Si/Al ratio in the matrix (between 2 and 9), so as to promote the spatial distribution of the active anionic sites among neutral SiO4 sites. Through these approaches, we were able to obtain materials with high chemical stability, high molecular dispersion, facile and low cost obtainment and excellent photophysical properties. Prior to loading, the matrices were characterized from the structural point of view through several solid state NMR techniques, XRD and N2 sorption. The photophysical properties of the emitters in solution and in the solid state were characterized and compared through UV-Vis absorption and emission, excited state lifetimes and absolute quantum yields measurements. Moreover, the R6G loaded materials were tested in a laser cavity with respect to their laser efficiencies and photo stabilities. The results of these systems were analyzed in terms of the Single Exciton Theory. As for the materials loaded with Ir(III) complex, the photophysical studies were complemented by a theoretical approach though Density Functional Theory, DFT. From the conventional treatment performed for iridium (III) complexes in liquid state, alternative methods were developed and analyzed for treating the problem in the host matrix. The applied formalism contributed to a detailed description of the electronic structure of the complex, as well as of the changes perceived due to insertion in the matrix.

Ionenkanäle sind für die zelluläre Homöostase und die elektrische Aktivität in höheren Eukaryoten essentiell. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich dem nichtselektiven Kanal NaK und seinen kaliumselektiven Mutanten. Die Bedeutung von Ionenkanälen wird in Kapitel 1 speziell für die kationenselektive Ionenkanal-Superfamilie diskutiert. Darin werden verschiedene Vertreter dieser Superfamilie untersucht und ihre Strukturen und Ionenselektivität analysiert. In Kapitel 2 wird gezeigt, dass NaK zwei unterschiedliche Selektivitätsfilterkonformationen aufweist, die entweder durch Na+- oder K+-Ionen stabilisiert sind. Unter Verwendung von Festkörper-NMR Spektroskopie und molekulardynamischen Simulationen wurden zwei Ionenleitungswege entdeckt. In Kapitel 3 wurde eine Kristallstruktur von NaK ermittelt, welche die vorhergesagte und für den Seiteneintrittsmechanismus essentielle seitliche Ionenbindungsstelle bestätigt. Die zwei Untereinheiten in der asymmetrischen Einheit zeigen die dynamische Natur der unteren Teile der Transmembranhelices sowie duale Konformationen für die Reste im Selektivitätsfilter. Im Gegensatz zu NaK sind die kaliumselektiven Mutanten ionensensitiver, wie in Kapitel 4 gezeigt: Unter Na+-Bedingungen verliert der gesamte Selektivitätsfilter in den kaliumselektiven Mutanten seine Stabilität. Die stärkere Verbindung zwischen Selektivitätsfilter und der Porenhelix in den kaliumselektiven Mutanten ermöglicht keine nichtselektive Ionenleitung. Unter Verwendung von protonendetektierter Festkörper-NMR wurde die Wechselwirkung zwischen Wassermolekülen und der kaliumselektiven Mutante NaK2K charakterisiert und präsentiert in Kapitel 5. Es wurde gezeigt, dass der Selektivitätsfilter von NaK2K unter physiologischen Bedingungen wasserfrei ist. Diese Ergebnisse werden in Kapitel 6 im Ganzen betrachtet und die verbleibenden Fragen werden erörtert, außerdem wird ein kurzer Ausblick auf die zukünftige Forschung zum Thema Ionenselektivität im NaK-Kanal gegeben. / Ion channels are essential to cellular homeostasis and electrical activity in higher eukaryotes. This thesis discusses the non-selective channel NaK and its potassium-selective mutants. The importance of ion channels is discussed in chapter 1 with a special focus on the tetrameric cation-selective ion channel superfamily. Various members of this superfamily are explored and their structures and ion selectivity are analysed. NaK is shown to have two distinct selectivity filter conformations that are stabilized by either Na+ or K+ ions in chapter 2. Using solid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, two ion conduction pathways were discovered. In chapter 3 a crystal structure of NaK was determined that confirms the previously predicted side-entry ion binding site, essential to the side-entry pathway. The two subunits in the asymmetric unit display the dynamical nature of the lower parts of the transmembrane helices as well as dual conformations for residues in the selectivity filter. In contrast to NaK the potassium-selective mutants are more ion sensitive as shown in chapter 4. The entire selectivity filter loses its stability under Na+ conditions for the potassium-selective mutants. The stronger connection of the selectivity filter and the pore helix in the potassium-selective mutants does not allow for non-selective ion conduction. Using proton-detected ssNMR, the interaction between water molecules and the potassium-selective mutant NaK2K was characterized and this is presented in chapter 5. The selectivity filter of NaK2K was shown to be free of water under physiological conditions. These results get put in perspective and the questions which remain are discussed in chapter 6. A short outlook on future research for the topic of ion selectivity in the NaK channel is given.

The work presented in this thesis has two parts. The first part deals with methodological developments in the area of solid-state NMR, relevant to the study of partially ordered systems. Liquid crystals are best examples of such partially ordered systems and they are easily oriented by the magnetic field used for the NMR study. They provide spectra rich in information useful for the study of structure and dynamic s of the oriented molecule. Dipolar couplings and anisotropic chemical shifts are relatively easy to obtain for these systems. However, the methodologies used for extracting the required information are constantly undergoing change, with newer ideas being used for optimal use of the technique and increasing the sensitivity of the methodology. In this thesis, existing methods used for obtaining dipolar couplings from oriented liquid crystalline samples are examined in detail and conditions for optimal use of the methods are investigated. Different approaches for enhancing the sensitivity of the techniques are also proposed. Estimation of chemical shift anisotropy of carbons for a molecule that is used as a building block for several mesogens has been obtained and its utility for estimating the order parameters of the system have been examined. The second part of the thesis deals with the application of solid state NMR methods to the study of a number of novel liquid crystalline systems and for the estimation of dynamics, order and orientation of the mesogenic molecules in the magnetic field. Chapter-2 deals with a detailed and systematic study to improve the sensitivity of cross-polarization based separated local field (SLF) NMR spectroscopy techniques such as PISEMA(Polarization Inversion Spin Exchange at the Magic Angle) and PDLF(Pro-ton Detected Local Field). The chapter has been further divided into three sections. Section-A describes the optimization procedure for cross-polarization period for reducing zero-frequency peaks in SLF experiments. Polarization Inversion(PI) is one of the important components of PISEMA and plays a crucial role in enhancing the dipolar cross-peaks and suppressing the axial-peaks. Shortening this period has the advantage of less r.f. power input into the system, thus less susceptibility to sample heating. Therefore it is crucial to arrive at the optimum condition for which maximum sensitivity and resolution are obtained. A detailed experimental investigation of the role of the initial po1arization period has been carried out for two different samples of static oriented liquid crystalline material at two different temperatures and a contact time of 2ms has been found to be optimal for such samples. Insection-B of this chapter, the initial preparation period of the experiment is considered as a possible means of increasing the sensitivity of the experiment. Thus the use of cross-polarization via the dipolar bath by the use of a diabatic demagnetization in the rotating frame(ADRF-CP) has been proposed to be incorporated into PISEMA. To understand the CP dynamics, magnetization in double-and zero-quantum reservoirs of an ensemble of spin-1/2 nuclei and their role in determining the sensitivity the experiments have been theoretically examined. Experimentally, a modification incorporating ADRF-CP is shown to result in enhancement of signal-to-noise by as much as 90% in the case of rigid single crystals of a model peptide and up to 50% in non-rigid, partially ordered liquid crystalline systems. In section-C another useful SLF technique known as PDLF spectroscopy has also been examined. In this case a sweep of one of the r.f. amplitudes(RAMP-CP),rather than ADRF is found to work well. The reason for the different behaviours has been discussed. Chapter-3 highlights two experimental approaches used to extract the chemical shift anisotropy(CSA) tensor information from rotating solids. Section-A is devoted to the measurement of the CSA values of thiophene by using MAS side band analysis, by extracting the principal values from the intensities of just a few spinning side bands. Experiments have been performed on thiophene-2 carboxylic acid and thiophene-3 carboxylic acid samples and the carbon CSA values have been obtained. In section-B, CSA values of carbons of the core unit of the liquid crystal4- hexyloxybenzoic acid (HBA) have been obtained by using the recoupling pulse sequence SUPER(Separation of Undistorted Powder patterns by Effortless Recoupling).HBA belongs to an important class of thermotropic liquid crystals which are structurally simple and often used as starting materials for many novel mesogens. As this molecule could serve as an ideal model compound, high resolution13C NMR studies of HBA in solution, solid and liquid crystalline phases have been also undertaken. The CSA values obtained from the 2D SUPER experiment showed good agreement to those computed by DFT calculations. The CSA values were used for obtaining the order parameter of the system at different temperatures. These matched well the order parameter obtained from the 13C-1 H dipolar couplings in the nematic phase determined by SLF spectroscopy at various temperatures. A knowledge of the CSA of the carbons is thus very useful, as they can be used for gaining knowledge about the system from the chemical shifts obtained from a simple 1D spectrum. In chapter-4, 1-and 2-dimensional13CNMR techniques have been utilized to obtain extensive information about some novel mesogenic molecules. Four molecules of different structure and topology have been taken up for study. These molecules have the following features. Mesogen-1 has a terminal hydroxyl group. Such systems with further modification can result in mesogenic monomers for side chain liquid crystalline polymers. Mesogen-2 has a dimethyl amino group at one end and has three phenyl groups connected by appropriate linking units that form the core. In the third case, mesogen-3, the terminal hydroxyl group of mesogen-1 is replaced with a hydrogen such that13C-1 H dipolar couplings provide directly information on molecular ordering and orientation. In the fourth case, mesogen-4, the core is built with four phenyl rings. Here the fourth ring is linked to other three rings via a flexible chain unit. In each of these cases the 2DSLFNMR experiments have been carried out where13C-1 H dipolar couplings as well as13C chemical shifts were used for obtaining the order parameters of various segments of the molecule. The data provide useful insight into the phase behaviour, ordering and orientation of the molecules. Chapter-5 discusses the applications of the natural abundance 13CNMR techniques to thiophene based mesogens, that have the potential for use in molecular electronics material. Typically, these molecules consist of phenyl rings appropriately connected by linking units with thiophene. Different core units as well as different linking units to thiophene have been considered. The six mesogens thus obtained have been investigated in detail using 1D and 2D NMR methods.13C-1 H dipolar couplings have been used to obtain ordering information, that show interesting correlation to the molecular orientation and dynamics.