Submitted by Aelson Maciera (aelsoncm@terra.com.br) on 2017-05-19T19:35:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissARLM.pdf: 2999284 bytes, checksum: cb32a2cd7ed71b40fd67f2b5604ce434 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-05-23T19:48:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissARLM.pdf: 2999284 bytes, checksum: cb32a2cd7ed71b40fd67f2b5604ce434 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-05-23T19:48:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissARLM.pdf: 2999284 bytes, checksum: cb32a2cd7ed71b40fd67f2b5604ce434 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-23T19:58:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissARLM.pdf: 2999284 bytes, checksum: cb32a2cd7ed71b40fd67f2b5604ce434 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-29 / Outra / The CO preferential oxidation reaction (PROX) is used in the purification of hydrogen streams for various applications. Since the discovery of improved catalytic properties of gold particles, at nanometer range, in the CO oxidation reaction at low temperature, Au catalysts have been the subject of numerous investigations of CO oxidation and PROX. Concerning the heterogeneous catalysis, the catalyst activity is determined by several factors: the nanoparticles size, the metal loading and dispersion, the nature and porosity of the support, and the metal/support interaction. To understand the dependence of the support and the influence of the synthesizing method on the material properties and catalytic performances, gold nanoparticles supported on three different oxides (CeO2, MnO2 and TiO2) were successfully synthesized by the deposition precipitation (DP) method, using urea, and modified polyol (MP) method, using PVP as surfactant and sodium borohydride as reducing agent. Additionally, Au/SiO2 was obtained by the DP method. Characterizations were performed to assess the crystallinity, the metal mass percentage, the reduction temperatures and the respective reducing gas consumptions of pure oxides and supported materials synthesized by both methods. In addition, microscopic pictures were obtained to evaluate the materials morphology and the gold nanoparticles diameter. The Au catalysts synthesized by the DP method presented smaller particle sizes as compared to catalysts obtained by the MP method. Catalytic evaluation of the CO oxidation and PROX reactions were performed using temperature ramp starting at room temperature up to 200 °C. As a comparative parameter, the ratio between the catalyst mass and the gas feed flow remained constant at 1 mg / 1 mL / min for all reactions. The results showed that Au supported on TiO2 prepared by the DP method presented complete CO conversion at room temperature, but with the simultaneous supply of H2, this catalyst tends to oxidize H2, decreasing the CO conversion activity. On the other hand, the Au/CeO2 catalyst prepared by the DP method presented activity up to about 200 °C for PROX and better selectivity towards the CO2 formation. / A reação de oxidação preferencial de CO (PROX) é utilizada na purificação de correntes de hidrogênio para diversas aplicações. Desde a descoberta da melhoria das propriedades catalíticas de partículas de ouro, em escala nanométrica, na reação de oxidação de CO a baixa temperatura, catalisadores de Au têm sido objeto de numerosas investigações em oxidação de CO e de PROX. No que diz respeito a catálise heterogênea, a atividade do catalisador é determinada por vários fatores: o tamanho das nanopartículas, a carga e dispersão metálica, a natureza e a porosidade do suporte, e a interação metal/suporte. Para entender a dependência do suporte e a influência do método de síntese nas propriedades dos materiais e nos desempenhos catalíticos, foram sintetizados com sucesso nanopartículas de ouro suportadas em 3 diferentes óxidos (CeO2, MnO2 e TiO2) pelos métodos de deposição precipitação (DP) com ureia e poliol modificado (PM) utilizando PVP como agente surfactante e borohidreto de sódio como agente redutor. Adionalmente, Au/SiO2 foi obtido pelo método DP. Foram realizadas caracterizações para avaliar a cristalinidade, porcentual mássico de metal, temperaturas de redução e respectivos consumos de gás redutor dos óxidos puros e dos materiais suportados sintetizados por ambos os métodos. Além disso, foram obtidas imagens de microscopia para avaliar a morfologia dos materiais e o diâmetro das nanopartículas de ouro. Os catalisadores de Au sintetizados pelo método DP apresentaram menores tamanhos de partícula, comparados aos catalisadores obtidos pelo método PM. A avaliação catalítica nas reações de oxidação de CO e PROX foram realizadas através de rampa de temperatura, começando pela temperatura ambiente e aquecendo até cerca de 200 ºC. Como parâmetro comparativo, a razão entre a massa de catalisador e a vazão dos gases alimentados manteve-se constante em 1 mg / 1 mL/min em todas as reações. Os resultados mostraram que o catalisador de Au suportado em TiO2 obtido pelo método DP apresentou conversão total de CO em temperatura ambiente, porém com a alimentação simultânea de H2, esse catalisador tende a oxidar o H2, diminuindo a atividade à conversão de CO. Por outro lado, o catalisador de Au/CeO2 preparado pelo método DP apresentou atividade até cerca de 200 ºC na PROX e melhor seletividade à formação de CO2. / PRH-ANP/MCT N° 44

Dans ce travail, les nanoparticles d’or supportées ont été étudiées en raison de leur fort potentiel dans les domaines de la catalyse. Des sphères de silice obtenues par la voie Stöber ont été synthétisées et utilisées comme supports des nanoparticules d’or. Les précurseurs d’or sont des solutions colloïdales possédant des nanoparticules d’or homogènes et de petite taille (environ 3 nm). Les matériaux préparés avec ou sans addition d’un nouvel élément ont été utilisés dans les réactions de l’oxydation du CO et une réaction inédite pour l’or: l’oxydation sélective de l’H2S.Les résultats indiquent que l’utilisation de colloïdes d’or comme précurseurs permet de contrôler la taille et la dispersion avant le dépôt et ceci est facilité par les propriétés optiques des nanoparticules de ce métal. Pour les propriétés catalytiques, outre la dispersion, on confirme très clairement par cette méthode de synthèse que l’interaction Au/Support joue un rôle majeur. L’addition d’un second métal augmente significativement l’activité des matériaux à base d’or. Les particules d’or et de Cu se rassemblent sous les conditions réactionnelles testées. Dans le cas de l’oxydation du CO, de petites quantités d’espèce d’or partiellement oxydée sont générées et forment une glue avec les espèces Cu2+ également formées au cours de la réaction et ceci permet de fixer les nanoparticules sur le support. Dans le cas de l’oxydation sélective de H2S, il a été montré que le système est résistant au soufre, y compris sur une longue durée de test. Les silices Stöber se sont avérées comme des supports catalytiques très intéressants car non poreux et formés de particules de petites tailles, ils sont aptes à exposer les phases actives de l’or aux réactifs, diminuant la pression de surface et facilitant le transfert thermique. Il a également été prouvé que ce matériau peut être mis en compétition avec les matériaux mésoporeux, ces derniers étant jugés indispensables pour obtenir de hautes activités en catalyse hétérogènes jusque là. / Supported gold nanoparticles have been focused on due to their high efficiency in the catalysis field. In this work, Stöber silica consisted by globules were synthesized and used as support for gold nanoparticles. The gold colloids with homogeneous and small nanoparticles (about 3 nm) were applied as gold precursor. The prepared materials with further metal addition were used to active the CO oxidation and another very special reaction- selective oxidation of H2S.The results suggested that by using the gold colloid as precursor the sizes of nanoparticles could be controlled before loading onto silica under the help of its optical properties. The results for catalytic reactions indicated that the interaction between Au-support is another essential factor impacting the activity beyond the size effect. The additions of metal largely enhance the activity of gold materials. The gold and copper (oxide) particles go through reassembling during the reactions. In the CO oxidation, small amounts of partially oxidized gold species were generated and “glued” strongly by the new formed Cu2+ species to the support. While in the selective H2S oxidation, it was found that the material is sulfur-resistant during long time reaction. The Stöber silica is proved to be a very promising support, which is non-porous but beneficial to expose active sites of gold nanoparticles to the reactants, lower the pressure drop, and facilitate the heat transformation. It was proved even can be matched with the well-know mesoporous materials that is claimed to be indispensable for the high activity.

Este trabalho demonstra o uso da fotopolimerização via absorção de dois fótons na produção de microestruturas dopadas com compostos orgânicos e nanopartículas de Au. A capacidade de produção de microestruturas com propriedades variadas é extremamente relevante, pois viabiliza o desenvolvimento de uma nova geração de dispositivos ópticos. Além disso, realizamos a conexão entre as microestruturas fabricadas e fontes de excitação, por meio de nanofibras de vidro. A integração entre essas estruturas, e destas com meios externos de excitação e detecção, é um passo essencial para o desenvolvimento de microcircuitos fotônicos, que podem representar uma nova revolução tecnológica, a exemplo do que foram os microcircuitos eletrônicos. Exploramos as possibilidades de dopagem da resina usando: (i) um composto fluorescente, (ii) um composto com birrefringência fotoinduzida e (iii) nanopartículas de ouro. Microestruturas contendo Rodamina B apresentaram boa integridade estrutural e fluorescência, tendo sido usadas para demonstrar a conexão dos microelementos com meios externos de excitação. Através de nanofibras e de micromanipuladores, comprovamos a capacidade de excitação seletiva de microestruturas através do guiamento da luz de um laser de Ar+. Estruturas birrefringentes foram obtidas pela dopagem com o azopolímero HEMA-DR13. Montamos um aparato que permite a observação da dinâmica de indução de birrefringência nas microestruturas, o qual representa um grande passo na caracterização deste tipo de microelementos. Com base nesse estudo, foi possível alcançar uma fração de birrefringência residual nas microestruturas de 35%. Por fim, propomos um método para a dopagem de microestruturas poliméricas com nanopartículas de ouro. Por se tratar de um método de dopagem indireta, ele evita interferências das nanopartículas no processo de microfabricação. Dessa forma, este trabalho abre possibilidades para a fabricação de microdispositivos funcionais com diversas propriedades especiais, bem como a integração desses microdispositivos em circuitos fotônicos. / This work demonstrates the use of two-photon photopolymerization in the fabrication of microstructures doped with organic compounds and gold nanoparticles. The ability to produce microstructures with different properties is extremely relevant, because it opens the possibility for the development of a new generation of optical devices. Besides, we have accomplished the connection between fabricated microstructures and excitation sources by means of silica nanowires. The connection among structures and with external means of detection and excitation is an essential step towards the development of new technological breakthrough in photonic microcircuits. We have explored the resin doping possibilities by using: (i) a fluorescent compound, (ii) a photoinduced birefringent compound and (iii) gold nanoparticles. Rhodamine B doped microstructures present good structural integrity and fluorescence, and were able to demonstrate the connection of microelements with external means of excitation. Through the use of nanofiber tapers and micromanipulators, we have shown the selective excitation capability of this method by guiding Ar+ laser light onto one single microstructure. Birefringent samples were obtained by doping the resin with the azopolymer HEMA-DR13. We have assembled an apparatus that allows observing the photoinduced birefringence dynamics, which represents a great step towards a better characterization of these kinds of microelements. Based on this study we were able to achieve a residual birefringence fraction of 35% in microscopic samples. Finally, we have proposed a new method for the doping of polymeric microstructures with gold nanoparticles. Because it is an indirect doping technique, it prevents gold nanoparticles from interfering with the microfabrication process. Thus, the work presented here paves the way for the fabrication of functional microdevices with a wide range of special properties, as well as for the connection of these microstructures for photonic microcircuit.

Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Drug delivery systems based on gold nanomaterials are regarded as one of the most effective methods for the treatment of cancer. In this work, we developed a nanocarrier based on a thiol-organofunctionalized chitosan and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)for docetaxel, an antineoplastic drug used for the treatment of lung, prostate, leukemia and malignant melanoma tumors. Initially, chitosan (CS) was modified with cysteine (CYS) by coupling them using N,N′-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). The presence of thiols groups in CS was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Subsequently, AuNPs were synthesized and passivated by sodium citrate. From UV-vis spectroscopy analysis, it was possible to obtain a strong absorbance band at 520 nm, which is related to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The size distribution of the nanoparticles was obtained by TEM, showing an average size of around 18nm. Then, a study using UV-vis spectroscopy, DLS, zeta potential and SEM was performed to understand the formation of the nanocomposite AuNPs/CS-SH. In this study, it was observed that the nanoparticles systematically aggregate in the presence of the polymeric matrix, changing their optical and morphological properties through time and amount of CS-SH. The release profile of the DTX with CS-SH was twice as much as the free drug, as well as, the material gave a controlled release up to 48 hours and constant up to 120 hours, unlike the free drug. After that time, the absorbance values remained constant until approximately 80 hours, unlike the free drug. The use of the zero order kinetic model allowed a better understanding of the drug release profile with the material. / Com o advento da nanotecnologia, sistemas avançados de entrega de fármacos têm sido eficazes no tratamento do câncer. Nesse trabalho, desenvolvemos um carreador para o fármaco antineoplásico docetaxel (DTX) a partir do sistema de liberação controlada formado por uma quitosana organofuncionalizada com grupos tióis e nanopartículas de ouro (AuNPs). Para a produção do carreador, a quitosana (CS) foi modificada com cisteína e acoplada por dicicloexilcarbodiimida (DCC). A presença dos grupos tióis na CS foi confirmada pelos espectros obtidos por FTIR. Posteriormente, as AuNPs foram sintetizadas e passivadas pelo método do citrato de sódio e, a partir da espectroscopia de absorção na região do UV-vis, foi possível obter uma banda de absorbância intensa na região de 520 nm. Os diâmetros médios das nanopartículas foram observados por TEM, obtendo um tamanho médio de aproximadamente 18 nm. Na sequência, realizamos um estudo cinético para entendermos melhor o comportamento entre o material produzido e as AuNPs, comprovando a interação destes a partir das medidas de FTIR, essa técnica também foi importante para comprovação da interação entre o fármaco e o material produzido. Complementar a este estudo, as técnicas de DLS, potencial Zeta e MEV foram utilizadas, sendo fundamentais para definirmos a massa ideal da quitosana modificada (CS-SH) nos testes de liberação. O perfil de liberação do DTX com o material foi o dobro em relação ao fármaco livre, bem como, o material proporcionou uma liberação mais lenta, nas primeiras 8 horas e continuou liberando até aproximadamente as 48 horas. Após esse tempo, os valores de absorbâncias permaneceram constantes até aproximadamente as 80 horas, diferentemente do fármaco livre. A utilização do modelo cinético de ordem zero possibilitou um melhor entendimento do perfil de liberação do fármaco com o material. / São Cristóvão, SE

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-14T14:18:26Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese de Doutorado - Ana Carolina M.S. Dias.pdf: 7391913 bytes, checksum: 55ab68bd39f956f754684f4b795a7baa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-14T14:18:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese de Doutorado - Ana Carolina M.S. Dias.pdf: 7391913 bytes, checksum: 55ab68bd39f956f754684f4b795a7baa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-06 / FACEPE / A infecção pelo vírus dengue (DENV) é uma das doenças tropicais mais negligenciadas e de maior importância de saúde pública no mundo. Novos métodos de diagnóstico da doença têm sido estudados através da detecção da proteína NS1 do DENV. O antígeno NS1 é um importante marcador precoce da fase aguda da dengue, secretado em altas concentrações pelo vírus no sangue de pessoas infectadas logo nos primeiros dias, porém, não é muito utilizado na rotina laboratorial para diagnóstico da doença devido ao alto custo dos ensaios. A presente tese descreve o desenvolvimento de duas plataformas sensoras eletroquímicas baseadas em eletrodos impressos (EIs) modificados com nanomateriais para detecção do antígeno NS1 do DENV. Os EIs foram confeccionados utilizando-se a impressão de tinta de carbono sobre o polietileno tereftalato (PET), suporte para impressão dos moldes. Inicialmente, foram estudados os efeitos de nanotubos de carbono e sua contribuição na transferência de elétrons, condutividade e aumento de área eletroativa da plataforma sensora. O estudo foi baseado na incorporação de nanotubos de carbono funcionalizados com grupos carboxílicos à tinta de carbono. Para detecção do NS1, um imunoensaio do tipo “sanduíche” foi realizado, no qual a captura específica do NS1 pôde ser avaliada através das reações redox da enzima peroxidase conjugada ao anticorpo. Uma faixa linear entre 0,04 g/mL e 2 g/mL de NS1 foi obtida, indicando boa performance analítica do imunossensor, com coeficiente de correlação linear de 0,996 (p<0.0001, n=8) e limite de detecção de 0,012 g/mL de NS1. Posteriormente, foi investigada a contribuição de nanopartículas metálicas no desenvolvimento de sensores eletroquímicos livres de marcação. Foram utilizadas nanopartículas de ouro (NPsAu) funcionalizadas com grupos amina para a imobilização covalente de anticorpos. Na síntese das NPsAu, foi utilizado o polietilenoimina como agente redutor e funcionalizante para promover uma ligação amida com o anticorpo anti-NS1. O imunossensor desenvolvido mostrou curva de calibração com faixa de concentração linear entre 0,1 g/mL e 2 g/mL de NS1 (r = 0,995, p<0.0001, n=7) e limite de detecção de 0,03 g/mL de NS1. A contribuição dos nanomateriais para as plataformas sensoras desenvolvidas mostrou-se efetiva na sensibilidade analítica, devido ao aumento de área eletroativa e maior quantidade de anticorpos imobilizados. A aplicação destes nanomateriais nos imunossensores proporciona novas alternativas de diagnóstico para detecção da proteína NS1 do DENV. / Infection by Dengue Virus (DENV) is one of the most neglected tropical diseases and of higher importance of public health worldwide. New methods of diagnosis of the disease have been studied through the detection of NS1 protein of DENV. NS1 antigen is an important early marker of acute dengue infection secreted in high concentrations by the virus in the blood of infected people in first days, however it is not widely used in the laboratory routine for diagnosis of the disease due to high cost of assays. The present thesis describes the development of two electrochemical sensor platforms based on screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) modified with nanomaterials for detection of NS1 antigen of DENV. SPEs were prepared using carbon ink printing on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET), support for molds printing. Initially, the effects of carbon nanotubes and their contribution to the electron transfer, conductivity and increase of electroactive area of the sensor platform were studied. The study was based on the incorporation of carbon nanotubes functionalized with carboxylic groups to the carbon ink. For NS1 detection, a sandwich-type immunoassay was carried out, wherein the specific capture of NS1 may be assessed by redox reactions of peroxidase enzyme conjugated to the antibody. A linear range between 0.04 g/mL and 2 g/mL NS1 was obtained, indicating good analytical performance of the immunosensor, with linear correlation coefficient of 0.996 (p<0.0001, n=8) and limit of detection of 0.012 g/mL NS1. Subsequently, the contribution of metal nanoparticles in the development of label-free electrochemical sensors was investigated. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with amine groups were used for covalent immobilization of antibodies. In the synthesis of AuNPs, polyethyleneimine was used as a reducing and functionalizing agent to promote an amide bond with anti-NS1 antibody. The developed immunosensor showed calibration curve with linear concentration range between 0.1 g/mL and 2 g/mL NS1 (r = 0.995, p<0.0001, n = 7) and limit of detection of 0.03 g/mL NS1. The contribution of nanomaterials for the sensor platforms developed proved effective in the analytical sensitivity due to the increase of electroactive area and larger amount of immobilized biomolecules. The application of these nanomaterials in immunosensors provides new alternatives of diagnosis for detection of NS1 protein of DENV.

The gold nanorods (AuNRs) have attracted considerable interest due to their special optical properties, strongly dependent on the size and aspect ratio (thickness/length), and thus, their potential applications in optics and medicine (therapy, cancer diagnosis...). In this context, the development of new strategies for the synthesis of anisotropic nanorods with high yields and selectivities remains a challenge towards an effective control of the size and morphology. Among the different preparation routes, the seed mediated method is most commonly used, especially in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) as a growth-driving agent. To our knowledge, few works have reported in the literature this system in presence of other growth driving agents. In this context, we have developed a novel family of growth driving agents, N,N-dimethyl-N-cetyl-N-hydroxyalkylammonium salts (HAAX), producing gold nanorods with high yields and selectivities in water. These surfactants have good solubility in water and are easily synthesized in good yields in presence of different structural parameters that can be modulated such as: i) the length of the lipophilic chain (C12 , C16 , C18), ii ) the nature of the counter ions by metathesis (X= F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, HCO3- e BF4-), and an original way, iii) hydroxylated polar head. The gold nanoparticles obtained by the seed mediated method were characterized by UV -vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, showing the influence of the surfactant on the morphology and on the size (aspect ratio) of the gold nanoparticles. Thus, the modulation of this family of ammonium salts allows the access to different shapes and sizes of gold nanoparticles according to the desired application. The growth process control generated by the polar head groups allows the modulation of the structural parameters of gold nanorods and opens interesting perspectives in terms of applications. / Les nanobatônnets d'or (AuNRs) suscitent um intérêt considérable en raison de leurs propriétés optiques particulières, fortement dépendantes de leur rapport d’aspect (longueur/épaisseur), et donc de leurs applications potentielles em optique et en médecine. Dans ce contexte, le développement de nouvelles stratégies pour la synthèse de nanobatônnets avec des rendements et des sélectivités élevés reste un challenge avec un objectif de contrôle efficace de la taille et de la morphologie. Parmi lês différentes voies de préparation, la méthodologie par ensemencement est la plus utilisée, notamment en présence de bromure de cétyltriméthylammonium (CTABr), comme agent de croissance. A notre connaissance, peu de travaux ont été reportés dans la littérature en présence d’autres agents de croissance. Dans ce contexte, nous avons développé une famille originale d’agents de croissance, les sels de N,N-diméthyl-N-cétyl-Nhydroxyalkylammonium (HAAX), produisant des nanobatônnets d’or avec des rendements et des sélectivités elevés dans l’eau. Ces tensioactifs présentant une bonne solubilité dans l'eau sont facilement synthétisés avec de bons rendements, et différents paramètres structuraux peuvent être modules tels que: i) la longueur de la chaîne lipophile (C12, C16, C18), ii) la nature des contre-ions par métathèse anionique (X= F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, HCO3- et BF4-), et plus particulièrement; iii) la tête polaire hydroxylée. Les nanoparticules d’or obtenues par la méthode d’ensemencement ont été caractérisées par spectroscopie Uvvis et par Microscopie Electronique à Transmission, montrant l’influence du tensioactif sur la morphologie et la taille (dimension, rapport d’aspect) des nanoparticules d’or. Ainsi, cette famille de sels d’ammonium, de par sa modularité, permet d’accéder à différentes formes et tailles de nanoparticules d’or suivant l’application souhaitée et ouvre ainsi des perspectives intéressantes en termes d’applications. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Os nanobastões de ouro (AuNRs) têm atraído grande interesse devido às suas propriedades ópticas diferenciadas, fortemente dependentes do tamanho e da taxa de proporção (comprimento/largura) e, às suas potenciais aplicações em óptica e medicina (termoterapias, diagnósticos imediatos, diagnóstico de câncer etc.). Neste contexto, o desenvolvimento de novas estratégias para a síntese de nanobastões anisotrópicos com elevados rendimentos e seletividades contínuas a ser um desafio para a obtenção do controle efetivo da morfologia e do tamanho. Entre as diversas metodologias de preparação, o método mediado por semente é o mais utilizado, especialmente na presença de brometo de cetiltrimetilamônio (CTABr) como um agente direcionador de crescimento. Para nosso conhecimento, poucos trabalhos foram relatados na literatura referentes a esse sistema em presença de outros agentes direcionadores de crescimento. Neste contexto, foi desenvolvida uma nova família de agentes direcionadores de crescimento: os sais de amônio N,N-dimetil-Ncetil-N-hidroxialquilamônio (HAAX), produzindo nanobastões de ouro com alto grau de rendimento e seletividade em meio aquoso. Esses surfactantes possuem uma boa solubilidade em água e são facilmente sintetizados com bons rendimentos e com diferentes parâmetros estruturais que podem ser modificados, tais como: i) o comprimento da cadeia lipofílica (C12, C16, C18), ii) a natureza do contra-íon trocado por metátese aniônica (X= F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, HCO3- e BF4-), e de forma original, iii) a região polar hidroxilada. As nanopartículas de ouro obtidas pelo método mediado por semente foram caracterizadas por espectroscopia de UV-vis e por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão, que mostram a influência do surfactante sobre a morfologia e o tamanho (taxa de proporção) das nanopartículas de ouro. Assim, a modificação da estrutura dos sais de amônio dessa família permite um acesso a diferentes formatos e tamanhos de nanopartículas de ouro de acordo com a aplicação almejada. O controle do processo de crescimento gerado pela região do grupo polar permite a modificação dos parâmetros estruturais dos nanobastões de ouro e abre interessantes perspectivas em termos de aplicações.

Um problema recorrente no desenvolvimento de vacinas de DNA e terapia gênica utilizando vetores não virais é a baixa eficiência de transfecção gênica. Isso ocorre devido às diversas barreiras físicas, enzimáticas e difusionais que o DNA precisa superar para chegar ao núcleo das células. Neste trabalho tem-se por objetivo o desenvolvimento de novos vetores não virais de entrega gênica, formados por DNA plasmidial (pDNA), proteínas (protamina ou T-Rp3) e nanopartículas de ouro (NPAu) na forma de complexos ternários. Para tal, NPAu\'s foram sintetizadas por redução com citrato de sódio, apresentando diâmetros entre 20,3 e 57,3 nm e potencial zeta entre -69,0 e +43,3 mV, dependendo das condições de síntese, a saber, das quantidades de citrato de sódio adicionadas e da ordem de adição dos reagentes. Em seguida, vetores compostos por pDNA-protamina/T-Rp3-NPAu foram formados, transfectados em células HeLa cultivadas in vitro, e a atividade da enzima repórter luciferase foi medida. Deste modo, a partir de variações em proporção mássica e tamanho de nanopartículas, foi possível obter complexos utilizando protamina e ouro com uma eficiência de transfecção 33 vezes melhor do que transfecções utilizando apenas protamina. Por outro lado, complexos contendo T-Rp3 e ouro se mostraram ainda mais eficazes na entrega, apresentando níveis de transfecção próximos ao do reagente comercial Lipofectamina. Ensaios de transfecção utilizando a droga nocodazol indicaram a importância dos microtúbulos no mecanismo de entrega gênica, e ensaios com a droga cloroquina evidenciaram que as nanopartículas de ouro atuam de maneira diferenciada no escape endossomal dos vetores não virais utilizados. Visando relacionar características físico-químicas com a eficiência de transfecção, alguns destes complexos foram caracterizados por espalhamento dinâmico de luz, em que complexos com protamina apresentaram tamanhos entre 116 e 363 nm e complexos com T-Rp3 apresentaram entre 135 e 307 nm e potenciais zeta entre +7,3 e +22,5 mV e +10,6 e +27,2 mV, respectivamente, dependendo das características das NPAu\'s. / A recurrent problem in the development of DNA vaccines and gene therapy using non-viral vectors is the low efficiency of transfection. That is due to the many physical, enzymatic and diffusional barriers that DNA must overcome to reach the cell nucleus. This work aims to develop novel non-viral vectors based on plasmid DNA (pDNA), proteins (protamine or recombinant T-Rp3) and gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as ternary complexes. For such, AuNP\'s were first synthesized via sodium citrate reduction, with diameters varying from 20,3 to 57,3 nm and zeta potentials between -69,0 and +43,3 mV, depending on synthesis conditions, changing the quantities of sodium citrate added and the order of addition of reagents. Vectors formed by pDNA-protamine/T-Rp3-AuNP were then formed, transfected and luciferase activity was measured. Thus, from variations on mass ratios and gold nanoparticle sizes, it was possible to obtain complexes with protamine and gold with a transfection efficiency 33 times higher than analog complexes using only protamine. Also, complexes containing T-Rp3 and gold showed an even higher delivery efficiency, with transfection efficiency close to Lipofectamine. Assays using nocodazole indicated the importance of microtubule in the gene delivery process and, whereas assays with chloroquine showed that gold nanoparticles act in a different way over endossomal escape of used non-viral vectors. Finally, some of these complexes were characterized with dynamic light scattering. Complexes with protamine were within the size ragne of 116 to 363 nm and complexes with T-Rp3 were within the size range of 135 to 307 nm. The zeta potential varied from +7,3 to +22,5 mV and from +10,6 to +27,2 mV, respectively, depending on the gold nanoparticles used.

Neste trabalho investigamos a dinâmica de formação de nanopartículas de Au por pulsos de femtossegundos formatados (800 nm, 30 fs, 1 kHz e 2 mJ), induzida pela ionização da molécula de quitosana. Inicialmente desenvolvemos um sistema de formatação de pulsos ultracurtos que faz uso de um modulador espacial de luz, constituído por um arranjo linear de cristais líquidos, com o qual somos capazes de impor distintas modulações de fase ao pulso laser. Para monitorar o processo de produção de nanopartículas, montamos um sistema de excitação (pulsos de femtossegundos) e prova (luz branca), o qual permite a observação em tempo real do aparecimento da banda de plásmon e, consequentemente, da dinâmica de formação das nanopartículas. Resultados obtidos para pulsos não formatados (limitados por Transformada de Fourier) demonstraram que a formação de nanopartículas deve-se à ionização não linear da quitosana, a qual está relacionada à oxidação do grupo hidroxila para o grupo carbonila. Medidas de microscopia eletrônica de transmissão forneceram os tamanhos (entre 20 e 100 nm) e formatos (esferas, pirâmides, hexágonos, bastões, etc) das nanopartículas geradas. Ainda, nossos resultados revelaram que esta ionização é iniciada por absorção multifotônica, mais especificamente por absorção de 4 fótons. Utilizando pulsos formatados com fase espectrais constante, degrau e cossenoidal com diferentes frequências, investigamos a influência destes na formação de nanopartículas. Concluímos que os pulsos mais longos são mais favoráveis ao processo de ionização, e consequente redução dos íons de Au para a formação de nanopartículas metálicas. Este comportamento se deve, provavelmente, à redistribuição da energia absorvida para os modos vibracionais, o que é mais provável para pulsos mais longos. Assim, o método apresentado pode abrir novas maneiras para a formação de nanopartículas de metálicas, as quais podem ser mais exploradas dos pontos de vista aplicado e fundamental. / In this work we have studied the synthesis of Au nanoparticles using shaped ultrashort pulses (800 nm, 30 fs, 1 kHz and 2 mJ), induced by the ionization of the chitosan. Initially we developed a pulse shaping setup that uses a spatial light modulator (liquid crystals array), with which we are able to impose distinct phase mask to the laser pulse. In order to monitor the nanoparticles production process, we used a pump-probe system, consisting of femtosecond pulses (pump) and white light (probe), which allows the observation of the plasmon band enhancement and hence the nanoparticles formation dynamics. The results obtained by Fourier Transform limited pulses have shown that the nanoparticles formation is due to the nonlinear ionization of chitosan, which is related to hydroxyl group oxidation to the carbonyl group. Transmission electron microscopy measurements provided the sizes (20-100 nm) and shapes (spheres, pyramids, hexagons, rods, etc.) of the produced nanoparticles. Moreover, our results revealed that ionization is initiated by multiphoton absorption, more specifically by four photons absorption. Using pulses shaped with constant, step and cossenoidal (with different frequencies) spectral phase masks, we investigated their influence in the nanoparticles formation. We conclude that longer pulses are more favorable to the ionization process and, consequently, to the gold ions reduction for the synthesis of the metallic nanoparticles. This behavior is probably due to the redistribution of the absorbed energy to the vibrational modes, which is more likely for longer pulses. Therefore, the approach presented here can open new ways to produce metallic nanoparticles, which can be further explored from applied and fundamental points of view.

Yolk-shell nanostructures/yolk-shell nanoparticles are defined as a hybrid structure, a mixture of core/shell and hollow particles, where a core particle is encapsulated inside the hollow shell and may move freely inside the shell. Of the various classifications of yolk-shell nanostructures, a structure with an inorganic core and inorganic shell (inorganic/inorganic) has been studied widely due to their unique optical, magnetic, electrical, mechanical, and catalytic properties. In the work presented here, among the different inorganic/inorganic yolk-shell nanostructures noble metal@silica yolk-shell nanostructures has been chosen as the topic of interest. Silica shell possesses many advantages such as chemical inertness, tunable pore sizes, diverse surface morphologies, increasing suspension stability, no reduction in LSPR properties of noble metal nanoparticles when used as a coating for such particles. Noble metal nanoparticles such as AgNPs and AuNPs, on the other hand, possess unique structural, optical, catalytic, and quantum properties. Hence yolk-shell nanostructures with a combination of Ag or Au core and a silica shell (Ag@SiO2 and Au@SiO2) would open to endless possibilities. In this study, four areas were mainly explored: mechanism of silica shell formation over a given template, the synthetic modifications of Ag@SiO2 and Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanostructures, their application as a potential catalyst, and devising of a flow type catalytic reactor. Despite the growing number of contributions on the topic of yolk-shell nanostructures, particularly Au@SiO2 and Ag@SiO2 yolk-shell nanostructures, a potential for improvement lies in all four aforementioned areas. As an initial study, the effect of different processing conditions as well as the mechanism of silica shell formation over reactive block copolymer templates was investigated. An asymmetric PS-b-P4VP block copolymer was chosen as a structure directing component to deposit silica shell. In order to deposit silica shell, PS-b-P4VP micelles with a collapsed PS core and a swollen P4VP corona was prepared via a solvent exchange method. The growth of silica shell over the PS-b-P4VP micelles (reactive template) was done using in-situ DLS and TEM. The experimental data obtained revealed the 4 distinct stages involved in the silica shell formation over the reactive BCP micellar template starting from the accumulation of silica precursor around the P4VP corona followed by a reactive template mediated hydrolysis-condensation reaction of the silica precursor which eventually lead to the shell densification and shell growth around the micelles. An understanding of the mechanism of silica shell formation over reactive templates provides a direct way to encapsulate various active species such as metal nanoparticles and quantum dots and paves the way for the template mediated synthesis of hybrid nanostructures such as yolk-shell nanoparticles. These studies also serve as a platform to fine-tune the properties of such hybrid nanostructures by varying the reaction parameters during silica shell deposition and reaction time. The next part of the work focused mainly on the synthesis, process optimisation and characterization of Ag@SiO2 and Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanostructures, and their potential use as a nanocatalyst. A well-known soft template mediated synthesis of the yolk-shell nanostructure was adopted for the present work. For this PS-b-P4VP micelle was used as a dual template for both encapsulation of nanoparticle and the deposition of silica shell. The nanoparticles were entrapped selectively to the BCP micellar core and silica deposition was done by reacting the nanoparticle-loaded micelles with an acidic silica sol which lead to the formation of Ag@PS-b-P4VP@SiO2 or Au@PS-b-P4VP@SiO2 particles with respect to the nanoparticle used. In the case of Ag@PS-b-P4VP particles, upon silica deposition, a partial dissolution of AgNPs was observed whereas AuNPs were stable against dissolution. Hence yolk-shell nanostructures with AuNPs were studied further. As-prepared Au@PS-b-P4VP@SiO2 particles were then subjected to pyrolysis to remove the BCP template. The resulting yolk-shell nanostructures comprised of an AuNP core and a hollow mesoporous silica shell. Upon removal of the BCP template, the Au@SiO2 particles fused together and formed large aggregates. The catalytic properties of Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanoparticles were explored using a model reaction of reduction of 4-nitrophenol and proved to have good catalytic activity and efficient recyclability. It was observed that catalytic efficiency was hindered by the particle aggregates formed after pyrolysis by creating an inhomogeneity in the system and inaccessibility of the catalytic surface for the reactants. Hence synthetic modifications were needed to overcome such drawbacks. Next part of the work deals with the synthetic modification of Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanoparticles done by embedding them in a porous silica structure (PSS). Such structural morphology was attained by gelating the excess silica precursor while synthesising the Au@PS-b-P4VP@SiO2 particles. The pyrolytic removal of block copolymer results in the formation of Au@SiO2@PSS catalyst and the porous nature of both the shell and the silica structure provides an easy access for the reactants to the nanocatalyst surface located inside. The catalytic properties of Au@SiO2@PSS were studied using a model reaction of catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and reductive degradation of different dyes. Kinetic studies show that Au@SiO2@PSS catalyst possesses enhanced catalytic activity as compared to other analogous systems reported in the literature so far. Furthermore, catalytic experiments on the reductive degradation of different dyes show that Au@SiO2@PSS catalyst can be considered as a very promising candidate for wastewater treatment. Another proposed direction of applying the Au@SiO2 yolk-shells is by devising a continuous flow catalytic system composed of Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanoparticles for the effective degradation of azo dyes as a promising candidate for wastewater treatment. This was done by infiltrating the Au@PS-b-P4VP@SiO2 particles inside a porous glass substrate (frits) and the subsequent pyrolytic removal of the BCP template resulting in the formation of Au@SiO2 yolk-shell nanostructures sintered inside the frit pores. The flow catalytic reactor was exploited in terms of studying its catalytic activity in the degradation of azo dyes and 4-nitrophenol and proved to have a catalytic efficiency of ca. 99% in terms of reagent conversion and has a long-term stability under flow. Thus, with a few modifications, these flow type systems can open the doors to a very promising continuous flow catalytic reactor in the future.

An ideal biosensor is a compact and in-expensive device that is able to readily and rapidly detects different types of analytes with high sensitivity and specificity. The affectability of a biosensing methodology is subject to the limit of nanomaterials to transduce the target binding process to an improved perceptible signal, while the selectivity is accomplished by considering the binding and specificity of certain moieties to their targets. Keeping these requirements in mind we have chosen nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that has catalytic properties combined with their size, shape and configuration dependent chemical and physical properties as essential precursors and signaling components for creation of biosensors with tremendous sensitivity. The primary goal of the research work described in this dissertation is to develop and evaluate novel methods to detect various analytes using nanomaterials, at the same time making an affordable architecture for point-of-care (POC) applications. We report here in chapter 3 a simple and new strategy for preparing disposable, paper-based, porous AuNP/M-SWCNT hybrid thin gold films with high conductivity, rapid electron transfer rates, and excellent electrocatalytic properties to achieve multiple analyte electrochemical detection with a resolution that greatly exceeds that of purchased flat gold slides. We further explored the use of nanomaterial-based paper films in more complex matrices to detect analytes such as NADH, which can act as a biomarker for certain cellular redox imbalances and disease conditions. Carbon nanotubes with their large activated surfaces and edge-plane sites (defects) that are ideal for performing NADH oxidation at low potentials without any help of redox mediators minimizing surface fouling in complex matrices is described in chapter 4. With an instrument-free approach in mind we further focused on a colorimetric platform using split cocaine aptamers and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to detect cocaine for on-site applications as described in chapter 5. In chapter 5, the split aptamer sequences were evaluated mainly on three basic criteria, the hybridization efficiency, specificity towards the analyte (cocaine), and the reaction time to observe a distinguishable color change from red to blue. The assay is an enzyme-assisted target recycling (EATR) strategy following the principle that nuclease enzyme recognizes probe–target complexes, cleaving only the probe strand releasing the target for recycling. We have also studied the effect of the number of binding domains with variable chain lengths on either side of the apurinic (AP) site. On the basis of our results, we finally shortlisted the sequence combination with maximum signal enhancement fold which is instrumental in development of colorimetric platform with faster, and specific reaction to observe a distinctive color change in the presence of cocaine.