Recently, conductive polymer/carbon nanomaterials have drawn attention for use in corrosion inhibition, sensors, energy storage devices, and coatings for electromagnetic shielding applications due to their good mechanical properties and electronic conductivity. Therefore, efforts have been made to find fast and facile methods for the synthesis and development of these hybrids that allow control over key parameters, such as the thickness of the conductive polymer coating. In this study, such hybrids were prepared using polyaniline (PANI) as the conductive polymer and vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (VGCNFs) as the carbon nanomaterial or filler by a semi-dilute in situ polymerization method to be evaluated for their effectiveness as corrosion inhibitory additives to alkyd paints. Spectroscopic, colorimetric, and electric properties of PANI-coated VGCNFs were investigated. The thickness of the PANI coating, along with other parameters, impacts the behavior and mechanisms by which the nanomaterial performs its role in a given application, particularly in the corrosion inhibition processes. Thus, different synthesis conditions, including pretreatment of the nanofibers, the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant, PreT-VGCNF/ANI ratios (w/w), and polymerization times were tested and their effects on the PANI thickness were microscopically and statistically evaluated. It was found that only different PreT-VGCNF/ANI ratios allowed definite control of the PANI thickness. No clear effect on the thickness was observed after three hours of polymerization. The presence of SDS and pretreatment of VGCNFs displayed a synergistic effect on the appearance and thickness of the PANI film. PANI-coated VGCNF additives, with PANI in the leucoemeraldine base (LEB) and emeraldine base (EB) forms, were synthesized using a PreT-VGCNF/ANI ratio of 0.4 in the presence of SDS. Cold-rolled steel coupons were coated with 20-30 ìm thick alkyd paint coatings, and their electrochemical behavior was investigated by open circuit potential (OCP) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) measurements. The results indicate that, overall, EB/VGCNF additive performed better as a corrosion inhibitor, followed by PreT-VGCNF and LEB/VGCNF additives.

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Les glycoprotéines de fusion virales de classe 1 contrôlent la fusion entre lenveloppe virale et la membrane cellulaire. Ces glycoprotéines présentent une extrémité N-terminale indispensable à la fusion, le peptide de fusion. Les peptides de fusion sont capables dinduire à eux seuls la fusion de membranes in vitro. Dans cette étude, nous avons dabord analysé les peptides de fusion de gp41 du HIV et de gp30 du BLV. Ces deux peptides de fusion sont des peptides obliques : ils sinsèrent obliquement dans la membrane sous forme hélicoïdale. Nos études ont montré une relation entre la capacité de ces deux peptides de fusion à sinsérer obliquement dans la membrane et la capacité de leurs glycoprotéines de fusion à induire la fusion. Dans le cas du BLV, nous avons également montré une relation entre lobliquité du peptide de fusion et sa fusogénicité. Cette relation obliquité-fusogénicité a été utilisée pour prédire avec succès la région minimale des deux peptides de fusion suffisante pour induire une fusion significative in vitro, qui correspond respectivement aux douze et aux quinze premiers acides aminés de gp41 et gp30. Nos résultats montrent également que le peptide caméléon, un peptide de novo avec une structure labile, sinsère obliquement dans la membrane et induit la fusion in vitro. Le fait que ce peptide fasse partie des peptides obliques, comme les peptides de fusion du HIV et BLV, renforce lhypothèse dun lien entre la fusogénicité des peptides de fusion et leur flexibilité structurale. De nombreuses études réalisées sur les glycoprotéines de fusion de classe 1 indiquent que le domaine transmembranaire intervient également dans la fusion virale. Ce domaine doit être suffisamment long pour que la fusion soit complète. Dans ce travail, nous avons montré quun peptide transmembranaire modèle, le peptide KALR, est capable de sinsérer et dinduire la fusion de liposomes in vitro. En comparant les résultats de modélisation moléculaire avec ceux de FTIR et ceux de la fusion de phase lipidique/perméabilisation de liposomes, nous avons également montré que le taux dinsertion membranaire et la fusogénicité de KALR dépendent de la longueur de son cur hydrophobe. En effet, le taux dinsertion de KALR dans la membrane est beaucoup plus important lorsquil contient un cur hydrophobe lui permettant de traverser entièrement la membrane. Dans cette situation, KALR est capable dinduire la déstabilisation et la fusion de membranes alors que lorsque son cur hydrophobe est trop court pour lui permettre de traverser la membrane, il en est incapable. Ces résultats ont permis dapporter des éléments de compréhension des mécanismes intervenant lors de la fusion induite par les glycoprotéines de fusion virales. / Abstract: Class 1 fusion glycoproteins of viruses are involved in the fusion between viral envelope and cell membrane. The N-terminal extremity of these glycoproteins, called fusion peptide, is essential for fusion. Fusion peptides are able to induce by themselves in vitro membrane fusion. Firstly, we analysed fusion peptides of HIV-1 gp41 and BLV gp30. These two peptides are tilted peptides: they insert obliquely in the membrane when helical. Our studies showed a correlation between the ability of these two fusion peptides to insert obliquely in the membrane and the ability of whole glycoproteins to induce fusion. For BLV, a relationship between the obliquity of the fusion peptide and its fusogenicity was also observed. This obliquity/fusogenicity relationship was used to successfully predict the minimal region of the two fusion peptides sufficient to induce significant in vitro fusion. The minimal fusion peptide corresponds respectively to the twelve and to the fifteen first residues of gp41 and gp30. Our results also showed that the chameleon peptide, a de novo peptide with structural flexibility, inserts obliquely into the membrane and induces in vitro fusion. The fact that this peptide is a tilted peptide, like fusion peptides of HIV-1 and BLV, confirms the hypothesis of a relationship between the fusion peptides fusogenicity and their structural flexibility. A lot of studies on class 1 fusion glycoproteins of viruses indicate that the transmembrane domain is also directly involved in the viral fusion. Glycoproteins must have a domain long enough to induce complete fusion. In this study, we showed that a model transmembrane peptide, KALR peptide, is able to insert into membranes and to induce their fusion. By comparing molecular modelling results with those of FTIR, of liposomes lipid-mixing and of liposomes leakage, we also showed that the insertion rate into the membranes and the fusogenicity of KALR depend on the length of its hydrophobic core. Indeed, the insertion rate of KALR into the membrane is greatly larger when it contains a hydrophobic core long enough to allow the peptide to traverse the membrane. In this situation, KALR is able to destabilize membranes and to induce their fusion, while when it is too short to match the membrane, it is unable to induce fusion. These results allow to better understanding mechanisms involved in the fusion induced by viral fusion glycoproteins.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-10-20T14:28:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 eloahpereiraavila.pdf: 19264165 bytes, checksum: c322eb3e55e26c89546b4e9982d62ba3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-10-21T13:12:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 eloahpereiraavila.pdf: 19264165 bytes, checksum: c322eb3e55e26c89546b4e9982d62ba3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-21T13:12:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 eloahpereiraavila.pdf: 19264165 bytes, checksum: c322eb3e55e26c89546b4e9982d62ba3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-18 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / As reações de adição 1,2 às iminas são uma ferramenta sintética de grande interesse para a obtenção de blocos de construção contendo grupos aminas e aminoácidos em seus esqueletos estruturais. Os compostos obtidos por esta via são de grande interesse farmacológico, industrial e demais produtos de química fina. Desta forma, é possível acessar não apenas substratos para a síntese de moléculas complexas, mas também compostos com propriedades biológicas relevantes. Assim, propusemos duas vertentes para obtenção de estruturas análogas: em um primeiro momento, o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a obtenção de triclorometilaminas a partir da inserção do triclorometil carbânion gerado pela descarboxilação do sal tricloroacetato de potássio em um solvente aprótico em condições brandas e economicamente viável. Uma versão diastereosseletiva foi apresentada para a obtenção de um derivado enantiomericamente puro. Para uma melhor compreensão do mecanismo, cinética de descarboxilação, e formação de espécies envolvidas, foi utilizada a espectroscopia no Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier com Reflexão Total Atenuada (ATR-FTIR) em tempo real, sendo possível medir a velocidade de decomposição, importância na adição dos reagentes e inferir a formação do ânion -CCl3. Em um segundo momento, propõe-se a síntese de derivados de α,β-diaminoácidos via catálise por ácido de Brønsted assimétrica a partir de uma reação do tipo Mannich entre azalactonas e iminas. Vários derivados de α,β-diaminácidos quirais foram preparados em bons rendimentos e alto controle da estereosseletividade. / 1,2-addition reactions to imines are a synthetic tool of great interest for obtaining building blocks containing amine and amino acid scaffolds with pharmacological interest, agrochemical industry and other fine chemicals. Therefore, it is possible to access not only substrates for the synthesis of complex molecules but also compounds of relevant biological properties. Thus, we proposed two strategies for preparation of those compounds: first, the development of a methodology to obtain trichloromethylamines from the addition of the trichloromethyl anion generated by the decarboxylation of the potassium trichloroacetate salt under mild and economically viable conditions was presented. A diastereoselective version was presented to obtain an enantiomerically pure derivative. For a better understanding of the mechanism, kinetics of decarboxylation, and the formation of involved species, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy with real attenuated Total Reflection (ATR-FTIR) was used. The data indicated the kinetics behavior, importance of the addition of the reagents as well as the formation of the -CCl3 anion. Second, the synthesis of α,β-diamino acid derivatives via asymmetric Brønsted acid catalyzed Mannich type reaction between azalactones and imines is also described. The chiral α,β-diamino acid derivatives were prepared in good yields and with near perfect diastereo- and enantioselectivities.

Die Schwammskelette der Ordnung Verongida zeichnen sich durch das Fehlen mineralischer Komponenten aus. Stattdessen bestehen sie aus Spongin, einem kollagenartigen Protein, und Chitin. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden die aus solch einem Chitin-Protein-Komplex bestehenden Skelette der Schwammspezies Aplysina cavernicola und Ianthella basta aus der Ordnung Verongida untersucht. Aufgrund ihrer morphologischen Unterschiede wurde für jede Schwammart eine eigene Methode zur Isolierung der Schwammskelette entwickelt. Die isolierten Skelette konnten anschließend mit verschiedenen Methoden wie REM, ATR-FTIR-Spektroskopie und NMR-Spektroskopie charakterisiert werden. Weiterhin wurde eine Methode zur Extraktion und Analyse der in den Skeletten befindlichen Aminosäuren mittels GC-MS entwickelt. Die Untersuchungen zeigten deutlich, dass es sich bei Spongin um ein kollagenartiges und halogeniertes Protein handelt, welches je nach Schwammart Unterschiede in der Aminosäurezusammensetzung aufweist. Darüber hinaus gelang es zum ersten Mal das Chitin aus dem Chitin-Protein-Komplex mittels Phosphorsäure zu entfernen. Aus den gewonnenen Erkenntnissen konnte abschließend ein Modell zum Aufbau des Chitin-Protein-Komplexes in der Schwammspezies Aplysina cavernicola entwickelt werden.

Au cours de ce travail, dans une première approche descendante, nous avons étudié la réalisation de cellules solaires multicouches évaporées à base de matériaux organiques : le pentacène et le PTCDI-C5. Nous nous sommes servis de cela pour bâtir des cellules simple jonction bicouches et les caractériser. Ces cellules ont servi de modèle de référence à notre étude et démontrent des capacités en accord avec la littérature. Nous avons ensuite produit et caractérisé des cellules multijonctions en bicouches. Une rapide étude sur le comportement d’une couche d’argent d’épaisseur nanométrique a servi à déposer la couche de recombinaison de ces cellules. Nous nous sommes ensuite attelés à la réalisation de monocouches auto-assemblées sur silicium dans le but de développer des couches actives donneur-accepteur et de pouvoir les empiler par l’approche ascendante. Après avoir étudié les groupements d’accroche silanes et acides phosphoniques, nous avons investigué la réalisation de SAM de (3-Triméthoxysilylpropyl) diéthylènetriamine (DETAS) sur silicium en tant que couche d’accroche pour les molécules actives. Nous avons mis en évidence la présence de liaisons hydrogènes aidant à l’organisation de la SAM grâce à des analyses ATR-FTIR. Nous nous sommes servis de cette SAM comme couche d’accroche pour la greffe d’une molécule photo-active le pérylène tétracarboxylique dianhydride (PTCDA). Les techniques de caractérisation par AFM, ellipsométrie et spectroscopie Raman nous ont servi à caractériser notre surface après la greffe de PTCDA / During this study, in a first top-down approach, we investigated evaporated multilayer organic solar cells built from pentacene and PTCDI-C5. We studied spectral response from these materials as well as their vacuum deposition characteristics. We used that knowledge to build simple junction and bi-layer solar cells. Those cells were the reference that allowed us to build and characterised multijonctions bi-layer solar cells with a nanostructured silver layer as recombination layer. A simple study of that silver layer was also conducted. We then switched to self-assembled monolayers on silicon in order to build donor-acceptor active layers that could be stacked, in a bottom-up approach. First, we compared silane and phosphonic acid grafting groups with an 18 carbon long alkane chain. Then we studied (3- trimethoxysilylpropyl) diethylentrimaine (DETAS) on silicon with extra care on relative humidity as a grafting parameter. We also investigated DETAS SAM to highlight hydrogen bonding within the monolayer using ATR-FTIR. DETAS SAM were then used as an anchor molecule for a photoactive molecule perylene tetracarboxylicdianhydrid (PTCDA). Characterisation technics used were AFM, ellipsometry, and Raman spectroscopy

Corrosion of metallic materials is a natural process, and our study shows that even in an alkaline environment severe corrosion may occur on a carbon steel surface. While corrosion cannot be stopped it can be retarded. Many of the traditional anti-corrosion approaches such as the chromate process are effective but hazardous to the environment and human health. Mefp-1, a protein derived from blue mussel byssus, is well known for its extraordinary adhesion and film forming properties. Moreover, it has been reported that Mefp-1 confers a certain corrosion protection for stainless steel. All these facts indicate that this protein may be developed into corrosion inhibitors with ‘green’, ‘effective’ and ‘smart’ properties. In this study, a range of surface-sensitive techniques have been used to investigate adsorption kinetics, film forming and film compaction mechanisms of Mefp-1. In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) enables the protein adsorption on substrates to be visualized, whereas the ex situ AFM facilitates the characterization of micro- and nano-structures of the protein films. In situ Peak Force AFM can be used to determine nano-mechanical properties of the surface layers. The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used to reveal the build-up of the Mefp-1 film on substrates and measure the viscoelastic properties of the adsorbed film. Analytical techniques and theoretical calculations were applied to gain insights into the formation and compaction processes such as oxidation and complexation of pre-formed Mefp-1 films. The electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to obtain the chemical composition of the surface layer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were performed to evaluate the corrosion inhibition efficiency of different forms of Mefp-1 on carbon steel substrates. The results demonstrate that Mefp-1 adsorbs on carbon steel surfaces across a broad pH interval, and it forms a continuous film covering the substrate providing a certain extent of corrosion protection. At a higher pH, the adsorption is faster and the formed film is more compact. At neutral pH, results on the iron substrate suggest an initially fast adsorption, with the molecules oriented preferentially parallel to the surface, followed by a structural change within the film leading to molecules extending towards solution. Both oxidation and complexation of the Mefp-1 can lead to the compaction of the protein films. Addition of Fe3+ induces a transition from an extended and soft protein layer to a denser and stiffer one by enhancing the formation of tri-Fe3+/catechol complexes in the surface film, leading to water removal and film compaction. Exposure to a NaIO4 solution results in the cross-linking of Mefp-1, which also results in a significant compaction of the pre-formed protein film. Mefp-1 is an effective corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel when added to an acidic solution, and the inhibition efficiency increases with time. As a film-forming corrosion inhibitor, the pre-formed Mefp-1 film provides a certain level of corrosion protection for short term applications, and the protection efficiency can be significantly enhanced by the film compaction processes. For the long term applications, a thin film composed of Mefp-1 and ceria nanoparticles was developed. The deposited Mefp-1/ceria composite film contains micro-sized aggregates of Mefp-1/Fe3+ complexes and CeO2 particles. The Mefp-1/ceria film may promote the further oxidation of ferrous oxides, and the corrosion resistance increases with time. Moreover, phosphate ions react with Fe ions released from the surface and form deposits preferentially at the surface defect sites. The deposits incorporate into the Mefp-1/ceria composite film and heal the surface defects, which result in a significantly improved corrosion inhibition effect for the Mefp-1/ceria composite film in both initial and prolonged exposure situations / <p>QC 20130610</p>

This thesis is a summary of five papers with focus on adsorption processes of various monocarboxylates and aminocarboxylates at the water/goethite interface. Interaction of organic acids at the water/mineral interfaces are of importance in biogeochemical processes, since such processes have potential to alter mobility and bioavailability of the acids and metal ions. In order to determine the coordination chemistry of acetate, benzoate, cyclohexanecarboxylate, sarcosine, MIDA (methyliminediacetic acid), EDDA (ethylenediamine-N,N’-diacetic acid) and EDTA (ethylenediamine-N,N’-tetraacetic acid) upon adsorption to the goethite (alpha-FeOOH) surface, a combination of quantitative measurements with attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was utilized. Over the pH range studied here (pH 3- 9) all ligands, except for sarcosine, have been found to form surface complexes with goethite. In general, theses were characterized as outer sphere surface complexes i.e. with no direct interaction with surface Fe(III) metal ions. Furthermore, two types of different outer-sphere complexes were identified, the solvent-surface hydration-separated ion pair, and hydration-shared ion pair. For the monocarboxylate surface complexes distinction between these two could be made. At high pH values the solvent-surface hydration-separated ion pair was the predominating complex, while at low pH the surface complex is stabilized through the formation of strong hydrogen bonds with the goethite surface. However, it was not possible to clearly separate between the two outer-sphere complexes for coordination of the aminocarboxylates with the surface of goethite. Additionally, EDDA also formed an inner-sphere surface complex at high pH values. The EDDA molecule was suggested to coordinate to the surface by forming a five membered ring with an iron at the goethite surface, through the amine and carboxylate groups. Contrary to the other ligands studied, EDTA significantly induced dissolution of goethite. Some of the dissolved iron, in the form of the highly stable FeEDTA- solution complex, was indicated to re-adsorb to the mineral surface as a ternary complex. Similar ternary surface complexes were also found in the Ga(III)EDTA/goethite system, and quantitative and spectroscopic studies on adsorption of Ga(III) in presence and absence of EDTA showed that EDTA considerably effects speciation of gallium at goethite surface. The collective results in this thesis show that the affinity of these ligands for the surface of goethite is primarily governed by their chemical composition and structure, and especially important are the types, numbers and relative position of functional groups within the molecular structure.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are pluripotent cells that can differentiate into a variety of non-hematopoietic tissues. They also maintain healthy heamatopoiesis by providing supportive cellular microenvironment into BM. In this thesis, MSCs were characterized in terms of their morphological, immunophenotypical and differentiation properties. Then, they were examined by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy together with hierarchical clustering, and FTIR microspectroscopy. In the first part of this study, global structural and compositional changes in BM-MSCs during beta thallasemia major (