I present a new approach to stable n-type doping of organic matrices using organic dopants. In order to circumvent stability limitations of strong organic donors, I produce the donor from a stable precursor compound in situ. As an example, the cationic dye pyronin B chloride is studied as a dopant in an 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) matrix. A field effect and conductivity study of a series of doped NTCDA samples is carried out. It proves the increase of the electron density with the doping concentration. Conductivities up to 1.9*10^-4 S/cm are obtained for doped NTCDA, which is two orders of magnitude higher than the conductivity of NTCDA doped with (bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT- TTF) as investigated previously [A. Nollau, M. Pfeiffer, T. Fritz, K. Leo, J. Appl. Phys. 87, 4340 (2000)], and four orders of magnitude higher than nominally undoped NTCDA films. The experimental trends in the field effect study are interpreted in terms of transport in disordered solids. Detailed mass spectroscopic investigation are carried out to investigate the sublimation behaviour of the organic salt pyronin B chloride. We conclude that mainly HCl and the leuco base of pyronin B is present in the gas phase. Optical absorption spectroscopy shows that the leuco base is transformed to the pyronin B cation in air. A similar reaction is observed for mixed thin films of pyronin B and tetracyano quinodimethane. This supports the image of the doping process being due to an electron transfer from the pyronin to the matrix molecules. The formation of the leuco base and subsequent oxidation to the pyronin B cation is supported by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy. Doping experiments with other matrices reveal that the doping effect is universal for all materials of moderate acceptor strength. Matrices such as perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dimethyl diimide (Me-PTCDI) and fullerene C60 can be successfully doped. These compounds are frequently employed electron transport materials in organic solar cells. Therefore, such devices can be improved by this new doping approach. / In dieser Arbeit wird ein neuer Ansatz zur n-Dotierung organischer Dünnschichten mit organischen Dotanden vorgestellt. Die bisher zur n-Dotierung benötigten starken Donormoleküle zeigen eine hohe Reaktivität. Dies erschwert die Synthese und weiterhin die Verwendung solcher Verbindungen als Dotanden. Zur Vermeidung dieser Stabilitätsprobleme wird in dieser Arbeit der reaktive Dotand in situ aus einer stabilen Vorläüuferverbindung erzeugt. Beispielhaft wird der kationische Farbstoff Pyronin B Chlorid als Dotand in einer 1,4,5,8-Naphthalen Tetracarbonsäure Dianhydrid (NTCDA)-Matrix untersucht. Feldeffekt- und Leitfähigkeitsuntersuchungen an einer Serie von dotierten Dünnschichten werden durchgeführt. Eine Erhöhung der Elektronendichte mit der Dotierkonzentration wird gefunden. Dies führt zu Leitfähigkeiten von bis zu 1.9*10^-4 S/cm, d.h. vier Größenordnungen höher als undotiertes NTCDA und zwei Größenordnungen höher als das früher untersuchte NTCDA, dotiert mit Bis(Ethylendithio)-Tetrathiafulvalen (BEDT- TTF) [A. Nollau, M. Pfeiffer, T. Fritz, K. Leo, J. Appl. Phys. 87, 4340 (2000)]. Die Abhängigkeiten der elektrischen Kenngrößen Leitfähigkeit, Beweglichkeit und Ladungsträgerdichte werden anhand eine Modells erklärt, das den Transport in ungeordneten Systemen beschreibt. Massenspektrometrische Untersuchungen werden zur Untersuchung des Verdampfungsverhaltens des organischen Salzes Pyronin B Chlorid eingesetzt. Es wird gefunden, daß Pyronin B Chlorid durch Bildung von HCl und der Leukobase des Pyronins in die Gassphase übergeht. In der optische Absorptionsspektroskopie ist die Transformation der Leukobase unter Lufteinfluß in das Pyronin B-Kation zu beobachten. Das gleiche Verhalten wird für Mischschichten aus Pyronin B und Tetracyano Chinodimethan gefunden. Dies bestätigt die Vorstellung des Dotierprozesses als Elektronentransfer vom Pyronin B zum Matrixmolekül. Die Bildung der Leukobase und die anschlie\ss ende Oxidierung zum Pyronin B-Kation ist auch in der Infrarotspektroskopie sichtbar. Der Dotiereffekt ist nicht auf NTCDA beschränkt, sondern wird auch für andere Matrizen mit genügend hoher Elektronenaffinität gefunden. Matrixmaterialien wie z.B. Perylen-3,4,9,10-Tetracarbonsäure Dimethyldiimid (Me-PTCDI) und Fulleren C60 werden erfolgreich dotiert. Sie werden üblicherweise in organischen Solarzellen eingesetzt. Durch den hier demonstrierten Ansatz können folglich solche Bauelemente verbessert werden.

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No description available.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant and increasing threat to global health. One primary cause of this threat is increasing antibiotic resistance. As traditional antibiotics continue to grow less effective, there is an urgent need for novel antimicrobial strategies. This work explores the potential of ceragenins, also known as cationic steroid antimicrobials (CSAs), as a promising alternative to combat HAIs. Specifically, we investigated potential roles that CSAs can play in the context of multiple medical device coatings in healthcare settings. Ceragenins are synthetic mimic of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many common pathogens that have been cited as high priority by global health organizations. Unlike traditional antibiotics, which rely on specificity to bacterial enzymes or processes, ceragenins disrupt microbial membranes generally. This mechanism of action allows ceragenins to bypass many of the related antibiotic resistance mutations of bacteria and fungi. As microbial membranes are a highly conserved and fundamental structure of these pathogens, it is much more difficult for microbes to develop mutations that prevent CSA binding. Additionally, ceragenins are resistant to both host and pathogenic proteolytic degradation and are cost-effective to produce, which place CSAs as an attractive alternative to traditional antibiotics. This research investigates the integration of ceragenins into various medical devices to prevent HAIs. Specifically, we investigated silicone tissue expanders, peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines, and adhesive devices which include both polyacrylate and silicone scar tape. These studies include the development of coating techniques to maximize appropriate antimicrobial activity while maintaining stability and biocompatibility across these different base materials. Our experimental results demonstrate that ceragenin-coated devices significantly reduce microbial colonization and biofilm formation. We considered the length of antimicrobial activity needed and developed coatings that would be appropriate for those use cases. This reduction in harmful pathogenic colonization demonstrates their potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs associated with HAIs. Further research and development could facilitate the continued adoption of ceragenin-based coatings in medical devices, which can reduce the incidence of HAIs while contributing to the broader fight against antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide.

[pt] Os mosquitos são os principais vetores de transmissão de doenças como zika, dengue e chikungunya, causando mais de 700 mil casos por ano. O uso de repelentes, principalmente formulações tópicas, é uma das melhores medidas de proteção para reduzir e/ou prevenir a transmissão de muitas doenças transmitidas por insetos. Neste trabalho, formulamos emulsões de DEET/óleo em água para liberação controlada de repelentes como estratégia para desenvolver formulações repelentes com tempo de proteção superior a 6 h. Investigamos os efeitos do valor de HLB na estabilidade e viscosidade das emulsões, usando uma mistura de surfactantes (Span 80 e Tween 80) para formular emulsões em uma faixa de HLB entre 4-14. Também avaliamos o tamanho das gotas, comportamento reológico, método de mistura e índice de estabilidade da emulsão. As emulsões de DEET-óleo-em-água desenvolvidas contendo N, N-dietil-3-metilbenzamida (DEET) foram estabilizadas usando dois nanomateriais carregados negative e positivamente, nanopartículas de sílica (SiNP) e nanofibrilas de celulose catiônica (CCNF), e uma mistura de surfactantes não iônicos de grau para evitar a precipitação por agregação eletrostática. Os resultados indicam que no HLB 10, esta mistura pode estabilizar as emulsões independentemente do tipo de óleo (mineral ou vegetal), e as emulsões apresentam comportamento newtoniano independentemente do método de mistura. As formulações foram estáveis por mais de quatro meses à temperatura ambiente, mostrando-se fortemente resistentes à desestabilização por estresse centrífugo e térmico quando se utiliza nanomateriais em combinação com surfactantes. O CCNF e o SiNP mantiveram a distribuição granulométrica estável devido ao aumento da viscosidade da fase contínua. A ação combinada desses materiais na estabilização da fase oleosa contendo DEET diminuiu significativamente a taxa de liberação do composto ativo em comparação com o DEET não emulsificado, produzindo uma liberação sustentada de DEET nas primeiras 6 h. / [en] Mosquitoes are the main vectors of transmission of diseases such as zika, dengue and chikungunya, causing more than 700,000 cases per year. The use of repellents, mainly topical formulations, is one of the best protective measures to reduce and/or prevent the transmission of many insect-borne diseases. In this work, we formulated DEET/oil-in-water emulsions for the controlled release of repellents as a strategy to develop repellent formulations with a protection time greater than 6 h. We investigated the effects of the HLB value on the stability and viscosity of the emulsions, using a blend of surfactants (Span 80 and Tween 80) to formulate emulsions in an HLB range between 4-14. We also evaluated droplet size, rheological behavior, mixing method and emulsion stability index. The developed DEET-oil-in-water emulsions containing N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) were stabilized using two positively and negative charged nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles (SiNP) and cationic cellulose nanofibrils (CCNF), and a blend of food-grade nonionic surfactants to prevent precipitation by electrostatic aggregation. The results indicate that at HLB 10, this mixture can stabilize the emulsions regardless of the type of oil (mineral or vegetable), and the emulsions present Newtonian behavior regardless of the mixing method. The formulations were stable for more than four months at room temperature, showing to be strongly resistant to destabilization by centrifugal and thermal stress when using nanomaterials in combination with surfactants. The CCNF and SiNP kept the droplet size distribution stable due to the increase in the viscosity of the continuous phase. The combined action of these materials in stabilizing the DEET-containing oil phase significantly decreased the rate of active compound release compared to non-emulsified DEET, producing a sustained release of DEET within the first 6 h.

The production of Nitric Oxide (NO) under physiological conditions has beneficial roles in acting as a key signaling component of many biological processes as well as having an anti-microbial effect. However its effects following excess production by the inducible NO pathway is potentially detrimental in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation including sepsis and several other inflammatory diseases. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) responsible for producing the excessive amounts of NO in disease states is therefore critical. In this regards, experiments were carried out to identify the signaling pathways that may mediate this process, focusing specifically on the JAK/STAT cascade. The reason for selecting the latter is because our research group, amongst others, has carried out extensive work investigating other signaling pathways, including the mitogen activated kinases (MAPK). Moreover, studies have also been carried out in an attempt to identify the critical role of JAK/STAT signaling for iNOS induction. These studies however failed to conclusively demonstrate whether, as with the MAPKs, the JAK/STATs may also play an essential role. Furthermore there is indeed controversy in the literature with researchers unable to agree whether expression of iNOS does require JAK/STAT activation. Thus, the aim of the project described in this thesis was to establish unequivocally whether activation of the JAK/STATs preceeds induction of iNOS. The studies were extended to L-arginine transport as well because the latter is widely reported to be induced in parallel with iNOS and substrate supply to iNOS may be critical for sustained NO production. Changes in transporter activity as well as their expression profiles were assessed. All experiments were carried out in either rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) or in the J774 macrophage cell line. These cell types were selected because RASMCs are one of the prime targets for induced NO production in vascular inflammation and the macrophages are involved in host defence, acting in part through NO production. To establish the role of JAK/STATs, pharmacological and molecular approaches were used. Pharmacologically, two inhibitors were used and these were AG490 and JAK inhibitor I. The former is reported to be a selective JAK2 inhibitor and the other blocks all known JAK proteins. The potential of the GTPases to regulate the induction of iNOS was also examined using selective inhibitor known to regulate these proteins. In addition to these drugs, siRNA targeting JAK2 was also exploited and western blotting was extensively used to detect expression of various proteins including iNOS, native and phosphorylated JAK2 and TYK2. Changes in iNOS activity was monitored by determining nitrite production using the Griess assay and L-arginine transport was monitored using tritiated arginine (L-[3H]arginine). RASMCs were treated with a combination of LPS (100 µg/ml) and IFN- (100 U/ml) and the macrophages with LPS (1 µg/ml) to induce iNOS and transporter activity. Consistent with previous reports, the above treatment of both cell types resulted in the expression of iNOS, production of NO and enhanced transport of L-arginine. These effects were not affected by AG490 but blocked by JAK inhibitor I. Furthermore, although both cell types expressed the key JAKs (JAK2 and TYK2), neither of these proteins were phosphorylated under conditions of induced NO production. Moreover, siRNA experiments showed that JAK2 expression could be abolished without any significant change in NO production, confirming that at least JAK2 may not be required for this process. Whether TYK2 is involved still remains to be resolved as the phosphor-protein could not be detected. However the conclusive siRNA knockdown studies could not be carried out due to time and cost constraints. Apart from iNOS and NO production, changes in induced L-arginine transport were also not significantly affected under the experimental conditions described above suggesting that like with iNOS, induction of L-arginine transport is independent of at least JAK2. Interestingly however, STAT-1 was phosphorylated and this was blocked by JAK inhibitor I but not AG490. Thus, STAT-1 activation may be essential but its activation may be independent of the JAKs. One possible alternate upstream activator of STAT-1 may be the GTPases. Indeed these proteins have been indicated to phosphorylate STAT-1 independent of the JAKs. However, in this project, inhibition of the GTPase pathway enhanced NO production and L-arginine transport suggesting that the GTPases downregulate these processes. In conclusion, the studies carried out in this thesis have shown that induction of iNOS, NO production and L-arginine transport in both RASMCs and J774 macrophages are independent of JAK2 but require STAT-1 activation which may be phosphorylated independently of the JAKs. The role of other JAKs such as TYK2 although unlikely, will need to be resolved using a more specific approach such as siRNA.

This Thesis describes the synthesis and characterisation of new Main Group and Rare Earth alkyl, amide, alkoxide and borohydride complexes and their use as catalysts for the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of &epsilon;-caprolactone and rac-lactide. <strong>Chapter 1</strong> introduces ROP from an industrial and academic perspective, as well as polymer characterisation techniques. A literature review is given, with an emphasis placed on Main Group catalysts. <strong>Chapter 2</strong> describes the synthesis and characterisation of new homo- and hetero-scorpionate Main Group complexes. An introduction to homo- and hetero-scorpionate ligands is given, as well as a discussion of the ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide ROP activity displayed by the new complexes. <strong>Chapter 3</strong> describes the synthesis and characterisation of new neutral and cationic Main Group borohydride complexes supported by the tris(pyrazolyl)methane and tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborate ligands. A review of borohydride complexes is also given. The ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide ROP activity shown by the complexes presented is also discussed. <strong>Chapter 4</strong> describes the synthesis and characterisation of new mono- and di-cationic yttrium complexes supported by the tris(pyrazolyl)methane and triazacyclononane ligands. An introduction to the synthesis of neutral and cationic Rare Earth complexes is given. An overview of immortal ROP is also provided. The activity of the new complexes towards the immortal ROP of rac-lactide is also discussed. <strong>Chapter 5</strong> contains experimental details and characterising data for the new complexes reported in this thesis. CD Appendix</strong> contains .cif files for all of the new crystallographically characterised complexes.

Les oligonucléotides (ONs) antisens présentent un fort potentiel en tant qu’agents thérapeutiques. Toutefois, leurs propriétés physicochimiques limitent leur utilisation en thérapie génique. Pour pallier aux divers obstacles, des systèmes de vectorisation, tels que les micelles polyioniques (PICMs), ont été développés. Grâce à leur structure unique, les micelles protégent l’ON contre une dégradation prématurée et le couplage d’un ligand à leur surface augmente leur spécificité et leur internalisation. Dans d’autres systèmes, un polymère adjuvant aux propriétés pH-sensibles peut être ajouté pour faciliter la sortie de l’endosome et augmenter l’efficacité de l’ON. L’objectif général de ce mémoire était de mettre au point des PICMs ternaires ciblées pour l’administration d’ONs. Ces micelles assureraient à la fois l’internalisation cellulaire de leur cargaison en interagissant avec des récepteurs cellulaires et sa fuite de l’endosome grâce à un mécanisme de déstabilisation de la membrane endosomale. Pour cela, des PICMs composées d’un copolymère cationique de type poly(éthylène glycol)-bloc-poly(méthacrylate d’(alkylamino)éthyle) et d’un copolymère d’acide méthacrylique ont été préparées. Les propriétés physicochimiques de ces vecteurs ont démontré qu’ils permettaient une condensation efficace de l’acide nucléique et ce, indépendamment de la nature du polymère cationique et de l’acide nucléique. Finalement, une approche de couplage par pont disulfure a été développée afin de greffer au copolymère un fragment d’anticorps dirigé contre les récepteurs de la transferrine. En conclusion, ces travaux démontrent la versatilité et le potentiel des PICMs ternaires en tant que vecteurs d’acide nucléique, et proposent une méthodologie de couplage d’un ligand afin de formuler des PICMs ciblées. / Antisens oligonucleotides (ONs) present great potential as therapeutic agents. However, their physicochemical properties hinder their use in gene therapy. Targeting systems, such as polyion complex micelles (PICMs), have been proposed to circumvent the main hurdles related to ON delivery. Their unique core/shell structure can protect the ON against premature degradation and the coupling of a ligand on their surface can increase their specificity and internalization. In other systems, a polymer with pH-sensitive properties can be added to facilitate the release of the ON from the endosome and increase its efficiency. The present work was aimed at optimizing ternary PICMs targeted for the delivery of antisens ON. Such systems would provide both cellular internalization of cargo by interaction with receptors on the surface of cell membranes and escape from the endosome through a mechanism of destabilization of the endosomal membrane. PICMs composed of cationic copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)-bloc-poly((alkylamino)ethyl methacrylate) with a methacrylic acid copolymer adjuvant were prepared. Their physicochemical properties suggest that efficient complexation of nucleic acids was obtained, regardless of the nature of the cationic polymer and the nature of the nucleic acid. Finally, a synthetic approach was developed for the conjugation of an antibody fragment directed against the transferrin receptor via a labile disulfide bond at the end of the cationic copolymer. In conclusion, the work presented herein displays the versatility and potential of ternary PICMs as vehicles for the delivery of ONs and also provides a method for the conjugation of a ligand to generate targeted ternary PICMs.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Dans le but d’approfondir les connaissances fondamentales entre la structure des polymères associatifs intramoléculaires (polysavons) et leurs propriétés physico-chimiques en milieux aqueux, trois nouvelles familles de polymères amphiphiles cationiques ont été synthétisées par deux méthodes complémentaires permettant une grande variabilité de structure. Les polymères obtenus sont des poly(méth)acrylamides en peigne avec des groupes latéraux de type ammonium quaternaire portant une chaîne alkyle de taille variable. Une étude du comportement physico-chimique de ces polymères en solution, par viscosimétrie et spectroscopie de fluorescence avec deux sondes aux caractéristiques complémentaires, montre qu’ils présentent des propriétés de polysavons qui varient progressivement avec la structure des polymères amphiphiles étudiés, notamment la longueur de la chaîne alkyle latérale, la taille de l’espaceur entre les deux sites polaires amide et ammonium quaternaire et la masse molaire moyenne en nombre. En parallèle, la tensiométrie a montré que ces polyamphiphiles ont une très faible activité à l’interface eau/air confirmant la prédominance de l’effet hydrophobe, alors que les modèles moléculaires correspondants présentent d’excellentes propriétés tensio-actives. Des films de Langmuir ont ensuite été réalisés dans le cadre de la première étude de cette importance sur des polyamphiphiles cationiques. Dans ce domaine également, la grande variabilité de structure des polymères a permis des observations originales et de dégager de nouvelles relations entre la structure du polymère et les caractéristiques des isothermes de compression obtenues / In order to improve the fundamental knowledge of the relationships between the chemical structure of intramolecular associative polymers (polysoaps) and their physical chemical properties in aqueous media, three new families of cationic amphiphilic polymers were obtained by complementary methods offering great structure variability. The corresponding polymers were comb poly(meth)acrylamides with pendant ammonium groups with alkyl side chains of variable lengths. A first investigation of their physical chemical behaviour in aqueous solutions, by viscometry and fluorescence spectrometry with two complementary fluorescent probes, showed that they displayed polysoap properties which varied progressively with their chemical features, in particular the length of the alkyl side chain, the size of the spacer between the two polar amide and ammonium groups and the polymer molecular weight. Tensiometry confirmed the prevailing of the hydrophobic effect by showing that these polymers displayed a very weak activity at the water/air interface although the corresponding molecular models showed excellent tensio-active properties. Langmuir’s films were eventually obtained in the first study of this importance on cationic amphiphilic polymers. Here again, the great structural variability enabled original observations and new structure/properties relationships were obtained for the corresponding compression isotherms