<p>This thesis describes results from fundamental studies of liposomes intended for drug delivery and pH or temperature triggered release. In addition, the effect of lipid composition on bilayer disc formation and a potential application of the bilayer discs were investigated.</p><p>The lower pH encountered by endocytosed liposomes can be utilized to trigger drug release. The mechanisms behind cytosolic drug delivery were investigated using two different kinds of pH-sensitive liposomes. The results indicate that incorporation of non-lamellar forming lipids into the endosome membrane may allow for drug escape into the cytosol.</p><p>Temperature-sensitive liposomes containing lysolipid (LTSL) release their content almost instantly when heated to temperatures close to the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (T<i>C</i>). Morphological changes of the liposomes in response to temperature cycling were studied. Temperature cycling induced liposome openings and disintegration of the liposomes into bilayer discs. Incubation of LTSL in the presence of multilamellar liposomes (MLVs) resulted in relocalisation of lysolipid into the MLVs, which affected the rapid release from LTSL. We propose that the presence of micelle-forming components, such as lysolipids and PEG-lipids, facilitates the formation of defects and membrane openings during the initial phase of membrane melting, resulting in the observed rapid release. Similar to added lysolipids, also hydrolysis generated lysolipids induce disc-formation upon heating through T<i>C</i> of the lipid mixture.</p><p>Two fundamentally different micelles may form in PEG-lipid/lipid mixtures. We found that discoidal structures are preferred over cylindrical micelles when the mixture contains components that reduce the spontaneous curvature, increase the monolayer bending modulus, or reduce PEG-lipid/lipid miscibility. The large discoidal micelles found at low PEG-lipid content are better described as bilayer discs. We evaluated such discs as model membranes in drug partitioning studies, and suggest that they, in some cases, produce more accurate data than liposomes.</p>

This thesis presents and uses the techniques of computational chemistry to explore two different processes induced in human skin by ultraviolet light. The first is the transformation of urocanic acid into a immunosuppressing agent, and the other is the enzymatic action of the 8-oxoguanine glycosylase enzyme. The photochemistry of urocanic acid is investigated by time-dependent density functional theory. Vertical absorption spectra of the molecule in different forms and environments is assigned and candidate states for the photochemistry at different wavelengths are identified. Molecular dynamics simulations of urocanic acid in gas phase and aqueous solution reveals considerable flexibility under experimental conditions, particularly for for the cis isomer where competition between intra- and inter-molecular interactions increases flexibility. A model to explain the observed gas phase photochemistry of urocanic acid is developed and it is shown that a reinterpretation in terms of a mixture between isomers significantly enhances the agreement between theory and experiment , and resolves several peculiarities in the spectrum. A model for the photochemistry in the aqueous phase of urocanic acid is then developed, in which two excited states governs the efficiency of photoisomerization. The point of entrance into a conical intersection seam is shown to explain the wavelength dependence of photoisomerization quantum yield. Finally some mechanistic aspects of the DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanine glycosylase is investigated with density functional theory. It is found that the critical amino acid of the active site can provide catalytic power in several different manners, and that a recent proposal involving a SN1 type of mechanism seems the most efficient one.

Ordinary yet unique, water is the substance on which life is based. Water seems, at first sight, to be a very simple molecule, consisting of two hydrogen atoms attached to one oxygen. Its small size belies the complexity of its action and its numerous anomalies, central to a broad class of important phenomena, ranging from global current circulation, terrestrial water and CO2 cycles to corrosion and wetting. The explanation of this complex behavior comes from water's unique ability to form extensive three-dimensional networks of hydrogen-bonds, whose nature and structures, in spite of a great deal of efforts involving a plethora of experimental and theoretical techniques, still lacks a complete scientific understanding. This thesis is devoted to the study of the local structure of hydrogen-bonded liquids, with a particular emphasis on water, taking advantage of a combination of core-level spectroscopies and density functional theory spectra calculations. X-ray absorption, in particular, is found to be sensitive to the local hydrogen-bond environment, thus offering a very promising tool for spectroscopic identification of specific structural configurations in water, alcohols and aqueous solutions. More specifically, the characteristic spectroscopic signature of the broken hydrogen-bond at the hydrogen side is used to analyze the structure of bulk water, leading to the finding that most molecules are arranged in two hydrogen-bond configurations, in contrast to the picture provided by molecular dynamics simulations. At the liquid-vapor interface, an interplay of surface sensitive measurements and theoretical calculations enables us to distinguish a new interfacial species in equilibrium with the gas. In a similar approach the cluster form of the excess proton in highly concentrated acid solutions and the different coordination of methanol at the vacuum interface and in the bulk can also be clearly identified. Finally the ability of core-level spectroscopies, aided by sophisticated density functional theory calculations, to directly probe the valence electronic structure of a system is used to observe the nature of the interaction between water molecules and solvated ions in solution. Water around transition metal ions is found to interact with the solute via orbital mixing with the metal d-orbitals. The hydrogen-bond between water molecules is explained in terms of electrostatic interactions enhanced by charge rehybridization in which charge transfer between connecting molecules is shown to be fundamental.

Coating colors are applied to the base paper in order to maximize the performance of the end product. Coating colors are complex colloidal systems, mainly consisting of water, binders, and pigments. To understand the behavior of colloidal suspensions, an understanding of the interactions between its components is essential.

The Thesis describes (i) the development of add-on instrumentation extending the capabilities of conventional NMR spectrometers and (ii) the application of the designed equipments and techniques for investigating various colloidal systems. The new equipments are: Novel designs of stopped-flow and temperature–jump inserts intended for conventional Bruker wide-bore superconductive magnets. Both inserts are loaded directly from above into the probe space and can be used together with any 10 mm NMR probe with no need for any auxiliary instruments. A set of 5 mm and 10 mm 1H – 19F – 2H NMR probes designed for heteronuclear 1H – 19F cross-relaxation experiments in Bruker DMX 200, AMX 300 and DMX 500 spectrometers, respectively. A two–stage low-pass filter intended for suppressing RF noise in electrophoretic NMR experiments. The kinetics of micellar dissolution and transformation in aqueous solutions of sodium perfluorooctanoate (NaPFO) is investigated using the stopped-flow NMR instrument. The sensitivity of NMR as detection tool for kinetic processes in micellar solutions is clarified and possible artefacts are analysed. In the NaPFO system, the micellar dissolution is found to proceed faster than 100 ms while surfactant precipitation occurs on the time scale of seconds-to-minutes. The kinetics of the coil-to–globule transition and intermolecular aggregation in a poly (Nisopropylacrylamide) solution are investigated by the temperature-jump NMR instrument. As revealed by the time evolution of the 1H spectrum, the T2 relaxation time and the self-diffusion coefficient D, large (&gt;10 nm) and compact aggregates form in less than 1 second upon fast temperature increase and dissolve in less than 3 seconds upon fast temperature decrease. The intermolecular 1H – 19F dipole-dipole cross-relaxation between the solvent and solute molecules, whose fast rotational diffusion is in the extreme narrowing limit, is investigated. The solutes are perfluorooctanoate ions either in monomeric or in micellar form and trifluoroacetic acid and the solvent is water. The obtained cross-relaxation rates are frequency-dependent which clearly proves that there is no extreme narrowing regime for intermolecular dipole-dipole relaxation. The data provide strong constraints for the dynamic retardation of solvent by the solute. / QC 20100929

Simple gel formulations may be applied to enhance the systemic and local exposure of potential compounds. The aim of this thesis is the development and characterization of controlled release formulations based on thermo-reversible poloxamer gels, which are suitable for novel drug delivery applications.  In particular co-solvents (DMSO, ethanol), mucoadhesive polymers (chitosan, alginate) and salts (sodium tripolyphosphate, CaCl2) have been used to enhance the applications of poloxamer 407 (P407) formulations in preclinical animal studies. The impact of these additives on the micellization and gelation properties of P407 aqueous solutions was studied by calorimetric methods, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and “tube inversion” experiments. The drug release behavior of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs was characterized by using a membrane/membrane-free experimental setup. Finally, preliminary pharmacokinetic studies using a mouse model were conducted for screening of selected inhibitors of bacterial type III secretion and for evaluation of different formulations including P407 gel. All additives, used here, reduced the CMTs (critical micelle temperature) of dilute P407 solutions, with the exception of ethanol. The gelation temperature of concentrated P407 solutions was lowered in the presence of CaCl2, DMSO, TPP and alginate. 1H MAS (Magic Angle Spinning) NMR studies revealed that DMSO influences the hydrophobicity of the PPO segment of P407 polymers. Low concentrations of DMSO did not show any major effect on the drug release from P407 gels and may be used to improve the exposure of lead compounds in poloxamer gels. A newly developed in situ ionotropic gelation of chitosan in combination with TPP in P407 gels showed an enhanced resistance to water and reduced the release rates of model drugs. From preliminary pharmacokinetic studies in mice it was revealed that poloxamer formulations resulted in an increased plasma half-life of the lead compound.

This thesis describes results from fundamental studies of liposomes intended for drug delivery and pH or temperature triggered release. In addition, the effect of lipid composition on bilayer disc formation and a potential application of the bilayer discs were investigated. The lower pH encountered by endocytosed liposomes can be utilized to trigger drug release. The mechanisms behind cytosolic drug delivery were investigated using two different kinds of pH-sensitive liposomes. The results indicate that incorporation of non-lamellar forming lipids into the endosome membrane may allow for drug escape into the cytosol. Temperature-sensitive liposomes containing lysolipid (LTSL) release their content almost instantly when heated to temperatures close to the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (TC). Morphological changes of the liposomes in response to temperature cycling were studied. Temperature cycling induced liposome openings and disintegration of the liposomes into bilayer discs. Incubation of LTSL in the presence of multilamellar liposomes (MLVs) resulted in relocalisation of lysolipid into the MLVs, which affected the rapid release from LTSL. We propose that the presence of micelle-forming components, such as lysolipids and PEG-lipids, facilitates the formation of defects and membrane openings during the initial phase of membrane melting, resulting in the observed rapid release. Similar to added lysolipids, also hydrolysis generated lysolipids induce disc-formation upon heating through TC of the lipid mixture. Two fundamentally different micelles may form in PEG-lipid/lipid mixtures. We found that discoidal structures are preferred over cylindrical micelles when the mixture contains components that reduce the spontaneous curvature, increase the monolayer bending modulus, or reduce PEG-lipid/lipid miscibility. The large discoidal micelles found at low PEG-lipid content are better described as bilayer discs. We evaluated such discs as model membranes in drug partitioning studies, and suggest that they, in some cases, produce more accurate data than liposomes.

Polymers is a class of molecules which can have many different structures due to a large number of degrees of freedom. Many biopolymers, e.g. DNA, but also synthetic macromolecules have special structural features due to their backbone stiffness. Since such structural properties are important for e.g. the biological function, a lot of effort has been put into the investigation of the configurational properties of semi-stiff molecules. A theoretical treatment of these systems is often accompanied by computer simulations. The main idea is to compare theoretically derived models with experimental results for real polymers. Using Monte Carlo simulations, I have investigated how this computational technique can build a bridge between theoretical models and experimentally observed phenomena. The effort was mainly directed to develop sampling techniques, for efficiently exploring the configurational space of semi-stiff chains in a wide range of structures. The work was concentrated on compact conformations, since they, as is well known from previous studies, are difficult to sample using conventional methods. In my studies I have shown that the simple and, at a first glance, time consuming method of bead-by-bead regrow as a way of changing the configuration of a semi-stiff chain gave very promising and encouraging results when combined with modern simulation techniques, like Entropic Sampling with the Wang-Landau algorithm. The resulting simulation package was also suitable for parallelization which resulted in a further speed-up of the calculations. In addition to the more elaborate sampling methods, I also investigated external conditions to induce compaction of a semi-stiff polymer. In the case of a polyampholyte the condensing agent could be a multivalent salt, creating effective attraction between the loops of the chain, while for neutral polymers, an external field and the geometry of the confining volume can induce a compaction.

Indium nitride has many applications as a semiconductor. High quality films of indium nitride can be grown using Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), but the availability of precursors and knowledge of the underlaying chemical reactions is limited. In this study the gas phase decomposition of a new indium precursor, N,N-dimethyl-N',N''-diisopropylguanidinate, has been investigated by quantum chemical methods for use in both CVD and ALD of indium nitride. The computations showed significant decomposition at around 250°C, 3 mbar indicating that the precursor is unstable at ALD conditions. A computational study of the surface chemical mechanism of the adsorption of trimethylindium and ammonia on indium nitride was also performed as a method development for other precursor surface mechanism studies. The results show, in accordance with experimental data, that the low reactivity of ammonia is a limiting factor in thermal ALD growth of indium nitride with trimethylindium and ammonia.

Interligand electron transfer (ILET) may be an essential parameter for the injection ofan electron from the dye into the semiconductor surface of a dye sensitized solar cell(DSSC). Without an efficient injection, competing recombination paths may become apparent. For the future development and design of DSSCs, with the hope of increased energy conversion efficiencies, the ILET dynamics is of great importance. For a long time, the most impressive DSSCs were sensitized with polypyridyl ruthenium dyes for which injection has shown to vary from sub-ps to ns duration. It may therefore be crucial to find means of studying the underlying reasons for the slow injection and in this thesis such an attempt has been made. ILET dynamics has been examined using fs Transient Absorption Anisotropy Spectroscopy in both the IR and Visible. This was done for two ruthenium dye complexes: N712 (cis-diisothiocyanato-bis(2,2’-bipyridyl-4,4’-dicarboxylate)ruthenium(II)) and RuL3 (tris(2,2’-bipyridyl-4,4’-dicarboxylate) ruthenium(II)) which are among the best performing dyes in DSSCs. The initial anisotropy was used to determine whether the excitation is localized on the photoselected ligand or delocalized over the available bipyridyl ligands. The depolarization dynamics of the anisotropy decay showed that the ILET must occur on the sub-ps time scale, resulting in rapid loss of the memory of which ligand was photoselected in the absorption process. This means formation of a metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer state that is randomized over the bipyridyl ligands. These results indicate that ILET dynamics should not limit the injection in DSSCs.