Chemical modification and limited enzymatic hydrolysis are powerful methods to obtain detailed information on the structure and dynamics of RNAs in solution. In the work presented here I have taken advantage of the properties of the divalent metal ion lead(II) to establish it as a new probe for investigating the structure of RNA in vivo. Besides highly specific lead(II)-induced cleavage due to the presence of tight metal ion binding sites, lead(II) is known to cleave RNA within single-stranded regions, loops and bulges. The detailed structural data obtained with three different RNAs: tmRNA, CopT, and the leader region of the ompF mRNA, show that lead(II) has great potential for in vivo studies of RNA structure. In P. fluorescens, the activity and stability of RsmY, a small regulatory RNA, was shown to be strongly dependent on repeated GGA motifs in single-stranded regions. In vivo lead(II) probing essentially confirmed predicted secondary structures and also indicated binding to a protein, RsmA. The potential in using lead(II) for mapping protein binding sites on RNAs was shown for the interaction between E. coli tmRNA and the SmpB protein. In vivo and in vitro data show protections in the tRNA-like domain of tmRNA due to binding to the SmpB protein, indicating that the SmpB protein is associated with the majority of tmRNA in the cell. Furthermore, the overall conformation/ structure of E. coli RNase P was analyzed by probing the native structure of M1 RNA in vivo with lead(II). The observed cleavages suggests that M1 RNA is present in two main conformations in the cell, one being characteristic of free RNase P, and one of an RNase P-tRNA complex. The results also indicate that the C5 protein subunit has only minor effects on the overall structure of the RNA subunit.

xx, 134 p. : ill. (some col.) / Solar energy is a green alternative to fossil fuels but solar technologies to date have been plagued by low conversion efficiencies and high input costs making solar power inaccessible to much of the developing world. Semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) may provide a route to efficient, economical solar devices through a phenomenon called multiple exciton generation (MEG). Through MEG, semiconductor NPs use a high-energy input photon to create more than one exciton (electron-hole pair) per photon absorbed, thereby exhibiting large photoconversion efficiencies. While MEG has been studied in many NP systems, and we understand some of the factors that affect MEG, a rigorous analysis of the NP-ligand interface with respect to MEG is missing. This dissertation describes how the NP ligand shell directly affects MEG and subsequent charge carrier recombination. Chapter I describes the motivation for studying MEG with respect to NP surface chemistry. Chapter II provides an in-depth overview of the transient absorption experiment used to measure MEG in the NP samples. Chapter III highlights the effect of oleic acid and sodium 2, 3-dimercaptopropane sulfonate on MEG in PbS NPs. The differences in carrier recombination were accounted for by two differences between these ligands: the coordinating atom and/or the secondary structure of the ligand. Because of these hypotheses, experiments were designed to elucidate the origin of these effects by controlling the NP ligand shell. Chapter IV details a viable synthetic route to thiol and amine-capped PbS NPs using sodium 3-mercaptopropane sulfonate as an intermediate ligand. With the versatile ligand exchange described in Chapter IV, the MEG yield and carrier recombination was investigated for ligands with varying headgroups but the same secondary structure. The correlation of ligand donor atom to MEG is outlined in Chapter V. Finally, Chapter VI discusses the conclusions and future outlook of the research reported in this dissertation. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material. / Committee in charge: Dr. Geraldine L. Richmond, Chairperson; Dr. David R. Tyler, Advisor; Dr. Mark C. Lonergan, Member; Dr. Catherine J. Page, Member; Dr. Hailin Wang, Outside Member

The mining of sulphidic ore to extract metals such as zinc and copper produces huge quantities of waste material. The weathering and oxidation of the waste produces what is commonly known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), a dilute sulphuric acid rich in Fe(II) and heavy metals. This thesis serves to summarise five papers reporting how the precipitation of Fe(III) phases can attenuate the contamination of heavy metals by adsorption processes. Schwertmannite (Fe8O8(OH)6SO4) is a common Fe(III) mineral precipitating in AMD environments at pH 3-4. The stability and surface chemistry of this mineral was investigated. It was shown that the stability depended strongly on pH and temperature, an increase in either promoted transformation to goethite (α-FeOOH). Two pH dependent surface species of SO42- were detected with infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) to schwertmannite occurred at lower pH than to goethite, whereas Cd(II) adsorption occurred in a similar pH range on both schwertmannite and goethite. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy suggests two surface species for Cu(II) and Cd(II) at the schwertmannite surface. Cu(II) adsorbs monodentately and Cd(II) bridging bidentately to adsorbed SO42-. Both metal ions also adsorb in a bridging bidentate mode to the surface hydroxyl groups. At pH 7.5 up to 2.7 μmol Cd(II) m-2 could be adsorbed to schwertmannite, indicating a large adsorption capacity for this mineral. The acid-base properties of two NOM samples were characterised and could be well described as diprotic acids below pH 6. The adsorption of NOM to schwertmannite and goethite was very similar and adsorption occured in a very wide pH range. High concentrations of NOM increased the adsorption of Cu(II) to goethite at low pH whereas a slight decrease was noted at low concentrations of NOM. No effect was detected in the schwertmannite system. The formation of Fe(III) phases from precipitation of AMD was shown to be very pH dependent. At pH 5.5 a mixture of minerals, including schwertmannite, formed whereas at pH 7 only lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) formed. The concentration of Zn(II) in AMD could by adsorption/coprecipitation be reduced to environmentally acceptable levels.

<p>The mining of sulphidic ore to extract metals such as zinc and copper produces huge quantities of waste material. The weathering and oxidation of the waste produces what is commonly known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), a dilute sulphuric acid rich in Fe(II) and heavy metals. This thesis serves to summarise five papers reporting how the precipitation of Fe(III) phases can attenuate the contamination of heavy metals by adsorption processes. </p><p>Schwertmannite (Fe8O8(OH)6SO4) is a common Fe(III) mineral precipitating in AMD environments at pH 3-4. The stability and surface chemistry of this mineral was investigated. It was shown that the stability depended strongly on pH and temperature, an increase in either promoted transformation to goethite (α-FeOOH). Two pH dependent surface species of SO42- were detected with infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy.</p><p>The adsorption of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) to schwertmannite occurred at lower pH than to goethite, whereas Cd(II) adsorption occurred in a similar pH range on both schwertmannite and goethite. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy suggests two surface species for Cu(II) and Cd(II) at the schwertmannite surface. Cu(II) adsorbs monodentately and Cd(II) bridging bidentately to adsorbed SO42-. Both metal ions also adsorb in a bridging bidentate mode to the surface hydroxyl groups. At pH 7.5 up to 2.7 μmol Cd(II) m-2 could be adsorbed to schwertmannite, indicating a large adsorption capacity for this mineral.</p><p>The acid-base properties of two NOM samples were characterised and could be well described as diprotic acids below pH 6. The adsorption of NOM to schwertmannite and goethite was very similar and adsorption occured in a very wide pH range.</p><p>High concentrations of NOM increased the adsorption of Cu(II) to goethite at low pH whereas a slight decrease was noted at low concentrations of NOM. No effect was detected in the schwertmannite system. </p><p>The formation of Fe(III) phases from precipitation of AMD was shown to be very pH dependent. At pH 5.5 a mixture of minerals, including schwertmannite, formed whereas at pH 7 only lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) formed. The concentration of Zn(II) in AMD could by adsorption/coprecipitation be reduced to environmentally acceptable levels.</p>

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No. of bitstreams: 1 marcosrodriguesfacchinicerqueira.pdf: 4104766 bytes, checksum: a30bb0a2c3edae3f0d744732482aa070 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-02 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Muitas pessoas sofrem da falta crônica de água potável para necessidades pessoais e, nesse contexto, a água de chuva surge como uma possível fonte alternativa. Em cima disso, foi proposto um método simples e efetivo para a determinação de cobre(II), cádmio(II), zinco(II) e chumbo(II) em 64 amostras de água de chuva de Juiz de Fora/MG/Brasil utilizando a técnica de redissolução potenciométrica. Um potenciostato μ-AUTOLAB foi utilizado para a aquisição dos dados e a célula eletroquímica consistia de um eletrodo de trabalho de carbono vítreo modificado com filme de mercúrio, um eletrodo de Ag/AgCl(sat) como eletrodo de referência e um de eletrodo de platina como eletrodo auxiliar. Foi realizada uma avaliação do pH do meio variando de 0-3 para uma determinação simultânea de Cd, Pb e Cu e de 0-6 para a determinação de Zn. Um Planejamento Estrela 22 foi realizado para a otimização das condições eletroquímicas das determinações. Para as determinações de Cd, Pb e Cu foram estudados níveis entre -1,06 e -0,64 V para o potencial de deposição (Ed), com tempo de deposição (td) entre 239 s e 662 s. Para a determinação de Zn os níveis estudados para o Ed foram entre -1,70 V e -1,10 V, com td entre 239 s e 662 s. A condição ótima encontrada para o pH do meio foi de pH = 4 para a determinação de Zn e um pH = 0 para a determinação de Cd, Pb e Cu. De acordo com as superfícies de resposta obtidas, foi estipulado para a determinação de Zn um Ed = -1,40 V e um td = 300 s e para a determinação de Cd, Pb e Cu um Ed = -1,00 V e um td = 300 s. Foram construídas curvas analíticas para verificar a linearidade do método. Os limites de detecção e quantificação foram de 1,26 e 3,83 μg L-1 para Zn, 0,38 e 1,26 μg L-1 para Cd, 0,41 e 1,36 μg L-1 para Pb e 0,96 e 3,20 μg L-1 para Cu, respectivamente. O método mostrou valores de recuperação entre 86 e 113%. As amostras de água de chuva também foram analisadas por espectroscopia de absorção atômica em forno de grafite (GFAAS), como método de referência, demonstrando uma boa correlação entre os resultados. Foram encontrados valores entre 3,93 e 13,8 μg L-1 de Zn, 3,11 e 7,51 μg L-1 de Cu, enquanto que nenhuma concentração significativa foi observada para Pb e Cd. Conforme os valores estipulados na Portaria nº 2914, de 12 de dezembro de 2011, do Ministério da Saúde, a água de chuva da região de Juiz de Fora pode ser considerada como potável com relação os parâmetros avaliados. / Many people suffer from a chronicle lack of potable water for their personal needs and, in this context, the rainwater arises as a possible alternative source. Upon this, an effective and simple method to determine copper(II), cadmium(II), zinc(II) and lead(II) in 64 rainwater samples from Juiz de Fora/MG/Brazil, using potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA), is proposed. A μ-AUTOLAB potentiostat was used for data acquisition and the electrochemical cell consisted of a working glassy carbon electrode modified with a thin mercury film, an Ag/AgCl(sat) as reference electrode and a platinum as auxiliary electrode. The pH of the medium was evaluated in the range of 0-3 for the simultaneous determination of Cd, Pb and Cu, and in the range of 0-6 for Zn. A 22 Star Design was run to optimize the analytical conditions. For Cd, Pb and Cu determination the studied levels for deposition potential (Ed) were between -1.06 V and -0.64 V, with deposition time (td) between 239 s and 662 s. For Zn determination the studied levels for Ed were between -1.70 V and -1.10 V, with td between 239 s and 662 s. The optimum medium pH conditions found were of pH = 4 for Zn determination and pH = 0 for Cd, Pb and Cu determination. According to the obtained response surfaces it was stipulated for Zn determination a Ed = -1.40 V and a td = 300 s and for Cu, Pb and Cd determination a Ed = -1.00 V and a td = 300 s. Analytical curves were constructed to verify the method linearity. The detection and quantification limits were of 1.26 and 3.83 μg L-1 for Zn, 0.378 and 1.26 μg L-1 for Cd, 0.407 and 1.36 μg L-1 for Pb and 0.960 and 3.20 μg L-1 for Cu, respectively. The method showed recovery values between 86 and 113%. The rainwater samples were also analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), as reference method, showing a good correlation between the results. Values between 3.93 and 13.8 μg L-1 of Zn, 3.11 and 7.51 μg L-1 of Cu were found, while no significant concentrations of Pb and Cd were found. According to the stipulated values on Portaria nº 2914, of december 12 of 2011, from Ministério da Saúde, the Juiz de Fora region rainwater can be considered potable, with respect to the evaluated parameters.