<p>Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the application of nanoparticles in a wide variety of fields. In the field of nanomedicine, there is great emphasis on combining diagnostic and therapeutic modalities into a single nanoparticle construct (theranostics). In particular, anisotropic nanoparticles have shown great potential for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection due to their unique optical properties. Gold nanostars are a type of anisotropic nanoparticle with one of the highest SERS enhancement factors in a non-aggregated state. By utilizing the distinct characteristics of gold nanostars, new plasmonic materials for diagnostics, therapy, and sensing can be synthesized. The work described herein is divided into two main themes. The first half presents a novel, theranostic nanoplatform that can be used for both SERS detection and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The second half involves the rational design of silver-coated gold nanostars for increasing SERS signal intensity and improving reproducibility and quantification in SERS measurements. </p><p>The theranostic nanoplatforms consist of Raman-labeled gold nanostars coated with a silica shell. Photosensitizer molecules for PDT can be loaded into the silica matrix, while retaining the SERS signal of the gold nanostar core. SERS detection and PDT are performed at different wavelengths, so there is no interference between the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Singlet oxygen generation (a measure of PDT effectiveness) was demonstrated from the drug-loaded nanocomposites. In vitro testing with breast cancer cells showed that the nanoplatform could be successfully used for PDT. When further conjugating the nanoplatform with a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), efficacy of both SERS detection and PDT is enhanced. </p><p>The rational design of plasmonic nanoparticles for SERS sensing involved the synthesis of silver-coated gold nanostars. Investigation of the silver coating process revealed that preservation of the gold nanostar tips was necessary to achieve the increased SERS intensity. At the optimal amount of silver coating, the SERS intensity is increased by over an order of magnitude. It was determined that a majority of the increased SERS signal can be attributed to reducing the inner filter effect, as the silver coating process moves the extinction of the particles far away from the laser excitation line. To improve reproducibility and quantitative SERS detection, an internal standard was incorporated into the particles. By embedding a small-molecule dye between the gold and silver surfaces, SERS signal was obtained both from the internal dye and external analyte on the particle surface. By normalizing the external analyte signal to the internal reference signal, reproducibility and quantitative analysis are improved in a variety of experimental conditions.</p> / Dissertation

L’industrie des nanotechnologies est un monde en constante évolution. Les améliorations dans les techniques de fabrication permettent de définir des composants de plus en plus petits. Afin de vérifier les dimensions fabriquées, la métrologie doit s’adapter et être capable de fournir des analyses basées sur des mesures optiques fiables et répétables. Ces travaux se focalisent dans un premier temps sur les procédés de fabrication des échantillons. Les techniques de dépôts, de photolithographies et de gravure sont présentées. Ces techniques nécessitent des outils de métrologie adaptés permettant un contrôle en ligne. Les équipements de métrologie disponibles sont donc présentés en se focalisant sur les techniques par imagerie comme la microscopie électronique à balayage ou transmission et les techniques par inversion telle que l’ellipsométrie et la scatterometrie. Le troisième chapitre est dédié aux applications de ces techniques en production. Les empilements étudiés sont généralement constitués de couches innovantes. La dernière partie est axée sur des méthodes de caractérisation de la rugosité par diffusion lumineuse sur des réseaux périodiques. / Nanotechnology industry is a world in constant evolution. Improvements in manufacturing techniques are used to define smaller and smaller components. To verify dimensions, metrology has to be improved to be able to provide reliable and repeatable analysis. This work focuses first on manufacturing process samples. Deposition techniques, photolithography and etching are introduced. These techniques require metrology tools adapted for in-line monitoring. Metrology equipments introduced in this thesis highlight the application of imaging techniques such as scanning electron microscopy or transmission and inversion techniques such as ellipsometry and scatterometry. The third chapter is dedicated to the application of these techniques to monitoring production. Thin films inspected are generally innovative layers. The last part is focused on methods for roughness characterization by light scattering on periodic gratings.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Despite the wide success of antimicrobial agents against waterborne pathogens, waterborne disease continues to pose a threat to both mankind and animals. A major concern is that certain bacteria have developed resistance to antimicrobial agents, as a result of their overuse. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles are widely used for antibacterial purposes such as medical dressings. However, they are highly toxic to human cells. Hence, there is a great interest in developing next generation antibacterial nanoparticles that are as effective as Ag nanoparticles for antibacterial functions, while having less toxicity to human cells. Several methods can be used to generate these antimicrobial nanoparticles, one of which is green nanotechnology. Green nanotechnology uses natural plants such as tea to synthesise nanoparticles rather than chemicals, thus reduce human and animal harm and improve sustainability of antibacterial agents. Silver-titanium nano-composites (Ag-TiO2 NCs) were synthesised with the hydrothermal method using a tea extract from Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos, RB), and distilled water in the presence of nitrogen. The resulting structures were characterised with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The antibacterial characteristics of these new NCs were evaluated against 3 bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Cupriavidus metallidurans, and Escherichia coli. The optimum processing conditions to produce 6-nm spherical NPs included maintaining the temperature at 90 °C, the pH at 4.35, and using RB extract at a concentration of 2 mg/mL. The size of silver NPs was reduced in acidic conditions, agglomerated in neutral conditions, and highly reduced in alkaline conditions. Increasing the pH decreased the particle size and narrowed the particle size distribution. Gram-positive B. cereus showed slight resistance or tolerance to the Ag-TiO2 nanocomposite compared to the gram-negative bacteria E. coli and C. metallidurans. The treatment concentration required for total inhibition of E. coli and C. metallidurans growth was 100 mg/mL. Supported silver nanoparticles has shown to be a suitable way to obtain highly dispersed silver over higher surface area. This approach allowed Ag-TiO2 nanocomposite to be an efficient bactericide, with less silver amount employed.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising field in the quest to address health conditions. Green nanotechnology is a fairly new branch of nanotechnology, which aims to produce and utilize nanomaterials in a way that is safe for living organisms and their environment. Plant extracts are increasingly used in the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which involves the reduction of sodium tetrachloroaurate (III) dehydrate by phytochemicals present in the plant extract. It is probable that the green synthesised AuNPs are more biocompatible than chemically synthesised AuNPs as biomolecules of plant origin are involved in the synthesis process. Therefore, this study aimed to explore various water extracts from indigenous South African plants, which included Perlagonium capitatum, Otholobium bracteolatum, Gerbera linnae, Morrella quercifolia, Searsia lucida, Phylica bubescens, Euclea racemosa, Tetragonia fruticosa, and Searsia glauca for their potential to synthesize AuNPs and to investigate their toxicity towards several microorganisms known to cause skin infections. These organisms play a significant role in delaying the healing of wounds. The antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles are increasing exploited in the production of wound treatments.

O objetivo desse estudo foi sintetizar e caracterizar um primer experimental contendo Nanopartículas (NLS) de Quitosana e avaliar algumas de suas propriedades. Foram utilizados 50 molares humanos os quais foram seccionados no sentido mesio-distal e oclusal. Esses foram polidos com lixas de diferentes granulações. Após foi realizada a síntese e caracterização de primers experimentais contendo nanopartículas de Quitosana. Os grupos experimentais foram determinados por um ensaio de atividade antimicrobiana e alocados da seguinte forma: 1) Sem aplicação de primer experimental, 2) Aplicação de um primer experimental contendo Clorexidina (CHX) 2% 3) Aplicação de um primer experimental de NLS Quitosana 2% 4) Aplicação de um primer experimental de NLS Quitosana 0,6% 5) Aplicação de um primer experimental de NLS Quitosana 0,4%. Os primers experimentais foram aplicados sobre a dentina sadia. Para a análise de Microtração, foi confeccionado um platô de resina composta Z350 (3M Dental Products, St, Paul, MN, EUA), onde foram realizadas secções para a confecção dos palitos. Foi realizada a caracterização dos primers experimentais por meio de espalhamento de luz dinâmica e o ensaio da atividade de MMPs por meio de Zimografia in situ. Para a analise de Microtração foi utilizada a análise de variância (ANOVA) \"one way\" (p=0,9054). Para a análise de Zimografia in situ foi utilizada ANOVA seguido do teste de Holm-Sidak (p<0,05). A caracterização das NLS de Quitosana demonstrou sua estabilidade em todos os tempos analisados. No ensaio de atividade antimicobriana foi observado concentração de 0,4% para CIM e 0,6% para CBM. Na Resistência a Microtração, não foi observada diferença estatística entre os grupos experimentais (p=0,9054). O ensaio de Zimografia in situ mostrou que o primer experimental contendo Quitosana 2% apresentou maior atividade de inativação de MMPs comparado com os demais grupos experimentais (p<0,05). O primer experimental contendo NLS de Quitosana possui atividade antimicrobiana, não altera a resistência adesiva e possui efeito de inativação de MMPs presentes na dentina / The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize an experimental primer containing Chitosan Nanoparticles (NLS) and to evaluate some of its properties. Fifity human molars were used which were sectioned mesio-distally and occlusally. These were polished with sandpaper of different granulations. After the synthesis and characterization of experimental primers containing chitosan nanoparticles were performed. The experimental groups were determined by an antimicrobial activity assay and were allocated as follows: 1) Without application of experimental primer 2) Application of an experimental primer containing Chlorhexidine (CHX) 2% 3) Application of an experimental primer of NLS Chitosan 2 % 4) Application of an experimental primer of NLS Chitosan 0.6% 5) Application of an experimental primer of NLS Chitosan 0.4%. The experimental primers were applied on the dentin sound. A composite resin plateau Z350 (3M Dental Products, St, Paul, MN, USA) was used for the analysis of Microtration, where sections were made for making the toothpicks. Characterization of the experimental primers was carried out by means of dynamic light scattering and the assay of MMP activity by means of Zimography in situ. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) \"one way\" (p = 0.9054) was used for the analysis of Microtraction. For the analysis of Zimography in situ was used ANOVA followed by the Holm-Sidak test (p <0.05). The characterization of the NLS of Chitosan demonstrated its stability at all times analyzed. In the antimycobrian activity assay, a concentration of 0.4% for MIC and 0.6% for CBM was observed. In the Microtensile Strength, no statistical difference was observed between the experimental groups (p = 0.9054). The in situ Zimography assay showed that the experimental primer containing Chitosan 2% presented higher inactivation activity of MMPs compared to the other experimental groups (p <0.05). The experimental primer containing Chitosan NLS has antimicrobial activity, does not alter the adhesive resistance and has an inactivation effect of MMPs present in dentin

This study examines the role of the university in the domain of nanotechnology research and training using the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) as a case study. It focused on the Faculties of Science and Engineering, given their involvement in the field. It is essentially a qualitative study based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with academic staff members. It shows how the University of Witwatersrand has responded to the South African National Nanotechnology Strategy set by the South African government to enhance the country’s global competitiveness and sustainable economic growth in strategic areas. The study reveals that Wits has selectively by firmly engaged in the domain of nanotechnology and has laid the foundations for a comprehensive programme in both research and training. However, its success in this direction will largely depend upon the ways it maximises the use of the increasing opportunities offered by globalization and it manages the constraints associated with it. By opportunities here I refer to the multiplicity of research sites outside the narrow academic domain and the increasing interest displayed by government, the private sector and relevant international agencies in the field. The constraints are connected to the fact that the field of nanotechnology remains incipient and suffers from the uncertainties surrounding a relatively young field of enquiry in universities in South Africa (financial shortages, lack of skills etc).

A bixina é o principal carotenoide encontrado na superfície externa das sementes de Bixa orellana L., conhecida popularmente como urucum. Os extratos das sementes são largamente utilizados, tradicionalmente como condimento e no preparo de \"remédios\" caseiros para diversos tipos de doenças e sintomas. Industrialmente, é empregado em formulações farmacêuticas, cosméticos e alimentos como corante de origem natural. Contudo, o uso da bixina ainda é limitado pela sua baixa solubilidade em água. Foi observado que a bixina pode ser dispersa em água, por meio de técnica já patenteada pelo nosso grupo, sem uso de suportes e adjuvantes. O presente projeto teve por objetivo obter a bixina purificada de um extrato comercial de semente de urucum, preparar e caracterizar a dispersão de bixina em água e aplicá-la como um carreador de fármacos, utilizando daunorrubicina como modelo e que é utilizada no tratamento de tumores. Bixina foi obtida com 95% de pureza, a partir do extrato de semente de urucum e dispersões a partir deste composto foram preparadas em soluções aquosas e estabilizadas em cerca de duas horas. Foi determinado que a dispersão em água é constituída por partículas esféricas, com diâmetro médio variando de 20 a 150 nm e potencial Zeta de -24,7 mV. A dispersão manteve-se estável quando submetida a concentrações de NaCl de até 50 mmol/L e resistente em pH ácido. Porém, a partir de pH=10, ocorreu hidrólise do éster metílico da bixina, convertendo-a em norbixina. As partículas de bixina foram capazes de incorporar o fármaco daunorrubicina, em proporção molar máxima de bixina/daunorrubicina de 2:1. Nas concentrações testadas, a incorporação da daunorrubicina à dispersão de bixina causou aumento na atividade antiproliferativa, sendo até 60% mais ativa do que a daunorrubicina livre, na concentração de 1 &#181;g/mL. A dispersão de bixina apresentou tolerância a variações em pH e concentração salina e capacidade de incorporar e aumentar a atividade do fármaco daunorrubicina. Sendo assim, constitui-se em um potencial sistema carreador de fármaco derivado de um produto natural. / Bixin is a carotenoid found on surface of Bixa orellana L. seeds, known as annatto. Annatto seeds extracts are popularly used as a condiment for foods and remedy for several diseases and symptoms. It is also applied in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and food industry as a natural colorant. Nevertheless, the use of bixin is still limited by its poor solubility in water. Our research group has developed and patented a technique to disperse bixin in water, with no use of stabilizers or scaffolds. In this project, we aimed to obtain purified bixin from commercial annatto seeds extracts, prepare and characterize a dispersion of bixin in water and to employ it as a drug delivery system. Daunorubicin was chosen as a drug model to be delivered by bixin dispersion. Bixin was isolated from extracts in 95% purity. Aqueous dispersions of bixin demonstrated to be stable two hours after preparation. Bixin formed spherical particles with mean diameter ranging from 20 to 150 nm and Zeta potential of -24,7 mV. The dispersion was stable in NaCl solution up to 50 mMol/L and resistant to acidic medium. However, above pH=10, hydrolysis of ester termination begins to occur, converting bixin into to norbixin and since norbixin is water-soluble, the particles dissolved in water. Bixin dispersion was able to incorporate daunorubicin, in a bixin:daunorubicin molar proportion of 2:1. In all tested concentrations, daunorubicin delivered by bixin showed higher antiproliferative activity compared to free drug, reaching 60% more acitivity at 1 &#181;g/mL In conclusion, bixin dispersion showed good stability in large range of pH and salt concentrations, ability to incorporate daunorubicin and enhanced the antitumoral activity. Thus, it can be considered a potential drug delivery system derived from a natural product.

Thesis advisor: Krzysztof Kempa / Thesis advisor: Zhifeng Ren / In the past few decades, accompanied by the fascinating development of micro- and nano-fabrication techniques, the successful integration of subwavelength optics and multilayer structures has led to a number of remarkable discoveries. In this work, I present both experimental and theoretical investigations of the optics of thin metallic films with micro-/nano-scale perforations in the UV-VIS-IR ranges. Different fabrication techniques are employed, including nanosphere lithography, grain boundary lithography, crack templates, and sintered nanoparticles. The optical properties these films are studied, revealing important relation between optical response and the film geometry. This includes the evolution of plasmonic resonances in a series of periodic arrays of holes in a metallic film, with hole sizes increasing gradually until an array of islands is achieved. This evolution is an analog of the percolation problem, and critical phenomena are observed at the percolation threshold. Multilayer broad-band electromagnetic absorbers are also designed and fabricated based on the study of these perforated films. Parallel with these observations, an analytical coherence model is proposed to bridge the subwavelength and superwavelength limits. Such a model also provides an alternative way to handle thin random structures, avoiding large quantity of numerical computation. These studies can find applications in the design of sensors, ultrathin solar cells and transparent electrodes, as well as in applications where random structures are widely used. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Physics.

Avanços recentes na síntese e manipulação de nanofios semicondutores têm aberto novas oportunidades tecnológicas. Nanofios de silício (SiNWs) pertencem a uma classe única de nanofios semicondutores, pelo fato de que, em um futuro próximo eles possam ser utilizados como elementos de integração entre dispositivos dentro do contexto da tecnologia do silício convencionais. Também há outras aplicações, tais como nanosensores químicos e biológicos a nível atômico ou molecular, possibilitando aplicações e desenvolvimento de tecnologias de sensoriamento in vivo. Realizamos uma investigação teórica da estabilidade e plasticidade de nanofios de silício usando o estado da arte em simulações de dinâmica molecular e em potenciais interatômicos. Consideramos nanofios com as direções de crescimento h100i, h110i e h112i com diversos diâmetros e tipos de facetas. Encontramos que o perímetro, e não o diâmetro, é o parâmetro relevante para descrever as dimensões dessa classe de sistema. Verificamos a performance de diversos potenciais interatômicos para o silício, e encontramos que o EDIP fornece uma melhor descrição para nanofios de silício. Encontramos que as famílias de facetas de superfície desempenham um papel central na energia total do nanofio, que segue uma lei universal como função do perímetro. Também calculamos a resposta de um nanofio de silício a uma tensão uniaxial externa, que habilita-nos a sugerir um novo método de obter nanofios de silício ultrafinos por nanodeformação. Os resultados de estabilidade e plasticidade são comparados com dados experimentais e \'ab initio\' disponíveis na literatura. / Recent advances in synthesizing and manipulating semiconductor nanowires have opened new technological opportunities. Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) belongs a unique class of semiconductor nanowires, since they could be used in conventional silicon device technology in a near future. Additionally, there are other applications, such as chemical and biological nanosensors at atomic or molecular level, opening a new range of technological applications of in vivo sensoring. Here, we carried a theoretical investigation on the stability and plasticity of silicon nanowires using the state of art of molecular dynamics and interatomic potential. We considered nanowires with h100i, h110i and h112i growth directions with several diameters and facet configurations. We found that the perimeter, and not the diameter, is the relevant parameter to describe dimensions in this class of systems. We tested the reability of several interatomic potential for silicon, and found that the EDIP model provides the best description of silicon nanowires. We found that the surface facet family plays a central role on the nanowire total energy, which follows an universal scale law as a function of perimeter. We also computed the response of a silicon nanowire to external load, which allowed us to suggest a new method to obtain ultra thin silicon nanowires by nanodeformation. The results on stability and plasticity are compared to experimental and ab initio results available in the literature.

O adenocarcinoma ocorre em 90% dos casos de tumores malignos dos ovários e apresenta-se bilateralmente em 30 a 50% das pacientes. Devido à falta de sintomas iniciais da doença e à baixa especificidade dos marcadores tumorais existentes, quando detectado, o câncer encontra-se em estadios III e IV da doença, os quais indicam disseminação na cavidade peritoneal. O paclitaxel (PCX) é o fármaco de primeira escolha para o tratamento do câncer de ovário, entretanto a sua baixa solubilidade aquosa reduz sua biodisponibilidade. Dessa forma, no medicamento comercial, Taxol®, o PCX está solubilizado em uma mistura de tensoativos tóxicos. O desenvolvimento de nanocarreadores de fármacos tem sido investigado para promover a redução dos efeitos tóxicos e aumentar a segurança e a eficiência terapêutica com PCX. A funcionalização dos nanocarreadores é uma das estratégias utilizadas para aumentar a seletividade às células tumorais que superexpressam receptores de folato. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi desenvolver e caracterizar nanopartículas poliméricas contendo paclitaxel, funcionalizadas e não funcionalizadas com ácido fólico, visando a otimização do tratamento do câncer de ovário. Os sistemas foram obtidos com sucesso, utilizando técnica de nanoprecipitação. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as formulações NPPCX e NPPCX-AF apresentaram distribuição de tamanhos de partículas de 140 e 154,6 nm, respectivamente, e índices de polidispersão menores que 0,1, com alta eficiência de encapsulação do PCX. Os resultados obtidos foram adequados para a via de administração endovenosa e promoção do direcionamento ativo no ambiente tumoral. Os resultados in vitro em testes de citotoxicidade em linhagens celulares SKOV-3 e OVCAR-3 demonstraram que as nanopartículas contendo PCX (NPPCX e NPPCX-AF) foram capazes de disponibilizar o PCX e reduzir a viabilidade celular. Os ensaios de citometria de fluxo e de microscopia confocal demonstraram a capacidade de ambas as nanopartículas apresentaram um uptake celular tempo dependente, mostrando a capacidade dos nanocarreadores serem internalizados. Além disso, comparando as duas linhagens celulares, a SKOV-3 apresentou maior uptake por apresentar maior número de receptores de folato. Dessa forma, as análises in vitro sugerem que os nanocarreadores, NPPCX e NPPCX-AF, apresentam potencial para a otimização da terapia do câncer de ovário. No entanto, estudos in vivo são necessários para a obtenção de resultados adicionais relativos à eficiência e à segurança para o tratamento de câncer de ovário. / Adenocarcinoma occurs in 90% of cases of malignant ovarian cancer and is present bilaterally in 30 to 50% of patients. Due to lack of initial symptoms and the low specificity of the existing tumor markers, the cancer is detected when it\'s in stages III and IV, which indicate spread into the peritoneal cavity. Paclitaxel (PCX) is the drug of first choice for ovarian cancer treatment, but it has low aqueous solubility, which reduces its bioavailability. Thus, in the commercial drug, Taxol®, PCX is solubilized in a mixture of toxic surfactants. The development of drug nanocarriers has been investigated to promote the reduction of toxic effects and increase the safety and therapeutic efficacy of PCX. Functionalization of nanocarriers is one of the strategies used to increase selectivity to tumor cells that overexpress folate receptors. The aim of the present work was the development and characterization of folate-modified nanoparticles (NPPCX-AF) and unmodified nanoparticles (NPPCX) and evaluation of in vitro efficacy of developed systems using adenocarcinoma cell lines. The systems were successfully obtained using nanoprecipitation technique. The results showed that the NPPCX and NPPCX-AF formulations had a particle size distribution of 140 and 154.6 nm, respectively, and polydispersity indexes smaller than 0.1, with high PCX encapsulation efficiency. The results obtained were suitable for the intravenous administration route and promotion of active targeting in the tumor microenvironment. The in vitro cellular cytotoxicity assays of SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cell lines demonstrated that NPPCX and NPPCX-AF were able to release PCX and reduce cell viability. The flow cytometry assays demonstrated that both nanoparticles presented a time dependent cellular uptake, showing the ability of nanocarriers to be uptake. In addition, comparing both cell lines, SKOV-3 showed a higher uptake due to its greater amount of folate receptors. Thus, in vitro results suggested that the nanocarriers, NPPCX and NPPCX-AF, present a distinguish potential for ovarian cancer therapy optimization. In vivo studies are needed to confirm the in vitro results and provide additional data regarding safety and efficacy of ovarian cancer treatment.