This thesis reports on the synthesis and characterization of PtNi dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) containing on average 147 atoms. This is significant because PtNi DENs have not yet been reported. The DENs were prepared by first complexation of Pt²⁺ to the interior tertiary amines of a sixth-generation, hydroxyl-terminated (G6-OH) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer template, followed by chemical reduction in the presence of free Ni²⁺ to yield PtNi DENs. UV-visible (UV-vis) absorbance measurements exhibit a broad, monotonically decreasing band characteristic of nanoparticle formation. Upon dialysis in both H₂ and O₂ this band is observed to decrease in absorbance. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies indicate that particles have been synthesized and are 1.8 + 0.2 nm before dialysis and 1.9 + 0.2 nm after dialysis under H₂. Results obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that Pt is present and the Pt(4f7/2) binding energy is observed at 72.0 eV before dialysis and 71.5 eV after dialysis under H₂. XPS shows that Ni is present and the Ni(2p3/2) binding energy is centered at 857.0 eV before dialysis and 856.6 eV after dialysis under H₂. Finally, oxidative electrochemical stripping is observed at 1.07 V (vs NHE) for PtNi DENs immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) and is tentatively assigned to Ni. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Chemistry, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Intestinal diseases affect millions of people worldwide. Recently, a number of proteins have been shown to be upregulated in the intestinal cells of patients that contribute to disease progression. Therefore, these diseases could be amenable to RNA interference technology (RNAi). Utilizing RNAi to deliver short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) to intestinal cells shows promise for the treatment of diseases by specifically suppressing the expression of disease relevant proteins. A class of lipid nanoparticles termed lipidoid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been shown previously to potently deliver siRNA to several cell types in vitro and in vivo. Here, we seek to establish the utility of lipidoid nanoparticles (LNPs) in the context of oral siRNA delivery to intestinal cells for the treatment of intestinal diseases. Initial in vitro studies demonstrated that the siRNA-loaded LNPs mediated potent, dose dependent, and durable gene silencing in Caco-2 intestinal cells without inducing significant cytotoxicity or altering intestinal barrier function. LNP stability studies revealed that LNPs in an aqueous buffer remained stable for long periods of time when stored in the refrigerator (2 °C) compared to the freezer (-20 °C) or at room temperature. In addition, LNPs remained stable upon lyophilization with the addition of trehalose or sucrose to the LNP solution before freeze-drying. To determine potential for oral LNP delivery, we studied LNP stability under gastrointestinal (GI) tract conditions. LNPs remained potent and stable following exposure to solutions of varied pH, including pH values as low as 1.2. However, efficacy decreased following exposure to increasing concentrations of pepsin and bile salts. Mouse oral biodistribution studies indicated that siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles were retained in the GI tract for at least 8 hours. Confocal microscopy confirmed that nanoparticles entered the epithelial cells of the mouse small intestine and colon. Oral LNP therapeutic efficacy was measured in an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mouse model by targeting the upregulated genes myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Interleukin 18 receptor (IL18R) and were found to prevent some IBD disease progression. Lastly, a formulation for the co-delivery of siRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) was developed and it was discovered that a negatively charged polymer can be used to improve LNP efficacy. Together, these studies have advanced our knowledge of lipid nanoparticle stability, and potential as an orally delivered intestinal therapeutic.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The global lack of clean water for human sanitation and other purposes has become an emerging dilemma for human beings. The presence of organic pollutants in wastewater produced by textile industries, leather manufacturing and chemical industries is an alarming matter for a safe environment and human health. For the last decades, conventional methods have been applied for the purification of water but due to industrialization these methods fall short. Advanced oxidation processes and their reliable application in degradation of many contaminants have been reported as a potential method to reduce and/or alleviate this problem. Lately, it has been assumed that incorporation of some metal nanoparticles such as magnetite nanoparticles as photocatalyst for Fenton reaction could improve the degradation efficiency of contaminants. Core/shell nanoparticles, are extensively studied because of their wide applications in the biomedical, drug delivery, electronics fields and water treatment. The current study is centred on the synthesis of silver-doped Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ photocatalyst. Magnetically separable Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ composite with core–shell structure were synthesized by the deposition of uniform anatase TiO₂ NPs on Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ by using titanium butoxide (TBOT) as titanium source. Then, the silver is doped on TiO₂ layer by hydrothermal method. Integration of magnetic nanoparticles was suggested to avoid the post separation difficulties associated with the powder form of the TiO₂ catalyst, increase of the surface area and adsorption properties. Lastly and most importantly magnetic nanoparticles upsurge the production of hydroxyl groups or reduced charge recombination. The a synthesized catalysts were characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction; Infra-red Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. Other characterization techniques includeVibrating Sample Magnetometry, Brunauer Emmett Teller analysis and Thermogravimetric analysis. The average size of the particles size is 72 nm. Furthermore the photocatalytic performances of the magnetic catalysts were assessed in comparison with that commercial titanium dioxide for the degradation of methylene blue using photochemical reactor under ultra violet light. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity was enhanced using Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ and Ag-Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ compared with that for Fe₃O₄, commercial titanium dioxide powder.

M.Sc. / This report illustrates the synthesis and characterization of CdS and CdSe nanoparticles in TOPO, HDA and hexamethylenediamine. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible and photoluminescence spectrophotometers for optical properties, transmission electron microscopy for shapes and sizes as well as powder X-ray diffractometer for structural analysis. The effect of monomer concentration and temperature were investigated on the growth of nanocrystals. The monomer concentration was varied by changing the amount of stabilizer. The particle sizes increased with an increase in monomer concentration. Higher monomer concentration resulted in polydispersed nanoparticles due to faster uncontrolled growth. Increasing the temperature resulted in a faster growth thus increasing the size of the particles. The growth also affected the shapes of the particles as the particles tend to grow anisotropical ly at higher monomer concentration and high temperatures. The formation of tretrapods at high temperatures was due to a kinetically driven reaction as a result of increased temperature. Hexamethylenediamine was found to be a poor capping agent for the prepared CdS nanoparticles. The particles prepared in the compound agglomerated at all temperatures used in preparation. Such results were associated with lower steric hindrance due to a shorter molecular chain. The polymer nanofibres were fabricated via electrospinning technique while varying the concentrations of the polymer solutions. Solutions of low viscosity gave beaded fibres as mixtures of droplets and fibres due to the collection of wet fibres. An increase in the concentration (viscosity) of the solutions resulted in the deposition of solid fibres with bigger diameters. The TGA results show that PMMA electrospun fibres demonstrate a significant increase in thermal stability compared to the powder polymer. However the changes were very minimal on the PEO fibres. CdS and CdSe nanoparticles were incorporated into PMMA and PEO and electrospun to fabricate composite fibres. The incorporation of the quantum dots caused an increase in the viscosity of the solutions and resulted in the collection of fibres with spiral morphology. However this increase of concentration caused an increase in the diameters of the composite fibres as evaluated from the SEM analysis. The EDS analysis showed the presence of Cd, S, and Se elements in the composite fibres due to the presence of CdS and CdSe. The XRD analysis of the composite showed no effect of the quantum dots on the amorphous peak of the PMMA. However on the PEO it showed a decrease in the intensity as the peaks as they become broader due to the decrease of crystallinty. The FTIR spectra showed that the presence of the quantum dots in the polymers on both PMMA and PEO. The optical analysis showed absorption and emissions peaks on the composites fibres due to the showed incorporated light emitter. These peaks were not affected by any change in the concentrations as a result of increased wt % of the quantum dots. Thermal analysis of the composite fibres demonstrates an increase in the thermal stability of the polymers after the incorporation of the quantum dots. Very small changes were observed for the quantum dots doped-PEO material compared to the doped PMMA. DSC analysis showed an increase in the glass transition temperature of the PMMA with increasing wt % of the CdS and CdSe. The addition of CdS and CdSe nanoparticles into PEO caused a decrease in the melting temperature of the polymer due to a decrease in the polymer crystallinity.

Ce travail de thèse décrit la préparation et l'étude des propriétés d'auto-assemblage de nouveaux amphiphiles fonctionnalisés par des sucres. Des glycosides propargyliques du lactose et de la N-acétyl-glucosamine ont été conjugués par chimie click (cycloaddition de Huisgen catalysée par des sels de cuivre) à des dérivés de poly(ethyleneglycol) dont une des extrémités a au préalable été modifiée par une fonction azide et l'autre par un bloc hydrophobe de type polyphénylène ou bien aliphatique. Après une caractérisation par résonance magnétique nucléaire et spectrométrie de masse, les propriétés d'auto-assemblage de ces amphiphiles ont été étudiées par diffusion dynamique de la lumière (DLS), diffraction des rayons-X aux petits angles (SAXS) et microscopie électronique. Il a été montré qu'en phase aqueuse, les systèmes amphiphiles dérivés du PEG 900 s'auto-assemblent pour former de micelles de taille extrêmement régulière dont le diamètre moyen est de l'ordre de 10 nm. La présence et la biodisponibilité des sucres à la surface de ces nanoparticules ont également pu être démontrées par diffusion dynamique de la lumière avec les lectines PNA et WGA. Les interactions spécifiques observées entre les lectines et micelles associées aux propriétés d'encapsulation de ce type de nanoparticules permettent d'imaginer de futures applications pour la délivrance de médicaments ou encore l'imagerie médicale. / This thesis reports the preparation and characterization of new rod-coil amphiphiles functionalized with oligo- and polysaccharides through Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between species functionalized by an azide group on one side and an terminal alkyne on the other catalyzed by copper. The amphiphiles were synthesized and characterized based on different hydrophobic parts conjugated with the polymer poly(ethylene oxide) PEO with a hydrophilic spacer arm and the oligo- and polyssaccharides 2-propargyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose (GlcNAc) and propargyl β-D-galactopyranosyl-(14)-β-D-glucopyranose (Lac). The amphiphiles synthesized were characterized in terms of their chemical structure and composition through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF-MS and ESI-MS) and high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). After the dissolution in water, the amphiphiles self-associate in highly regular micelles with an average diameter of 2RH ~ 10 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) were used in order to investigate the structure and dynamics of these saccharide amphiphiles. The presence of carbohydrate epitopes on the surface of the micelles and their bioavailability for the segmentation of lectin were also demonstrated by DLS. Specific interactions of GlcNAc and Lac residues with lectins from wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA), respectively, reveal the potential applications of such amphiphilic derivatives of carbohydrates as vectorizing systems, both simple and specific to a drug delivery site.

Nanoparticles, simple yet groundbreaking objects have led to the discovery of invaluable information due to their physiological, chemical, and physical properties, have become a hot topic in various fields of study including but not limited to chemistry, biology, and physics. In the work presented here, demonstrations of various applications of chemical free nanoparticles are explored, from the determination of a non-invasive method for the study of the exposome via using soft-landing ion mobility (SLIM) deposited nanoparticles as a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-MS) matrix replacement, to the direct SLIM-exposure of nanoparticles onto living organisms. While there is plenty of published work in soft-landing at operating pressures of 1 Torr, the work presented here shows how this technology can be operated at the less common ambient pressure. The ease of construction of this instrument allows for various modifications to be performed for a wide array of applications, furthermore the flexibility in metallic sample, operating pressure, and deposition time only open doors to many other future applications. The work presented will also show that our ambient SLIM system is also able to be operated for toxicological studies, as the operation at ambient pressure opens the door to new applications where vacuum conditions are not desired.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Current research classifies Type 2 diabetes as most prevalent non-communicable diseases in South Africa. Approximately 285 million people are affected globally with an expected increase to 595 million by the year 2035. Synthetic first-line drugs in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, have been shown to have an efficacy rate of approximately 43% as a result of poor drug uptake and metabolism. Furthermore, given South Africa’s uniquely diverse botanical heritage, herbs commonly used traditional medicine have shown promise in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

Organodithiols including para-aryl dithiols (PADTs, HS-(C6H4)n-SH, n = 1, 2 and 3) and alpha, omega-alkanedithiols (ADTs, HS-(CH2)n-SH, n = 2, 4, …) with two distal thiols have been used extensively in molecular electronics, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and quantum electron tunneling between two gold or silver nanoparticles (AuNPs and AgNPs). The popular belief is that these dithiols cross-link noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) as monolayer dithiolate spacers. Reported is the finding that PADTs predominantly exist as monothiolate forms on AuNPs or AgNPs. No PADT-induced NP cross-linking was observed regardless of NP/PADT concentration ratios. 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol (HS-CH2-(C6H4)-CH2-SH) and ADT can be completely deprotonated, forming dithiolates on AuNPs and AgNPs, while only one PADT thiol can be deprotonated even when PADTs are treated with concentrated NaOH or AgNO3. AuNP localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) measurement provides conclusive evidence that ADT in AuNP junctions primarily consisted of dithiolate monomers in which the two sulfides are either attached to the same AuNP, or cross-link two adjacent AuNPs as single-molecular spacers. However, ADT molecules most likely in the area surrounding the AuNP junction are monothiolate with their distal thiols either remaining intact or forming disulfide cross-links with neighboring adsorbed ADTs. The possibility for ADT to cross-link two AgNPs as single molecular linker is excluded on the basis of TEM measurements that showed ADT-induced AgNP disintegration. This work highlights the difference between organothiol interactions with AgNPs and AuNPs and should be of broad importance for plasmonic NP research given the popularity of PADTs in molecular electronics and SERS applications.

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