In this study, polyelectrolyte membranes were prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly on top of an interfacially polymerized polyamide substrate, and these thin-film-composite membranes were studied for pervaporative dehydration of ethylene glycol, ethanol and isopropanol. The performance of composite membranes based on polyethylenimine/poly(acrylic acid) (PEI/PAA) multilayers on a polyamide substrate showed good selectivity and stability for ethylene glycol dehydration. In order to understand the formation process of the polyelectrolyte multilayers, the growth of polyelectrolyte multilayers fabricated on the inner surface of cuvette was investiagted. The membrane surface became increasingly hydrophilic with an increase in the number of polyelectrolyte double layers, which favored water permeation for pervaporative dehydration of organic solvents. Water contact angle on the membrane surface decreased from 68?? to 20?? when 7 polyelectrolyte bilayers were deposited on the polyamide substrate. Although the (PEI/PAA) based polyelectrolyte membranes showed good performance for dehydration of ethylene glycol, these membranes did not perform well for the dehydration of ethanol and isopropanol at relatively high feed alcohol concentrations. This was found to be caused by insufficient stability of PEI/PAA bilayers and the polyamide substrate in the ethanol and isopropanol. To improve the performance of the composite membranes for dehydration of ethanol and isopropanol, the outermost surface layer was deposited with PEI, followed by crosslinking. A further improvement in the membrane selectivity was accomplished by substituting the PEI with partially protonated chitosan in the last few polyelectrolyte bilayers during membrane fabrication. It was demonstrated that using interfacially polymerized polyamide membrane as a substrate, polyelectrolyte membranes with less than 8 bilayers could be fabricated for the dehydration of alcohol and diol. This represents a siginificant advancement as a large number of polyelectrolyte bilayers (as many as 60) are often needed. Glutaraldehyde crosslinked polyelectrolyte self-assembled membranes comprising of chitosan and PAA were also prepared for isopropanol/water separation. The resulting membrane showed stable performance with good permeation flux and separation factor. The effects of crosslinking conditions (e.g., concentration and temperature of crosslinking agent, and crosslinking time) on the membrane performance were studied. Alternatively, using PEI as polycation, when anionic PAA was substituted with alginate in the last few polyelectrolyte bilayers during membrane fabrication, stable membranes with a good performance were obtained without the need of chemical crosslinking. The polyethylenimine/alginate self-assembly membranes showed good selectivity and stability for dehydration of ethanol. For instance, a permeation flux of 0.24 kg/(??? h) and a separation factor of 206 were obtained at room temperature at 10 wt% feed water concentration with a membrane comprising of 10 double layers of polyelectrolytes.

Micro- and nano-fluidic devices represent an exciting field with a wide range of possible applications. These devices, typically made of either silica or glass, ionize when placed in contact with water. Upon the application of an electric field parallel to the wall, a flow is produced by the charged walls called the electro-osmotic flow (EOF). Since electric fields are so often used as the driving force in these devices, EOF is an extremely common phenomenon. For this reason it is highly desirable to be able to control EOF in order to optimize the functioning of these devices. One method which is quite common experimentally is the modification of the surface using polymer coatings. These coatings can be either adsorbed or grafted, and charged or neutral. The first part of this thesis looks at the role of neutral adsorbed polymer coatings for the modulation of EOF. Specifically our simulation results show that for adsorbed coatings made from a dilute polymer solution the strongest quenching of EOF is found for an adsorption strength at the phase transition for adsorption of the polymers. Further evidence is presented that shows that by using a high density of polymer solution and a polymer which has a strong attraction to the surface a very thick polymer layer can be created. Next the case of charged grafted polymer coatings is examined. The variation of the EOF with respect to several key parameters which characterize the polymer coating is investigated and compared to theory. The prediction that the electrophoretic velocity of the polymers is the same as the EOF generated by a coating made up of the same polymers is found to be false though the two values are quite close. The last section presents results which show how hydrodynamic interactions in charged polymer systems can be modeled mesoscopically without the use of explicit charges by forcing a slip between monomers and the surrounding fluid. This model is validated by simulating some surprising predictions made in the literature such as an object with no net charge having a non-zero force when subjected to an electric field, and how the velocity can even be perpendicular to the applied electric field. The thesis can be roughly divided into two topics: using polymer coatings to modulate EOF, and the free solution electrophoresis of polyelectrolytes. While EOF and free solution electrophoresis might seem unrelated it will be shown that the concepts are the same in both cases. In fact while not investigated in this thesis, the mesoscopic simulation methods for electrophoresis could be applied to the modulation of EOF with polymer coatings allowing for the simulation of longer length and time scales or more complex systems such as heterogeneously grafted colloids.

On peut imaginer dans un futur proche que des micro-robots implantés pourront suppléer la défaillance de certaines fonctions essentielles. C’est déjà le cas avec les stimulateurs cardiaques dont les piles au lithium sont bien adaptées à leur fonctionnement pendant des années de vie du patient. Cependant, pour des systèmes plus gourmands en énergie, il convient d’améliorer la longévité et la puissance volumique de ces piles. La stratégie que nous avons choisie est basée sur une approche biomimétique et deux voies ont été suivies pour créer une biopile bioinspirée : les biopiles enzymatiques génèrent un courant électrique à partir de l’oxydation de molécules organiques et la réduction d’oxygène en eau. Les biopiles à base de membranes biomimétiques génèrent un potentiel électrique à partir du transfert d’ions au travers une membrane biomimétique.Les biopiles enzymatiques, qui utilisent par exemple le glucose et l’oxygène, sont théoriquement capables de fonctionner indéfiniment car ces substrats sont toujours présents dans l’organisme. Cependant, la biocompatibilité et la performance à long terme de ces biopiles restent des verrous pour leur mise en œuvre chez l’homme. Cette thèse décrit la conception et l’implantation de nouvelles biopiles enzymatiques chez différents modèles animaux. Leur implantation constitue un véritable défi technologique et nous amenons des solutions guidées par la physiologie en abordant les problèmes de biocompatibilité mais aussi de techniques de mesure électrique.Nous sommes maintenant capables d’implanter ces biopiles chez de gros animaux en analysant en temps réel les performances de la biopile implantée.Cette thèse développe également le concept de biopile à base de membranes biomimétiques. Il s’agit d’une biopile mettant en œuvre des protéines de transport (par exemple des canaux ioniques) insérées dans des membranes biomimétiques. Nous avons démontré la faisabilité de la transformation d’un gradient de NaCl en gradient de protons. Nous avons aussi réussi à générer une différence de potentiel de 20 millivolts avec une membrane plane de 38 mm². Cette membrane biomimétique, contenant l’échangeur sodium/proton NhaA, est stable pendant plus de 15 jours. / We believe that in the near future micro-robots or artificial implanted organs can replace failing essential organs. Lithium batteries of cardiac pacemakers are well adapted to operate for years into sick patients. However, for next generation energy intensive implanted devices, longevity and volumic power of these batteries have to be improved.We chose two biomimetic approaches to create bioinspired biofuel cells: the enzymatic biofuel cells generate electrical current from the oxidation and the reduction of organic or inorganic compounds. The biomimetic biofuel cell generate an electrical potential from ion transfer across a biomimetic membrane.The enzymatic biofuel.cells, utilizing glucose and oxygen, are theorically able to work almost indefinitely as their substrates are always present in the body fluids. However, the biocompatibility and the long-term performance of these biofuel cells for a human implantation remain a real bottleneck. This thesis describes the design and the implantation of of new enzymatic biofuel cells in different animal models. The implantation of such devices is challenging and we brought creative solutions with a physiological point of view by addressing biocompatibility problems and electrical measurement techniques. We are now capable to implant these biofuel cells in big animals by analyzing the performances of the biofuel cell in real time.This thesis initiates the biomimetic biofuel cell concept. It consists in membrane transport protein (i.e ion channels) incorporated in a biomimetic membrane. The building of a biomimetic device demonstrates the transformation of a NaCl gradient into a proton gradient. We also generate a 20 mV voltage with a 38 mm² flat membrane. This biomimetic membrane containing the NhaA sodium/ proton exchanger is stable for more than two weeks.

Une analyse détaillée des propriétés physico-chimiques des nanoparticules (NP) anthropogéniques est nécessaire pour comprendre à un niveau mécanistique leurs interactions/toxicité potentielle avec/envers les composants biotiques des systèmes aquatiques naturels. Une telle analyse est également requise pour réaliser une évaluation complète et une optimisation de la performance des méthodes d’(ultra)filtration développées pour circonscrire le relargage des NPs dans les milieux aquatiques. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif de cette thèse de doctorat était de déchiffrer les processus physico-chimiques fondamentaux régissant la capture de nanodendrimères carboxylés (PAMAM-COOH) - utilisés fréquemment dans des applications biomédicales – par des films multicouches du type (poly(diallyldiméthylammonium)chlorure-poly(acide acrylique))n ((PDADMAC-PAA)n) assemblés par déposition séquentielle des composantes polymériques cationique et anionique. À cette fin, une étude systématique des propriétés électrohydrodynamiques des NPs PAMAM-COOH a d'abord été effectuée en fonction du pH et de la concentration en sel monovalent du milieu. Sur la base de la théorie électrocinétique de particules molles ayant une fonctionnalité zwitterionique, il est démontré que les caractéristiques électriques interfaciales des NPs considérées sont déterminées à la fois par des contributions électrostatiques de surface et volumique des nanoparticules, lesquelles dependent de l’extension intraparticulaire de la double couche électrique. L’existence de ces deux types de contributions conduit à un changement remarquable de signe de la mobilité des NPs en modifiant la concentration du sel monovalent en solution et à une dépendance prononcé du point de zéro mobilité des NPs avec la concentration de l’électrolyte. En outre, une confrontation quantitative entre résultats expérimentaux et théorie souligne comment les modifications structurales des NPs induites par des changements de pH et de salinité affectent les caractéristiques électrocinétiques des dendrimères. Dans une deuxième partie, la structure, la morphologie et les propriétés mécaniques des films PDADMAC-PAA et leur évolution temporelle dans des conditions de vieillissement naturel ou après traitement thermique ont été déterminées par microscopie à force atomique (AFM) et analyses microspectroscopie Raman. Les résultats démontrent que les films multicouches PDADMAC-PAA de type exponentiel présentent des caractéristiques mécaniques et structurelles typiques de films polyélectrolytes multicouches à croissance linéaire. En particulier, leur relaxation lente vers un état d’équilibre est accélérée après traitement thermique à 60°C et se révèle être intimement liée à l'instabilité de domaines de films riches en PDADMAC, épuisés en eau (faits confirmés par la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité) et marqués par la présence de structures caractéristiques en forme de ‘donuts’. Dans une dernière partie, des résultats préliminaires sont donnés pour la dépendance de l'élasticité des films multicouches PDADMAC-PAA avec la concentration en solution de nanodendrimères. Les résultats suggèrent que ces films multicouches complexes constituent une option prometteuse pour la capture et l'élimination de nanodendrimères carboxylés présents en milieux aqueux / A detailed analysis of the physicochemical properties of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) is required to understand on a mechanistic level their interactions/potential toxicity with/towards biotic components of fresh water systems. Such an analysis is further mandatory to achieve a comprehensive evaluation and optimisation of the performance of (ultra)filtration methods developed to prevent NPs release into aquatic media. Within this context, the aim of this PhD thesis was to decipher the basic physico-chemical processes governing the loading of carboxylated-poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM-COOH) nanodendrimers -commonly employed in biomedical applications- into layer-by-layer assembled (poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium) chloride-poly(acrylic acid))n ((PDADMAC-PAA)n) multilayer films. For that purpose, a systematic investigation of the electrohydrodynamic properties of PAMAM-COOH NPs was first performed as a function of pH and monovalent salt concentration in solution. On the basis of advanced electrokinetic theory for soft particles with zwitterionic functionality, it is demonstrated that the interfacial electrostatic features of the considered NPs are determined both by surface and bulk particle contributions to an extent that depends on electrolyte concentration. This leads to a remarkable NPs mobility reversal with changing monovalent salt concentration and to a marked dependence of the point of zero NPs mobility on electrolyte content. In addition, confrontation between experiments and theory further highlights how pH- and salt-mediated modifications of the NP particle structure affect dendrimer electrokinetic features at large pH and/or low salt concentrations. In a second part, the structure, morphology and mechanical properties of PDADMAC-PAA films, and their evolution over time under natural aging conditions or after thermal treatment, were addressed from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman microspectroscopy analyses. Results evidence that PDADMAC-PAA multilayer films of exponential type exhibit mechanical and structural features that are typical for polyelectrolyte multilayer films with linear growth. In particular, their slow relaxation to equilibrium is accelerated after heating treatment at 60°C and, in line with density functional theory computation, this relaxation dynamics is shown to be intimately connected to instability of film domains rich in PDADMAC, depleted in water and marked by the presence of characteristic donut-like structures. In a final part, the reported dependence of PDADMAC-PAA multilayer films elasticity on concentration of nanodendrimers in bulk solution suggests that these complex multilayer films constitute a promising option to be further investigated for the loading and removal of carboxylated nanodendrimers from aqueous environments

Le Nafion dans la couche catalytique des PEMFCs peut former un revêtement de film ultra-mince enrobant la surface du catalyseur et ses supports. La morphologie du Nafion se révèle être très sensibles à la nature du matériau sur lequel le film est déposé, et en particulier le caractère hydrophobe/phile de ces matériaux. Notre travail consiste à effectuer une enquête complète sur les effets hydrophiles du substrat sur les propriétés physiques du film ultra-mince de Nafion à des niveaux différents d'hydratation. Par conséquent, nous étudions selon un cadre unique une variété d'environnements spécifiques de la couche du catalyseur de la PEMFC, pouvant aller d'un substrat hydrophobe (carbone) à hydrophile (platine). La méthode numérique choisie pour ce travail est une simulation par Dynamique Moléculaire classique. Les configurations de films ultra-minces correctement thermalisés ont été décrites en détail en fonction de leurs propriétés structurales et dynamiques. / Nafion inside Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) catalyst layers can be found as an ultra-thin film coating the catalyst and the catalyst support surfaces. Nafion morphology shows to be strongly sensitive to the type of material where the film is deposited, especially the hydrophobic/philic character of these materials. Our work consists in performing a complete investigation of the substrate hydrophilicity effects on the physical properties of Nafion ultra-thin film at different hydration levels. We investigate in a unique framework a variety of environments peculiar of the PEMFC catalyst layer, ranging from hydrophobic (carbon) to hydrophilic (platinum) substrates. The numerical method chosen for this work is classical Molecular Dynamics simulations. The well-thermalized thin-film configurations were described in details in terms of their structural and dynamical properties.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-10-17T13:31:20Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) JANIRA DISSERTAÇÃO PPGIT UFPE 2016.pdf: 2767067 bytes, checksum: c6f9b4694fc912f845955ae3a11a3c37 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-17T13:31:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) JANIRA DISSERTAÇÃO PPGIT UFPE 2016.pdf: 2767067 bytes, checksum: c6f9b4694fc912f845955ae3a11a3c37 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-15 / CNPq / O desenvolvimento de sistemas de administração de fármacos utilizando biopolímeros, como a goma de cajueiro e quitosana tem-se destacado pela formação de nanoestruturas por complexação polieletrolítica, realizada pela interação das diferentes cargas dos materiais e devido as suas promissoras propriedades, dentre elas: excelente biodegradabilidade, elevada biocompatibilidade, baixa toxicidade. Usados no desenvolvimento nanotecnológico de formulações para proteção de fármacos peptídicos, como a insulina, para sua administração por via oral, no qual faz-se necessário pela sua instabilidade em variações de pH. Este trabalho teve como objetivo a síntese de nanopartículas a partir de biopolímeros por complexação polieletrolítica para administração oral de insulina e avaliação analítica do fármaco e seu principal produto de degradação o A-21 em meio ácido. Nanopartículas de goma de cajueiro e quitosana foram sintetizadas por complexação polieletrolítica com e sem adição do tripolifosfato de sódio, como agente de reticulação. Foram caracterizadas quanto ao seu tamanho, carga superficial, índice de polidispersão e adicionalmente a Espectroscopia da Região do Infravermelho (FTIR), Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), Análise Termogravimétrica (TG). Para a determinação analítica da insulina e seu principal produto de degradação o A-21 foi realizado um planejamento experimental fatorial, a fim de analisar quais variantes iriam influenciar para obtenção de um menor tempo de análise das moléculas por HPLC. Vinte e sete experimentos foram realizados e destacou-se dentre os valores observados nos tempos de retenção de 5,18 min para insulina e 9,10 min para o A-21, na condição onde a temperatura da coluna foi de 35°C, fluxo do eluente de 1,0 mL/min-1 e na proporção da fase móvel de 52% KH2PO4, 31% acetonitrila e 17% metanol, uma análise final com cerca de 11 minutos. Em média os fatores que mais influenciaram no sistema foram o fluxo do eluente e a proporção da fase móvel, demonstrados através da estimativa dos efeito, análise da variância e teste F. O modelo linear obtido demonstrou ter uma boa predição para o método, com pontos reais de distribuição aleatórios condizentes aos resultados obtidos experimentalmente, a variância total explicada de 91,14% e o modelo deixa de explicar 8,86% dos resíduos. A adequabilidade cromatográfica da combinação das variáveis independentes resultaram em valores próximos ou dentro dos limites estabelecidos. Os resultados das avaliações de concentração dos biopolímeros, proporção dos agentes de reticulação, ordens de adição, pH das soluções mostraram-se bastante significativos na influência dos tamanhos das partículas, potencial zeta e índice de polidispersão. Houve uma grande distinção das preparações com e sem TPP, pois foi evidenciada uma eficaz ação reticulante entre os polieletrólitos, as ligações cruzadas realizadas foram importantes para aperfeiçoamento dos parâmetros, demonstrado a redução dos tamanhos das nanopartículas, de modo homogêneo e com baixos índices de polidispersão, potenciais zeta na faixa neutra diferindo nos valores de acordo com a concentração adicionado. Através das caracterizações realizadas por FTIR, MEV e TG houve a demonstração da interação entre os materiais estudados. As características e propriedades apresentadas pelas nanoesferas formadas pela interação GC/TPP/QT indicam um promissor sistema de liberação de fármacos e proteção para moléculas instáveis ao ambiente gastrointestinal. / The development of drug delivery systems using biopolymers such as cashew gum and chitosan it has been highlighted by the formation of nanostructures by complexation polyelectrolytic held by the interaction of the different loads of materials and due to their promising properties, among them: excellent biodegradability , high biocompatibility, low toxicity. Used in nanotechnological development of formulations for protection peptide drugs such as insulin, for administration orally, in which it is necessary for its instability at pH variations. This study aimed to the synthesis of nanoparticles from biopolymers by complexation polyelectrolytic for oral administration of insulin and analytical evaluation of the drug and its main degradation product A-21 in acid. cashew gum and chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized by complexation polyelectrolytic with and without addition of sodium tripolyphosphate as crosslinking agent. They were characterized as to their size, surface charge, polydispersity and additionally Spectroscopy Infrared Region index (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG). For the analytical determination of insulin and its main degradation product A-21 factorial experimental design was conducted to analyze variants which would influence to obtain a shorter analysis of molecules by HPLC. Twenty-seven experiments were conducted and it was highlighted among the values observed at 5.18 min retention time of 9.10 min for insulin and A-21 in the condition where the column temperature was 35 ° C, flow of the eluent of 1.0 ml / min-1 and the rate of mobile phase of 52% KH2PO4, 31% acetonitrile and 17% methanol, with a final analysis about 11 minutes. On average the factors that most influence the system were the eluent flow and the proportion of the mobile phase, demonstrated by estimating the effect of variance analysis and test F. The resulting linear model was shown to have a good prediction for the method, with points real random distribution consistent with the results obtained experimentally, the total explained variance of 91.14% and the model fails to explain 8.86% of the waste. Chromatographic suitability of the combination of the independent variables resulted in close to or within the established limits. The results of evaluations concentration of biopolymers, the proportion of cross-linking agents, addition orders, the solutions pH were quite significant in the influence of particle size, zeta potential and molecular weight distribution index. There was distinction of preparations with and without TPP, as was evidenced effective action crosslinking of polyelectrolytes, cross-connections made were important for improvement of the parameters shown to reduce the size of the nanoparticles, homogeneous way and with low levels of polydispersity, zeta potential in the neutral range in differing values according to the concentration added. Through the characterizations made by FTIR, SEM and TG was the demonstration of the interaction between the studied materials. The characteristics and properties presented by the nanospheres formed by the interaction GC / TPP / QT indicate a promising system of drug delivery and protection for unstable molecules to the gastrointestinal environment.

Le manque croissant en eau potable dans le monde est un problème d’envergure pour la population. La filtration par des membranes des eaux usées, insalubres ou la désalination apparaît comme une alternative viable pour le futur. La modification de membranes d’ultrafiltration par l’assemblage couche-par-couche permet d’obtenir des propriétés de nanofiltration en contrôlant avec une précision nanométrique l’épaisseur de la couche active de séparation déposée. Lors de cette thèse, nous avons étudié la construction de la couche de séparation ainsi que sa régénérabilité. Pour ce faire, nous avons développé des surfaces « membrane-like » pour étudier la construction sur des surfaces possédant des fonctions chimiques similaires à l’applicative. Par ailleurs, le temps de déposition a aussi été investigué afin de déterminer si les propriétés de séparation des membranes modifiées dépendaient du nombre de couches déposé ou du temps de dépôt. Les membranes ainsi développées présentent une couche de séparation régénérable et des propriétés de nanofiltration. / The increasing lack of drinking water in the world is of major concern for the population. Membrane filtration of brackish water, seawater appears to be a viable alternative for the future. Nanofiltration membranes can be obtained by modifying ultrafiltration membranes by the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique. This method also the deposition of an ultra-thin separation layer with a nanoscale precision and with tunable properties. During this PhD thesis, the build-up and the regenerability of the separation layer was investigated. For this purpose, mimicry surfaces were developed in order to study the LbL-assembly on surfaces presenting similar chemical functions as the applicative one. In addition, the deposition time was also investigated in order to determine if the separation properties of the membrane depend on the number of deposited layers or on the coating time. The developed membranes possessed a regenerable separation layer presenting nanofiltration properties.

Micro- and nano-fluidic devices represent an exciting field with a wide range of possible applications. These devices, typically made of either silica or glass, ionize when placed in contact with water. Upon the application of an electric field parallel to the wall, a flow is produced by the charged walls called the electro-osmotic flow (EOF). Since electric fields are so often used as the driving force in these devices, EOF is an extremely common phenomenon. For this reason it is highly desirable to be able to control EOF in order to optimize the functioning of these devices. One method which is quite common experimentally is the modification of the surface using polymer coatings. These coatings can be either adsorbed or grafted, and charged or neutral. The first part of this thesis looks at the role of neutral adsorbed polymer coatings for the modulation of EOF. Specifically our simulation results show that for adsorbed coatings made from a dilute polymer solution the strongest quenching of EOF is found for an adsorption strength at the phase transition for adsorption of the polymers. Further evidence is presented that shows that by using a high density of polymer solution and a polymer which has a strong attraction to the surface a very thick polymer layer can be created. Next the case of charged grafted polymer coatings is examined. The variation of the EOF with respect to several key parameters which characterize the polymer coating is investigated and compared to theory. The prediction that the electrophoretic velocity of the polymers is the same as the EOF generated by a coating made up of the same polymers is found to be false though the two values are quite close. The last section presents results which show how hydrodynamic interactions in charged polymer systems can be modeled mesoscopically without the use of explicit charges by forcing a slip between monomers and the surrounding fluid. This model is validated by simulating some surprising predictions made in the literature such as an object with no net charge having a non-zero force when subjected to an electric field, and how the velocity can even be perpendicular to the applied electric field. The thesis can be roughly divided into two topics: using polymer coatings to modulate EOF, and the free solution electrophoresis of polyelectrolytes. While EOF and free solution electrophoresis might seem unrelated it will be shown that the concepts are the same in both cases. In fact while not investigated in this thesis, the mesoscopic simulation methods for electrophoresis could be applied to the modulation of EOF with polymer coatings allowing for the simulation of longer length and time scales or more complex systems such as heterogeneously grafted colloids.

A novel strategy for fabrication of responsive functional polymer films is based on grafting of several different functional polymers onto a solid substrate at high grafting density, resulting in varied types of polymer brushes. Such an arrangement suggests many interesting applications of the multicomponent polymer brushes, regarding their versatile adaptive surfaces, capable for responding to changes of solvent polarity, pH, temperature, electromagnetic field and other stimuli, generally by reversible swelling. Mixed amphiphilic polystyrene-poly(2-vynil pyridine) (PS-P2VP) brushes are an example for responsive class of smart materials, which can switch between hydrophilic and hydrophobic energetic state upon changes in the quality of surrounding media. The switching of wettability was found to operate in a broad range and was selectively controlled in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions. Another example for an adaptive/switching behavior is addressed to a polymer brush with a remarkable response to the pH and the ionic strength variations of the aqueous solutions. Combination of weak polyacrylic acid, PAA, and weak polybase, P2VP, in the anchored layer allowed one with a small shift of the pH, to obtain a significant effect on the surface and the interfacial properties of the material. Both type of polymer brushes were examined as adsorbing materials for nanoparticles and charged synthetic- and bio-macromolecules. Their adaptive properties were successively linked to the results of the adsorption experiments. The simplest case was adsorption of nano-particles, functionalised with strong ionic groups, onto binary, PAA-P2VP, polyelectrolyte brushes. Maintaining a constant charge density of the adsorbing component (strong polyelectrolyte effect), allowed one to cause and manipulate a privileged swelling of one of the weak polyelectrolyte brush layers, without affecting the adsorbate properties, and to regulate the thickness of adsorbed layer only by the pH signal. In the case of adsorption of macromolecules with tuneable electrical charge (polyampholytes and proteins), the system became more complicated, regarding their environmentally responsive properties, similar to that exhibited by the polymer brushes. The driving forces were regulated by the switching performance of the brush, simply by adjusting the pH and/or ionic strength conditions. The adsorbed amount and morphological changes of polyampholyte layers were investigated as function of pH and was performed on mixed amphiphilic and binary polyelectrolyte brushes. A special emphasis was set on the binary brush capability to take the control over the interfacial performance of attaching proteins. It was found, that the sharp environmental response of the adsorbent (the polymer brush) strongly influences the morphology of adsorbed protein layers, their thickness and properties. Changing the polarity of the substrate allowed one to regulate the adsorption processes qualitatively and quantitatively. The significant aggregation of protein molecules on PS-P2VP brush and their disassembly on PAA-P2VP brush at the same solvent conditions, we devote to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition, occurred at the surface by replacing PS with PAA. The protein aggregates, monitored on the surface of PS-P2VP, sufficiently decrease their size, when switching the brush energetic state from hydrophobic to hydrophilic by adjusting the pH of the media. This effect was found to be well controlled by the brush switching phenomenon in hydrophilic-hydrophobic direction and vice versa. In conclusion, we showed how the structural reorganization in thin polymer brush layers of different type may dramatically affect their surface properties. The adaptive behavior in response of external stimuli was found to be a basis for highly specific interactions, depending on geometric factors, conformational state and environment.

Die Diffusion durch Polyelektrolytschichten ist bei vielen biotechnologisch-pharmazeutischen Anwendungen im Nanometerbereich von Bedeutung. Bei Experimenten wurde gefunden, dass bei der Diffusion eines Quenchers in mit Fluoreszenzfarbstoff markierten Polyelektrolytmultischichten die Kinetik des Diffusionsprozesses Charakteristika einer anormalen Diffusion aufweist. In dieser Arbeit wird qualitativ und quantitativ gezeigt, dass die Diffusion des Quenchers mit Subdiffusion beschrieben werden kann. Der gemessene Diffusionsprozess kann durch eine Superposition von Markov‘schen Diffusionsprozessen dargestellt werden. Das wird mit einer Monte-Carlo-Simulation nachgewiesen, die auf der analytischen Lösung des vorliegenden Reaktions-Diffusionsgleichungssystems basiert. Die experimentellen Daten werden im Zusammenhang mit der strukturellen Basis der parallel ablaufenden Diffusionsprozesse diskutiert.