Metalle werden oft während ihrer Anwendung korrosiven Bedingungen ausgesetzt, was ihre Alterungsbeständigkeit reduziert. Deswegen werden korrosionsanfällige Metalle, wie Aluminiumlegierungen mit Schutzbeschichtungen versehen, um den Korrosionsprozess aktiv oder passiv zu verhindern. Die klassischen Schutzbeschichtungen funktionieren als physikalische Barriere zwischen Metall und korrosiver Umgebung und bieten einen passiven Korrosionsschutz nur, wenn sie unbeschädigt sind. Im Gegensatz dazu kann die Korrosion auch im Fall einer Beschädigung mittels aktiver Schutzbeschichtungen gehemmt werden. Chromathaltige Beschichtungen bieten heutzutage den besten aktiven Korrosionsschutz für Aluminiumlegierungen. Aufgrund ihrer Giftigkeit wurden diese weltweit verboten und müssen durch neue umweltfreundliche Schutzbeschichtungen ersetzt werden. Ein potentieller Ersatz sind Schutzbeschichtungen mit integrierten Nano- und Mikrobehältern, die mit ungiftigem Inhibitor gefüllt sind. In dieser Arbeit werden die Entwicklung und Optimierung solcher aktiver Schutzbeschichtungen für die industriell wichtige Aluminiumlegierung AA2024-T3 dargestellt Mesoporöse Silika-Behälter wurden mit dem ungiftigen Inhibitor (2-Mercaptobenzothiazol) beladen und dann in die Matrix anorganischer (SiOx/ZrOx) oder organischer (wasserbasiert) Schichten dispergiert. Zwei Sorten von Silika-Behältern mit unterschiedlichen Größen (d ≈ 80 and 700 nm) wurden verwendet. Diese haben eine große spezifische Oberfläche (≈ 1000 m² g-1), eine enge Porengrößenverteilung mit mittlerer Porenweite ≈ 3 nm und ein großes Porenvolumen (≈ 1 mL g-1). Dank dieser Eigenschaften können große Inhibitormengen im Behälterinneren adsorbiert und gehalten werden. Die Inhibitormoleküle werden bei korrosionsbedingter Erhöhung des pH-Wertes gelöst und freigegeben. Die Konzentration, Position und Größe der integrierten Behälter wurden variiert um die besten Bedingungen für einen optimalen Korrosionsschutz zu bestimmen. Es wurde festgestellt, dass eine gute Korrosionsschutzleistung durch einen Kompromiss zwischen ausreichender Inhibitormenge und guten Barriereeigenschaften hervorgerufen wird. Diese Studie erweitert das Wissen über die wichtigsten Faktoren, die den Korrosionsschutz beeinflussen. Somit wurde die Entwicklung effizienter, aktiver Schutzbeschichtungen ermöglicht, die auf mit Inhibitor beladenen Behältern basieren. / Metals are often used in environments that are conducive to corrosion, which leads to a reduction in their mechanical properties and durability. Coatings are applied to corrosion-prone metals such as aluminum alloys to inhibit the destructive surface process of corrosion in a passive or active way. Standard anticorrosive coatings function as a physical barrier between the material and the corrosive environment and provide passive protection only when intact. In contrast, active protection prevents or slows down corrosion even when the main barrier is damaged. The most effective industrially used active corrosion inhibition for aluminum alloys is provided by chromate conversion coatings. However, their toxicity and worldwide restriction provoke an urgent need for finding environmentally friendly corrosion preventing systems. A promising approach to replace the toxic chromate coatings is to embed particles containing nontoxic inhibitor in a passive coating matrix. This work presents the development and optimization of effective anticorrosive coatings for the industrially important aluminum alloy, AA2024-T3 using this approach. The protective coatings were prepared by dispersing mesoporous silica containers, loaded with the nontoxic corrosion inhibitor 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, in a passive sol-gel (SiOx/ZrOx) or organic water-based layer. Two types of porous silica containers with different sizes (d ≈ 80 and 700 nm, respectively) were investigated. The studied robust containers exhibit high surface area (≈ 1000 m² g-1), narrow pore size distribution (dpore ≈ 3 nm) and large pore volume (≈ 1 mL g-1) as determined by N2 sorption measurements. These properties favored the subsequent adsorption and storage of a relatively large amount of inhibitor as well as its release in response to pH changes induced by the corrosion process. The concentration, position and size of the embedded containers were varied to ascertain the optimum conditions for overall anticorrosion performance. Attaining high anticorrosion efficiency was found to require a compromise between delivering an optimal amount of corrosion inhibitor and preserving the coating barrier properties. This study broadens the knowledge about the main factors influencing the coating anticorrosion efficiency and assists the development of optimum active anticorrosive coatings doped with inhibitor loaded containers.

Nitroxide polymer brushes grafted on silica nanoparticles as binder-free cathode for organic radical battery have been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and electron spin resonance confirm that the nitroxide polymer brushes are successfully grafted onto silica nanoparticles via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that the onset decomposition temperature of these nitroxide polymer brushes is found to be ca. 201 ◦C. The grafting density of the nitroxide polymer brushes grafted on silica nanoparticles is 0.74¡V1.01 chains nm−2. The results of the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance indicate that the non-crosslinking nitroxide polymer brushes prevent the polymer from dissolving into organic electrolytes. Furthermore, the electrochemical results show that the discharge capacity of the polymer brushes is 84.9¡V111.1 mAh g−1 at 10 C and the cells with the nitroxide polymer brush electrodes have a very good cycle-life performance of 96.3% retention after 300 cycles.

Humans are exposed to high levels of amorphous silica on a daily basis, via the diet and the use of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Amorphous silica particles (10-200 nm) have also been developed for use in biomedical applications, including as binding agents in tissue repair, drug and gene therapy delivery agents, coatings for medical contrast agents and as vaccine adjuvants. Numerous studies have already been conducted to evaluate the cellular toxicity of these silica particles but still little is known about their effects both in vitro and in vivo, especially of nanosilica particles under 10 nm in diameter. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the cellular and in vivo activity of < 10 nm diameter nanosilica particles with different properties (e.g., size and dissolution rate in dilute conditions) as it may infer upon safety after exposure via the diet and intravenous administration (biomedical applications). First, the cytotoxicity of sub-10 nm nanosilica particles, fully characterized by size, dissolution rate, zeta-potential and by NMR spectroscopy, on immune cell function was assessed using transformed and cancerous cell lines and primary cells. The particles were toxic to the immune cells in a dose dependent manner and impaired certain cellular functions. Primary cells were most susceptible to nanosilica induced death and, of the primary cells, phagocytes were most susceptible to its cytotoxicity. Further investigations were conducted to assess the effect of nanosilica on T cells, as there was evidence suggesting that nanosilica particles were directly interacting with these cells. Nanosilica particles 3.6 nm in diameter were found to have a significant effect on T cell function. The particles induced numerous markers of T cell activation, including CD25 and CD69 on CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, gamma-delta T cells and NK/NKT cells, CD95 on CD4 and CD8 T cells, CD40L, FoxP3, LAP, GARP on CD4 T cells, and IFN-gamma production, but it did not induce T cell proliferation. The particles were found to activate T cells regardless of their antigenic specificity. Further investigations showed that nanosilica interacts with the T cell receptor complex, the first documented case of a non MHC-coated nanoparticle directly interacting with this receptor complex. The nanoparticulate induced signalling through Zap70, LAT, and, eventually, through NFAT but not through MAPK. Similar signalling in the literature has been shown to induce a hyporesponsive T cell state (anergy) or activation induced cell death. The induction of the CD25 and CD69 T cell activation markers was limited to nanosilica particles below 10 nm in size, while similarly sized iron hydroxide nanoparticles (3-5 nm) only induced low levels of CD69 expression on T helper cells. Finally, it was shown that nanosilica is capable of inducing T cell activation in whole blood, though the T cell responses were greatly attenuated. Although identification of activation pathway in vivo remains elusive, the nanosilica particles were shown to have therapeutic value, decreasing murine subcutaneous tumour growth rate and significantly reducing the formation of lung metastases. Whether these in vivo responses are related to T cell activation identified in vitro remains unclear.

abstract: Nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention in recent research due to their wide applications in various fields such as material science, physical science, electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering. Researchers have developed many methods for synthesizing different types of nanostructures and have further applied them in various applications. However, in many cases, a molecular level understanding of nanoparticles and their associated surface chemistry is lacking investigation. Understanding the surface chemistry of nanomaterials is of great significance for obtaining a better understanding of the properties and functions of the nanomaterials. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can provide a familiar means of looking at the molecular structure of molecules bound to surfaces of nanomaterials as well as a method to determine the size of nanoparticles in solution. Here, a combination of NMR spectroscopic techniques including one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopies was used to investigate the surface chemistry and physical properties of some common nanomaterials, including for example, thiol-protected gold nanostructures and biomolecule-capped silica nanoparticles. Silk is a natural protein fiber that features unique properties such as excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and non-linear optical properties. These appealing physical properties originate from the silk structure, and therefore, the structural analysis of silk is of great importance for revealing the mystery of these impressive properties and developing novel silk-based biomaterials as well. Here, solid-state NMR spectroscopy was used to elucidate the secondary structure of silk proteins in N. clavipes spider dragline silk and B. mori silkworm silk. It is found that the Gly-Gly-X (X=Leu, Tyr, Gln) motif in spider dragline silk is not in a β-sheet or α-helix structure and is very likely to be present in a disordered structure with evidence for 31-helix confirmation. In addition, the conformations of the Ala, Ser, and Tyr residues in silk fibroin of B. mori were investigated and it indicates that the Ala, Ser, and Tyr residues are all present in disordered structures in silk I (before spinning), while show different conformations in silk II (after spinning). Specifically, in silk II, the Ala and Tyr residues are present in both disordered structures and β-sheet structures, and the Ser residues are present primarily in β-sheet structures. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Chemistry 2017

Nanoesferas de sílica contendo fluoróforos encapsulados (o complexo quercetina- Al+3 e o corante rodamina B) foram preparadas com alto controle de tamanho e morfologia, utilizando catálise ácida e básica do tetraetilortossilicato (TEOS). As nanopartículas obtidas apresentaram diâmetro da ordem de 200-300 nm, possuindo maior regularidade quando preparadas em meio alcalino. Nas preparações foram utilizados o método de Stöber e o método caroço-casca. Devido à hidrólise da quercetina em meio básico, as partículas funcionalizadas com o flavonóide ou com o complexo quercetina-Al+3, apresentaram maior intensidade de emissão sob catálise ácida. No caso da catálise básica, as partículas apresentaram emissão significativa quando preparadas utilizando um sol de alumina, porém foram obtidos paralelepípedos nanométricos. Os decaimentos de fluorescência para o sistema quercetina-alumina são biexponenciais, em concordância com os dois complexos quercetina-Al+3 formados no interior da nanopartícula de sílica. No caso da rodamina B, foram realizadas medidas de espectroscopia de correlação de fluorescência, que mostraram uma relação entre relaxação difusional com tamanho e autoagregação das partículas. / Silica nanospheres doped with quercetin-Al+3 and rhodamine B were synthesized with high size control and morphology, using acid and basic catalysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The nanoparticle diameter obtained was about 200- 300 nm, with higher regularity when synthesized in alkaline media. The Stöber\'s and core-shell methods were used as preparation methods. Because the alkaline hydrolysis of quercetin, the flavonoid or the quercetin-Al+3 complex doped nanoparticles showed higher emission intensity when acid catalysis was used. When basic catalysis was performed, the particles prepared with an alumina-sol showed expressive emission intensity, but nanometric parallelepipeds were obtained. The quercetin-alumina fluorescence decays are biexponential, agreeing with the two types of quercetin-Al+3 complexes formed in the nanoparticles domain. In the case of rhodamine B, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements were performed, showing a relation between diffusion relaxation with size and aggregation behavior.

Traditional methods of pest control are threatened by the development of insecticide resistance, both to traditional insecticides and Bt toxins. Discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has created opportunities to develop new insect control mechanisms. However, RNAi responses appear to be robust in coleopteran pests, but other orders, e.g. Lepidoptera and Hemiptera, present varied or ineffective RNAi responses. Current delivery strategies for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) include microinjection, ingestion, and soaking. These approaches have benefits and problems. This study investigates the potential for porous silica nanoparticles (pSNPs) to improve the delivery of dsRNA and induce an RNAi response in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. Initially, the binding conditions of RNA onto porous and nonporous silica nanoparticles was examined, and the movement of RNA on and within pSNPs was observed. That information was then applied to in vitro studies for examining the capacity of silica nanoparticles to protect dsRNA from degradation by nucleases. This work culminated in an in vivo assay for measuring apoptosis when dsRNA is delivered to insect cells by pSNPs. Results of these studies show that silica nanoparticles bind nucleic acids and that dsRNA is mobile, pSNPs protect dsRNA from nuclease degradation, and pSNP/dsRNA complexes can induce apoptosis in lepidopteran insect cells.

L'élaboration d'un revêtement submicronique est réalisée par électrodéposition de nanoparticules de silice (EPD = ElectrophoreticDeposition). Cette approche permet de contrôler l'épaisseur des dépôts, qui est un paramètre à ajuster pour élaborer un revêtement sélectif absorbeur de type capteur photothermique. La nature du revêtement recherché est un co-dépôt de silice et de carbone. Pour la compréhension et le contrôle des mécanismes de dépôt par EPD, le dépôt de silice seule est étudié. Deux systèmes ont été investigués : de la silice déposée sur du wafer de silicium ou sur du platine, notés respectivement SiO2/Si et SiO2/Pt. Une suspension colloïdale commerciale, le Ludox® HS-40, est utilisée pour permettre la dilution de sols stables de nanoparticules de silice monodisperses (12 nm de diamètre), chargées négativement. Un EPD anodique est réalisé en milieu aqueux grâce à ce sol.Le potentiel, la concentration initiale en nanoparticules et la durée de dépôt ont été explorés. Lorsque le potentiel appliqué est trop élevé, le phénomène d'électrolyse de l'eau est observé. Plus particulièrement, le système à base de platine se trouve limité par ce phénomène à partir d'un potentiel de +2V. La forte conductivité de ce substrat favorise le phénomène de dégagement gazeux. Ce bullage subséquent, dégrade la cohésion du revêtement. Néanmoins, l'application d'un potentiel inférieur au potentiel d'électrolyse de l'eau permet de bonnes conditions de dépôt. Des phénomènes similaires ont également été observés avec le système SiO2/Si. Les propriétés semi-conductrices du wafer de silicium permettent cependant d'appliquer des potentiels plus élevés (jusqu'à +40 V), en limitant le phénomène d'électrolyse. L'optimisation des conditions de dépôt sur ces deux systèmes ont permis d'obtenir des conditions expérimentales de dépôt compatibles avec l'objectif fixé, à savoir : un potentiel de +1 V pour le système SiO2/Pt et de +3 ou +30 V pour le système SiO2/Si, une concentration comprise entre 1 et 10 %mass, et une durée de dépôt de 1h.Dans les conditions optimales définies précédemment, les propriétés physico-chimiques de la suspension initiale ont été modifiées par l'ajout d'un co-solvant (EtOH), d'un sel (Na2SO4) ou d'un polymère (PAA out PVA) afin d'étudier l'influence du milieu dispersant, de la conductivité de la suspension ou du potentiel zêta des nanoparticules sur l'épaisseur des dépôts. Ces ajouts ont permis d'augmenter l'épaisseur des revêtements, notamment pour le système SiO2(EtOH)/Pt et les systèmes à base de PAA. L'ajout d'un composé carboné (PVA, PAA) dans la suspension a également été étudié afin d'obtenir après calcination (500°C) un revêtement présentant des caractéristiques intéressantes pour l'application envisagée. Les revêtements de type SiO2(PAA)/Pt présentent une certaine sélectivité optique. Toutefois les valeurs du ratio alpha/epsilon restent inférieures à 7, ce qui est plus faible que les valeurs obtenues pour le même type de système, avec des procédés sol-gel classiques. / The development of a submicron coating was carried out by electrophoretic deposition (EPD)of silica nanoparticles. This approach allows controlling the thickness of the deposits which is a parameter to adjust to develop a selective absorber coating dedicated to a photothermal sensor. The composition of the desired coating is a co-deposition of silica and carbon. For the understanding and the control of EPD deposition mechanisms, silica deposit is first studied. Two systems were investigated: silica deposited on a silicon wafer or platinum substrate, respectively noted SiO2/Si and SiO2/Pt. A commercial colloidal suspension, Ludox® HS-40, is used to realize stable diluted sols of monodispersed silica nanoparticles (12 nm diameter), negatively charged. Anodic EPD is performed in aqueous medium from this sol.The applied potential, the initial concentration of nanoparticles and the deposition time are investigated. When the applied potential is too high, the water electrolysis phenomenon occurs. More particularly, the platinum-based system is limited by this phenomenon, from a potential of +2 V. The high conductivity of this substrate promotes gassing phenomenon. This subsequent bubbling degrades the cohesion of the coating. However, an applied potential lower than the electrolysis potential gives some good deposition conditions. Similar phenomena were also observed with SiO2/Si system. However, the semiconductor properties of the silicon wafer enable to apply higher potential (up to +40 V) by reducing the phenomenon of electrolysis. Optimizations of the deposition conditions on these two systems have yielded experimental deposition conditions consistent with the objective, namely: a potential of +1 V to SiO2/Pt system and of +3 and +30 V for SiO2/Si system, a concentration between 1 and 10 %mass, and a deposition time of 1 hour.Under optimum conditions defined above, the physicochemical properties of the initial suspension are modified by adding a co-solvent (EtOH), a salt (Na2SO4) or a polymer (PAA or PVA) in order to study the influence of the dispersing medium, the conductivity of the suspension or the zeta potential of the nanoparticles on the thickness of the deposits. These additions have increased the thicknesses of coatings, especially for SiO2(EtOH)/Pt system and systems based on PAA. The addition of some carbon compounds (PVA or PAA) in the suspension was also studied to obtain after calcinations (500 °C) a coating with interesting characteristics for the intended application. Coating obtained with SiO2(PAA)/Pt system exhibit a significant optical selectivity. However, the value of the alpha/epsilon ratio remains below 7, which is lower than the values obtained for the same type of system with conventional sol-gel processes.

Orientador: Nelson Eduardo Durán Caballero / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T13:02:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bueno_CamilaPedrosoSilveira_M.pdf: 80017692 bytes, checksum: afdb5714b60ba879bf69cbd031077a1d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Um dos principais problemas da quimioterapia, atualmente, é o uso de fármacos extremamente citotóxicos, cuja falta de especificidade acarreta na ação sob todos os tipos de células, incluindo as saudáveis, gerando efeitos colaterais intensos, que prejudicam a terapia em si. Nesse sentido, os nanomateriais oferecem uma opção terapêutica valiosa, pois podem conjugar especificidade e liberação sustentada do fármaco, prevenindo-o de ser degradado prematuramente e permitindo o uso de menores doses. A fim de desenvolver um sistema do tipo drug depot que servisse como plataforma para a liberação sustentada de fármacos, foram produzidas, neste trabalho, formulações baseadas em nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílica e hidrogel de Pluronic F-127, associadas a dois fármacos individualmente: doxorrubicina e sildenafila. As nanopartículas mesoporosas de sílica são boas alternativas para uso médico, pois são biocompatíveis e possuem grande volume de poros, atuando como carreadoras, promovendo a liberação sustentada do fármaco. O Pluronic F-127 atua como agente gelificante e promove uma liberação prolongada das nanopartículas e do fármaco incorporado, uma vez que é um polímero termo-reversível que permite a formação de um hidrogel à temperatura ambiente. A doxorrubicina é um antibiótico antitumoral de largo espectro, amplamente usada no tratamento de diversos cânceres, que atua ligando-se ao DNA e induzindo apoptose celular. Por sua vez, a sildenafila faz parte de uma classe de inibidores da enzima fosfodiesterase-5, cuja expressão aparece aumentada em diversos carcinomas e, por isso, seu papel na progressão tumoral vem sendo amplamente estudado. Após estudar os aspectos físico-químicos envolvendo os componentes dos sistemas, como estabilidade coloidal e interações entre as nanopartículas e biomoléculas presentes no meio biológico, as formulações foram testadas contra câncer de próstata quimicamente induzido em ratos. Os resultados mostram que as nanopartículas possuem um papel determinante no quadro de melhora de tumor, minimizando, também, a toxicidade do antitumoral / Abstract: One of the largest problems of chemotherapy currently is the use of highly cytotoxic drugs with lack of specificity, thus damaging all kinds of tissues, including healthy cells. This leads to aggressive side effects that jeopardize the therapy itself. In this context, nanomaterials emerge as a valuable therapeutic option, as they can provide the specificity to target tumor tissues and a sustained release of the drug, preventing the drugs premature degradation and allowing lower doses. Aiming to develop a drug depot system that would act as platform for the sustained release of drugs, this project proposed to develop formulations based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles and Pluronic F-127 hydrogels, associated with two drugs individually: doxorubicin and sildenafil. The mesoporous silica nanoparticles are good alternatives for biomedical use because of their biocompatible features and their great pore volume, acting as carriers and providing sustained release. Pluronic F-127 acts as the gelling agent and provides a prolonged release of the nanoparticles and the loaded drug, since it is a thermo-reversible polymer that allows the formation of a hydrogel at room temperature. Doxorubicin is an antibiotic and antitumor of large spectra, largely used to treat several types of cancer and acts binding the DNA and inducing cell apoptosis. Sildenafil, in turn, is part of a class of inhibidors of the enzyme phosphodiesterase-5, which expression is increased in many carcinomas and which role in tumor progression has been largely studied. After studying physico-chemical aspects involving the systems produced, such as the colloidal stability, release profile, and the interactions of the nanoparticles with the biomolecules present in biological medium. The formulations were also tested in rats with chemically induced prostate cancer. The results show that the nanoparticles play a determinant role on the improvement of tumor conditions, also reducing doxorubicin's toxicity / Mestrado / Físico-Química / Mestra em Química

Le but de cette thèse est la synthèse, l’optimisation et la fonctionnalisation de nanoparticules coeur-coquille organique@inorganique qui constituent une nouvelle classe de nanotraceurs pour l’imagerie profonde à deux photons de la vascularisation des tumeurs. Ces NPs cœur-coquille qui contiennent un cœur nanocristallin organique (ca 40-50 nm) enrobé d’une coquille de silice sont synthétisées en utilisant une méthode de séchage d’aérosol originale développée dans notre groupe. Le procédé est basé sur la nucléation et la croissance confinées d’un nanocristal organique ayant lieu simultanément avec la formation d’une croûte de silice par le séchage rapide de gouttelettes contenant des oligomères de silice un colorant organique et du solvant dans un flux d’air à 150-200 °C. Ce procédé en une étape est rendu possible grâce au contrôle à la fois de la chimie sol-gel (polycondensation) et du procédé de nanocristallisation qui ont lieu simultanément. Les précurseurs silicatés sont des alcoxydes de silicium : le TMOS (tetraméthoxysilane) et le TMSE (bis(triméthoxysilyl)éthane) choisis pour formés la coquille d’organosilice. De plus, l’organosilane AzPTES ((3-azidopropyl)triéthoxysilane) est utilisé pour inclure des fonctions azoture aux NPs pour une fonctionnalisation ultérieure avec des fragments organiques contenant des fragments alcyne par CuAAC (cycoaddition alcyne-azoture catalysée au cuivre). Les colorants organiques constituant le cœur organique sont non commerciaux et conçus pour fluorescer de façon très brillante à l’état solide sous excitation biphotonique dans le proche infra-rouge (fenêtre de transparence biologique). Ils ont en outre les propriétés physico-chimiques appropriées pour permettre leur nanocristallisation. Des NPs sphériques et sans défaut ont été obtenues, qui ont pu être mises en suspension colloïdale dans l’eau après dissolution basique partielle des coquilles puis neutralisation à pH physiologique.Afin de circuler de façon prolongée dans le flux sanguin pour permettre l’utilisation de ces NPs comme traceurs fluorescents, les NPs synthétisées ont été dérivatisées avec différentes fonctions pour augmenter leur stabilité colloïdale par des effets de charge ou stériques. L’influence de la fonctionnalisation a été étudiée en utilisant différentes techniques de caractérisation comme la spectroscopie de fluorescence, la diffusion dynamique de la lumière ou le potentiel zêta en conditions physiologiques. La fonctionnalisation par différents types de PEG (polyéthylène glycol) de différentes longueurs et modifiés par des fonctions alcyne a été effectuée. La spectroscopie infrarouge a permis de montrer le succès de la fonctionnalisation grâce à la diminution de l’intensité de la bande azoture et à l’apparition de vibrations CH. Les suspensions colloïdales de NPs fonctionnalisées par du PEG5000 ont été traitées dans l’eau ou dans du fluide biologique simulé, à 25 ou 37 °C. Dans tous les cas, la DLS a montré une bonne stabilité avec des diamètres moyens inférieurs à 200 nm dans tous les cas. La spectroscopie de fluorescence avant et après fonctionnalisation montre des brillances comparables ce qui suggère l’absence de blanchiment dans les conditions de fonctionnalisation. Les suspensions colloïdales une fois fonctionnalisées montrent une perte d’intensité de moins de 10% sur 8 h, ce qui suggère une stabilité colloïdale satisfaisante.L’interaction de ces NPs cœur-coquille avec différentes protéines sanguines a aussi été étudiée par DLS, et une très faible agrégation en présence de doses élevées de protéines a été montrée. Des tests d’imagerie par fluorescence à deux photons sur souris sont en cours. / The aim of this work is the synthesis, optimization and functionalization of organic@inorganic core-shell nanoparticles (NPs), which constitute a novel class of nanoparticulate tracers, to be used for two-photon deep tissue imaging of tumor vascularization. These core-shell NPs, which comprise an organic dye nanocrystal core (ca 40-50 nm) surrounded by a silicate crust, are synthesized using an original spray-drying method developed in our group. This process is based on the confined nucleation and growth of an organic nanocrystal concomitantly with the formation of a silicate crust by fast drying of sprayed droplets containing silicate oligomers, organic dye and solvent under an air flux at 150-200 °C. This one-step synthesis is made possible thanks to the control of both the sol-gel chemistry (polycondensation) and the nanocrystallization process, which occur simultaneously. Alkoxide precursors, TMOS (tetramethoxysilane) and TMSE (1.2-bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane) are chosen to form the silicate shell. Additionally, an organosilane, (3-azidopropyl) triethoxysilane (AzPTES), is used to impart an azide functionality to the NPs for further functionalization with alkyne-modified moieties using the Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of organic azides to alkynes (CuAAC). The organic dyes for the nanocrystalline core are non-commercial and designed to exhibit high fluorescence intensity in the solid state under two-photon excitation in the near infrared (biological window) and the appropriate physico-chemical properties to enable their nanocrystallization. Spherical defect-free NPs were obtained. Colloidal NP suspensions were obtained after a basic partial dissolution of the shells of the NPs followed by acidic neutralization to pH 7.4, to match the pH of physiological media.In order to provide long circulation time of the NPs in the bloodstream to enable the use of these NPs as tracers for deep-tissue imaging, the synthesized NPs were derivatized with different moieties to improve their colloidal stability by charge/steric stabilization. The effects of the functionalization were studied using different characterization tools such as fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential under physiological conditions.Functionalization with different forms of alkyne-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG), differing in chain length and structure was done using CuAAC, to render them furtive and increase their circulation time in the bloodstream. The functionalized NPs, when compared with the initial core shell NPs (prior to functionalization) using IR spectroscopy, showed positive results, with reduction in the azide band intensity and appearance of bands corresponding to the C-H bonds of the PEG in the functionalized NPs. DLS performed on colloidal suspensions of the core-shell NPs functionalized with a long-chain (Mn :5000) PEG in two media, (a) water and (b) Simulated body fluid (SBF) solution, each tested at two different temperatures (i) 25 °C and (ii) 37 °C resulted in size distributions centered at less than 200 nm in all four cases, thereby indicating stability of the functionalized core-shell NP suspensions under physiological conditions. Fluorescence spectroscopy of the NP suspensions before and after functionalization also exhibited good results, with comparable brightness after functionalization, suggesting that no quenching occurred in the presence of Cu salts. The colloidal suspensions were found to have lost less than 10 % of the fluorescence signal, suggesting colloidal stability.The interactions of these core-shell NPs with different plasma proteins were also investigated, with minimal aggregation in the presence of high concentrations of proteins. Two-photon fluorescence imaging tests in mice are underway. In conclusion, bright, red-emitting core-shell NPs have been produced, which are promising for use in bio-imaging.

Enhancing the colloidal stability of nanoparticles dispersions, in order to extend the utilization time without any loss of performance, is desired. Prior works have confirmed the electrosteric stabilization of colloidal particles by so-called “amino-quat-primer” polymers, hyperbranched poly(ethylenimine) polymers containing amino groups and quaternized groups. In this work, a systematic investigation on the factors influencing the polymer-particle-interactions was carried out. Hence, aqueous silica-nanoparticle-dispersions were polymer-functionalized; their dispersions stability was studied using turbidity analysis; and the particle surface charge was examined employing electrophoretic measurements. Five key factors influencing the polymer-particle-interaction were defined, including: the polymer-particle-ratio, the degree of polymerization and the degree of functionalization of the polymer, the dispersion pH and the salt concentration. Alternatingly occurring areas of stable, unstable and again stable dispersions with an increasing polymer-particle-ratio occurred due to a charge reversal of bare, negatively charged to polymer-covered, positively charged particles. An additional area of unstable dispersions at very high polymer concentrations was assumed to arise from depletion forces of non-adsorbed free polymer. Stable, positively charged, polymer-covered silica nanoparticles were obtained for optimized conditions regarding the five key factors. After the dispersion stability enhancement, the new amino-functionalized surface could be used for further modifications, e.g. to result in a compatibility with a polymer matrix to fabricate highly functional polymer / inorganic hybrid materials.