Um dos maiores desafios da Implantodontia é manter a osseointegração e a saúde dos tecidos peri-implantares após a instalação da prótese. Para que uma reabilitação sobre implantes tenha longevidade é necessário que se realize a manutenção da saúde dos tecidos peri-implantares. Existe uma relação direta entre o acúmulo de biofilme e a presença da inflamação desses tecidos, denominada mucosite. Essa condição pode evoluir para uma peri-implantite. A proposta deste estudo foi encontrar uma solução preventiva às doenças peri-implantares, através do controle do biofilme. Avaliou-se a ação antibacteriana de três tipos de revestimentos nanoestruturados com prata aplicados à superfície de discos de titânio frente a cepas de microrganismos peri-implanto-patogênicos. Após determinado o melhor revestimento, analisou-se, também, se a quantidade de prata (3 ou 6 camadas) melhorava sua ação antimicrobiana. Foram confeccionados discos de titânio divididos em 4 grupos: titânio sem deposição (controle), titânio com deposição de solução coloidais de prata e sílica (Si02), titânio com deposição de solução coloidal hidrotermalizada de prata e dióxido de titânio (TiAg) e titânio com deposição de solução hidrotermalizada somente com dióxido de titânio (TiAa). Testou se a efetividade da atividade antimicrobiana dos revestimentos estudados por meio da contagem das colônias bacterianas, encontradas na superfície das placas de ágar sangue. Para permitir uma contagem correta do crescimento das colônias, realizou se diluição seriada e, após incubação a 37°C em anaerobiose, a contagem do número de colônias e, posteriormente, o cálculo das unidades formadoras de colônia (UFC/mL). Após determinação do melhor revestimento, foram desenvolvidos biofilmes monoespécie sobre discos de titânio com 3 e 6 camadas do revestimento SiO2, além dos grupos controle positivo (C.positivo) e negativo (C.negativo), utilizando as cepas Streptococcus gordonii. A atividade microbiana nos biofilmes foi determinada pelo método de XTT. Utilizou-se três discos de cada grupo por teste (triplicata) e realizado a leitura em espectrofotômetro à 450 nm e 492 nm. Os resultados obtidos com cepa de A. actinomycetemcomitans, apresentaram diferença estatística (p<= 0,01) entre o grupo controle (branco) e os grupos teste. Observou-se um maior número de bactérias A.a na superfície branca quando comparado com as superfícies nanoestruturadas com prata, sendo que o grupo SiO2 foi o que apresentou melhor resultado. Notou-se, também, que houve uma maior quantidade da bactéria P.gingivalis na superfície dos discos brancos quando comparado com os grupos com revestimentos nanoestruturados com prata. As bactérias S.aureus e F.nucleatum , porém, não apresentaram redução nos discos com filmes nanoestruturados quando comparados ao disco sem revestimento. Os discos com 6 camadas do revestimento SiO2 apresentaram eficiência semelhante a clorexidina 0,12%, na redução do biofilme da S.gordonii. Conclui-se que os revestimentos nanoestruturados com partículas de prata foram efetivos na redução de UFC/ml das bactérias A. actinomycetemcomitans e P.gingivalis, com o melhor resultado observado com revestimento SiO2. A concentração da prata interferiu positivamente nos resultados com a bactéria S.gordonii. / One of implantology\'s major challenge is to maintain the osseointegration and health of the peri-implant tissues after the installation of the prosthesis. To ensure implant rehabilitation\'s longevity it is necessary to maintain the health of the peri-implant tissues. There is a direct relationship between the accumulation of biofilm and the presence of inflammation of these tissues, called mucositis. This condition can progress to peri-implantitis. The purpose of this study was to find a preventive solution to peri-implant diseases through biofilm control. For this, the antibacterial action against strains of peri-implant-pathogenic of three types of nanostructured coatings with silver applied to the surface of titanium discs microorganisms was evaluated. After determining the best coating, it was also analyzed whether the amount of silver (3 or 6 layers) improved its antimicrobial action. Titanium disks were divided into 4 groups: titanium without deposition (control), titanium with deposition of colloidal solution of silver and silica (SiO2), titanium with deposition of colloidal hydrothermalized solution of silver and titanium dioxide (TiAg) and titanium with deposition of a hydrothermal solution only with titanium dioxide (TiAa). The effectiveness of the coatings was tested by counting the bacterial colonies found on the surface of the blood agar plates. In order to allow a correct colony count, a serial dilution was performed and, after incubation at 37 ° C in anaerobiosis, counting the number of colonies and, later, calculating the colony forming units (CFU / mL). After determination of the best coating, monospecies biofilms were prepared on 3 and 6 layer titanium discs of the SiO2 coating, in addition to the positive control (C.positive) and negative (negative) groups, using Streptococcus gordonii strains. The microbial activity in biofilms was determined by the XTT method. Three disks of each group were used per test (triplicate) and the spectrophotometer read at 450 nm and 492 nm. The results obtained with A. actinomycetemcomitans strain presented a statistical difference (p<=0.01) between the control group (blank) and the test groups. A higher number of A.a bacteria was observed on the blank surface when compared to the nanostructured surfaces with silver, and the SiO2 group showed the best results. It was also noted that there was a greater amount of P.gingivalis bacteria on the surface of the blank discs when compared to the groups with nanostructured coatings with silver. The bacteria S. aureus and F. nucleatum, however, did not present reduction in the discs with nanostructured films when compared to the disc without coating. The 6- layer discs of the SiO2 coating presented similar efficiency to 0.12% chlorhexidine in reducing the S. gordonii biofilm. We concluded that nanostructured coatings with silver particles were effective in reducing CFU/ml of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis bacteria and the best result was observed with SiO2 coating. The concentration of silver interfered positively decreasing S.gordonii bacteria number.

Neste trabalho, anticorpos anti-IgGh foram conjugados às nanopartículas de prata (NPAg) para detectar imunoglobulina G humana (IgGh). Um imunoensaio colorimétrico baseado na diminuição da agregação devido ao aumento da repulsão eletrostática após a interação ligante-alvo. A agregação é induzida pela variação da força iônica e uma mudança da coloração da suspensão coloidal de amarelo para vermelho pode ser observada. Na presença de IgGh, a agregação é inibida e a coloração da suspensão coloidal não se altera. As nanopartículas foram obtidas por meio de cinco procedimentos diferentes e caracterizadas por espectroscopia UV-Vis, espalhamento dinâmico de luz, difração de raios-X e microscopia eletrônica. Glicose e borohidreto de sódio foram utilizados como agentes redutores, enquanto CTAB e &#946;-ciclodextrina foram utilizados como estabilizantes. Citrato de sódio foi utilizado como agente redutor e/ou estabilizante. Nanoesferas de carbono foram obtidas por tratamento hidrotérmico de uma solução aquosa de glicose e também foram utilizadas no preparo das nanopartículas. As nanopartículas foram funcionalizadas com ácido mercaptossuccínico e a conjugação ocorreu devido à interação entre grupos aminas e grupos carboxílicos ionizados, presentes no anticorpo e agente de acoplamento, respectivamente. A estabilidade dos conjugados e o efeito da adição de IgGh foram avaliados para todos os sistemas preparados. As nanopartículas de prata preparadas com borohidreto de sódio e citrato de sódio foram selecionadas para serem aplicadas no desenvolvimento do imunoensaio e as condições experimentais foram avaliadas. Em condições ótimas, observou-se uma correlação linear entre a diminuição da agregação do sistema (NPAg-anti-IgGh) e a concentração de IgGh (0 a 200 ng mL-1). O limite de detecção foi estimado em 25 ng mL-1. O método colorimétrico apresentou boa seletividade para a detecção de IgGh. Além disso, foi obtido um resultado satisfatório ao aplicar o método para determinação do fator IX de coagulação. Foi desenvolvido também um método para determinação de ATP baseado na agregação de nanopartículas de ouro. Aptâmeros foram utilizados como elemento de reconhecimento. Em princípio, o método pode ser aplicável à determinação de outros analitos, por meio da substituição do aptâmero utilizado neste trabalho pelo oligonucleotídeo específico para o alvo de interesse. / In this work, antibodies to human immunoglobulin G (anti-IgGh) were used in combination with silver nanoparticle (NPAg) to detect IgGh. A colorimetric immunoassay based on the decrease of aggregation due to increased electrostatic repulsion upon ligand-target interaction. Aggregation was induced by varying the ionic strength and the solution of NPAg-anti-IgGh shows obvious visible color change from yellow to red. In the presence of IgGh aggregation the nanoparticle is inhibited and coloration of the colloidal solution does not change. The nanoparticles were obtained using five different procedures and they were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Glucose and sodium borohydride were used as reducing agent, as CTAB and &#946;-cyclodextrin reagents were used as stabilizers. Sodium citrate was used as reducing and stabilizing agent. Carbon nanospheres were prepared by hydrothermal treatment of glucose and used in the preparation of NPAg. The nanoparticles were functionalized with dimercaptosuccinic acid and their conjugation occurred due to the interaction of positively charged amine groups and anionic groups (-COO-) present on the antibody and coupling agent. The stability of conjugates and the variation of aggregation in the presence of IgGh were evaluated for all systems. The NPAg prepared by sodium borohydride were selected for use in the immunoassay and the optimum conditions of the assay were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the ration between the absorbance at 396 nm and 564 nm was linearly proportional to the IgGh concentration on a range from 0 to 200 ng mL-1, with a detection limit of 25 ng mL-1. The colorimetric method showed good selectivity for IgGh detection. It was possible to adapt the method to the determination of other proteins, such as factor IX. In another approach, anti-aptamer ATP was used to develop a colorimetric method for the determination of ATP based on stabilization of gold nanoparticles provided by strands of DNA.The strategy was based on stabilization of nanoparticles due to interaction with single strands of DNA, and the change of the stability of the nanoparticles provided by the conformational change of the aptamer following recognition. This method could in principle be used to detect analytes by substituting the aptamer used in this study by the specific aptamer for the target of interest

Pretendeu-se, com este trabalho, estudar a síntese e o desenvolvimento de nanopartículas de prata, utilizando o método de Turkevich com algumas modificações. Dada a importância dessas nanopartículas no atual desenvolvimento científico, é de grande valia o melhor entendimento dos mecanismos que regem a síntese e desenvolvimento das nanopartículas de prata. Neste método, nitrato de prata sofre redução pelo citrato de sódio, numa mistura aquecida e bem agitada, para formar as nanopartículas. Amostras dessa mistura foram coletadas em vários intervalos de tempo, e reservadas para análises de concentração de prata por ICPAES, absorbância UV-Vis, imagens de MEV e distribuição de tamanhos por DLS. Com essas análises, foi possível estabelecer uma relação direta entre os valores de absorbância e os de conversão de prata. Também foi possível propor uma rota de desenvolvimento das nanopartículas, mostrando que, durante esse desenvolvimento, as partículas apresentam diferentes morfologias, tamanhos e tendência a formar aglomerados. Dependendo da aplicação das nanopartículas de prata, é possível interromper a reação quando elas apresentarem as características mais favoráveis. / It was intended, with this work, to study the synthesis and development of silver nanoparticles using the Turkevich method with some modifications. Given the importance of these nanoparticles in the current scientific development, it is of great value the better understanding of the mechanisms governing the synthesis and growth of silver nanoparticles. In this method, silver nitrate is reduced by sodium citrate, in a well-stirred and heated mixture to form nanoparticles. Samples of this mixture were taken at various time intervals, and reserved for analysis of silver concentration by ICP-AES, UV-Vis absorbance, SEM images and size distribution by DLS. With these analyzes, it was possible to establish a direct relationship between the absorbance values and the conversion of silver. It was also possible to propose a synthesis and growth pathway of the silver nanoparticles, showing that during this development, the particles have different morphologies, sizes and tendencies to form agglomerates. Depending on the application of silver nanoparticles, it is possible to stop the reaction when they have the most favorable characteristics.

This study was aimed to synthesize low molecular weight hydroxyl terminated polyurethane acrylate polymers that can be used in biomedical applications. Acrylate end capping via inter-esterification reaction was successfully achieved with the methacryloyl chloride addition to the hydroxyl ends of the polyurethane at low temperatures. Isocyanate terminated polyurethane acrylates were also synthesized for the sake of comparison. TDI, HDI and MDI were used as diisocyanates for urethane synthesis and they were end capped with MMA and HEMA. Nature of the monomers used had an effect on thermal, morphological, and rheological properties that were interpreted in terms of the level of hydrogen bonding and degree of phase separation. Synthesized polymers were characterized by NMR, FTIR-ATR, DSC, TGA, GPC, Mass Spectroscopy, SEM and rheometry. In the literature, polyurethane acrylate polymers have been synthesized from the isocyanate terminated polyurethanes in which the urethane chains were ended with isocyanate groups. However, the toxicity of the isocyanate groups limited their biomedical applications especially in prosthetic dentistry as a soft lining material. Therefore, it is inevitable to explore the cytotoxicity of polyurethane acrylate polymers. For this purpose, silver nanoparticles that have an average particle size of 40 nm, were incorporated to the synthesized polymers. This addition, which intends to improve the degree of cytotoxicity, was successful to a certain extent.

ABSTRACT SENSITIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CYSTEINE BY SURFACE ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROMETRY BASED ON THEIR INDUCED AGGREGATES OF GOLD AND SILVER NANOSTRUCTURES Y&uuml / ksel, Recep M.Sc., Department of Chemistry Supervisor: Prof. Dr. M&uuml / rvet Volkan September 2011, 76 pages The synthesis of noble metal nanostructures are an active research area and controlling the shape and the size is a challenging task. In this study, nanostructures with different morphologies were prepared using wet chemical synthesis techniques in the aqueous solutions. Gold and silver nanospheres were produced by reducing and capping agent trisodium citrate. Gold nanorods were synthesized by chemical reduction of HAuCl4 by ascorbic acid in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), AgNO3, and gold nanoseeds (in 1.5 nm diameter) and gold silver core shell nanorods were prepared by addition of silver atoms on the surface of gold nanorods in the presence of CTAB. Parameters that were critical to obtain homogeneous nanostructures were optimized. The characterization of the nanoparticles was performed by UV-VIS spectrometry, High Resolution - Transition Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Field Emission - Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Besides, their electromagnetic enhancement properties were demonstrated through SERS measurement of cysteine. Self-assembly or assisted assembly of nanorods or nanospheres into organized arrays allows the realization of their collective properties that arise from the coupling of the optical and electronic properties of the neighbouring individual nanoparticles. In this study cysteine molecule was used as a linker molecule. The controlled addition of cysteine into the gold nanorod solution resulted in their preferential binding to the two ends of the gold nanorods and the formation of gold nanochains. In the usage of gold nanospheres on the other hand, cooperative hydrogen bonding of the cysteine molecules, resulted in the formation of gold nanoclusters. The assembly formation was demonstrated by UV&ndash / vis spectrometry and FE-SEM. Cysteine is a thiol group containing amino acid and deficiency of cysteine results in serious health problems. Therefore, determination of cysteine is an important issue. Herein we report two strategies for the quantitative determination of micromolar concentrations of cysteine by exploiting the interplasmon coupling in Au nanoparticles. One of them is a recently published colorimetric method and the other is a novel SERS method.

<p>The rapidly increasing use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in consumer products and medical applications has raised ecological and human health concerns. Significant progress has been made in understanding the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. The goals of this dissertation were to investigate the mechanism of Ag NP toxicity under both laboratory conditions and environmental backgrounds, using <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic> (<italic>C. elegans</italic>) as a model system. A key question for addressing these concerns is whether Ag NP toxicity is mechanistically unique to nanoparticulate silver or if it is a result of the release of silver ions. Ag NPs are produced in a large variety of monomer sizes and coatings, and since their physicochemical behavior depends on the media composition, it is important to understand how these variables modulate toxicity.</p><p> In order to test the hypothesis of a particle-specific effect, multiple techniques were used, including analytical chemistry, pharmacological rescue, and genetic analysis. Results suggested that dissolution was important for all tested Ag NPs and oxidative stress (a particle-specific effect) was important only for some Ag NPs, especially the citrate-coated Ag NPs (CIT-Ag NPs). The hypothesis of the particle-specific effect was further tested by investigating the cellular uptake and damage co-localization upon exposures to CIT-Ag NPs. I found that Ag NPs crossed all layers, including the pharynx, gut, and also embryos through trans-generational transfer. Sites of damage were examined through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and CIT-Ag NPs showed a more severe and deeper level of damage compared to ionic Ag. In addition, pharmacological inhibitors in parallel with genetic mutants (deficient in both endocytosis and lysosomal function) were used to explore the impact of those pathways on Ag NP uptake and associated toxicity. I found that endocytosis was important for CIT-Ag NP uptake and toxicity. Most intriguingly, one of the lysosomal deficient mutants was much more sensitive than wild type to reproductive inhibition after exposure to CIT-Ag NPs but not ionic Ag, constituting a clear nanoparticle-specific toxic effect.</p><p> These laboratory mechanistic studies, however, cannot be directly extrapolated to complicated environmental conditions, including variable amounts of natural organic matter (NOM), different temperatures and salinities, surface sulfidation, etc. My general hypothesis was that complex environmental medium would reduce Ag NP toxicity. In support of this, the environmental conditions present in mesocosms resulted in a loss of toxicity one week after dosing/spiking. In laboratory studies, I found that that increasing temperature and salinity tended to increase Ag NP toxicity, while sulfidation reduced Ag NP toxicity, acting as a &ldquonatural antidote&rdquo. I studied two types of NOM, Suwannee River and Pony Lake fulvic acids (SRFA and PLFA respectively). PLFA rescued toxicity more effectively than SRFA. Therefore, CIT-Ag NP-NOM interactions were explored in depth using PLFA. Using hyperspectral dark field microscopy, I was able to detect the formation of Ag NP-PLFA complexes and the limited tissue uptake of Ag NPs (with and without PLFA). Consistent with the reduced acute toxicity of Ag NPs by PLFA, I also found a rescue effect of PLFA on Ag NP-induced ultrastructural damage.</p><p> In conclusion, Ag NP toxicity resulted largely from dissolution and in some cases also from a particle-specific effect. However, Ag NP toxicity was strongly altered by environmental matrices. Continued in depth elucidation of Ag NP behavior, cellular uptake pathways and trafficking, and their interactions with other environmental factors will be invaluable in predicting, designing, and remediating the potential/existing environmental implications of silver-related nanotechnology.</p> / Dissertation

Concise syntheses of the natural products brosimones A and B have been achieved using sequential dehydrogenative Diels-Alder (DHDA) cycloadditions. The syntheses employ either Pt/C-cyclopentene or DDQ to effect dehydrogenation of prenylchalcone substrates in combination with silver nanoparticles (AgNP’s) to promote subsequent Diels-Alder cycloadditions. A concise, biomimetic approach to sorbiterrin A has been developed employing consecutive Michael additions of a 4-hydroxypyrone to a sorbicillinol derivative and silver nanoparticle-mediated bridged aldol/dehydration to construct the [3.3.1] ring system. The relative stereochemistry of sorbiterrin A was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Metal-catalyzed, double Claisen rearrangement of a bis-allyloxyflavone has been utilized to enable a concise synthesis of the hydrobenzofuro[3,2-b]chromenone core structure of the natural products sanggenon A and sanggenol F. In addition, catalytic, enantioselective [4+2] cycloadditions of 2’-hydroxychalcones have been accomplished using B(OPh)3/BINOL complexes. Asymmetric syntheses of the flavonoid Diels-Alder natural products sanggenons C and O have been achieved employing a stereodivergent reaction of a racemic mixture (stereodivergent RRM) involving [4+2] cycloaddition. Diaporine is a natural product containing a novel epoxyquinol dimer framework. An efficient annulation involving pyrone addition to a quinone has been developed for rapid assembly of the γ-naphthopyrone core structure. Dimerization was achieved through a Pd(II)-mediated dehydrogenative coupling. A natural product and precursor to diaporine, aurofusarin, was synthesized in excellent yield through an oxidation and demethylation sequence. In addition, diastereoselective epoxidation of aurofusarin was achieved using a phase transfer catalytic system.

Nanoparticle-functionalized electrodes have attracted attention in areas such as energy production and storage, sensing, and electrosynthesis. The electrochemical properties of these electrodes depend upon the nanoparticle properties, e.g., core size, core morphology, surface chemistry, as well as the structure of the nanoparticle/electrode interface, including the coverage on the electrode surface, choice of electrode support, and the interface between the nanoparticle and the electrode support. Traditionally used methods of producing nanoparticle-functionalized electrodes lack sufficient control over many of these variables, particularly the nanoparticle/electrode interface. Tethering nanoparticles to electrodes with molecular linkers is a strategy to fabricate nanoparticle-functionalized electrodes that provides enhanced control over the nanoparticle/electrode structure. However, many existing tethering methods are done on catalytically active electrode supports, which makes isolating the electrochemical activity of the nanoparticle challenging. Furthermore, previous work has focused on larger nanoparticles, yet smaller nanoparticles with core diameters less than 2.5 nm are of interest due to their unique structural and electronic properties. This dissertation addresses both of these gaps, exploring small nanoparticle electrocatalysts that are molecularly tethered to catalytically inert electrodes. This dissertation first reviews and compares the methods of fabricating nanoparticle-functionalized electrodes with a defined molecular interface in the context of relevant attributes for electrochemical applications. Next, a new platform approach to bind small gold nanoparticles to catalytically inert boron doped diamond electrodes through a defined molecular interface is described, and the influence of the nanoparticle/electrode interface on the electron transfer properties of these materials is evaluated. The next two studies build upon this platform to evaluate molecularly tethered nanoparticles as oxygen electroreduction catalysts. The first of these two describes the systematic study of atomically precise small gold clusters, highlighting the influence of atomic level differences in the core size and the electrode support material on the catalytic properties. The second study extends the platform approach to study small bimetallic silver-gold nanoparticles produced on the electrode surface and highlights the influence of the structural arrangement of the metals on the catalytic activity. Finally, future opportunities for the field of molecularly tethered nanoparticle-functionalized electrodes are discussed. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material. / 2019-01-27

Neste trabalho de mestrado foram desenvolvidos nanobiocompósitos contendo quitosana (QS) e nanopartículas de prata (AgNPs) para aplicação em matrizes poliméricas com propriedades bactericidas. O trabalho foi conduzido em 4 etapas, sendo: i) a primeira referente ao estudo e escolha do melhor modo de estabilização dos colóides de prata em solução, sendo escolhido o modo de estabilização estérica com a quitosana (QS); ii) a segunda parte está relacionada com um estudo detalhado da interação entre a QS e as nanopartículas de prata (AgNPs) além da otimização da relação QS:AgNPs no nanocompósito para se obter maior ação bactericida; iii) foi também proposta uma rota de síntese na qual não se utiliza-se o Boro Hidreto de Sódio (NaBH4) como redutor, composto altamente reativo, sendo utilizados o citrato de sódio e QS conjuntamente como redutores; iv) inserção do nanocompósito QS:AgNPs em uma matriz de polivinil álcool (PVA). Foram utilizadas as técnicas de espectroscopia UV-vis e FT IR, DLS, Potencial Zeta, MET, DR-X, ensaios microbiológicos de MIC, OD595 e teste de halo de inibição, TGA, DSC e ensaios mecânicos. Concluímos que o uso da QS como agente estabilizante em comparação ao PVA é a mais indicada, devido ao maior número de grupos funcionais interagindo com as nanopartículas de prata. O poder de ação bactericida do nanocompósito QS:AgNPs pode ser aumentado numa certa relação entre ambos, a saber 4:1 em massa. A síntese utilizando citrato de sódio e QS como redutores mostrou a possibilidade da obtenção de nanopartículas de prata pequenas, com tamanho de 2 - 5 nm com estrutura esférica ou maiores. com tamanho de 300 nm, apresentando estruturas dendríticas, dependendo apenas do tempo de reação e concentração de citrato de sódio. A última etapa revelou a possibilidade da inserção do nanocompósito no polímero PVA sem perda significativa das características térmicas e mecânicas do polímero. / The work reported here was aimed at developing chitosan/AgNPs based nanobiocomposits for bactericidal applications. The studies were divided into four main steps, viz.,: i) optimization of the silver colloids stabilition process, in which the use of chitosan resulted in the best stability, ii) a detailed investigation on the interactions between chitosan and AgNPs, as well as the optimization of the chitosan :AgNPs ratio to promote the best bactericidal effect, iii) development of a new synthetic route without using NaBH4, in a search for an environmentally-friendly route, and iv) incorporation of the chitosan:AgNps nanobiocomposites in a PVA matrix for application as smart food packaging. The nanobiocomposites were characterizaed via UV-vis and FT IR spectroscopies, DLS, Zeta potential, TEM and DR-X. Biological essays had also been carried out, as well as tensilestress and thermo analyses (DSC and TGA). The best bactericidal effect was observed for a nanobiocompostie comprising chitosan:AgNPs at a ratio of 4:1 (wt/wt). The synthetic route employing sodium citrate as reducing agent resulted in AgNPs with average diameters of 2 5 nm, as well as bigger nanoparticles with diameters of ca. 300 nm, depending on the reaction time and citrate concentration. The incorporation of the chitosan:AgNPs composites in the PVA matrix resulted in the formation of a bactericidal composite with good mechanical and thermal properties, suitable for applications as smart food packing.

Pretendeu-se, com este trabalho, estudar a síntese e o desenvolvimento de nanopartículas de prata, utilizando o método de Turkevich com algumas modificações. Dada a importância dessas nanopartículas no atual desenvolvimento científico, é de grande valia o melhor entendimento dos mecanismos que regem a síntese e desenvolvimento das nanopartículas de prata. Neste método, nitrato de prata sofre redução pelo citrato de sódio, numa mistura aquecida e bem agitada, para formar as nanopartículas. Amostras dessa mistura foram coletadas em vários intervalos de tempo, e reservadas para análises de concentração de prata por ICPAES, absorbância UV-Vis, imagens de MEV e distribuição de tamanhos por DLS. Com essas análises, foi possível estabelecer uma relação direta entre os valores de absorbância e os de conversão de prata. Também foi possível propor uma rota de desenvolvimento das nanopartículas, mostrando que, durante esse desenvolvimento, as partículas apresentam diferentes morfologias, tamanhos e tendência a formar aglomerados. Dependendo da aplicação das nanopartículas de prata, é possível interromper a reação quando elas apresentarem as características mais favoráveis. / It was intended, with this work, to study the synthesis and development of silver nanoparticles using the Turkevich method with some modifications. Given the importance of these nanoparticles in the current scientific development, it is of great value the better understanding of the mechanisms governing the synthesis and growth of silver nanoparticles. In this method, silver nitrate is reduced by sodium citrate, in a well-stirred and heated mixture to form nanoparticles. Samples of this mixture were taken at various time intervals, and reserved for analysis of silver concentration by ICP-AES, UV-Vis absorbance, SEM images and size distribution by DLS. With these analyzes, it was possible to establish a direct relationship between the absorbance values and the conversion of silver. It was also possible to propose a synthesis and growth pathway of the silver nanoparticles, showing that during this development, the particles have different morphologies, sizes and tendencies to form agglomerates. Depending on the application of silver nanoparticles, it is possible to stop the reaction when they have the most favorable characteristics.