Despite the effort to optimize soft contact lens performance, almost half of the 140 million contact lens wearers worldwide experience symptoms of ocular dryness and discomfort, especially towards the end of the day. These symptoms are attributed to reduced compatibility between the contact lens and the ocular surface and are the main reason for contact lens discontinuation. As the interactions of the contact lens-eye interface are dynamic, the surface properties play a key role in improving ocular compatibility, comfort and overall performance of contact lenses. One promising method to reduce adverse interfacial interactions between the contact lens and the ocular surface is to modify the contact lens surface with a biomimetic layer inspired by the ocular surface and the tear film. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan naturally found in the ocular environment providing ocular hydration and lubrication. Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), a mucin-like glycoprotein naturally produced at the ocular surface contributes to natural lubrication during blinking and to tear film stability. Surface modification with HA or PRG4 has been shown to result in improved wetting, lubricating and antifouling properties. Moreover, HA and PRG4 have been previously found to interact and synergistically reduce friction further. In the current work, novel HA and PRG4-grafted soft contact lens surfaces were prepared, and the impact of the surface tethered layer on important contact lens properties was assessed. Furthermore, the potential synergistic effect between HA and rhPRG4 on the examined properties was evaluated. Surface immobilization of HA on model conventional (pHEMA) and silicone (pHEMA-co-TRIS) hydrogel contact lenses was achieved by thiol-ene “click” chemistry, while full-length recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4) was surface grafted via carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) linking chemistry respectively. The chemical structure after each modification step was determined by attenuated total reflectance FTIR (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. HA-grafted model soft contact lenses were characterized by improved surface wettability, antifouling and water retentive properties, while a decreasing trend in boundary friction was observed but only for the HA-grafted pHEMA-co-TRIS materials. Surface-tethering of rhPRG4 was found to effectively enhance the surface wettability and boundary lubricating properties of pHEMA-co-TRIS hydrogels only, whereas both rhPRG4-grafted pHEMA and pHEMA-co-TRIS materials exhibited lower protein sorption and dehydration rate. Overall, the surface immobilization processes followed herein did not alter the optical transparency of the model soft contact lenses or their in vitro compatibility with human corneal epithelial cells. Finally, there was evidence that HA and rhPRG4 synergistically interacted, further improving the contact lens properties. However, the degree of HA/rhPRG4 synergy was found to be dependent on the configuration of the formed HA/rhPRG4 complex as well as the composition of the substrate hydrogel material, with the noted improvement being more significant for the model silicone hydrogels. This is the first study to examine surface grafted full-length rhPRG4 and the effect of this modification on contact lens properties. Moreover, the study is the first to investigate the interactions between covalently tethered rhPRG4 and solutions containing HA. The results of this thesis demonstrate that HA and rhPRG4 are good candidates for the development of novel biomimetic surfaces, especially for silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The potential for using these compounds in synergy was also demonstrated, with wetting solutions of HA showing promise for modifying rhPRG4 modified materials to improve symptoms of discomfort. These naturally occurring ocular agents have the potential to improve the management of ocular dryness and discomfort, thus optimizing the overall soft contact lens performance. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Bone implants procedures involve millions of people every year worldwide. One of the main factors determining implant success is related to the ability of the prostheses to osseointegrate, i.e. to create a structural and functional connection with the living bone. Titanium and titanium alloys are widely used biomaterials for bone implants, due to their superior biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, suitable mechanical properties, and natural ability to osseointegrate. To further enhance the inherent tendency of this class of materials to bond with the host bone tissue, the surface of Ti-based implant is often modified to improve cell responses in terms of adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, all factors contributing to successful osseointegration. In particular, surface topography, both at the micro- and nanoscale, can enhance the implant-living bone interaction. Herein, a possible surface modification strategy aimed at the creation of a dual-scale topography on two different titanium alloys, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr, is presented. Dual-scale topography was obtained by electrochemically anodizing samples manufactured by selective laser melting to combine their intrinsic microtopography with the nanotopography offered by titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) generated by anodization. Characterization of the as-printed and as-anodized samples was performed to evaluate parameters of significance in the context of osseointegration. Concerning wettability, it was observed that surfaces with TNTs exhibited high hydrophilicity. The influence of the anodization process parameters on TNTs morphology was examined, and linear dependence of the nanotube diameter on the voltage was identified. Annealing of the as-anodized samples showed that anatase was produced, while preserving the nanotube integrity. Preliminary studies to assess the bioactive properties of the samples showed the spreading of bone-like cells on these substrates and the deposition of mineral during simulated body fluid testing. Therefore, both studies provided promising results to corroborate the hypothesis that dual-scale topography could potentially improve osseointegration. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Bone implants are often made of titanium-based materials, which, despite their suitable properties, may not sufficiently bond with the living bone tissue. This can lead to implant loosening and failure. To produce customized implants, additive manufacturing, or 3D-printing, can be employed. However, these surfaces require substantial post-processing to produce features capable of promoting bone integration. In this work, a dual-scale surface topography to combine the advantages of both micro- and nanoscale roughness was created using electrochemical anodization on 3D-printed titanium alloy substrates. Preliminary physical, chemical, and biological characterizations suggest that the creation of titania nanotubes on the 3D-printed surfaces of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr could improve their ability to bond with bone.

Corneal diseases and insults can result in opacification of the cornea and ultimately lead to blindness. Treatment options for patients are limited due to limited donor availability and the fact that many patients are not eligible for certain treatments due to the nature of their condition. When conventional treatment options are not beneficial for a patient, artificial corneal replacement is necessary. Current artificial replacements induce epithelial downgrowth, where the remaining host corneal cells grow underneath the replacement ultimately leading to implant extrusion. Therefore, surface modification of these synthetic materials is necessary in order to allow proper epithelialization on the surface. This work focuses on the creation of a novel corneal scaffold consisting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) which is surface modified by 3-(acrylamido)phenylboronic acid (APBA), a molecule known to have cell-binding properties through its ability to bind sugars found throughout the cell membrane. Surfaces were modified using two different polymerization techniques: conventional free radical polymerization (CFRP) and a controlled polymerization technique known as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). It was hypothesized that ATRP would yield more uniform APBA brushes than the conventional method, and therefore create a more efficient cell-binding surface than the conventional method. Following each modification, the surface chemical composition of the materials was confirmed by ATR-FTIR, XPS and surface wettability measurements. Once prepared, NIH 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts were seeded onto the surfaces and cell viability was assessed through an MTT assay. The results revealed no cell viability on the APBA-modified surfaces, with surface hydrophobicity, grafting density and surface toxicity (for surfaces modified through ATRP) contributing to the lack of cell attachment. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are nanomaterials that have shown promise as reinforcement filler materials. Their small size, high modulus, and high aspect ratio makes CNCs good reinforcing materials. CNCs are typically introduced into softer polymer materials, which can have incompatible surface chemistry such as aliphatic chains, leading to aggregation and poor reinforcement of the material. The intrinsic hydrophobicity of the CNC surfaces suggests that dispersal into hydrophobic polymer matrices, which the CNCs could potentially reinforce, represent a significant challenge. Therefore, new non-traditional strategies are needed to introduce CNCs into polymer materials. The hydroxyl groups on the surfaces of CNCs can be functionalized using a variety of chemical techniques to yield materials that can interact better with solvents or polymers. Additionally, surface groups can allow the CNCs to react with environmental stimuli (smart materials). The primary focus of this work is the incorporation of CNCs in hydrophobic matrices. Herein we introduce a new method of dispersing CNCs in polyethylene (PE), a substance of legendary hydrophobicity that is also the most common synthetic polymer used in consumer packaging. The prospect of increasing the mechanical strength of PE by incorporating CNC materials as fillers may lead to the possibility of using less polymer to obtain the same strength. This thesis approaches the problem of dispersing CNCs within PE by first functionalizing the CNCs with a catalyst capable of polymerizing ethylene and other α-olefins. The catalyst 1,1'-bis(bromodimethylsilyl)zirconocene dibromide (catalyst 1) is equipped with anchoring groups that are capable of attachment to the surface hydroxyl groups of CNC particles. After immobilizing catalyst 1 onto various CNC samples, introduction of solvent, organoaluminum cocatalyst, and monomer (ethylene alone or ethylene plus 1-hexene) afforded high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) samples, respectively, containing well-dispersed CNCs as filler materials. Chapter 2 provided important information on the attachment of catalyst 1 to cellulose nanocrystals and the successful polymerization of ethylene from the cellulose nanocrystals. The resulting composite materials showed a in Young's modulus that was three-fold that of PE samples we tested (1600 ± 100 vs 500 ± 30) and about 10% greater relative to a commercial high modulus PE sample (1450 MPa). The increase in Young's modulus along with the lack of macroscopic aggregates led to the conclusion that we have developed a viable method to disperse CNCs in polyolefin matrices. Chapter 3 focused on the dispersal of CNCs in a softer, more pliable polyethylene grade known as linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). LLDPE incorporates a small fraction of 1-hexene into polyethylene as a randomly inserted comonomer, giving rise to properties suitable for applications in plastic films and bags among other end uses. Catalyst 1 functionalized CNCs were added to a reaction vessel with both ethylene and 1-hexene to afford LLDPE CNC composites. Different loading of catalyst 1 on CNC aerogels afforded the same amount of catalyst in each reaction but allowed for different CNC loadings in each reaction. The composite materials showed increasing Young's modulus with increasing cellulose nanocrystal content. Chapter 4 describes how CNCs were functionalized with the intention of filling reverse osmosis membrane materials to have surface chemistry that could be impart antibacterial properties and increase flux. CNCs were functionalized with carboxylic acid by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation, then amine functionalization by carbodiimide coupling chemistry, and finally functionalized with a zwitterionic group by β-propiolactone ring opening. Amine coupling was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis, and a second carboxylic acid peak was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy. These results were further verified with conductometric titration showing that after each respective reaction there were 1060 mmol kg-1 of carboxylic acid groups, 520 mmol kg-1 of amine groups, and 240 mmol kg-1 of zwitterionic groups. This CNC material was left to undergo future testing for desirable membrane properties. Chapter 5 assesses the possible value in creating a new composite material using a functionalized polynorbornene, poly(5-triethoxysilyl-2-norbornene) (PTESN). The composites were fabricated by using the solvent casting method, dispersing the CNCs in a toluene solution of polymer and drying. The composite materials showed an increase in Young's modulus with increased loading. The 20 wt% CNC in PTESN had a Young's modulus of 970 MPa, a significant increase over the Young's modulus of the polymer lacking the filler (540 MPa). In summary, this dissertation advances new techniques for the incorporation of CNCs as fillers in polymer-based nanocomposites. We are confident that further refinement and development of our results will find wide-ranging application. / Doctor of Philosophy / Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are materials that can be added to polymers to form composite materials having increased stiffness. CNCs have the primary advantages over other filler materials of providing significant reinforcement without changing the color or increasing the density of the overall composite. CNCs are therefore good for designing polymer composites that need to be lightweight and aesthetically pleasing. Packaging materials (especially plastic bags and plastic films) are dominated by polyolefin materials such as polyethylene, which is already lightweight and colorless. The challenge of mixing polyethylene and CNCs is that their surface chemistry is incompatible, "like oil and water." To overcome the natural tendency for the CNC filler material to separate from the surrounding polyethylene matrix, a catalyst was attached to the surface of the CNCs and polymerization ensued from that catalyst leading to a composite material in which tiny CNC particles were trapped in the matrix Good dispersal of the component substances in the composite and of excellent overall reinforcement were proven by physical analysis.

This dissertation describes the development of temperature and pH-responsive interfaces, where the emphasis is placed on tuning the responsivities within a physiological temperature range. This tuning is achieved through the utilization of polymeric building blocks, where each component is specifically synthesized to have a unique responsivity. The assembly of these components onto surfaces permits the fabrication of stimuli-responsive interfaces. In addition, this dissertation explores the use of a self-assembling peptide as a modular building block to modify the interface of hydrogel microparticles, resulting in the formation of a new biosynthetic construct. Hydrogels are three-dimensional, crosslinked polymer networks that swell in water. Over the years, hydrogels have been extensively explored as biomaterials due to their high water content, tunable mechanics, and chemical versatility. Two areas where hydrogels have received considerable interest are drug delivery and extracellular matrices. Unfortunately, developing structurally and functionally complex hydrogels from the top down is challenging because many parameters cannot be independently tuned in a bulk material. An alternative route would be to develop a library of building blocks, where each is tailored for a given function, and assemble these components into composite structures. The building block synthesized and utilized in this dissertation is a microgel. Microgels are a colloidal dispersion of hydrogel microparticles, ranging in size from 100 to 1000 nm in diameter. The microgels were prepared from environmentally responsive polymers, sensitive to both temperature and pH. Microgels have been used in the fabrication of polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer films, where the microgel serves as the polyanion and a linear polycation is used to “stitch” the particles together. In Chapters 3 and 4, stimuli-responsive interfaces are prepared from environmentally responsive microgel building blocks. In particular, Chapter 3 demonstrates tuning of the film response temperature by preparing several different microgels with differing ratios of two thermoresponsive polymers. Chapter 4 evaluates the influence of the pH environment on the thermoresponsivity of microgel films. While the pH environment was found to substantially affect some films, it is possible to prepare microgel films that behave independently of pH. The swelling/de-swelling of the films was also investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a function of both pH and temperature. It was determined that the AFM imaging parameters can drastically affect the measured film thicknesses (Appendix A) due to the soft, deformable nature of microgel films. The studies in these chapters illustrate the advantages of preparing composite structures from discrete components, where the functionality of the composite is dictated by the constituent particles. In Chapter 5, attention is placed on modifying the surface of microgel particles. Many of the traditional routes used to modify microgels involve the incorporation of co-monomers into the network or the addition of polymer shells. However, a new core/shell construct is presented, where a microgel core is coated with a self-assembling peptide shell. In this scenario, the peptide shell serves as a modular scaffold, where surface-localized functional groups can participate in reactions. Although there are still a number of questions remaining in regard to the assembly process and stability of the construct, initial experiments suggests that this is an interesting and promising structure to study. Finally, a discussion of future directions and possible experiments is provided in Chapter 6. Hopefully, this will serve as a guide for further exploration of the research presented herein. Microgels remain a rich class of materials to study and employ. While their synthesis is rather straightforward, their use often results in complex behavior and interesting phenomena. Understanding their behavior is a crucial step in realizing their full potential.

Surface interactions and reactivity are of critical importance in current biomedical technologies, for example, satisfactory cell attachment and long term viability are essential for optimal in vitro tissue culture and for successful implantation and stability of cardiovascular medical implants such as stents and grafts. To achieve this, the control of fundamental forces and the resulting molecular interactions between the relevant surface and absorbing or adhering species in the physiological system is compulsory. This work utilised the surface modification technique of Ultra-Violet/ Ozone to improve the polystyrene biocompatibility by oxidising the surface with additional polar oxygen functional groups without damaging the surface bulk property. UV/Ozone treatment utilised throughout this study produced controllable oxygen functional groups and led to an increase in surface atomic oxygen level to 41% on unwashed and 35% on washed polystyrene surfaces, washing resulted in the removal of low molecular weight oxidised materials. Surface energy was increased by the addition of oxygen functional groups with the combination of alcohol (C-OR), carbonyl (C=O) and carboxyl (O-C=O); Saturation state was reached after 300s of UV/Ozone treatment where no more oxygen functionalities were incorporated to the surface. Moreover, UV/ozone treatment did not show an effect on the surface roughness studied by atomic force microscopy. The biological responses of human endothelial umbilical vein cells (HUVECs) were studied at the different level of UV/Ozone treated surfaces. HUVEC adhesion, proliferation and migration were significantly improved by the treatment compared to untreated and tissue cultures plastics (TCPs). Among the levels of UV/ozone treatment studied, 120s and 180s were found to be the most effective and HUVEC proliferation did not seem to be affected by the high level of oxygen. Similarly, the surface oxygen level did not affect the migration over UV/Ozone treated over 60s. Hypoxic condition significantly increased HUVECs migration on UV/Ozone treated, TCPs and untreated surfaces compared to normoxia, the oxygen rich surface did not favour to HUVECs that underwent regulatory process to enable the cells to increase migration. Under laminar flow conditions, HUVECs did not only grow, proliferate and migrate but also showed standard responses on UV/Ozone treated polystyrene surface. A decrease in cell size was observed at all shear stress intensities studied (1 dyn/cm2, 9 dyn/cm2 and 25 dyn/cm2) and the decrease was more obvious at higher shear stress. High shear stress intensity also induced high cell turnovers, which may be related to air bubbles induced at high flow rate. The overall findings of this study clearly illustrate that UV/Ozone surface treatment can be applied on polystyrene to improve human endothelial cells functionalities in term of adhesion, proliferation and migration in both static and laminar flow environment.

This thesis focuses on understanding the chemistry involved in a variety of surface modification reactions, both on metal oxides and graphene. In this work, the rates of chemisorption of a prototypical phosphonic acid on ITO under several processing protocols are measured using XPS to determine the optimal procedure. UPS is used to track the dependence of the electronic structure of the system, specifically of the work function and position of the valence band maximum on coverage. Phosphonic acid monolayers with appropriate tail groups can also be used to initiate chemistry from surfaces, which has potential for building layers of organic-electronic devices, including organic solar cells and capacitors. The growth of non-conjugated polymers from BaTiO₃ nanoparticles using a facile ATRP technique is studied via solution-phase and solid-state techniques to determine its applicability to make matrix-free composites for hybrid dielectrics. In addition, the surface chemistry involved in Kumada Catalyst-Transfer to grow polythiophene derivatives from ITO is examined via XPS. Finally, the newly emerged alternative for replacement of ITO as transparent electrode, graphene, is n- and p-doped using redox-active, solution-processable metal-organics, which increased its conductivity and allowed the work function to be tuned over a range of 1.8 eV. The systems are characterized in a systematic study, and the results are promising for future applications of graphene.

119 leaves single sided printed, preliminary pages and numbered pages 1-101. Includes bibliography and a list of tables, figures, schemes and abbreviations. Digitized at 300 dpi (OCR), used Bizhub 250. / Thesis (MSc (Polymer Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The properties and interactions of cellulose surfaces are of a great technical interest during papermaking and recycling. Sizing, the modification of fiber surfaces, e.g. with the purpose to reduce water penetration into the paper structure, plays an important role in obtaining paper with good printability and water resistance. Water resistance is the key end-property of paper being investigated in this study. Firstly a comparison was made between the degree of surface modification of cellulose by means of anionic, nonionic and reactive surfactants. The amount of surfactant adsorbed by the paperboard was determined and the paper surface evaluated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sizing efficiency of the three industrial surfactants was evaluated in order to establish the surfactant structure best suited for sizing recycled paperboard. This was done via the Cobb test, an industrial method to measure water uptake by paper, and contact angle measurements. The reactive surfactant was found to have the best sizing efficiency and focus shifted to synthesizing selected copolymer surfactants via free radical copolymerization. Two copolymers were synthesized, with maleic anhydride as the polar part in both. Butyl methacrylate and lauryl methacrylate were selected as the hydrophobic parts in the respective copolymer systems. The unavailability of reactivity ratios for the respective copolymer systems led to the use of in situ proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy CH NMR) for the determination of the co-monomer incorporation in both copolymer systems. Quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy was also employed in order to establish the co-monomer content of the isolated copolymers obtained during bench-scale (laboratory) experiments. Lastly, a comparison of the degree of surface modification of cellulose was made between that which was achieved with the industrial reactive surfactant and that with the two synthesized polymeric reactive surfactants. The two synthesized polymeric surfactants were found to have a better sizing efficiency than the industrial reactive surfactant, and the maleic anhydride-lauryl methacrylate copolymer system gave the best results. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die eienskappe en interaksies van sellulose-oppervlaktes is van groot tegniese belang gedurende die vervaardiging en hergebruik van papier. Oppervlakte behandeling, die modifikasie van vesel-oppervlaktes bv. met die doel om water indringing in die papierstruktuur te verminder, speel 'n belangrike rol in die daarstel van papier met goeie drukkwaliteit en waterweerstand. Waterweerstand is die sleuteleienskap van papier wat in hierdie werkstuk ondersoek word. Eerstens is daar 'n vergelyking getref tussen die verandering van sellulose-oppervlaktes deur middel van anioniese, nie-ioniese en reaktiewe sepe. Die hoeveelheid seep geabsorbeer deur die papierbord is bepaal en die papier-oppervlak ondersoek deur middel van skandeer-elektronmikroskopie (SEM). Die behandelingsdoeltreffendheid van die drie industriele sepe is ondersoek om vas te stel watter seep die beste struktuur het om hergebruikte papierbord effektief te behandel. Dit is gedoen deur middel van die Cobbtoets, 'n industriele metode om wateropname van papier te meet, asook kontakhoekmetings. Daar is gevind dat die reaktiewe seep die beste behandelingsdoeltreffendheid het en daar is vervolgens gekonsentreer op die bereiding van geselekteerde reaktiewe kopolimeersepe deur middel van vryeradikaalkopolimerisasie. Twee kopolimere is berei, met maleienanhidried as die polere gedeeite van albei. Butielmetakrilaat en laurielmetakrilaat is gekies vir die nie-polere gedeeltes van die onderskeie kopolimeersisteme. Die onbeskikbaarheid van reaktiwiteitsverhoudings vir die onderskeie kopolimeersisteme het gelei tot die gebruik van in situ proton kern magnetiese resonansie spektroskopie eH KMR) vir die bepaling van die ko-monomeer insluiting in beide kopolimeersisteme. Kwantitatiewe koolstofdertienkemmagnetieseresonansie spektroskopie (13C KMR) is ook gebruik om die ko-monomeerinhoud van die geisoleerde kopolimere, verkry tydens laboratoriumeksperimente, te bepaal. Laastens is 'n vergelyking getref tussen die graad van modifikasie van selluloseoppervlaktes deur middel van die industriele reaktiewe seep in vergelyking met die twee bereide polimeriese reaktiewe sepe. Daar is gevind dat die twee gesintetiseerde polimeriese sepe beter behandelingsdoeltreffendheid as die industriele reaktiewe seep het, met die maleienanhidried-laurielmetakrilaat-kopolimeersisteem wat die beste resultaat lewer.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world, affecting adults and children. Children infected with TB differ from adults, as their immunological and patho-physiological response to the disease is different. Although there are a variety of tests available for TB diagnosis, they have limitations when used to diagnose paediatric TB. Children are also unable to generate sputum spontaneously when required for the use in culture or microscopy as diagnostic method. Children however do produce sputum, containing the TB bacilli, which they swallow. If the TB bacilli can therefore be retrieved from the stomach and tested, TB can be diagnosed using gastric samples. In this thesis, a variety of styrene maleimide copolymer (SMI) derivatives were prepared as potential M. tuberculosis-capturing platforms. This was done by modifying poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (SMA) with a variety of primary amine compounds, selected based on possible chemical interactions with the M. tuberculosis cell wall. All the prepared copolymer derivatives were electrospun into nanofibrous mats using the single needle electrospinning technique to yield SMI nanofibers, functionalized with different compounds. Some of the functionalized SMI nanofibers were prepared by surface-functionalization of the polymer nanofibers after electrospinning and some by modification of the polymer before electrospinning. Affinity studies were conducted at neutral and low pH between the different functionalized SMI nanofibers and two mycobacterium strains, namely the bacillus Calmette-Guérin strain of Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) and M. tuberculosis, to evaluate the surfaces of the modified SMI nanofibers as mycobacterium-capturing platforms. The successful capture of BCG onto the surfaces of the various functionalized nanofibers was confirmed by SEM and fluorescence microscopy (FM). Analysis of the SEM and FM images indicated that the SMI nanofibers, functionalized with a C12 aliphatic quaternary ammonium moiety (SMI-qC12), captured BCG the most effectively through a combination of ionic and hydrophobic interaction. Concentration and time studies revealed that the extent of this interaction was dependent on incubation time and concentration of BCG. The affinity studies with BCG also concluded that the polymer used for the nanofibrous-capturing platform should not be too hydrophobic in character as this caused poor wetting of the functionalized nanofibers, thus preventing close contact with the mycobacteria and a reduction in the capture effectivity of the polymer nanofibers. The successful capture of M. tuberculosis onto the SMI-qC12 nanofibrous surface was confirmed by FM, light microscopy (LM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The extent of this interaction was dependent on the concentration of M. tuberculosis. The detection of M. tuberculosis using FM and LM as detection methods was simplified by the tendency of M. tuberculosis to clump together in clusters on the hydrophobic surface of the SMI-qC12 nanofibers. As a result of this clustering, FM and LM were therefore regarded as feasible detection methods to image M. tuberculosis on the surface of the SMI-qC12 nanofibers, even at relatively low concentration of M. tuberculosis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tuberkulose (TB) is 'n groot oorsaak van morbiditeit en mortaliteit regoor die wêreld en affekteer volwassenes en kinders. Kinders wat met TB geïnfekteer is, se immunologiese en patofisiologiese reaksie op die siekte verskil van die van volwassenes en dit het belangrike implikasies vir die diagnose van TB in kinders. Alhoewel daar 'n verskeidenheid van toetse beskikbaar is vir die diagnose van TB, het hulle beperkings wanneer dit gebruik word om pediatriese TB te diagnoseer. Kinders kan ook nie spontaan sputum produseer as dit nodig is vir die gebruik in kultuur of mikroskopie as diagnostiese metode. Kinders produseer egter wel sputum, wat die TB basille bevat, wat hulle dan insluk. As die TB basille uit die maag versamel kan word en getoets kan word, kan TB gediagnoseer word met behulp van maag monsters. In hierdie tesis is 'n verskeidenheid van stireen maleimied kopolimeer (SMI) afgeleides voorberei as potensiële Mycobacterium tuberkulose (Mtb)-vaslegging platforms. Dit is gedoen deur die modifikasie van poli(stireen-ko-maleïen anhidried) (SMA) met 'n verskeidenheid primêre amien verbindings as oppervlak-funksionaliseringsagente. Hierdie primêre amien verbindings is gekies op grond van moontlike chemiese interaksies met die Mtb selwand. Al die voorbereide kopolimeer afgeleides is elektrogespin in nanoveselagtige matte met behulp van die enkel-naald elektrospin tegniek om SMI nanovesels te lewer wat gefunksionaliseer is met verskillende verbindings. Sommige van die gefunksionaliseerde SMI nanovesels is berei deur oppervlak-funksionalisering van die polimeer nanovesels na elektrospin, en sommige deur die modifikasie van die polimeer voor elektrospin. Affiniteitstudies is uitgevoer, by neutrale en lae pH, tussen die verskillende gefunksionaliseerde SMI nanovesels en twee mikobakterium rasse, naamlik die basillus Calmette-Guérin ras van Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) en M. tuberculosis, om die oppervlaktes van die gewysigde SMI nanovesels te evalueer as mikobakterium-vaslegging platforms. Ontleding van die SEM en FM beelde het aangedui dat die SMI nanovesels, gefunksionaliseer met 'n C12 alifatiese kwaternêre ammonium groep (SMI-qC12), BCG die doeltreffendste vasgevang het deur 'n kombinasie van ioniese en hidrofobiese interaksie. Konsentrasie- en tydstudies tussen BCG en SMI-qC12 het aangedui dat die omvang van hierdie interaksie afhanklik is van inkubasietyd en konsentrasie van BCG. Die affiniteitstudies met BCG het ook aangedui dat die polimeer wat gebruik word vir die nanoveselagtige-vaslegging platform nie te hidrofobiese moet wees nie, aangesien dit swak benatting van die gefunksionaliseerde nanovesels veroorsaak, en dus noue kontak met die mikobakterieë voorkom met ʼn gevolglike vermindering in die vasvang-effektiwiteit van die polimeer nanovesels. Die suksesvolle vasvang van M. tuberculosis op die SMI-qC12 nanovesels is bevestig deur FM, lig mikroskopie (LM) en polimerase kettingreaksie (PKR). Die opsporing van Mtb deur die gebruik van FM en LM as opsporingmetodes is vergemaklik deur die tendens van Mtb om in groepies saam te pak op die hidrofobiese oppervlak van die SMI-qC12 nanovesels. As gevolg van hierdie groepering, is FM en LM dus haalbare opsporingmetodes om M. tuberculosis op die oppervlak van die SMI-qC12 nanovesels waar te neem, selfs by relatief lae konsentrasie van M. tuberculosis.

Membrane gas absorption technology is considered as one of the promising alternatives to conventional techniques for CO2 separation from the flue gas of fossil fuels combustion. As a hybrid approach of chemical absorption and membrane separation, it may offer a number of important features, including operational flexibility, compact structure, linear scale up and predictable performance. The main challenge is the additional membrane mass transfer resistance, especially when this resistance increases due to the absorbent intruding into the membrane pores. In this thesis, the experimental was set up to investigate how the operating parameters affect the absorption performance when using absorbent in hollow fiber contactor, and to obtain the optimal range of operation parameters for the designated membrane gas absorption system . During 20 days’ continuous experiment, we observed that the CO2 mass transfer rate decreases significantly following the operating time, which is attributed to the increase of membrane mass transfer resistance resulting from partial membrane wetting. To better understand the wetting evolution mechanism, the immersion experiments were carried out to assume that the membrane fibers immersed in the absorbents would undergo similar exposure as those used in the membrane contactor. Various membrane characterization methods were used to illustrate the wetting process before and after the membrane fibers were exposed to the absorbents. The characterization results showed that the absorbent molecules diffuse into the polypropylene (PP) polymer during the contact with the membrane, resulting in the swelling of the membrane. In addition, the effects of operating parameters such as immersion time, CO2 loading, as well as absorbent type on the membrane wetting were investigated in detail. Finally, based on the analysis results, methods to smooth the membrane wetting were discussed. It was suggested that improving the hydrophobicity of PP membrane by surface modification may be an effective way to improve the membrane long-term performance. Modification of the polypropylene membrane by depositing a rough layer of PP was carried out in order to improve the non-wettability of membrane. The comparison of long-term CO2 absorption performance by PP membranes before and after modification proves that the modified polypropylene membranes retained higher hydrophobicity than the untreated polypropylene membrane. Therefore modification is likely to be more suitable for use in membrane gas absorption contactors for CO2 separation, particularly over long operation time.