yes / Globular proteins are important both as therapeutic agents and excipients. However, their fragile native conformations can be denatured during pharmaceutical processing, which leads to modification of the surface energy of their powders and hence their performance. Lyophilized powders of hen egg-white lysozyme and β-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae were used as models to study the effects of mechanical denaturation on the surface energies of basic and acidic protein powders, respectively. Their mechanical denaturation upon milling was confirmed by the absence of their thermal unfolding transition phases and by the changes in their secondary and tertiary structures. Inverse gas chromatography detected differences between both unprocessed protein powders and the changes induced by their mechanical denaturation. The surfaces of the acidic and basic protein powders were relatively basic, however the surface acidity of β-galactosidase was higher than that of lysozyme. Also, the surface of β-galactosidase powder had a higher dispersive energy compared to lysozyme. The mechanical denaturation decreased the dispersive energy and the basicity of the surfaces of both protein powders. The amino acid composition and molecular conformation of the proteins explained the surface energy data measured by inverse gas chromatography. The biological activity of mechanically denatured protein powders can either be reversible (lysozyme) or irreversible (β-galactosidase) upon hydration. Our surface data can be exploited to understand and predict the performance of protein powders within pharmaceutical dosage forms.

No description available.

Ag thin film dewetting upon high temperature annealing is a non-trivial problem for its application in the semiconductor industry as an ohmic contact metal. Thus, preventing Ag thin film from dewetting is of great importance. Typically, adhesion-promoting layers of chromium are deposited to prevent dewetting, but this deposition has its own process optimization parameters. In this thesis, we introduce an alternative, novel strategy for dewetting prevention via Si or In ion implantation. Electron microscopy including SEM, AFM and AES are conducted to characterize changes in film morphology after ion implantation. Thermodynamic simulation is established to better understand the mechanism of this anti-dewetting approach as well as to predict the performance of doped Ag thin films. It is found that Ag films implanted by a trace amount of Si dopants remain intact after 24 h annealing at 530℃ rather than break down into isolated particles as pure Ag film did. Furthermore, Ag grains in doped samples are much smaller than that in non-doped samples and higher Si or In doses contribute to smaller grains, indicating that a retarding force against film grain growth is introduced by the implanting species. Fortunately, electrical conductivity and optical reflectivity of doped films change trivially, suggesting an insignificant influence of external species on the film performance. The retarding force suppressing film grain growth is demonstrated to be solute drag, which will introduce a size limit towards Ag grain growth. A grain growth model including the solute drag effect is established here to describe the grain growth process. Combining our thermodynamic simulation with our grain growth model in the presence of the solute drag effect, the critical grain diameter to initiate agglomeration of 100 nm thick Ag thin film is calculated to be 350 nm and the critical Si dose to prevent 100 nm thick Ag thin film from dewetting is predicted to be 2.0×1013 per cm2. Finally, we successfully synthesize ultrathin Si thin films via ion implantation and pattern as-deposited Si films by implanting through a hard mask in order to identify some steps towards synthesizing 2-D silicon, or silicene. The as-achieved pattern has an identical shape as that of mask, suggesting Si atoms only diffuse within the implanting regions during thermal annealing. Even though only amorphous Si films are prepared at present, this novel strategy possesses potential to fabricated CMOS-compatible 2-D silicon films for semiconductor industry. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Microcalorimetric measurements and contact angle measurements were conducted to assess the surface chemistry of the mineral talc. The contact angles were performed on both flat and powdered samples and the results were used to determine the surface free energy components and parameters (SFEC) using the acid-base theory for solids, according to the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good approach. It was found that the surface hydrophobicity of talc increases with decreasing particle size up to a limit after which hydrophilicity (polarity) increases. The increase in hydrophobicity was attributed to the increase of the delamination of the lamellar talc particles. Delamination is a comminution mechanism that preferentially exposes talc's hydrophobic basal planes, while fracture is another mechanism that breaks the lamellae, rupturing covalent bonds thus exposing more hydrophilic edge surfaces. The decrease in hydrophobicity, beyond a given particle size, could be related to the prevail of fracture over delamination during grinding which generated more hydrophilic edge surfaces. The flow microcalorymetry combined with thin layer wicking allowed the separate estimation of the SFEC at the basal plane and edge surfaces of talc. The results suggested that the basal surface of talc is monopolar basic, while the edge surface is monopolar acidic, which are in agreement with the crystal structure of the mineral. The combination of two particle size distribution techniques, which are based on different physical principles, permitted the quantitative determination of the aspect ratio of highly anisometric particles, such as talc. The same trend obtained using flow microcalorimetry was observed for the evolution of the aspect ratio as a function of particle fineness, i.e. the fracture prevails over delamination after achieving a maximum aspect ratio value of about 35. The agreement between two distinct methods was considered rather encouraging. / Master of Science

Micronisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to achieve desirable quality attributes for formulation preparation and drug delivery remains a major challenge in the pharmaceutical sciences. It is therefore important that the relationships between crystal structure, the mechanical properties of powders and their subsequent influence on processing behaviour are well understood. The aim of this project was therefore to determine the relative importance of particle attributes including size, crystal quality and morphology on processing behaviour and the characteristics of micronised materials. It was then subsequently intended to link this behaviour back to crystal structure and the nature of molecular packing and intermolecular interactions within the crystal lattice enabling the identification of some generic rules which govern the quality of size reduced powders. In this regard, different sieve fractions of lactose monohydrate and crystal variants of ibuprofen and salbutamol sulphate (size, morphology and crystal quality) were investigated in order to determine those factors with greatest impact on post-micronisation measures of particle quality including particle size, degree of crystallinity and surface energy. The results showed that smaller sized feedstock should typically be used to achieve ultrafine powders with high crystallinity. This finding is attributed to the reduced number of fracture events necessary to reduce the size of the particles leading to decreases in milling residence time. However the frequency of crystal cracks is also important, with these imperfections being implicated in crack propagation and brittle fracture. Ibuprofen crystals with a greater number of cracks showed a greater propensity for comminution. Salbutamol sulphate with a high degree of crystal dislocations however gave highly energetic powders, with reduced degree of crystallinity owing to the role dislocations play in facilitating plastic deformation, minimising fragmentation and extending the residence of particles in the microniser. Throughout these studies, morphology was also shown to be critical, with needle like morphology giving increased propensity for size reduction for both ibuprofen and salbutamol sulphate, which is related to the small crack propagation length of these crystals. This behaviour is also attributed to differences in the relative facet areas for the different morphologies of particles, with associated alternative deformation behaviour and slip direction influencing the size reduction process. Molecular modelling demonstrated a general relationship between low energy slip planes, d-spacing and brittleness for a range of materials, with finer particle size distributions achieved for APIs with low value of highest d-spacings for identified slip planes. The highest d-spacing for any material can be readily determined by PXRD (powder x-ray diffraction) which can potentially be used to rank the milling behaviour of pharmaceutical materials and provides a rapid assessment tool to aid process and formulation design. These studies have shown that a range of crystal properties of feedstock can be controlled in order to provide micronised powders with desirable attributes. These include the size, morphology and the density of defects and dislocations in the crystals of the feedstock. Further studies are however required to identify strategies to ensure inter-batch consistency in these attributes following crystallisation of organic molecules.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar as propriedades superficiais de filmes à base de gelatina. Para o qual foram elaborados filmes de: (i) Gelatina plastificado com glicerol (G) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; glicerol: 30 g/100 g de gelatina), (ii) Gelatina reforçado com montmorilhonita (G/MMT) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; glicerol: 30 g/100 g de gelatina; MMT: 5 g/100 g de gelatina) e Gelatina plastificado com citrato de acetiltributila (G/ATB) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; ATB: 50 g/100 de gelatina; lecitina de soja: 60 g/100 g de ATB; etanol: 20 g/100 g SFF). Os filmes foram produzidos mediante o uso de um aplicador automático de filmes \"Spreading\". Logo, os filmes foram submetidos a testes para determinação da espessura, umidade e propriedades óticas (brilho, cor e opacidade). Também foi caracterizada a microestrutura por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia de força atômica (AFM); às imagens obtidas por MEV foi aplicado um analise de imagem mediante o programa Image J, para obter o valor da dimensão fractal (DF). Depois foram caracterizadas as propriedades superficiais de ângulo de contato (AC), molhabilidade ou coeficiente de espalhamento (Se), e energia livre superficial (ELS) mediante a medida do ângulo de contato pelo método da gota séssil (água: 5 µL e 1-Bromonaftaleno: 3 µL). Para o cálculo da ELS também foi aplicado o método de Owens-Wendt. Estas caracterizações foram feitas em ambos os lados do filme, lado ar e lado placa. A natureza do filme de G/ATB influenciou na umidade e as propriedades óticas, enquanto que os filmes de G e G/MMT apresentaram características similares. Em relação à microestrutura e rugosidade, o filme de G apresentou a superfície mais homogênea e lisa, contrario ao observado no filme de G/MMT, que apresentou a maior rugosidade seguida do filme de G/ATB. Foi observado que houve uma relação entre os valores de rugosidade e DF. De acordo com o valor do AC, os filmes apresentaram um caráter hidrofóbico, pois seus valores foram superiores a 65° (em ambos os lados dos filmes), na seguinte ordem: G/MMT > G > G/ATB; sendo que o Se seguiu a mesma tendência. Cabe mencionar também que não foi encontrada uma correlação significativa entre os valores de AC e rugosidade. Em função dos valores de AC, Se e ELS (especificamente a componente polar), o filme de G/ATB apresentou o menor caráter hidrofóbico, pois apresentou menores valores de AC e maiores valores de Se em comparação com os outros dois filmes. Os valores da componente polar da G/ATB foram os maiores, explicando de melhor maneira o caráter menos hidrofóbico deste filme. Pode-se concluir que os filmes à base de gelatina elaborados no presente trabalho têm propriedades hidrofóbicas (AC>65°), sendo a G/MMT o filme com melhores características hidrofóbicas. / The aim of this study was to characterize the surface properties of gelatin-based films. For which, films were produced as following: gelatin plasticized with glycerol (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; glycerol: 30 g/100 g of gelatin), gelatin reinforced with montmorillonite (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; glycerol: 30 g/100 of gelatin; montmorillonite: 5 g/100 g of gelatin), and gelatin plasticized with acetyltributyl citrate (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; acetyltributyl citrate: 50 g/100 of gelatin, soy lecithin: 60 g/100 g acetyltributyl citrate; ethanol: 20 g/100 g SFF). The films were produced by using an automatic film applicator \"Spreading\". Then, the films were tested for determining thickness, humidity and optical property (gloss, color and opacity). Also the microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM); in the images obtained by SEM it was applied image analysis using Image J program, to get the value of the fractal dimension (FD). After, the surface properties of contact angle (CA), wettability or spreading coefficient (Cs) and surface free energy (SFE) were characterized by measuring the contact angle by the method of the sessile drop (water: 5 µL, 1-Bromonaphthalene: 3 µL). For the calculation of the ELS, it was also applied the method of Owens-Wendt. These characterizations were made on both sides of the film (air side and plate side). The nature of the G/ATB film influenced the moisture and optical properties, while the films of G and G/MMT showed similar values. With regard to microstructure and roughness, the G film presented a more homogeneous and smooth surface, contrary to that was observed in films of G/MMT, who presented the highest roughness followed by G/ATB film. It was observed that there was a relationship between the roughness values and DF. According to the value of the CA, the three films had a hydrophobic character, because their values were above 65° (on both sides of the film), in the following order: G/MMT > G > G/ATB; the Cs followed the same trend. It should be also mentioned that a significant correlation between the values of CA and the roughness was found. According to the values of CA, Cs and SFE (specifically the polar component), the films of G/ATB had the lowest hydrophobicity, because had lower CA values and higher Cs values, as compared to the other two films. The values of the polar component of the film G/ATB were higher, which explains better the less hydrophobic character of this film. It can be concluded that the gelatin-based films produced in this work have hydrophobic properties (CA>65°), being the film G/MMT which showed better hydrophobic characteristics.

The research presented in this thesis: (1) quantifies and qualifies the Surface Free Energy (SFE) of neat and Liquid Anti-Strip (LAS) modified asphalt binders (binder); and (2) identifies volumetric mix properties that inhibit or assist in the susceptibility of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) to moisture damage based on time dependent phenomenological mechanical responses. These two research elements provide insight into the physical, chemical, mechanical and volumetric mix properties that inhibit or facilitate moisture damage in HMA. Moisture damage is a mechanism that causes distress and failure in asphalt concrete (AC) pavements due to a loss of durability resulting from the presence of moisture, in the form of a vapour or liquid, originating internally or externally. This reduces the pavements performance by promoting distresses such as: longitudinal cracking, spalling, rutting, shoving, stripping and ravelling. When moisture originates or is introduced in the AC a weakening of adhesion and cohesion of the material occurs, due in part to: binder properties, aggregate properties, volumetric mix properties, environmental conditions, traffic volume and loads, pavement design and construction practices. The research performed was split in two parts. The first part consisted of conducting SFE measurements on two PG 58-34 binders with different sources. One binder was modified with a LAS agent at concentrations of 0.5%, 2.0% and 5.0% by mass of binder and the other binder was kept neat. The neat and LAS modified binders were subjected to short-term aging by oxidation and then tested with a goniometer to determine their SFE and wettability. The SFE measurements revealed that an LAS concentration of 0.5% maximizes: (1) the work of adhesion of an unaged and aged binder, and (2) the ability of the binder to repel water. Furthermore, the process of aging increases the hydrophobicity or tendency of the binder to repel water regardless of the LAS concentration. Hence, an LAS concentration of 0.5% minimizes the potential for moisture damage in HMA. The second part of the research consisted of investigating the potential for moisture damage of seven bituminous type B (Bit B) and eight bituminous type C (Bit C) mix specified by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. Laboratory testing of the resilient modulus and creep compliance was conducted to determine the fundamental mechanical response of the material. The resilient modulus and creep compliance test program were conducted on samples before and after moisture conditioning. As a result of the testing program, it was observed that the susceptibility of AC to moisture damage based on volumetric mix properties can be dependent on the air voids ratio, aggregate gradation and binder content of the mix.

The research presented in this thesis: (1) quantifies and qualifies the Surface Free Energy (SFE) of neat and Liquid Anti-Strip (LAS) modified asphalt binders (binder); and (2) identifies volumetric mix properties that inhibit or assist in the susceptibility of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) to moisture damage based on time dependent phenomenological mechanical responses. These two research elements provide insight into the physical, chemical, mechanical and volumetric mix properties that inhibit or facilitate moisture damage in HMA. Moisture damage is a mechanism that causes distress and failure in asphalt concrete (AC) pavements due to a loss of durability resulting from the presence of moisture, in the form of a vapour or liquid, originating internally or externally. This reduces the pavements performance by promoting distresses such as: longitudinal cracking, spalling, rutting, shoving, stripping and ravelling. When moisture originates or is introduced in the AC a weakening of adhesion and cohesion of the material occurs, due in part to: binder properties, aggregate properties, volumetric mix properties, environmental conditions, traffic volume and loads, pavement design and construction practices. The research performed was split in two parts. The first part consisted of conducting SFE measurements on two PG 58-34 binders with different sources. One binder was modified with a LAS agent at concentrations of 0.5%, 2.0% and 5.0% by mass of binder and the other binder was kept neat. The neat and LAS modified binders were subjected to short-term aging by oxidation and then tested with a goniometer to determine their SFE and wettability. The SFE measurements revealed that an LAS concentration of 0.5% maximizes: (1) the work of adhesion of an unaged and aged binder, and (2) the ability of the binder to repel water. Furthermore, the process of aging increases the hydrophobicity or tendency of the binder to repel water regardless of the LAS concentration. Hence, an LAS concentration of 0.5% minimizes the potential for moisture damage in HMA. The second part of the research consisted of investigating the potential for moisture damage of seven bituminous type B (Bit B) and eight bituminous type C (Bit C) mix specified by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. Laboratory testing of the resilient modulus and creep compliance was conducted to determine the fundamental mechanical response of the material. The resilient modulus and creep compliance test program were conducted on samples before and after moisture conditioning. As a result of the testing program, it was observed that the susceptibility of AC to moisture damage based on volumetric mix properties can be dependent on the air voids ratio, aggregate gradation and binder content of the mix.

abstract: Water affinity and condensation on Si-based surfaces is investigated to address the problem of fogging on silicone intraocular lenses (IOL) during cataract surgery, using Si(100), silica (SiO2) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone (SiOC2H6)n. Condensation is described by two step nucleation and growth where roughness controls heterogeneous nucleation of droplets followed by Ostwald ripening. Wetting on hydrophilic surfaces consists of continuous aqueous films while hydrophobic surfaces exhibit fogging with discrete droplets. Si-based surfaces with wavelength above 200 nm exhibit fogging during condensation. Below 200 nm, surfaces are found to wet during condensation. Water affinity of Si-based surfaces is quantified via the surface free energy (SFE) using Sessile drop contact angle analysis, the Young-Dupré equation, and Van Oss theory. Topography is analyzed using tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM). Polymer adsorption and ion beam modification of materials (IBMM) can modify surface topography, composition, and SFE, and alter water affinity of the Si-based surfaces we studied. Wet adsorption of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) C32H60O19 with areal densities ranging from 1018 atom/cm2 to 1019 atom/cm2 characterized via Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), allows for the substrate to adopt the topography of the HPMC film and its hydrophilic properties. The HPMC surface composition maintains a bulk stoichiometric ratio as confirmed by 4.265 MeV 12C(α, α)12C and 3.045 MeV 16O(α, α)16O, and 2.8 MeV He++ elastic recoil detection (ERD) of hydrogen. Both PIXE and RBS methods give comparable areal density results of polymer films on Si(100), silica, and PDMS silicone substrates. The SFE and topography of PDMS silicone polymers used for IOLs can also be modified by IBMM. IBMM of HPMC cellulose occurs during IBA as well. Damage curves and ERD are shown to characterize surface desorption accurately during IBMM so that ion beam damage can be accounted for during analysis of polymer areal density and composition. IBMM of Si(100)-SiO2 ordered interfaces also induces changes of SFE, as ions disorder surface atoms. The SFE converges for all surfaces, hydrophobic and hydrophilic, as ions alter electrochemical properties of the surface via atomic and electronic displacements. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Physics 2011

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar as propriedades superficiais de filmes à base de gelatina. Para o qual foram elaborados filmes de: (i) Gelatina plastificado com glicerol (G) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; glicerol: 30 g/100 g de gelatina), (ii) Gelatina reforçado com montmorilhonita (G/MMT) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; glicerol: 30 g/100 g de gelatina; MMT: 5 g/100 g de gelatina) e Gelatina plastificado com citrato de acetiltributila (G/ATB) (gelatina: 5 g/100 g SFF; ATB: 50 g/100 de gelatina; lecitina de soja: 60 g/100 g de ATB; etanol: 20 g/100 g SFF). Os filmes foram produzidos mediante o uso de um aplicador automático de filmes \"Spreading\". Logo, os filmes foram submetidos a testes para determinação da espessura, umidade e propriedades óticas (brilho, cor e opacidade). Também foi caracterizada a microestrutura por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e microscopia de força atômica (AFM); às imagens obtidas por MEV foi aplicado um analise de imagem mediante o programa Image J, para obter o valor da dimensão fractal (DF). Depois foram caracterizadas as propriedades superficiais de ângulo de contato (AC), molhabilidade ou coeficiente de espalhamento (Se), e energia livre superficial (ELS) mediante a medida do ângulo de contato pelo método da gota séssil (água: 5 µL e 1-Bromonaftaleno: 3 µL). Para o cálculo da ELS também foi aplicado o método de Owens-Wendt. Estas caracterizações foram feitas em ambos os lados do filme, lado ar e lado placa. A natureza do filme de G/ATB influenciou na umidade e as propriedades óticas, enquanto que os filmes de G e G/MMT apresentaram características similares. Em relação à microestrutura e rugosidade, o filme de G apresentou a superfície mais homogênea e lisa, contrario ao observado no filme de G/MMT, que apresentou a maior rugosidade seguida do filme de G/ATB. Foi observado que houve uma relação entre os valores de rugosidade e DF. De acordo com o valor do AC, os filmes apresentaram um caráter hidrofóbico, pois seus valores foram superiores a 65° (em ambos os lados dos filmes), na seguinte ordem: G/MMT > G > G/ATB; sendo que o Se seguiu a mesma tendência. Cabe mencionar também que não foi encontrada uma correlação significativa entre os valores de AC e rugosidade. Em função dos valores de AC, Se e ELS (especificamente a componente polar), o filme de G/ATB apresentou o menor caráter hidrofóbico, pois apresentou menores valores de AC e maiores valores de Se em comparação com os outros dois filmes. Os valores da componente polar da G/ATB foram os maiores, explicando de melhor maneira o caráter menos hidrofóbico deste filme. Pode-se concluir que os filmes à base de gelatina elaborados no presente trabalho têm propriedades hidrofóbicas (AC>65°), sendo a G/MMT o filme com melhores características hidrofóbicas. / The aim of this study was to characterize the surface properties of gelatin-based films. For which, films were produced as following: gelatin plasticized with glycerol (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; glycerol: 30 g/100 g of gelatin), gelatin reinforced with montmorillonite (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; glycerol: 30 g/100 of gelatin; montmorillonite: 5 g/100 g of gelatin), and gelatin plasticized with acetyltributyl citrate (gelatin: 5 g/100 g SFF; acetyltributyl citrate: 50 g/100 of gelatin, soy lecithin: 60 g/100 g acetyltributyl citrate; ethanol: 20 g/100 g SFF). The films were produced by using an automatic film applicator \"Spreading\". Then, the films were tested for determining thickness, humidity and optical property (gloss, color and opacity). Also the microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM); in the images obtained by SEM it was applied image analysis using Image J program, to get the value of the fractal dimension (FD). After, the surface properties of contact angle (CA), wettability or spreading coefficient (Cs) and surface free energy (SFE) were characterized by measuring the contact angle by the method of the sessile drop (water: 5 µL, 1-Bromonaphthalene: 3 µL). For the calculation of the ELS, it was also applied the method of Owens-Wendt. These characterizations were made on both sides of the film (air side and plate side). The nature of the G/ATB film influenced the moisture and optical properties, while the films of G and G/MMT showed similar values. With regard to microstructure and roughness, the G film presented a more homogeneous and smooth surface, contrary to that was observed in films of G/MMT, who presented the highest roughness followed by G/ATB film. It was observed that there was a relationship between the roughness values and DF. According to the value of the CA, the three films had a hydrophobic character, because their values were above 65° (on both sides of the film), in the following order: G/MMT > G > G/ATB; the Cs followed the same trend. It should be also mentioned that a significant correlation between the values of CA and the roughness was found. According to the values of CA, Cs and SFE (specifically the polar component), the films of G/ATB had the lowest hydrophobicity, because had lower CA values and higher Cs values, as compared to the other two films. The values of the polar component of the film G/ATB were higher, which explains better the less hydrophobic character of this film. It can be concluded that the gelatin-based films produced in this work have hydrophobic properties (CA>65°), being the film G/MMT which showed better hydrophobic characteristics.