<p>The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17&beta / -estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17&beta / -estradiol endocrine disrupting compound / consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide.</p>

<p>The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17&beta / -estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17&beta / -estradiol endocrine disrupting compound / consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide.</p>

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17β-estradiol-estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17β-estradiol-estradiol endocrine disrupting compound; consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Chemistry) / Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) that usually affects the lungs leading to severe coughing, fever and chest pains. It was estimated that over 9.6 million people worldwide developed TB and 1.5 million died from the infectious disease of which 12 % were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the year 2015. In 2016 the statistics increased to a total of 1.7 million people reportedly died from TB with an estimated 10.4 million new cases of TB diagnosed worldwide. The development of the efficient point-of-care systems that are ultra-sensitive, cheap and readily available is essential in order to address and control the spread of the tuberculosis (TB) disease and multidrugresistant tuberculosis.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Breast cancer is regarded as the most common cancer in South Africa and its rate of occurrence is increasing. About one in every 31 South African women are at the risk of developing breast cancer and early diagnosis and treatment guarantee 90% survival rate. Tamoxifen is the drugs of choice for the treatment of all stages of breast cancer. The drug binds with estrogen receptor (ER) to minimize the transcription of estrogen dependent genes. However, nearly 50% of ER-positive breast cancer patients either become resistant or fail to respond to tamoxifen resulting in a serious clinical challenge in breast cancer management. The Grand Health Challenges of South Africa includes the development of cost effective diagnostic systems suitable for early detection of diseases and drug resistivity for timely invention and better patient management. / 2020-08-31

In this Diploma Thesis, an interaction of genotoxic environmental pollutant 2-nitrofluorene with a double-stranded calf thymus DNA has been studied using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) as an electrochemical sensor. Two types of DNA damage were investigated and electrochemically detected (using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry): (i) The DNA damage caused by the direct interaction with 2-nitrofluorene and (ii) the DNA damage caused by short-lived radicals generated by the electrochemical reduction of the nitro group in 2-nitrofluorene. For the study of direct interaction, HMDE was modified by DNA and the interaction of DNA with 2-nitrofluorene was studied, after their incubation, right at the HMDE surface (adsorptive transfer stripping technique) or the DNA was preincubated with 2-nitrofluorene and, subsequently, the interaction was studied voltammetrically (DNA titration technique). Using both detection techniques, the formation of DNA - 2-nitrofluorene complex was observed and the mutual interaction was interpreted as an intercalation between the DNA base pairs, although such interaction was not clearly confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. An electrostatic binding of 2-nitrofluorene on DNA sugar-phosphate backbone was partially formed at low concentrations of...

The main objective of this Diploma Thesis is studying the possibility of detection of nitro derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons by using chemically modified working electrodes in electrochemical analysis. Compounds analyzed in this work were 1-nitronaphthalene and 6- nitrochrysene - these compounds were chosen on previous experience with surface modified working electrodes (the chemical/physical properties of these substances). All the analyses were performed by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) on hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) in classic three-electrode system. The original premise of chemical modification of electrode surface is the change of its selectivity towards different compounds - meaning the change of the electrochemical response. The modification agent used in this thesis is 1-octanethiol. Its thiol group offers great potential of strong interaction with the metal surface of the mercury electrode. Voltammetric responses of both compounds were recorded in acidic, neutral and basic solutions (pH=2, pH=7, pH=12) including the responses when the electrode surface was modified. Next objective was the optimization of the modification procedure itself (transferring of the mercury drop from one media to another without damaging or tearing it off from the capillary orifice)....

This thesis is concentrated on the optimization of conditions for determination of genotoxic environmental pollutants whitch belong to derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons − 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), 1-aminopyrene (1-AP) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP). All three compounds were determined by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at boron-doped diamond film electrode in water-methanolic solutions. Further, 1-AP and 1-HP were determined in a model sample of urine. For this purpose, effective separative techniques such as solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography with reverse phase and amperometric detection at above mentioned type of electrode were used. Limits of detection of all tested compounds in water-methanolic solutions are 9⋅10−8 −3⋅10−7 mol dm−3 using DPV and 1⋅10−8 mol dm−3 for 1-HP and 1-AP in model sample of urine determined by HPLC with amperometric detection.

Объектами исследования служили лечебный препарат «Эндофальк» и товарный уротропина от ПАО «Метафракс». Цель работы: разработка вольтамперометрической методики количественного определения формальдегида с использованием толстопленочного углеродсодержащего электрода, модифицированного пленкой висмута (ТУЭ/Bi), в объектах фармации на примере уротропина и лекарственного препарата, содержащего в качестве основного вещества субстанцию «Макрогол 3350». Формальдегид (ФМ) относится к высоко опасным веществам с канцерогенным действием. Простые и чувствительные методы определения формальдегида необходимы для его контроля в объектах окружающей среды, питьевой воде, пищевых продуктах, товарах бытового назначения, фармпрепаратах. Электроаналитические методы с использованием индикаторных электродов, модифицированных различными металлами (Pd, Pt, Au, Ni Hg, Cu, Ag), считаются хорошей альтернативой спектральным, хемилюминесцентным и хроматографическим методам анализа для обнаружения следов ФМ из-за их высокой чувствительности, селективности, простоты и низкой стоимости оборудования, возможности проведения измерений в режиме реального времени. В работе впервые изучена возможность использования нетоксичного Bi/ТУЭ для определения ФМ. Для перевода гидратированной формы ФМ в его электрохимически активное производное использовали известный прием образования формальдегид гидразона (ФАГ) в присутствии сернокислого гидразина на фоне фосфатного буфера. Ток восстановления ФМ (АС) достигает максимальных значений при рН буферного раствора 5,2 ± 0,1 в присутствии 0,09– 0,15 М сернокислого гидразина на пленке висмута, осажденной предварительно в течение 8 - 12 мин при потенциале электролиза (-1,0) В. Установлено, что величина АС ФМ не зависит от времени накопления при потенциале (–0,5) В, при котором не происходят редокс - процессы в исследуемой системе, в течение 1 – 30 с. Разработаны методики количественного определения формальдегида в объектах фармации на примере ЛП «Эндофальк» и товарного уротропина от ПАО «Метафракс». Правильность полученных результатов подтверждена сравнением с результатами независимых методов анализа, прописанных в ФС РФ XIV издания на субстанции уротропина и «Макрогола 3350». / The objects of research were the medicinal product “Endofalk” and marketed urotropin from PJSC “Metafrax”. The mail goal of the research was to develope of a voltammetric method for quantitative determination of formaldehyde using a thick-film carbon-containing electrode modified with a bismuth film (TUE / Bi) in pharmacological objects on the example of urotropin and a drug similar to the substance “Macrogol 3350”. Formaldehyde (FM) is a highly hazardous substance with a carcinogenic effect. Simple and sensitive methods for the determination of formaldehyde are necessary for its control in environmental objects, drinking water, food products, household goods, pharmaceuticals. Electroanalytical methods using indicator electrodes modified with various metals (Pd, Pt, Au, Ni Hg, Cu, Ag) are considered to be a good alternative to spectral, chemiluminescent and chromatographic analysis methods for detecting traces of FM due to their high sensitivity, selectivity, simplicity and low cost of equipment, the ability to take measurements in real time. The possibility of using non-toxic Bi / TUE for the determination of FM was first studied in this work. To transfer the hydrated form of FM to its electrochemically active derivative, the well-known method for the formation of formaldehyde hydrazone (FAG) in the presence of hydrazine sulfate in the background of phosphate buffer was used. A higher current was obtained in buffer solution with value of pH 5.2 ± 0.1 and in a solution of 0.09–0.15 M hydrazine sulfate on a bismuth film pre-deposited for 8–12 min at an electrolysis potential of (-1 , 0). It was established that the value of AS FM does not depend on the accumulation time at a potential of (–0.5) V, at which no redox processes in the system for 1–30 s under study are observed. Methods have been developed for the quantitative determination of formaldehyde in pharmacological objects on the example of medicinal preparation “Endofalk” and urotropin from PJSC “Metafrax”. The correctness of the obtained results is confirmed by comparison with the results of independent analysis methods prescribed in the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the XIV edition on the substances of urotropin and “Macrogol 3350”.

This Diploma Thesis is focused on study of electrochemical behavior of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) on finding the optimum conditions for their determination using direct current voltammetry (DCV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at a mercury meniscus modified silver solid amalgam electrode (m-AgSAE) in the solution of Britton-Robinson (BR) and on finding of the limit of quantification (LQ) for these substances. Practical applicability of the newly developed methods was verified on direct determination of TNT and picric acid in model samples of drinking and river water. Moreover, the electrochemical behaviors of TNT and picric acid was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Optimum medium for the determination of TNT at m-AgSAE was: methanol-BR buffer pH 4.0 (1:9). Upon the DCV it is proper to apply regeneration potentials Ereg,1= 0 mV and Ereg,2= -1100 mV and upon the DPV was apply regeneration potentials Ereg,1= 0 mV and Ereg,2= -600 mV were applied. The concentration dependence of the peak current was found to be linear for both techniques over the concentration range of 1·10-6 -1·10-4 mol/l with LQ of 0.54 µmol/l (for DCV) and 0.46 µmol/l (for DPV). The method developed for the determination of TNT were verified on the model samples of drinking...