>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Combating antimicrobial resistant infections caused by nosocomial pathogens poses a major public health problem globally. The widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of wound infections has led to the appearance of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microbes which further exacerbates the growth of microbes amongst patients. It may result in prolonged debility of the patient and an increase in healthcare costs due to prolonged hospital stays and expensive treatment regimens to avoid patient-patient transmission. Therefore, it is imperative that alternative sources of treatment to antimicrobial use in wound infections needs to be developed in order to inhibit or kill resistant microbes and to provide point of care medical treatment to the less fortunate at an affordable cost. / 2021-08-30

Au cours de cette étude, nous avons montré que dans les oxydes de fer type perovskite, les ions sulfates (SO42-) pouvaient être utilisés à escient pour apporter de l'anisotropie cristalline et électronique ou bien au contraire pour casser les mises en ordre à longue distance et provoquer l'isotropie du matériau. Ainsi, ce travail a permis d'isoler les composés bidimensionnels : Sr4Fe2.5-x□xO7.25-(3x/2)(SO4)0.5 (avec x=0, 0.25 et 0.5). Ils peuvent être décrits comme une intercroissance SrO/SrFeO2,5/SrFe0,5-x□xO1,25-(3x/2)(SO4)0,5/SrFeO2,5 et cristallisent dans une maille moyenne quadratique I4/mmm (a=ap et c≈29 Å). Les tétraèdres de sulfates non-pontés se présentent de façon transversale par rapport à c ⃗ pour x=0,5 et longitudinale pour x=0 et 0,25 parce que pontés aux pyramides de fer de la couche partagée. Les atomes de fer des couches non-mixtes SrFeO2,5 se situent eux en coordinence pyramidale pour x=0 et pyramidale et octaédrique pour x=0.5 et x=0.25 afin de respecter la trivalence du fer. Quel que soit x, les composés sont antiferromagnétiques de type G (les spins se situant dans le plan (a,b)). Cependant, pour x=0,5, deux configurations magnétiques sont observées, tandis que les composés x=0 et x=0.25 n'en montrent qu'une seule. Dans le composé Sr4Fe2.5□xO7.25(SO4)0.25(CO3)0.25, l'influence des carbonates (CO32-) se ressent directement sur le paramètre d'empilement, qui est plus petit. Cela n'entraîne cependant aucun changement sensible dans les propriétés physiques. Les composés sont des semi-conducteurs présentant de fortes valeurs de résistivité électronique (de l'ordre de 106Ω.cm) et ne sont pas conducteurs ioniques.La phase ordonnée "15R" SrFe0.6Cr0.4O2.8 se désordonne lorsque l'on substitue 10% du fer par des sulfates (SrFe0.5Cr0.4O2.1(SO4)0.1) et adopte une structure pseudo-cubique. Ses propriétés physiques sont alors bouleversées puisque l'on passe d'un comportement ferromagnétique à antiferromagnétique (TN=800K). Ce composé très lacunaire en oxygène montre des défauts structuraux plus ou moins étendus et un comportement de type semi-conducteur. Aucun phénomène de conduction ionique n'est observé. / In this study, we have shown that in perovskite-type iron oxides, sulfate ions (SO42-) can be used to bring structural and electronic anisotropy, or on the contrary to break long distance ordering and cause the isotropy of the material.Thus, this work made it possible to isolate the two-dimensional compounds: Sr4Fe2.5-x□x07.25-(3x/2)(SO4)0.5 (with x = 0.25 and 0.5). They can be described as an intergrowth SrO/SrFeO2,5/SrFe0,5-x□xO1,25-(3x/2)(SO4)0.5/SrFeO2,5 and crystallize in a quadratic mean cell I4/mmm (a=ap et c≈29 Å). The unbridged sulfates tetrahedra are oriented transversely with respect to c ⃗ for x=0.5 and longitudinal for x=0 and 0.25 because bridged to the iron pyramids of the shared layer. The iron atoms of the non-mixed layers SrFeO2,5 are in pyramidal coordination for x=0 and pyramidal and octahedral coordination for x=0.5 and x=0.25, in order to respect the trivalence of iron. However, for x=0.5, two magnetic configurations are observed whereas the compounds x=0 and x=0.25 show only one. In the compound Sr4Fe2.5□xO7.25(SO4)0.25(CO3)0.25, the influence of the carbonates (CO32-) is directly felt on the stacking parameter, which is smaller. The compounds are semiconductors with high electronic resistivity values (of the order of 106Ω.cm) and are not ionic conductors.The ordered phase "15R" SrFe0.6Cr0.4O2.8 becomes disordered when 10% of the iron is substituted with sulfates (SrFe0.5Cr0.4O2.1(SO4)0.1) and adopts a pseudo-cubic structure. Its physical properties are then modified because we switch from a ferromagnetic to an antiferromagnetic behavior (TN=800K). This oxygen-deficient compound shows more or less large structural defects and a semiconductor behavior. No ionic conduction phenomenon is observed.

Present doctoral thesis is focused on electron microscopy and spectroscopy investigation of novel metal-oxide anode catalyst for fuel cell application. Catalyst based on Pt- doped cerium oxide in form of thin layers prepared by simultaneous magnetron sputtering deposition on intermediate carbonaceous films grown on silicon substrate has been studied. The influence of catalyst support composition (a-C and CNx films), deposition time of CeOx layer and other deposition parameters, as deposition rate, composition of working atmosphere and Pt concentration on the morphology of Pt-CeOx layers has been investigated mainly by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The obtained results have shown that by suitable preparation conditions combination we are able to tune final morphology and composition of catalyst. Composition of carbonaceous films and Pt-CeOx layers was examined by complementary spectroscopy techniques - Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Such prepared porous structures of Pt-CeOx are of promising as anode catalytic material for real fuel cell application. Keywords: cerium oxide, platinum, fuel cell, magnetron sputtering, Transmission Electron Microscopy

This dissertation, entitled »Control of the morphology of biodegradable polymer blends«, has been running parallel with the grant project »Multiphase biodegradable polymer systems« and it represents a new research direction in the Department of morphology and rheology of polymer materials at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry. The main idea was to employ our long-lasting work and experience in the field of morphology control of synthetic polymer blends in the very analogous field of the biodegradable polymer blends. We have chosen three most common, widely used and relatively cheap bio-based polymers - starch, poly(lactic acid) and poly(ε-caprolactone) - in order to investigate how the properties of their blends might be improved if we control the blend morphology in targeted, reproducible and well-defined way from the very beginning. It has been well established that morphology (phase structure, supramolecular structure) is one of the key factors influencing final properties of polymer blends, including mechanical performance, rate of (bio)degradation, gas permeability etc. In this work, numerous preliminary experiments showed that there are two systems in which the morphology control could significantly help in the improving of their end-use properties: PLA/PCL/TiX (where PLA = poly(lactic acid),...

The aim of this thesis is to investigate applicability of regulariza- tion by Krylov subspace methods to discrete inverse problems arising in single particle analysis (SPA). We start with a smooth model formulation and describe its discretization, yielding an ill-posed inverse problem Ax ≈ b, where A is a lin- ear operator and b represents the measured noisy data. We provide theoretical background and overview of selected methods for the solution of general linear inverse problems. Then we focus on specific properties of inverse problems from SPA, and provide experimental analysis based on synthetically generated SPA datasets (experiments are performed in the Matlab enviroment). Turning to the solution of our inverse problem, we investigate in particular an approach based on iterative Hybrid LSQR with inner Tikhonov regularization. A reliable stopping criterion for the iterative part as well as parameter-choice method for the inner regularization are discussed. Providing a complete implementation of the proposed solver (in Matlab and in C++), its performance is evaluated on various SPA model datasets, considering high levels of noise and realistic distri- bution of orientations of scanning angles. Comparison to other regularization methods, including the ART method traditionally used in SPA,...

We present a colloidal synthesis of quaternary Cu–Zn–In–S (CZIS) nanoplatelets (NPLs) by means of partial cation exchange. Starting with the synthesis of highly monodisperse binary CuS NPLs with lateral dimensions of ∼64 nm and thickness of ∼5 nm, we further performed a cation exchange reaction in which copper was partly replaced by indium, leading to Cu–In–S NPLs. To enhance the stability of the resulting NPLs and to improve their optical properties, we carried out the ZnS shell growth via both the heterogeneous nucleation of ZnS on the NPLs and via partial cation exchange on the surface of the particles. The latter reaction resulted, however, in rather an alloyed than the core/shell structure, whereas the reaction between zinc and sulfur precursors yielded unusual cookie-like hexagonal shaped structure, in which ZnS trigonal extensions grew only on one of the basal planes of the plates along the thickness direction. Upon ZnS growth, the lateral dimensions of the resulting core/shell CZIS/ZnS and alloyed CZIS NPLs distinctly increased to ∼80 and ∼75 nm, respectively. The analysis of the optical properties of the alloyed CZIS NPLs showed photoluminescence (PL) in the range from 780 to 820 nm depending on the reaction time and temperature. This PL signal originated mainly from small nanoparticles formed as a byproduct in the synthesis. In contrast to the alloyed NPLs, PL measurements of the core/shell CZIS/ZnS platelets showed a weak emission in the near-infrared region (PL maximum at approx. 1110 nm), which so far has rarely been reported for the copper chalcogenide-based two-dimensional structures.

Five well-known Zr-based alloys of the systems Zr–Cu–Al–(Ni–Nb, Ni–Ti, Ag) (Cu 5 15.4–36 at.%) with the highest glass-forming ability were comparatively analyzed regarding their pitting corrosion resistance and repassivation ability in a chloride-containing solution. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were conducted in the neutral 0.01 M Na₂SO₄ 1 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte and local corrosion damages were subsequently investigated with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Both pitting and repassivation potential correlate with the Cu concentration, i.e., those potentials decrease with increasing Cu content. Pit morphology is not composition dependent: while initially hemispherical pits then develop an irregular shape and a porous rim. Corrosion products are rich in Cu, O, and often Cl species. A combination of low Cu and high Nb or Ti contents is most beneficial for a high pitting resistance of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses. The bulk glassy Zr₅₇Cu₁₅.₄Al₁₀Ni₁₂.₆Nb₅ (Vit 106) and Zr₅₂.₅Cu₁₇.₉Al₁₀Ni₁₄.₆Ti₅ (Vit 105) alloys exhibit the highest pitting resistance.

This thesis explores nanostructuring in TiSiCN, ZrAlN, and TiAlN thin films deposited by cathodic arc evaporation onto cemented carbide substrates, with intended applications for cutting tools. The three systems were found to exhibit age hardening upon annealing, by different mechanisms, into the superhard regime (≥30 GPa), as determined by a combination of electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atom probe tomography, erda, and nanoindentation tech- niques. TiSiCN forms nanocomposite films during growth by virtue of Si segregation to the surface of TiCN nanocrystallites while simultaneously pro- moting renucleation. Thus, the common columnar microstructure of TiCN and low-Si-content (≤5 at. %) TiSiN-films is replaced by a “feather-like” nanos- tructure in high-Si-content (≥10 at. %) TiSiCN films. The presence of C promotes the formation of this structure, and results in an accelerated age hardening beginning at temperatures as low as 700 °C. The thermal stability of the TiSiCN films is, however, decreased compared to the TiSiN system by the loss of Si and interdiffusion of substrate species; C was found to ex- acerbate these processes, which became active at 900 °C. The ZrAlN system forms a two-phase nanostructure during growth consisting of cubic ZrAlN and wurtzite ZrAlN. Upon annealing to 1100 °C, the c-Zr(Al)N portion of the films recovers and semicoherent brick-like w-(Zr)AlN structures are formed. Age hardening by 36 % was obtained before overageing sets in at 1200 °C. As-deposited and annealed solid solution Ti0.33Al0.67N thin films were characterized for the first time by atom probe tomography. The as-deposited film was found to be at the very initial stage of spinodal decomposition, which continued during annealing of the film at 900 °C for 2 h. N preferentially segregates to Al-rich domains in the annealed sample, causing a compositional variation between Ti-rich and Al-rich domains, to maintain the stoichiometry for the developing AlN phase. That effect also compensates for some of the coherency strain formed between cubic domains of TiN and AlN. Finally, a possible Kirkendall effect caused by an imbalance in the metal interdiffusion during the spinodal decomposition was discovered.

Single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses commonly rearrange host cell organelle membranes into neo-organelles which are involved in virus replication and assembly. These organelles serve to concentrate viral and host factors as well as to conceal viral RNA replication activities from host cell surveillance. To date, many virus-induced membrane rearrangements have been studied by targeted electron tomographic (ET) imaging of specific viral structures at timepoints of known interest. However, the broad cellular context within which these membrane modifications occur and how they change over time are not well understood. A question spanning many virus families is the morphological mechanism of formation of membrane rearrangements. Additionally, it is largely unknown how the membrane modifications affect the morphology of the organelle of origin. In this study, we address specific questions about virus-derived organelles induced by two positive-sense RNA viruses: the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and the alphavirus Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Utilizing serial sectioning and montage imaging for ET, volumes representing approximately 10% of virus-infected cells were imaged and detailed organelle analysis was performed. Using MHV-infected cells, we demonstrate that coronavirus-induced double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) are formed by budding from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are trafficked to lysosomes for degradation. The ER remains largely morphologically normal early in infection despite the presence of hundreds of DMVs; however, late in infection, virus envelopment in the ER lumen leads to loss of cisternal morphology. For the alphavirus VEEV, we analyze the structure and origin of virus-derived cytopathic vacuoles II (CPVII). We identify four distinct morphological forms of CPVII and provide evidence that all four forms are derived from the Golgi apparatus. Additionally, a protocol is outlined for a newly-developed method for improved cell ultrastructure during genetically-encoded peroxidase tagging of membrane-proteins. This method is also amenable to ET. Overall, this work provides morphological cellular context for virus-induced membrane rearrangements from two families of positive-sense RNA viruses. Analysis of virus-host cell interactions from this large-scale ultrastructural perspective has the potential to lead to new approaches and strategies to combat current and future viral diseases.<br>

This report introduces the multislice method for modeling the interaction between an electron and the atoms in the specimen (electron-specimen interaction). The multislice method is an approximation to the full quantum mechanical model for this interaction. After introducing the theory, we discuss how the multislice method is implemented and integrated into TEM-simulator, a software for simulation of Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images.