Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2007. / Principal faculty advisors: John F. Rabolt and D. Bruce Chase, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Sept. 2, 2009). Additional advisors: Uday Vaidya, Burton Patterson, Susan Bellis, Mark Weaver, Vinoy Thomas. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 21, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009. / Mode of access: Internet. Title from PDF title page; viewed on November 19, 2009. Major professor: Dr. Kristen O'Halloran Cardinal. "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering." "August 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-158).

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the capacity to form any cell type. However, their propagation and differentiation is limited by current two dimensional (2D) culture techniques which offer little flexibility in terms of surface structure and functionalisation with bioactive molecules. The aim of the current work was to produce a novel scaffold that could manipulate ES cell behaviour using both architectural and biological cues. Electrospinning is a flexible technique that creates nonwoven meshes that mimic the fibrous architecture of the ECM. Initial work focused on investigating the suitability of electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) meshes for 2D and three dimensional (3D) culture of mouse ES cells, with the hypothesis that the fibrous architecture would assist in maintaining pluripotency. The study also sought to functionalise the scaffolds with biologically active molecules. Heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) reside at the cell surface and within the ECM where they mediate growth factor binding, assist cell attachment and stabilise the ECM. Furthermore, ES cells modulate their own microenvironment by controlling the composition of heparan sulphate (HS), regulating the binding of growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family members. Therefore, we aimed to immobilise HS and heparin (a highly sulphated structural analogue of HS) on the fibre surface in a form that was freely accessible for protein/cell interactions and that retained its biological activity. Electrospinning parameters were optimised to produce microfibre electrospun meshes with an average fibre diameter of 570nm. Cell morphology, proliferation and pluripotency were monitored using an Oct4-GFP reporter cell line and results compared with flat spin coated films. To investigate the potential for 3D culture, spinning parameters were altered to increase fibre diameter to >3micro metre with infiltration assessed using pro-migratory E-cadherin-/- ES cells. Scaffolds were coated with plasma polymerised allylamine (ppAm) to enable non-covalent immobilisation of HS/heparin. Ligand binding assays with the link module of TSG-6 and anti-heparin/HS antibodies were used to probe HS/heparin presentation on the fibre surface. The biological activity of the immobilised HS/heparin was analysed by testing the ability of coated scaffolds to rescue the neural differentiation capacity HS deficient EXT1-/- ES cells. Finally, human ES cells were cultured on the surface of ppAm scaffolds +/- HS in both unconditioned and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) conditioned media for 5 days. Both microfibre meshes and flat spin coated films supported the attachment, growth and pluripotency of mouse ES cells. Cells adopted distinct morphologies, with mouse ES cells aggregating in rounded colonies on microfibre scaffolds and demonstrating increased spreading on spin coated films. Fibres >3micro metre created a thicker mesh with potential for 3D culture supporting the infiltration of E-cadherin-/- ES cells. ppAm enabled non-covalent immobilisation of HS/heparin in a form that was free to participate in protein interactions and which presented essential sulphation motifs within the HS/heparin chains. Bound HS was biologically active and functioned in synchrony with FGF4 to enhance neural differentiation of EXT1-/- ES cells. The constructs also supported the attachment and growth of human ES cells, with HS functionalised scaffolds demonstrating a slight increase in compatibility during culture in unconditioned media. The successful functionalisation of electrospun meshes with HS/heparin creates a highly versatile scaffold for ES cell culture and differentiation. The architecture of the meshes can be manipulated to either serve as a fibrous substrate for maintenance of pluripotency or support the formation of complex cell interactions present in vivo. The immobilisation of HS provides an extra dimension of versatility, as the scaffold can be tailored with specific HS species, potentially enabling the differential regulation of growth factor binding.

The aim of this study is the production of a nanofibrous electroactive mat and the investigation of its potential use in tissue engineering, and more specifically for wound dressing purposes. The limitations regarding electrospinnability of the conducting polymer will be identified and addressed and the factors related to its biological properties will be evaluated. To this end, conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI) was chosen as the electroactive component and blend electrospinning was identified as the most suitable method to produce continuous nanofibres containing PANI. Various biocompatible polymers and solvent systems were investigated for their suitability to assist in electrospinning and PEO (polyethylene oxide) and CH (chitosan) were chosen as carrier polymers for blend electrospinning of PANI. Consequently, CSA (Camphor-10-sulfonic acid (β)) doped PANI/PEO and CSA doped PANI/CH conducting nanofibrous mats were produced by electrospinning. The electrospinning windows for both blends were determined by using full factorial experimental designs. The combined effects of the humidity, voltage and flow rate on the fibre morphology and diameter were examined for both blends, demonstrating that the ambient humidity is the critical factor affecting the electrospinning process and determining the electrospinning window for a conducting polymer. Low humidity favors the formation of defect free fibres while high humidity either hinders fibre formation or causes the formation of defects on the fibres. In the case of PANI/PEO blends, different levels of PANI doping were investigated, and high level of doping with CSA was found to lead to the formation of crystalline structures. Data fitting was used to explore the behavior of conducting polymers using the case of PANI/PEO electrospinning and very good agreement between experimental and theoretical predictions was obtained for only a limited range of experimental conditions, whereas deviation was observed for all other sets of conditions. In the case of PANI/CH, the effect of different ratios of conducting polymer in the blend (0:1, 1:3, 3:5 and 1:1) was examined, as for the electrospinnability, resulting 3 nanofibrous morphology, mat contact angle, electrical conductivity, antibacterial activity and cellular biocompatibility. The incorporation of PANI in the electrospinning blend, affected the electrospinnability of the solution, making it more susceptible to RH deviations, and contributed to the decrease of nanofibre diameter. Higher PANI content was found to result in more hydrophobic and more conducting mats. The method that was used to stabilize the PANI/CH mats was also found to affect antibacterial activity and conductivity. The produced blend mats, exhibited antibacterial activity which was higher against Gram positive B. subtilis and lower against gram negative E. coli. The cellular biocompatibility was assessed with human osteoblasts and fibroblasts, in terms of cell proliferation rate as well as cell attachment and morphology. Cells of both cell lines adhered well and showed good growth rates on nanofibrous substrates of all blend ratios when compared to standard tissue culture plastic. Finally, amongst the PANI containing mats, the one of 1:3 PANI:CH ratio, was identified as the best to support osteoblast and fibroblast cell proliferation when compared to the pure chitosan.

Submitted by Juliana Bovi de Oliveira null (juliana_bovi@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-28T03:07:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação de Mestrado - Juliana B Oliveira.pdf: 3628116 bytes, checksum: 38a7295f033a2a9bda4b4118db7acee0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-02T11:57:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_jb_me_guara.pdf: 3628116 bytes, checksum: 38a7295f033a2a9bda4b4118db7acee0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-02T11:57:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_jb_me_guara.pdf: 3628116 bytes, checksum: 38a7295f033a2a9bda4b4118db7acee0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nos últimos anos, reforços constituídos de nanoestruturas em carbono, tais como nanotubos de carbono, fulerenos, grafenos e nanofibras de carbono, vêm sendo muito pesquisados devido às suas elevadas propriedades mecânicas, elétricas e térmicas. Uma vez que, as nanofibras de carbono consistem em um reforço contínuo (ou na forma de mantas) de elevada área superficial específica, associado ao fato de que estas podem ser obtidas a um baixo custo e em grandes quantidades, estas vêm se mostrando vantajosas quando comparadas aos tradicionais nanotubos de carbono. Assim, as nanofibras de carbono são ótimas candidatas para a obtenção de materiais avançados, podendo estas serem utilizadas como reforços em compósitos com diversas aplicações, tais como em implantes neurológicos e ortopédicos, como suportes de catalisadores, artefatos para aplicações aeroespaciais, dentre outras. Desta forma, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é a produção de nanofibras de carbono, empregando como precursora a manta de poliacrilonitrila (PAN) obtida pelo processo de eletrofiação via solução polimérica, com posterior utilização como reforço em compósitos poliméricos. Neste trabalho, uma manta de poliacrilonitrila com nanofibras de diâmetro de aproximadamente (375 ± 85) nm foi obtida por eletrofiação, sendo esta posteriormente carbonizada. A massa residual resultante do processo de carbonização foi de aproximadamente 38% em massa, com uma redução de 50% nos diâmetros das nanofibras após a queima das mantas de PAN, sendo que as mesmas apresentaram um rendimento de 25%. Na análise da estrutura cristalina do material carbonizado, verificou-se que o material apresentou uma desorganização estrutural. E a partir do ensaio de condutividade elétrica da manta carbonizada, concluiu-se que o material se comporta como um semi-condutor. O compósito de nanofibras de carbono/resina epóxi processado apresentou módulo de elasticidade de (3,79 ± 0,48) GPa, temperatura de transição vítrea (Tg) na faixa de 108,9 a 135,5°C, e um coeficiente de expansão térmica linear entre a faixa de 68 x 10-6/°C e 408 x 10-6/°C. / In recent years, reinforcement consisting of carbon nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphenes, and carbon nanofibers has been very researched due to its mechanical, electrical and thermal properties, besides having good thermal conductivity, mechanical resistance and high surface area. Since the carbon nanofibers comprise a continuous reinforcing with high specific surface area, associated with the fact that they can be obtained at a low cost and in large amounts, they have shown to be advantageous compared to traditional carbon nanotubes. Thus, the carbon nanofibers are excellent candidates in order to obtain advanced materials, and these can be used as reinforcements in composites with several applications such as for example, neurological and orthopedic implants, integrates in catalysts systems, devices for aerospace applications, among others. So, the main objective of this work is the processing of carbon nanofibers, using PAN as a precursor, obtained by the electrospinning process via polymer solution, with subsequent use for applications as reinforcement in polymer composites. In this work, PAN nanofibers were produced by electrospining with a diameter of approximately (375 ± 85) nm. The resulting residual weight after carbonization was approximately 38% in mass, with a diameters reduction of 50%, and the same showed a yield of 25%. From the analysis of the crystallinity structure of the carbonized material, it was found that the material presented a disordered structure. From the electrical conductivity results of the specimens, it was concluded that the material behaves as a semi-conductor. The epoxy resin/carbon nanofiber composite presented an elastic modulus value of (3.79 ± 0.48) GPa, a glass transition temperature (Tg) in the range from 108.9 to 135 5 ° C and a linear thermal expansion coefficient within the range of 68 x 10-6/°C and 408 x 10-6/°C.

Novel lanthanide phthalocyanines containing dysprosium, erbium and lutetium as central metals were synthesized using phthalonitrile:metal salt ratio of 4:1 or lower phthalonitrile content as well as using unmetallated phthalocyanine. They were characterized using various spectroscopic and elemental analyses. Dysprosium bis-phthalocyanine was obtained while monomers were obtained for erbium and lutetium phthalocyanines. Theopen-shelldysprosiumbis-phthalocyanine and the monomeric complex of the open-shell erbium were neither fluorescent nor showed the ability to generate singlet oxygen. The triplet states of all the lutetium phthalocyanines were found to be populated with high triplet quantum yields and corresponding high singlet oxygen quantum yields. The fluorescence quantum yields of the lutetium phthalocyanines were however found to be very low. The lutetium phthalocyanines together with unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine and its derivatives were successfully incorporated into electrospun polymer fibers either by covalent linkage or sorption forces. Spectral characteristics of the functionalized electrospun polymer fibers indicated that the phthalocyanines were bound and their integrity maintained within the fiber matrices. Most importantly the fluorescence and photoactivity of the phthalocyanines were equally maintained within the electrospun fibers. The functionalized electrospun polymer fibers especially those containing the zinc phthalocyanines could qualitatively detect nitrogen dioxide, a known environmental air pollutant. Also all the functionalized electrospun polystyrene and polysulfone fibers containing lutetium and zinc phthalocyanines could be applied for the photoconversion of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol and methyl orange. Those of polystyrene could be re-used. Polyacrylic acid and polyurethane functionalized electrospun fibers were found not to be suitable for photocatalytic applications in aqueous medium. 4-Chlorophenol was found to be more susceptible to photodegradation while methyl orange very difficult to degrade.

Orientador: Estela Kaminagakura Tango / Banca: Cristiane Yumi Koga-Ito / Banca: Felipe Eduardo de Oliveira / Resumo: As nanofibras (NF) podem ser sintetizadas por meio de eletrofiação, um método simples que permite incorporação de fármacos em biopolímeros que apresentam a vantagem de serem liberados de forma gradual. Policaprolactona (PCL) apresenta a vantagem de poder ser eletrofiada permitindo a incorporação de fármacos. Os ácidos retinoicos são fármacos empregados no tratamento de osteossarcoma, mas, apresentam efeitos colaterais. O ATRA (all-trans-retinoic-acid) é o mais comum entre os retinoides. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: sintetizar e caracterizar NF, incorporar o fármaco a elas e verificar a liberação ao meio de cultura; realizar testes de citoxicidade e genotoxicidade tais como: crescimento, integridade, viabilidade e micronúcleo de células MG63 tratadas com NF incorporada com ATRA e analisar a secreção das citocinas pró inflamatórias: IL-1β, IL-6 e TNF-α por meio do teste ELISA. As NF sintetizadas por meio da eletrofiação foram caracterizadas morfologicamente e bioquimicamente por meio de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e estudo do espectro de infravermelho da transformada de Fourrier (FTIR): Os testes in vitro foram realizados utilizando uma linhagem de células imortalizadas de osteossarcoma, MG63. Os ensaios incluídos nesse estudo foram divididos em grupos compostos por: [C (controle puro), ATRA (controle positivo), NF (controle negativo) e NF + ATRA (grupo experimental).] Em todos os grupos foram realizados testes de viabilidade celular (MTT), micronúcleo e ELISA... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Nanofibers (NF) can be synthesized by electro-spinning, a simple method that allows incorporation of drugs into biopolymers that have the advantage of being released gradually. Polycaprolactone (PCL) has the advantage that it can be electrophied allowing the incorporation of drugs. Retinoic acids are drugs used in the treatment of osteosarcoma, but have side effects. ATRA (all-trans-retinoicacid) is the most common retinoid. The objectives of this study were: to synthesize and characterize NF, to incorporate the drug to them and to verify the release to the culture medium; perform cytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests such as: growth, integrity, viability and micronucleus of N63-treated NF-treated cells with ATRA and to analyze the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα by the ELISA . The NF synthesized by electrophilation were characterized morphologically and biochemically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourrier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FTIR) study: In vitro tests were performed using an immortalized osteosarcoma cell line, MG63. The trials included in this study were divided into groups composed of: C (pure control), ATRA (positive control), NF (negative control) and NF + ATRA (experimental group). All groups were tested for cell viability (MTT), micronucleus and ELISA under the times of 3, 7 and 14 days. Release of the drug through the NF + ATRA system was confirmed by FTIR. The other results were evaluated using the oneway ANOVA test, ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre