Specific ion effects, identified for more than hundred years, play an important role in a wide range of phenomena and applications. Several mechanisms such as direct ion interaction with molecules have been suggested to explain these effects, but quantitative experimental evidence remains scarce. Electrophoretic NMR (eNMR) has been emerging as a very powerful tool for studying molecular association and ionic transport in a variety of systems. Yet its potential in studying specific ion effect has been unexplored. In this thesis, eNMR was in part developed further as an analytical method and was in part used as one of the main techniques to study ions interacting with macromolecules in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. The complexation of a large group of cations with poly ethylene oxide (PEO) in methanol was studied with eNMR. The binding of monovalent ions was demonstrated not to follow the Hofmeister order; multivalent cations except barium all showed negligible complexation. As a unifying feature, only cations with surface charge density below a threshold value were able to bind suggesting that ion solvation is critical. The binding mechanism was examined in greater detail for K+ and Ba2+ with oligomeric PEO of different chain lengths. Those two cations exhibited different binding mechanisms. K+ was found to bind to PEO by having at least 6 repeating units wrap around it while retaining the polymer flexibility. On the other hand, Ba2+ (and, to some extent, (BaAnion)+) needs a slightly shorter section to bind, but the molecular dynamics at the binding site slow considerably. The binding of anions with poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) in water was quantified at low salt concentration with eNMR and the binding affinity, though very weak, followed the Hofmeister order. This result indicates the non-electrostatic nature of this specific ion effects. The increase of binding strength with salt concentration is well described by a Langmuir isotherm. The specific ion binding to a protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was also studied at pH values where BSA has either net positive and negative charges. Our results show that anions have the same binding affinity irrespective of the surface charge while the binding strength of cations is reversed with the change in net surface charge. This indicates different binding mechanisms for cations and anions. The ionization of cellobiose in alkaline solutions was measured quantitatively by eNMR. The results show a two-step deprotonation process with increasing alkaline strength. Supported by results from 1H-13C HSQC NMR and MD simulation, ionization was proposed to be responsible for the improved solubility of cellulose in alkaline solution. eNMR was also used to characterize the effective charge of tetramethylammonium ions in a variety of solvents. In solvents of high polarity, the results agree well with predictions based on Onsager’s limiting law but for nonpolar solvents deviations were found that were attributed to ion pair formation. / <p>QC 20170216</p>

The long-term outdoor durability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is still a challenging issue for the large-scale commercial application of this promising photovoltaic technique. In order to study the degradation mechanism of DSSCs, ageing tests under selected accelerating conditions were carried out. The electrolyte is a crucial component of the device. The interactions between the electrolyte and other device components were unraveled during the ageing test, and this is the focus of this thesis. The dynamics and the underlying effects of these interactions on the DSSC performance were studied. Co(bpy)32+/3+-mediated solar cells sensitized by triphenylamine-based organic dyes are systems of main interest. The changes with respect to the configuration of both labile Co(bpy)32+ and apparently inert Co(bpy)33+ redox complexes under different ageing conditions have been characterized, emphasizing the ligand exchange problem due to the addition of Lewis-base-type electrolyte additives and the unavoidable presence of oxygen. Both beneficial and adverse effects on the DSSC performance have been separately discussed in the short-term and long-term ageing tests. The stability of dye molecules adsorbed on the TiO2 surface and dissolved in the electrolyte has been studied by monitoring the spectral change of the dye, revealing the crucial effect of cation-based additives and the cation-dependent stability of the device photovoltage. The dye/TiO2 interfacial electron transfer kinetics were compared for the bithiophene-linked dyes before and after ageing in the presence of Lewis base additives; the observed change being related to the light-promoted and Lewis-base-assisted performance enhancement. The effect of electrolyte co-additives on passivating the counter electrode was also observed. The final chapter shows the effect of electrolyte composition on the electrolyte diffusion limitation from the perspectives of cation additive options, cation concentration and solvent additives respectively. Based on a comprehensive analysis, suggestions have been made regarding lithium-ion-free and polymer-in-salt strategies, and also regarding cobalt complex degradation and the crucial role of Lewis base additives. The fundamental studies contribute to the understanding of DSSC chemistry and provide a guideline towards achieving efficient and stable DSSCs. / <p>QC 20160517</p>

Freeze-drying of protein pharmaceuticals is a procedure frequently used to obtain stability of the active pharmaceutical ingredientduring distribution and storage. It can be performed in pre-filled syringes, with a lubricous coating of silicone on the inside, to enable the piston moving. The coating changes the environment potentially affecting the features of the freeze-dried cake since the wetting behavior and adhesion to the inner wall is affected.This project aimed to investigate the effect of the siliconization of the cakes. Three different formulations were freeze-dried in nonsiliconized (NS) and siliconized vials using different siliconization protocols. Analysis was done using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA),scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and an embedding method, intended to give information about the cake’s shrinkage, cracking and pore-structure. The water content in the bottom of the cakes was consistently higher than in the top, a difference decreasing over time. Increased surface hydrophobicity lead to increased shrinkage of the cake’s volume and a decrease in fogging. The bottom of the protein cake in the vial siliconized with a commercial silicone emulsion consisted of pores with regularly equal pore size and thick pore walls, a structure not seen in any other cake. All cakes in the silicone emulsion siliconized vials had lower water content than the cakes in the vials using the other siliconization method. The XPS-analysis showed that the cakes in the emulsion siliconized vials contained silicon, indicating an excess of silicone when siliconizing and/or an unstable coating. / NextBioForm

The purpose of this study was to examine and contribute with more knowledge about children´s perceptions of rainfall and its role in the water cycle. In order to reach a result, eleven children, in the ages four to five years old, has participated in the study through qualitative interviews, during the timeline of two days. The answers from the interviews has shown a variety among the individual participants. The result in this study shows a mutual perception among the children of the fact that rainfall is important for all the living things on this earth. The children share a mutual perception of the fact that water constantly runs in a natural cycle. Even though the answers among the children has shown a big variety, they share a mutual general impression. Most of the children had the perception that clouds consist of waterdrops and some of these children even hade the perception of how clouds take form.

The work presented in this thesis deals with the structural and functional properties of peptides at surfaces. The interaction of peptides with surfaces is an ever so common occurrence in our every day life, from the bug squashed on the windshield of our car to the barnacle on our boat, and from the blood plasma used in the hospital to the proteins in our cells. The effect these occurrences has on our lives is diverse, the bug is annoying whereas the barnacle settlement of ship hull is costly for marine transportation, the blood plasma contains components of vital importance for our immunological defense system and the proteins in our cells are crucial for regulatory processes and life.One part of this thesis, performed as a part of the EU-founded project AMBIO, deals with the concept of marine biofouling. A number of short peptides have been designed, synthesized, and used to investigate their effect on the settlement on marine biofoulers, such as the Ulva linza algae and the Navicula diatom, on template surfaces coated with thin layers of these molecules. The surfaces have been thoroughly investigated with respect of their physio-chemical properties before and after submersion in artificial seawater and ultimately in suspensions containing the organisms. The most interesting results were obtained with an arginine-rich peptide coating that when introduced to Ulva linza zoospores, displayed extensive settlement, compared to reference surfaces. In addition, a large fraction of the settled spores had an abnormal morphology.The other part of this thesis is focused on designed peptides that when adsorbed on a negatively charged surface adopts a well-defined secondary structure, either α-helical or β-sheet. Precisely placed amino acids in the peptides will strongly disfavor structure in solution, primarily due to electrostatic repulsion, but when the peptides are adsorbed on the negatively charged surfaces, they adopt a well-defined secondary structure due to ion pair bonding. These interactions have been thoroughly investigated by systematic variations of the side-chains. In order to determine the factors contributing to the induced structure, several peptides with different amino acid sequences have been synthesized. Factors that have been investigated include 1) the positive charge density, 2) distribution of positive charges, 3) negative charge density, 4) increasing hydrophobicity, and 5) incorporating amino acids with different helix propensities. Moreover, pH dependence and the effect of different interaction partners have also been investigated. It has also been shown that the system can be modified to incorporate a catalytic site that is only active when the helix is formed. This research will increase our understanding of peptide-surface interactions and might be of importance for both bionanotechnology and medicine.

<p>This thesis presents and develops the path integral simulation techniques in application to small quantum systems at finite temperatures. The first goal is to obtain exact thermodynamic expressions for systems of noninteracting</p><p>The rest and the major part of the thesis is dedicated to the development and testing of Bead-Fourier path integral molecular dynamics. Although, path integral molecular dynamics as well as path integral Monte Carlo are well</p><p>First, molecular dynamics under Bead-Fourier scheme was developed and tested on the examples of quantum harmonic oscillator and Hydrogen atom. The main attention was paid to ergodicity problems. Then we addressed the question,</p><p>Later, the formalism for identical particles was developed.</p><p>Finally, the question of molecular dynamics efficacy was raised. It was shown, that formalisms for identical and distinguishable particles, both, can be reformulated into a more efficient ones, providing all dynamical variables</p>

<p>This thesis presents the application of some of the NMR methods in studying host-guest complexes, mainly in solution. The general focus of the work is on investigating the reorientational dynamics of some small molecules that are bound inside cavities of larger moieties. In the current work, these moieties belong to two groups: cryptophanes and cyclodextrins. Depending on the structure of the cavities, properties of the guest molecules and the formed complexes vary. Chloroform and dichloromethane are in slow exchange between the cage-like cavity of the cryptophanes and the solvent, on the chemical shift time scale, whereas adamantanecarboxylic acid, quinuclidine and 1,7-heptanediol in complex with cyclodextrins are examples of fast exchange. Kinetics and thermodynamics of complexation are studied by measuring exchange rates and translational self-diffusion coefficients by means of 1-dimenssional exchange spectroscopy and pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR methods, respectively. The association constants, calculated using the above information give estimates of the thermodynamic stability of the complexes. Carbon-13 spin relaxation data were obtained using conventional relaxation experiments, such as inversion recovery and dynamic NOE, and in some cases HSQC-type (Hetereonuclear Single Quantum Correlation Spectroscopy) experiments. Motional parameters for the free and bound guest, and the host molecules were extracted using different motional models, such as Lipari-Szabo, axially symmetric rigid body, and Clore models. Comparing the overall correlation times and the order parameters of the free and bound guest with the overall correlation time of the host molecule one can estimate the degree of the motional restriction, brought by the complexation, and the coupling between the motion of the bound guest and the reorientation of the host molecule. In one case, the guest motions were also investigated inside the cavities of a solid host material.</p>

This thesis presents and develops the path integral simulation techniques in application to small quantum systems at finite temperatures. The first goal is to obtain exact thermodynamic expressions for systems of noninteracting The rest and the major part of the thesis is dedicated to the development and testing of Bead-Fourier path integral molecular dynamics. Although, path integral molecular dynamics as well as path integral Monte Carlo are well First, molecular dynamics under Bead-Fourier scheme was developed and tested on the examples of quantum harmonic oscillator and Hydrogen atom. The main attention was paid to ergodicity problems. Then we addressed the question, Later, the formalism for identical particles was developed. Finally, the question of molecular dynamics efficacy was raised. It was shown, that formalisms for identical and distinguishable particles, both, can be reformulated into a more efficient ones, providing all dynamical variables

This thesis presents the application of some of the NMR methods in studying host-guest complexes, mainly in solution. The general focus of the work is on investigating the reorientational dynamics of some small molecules that are bound inside cavities of larger moieties. In the current work, these moieties belong to two groups: cryptophanes and cyclodextrins. Depending on the structure of the cavities, properties of the guest molecules and the formed complexes vary. Chloroform and dichloromethane are in slow exchange between the cage-like cavity of the cryptophanes and the solvent, on the chemical shift time scale, whereas adamantanecarboxylic acid, quinuclidine and 1,7-heptanediol in complex with cyclodextrins are examples of fast exchange. Kinetics and thermodynamics of complexation are studied by measuring exchange rates and translational self-diffusion coefficients by means of 1-dimenssional exchange spectroscopy and pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR methods, respectively. The association constants, calculated using the above information give estimates of the thermodynamic stability of the complexes. Carbon-13 spin relaxation data were obtained using conventional relaxation experiments, such as inversion recovery and dynamic NOE, and in some cases HSQC-type (Hetereonuclear Single Quantum Correlation Spectroscopy) experiments. Motional parameters for the free and bound guest, and the host molecules were extracted using different motional models, such as Lipari-Szabo, axially symmetric rigid body, and Clore models. Comparing the overall correlation times and the order parameters of the free and bound guest with the overall correlation time of the host molecule one can estimate the degree of the motional restriction, brought by the complexation, and the coupling between the motion of the bound guest and the reorientation of the host molecule. In one case, the guest motions were also investigated inside the cavities of a solid host material.

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