Universidade Federal do Cearà / NanopartÃculas de NiFe2O4, foram sintetizadas pelo mÃtodo da co-precipitaÃÃo, assistida por aquecimento de micro-ondas. Em seguida, estudou-se o efeito do tempo de aquecimento sobre as propriedades estruturais e magnÃticas da ferrita de NÃquel. O precipitado coloidal foi submetido ao aquecimento, mantida a temperatura constante em 160 ÂC, em trÃs tempos diferentes 7, 12 e 17 minutos, a fim de se determinar a melhor temperatura para sÃntese e que resultasse em materiais com boa morfologia e pequeno tamanho de cristalito. Os difratogramas das amostras confirmaram a formaÃÃo das nanopartÃculas, que apresentaram estrutura cÃbica do tipo espinelio inverso e boa cristalinidade. O tamanho do cristalito foi calculado usando a equaÃÃo de Scherrer. A variaÃÃo da magnetizaÃÃo como uma funÃÃo do campo magnÃtico aplicado à temperatura ambiente foi estudada usando o MagnetÃmetro de Amostra Vibrante (VSM), obtendo valores de magnetizaÃÃo remanescente e coercividade igual à zero, sugerindo comportamento superparamagnÃtico. O aumento do tempo de aquecimento (7, 12 e 17 minutos) produziu um aumento no tamanho do cristalito (8,9 â 14 nm) e um aumento na magnetizaÃÃo de saturaÃÃo (31 â 45 emu/g) para a amostra. A temperatura de bloqueio foi encontrada traÃando um grÃfico de magnetizaÃÃo remanescente versus temperatura. A amostra de magnetita sofreu modificaÃÃo de sua superfÃcie pelo polÃmero APTES (3-aminopropil)-trietoxisilano, utilizando o aquecimento por micro-ondas. Os dados obtidos do VSM, termogravimetria (TG) e Infravermelho (FT-IR), confirmaram a adsorÃÃo. A partir dos experimentos realizados, foi possÃvel construir uma rampa de aquecimento eficiente para a produÃÃo de nanomateriais. / NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method, assisted by microwave heating. The colloidal precipitate was subjected to heating at various temperatures in order to determine the optimal temperature for the synthesis and resulted in materials with good morphology and small size of crystal. Next, we studied the effect of heating time on the structural and magnetic properties of nickel ferrite. The colloidal precipitate was subjected to microwave heating, keeping the temperature constant at 160  C at three different times 7 , 12 and 17 minutes. The XRD patterns of the samples confirmed the formation of nanoparticles, which showed cubic structure of the inverse spinel type and good crystallinity. The crystallite size was calculated using the Scherrer equation. The variation of the magnetization as a function of applied magnetic field at room temperature was studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), obtaining values of remanent magnetization and coercivity equal to zero , suggesting superparamagnetic behavior. Increasing the heating time (7, 12 and 17 minutes) produced an increase in the size of the crystallite (9 â 27 nm) and an increase in the saturation magnetization (31 â 45 emu/g) to the sample. Blocking temperature was found by tracing graphic of remanent magnetization versus temperature. A sample of magnetite, courtesy of Advanced Materials Group â GQMAT, suffered modification of its surface by the polymer APTES (3-aminopropil)trietoxisilano, using microwave heating. Data obtained from the (VSM), thermogravimetry (TG) and Infrared (FT-IR) confirmed the adsorption from the experiments, it was possible to construct a heating ramp efficient for the production of nanomaterials to lower synthesis temperature and shorter heating time.

Este trabalho compreende a síntese e caracterização de um novo catalisador magneticamente recuperável de CoO para oxidação alílica de alcenos. O catalisador foi preparado através da deposição de nanopartículas (de tamanho entre 2-3 nm) do metal cataliticamente ativo em nanopartículas de magnetita revestidas por sílica. A natureza magnética do suporte permitiu a fácil separação do catalisador do meio reacional após o termino das reações pela simples aproximação de um ímã na parede do reator. O catalisador pôde ser completamente separado da fase líquida, fazendo com que a utilização de outros métodos de separação como filtração e centrifugação, comumente utilizados em sistemas heterogêneos líquidos, fossem completamente dispensados. O catalisador foi inicialmente testado em reações de oxidação do substrato modelo cicloexeno e mostrou seletividade para a produção do produto alílico, cicloex-2-en-1-ona, que é reagente de partida de grande interesse para a síntese de diversos materiais na indústria química. As reações de oxidação foram realizadas utilizando-se apenas O2 como oxidante primário, dispensando o uso de oxidantes tóxicos como cromatos ou permanganatos, que não são recomendados do ponto de vista ambiental. O catalisador sintetizado mostrou ser reutilizável em sucessivos ciclos de oxidação, destacando-se o aumento da seletividade para a formação da cetona alílica conforme o catalisador perde atividade. A lixiviação da espécie ativa para o meio reacional, problema comum na catálise heterogênea, não foi observada. Um estudo cinético mostrou que mesmo no inicio da reação o catalisador tem seletividade para a ocorrência de oxidação alílica em detrimento da reação de oxidação direta que dá origem ao produto epóxido. Em todos os tempos estudados o produto principal da reação foi sempre a cicloexenona. Os estudos também revelaram que CoO é a espécie mais ativa quando comparado com Co2+, Co3O4 e Fe3O4 nas mesmas condições reacionais. O catalisador de CoO foi empregado na oxidação de monoterpenos mostrando alta seletividade para a formação dos produtos alílicos, resultando em derivados oxigenados altamente valiosos para a indústria de fragrâncias. / This master thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of a magnetically recoverable CoO catalyst for allylic oxidation of alkenes. The catalyst was prepared through the deposition of the catalytic active metal nanoparticles of 2-3 nm on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles. The magnetic nature of the support allowed the easy separation of catalyst from the reaction medium after the completion of the reaction by simply placing a magnet on the reactor wall.The magnetic separation technique used was able to completely isolate the solid from the liquid phase, making the use of other separation methods such as filtration and centrifugation, commonly used in liquid heterogeneous systems, unnecessary.The catalyst was initially tested in the oxidation of cyclohexene, as a model substrate, and showed high selectivity to the formation of the allylic product, cyclohex-2-en-1-one, an interesting starting reactant for many reactions in the chemical industry. The oxidation reactions were performed using O2 as primary oxidant, eliminating the use of toxic oxidants such as chromate or permanganate, which are not environmentally friendly. The synthesized catalyst was found to be reusable in successive runs, with the increasing selectivity to the allylic ketone as the catalyst lost its activity. The leaching of active species to the reaction medium, a common problem in heterogeneous catalysis, was not observed. A kinetic study showed that even at initial times the catalyst is selective for the allylic oxidation despite the direct oxidation, which leads to the formation of the epoxy product. For all reactions studied in different times, the product was always cyclohexenone. The studies also revealed that CoO is the most active species when compared to Co2+, Co3O4 and Fe3O4 in the catalytic conditions studied. The CoO catalyst was used in the oxidation of monoterpenes and showed high selectivity for the allylic products, giving oxygenate derivatives of highly value for flagrance industry.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2014-08-08T12:54:25Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao Fernanda F de Souza.pdf: 4260965 bytes, checksum: df7ebff9a3d7acd903d8c3d204f37cbe (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-08T12:54:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertacao Fernanda F de Souza.pdf: 4260965 bytes, checksum: df7ebff9a3d7acd903d8c3d204f37cbe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa - FUNAPE / Curcumin has emerged as a great promise for cancer treatment and chemoprophylaxis with curcumin, but its low solubility in water is minimal systemic bioavailability. Attempts were made to improve its solubility in aqueous solutions by incorporating curcumin in liposomes or micelles, but these systems have low stability. In addition, magnetic nanoparticles have been used as promising drug delivery systems because they can be functionalized to become water soluble and biocompatible. Studies with curcumin incorporated into the magnetic nanoparticles are still scarce. This study aims to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of curcumin combined with magnetic nanoparticles functionalized bilayer of lauric acid in human melanoma cell line SKMEL 37. Human melanoma cells were treated at different concentrations and cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. The cell morphology was evaluated by light microscopy and fluorescence. Our studies have shown that curcumin has incorporated into nanoparticles cytotoxic effect at concentrations above 40,8 μg/ml or 111 μM. Since free curcumin caused significant death at concentrations above 11.5 μM. We also observed morphological changes typical of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and bleb formation. These findings show us that both their cytotoxic activity, as both the magnetic properties and its solubility in water make this new formulation with a curcumin compound interest for therapeutic use. / A curcumina surgiu como uma grande promessa para tratamento do câncer e de quimioprofilaxia com a curcumina, porém sua baixa solubilidade em água e sua biodisponibilidade sistêmica é mínima. Tentativas foram feitas para melhorar a sua solubilidade em soluções aquosas através da incorporação de curcumina em lipossomas ou micelas, mas esses sistemas têm estabilidade baixa. Além disso, as nanopartículas magnéticas têm sido usados como promissores sistemas de entrega de drogas, pois podem ser funcionalizadas para se tornarem solúveis em água e biocompatíveis. Estudos com curcumina incorporada á nanopartículas magnéticas ainda são escassos. Esse estudo tem por objetivo avaliar o efeito anti-proliferativo de curcumina associada a nanopartículas magnéticas funcionalizadas com bicamada de ácido láurico em células de melanoma humano da linhagem SKMEL 37. Células de melanoma humano foram tratadas em diferentes concentrações e a citotoxicidade foi avaliada por ensaio de MTT. A morfologia das células foi avaliada através de microscopia óptica e de fluorescência. Nossos estudos mostraram que a curcumina incorporada em nanopartículas possui efeito citotóxico em concentrações acima de 40,8 μg/ml ou 111 μM. Já a curcumina livre provocou morte significativa em concentrações acima de 11,5 μM. Observamos também alterações morfológicas típicas do processo de apoptose, como condensação de cromatina, fragmentação nuclear e formação de Blebs. Estes achados nos mostram que, tanto sua atividade citotóxica, como ambas as propriedades magnéticas e sua solubilidade em água fazem desta nova formulação com curcumina um composto interessante para uso terapêutico.

Nanostructured systems composed of two or more technologically important materials are useful for device applications and intriguing for the new fundamental physics they may display. Magnetism at the nanoscale is dominated by size and surface effects which combined with other media lead to new spin dynamics and interfacial coupling phenomena. These new properties may prove to be useful for optimizing sensors and devices, increasing storage density for magnetic media, as well as for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, MRI contrast enhancement, and hyperthermia treatment for cancer. In this project we have examined the surface and interface magnetism of composite nanoparticles and multilayer thin films by using conventional DC magnetization and AC susceptibility as well as transverse susceptibility, a method for directly probing the magnetic anisotropy of materials. Au and Fe3O4 synthesized together into three different nanoparticle configurations and ranging in size for 60 nm down to 9nm are used to study how the size, shape, and interfaces affect the most fundamental properties of magnetism in the Au-Fe3O4 system. The findings have revealed ways in which the magnetic properties can be enhanced by tuning these parameters. We have shown that by changing the configurations of the Au and Fe3O4 particles, exotic behavior can be observed such as a large increase in anisotropy field (H[subscript]K ranging from 435 Oe to 1650 Oe) and the presence of exchange bias. Multilayer thin films have been studied as well which combine the important classes of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials. In one case, barium hexaferrite/barium strontium titanate thin films, the anisotropic behavior of the ferromagnet is shown to change due to the introduction of the secondary material. In the other example, CrO2/Cr2O3 bilayers, exchange coupling is observed as Cr2O3 is an antiferromagnet as well as a ferroelectric. This coupling is manifest as a uniaxial anisotropy rather than the unidirectional anisotropy associated with exchange biased bilayers. Not only will such multifunctional structures will be useful for technological applications, but the materials properties and configurations can be chosen and tuned to further enhance the desired functional properties.

Magnetic particles have attracted increasing attention in fields ranging from separation processes to electromagnetic information storage an medical application. Various approaches for their synthesis have been developed and studied to satisfy the criteria of production. Improvement and optimization of size, stability, and functionality is of vital importance in biological applications. The main aspect of project, initially, was to study the application of aqueous functionalized magnetic nanoparticles coupled with high gradient magnetic separation technique for the removal of trace residue of organic contaminants from drinking water. However, the importance of synthesizing stable ferrofluid for this purpose became clear later and took precedence over the initial objective. Different approaches were adopted, such as the incorporation of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, ethylenediamine, and chitosan, to enhance the stability of magnetic particles. However, these surface modifications had unfavorable effect on the stability of initial particles. In accord with the initial objective of the project, the possibility of utilization of β-cyclodextrin, as organic pollutant entrapment agent, was investigated in preliminary studies conducted on its interaction with a model compound, procaine hydrochloride. The outcomes of these experiments suggest its potential as a biocompatible removal agent for the elimination of organic pollutant in drinking water system, or other applications that require selective separation of organic compounds.

The magnetic separation approach has several advantages compared with conventional separation methods / it can be performed directly in crude samples containing suspended solid materials without pretreatment, and can easily isolate some biomolecules from aqueous systems in the presence of magnetic gradient fields. This thesis focused on the development of new class of magnetic separation material particularly useful for the separation of histidine-tagged proteins from the complex matrixes through the use of imidazole side chains of histidine molecules. For that reason surface modified cobalt ferrite nanoparticles which contain Ni-NTA affinity group were synthesized. Firstly, cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution were prepared in aqueous solution using the controlled coprecipitation method. In order to obtain small size of agglomerates two different dispersants, oleic acid and sodium chloride, were tried. After obtaining the best dispersant and optimum experimental conditions, ultrasonic bath was used in order to decrease the size of agglomerates. Then, they were coated with silica and this was followed by surface modification of these nanoparticles by amine in order to add functional groups on silica shell. Next, &ndash / COOH functional groups were added to silica coated cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles through the NH2 groups. After that N&alpha / ,N&alpha / -Bis(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine hydrate, NTA, was attached to carboxyl side of the structure. Finally, nanoparticles were labeled with Ni (II) ions. The size of the magnetic nanoparticles and their agglomerates were determined by FE-SEM images, particle size analyzer, and zeta potential analyzer (zeta-sizer). Vibrational sample magnetometer (VSM) was used to measure the magnetic behavior of cobalt ferrite and silica coated cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles. Surface modifications of magnetic nanoparticles were followed by FT-IR measurements. ICP-OES was used to find the amount of Ni (II) ion concentration that was attached to the magnetic nanoparticle.

Magnetic nanoparticles find broad applications in biomedical field such as drug delivery, hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For these applications magnetic nanoparticles need to be coated with suitable materials which are soluble, biocompatible and nontoxic. Among these materials, silica is the most often used coating material. This thesis is focused on preparation of silica coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized by thermal decomposition method. In the presence of iron acetylacetonate Fe(acac)3, a high boiling point organic solvent and a reducing agent, particle sizes ranging from about 5 nm to 7 nm were obtained. Nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained nanoparticles were coated with ultra thin silica shell via reverse microemulsion method. The influence of the amount of Igepal CO-520, NH4OH and TEOS was studied systematically and their amounts were optimized to yield monodisperse and well defined particles. The size of the silica coated magnetic nanoparticles and their agglomerates were determined by TEM images and particle size analyzer (zeta sizer). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm the presence of silica whenever the coating could not be seen by TEM measurements. Magnetic nanoparticles having 4-6 nm thickness of silica shell were obtained. The results showed that the amount of surfactant Igepal CO-520 played an important role in the reaction system.

This dissertation describes a novel methodology to prepare, functionalize, and assemble polymer-coated ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles (PS-CoNPs) and cobalt oxide nanowires. This research demonstrated the ability to use dipolar nanoparticles as `colloidal monomers' to form electroactive 1-D mesostructures via self- and field-induced assembly. The central focus of this dissertation is in developing a novel methodology termed as `Colloidal Polymerization', in the synthesis of well-defined cobalt oxide nanowires as nanostructured electrode materials for potential applications in energy storage and conversion.Ferromagnetic nanoparticles are versatile building blocks due to their inherent spin dipole, which drive 1-D self-assembly of colloids. However, the preparation and utilization of ferromagnetic nanoparticles have not been extensively examined due to the synthetic challenges in preparing well-defined materials that can be easily handled. This dissertation has overcome these challenges through the hybridization of polymeric surfactants with an inorganic colloid to impart functionality, colloidal stability and improved processing characteristics. This modular synthetic approach was further simplified to prepare ferromagnetic nanoparticles in gram scale, which enabled further investigations to develop new chemistry and materials science with these materials. These polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles self-assembled into extended linear chains due to strong dipolar attractions between colloids. Additionally, novel dipolar assemblies, such as, flux-closure nanorings and lamellae type mesostructures were demonstrated by controlling the interparticle of attractive forces (dipolar versus van der Waals).The research presented herein focused on utilizing polymer-coated ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles as `colloidal molecules' to form interconnected 1-D mesostructures via `Colloidal Polymerization'. This process exploited the magnetic organization of dipolar colloids into 1-D mesostructures followed by a facile oxidation reaction to form interconnected electroactive cobalt oxide nanowires. This facile and template free approach enabled the large scale synthesis of semiconductor cobalt oxide nanowires, in which the electronic and electrochemical properties were confirmed for potential applications for energy storage and conversion. This work served as a platform in fabricating a wide range of semiconductor heterostructures, which allowed for structure-property investigation of new nanostructured electrodes.

Metal oxide nanoparticles, both magnetic and nonmagnetic, have a multitude of applications in gas sensors, catalysts and catalyst supports, airborne trapping agents, biomedicines and drug delivery systems, fuel cells, laser diodes, and magnetic microwaves. Over the past decade, an inexpensive, simple, recyclable, and environmentally friendly large, scale synthesis method for the synthesis of these metal oxide nanoparticles has been sought. Many of the current techniques in use today, while good on the small, laboratory bench scale, suffer from drawbacks that make them unsuitable for the industrial scale. The aminolytic method, developed by Dr. Man Han while working for Dr. Zhang, fits industrial scale-up requirements. The aminolytic method involves a reaction between metal carboxylate(s) and oleylamine in a non-coordinating solvent. This system was shown to produce a range of spinel ferrites. Dr. Lisa Vaughan showed that this method can be recycled multiple times without degrading the quality of the produced nanoparticles. The purpose of this thesis is to test the versatility of the aminolytic method in the production of a wide range of metal oxides as well as various core/shell systems. Chapter 2 explores the effect of precursor carboxylates chain length on the aminolytic synthesis of cobalt ferrite, and manganese ferrite nanoparticles. In Chapter 3, a series of CuxMn1-xFe₂O₄, (x ranges from 0.0 to 0.2), nanoparticles were synthesized via the aminolytic method. This series allows for the investigation of the effects of orbital Jahn-Teller distortion as well as orbital angular momentum on the magnetic properties of this ferrite. The quantum couplings of magnetic ions in spinel ferrites govern their magnetic properties and responses. An understanding of the couplings between these metal ions allows for tailoring magnetic properties to obtain the desired response needed for various applications. Chapter 4 investigates the synthesis of MnO and Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles in pure single phase with high monodispersity. To the best of our knowledge, the range of sizes produced for MnO and Mn₃O₄ is the most extensive, and therefore a magnetic study of these systems shows some intriguing size dependent properties. The final part of this chapter investigates the applicability of the aminolytic method for building a MnO shell on a CoFe₂O₄ core. Chapter 5 explores the synthesis of another metal oxide, ZrO₂ in both the cubic and monoclinic phases with no impurities. The use of the aminolytic method here removes the need for dangerous/expensive precursors or equipment and eliminates the need for extensive high temperature heat treatments that destroy monodispersity which is required for most techniques. The creation of a core/shell system between CoFe₂O₄ and ZrO₂ using the aminolytic method was also tested. This core/shell system adds magnetic manipulation which is especially useful for the recovery of zirconia based photocatalyst. Chapter 6 studies the application of the aminolytic method in the synthesis of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and yttrium iron perovskite (YIP) nanoparticles. Current synthesis techniques used to produce YIG and YIP nanoparticles often requires high temperatures, sensitive to contamination, which could be eliminated through the use of our method

Molecular diagnostics is a fast growing field with new technologies being developed constantly. There is a demand for more sophisticated molecular tools able to detect a multitude of molecules on a single molecule level with high specificity, able to distinguish them from other similar molecules. This becomes very important for infectious diagnostics with the increasing antibiotic resistant viruses and bacteria, in gene based diagnostics and for early detection and more targeted treatments of cancer. For increased sensitivity, simplicity, speed and user friendliness, novel readouts are emerging, taking advantage of new technologies being discovered in the field of nanotechnology.  This thesis, based upon four papers, examines two novel electrical readouts for amplified single molecule detection. Target probing is based upon the highly specific amplification technique rolling circle amplification (RCA). RCA enables localized amplification resulting in a long single stranded DNA molecule containing tandem repeats of the probing sequence as product. Paper I demonstrates sensitive detection of bacterial genomic DNA using a magnetic nanoparticles-based substrate-free method where as few as 50 bacteria can be detected. Paper II illustrates a new sensor concept based on the formation of conducting molecular nanowires forming a low resistance circuit. The rolling circle products are stretched to bridge an electrode gap and upon metallization the resistance drops by several orders of magnitude, resulting in an extremely high signal to noise ratio. Paper III explores a novel metallization technique, demonstrating the efficient incorporation of boranephosphonate modified nucleotides during RCA.  In the presence of a silver ion solution, defined metal nanoparticles are formed along the DNA molecule with high spatial specificity. Paper IV demonstrates the ability to manipulate rolling circle products by dielectrophoresis. In the presence of a high AC electric field the rolling circle products stretch to bridge a 10 µm electrode gap.