Orientador: Maria do Carmo Gonçalves / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T02:16:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andrade_PatriciaFernanda_D.pdf: 6247587 bytes, checksum: f34d80dacc0ecfa31beb35c9a4f8ab70 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram preparadas e caracterizadas nanopartículas de prata estabilizadas com polivinilpirrolidona (PVP) e ß-ciclodextrina (ß-CD), que foram incorporadas em matrizes poliméricas, para a obtenção de membranas. As nanopartículas de prata (AgNP) foram sintetizadas pelo método de redução química. Para as AgNP-PVP, foi investigada a influência da concentração do precursor (AgNO3) e da razão molar de PVP em relação ao precursor. A partir dos resultados obtidos, foram selecionadas as melhores condições experimentais para a preparação das AgNP-ß-CD. As AgNP foram caracterizadas por espectroscopias na região do ultravioleta-visível e na região do infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (UV-vis e FTIR), difração de raios X (DRX), espectroscopia de espalhamento de Luz Dinâmico (DLS), microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM) e análise termogravimétrica (TGA). As morfologias das AgNP-PVP e AgNP-ß-CD foram investigadas visando a caracterização da camada de polímero ao redor das nanopartículas, pela técnica de imagem espectroscópica de elétrons associada à microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (ESI-TEM). As nanopartículas estabilizadas com PVP apresentaram diâmetro médio de 45 nm, quando preparadas a partir da concentração de 0,01 mol L-1 e razão molar PVP/AgNO3 igual a 1,5. As nanopartículas estabilizadas por ß-CD apresentaram diâmetro médio de 28 nm, quando preparadas nas mesmas condições indicadas para as de AgNP-PVP. O estudo morfológico da camada polimérica ao redor das AgNP-PVP e AgNP-ß-CD, realizado por ESI-TEM, confirmou a maior concentração de carbono e oxigênio nessa região, sugerindo a existência de uma camada definida e coesa dos estabilizantes envolvendo as nanopartículas. Os valores de concentração mínima inibitória contra a E. coli, após 3 h e 2 h de incubação, foram 12,5 µg mL-1 e 20 µg mL-1 para AgNP-PVP e AgNP-ß-CD, respectivamente. As membranas de polissulfona (PSf) e acetato de celulose (CA), contendo AgNP-PVP e AgNP-ß-CD, respectivamente, foram obtidas pelo método de inversão de fases, tendo como variável a quantidade de AgNP adicionada às matrizes poliméricas. Todas as membranas foram caracterizadas por UV-vis,DRX, FTIR, microscopia eletrônica de varredura com fonte de emissão de campo (FESEM), TEM, calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC), TGA, ângulo de contato e fluxo de água. A incorporação de nanopartículas de prata nas membranas de PSf e CA foi realizada utilizando diferentes metodologias, que influenciaram tanto o diâmetro médio das nanopartículas, quanto a morfologia e sua distribuição na matriz polimérica. A incorporação das nanopartículas nas membranas não alterou a estabilidade térmica das matrizes poliméricas, entretanto, aumentou seu caráter hidrofílico e, consequentemente, o fluxo de água. A membrana de PSf, contendo 2% de AgNP, apresentou 100% de inibição de crescimento bacteriano para E. coli, como também a membrana CA para S. aureus e E. coli. As membranas de PSf e CA, contendo 2% de AgNP, apresentaram redução na formação de biofilme para E. coli de 89 ± 1% e 98 ± 3%, respectivamente. Estas membranas podem ser consideradas interessantes em diferentes aplicações, tais como no tratamento de água e recuperação de águas residuais / Abstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD), were prepared, characterized and incorporated into polymer matrices to produce membranes in this work. The AgNPs were synthesized by the chemical reduction method. The influence of the precursor concentration and PVP molar ratio in relation to the precursor concentration (AgNO3) was investigated for the AgNP-PVP. Based on the results, the best experimental conditions were selected for the preparation of AgNP-ß-CD. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopies (FTIR and UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The morphologies of the AgNP-PVP and AgNP-ß-CD were investigated by electron spectroscopy image associated to TEM (ESI-TEM) to characterize of the polymer layer around the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles which were stabilized with PVP presented an average diameter of 45 nm, when prepared from the 0.01 mol L-1 concentration and 1.5 PVP/ AgNO3 molar ratio. The nanoparticles which were stabilized by ß-CD showed an average diameter of 28 nm, when prepared under the same conditions indicated above. The morphological study of the polymeric layer around the AgNP-PVP and AgNP-ß-CD, carried out by ESI-TEM, confirmed a greater concentration of carbon and oxygen in this region, suggesting the existence of a defined and cohesive stabilizing layer surrounding the nanoparticles. The minimum inhibitory concentration values against E. coli after 2 to 3 hours of incubation were 12.5 µg mL-1 and 20 µg mL-1 for AgNP-PVP and AgNP-ß-CD, respectively. The polysulfone (PSf) and cellulose acetate (CA) membranes, containing AgNP-PVP and AgNP-ß-CD, respectively, were obtained by the phase inversion method, by varying the amount of silver nanoparticles added to the polymer matrix. All the membranes were characterized by UV-vis, XRD, FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), TEM, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), contact angle and water flux. The incorporation of the silver nanoparticles into the PSf and CA membranes was carried out using different methods, which influenced both the average diameter of the nanoparticles and the morphology and their distribution in the polymer matrices. The addition of nanoparticles into the membranes did not change the thermal stability of the polymer matrices, however, it did increase the hydrophilic character and consequently water flux. The PSf membranes containing 2% of silver nanoparticles showed 100% inhibition growth of E. coli, as well as the CA membrane that showed 100% inhibition growth for S. aureus and E. coli. The PSf and CA membranes, containing 2% of silver nanoparticles, presented a reduction in the biofilm formation for E. coli of 89 ± 1% and 98 ± 3%, respectively. These membranes can be considered interesting materials in different applications such as in water treatment and the recovery of residual water / Doutorado / Físico-Química / Doutora em Ciências

Orientadores: Cecília Amélia de Carvalho Zavaglia, Marcos Akira d'Ávila / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T00:23:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RodriguezPerea_GeraldineNancy_M.pdf: 1196408 bytes, checksum: 1a7f7c5e1320ddfd713867dbc7a1d5b6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Este trabalho consiste na obtenção pelo método de eletrofiação, de microfibras poliméricas e microfibras reforçadas com nanopartículas de hidroxiapatita. Este método foi utilizado, pois propicia a produção de membranas microporosas que possuem um grande potencial de aplicação na área de engenharia tecidual, especificamente em aplicações para regeneração óssea. Este trabalho teve como objetivo principal produzir fibras poliméricas com a intenção de comparar suas características com o nanocompósito de fibras poliméricas e nanopartículas de hidroxiapatita como reforço. Trabalhou-se com o poli(L-ácido lático) (PLLA) e nanopartículas de hidroxiapatita (HA) produzidas pelo processo sol-gel. As fibras e os nanocompósitos foram caracterizados pelos seguintes métodos: microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), análise termogravimétrica (TGA), calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC) e espectroscopia na região do infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR). As fibras obtidas apresentaram diâmetros na faixa de 1 a 10 micrômetros. O objetivo de produzir membranas a partir de soluções de PLLA e nanocompósito PLLA/HA por eletrofiação foi atingido / Abstract: This work consists in obtaining polymeric microfibers and microfibers reinforced with nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite by the method of electrospinning. This method was used because it allows the production of microporous membranes that have great potential like application in tissue engineering, specifically in applications for bone regeneration. This work aimed to produce polymer fibers with the intention to compare their characteristics with the nanocomposite fibers with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as reinforcement. The polymer used was poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite (HA) produced by the sol-gel process. The fibers and nanocomposites were characterized by the following methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), spectroscopy in the region of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The fibers obtained presented diameters in the range 1 to 10 micrometers. The goal of producing membranes from solutions of PLLA and nanocomposite PLLA / HA by electrospinning was reached / Mestrado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Orientadores: Cecília Amélia de Carvalho Zavaglia, Carmen Gilda Barroso Tavares Dias / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T18:23:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andrade_SabinadaMemoriaCardosode_D.pdf: 7127568 bytes, checksum: 0ebd83d085ffff7fe81cf8749ab309fb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A coesão de um grupo de profissionais de diversas áreas onde haverá troca de informações para a concretização de um biomaterial é fator decisivo para reunir todos os requisitos necessários de caracterizações físicas, químicas e biológicas e assim garantir biocompatibilidade e biofuncionalidade, associadas à interação entre o tecido vivo e o biomaterial. Scaffold biodegradável que combina a bioatividade de hidroxiapatita (HA) e a degradabilidade ajustável de matriz de poliuretano (PU) obtido a partir do PVAl foi desenvolvido nesta pesquisa e submetido à caracterizações morfológicas, mecânicas e biológicas. Este novo tipo de scaffold não é tóxico, apresenta interconexão de poros e microporos nas paredes dos poros, boa resistência mecânica e boa ativação de crescimento celular, propriedades que satisfazem as exigências do uso clínico. As análises através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura mostram além da conexão de poros as nanopartículas de hidroxiapatita distribuídas de maneira uniforme na matriz do bionanocompósito. Os valores médios de resistêcia à compressão da matriz e do bionanocompósito foram próximos de 60 MPa tanto para PVAl-PU como para PVAl-PU/HA com 25% de HA, e 105 MPa PVAl-PU/HA com 33% de HA. Após 24 horas de implante o biomaterial PVAl-PU/HA já apresentou em observação por MEV, detalhe de células aderidas, sugestivas provavelmente de células de fibroblasto, espraiamento com formação de uma camada celular compacta e homogênea e após 14 dias do implante foi observada a interação do biomaterial com as camadas do tecido subcutâneo e a invasão do crescimento celular pelos poros interconectados do scaffold. Portanto o scaffold desenvolvido neste trabalho é indicado com expectativas promissoras para implantes ósseos / Abstract: The cohesion of a group of professionals from many areas, exchanging information to concretize a bio material, is a crucial factor to gather all of the requirements of physical, chemical, and biological characterization and therefore ensure biocompatibility and bio functionality, associated to the interaction of the living tissue and the biomaterial. In this research it was developed and subjected to morphological, mechanical and biological characterization, a biodegradable scaffold that combines the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite (HA) and the adjustable degradability of polyurethane matrix (PU) obtained from the PVA1. This new kind of Scaffold is non toxic, has interconnected pores and micropores at the pore's wall, great mechanical resistance and great cellular growing activation. These properties meet the clinical use requirements. The scanning electronic microscopy analysis shows, beside the pore connection, the hydroxyapatite microparticles arranged evenly in the bionanocomposite. The medium values of compression resistance of the matrix and of the bionanocomposite were close to 60 MPa for PVA1-PU well as PVA1-PU/HA with 25% of HA, and 105 MPa PVA1-PUH/HA with 33% of HA. After 24 hours of insertion, the biomaterial PVA1-PU/HA presented as seen in MEV observation, adherent cells, probably coming from fibroblast cells, spreading with a cellular compact and homogeneous layer and, after 14 days of the insertion, it was observed the biomaterial interaction with the layers of the subcutaneous tissue and the invasion of the cellular growing through the scaffold's interconnected pores. Therefore, the osseous scaffold is indicated with promissing expectations to implants / Doutorado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Doutora em Engenharia Mecânica

The ultra high barrier films for packaging find applications in a wide variety of areas where moisture and oxygen barrier is required for improved shelf-life of food/beverage products and for microbial free pharmaceutical containers. These materials also find applications in micro electro mechanical systems such as ICs, and for packaging in industrial and space electronics. Flexible and portable organic electronics like OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), OPVDs (Organic Photo Voltaic Devices) and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have a good potential in next generation solar powered devices. In fact, organic insulators, semiconductors, and metals may be a large part of the future of electronics. However, these classes of materials are just an emerging class of materials mainly because of their life time constraints. Thus significant research is required to bring them into the forefront of electronic applications. If the degradation problems can be diminished, then these polymers could play a major role in the worldwide electronic industry. A flexible polymer film itself cannot be used as an encapsulation material owing to its high permeability. While a glass or metal substrate possesses ultra high barrier properties, it cannot be used in many electronic applications due to its brittleness and inflexibility. Polymer/ nanocomposites based hybrid materials are thus a promising class of material that can be used for device encapsulation. Chapter I summarizes some of the recent developments in the polymer/nanocomposites based materials for packaging and specifically its use in flexible as well as portable organic electronic device encapsulation. While the development of low permeable encapsulant materials is a chemistry problem, an engineering/instrumentation problem is the development of an accurate technique that can measure the low levels of permeability required for electronic application. Therefore, there is a keen interest in the development of an instrument to measure permeability at these limits. The existing techniques to measure the low permeabilities of barrier films, their importance and accuracy of measurements obtained by these instruments have been briefly discussed in this chapter. Different polymer based hybrid composite materials have been developed for the encapsulation of organic devices and their materials properties have been evaluated. Broadly, two diverse strategies have been used for the fabrication of the composites: in-situ curing and solution casting. Chapters II, III and IV discuss the fabrication of nanocomposite films based on in-situ curing while chapter V discusses fabrication based on solution casting. In chapter II, amine functionalized alumina was used as a cross-linking agent and reinforcing material for the polymer matrix in order to fabricate the composites to be used for encapsulation of devices. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy were used to elucidate the surface chemistry. Thermogravimetric and CHN analysis were used to quantify the grafting density of amine groups over the surface of the nanoparticles. Mechanical characterizations of the composites with various loadings were carried out with dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). It was observed that the composites have good thermal stability and mechanical flexibility, which are important for an encapsulant. The morphology of the composites was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The work presented in chapter III is a technique based on grafting between surface decorated γ-alumina nanoparticles and the polymer to make these nanocomposites. Alumina was functionalized with allyltrimethoxysilane and used to conjugate polymer molecules (hydride terminated polydimethylsiloxane) through platinum catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction. As in the previous chapter, the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles after surface modification was characterized by different techniques (FTIR, XPS and Raman). The grafting density of alkene groups over the surface of the modified nanoparticles was calculated using CHN analyzer. Thermal stability of the composites was also evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis. Nanoindentation technique was used to analyze the mechanical characteristics of the composites. The densities of the composites were evaluated using density gradient column and the morphology of composites was evaluated using SEM. All these studies reveal that the composites have good thermal stability and mechanical flexibility and thus can be potentially used for encapsulation of organic photovoltaic devices. In addition, rheological studies of the composites were carried out to investigate the curing reaction. The platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction was studied using both DSC and rheological measurements. The competitive reactions occurring in the system was also monitored in real time through DSC and rheology. Based on the curing curves obtained from these two studies, the mechanistic detail of the curing process was proposed. In addition, swelling studies and contact angle measurements of the composites were also carried out to determine the capability of these materials as encapsulants. Chapter IV deals with a thermally stable and flexible composite that has been synthesized by following a hydrosilylation coupling between silicone polymer containing internal hydrides and mesoporous silica. The results of the characterization of the composites indicates that the composites are thermally stable, hydrophobic, flexible and can be potentially used for encapsulating flexible electronic devices. Chapter V discusses the solution casting method for the development of composites. This chapter is divided into two parts: Part I discusses the synthesis and characterization of flexible and thermally stable composites using polyvinyl alcohol as the base polymer matrix and reactive zinc oxide nanoparticles as the dispersed phase. Various studies like thermal analysis, mechanical analysis, surface analysis and permeability studies were used to characterize the composite films for their possible use as a passivation material. The material was used to encapsulate Schottky structured devices and the performance of these encapsulated devices under accelerated weathering was studied. Part II of this chapter discusses the fabrication of hybrid organic/inorganic based polymer-composite films, based on polyvinylbutyral (PVB) and organically modified mesoporous silica. PVB and amine functionalized mesoporous silica were used to synthesize the composite. An additional polyol (‘tripentaerythritol’) component was also used to enhance the –OH group content in the composite matrix. The thermal, barrier and mechanical properties of these composites were investigated. The investigation of these films suggests that these can be used as a moisture barrier layer for encapsulation. Chapter VI gives the concluding remarks of the results presented. The advantages as well as disadvantages of the in-situ cured and solution casted films and the scope for future work is discussed in this chapter.

Research in local fracture processes and micro-machining of polymers and polymer-based composites has attracted increasing attention, in development of composite materials and miniaturisation of polymer components. In this thesis, sectioning (machining) of a glassy polymer and a carbon nanotube based composite at the nanoscale was performed by an instrumented ultramicrotome. The yield stresses and fracture toughness of these materials were determined by analysing the sectioning forces. Fractographic analysis by atomic force microscopy was conducted to characterise the topographies and elastic properties of the sectioned surfaces to explore the deformation and fracture behaviour of the polymer during nanosectioning. The study reveals that a transition from homogenous to shear localised deformation occurred as the uncut chip thickness (depth of cut) or sectioning speed increased to a critical value. Analytical and finite element methods were used to model the nanosectioning process. The shear localised deformation was caused by thermal softening due to plastic dissipation. Although not considering sectioning, the tensile properties of a polymer nanocomposite were additionally investigated, where the degree of nanofibrillation and polyethylene glycol (PEG) content had significant effects.

The production of bio-based and biodegradable nanocomposites has gained attention during recent years for environmental reasons; however, the large-scale production of these nanocomposites still poses challenges. The objective of this work has been to prepare bio-based and biodegradable nanocomposites via liquid-assisted extrusion and to gain a deeper understanding of the process and the relationship between the process, composition, structure and properties. Extrusion is a common industrial process and thus, the development of this technique for the preparation of bionanocomposites can promote the commercialization of these materials in future. In this work, nanocomposites based on polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and chitin nanocrystals (ChNC) with varying nanomaterial content were prepared via liquid-assisted extrusion using a plasticizer as a dispersing and processing aid. This process consists of dispersing the nanomaterial in a liquid composed of water, a plasticizer and/or a solvent, and then feeding this suspension directly into the extruder during the process. To be able to carry out this process successfully, parameters such as the amount of liquid, the liquid feeding rate or the water-to-solvent ratio, among others, should be taken in account. CNF and ChNC were produced from banana rachis waste and crustacean waste, respectively, whereas CNC were available as a commercial product. Glycerol triacetate (GTA) and triethyl citrate (TEC) were used as plasticizers, dispersing and processing aids. The effects of the liquids used during extrusion, the plasticizers and the nanomaterials in the PLA properties were studied. Furthermore, the effects of the cooling rate during the compression molding and the solid-state drawing on the properties of the PLA nanocomposites were investigated. Additionally, the effect of ChNC on the processing and properties of blown films was evaluated. The results presented in this work demonstrated that the use of water and a solvent during the liquid-assisted extrusion did not decrease the molecular weight of the PLA. It was also found that the feeding of nanomaterials in aqueous or aqueous/solvent suspension resulted in PLA micro-composite with lower mechanical properties than PLA. However, when a nanomaterial was fed together with a plasticizer, its dispersion and distribution into the PLA were progressively improved with increasing plasticizer content. The plasticized PLA nanocomposites showed improved properties compared to their respective counterpart without nanomaterials when the plasticizer content was ≥7.5 wt%. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the properties of PLA can be tailored through the composition of the nanocomposite or during the processing. It was observed that the modification of PLA with only plasticizer in high amounts (20 wt%) resulted in enhanced elongation at break and toughness but it had negative effects on the thermal and mechanical properties; however, the incorporation of nanomaterials minimized these effects. The addition of a small amount of nanomaterial (1 wt%), either CNF, CNC or ChNC, to plasticized PLA resulted in enhanced mechanical properties. It was also demonstrated that the cooling rate during compression molding and the solid-state drawing significantly affected the crystallinity of the PLA nanocomposites and, thus, their final properties. The fast cooling rate during compression molding resulted in more flexible and transparent materials than when a slow cooling rate was used, and as a result, PLA films with different mechanical properties were obtained. The drawing of the PLA/CNF nanocomposite at a drawing temperature slightly above the Tg, a high draw speed and at the highest drawing ratio, resulted in the highest mechanical properties. It was also found that the increased toughness after adding CNF to the plasticized PLA or after drawing the PLA/CNF nanocomposite, was attributed to the occurrence of massive crazing effect as a result of the presence of CNF and its effect on the crystallinity and/or on the spherulite growth. Finally, 6 kg of plasticized PLA nanocomposite with 5 wt% of ChNC was prepared and used as a masterbatch to produce bio-nanocomposite blown films. The nanocomposite material showed easier processability during the film-blowing process when compared with the reference material without nanocrystals. In addition, the nanocomposite blown films exhibited higher tear and puncture strength, lower fungal activity and lower electrostatic attraction properties, which are favorable in packaging applications.  In conclusion, this thesis shows that the liquid-assisted extrusion process is an excellent approach for producing PLA nanocomposites using cellulose and chitin nanomaterials. The results indicated that the addition of these nanomaterials, together with a plasticizer and further processing, can result in PLA nanocomposites with varied properties that can be used for packing applications. It was also shown that the processing technique presented can be a step forward for the large-scale production of bionanocomposites.

Ce travail concerne l’évaluation de nanoparticules de silice associées à la poly-ethylèneimine (PEI) comme vecteurs de délivrance de gène pour le traitement des plaies chroniques de la peau. Des matériaux nanocomposites associant des complexes formés par l’association de ces particules hybrides et d’ADN avec des hydrogels de collagène colonisés par des fibroblastes 3T3 ont été élaborés. Grâce à la modulation de la taille de la particule et de la masse moléculaire du polymère, il a été possible de réaliser la transfection des fibroblastes au sein du gel, permettant l’expression génique pendant une semaine. Ces études montrent le rôle clé joué par la prolifération et la migration cellulaire sur l’efficacité de la transfection. L’efficacité de la transfection a ensuite été modulée en modifiant les interactions silice-PEI. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent que le détachement du complexe de la particule dans les endosomes est une étape clé de ce processus. La transfection de cellules humaines primaires a aussi été étudiée en vue d’applications in vivo. La transfection a été observée avec des fibroblastes et des keratinocytes humains en culture et avec les fibroblastes au sein des gels, mais avec des efficacités moindres que pour les cellules 3T3. Ceci est attribué au plus faible taux de prolifération des cellules primaires. Enfin la capacité des nanocomposites à moduler l’inflammation a été testée sur des macrophages humains activés. Ces systèmes permettent la synthèse soutenue d’IL-10 par les fibroblastes et l’inhibition de l’expression de TNF-alpha chez les macrophages. / This work is devoted to the evaluation of silica nanoparticles associated to poly-ethyleneimine (PEI) as vectors for gene therapy in the context of skin chronic wounds repair. Nanocomposite materials associating complexes formed by the association of these hybrid particles and DNA with collagen hydrogels cellularized with 3T3 fibroblasts have been prepared. Thanks to the modulation of particle size and polymer molecular weight, it has been possible to achieve fibroblast transfection within the gel, allowing for sustained protein expression over one week. These studies evidence the key role of cell proliferation and migration on transfection efficiency. The transfection process has been further modulated by modification of the silica-PEI interactions. The results suggest that the complex detachment from the particles within the endosomes is a key step in this process. The transfection of human primary cells has also been studied foreseeing in vivo applications. Human fibroblasts and keratinocytes have been successfully transfected in culture and, in the case of fibroblasts, within collagen hydrogels, but with lower efficiency than with 3T3 cells. This has been attributed to the lower proliferation rate of primary cells. Finally the ability of nanocomposites to modulate inflammation has been evaluated on activated human macrophages. These systems have allowed for the sustained production of IL-10 by fibroblasts and the inhibition of TNF-alpha expression by macrophages.

Recent development in portable electronics and electric vehicles have increased the demand for high performance lithium ion batteries. However, it is still challenging to produce high energy and high power lithium ion batteries. The major objective of this research is to fabricate advanced electrode materials with enhanced power density and energy density. Porous Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) and its nanocomposites (with Si and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)) synthesized by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) technique were mainly studied and promising electrochemical performance was achieved. In chapter 3, porous LTO thin film electrode was synthesized by ESD to solve the low energy density and low power density issues by providing good ionic and electronic conductivities. Electrochemical test results showed that it had a large specific capacity of 357 mAh g-1 at 0.15 A g-1, which was even higher than its theoretical capacity. It also exhibited very high rate capability of 98 mAh g-1 at 6 A g-1. The improved electrochemical performance was due to the advantage of ESD generated porous structures. In order to further enhance the power density of LTO, ESD derived LTO/rGO composite electrodes were studied in chapter 4. In chapter 5, high energy density component Si was introduced viii into LTO composite. The synergistic effect between commercial LTO and Si powder was studied. Then, ESD derived LTO/Si/rGO composite was prepared and evaluated. At 0.15 A g-1, a stable capacity of 624 mAh g-1 was observed, which was much higher than the capacities of LTO and LTO/rGO electrodes. In addition, effect of activation process on electrochemical performance of carbon nanofibers (ACNFs) and feasibility of ion intercalation into 2D MMT montmorillonite clay (MMT) were studied and discussed in chapter 6. In summary, we have successfully synthesized various LTO based electrodes by ESD. Both high energy and high power density were achieved as compared to commercial LTO electrode. Through electrochemical characterization and charge storage distribution analysis, origins of the high rate capability were proposed. This work demonstrates ESD as a powerful tool for fabricating high performance porous structures and nanocomposite electrode materials.

In this study, effects of nanoparticles, including 7 nm TiO2, 200 nm TiO2, and hydrophilic and hydrophobic SiO2 with mean diameter in the range of 15–20 nm and their concentration on the membrane properties and vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) performance were evaluated. The effect of membrane thickness and support materials were also investigated. The membranes were characterised extensively in terms of morphology (SEM), water contact angle, water liquid entrance pressure (LEPw), surface roughness, and pore size. While the best nanocomposite membranes with 200 nm TiO2 Nanoparticles(NPs) were obtained at 2% particle concentration, the optimal particle concentration was 5% when 7 nm TiO2 was integrated. Using nanocomposite membrane containing 2 wt% TiO2 – 200 nm nanoparticles, VMD flux of 2.1 kg/m2h and LEPw of 34 PSI was obtained with 99% salt rejection. Furthermore, it was observed that decreasing the membrane thickness would increase the portion of finger-like layer in membrane and reduce the spongy-like layer when hydrophilic nanoparticles were used. Using continuous flow VMD, a flux of 3.1 kg/m2h was obtained with neat PVDF membranes, which was 600% higher than the flux obtained by the static flow VMD with the same membrane at the same temperature and vacuum pressure. The fluxes of both static and flow-cell VMD increased with temperature. Furthermore, it was evident that the continuous flow VMD at 2 LPM yielded 300% or higher flux than static VMD at any given temperature, indicating strong effects of turbulence provided in the flow-cell VMD.

Thin film Nanocomposite (TFN) membranes are a relatively new class of high-performance semipermeable membranes for Reverse Osmosis (RO) applications. Large scale applications of TFN membranes have not been achieved yet due to the high production cost of the nanoparticles, agglomeration of the nanoparticles in the thin polyamide matrix of the membrane, and leaching out of typically toxic inorganic nanoparticles into the downstream. In this work, these challenges are addressed by incorporation of two different nanofillers: Cellulose NanoCrystals (CNC), and surface functionalized Halloysite NanoTubes (HNT). Amine groups, carboxylic acid groups, and the first generation of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers were used for functionalization of the HNT. CNC and HNT are environmentally friendly, low/non-toxic, abundant, and inexpensive nanoparticles with a unique size, and chemical properties. TFN membranes were synthesized via in situ interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and the nanoparticles. The control Thin Film Composite (TFC) membranes, and CNC and HNT based TFN membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact angle measurements. The antifouling capacity of CNC based membranes was investigated with a solution of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as the fouling agent. Also, the leachability of the HNT from the membranes was examined by shaking the membranes in a batch incubator for 48 h, and then tracing the leached out HNT using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Separation characteristics of the membranes were studied by desalination of synthetic brackish water with a cross flow RO filtration system. It was revealed that incorporation of functionalized HNT enhanced the permeate flux without sacrificing the salt rejection (99.1 % ± 0.1 %). Also, incorporation of 0.1% (w/v) CNC doubled the permeate flux (from 30 to 63 L/m2.h at 20 bar) without compromising the salt rejection (97.8%). At the same time, leaching out of HNT from the TFN membranes was decreased as a result of the HNT functionalization and formation of covalent bonds with the TMC. Also, antifouling properties of the CNC-TFN membranes were 11% improved in comparison with control TFC membrane.