This thesis is submitted in a format of published papers by the candidate. Advanced methods of electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy have been used to study the relationship between the pillars and the silicate structure ranging from Al13 and Ga13 complexes to the final products Al- and Ga-pillared clays. The Al13 and Ga13 pillared montmorillonites have been prepared by conventional and ultrasonic methods. The ultrasonic method has been proven to be effective and showed very good catalytically activity. Transmission electron microscopy combined with elemental mapping by EDS showed the distribution of the Ga and Al pillars in the clay structure. The use of gallium allowed the independent observation of the Ga pillar distribution from the Al distribution in the clay structure. XPS spectra of the Ga13 pillared montmorillonites showed that the pillars has been changed from the original Keggin structure with a 7+ charge to something more stable with a lower charge upon intercalation. No direct evidence of the inverted silicon tetrahedron structure bonding to the pillar structure, as suggested by Plee in his original thesis, was observed. For comparative reasons the major aluminium hydroxide minerals in bauxite (gibbsite, bayerite and (pseudo-) boehmite) were studied. Detailed information about the Al13 structure was obtained by studying the basic sulphate and nitrate salts with XPS. The XPS results of a set of starting clays in comparison to the pillared clays indicated that small changes in the binding energy could explain the changes in the pillar structure and the formation of chemical bonds to the clay tetrahedral sheets during the calcination leading to the final products.

Before studying to increase the catalyst utilization is one way to improve the performance of a fuel cell. But because it wastes a lot of time on making the hydrophobic pillared micro structures (HMPS) process. So this study aims to develop a fast and effective manufacturing method in order to increase the reaction surface area and catalyst utilization. The experiment has used the metal mesh stamping method to make the specific structure so as to increase the reaction surface area. The size of the metal mesh was the line path 35£gm, and the net square 70£gm*70£gm. The pressure was 300kg/cm2 and 500kg/cm2 that made the stamping structure in order to increase the reaction surface area. When the reaction surface area nearly increased 27 %, the performance also nearly increased 27 %; And when the reaction surface area nearly increased 36 %, the performance also nearly increased 36 %. So the increment of its performance nearly accorded with the increment of the reaction surface area. This method has saved a lot of time in the production process. Furthermore, the catalyst loading of cathode is halved in this experiment, the performance of fuel cell have no obviously decreased or reduced by half. As a result, the utilization of catalyst is raised.

Neste estudo, investigaram-se mudanças nas propriedades coloidais de uma esmectita pilarizada com polihidroxicátion de alumínio. A solução pilarizante foi preparada mediante gotejamento de solução NaOH 0,4 mol L-1 em solução de AlCl3.6H2O 0,2 mol L-1, a qual foi adicionada à suspensão de argila de 1% m/m. Para avaliar mudanças nas propriedades das argilas, recorreu-se às técnicas de titulação potenciométrica descontínua, análise química total, DRX, FTIR, CTC e isotermas de adsorção/dessorção de N2. Além disso, foram realizados ensaios de adsorção de Cu2+ para avaliar a capacidade de remoção do metal de soluções aquosas pelas argilas pilarizadas e gerar informações relacionadas à interação entre adsorvente e adsorbato. Naturalmente, a argila apresentou espaçamento basal de 1,26 nm, ao passo que as pilarizadas apresentaram valores de 1,78 nm (500 oC) e 1,80 nm (350 oC). Dados da análise química total mostraram se tratar de uma montmorillonita com altos teores de Fe3+, e confirmou o aumento nos teores de Al3+ na estrutura da argila após pilarização. Os valores de área superficial específica e volume de microporos foram maiores para as argilas pilarizadas, enquanto que a CTC foi maior para a argila natural. A titulação potenciométrica mostrou modificação nas curvas de titulação com o processo de pilarização, em que nas argilas pilarizadas surgiram novos sítios de reação. Dentre as equações de adsorção aplicadas, Langmuir, Freundlich e Temkin, a primeira apresentou valores de r2 das equações linearizadas maior para todas as argilas e menor desvio médio (?g%) para argila natural, ao passo que a equação de Temkin mostrou valores de ?g(%) menores para as argilas pilarizadas. Parâmetros termodinâmicos confirmaram que a reação de adsorção de Cu2+ é espontânea para todas as argilas, principalmente para as argilas pilarizadas. Além disso, cálculos baseados em equações de Dubinin-Radushkevich evidenciam que a ligação é fraca entre metal e argila, caracterizando reações de fisissorção. / In this study, an Al-pillared smectite was synthesized and changes in its colloidal properties were investigated. The pillaring solution was prepared adding dropwise adequate volume of NaOH 0,4M to AlCl3.6H2O 0,2M solution. Then, the pillaring solution was added to a 1% w/w clay slurry with constant stirring. Potentiometric titration, chemical analysis, XRD, FTIR, CEC and N2 sorption/dessoption isotherms analysis were done to characterize the changes in clay properties. Moreover, adsorption experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the capacity of the pillared clays to remove Cu2+ from aqueous solution and to characterize the interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate. The natural clay has a basal spacing of 1.26 nm whereas the pillared clays reached 1.78 nm (500 oC) and 1.80 nm (350 oC) after calcination. Chemical analysis revealed that the montmorillonite used has high content of Fe3+ and the increase in the Al3+ amount in the structure of the pillared clays after pillaring process. The surface area and micropore volume were higher for the pillared clays and the CEC was higher for the natural clay. The pillaring process changed the potentiometric titration curves, wherein the pillared clays exhibited new reactive site. Experimental data were fit to Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption equations, being the the first one the best (highest r2 value) for all the clays and lower standard deviation (?g%) for the natural clay. On the other hand, Temkin equation exhibited ?g% value lower for the pillared clays. Thermodynamics parameters demonstrate that the Cu2+ adsorption process is spontaneous for all the clays, but with higher values for the pillared materials. In addition, application of the Dubinin-Radushkevich equation revealed that the bond between the metal and the clay are weak, characterizing a physisorption.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / The high consumption of green coconut water has generated increasing in the residue caused by improper discard of green coconut rind in Brazilian coast. To reduce this problem, Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry installed a Pilot Unit processing of green coconut rind to obtain fiber and powder, which ends up generating an effluent with high organic load, high sugar and polyphenols content and is called liquid of the rind of green coconut (LCCV). In order to reduce polyphenols and sugar content, alcoholic fermentation was carried out in the effluent, with 5 and 7.5% (w/v) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, another fermentation with 5% (w/v) of S. cerevisiae wich was reused in subsequent fermentations and also polyphenols removal by adsorption using aluminum pillared clay. Phenolic compounds present in LCCV were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, it was possible to identify chlorogenic acid, isomers of caffeoyl shikimic acid, including 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, which is the major phenolic compound of LCCV and also, ferulic acid. LCCV total polyphenols levels were reduced by fermentation of 7769.1 mg/L to 3808.6 mg/L in the fermentation with 5% (w/v) yeast and 2892.4 mg/L in the fermentation 7,5% (w/v) yeast. In the fermentation with reuse of yeast, the reduction in polyphenols content ranged of 4084.7 to 5853.5 mg/L. The fermentation was efficient in reducing the polyphenols levels, in addition its efficacy to consume the sugars, glucose and fructose, present in LCCV. / O consumo de Ãgua de coco verde tem gerado um aumento nos resÃduos provocado pelo descarte inadequado da casca de coco verde no litoral brasileiro. A fim de minimizar esse problema, a Embrapa AgroindÃstria Tropical instalou uma unidade piloto de beneficiamento da casca de coco verde para obtenÃÃo de fibra e pÃ, o que acaba gerando um efluente com carga orgÃnica elevada, alto teor de aÃÃcar e de polifenÃis e à denominado de lÃquido da casca de coco verde (LCCV). A fim de se reduzir o teor de polifenÃis totais, foi realizada uma fermentaÃÃo alcoÃlica do efluente, com 5 e 7,5% (p/v) de Saccharomyces cerevisiae, com 5% (p/v) de S. cerevisiae que foi reutilizada fermentaÃÃes posteriores, alÃm da remoÃÃo por adsorÃÃo de polifenÃis do LCCV utilizando argila pilarizada de alumÃnio. Os compostos fenÃlicos presentes no LCCV foram caracterizados atravÃs de ressonÃncia magnÃtica nuclear de hidrogÃnio e cromatografia lÃquida acoplada à espectrometria de massa, onde foi possÃvel identificar o Ãcido clorogÃnico, isÃmeros do Ãcido cafeoil chiquÃmico, entre eles o Ãcido 5-O-cafeoil chiquÃmico, que à o composto fenÃlico majoritÃrio do LCCV e Ãcido ferÃlico. A fermentaÃÃo reduziu os teores de polifenÃis totais do LCCV, passando de 7769,1 mg/L a 3808,6 mg/L com a fermentaÃÃo com 5% (p/v) de levedura e para 2892,4 mg/L com a fermentaÃÃo com 7,5% (p/v) de levedura. Para a fermentaÃÃo com reutilizaÃÃo de levedura, a reduÃÃo na concentraÃÃo de polifenÃis variou de 4084,7 a 5853,5 mg/L. A fermentaÃÃo foi eficiente na reduÃÃo dos teores dos polifenÃis e no consumo dos aÃÃcares glicose e frutose presentes no LCCV.

Neste estudo, investigaram-se mudanças nas propriedades coloidais de uma esmectita pilarizada com polihidroxicátion de alumínio. A solução pilarizante foi preparada mediante gotejamento de solução NaOH 0,4 mol L-1 em solução de AlCl3.6H2O 0,2 mol L-1, a qual foi adicionada à suspensão de argila de 1% m/m. Para avaliar mudanças nas propriedades das argilas, recorreu-se às técnicas de titulação potenciométrica descontínua, análise química total, DRX, FTIR, CTC e isotermas de adsorção/dessorção de N2. Além disso, foram realizados ensaios de adsorção de Cu2+ para avaliar a capacidade de remoção do metal de soluções aquosas pelas argilas pilarizadas e gerar informações relacionadas à interação entre adsorvente e adsorbato. Naturalmente, a argila apresentou espaçamento basal de 1,26 nm, ao passo que as pilarizadas apresentaram valores de 1,78 nm (500 oC) e 1,80 nm (350 oC). Dados da análise química total mostraram se tratar de uma montmorillonita com altos teores de Fe3+, e confirmou o aumento nos teores de Al3+ na estrutura da argila após pilarização. Os valores de área superficial específica e volume de microporos foram maiores para as argilas pilarizadas, enquanto que a CTC foi maior para a argila natural. A titulação potenciométrica mostrou modificação nas curvas de titulação com o processo de pilarização, em que nas argilas pilarizadas surgiram novos sítios de reação. Dentre as equações de adsorção aplicadas, Langmuir, Freundlich e Temkin, a primeira apresentou valores de r2 das equações linearizadas maior para todas as argilas e menor desvio médio (?g%) para argila natural, ao passo que a equação de Temkin mostrou valores de ?g(%) menores para as argilas pilarizadas. Parâmetros termodinâmicos confirmaram que a reação de adsorção de Cu2+ é espontânea para todas as argilas, principalmente para as argilas pilarizadas. Além disso, cálculos baseados em equações de Dubinin-Radushkevich evidenciam que a ligação é fraca entre metal e argila, caracterizando reações de fisissorção. / In this study, an Al-pillared smectite was synthesized and changes in its colloidal properties were investigated. The pillaring solution was prepared adding dropwise adequate volume of NaOH 0,4M to AlCl3.6H2O 0,2M solution. Then, the pillaring solution was added to a 1% w/w clay slurry with constant stirring. Potentiometric titration, chemical analysis, XRD, FTIR, CEC and N2 sorption/dessoption isotherms analysis were done to characterize the changes in clay properties. Moreover, adsorption experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the capacity of the pillared clays to remove Cu2+ from aqueous solution and to characterize the interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate. The natural clay has a basal spacing of 1.26 nm whereas the pillared clays reached 1.78 nm (500 oC) and 1.80 nm (350 oC) after calcination. Chemical analysis revealed that the montmorillonite used has high content of Fe3+ and the increase in the Al3+ amount in the structure of the pillared clays after pillaring process. The surface area and micropore volume were higher for the pillared clays and the CEC was higher for the natural clay. The pillaring process changed the potentiometric titration curves, wherein the pillared clays exhibited new reactive site. Experimental data were fit to Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption equations, being the the first one the best (highest r2 value) for all the clays and lower standard deviation (?g%) for the natural clay. On the other hand, Temkin equation exhibited ?g% value lower for the pillared clays. Thermodynamics parameters demonstrate that the Cu2+ adsorption process is spontaneous for all the clays, but with higher values for the pillared materials. In addition, application of the Dubinin-Radushkevich equation revealed that the bond between the metal and the clay are weak, characterizing a physisorption.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Os corantes sintÃticos sÃo um dos poluentes mais comuns e frequentemente encontrados na indÃstria tÃxtil. A destinaÃÃo de esgoto contendo corantes para corpos de Ãgua à extremamente importante do ponto de vista ambiental, jà que mesmo em baixas concentraÃÃes os corantes podem ser altamente tÃxicos para sistemas aquÃticos. A elevada toxicidade à um dos grandes problemas de Ãguas residuais contendo corantes. Este estudo examinou como adsorventes nanoporosos trÃs materiais sendo um HidrÃxido Duplo Lamelar (HDL â Mg/Al), uma argila pilarizada (Al-PILC) e um carbono ativado comercial (GAC-Norit 1240) avaliando seus comportamentos na remoÃÃo dos corantes Reativo Preto 5 (RP5), Azul de Metileno (AM) e Ãcido Azul 25 (AA25). Os materiais baseados em argilas naturais e sintetizadas em laboratÃrio, assim como o carbono ativado, foram caracterizados por difraÃÃo de raios X, BET e FTIR, a fim de se obter informaÃÃo sobre suas caracteristicas estruturais e texturais. Experimentos em batelada utilizando um sistema de tanques agitados foram realizados para averiguar o efeito do pH do meio, da concentraÃÃo inicial de corante, do tempo de contato e da forÃa iÃnica do meio na adsorÃÃo dos corantes. Para o sistema de tanques agitados foram utilizados um agitador rotatÃrio orbital e tubos de acrÃlico contendo 20 mL de soluÃÃes de corantes em contato com 0,015 g dos adsorventes. As concentraÃÃes de equilÃbrio de cada corante foram determinadas em espectrofotÃmetro UV/Vis. A fim de descrever o comportamento das isotermas de adsorÃÃo, os dados de equilÃbrio foram correlacionados com o modelo de Langmuir (L). A contribuiÃÃo dos parÃmetros de transferÃncia de massa na cinÃtica de adsorÃÃo dos corantes RP5, AA25 e AM em carbono ativado tambÃm foi investigada. Estes dados fundamentais forneceram uma melhor compreensÃo dos mecanismos de transferÃncia de massa e dinÃmica difusional do sistema. O comportamento do pH e da forÃa iÃnica do meio foi de suma importÃncia para o entendimento dos processos de adsorÃÃo nos respectivos materiais para cada corante analisado. O pH das soluÃÃes aquosas foi bastante diferenciado, o qual foi dependente das caracterÃsitcas aniÃnicas e catiÃnicas dos materiais e dos corantes. De acordo com a anÃlise estatÃstica, o modelo de Langmuir foi adequado para representar os dados de adsorÃÃo dos corantes comprovado pela combinaÃÃo das constantes de ligaÃÃo do modelo, evidenciando uma forte interaÃÃo adsorvente-adsorbato. Pode-se notar que as cinÃticas de adsorÃÃo de corantes seguem um comportamento semelhante, com uma queda brusca da concentraÃÃo inicial de corante no sobrenadante nos primeiros momentos de contato, atingindo o equilÃbrio em aproximadamente 60 minutos, do que se pode inferir uma difusÃo molecular intrapartÃcula. As quantidades adsorvidas dos trÃs materiais indicaram um melhor desempenho obtido para o carbono ativado. / Synthetic dyes are one of the most common pollutants and often found in the textile industry. The disposal of wastewater containing dyes on water bodies is extremely important from an environmental standpoint, since the dyes even at low concentrations can be highly toxic to aquatic systems. The high stability and toxicity are the major problem in the treatment of wastewater containing dyes. This study examined three nanoporous adsorbents materials: a lamellar double hydroxide (LDH-Mg/Al), pillared clay (Al-PILC) and a commercial activated carbon (Norit GAC-1240), assessing hair performance in the removal of dyes Reactive Black 5 (RB5), Methylene Blue (MB) and Acid Blue 25 (AB25) used in the textile industry. The materials based on natural clays synthesized in the laboratory, and activated carbons were characterized by XRD, BET and FTIR, in order to obtain information about their structural and textural characteristics. Experiments using a batch stirred tank system were performed to investigate the effect of pH, the initial concentration of dye, contact time and ionic strength through adsorption of the dyes. For the system of stirred tanks a rotary shaker and acrylic tubes were used containing 20 mL of dye solutions in contact with 0.015 g of adsorbent. The equilibrium concentration of each dye was determined with a spectrophotometer UV/Vis. In order to describe the behavior of adsorption isotherms, the equilibrium data were correlated with the Langmuir model (L). The contribution of mass transfer parameters on the kinetics of adsorption of dyes RP5, AB25 and MB on activated carbon was also investigated. These data provide a basic understanding of mechanisms of mass transfer and dynamic diffusional system. The behavior of pH and ionic strength of the medium was very important for understanding of adsorption processes in the respective materials for each dye examined. The pH of the aqueous solutions was greatly different, which was dependent on characteristics anionic and cationic materials and colorants. According to statistical analysis, the Langmuir model was adequate to represent the data of adsorption of dyes shown. It may be noted that the kinetics of adsorption of dyes follow a similar behavior, with a sharp drop of the dye initial concentration in the supernatant in the first moments of contact, reaching the equilibrium in approximately 100 minutes. The adsorbed amounts of the three materials showed a revealed better performance obtained for activated carbon.

Orientador: Heloise de Oliveira Pastore / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T16:48:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Moura_HipassiaMarcondesde_M.pdf: 6781457 bytes, checksum: b05858e45bf4d0bdf564a43406440fc9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O estudo da inserção de alumínio na estrutura lamelar da magadiita assim como o acompanhamento de sua cristalização permitiu elucidar os mecanismos de incorporação deste metal neste tipo de silicato, ainda pouco investigado na literatura. Através do monitoramento por técnicas espectroscópicas (RMN de Si e Al, IV-TF e XPS) e não espectroscópicas (DRX, análise elementar e TGA) das etapas de formação da [Al]-magadiita, notou-se que sua obtenção em laboratório pode ser otimizada devido ao uso de sementes do próprio material. Os experimentos de XPS elucidam a [Al]-magadiita como uma estrutura do tipo `coreshell¿, constituída de magadiita silícica sobre a qual encontra-se depositada uma camada de aluminossilicato. Seguido por estudos de adsorção de CO à baixas temperaturas, avaliou-se os sítios ácidos dos materiais obtidos pelo uso de sementes de cristalização assim como a homogeneidade da distribuição da camada de aluminossilicato. A [Al]-magadiita pode apresentar aplicações descritas na literatura como precursora de outras estruturas zeolíticas. Porém, pouco se explora seu uso em outros tipos de modificações como é feita para sua forma livre de alumínio, a magadiita. Nesse sentido, algumas modificações na superfície do aluminossilicato foram investigadas. Dentre elas, a organossililação ("grafting") com grupos aminopropil (APTS), a pilarização com tetraetilortosilicato (TEOS) e a modificação com ambas as fontes de silício, permitindo a formação de novos materiais mesoporosos e/ou funcionalizados contendo alumínio em sua rede cristalina e grupos orgânicos ativos na captura de gases ácidos como o carbônico. / Abstract: The synthesis of [Al]-magadiite was monitored during preparation and crystallization by the Aluminum-Induced Crystallization method developed previously. A systematic study of the physicochemical and thermal properties of the products obtained at each step in [Al]-magadiite synthesis was performed by combining different experimental techniques [infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR)]. The results obtained showed that the hydrothermal treatment before aluminum insertion served essentially for the creation of magadiite seeds. Thus, induced crystallization by introduction of magadiite seeds directly in the synthesis gel showed that the synthesis duration could be reduced into a single step. XPS spectroscopy allowed designing the [Al]- magadiite structure as a pure silicon magadiite core with a thin layer of aluminosilicate deposited on top of it. Using the CO adsorption at low temperature with IR-FT, the acid sites of the SIC-[Al]-magadiites were evaluated as the aluminosilicate shell distribution over the magadiite crystal. [Al]-magadiite found applications described in the literature as a precursor to other zeolites structures. However, little is explored about its use in other types of surface modifications such as done for its aluminum free form, magadiite. In this sense, some modifications on the aluminosilicate surface were investigated. Among them, the grafting with aminopropyl groups (APTS), the pillaring with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and the modification with both silicon sources, allowing the formation of novel mesoporous and/or functionalized materials containing aluminum in its crystalline lamella and active organic groups in acid gases uptake such as carbon dioxide. / Mestrado / Quimica Inorganica / Mestra em Química

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is arguably the most studied and most important biological molecule. Recently, it has also been established as a potential candidate for nanoconstruction. Self-assembly of DNA molecules has emerged as a simple yet elegant technique to organize matter with sub-nanometer precision. The unique base-pairing properties which helps DNA to carry genetic information, also makes it a suitable building block for creating stable and robust nanostructures. Recent decades have witnessed a major revolution in the synthesis of different topological structures made of DNA molecules at nanoscale like, two dimensional arrays, nanotubes, polyhedra, smiley faces, three dimensional crystals etc. Due to their easier design, high fidelity and automated chemistry, DNA nanostructures have proposed applications in diverse fields of bio-nanotechnology and synthetic biology. The field of structural DNA nanotechnology is just entering in adulthood and offer paramount challenge towards the journey of DNA-based nanostructures from the laboratory to their practical implementation in the real world. The aim of my dissertation is to develop a de novo computational framework to investigate the nanoscale structure and properties of DNA-based nanostructures. This will help to understand the molecular origin of interaction governing the structure and stability of DNA nanostructures. In this thesis, we have studied the in-solution behavior of self-assembled DNA nanostructures. The state of art all atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has been extensively implemented to understand the various thermodynamic properties of these self-assembled soft matter systems. We expect that the results presented here will lead to better design of self-assembled DNA nanostructures to address the real world challenges. In particular, we have developed algorithms to build very accurate atomistic models of various DNA nanostructures like crossover DNA molecules, DNA nanotubes (DNTs) and DNA icosahedron (IDNA). Further, we discuss a computational framework to understand the in situ structure and dynamics of these DNA nanostructures using state-of-art MD simulation. We carried out several hundred nanosecond long MD simulations on these systems which sometimes contains close to one million atoms. Following the trajectories of nanostructures in physiological conditions, we predicted numerous properties like equilibrium solution structure behavior and elastic properties which are difficult to measure in experiments. DNTs are self-assembled tubular templates where the circular double helical domains, kept at the vertices of a polygon, are connected at crossovers junctions. Ned Seeman and co-workers at New York University have synthesized different kind of DNTs using tile-based self-assembly of oligonucleotides. To investigate their microscopic structure, stability and mechanical properties, we have come up with 3d atomistic models of various DNTs which will facilitate further studies of these nanotubes towards their proposed nanotechnological and biological applications. In chapter 3 of this thesis, we discuss the analysis of several nanoseconds long all-atom MD simulation trajectories of various DNTS in the presence of explicit salt solution. We conclude that 6-helix DNT (6HB) structures are most stable and well behaved due to the better crossover designs and geometry. There has been considerable interest to investigate and enhance the mechanical strengths of DNTs to create rigid motifs. One simple way to increase the rigidity is to add further helices to the 6HB, which is known to be the most stable design of DNT, with the same tile-based crossover method. In chapter 4, we report atomistic models of 6HB flanked symmetrically with two double helical DNA pillars (6HB+2) and 6HB flanked symmetrically by three double helical DNA pillars (6HB+3). From the fluctuation analysis of the equilibrium MD simulation trajectories, we calculated the stretch modulus and persistence length of these DNTs. The measured persistence lengths of these nanotubes are ∼10 μm, which is 2 orders of magnitude larger than that of dsDNA. We also find a gradual increase of persistence length with an increasing number of pillars, in quantitative agreement with previous experimental findings. We also carried out non-equilibrium Steered-Molecular-Dynamics (SMD) to measure the stretch modulus from the force-extension behavior of these pillared DNTs. The values of the stretch modulus calculated using contour length distribution of equilibrium MD simulations are similar to those obtained from non-equilibrium SMD simulations. The addition of pillars makes these DNTs very rigid. Engineering the synthetic nanopores through lipid bilayer membrane to access the interior of a cell is a long standing challenge in biotechnology. Recently, a new class of DNA nanopores through the lipid bilayer membranes has been characterized using advanced imaging techniques and transmembrane ionic current recordings. In chapter 5 of the thesis, we present a MD simulation study of 6HB embedded in POPC lipid bilayer membranes. The analyses of 0.2 µs long equilibrium MD simulation trajectories demonstrate that structure is stable and well behaved. We observe that the head groups of the lipid molecules close to DNT cooperatively tilt towards the hydrophilic sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA to form a toroidal structure around the patch of DNT protruding in the membrane. Based on this observation, we propose a new mechanism, which has been largely overlooked so far, to explain the stability to this DNA-lipid molecular self-assembly. We further explore the effect of monovalent ionic concentrations to the in-solution structure and stability of the nanocomposite. Transmembrane ionic current measurements during the constant electric field simulation provide the I-V characteristics of the water filled DNT lumen in lipid membrane. The conductivity of the DNT lumen turns out to be several nS and increases with ionic concentration. Recently, Krishnan’s research group at NCBS Bangalore and Chicago University have characterized DNA icosahedra (IDNA) using advance imaging techniques and validated it for biological targeting and bioimaging in vivo. A high resolution structural model of such polyhedra would be critical to widening their applications in both materials and biology. In chapter 6 of this thesis, we discuss an atomistic model of this well-characterized IDNA to study the in-solution behavior using MD simulation. We provide quantitative estimate of the surface and volume of the equilibrium structure which is essential to estimate its maximal cargo carrying capacity. Importantly, our simulation of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) encapsulated within DNA icosahedra (IAuNP) revealed enhanced stability of the AuNP loaded structure as compared to the empty icosahedra. This is consistent with experimental results that show high yields of cargo-encapsulated DNA icosahedra that have led to its diverse applications for precision targeting. These studies reveal that the stabilizing interactions between the cargo and the DNA scaffold powerfully positions DNA polyhedra as targetable nanocapsules for payload delivery. The insights from our study can be further exploited for precise molecular display for diverse biological applications. Finally, in chapter 7, we give a summary of the main results presented in this dissertation. We also briefly discuss the ongoing research work and the bright future of this emerging field of DNA nanotechnology. We believe that this thesis deepens the microscopic understanding of the recent experimental observation and provides impetus in the real world application of DNA nanostructures in vitro and well as in vivo.

1. In the theoretical part: theoretical determination of retirement (pension) systems, determination of the pillared system in Slovak retirement sphere. 2. In the practical part: analysis of demographic situation, and resulting solutions for the innitiated Slovak pension reform, analysis and evaluation, in main features, of Slovak pension reform that was begun in the past. 3. Slovak pension reform evaluation with determination of its possible application for the Czech republic.

Ces dernières années, les problèmes d’environnement et de dépollution sont devenus cruciaux. En particulier, les industries textiles sont une source très importante de pollution des milieux aquatiques. De 60 à 70 % des colorants de l’industrie textiles contiennent une ou plusieurs fonctions azoïques et sont pour la plupart d’entre eux toxiques, mutagènes et cancérigènes. L’objectif de la thèse a été d’évaluer l’efficacité du procédé photocatalytique pour éliminer des colorants anioniques et cationiques seuls ou en mélange en présence de dioxyde de titane et d’argile pontée au titane, synthétisé au laboratoire. Trois colorants sont étudiés comme modèle le bleu de Méthylène (BM), le noir Rémazol 5 (NR5) et le réactif rouge 2 (RR2). La première partie du travail est une étude cinétique de l’adsorption, de la dégradation et de la minéralisation de ces colorants à différents pH. Plusieurs conclusions émergent (1) l’isotherme d’adsorption n’est pas une isotherme de Langmuir (2) aucune corrélation n’est observée entre les quantités adsorbées et les vitesses de dégradation et (3) à forte concentration en colorants, une partie de la lumière est absorbée et la vitesse de dégradation diminue. La seconde partie du travail concerne l’étude du mélange des deux colorants anioniques. L’influence du rapport molaire, du pH et de la concentration initiale sur l’isotherme d’adsorption, la cinétique de décoloration et de minéralisation des deux colorants dans le mélange sont étudiés et comparés à celle obtenues pour les colorants pris individuellement. Aucun complexe n’est formé. Des compétitions entre les deux colorants sont observées après saturation de la surface de TiO2. Au-delà de la saturation du catalyseur un ralentissement de la minéralisation du COT et des hétéroatomes est observé. La troisième partie de l’étude est dédiée à l’étude de la préparation, caractérisation et propriétés photocatalytique de l’argile pontée au TiO2 (MMT-TiO2) et du matériau composite : argile pontée au TiO2 dopée avec de l’argent (MMT-TiO2/Ag). Cette étude est réalisée sur le colorant cationique (BM) et le colorant anionique (NR5). Une adsorption totale du colorant BM est observée, contrairement au NR5 qui ne s’adsorbe pratiquement pas, suggérant une adsorption par liaison ionique. L’argile pontée dopée ou non ne présente pas des propriétés photocatalytiques plus importantes que celle de TiO2 mais joue un rôle important sur l’adsorption des colorants cationiques, ce qui favorise leur élimination de la solution aqueuse. La présence d’Ag diminue les propriétés d’adsorption et de photocatalyse de l’argile pontée. / The problems of environment become crucial. In particular, textile industries are important sources of pollution of the aquatic system. 60% to 70% of dyes used in these textiles industries are azo dyes containing one or more; some of them are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds. The aim was to evaluate the efficiency of photocatalytic processed for the elimination of anionic and cationic dyes alone or in combination with titanium dioxide and clay pillared with titanium, synthesized in the laboratory. The photocatalytic processing is interesting because solar flux can be used. Three dyes were studied as model: methylene blue (BM), black Remazol 5 (NR5) and reactive red 2 (RR2). The first part of this work is a kinetic study of adsorption, degradation and mineralization of these dyes at different pH. Several conclusions emerge (1) the adsorption isotherm is not of Langmuir type(2) no correlation exists between the quantities adsorbed and the degradation rates and (3) at high concentration, a part of UV is absorbed by the dye and the degradation rate decreases. The second part of the work involves the study of the mixture of two anionic dyes. The concentration of both dyes in the mixture, the influence of molar ratios, pH and initial concentration on the adsorption isotherm, kinetics of decolorization and mineralization of the two dyes in the mixture are compared to that obtained for the individual dyes. No complex is formed and competition between the two dyes occurs only after saturation of the photocatalyst surface. Beyond the saturation of the catalyst a slower mineralization of TOC and heteroatoms are observed. The third part deals with the preparation, characterization and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 pillared clay (MMT-TiO2) and of a composite material: TiO2 pillared clay doped with silver (MMT -TiO2/Ag), performed on the cationic dye (MB) and the anionic dye (NR5). A total adsorption of the BM dye is observed. Constrasting with the NR5 adsorption suggesting an adsorption by ionic bond. The pillared clay doped or not with silver but favors the elimination of dyes from the aqueous solution by adsorption. The presence of silver reduces the adsorption properties and photocatalysis properties of the pillared clay.