<p>Hypersonic flight causes ultra-high surface temperatures which are most intense on sharp leading edges. One way of reducing the surface temperature is to apply a high emittance ceramic (HEC) on the leading edge, increasing the radiation component of heat transfer. An ideal HEC must have a high emittance, while also possessing a strong ablation resistance. From a scientific standpoint, it would be helpful if emittance could be tailored at different wavelengths. For example, materials with tailorable emittance could be used to improve the efficiency of engines, thermo-photo voltaic cells, and other applications. The approach used to create a ceramic with tailorable emittance was to use two different rare-earth elements, adding them to an ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) in small quantities. The samarium element was added to increase the emittance of the UHTC over a large wavelength range (visible to near infrared wavelengths, consistent with the temperature range expected for hypersonic flight), and the erbium element was added to decrease the emittance at specific wavelength ranges. The goal of this study was to create an UHTC with tailorable emittance while maintaining the required ablation resistance. Therefore, ZBS billets with five different Sm to Er ratios and with a nominal total amount of 3 mol.% dopant incorporated were prepared by sintering in vacuum to 2000 °C. The ablation resistance was evaluated by using an oxyacetylene torch and observing at exposure times of 60 s and 300 s, whereas the emittance was evaluated at the Air Force Research Lab facilities via a laser heating testing. The results for the ablation testing showed that ZrB₂-SiC (ZBS) billets co-doped with Sm and Er formed a beneficial <i>c₁</i>-(Sm/Er)_0.2Zr_0.8O_1.9 oxide scale as the majority phase, which is more thermally stable than the <i>m</i>-ZrO₂ oxide scale typically formed in oxidized ZBS systems, resulting in a more adherent oxide scale to the unreacted material. The crystalline oxide scale and the amorphous phase were formed by a convection cell mechanism where the <i>c₁</i>-(Sm/Er)_0.2Zr_0.8O_1.9 crystalline islands precipitate, grow, and coalesce. Moreover, differences in surface temperatures between ZBS samples with different dopant ratios suggest differences in spectral absorptance/emittance between each of the five compositions evaluated. Despite that the emittance profiles with varying Sm:Er molar ratios were similar because <i>m</i>-ZrO₂ was formed as the major oxide phase, the emittance study showed that the erbium oxide influences the emittance profile, as can be noted by the maximum and minimum emittance peaks. Furthermore, results showed that the emittance varies as a function of dopant(s) molar ratios and temperature at shorter wavelength ranges. These changes in the emittance are caused by the different Sm and Er concentration on the surface. Future work should be focused on producing the beneficial <i>c₁</i>-(Sm/Er)_0.2Zr_0.9O_1.8phase directly from the manufacturing process, and therefore, maximize the effect of varying the Sm:Er molar ratios to tailor the emittance. Nonetheless, this study represents the first generation and reported emittance data of UHTC doping ZBS systems with both Sm and Er elements. </p>

Developing nanoparticulate delivery systems that will allow easy movement and localisation of a drug to the target tissue and provide more controlled release of the drug in vivo is a challenge for researchers in nanomedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biodistribution of two nano-delivery systems namely, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing samarium-153 oxide ([153Sm]Sm2O3) as radiotracer and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) containing technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP), after oral and intravenous administration to rats to prove that orally administered nanoparticles indeed alter the biodistribution of a drug as compared to the drug on its own. Stable samarium-152 oxide ([152Sm]Sm2O3) was encapsulated in polymeric PLGA nanoparticles. These were then activated in a nuclear reactor to produce radioactive [153Sm]Sm2O3 loaded-PLGA nanoparticles. Both the stable nanoparticles as well as the fully decayed activated nanoparticles, were characterized for size, Zeta potential and morphology using dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. SLNs were a form of delivery system which was used to encapsulate the radiotracer, 99mTc-MDP. 99mTc-MDP SLNs were characterized before and after encapsulation for size and Zeta potential. Both nanoparticle compounds were orally and intravenously (IV) administered to rats in order to trace their uptake and biodistribution through imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies. The PLGA nanoparticles containing [153Sm]Sm2O3 were spherical in morphology and smaller than 500 nm, therefore meeting the objective of producing radiolabelled nanoparticles smaller than 500 nm. Various parameters were optimized to obtain an average particle size ranging between 250 and 300 nm, with an average polydispersity index (PDI) ≤ 0.3 after spray drying. The particles had a Zeta potential ranging between 5 and 20 mV. The Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles had an average size of 281 ± 6.3 nm and a PDI average of 0.22. The orally administered [153Sm]Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles were deposited in various organs which includes bone with a total of 0.3% of the Injected Dose (ID) per gram vs the control of [153Sm]Sm2O3which showed no uptake in any organs except the GI-tract. The IV injected [153Sm]Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles exhibit the highest localisation of nanoparticles in the spleen (8.63%ID/g) and liver (3.07%ID/g). The 99mTc-MDP-labelled SLN were spherical and smaller than 500 nm. Optimization of the MDP-loaded SLN emulsions yielded a slightly higher PDI of ≥0.5 and a size range between 150 and 450 nm. The Zeta potential was between -30 and -2 mV. The MDP-loaded SLN had an average size of 256 ± 5.27 and an average PDI of 0.245.The orally administered 99mTc-MDP SLN had the highest localisation of nanoparticles in the kidneys (8.50%ID/g) and stomach (8.04%ID/g) while the control, 99mTc-MDP had no uptake in any organs except the GI-tract. The IV injected 99mTc-MDP SLN also exhibited a high localisation of particles in the kidneys (3.87%ID/g) followed by bone (2.66%ID/g). Both the IV and oral 99mTc-MDP SLN reported significantly low deposition values in the heart, liver and spleen. Based on the imaging and the biodistribution studies, it can be concluded that there was a significant transfer of the orally administrated radiolabelled nanoparticles from the stomach to other organs vs the controls. Furthermore, this biodistribution of the nano carriers warrants surface modification and optimisation of the nanoparticles to avoid higher particle localisation in the stomach. / MSc (Pharmaceutics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Developing nanoparticulate delivery systems that will allow easy movement and localisation of a drug to the target tissue and provide more controlled release of the drug in vivo is a challenge for researchers in nanomedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biodistribution of two nano-delivery systems namely, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing samarium-153 oxide ([153Sm]Sm2O3) as radiotracer and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) containing technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP), after oral and intravenous administration to rats to prove that orally administered nanoparticles indeed alter the biodistribution of a drug as compared to the drug on its own. Stable samarium-152 oxide ([152Sm]Sm2O3) was encapsulated in polymeric PLGA nanoparticles. These were then activated in a nuclear reactor to produce radioactive [153Sm]Sm2O3 loaded-PLGA nanoparticles. Both the stable nanoparticles as well as the fully decayed activated nanoparticles, were characterized for size, Zeta potential and morphology using dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. SLNs were a form of delivery system which was used to encapsulate the radiotracer, 99mTc-MDP. 99mTc-MDP SLNs were characterized before and after encapsulation for size and Zeta potential. Both nanoparticle compounds were orally and intravenously (IV) administered to rats in order to trace their uptake and biodistribution through imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies. The PLGA nanoparticles containing [153Sm]Sm2O3 were spherical in morphology and smaller than 500 nm, therefore meeting the objective of producing radiolabelled nanoparticles smaller than 500 nm. Various parameters were optimized to obtain an average particle size ranging between 250 and 300 nm, with an average polydispersity index (PDI) ≤ 0.3 after spray drying. The particles had a Zeta potential ranging between 5 and 20 mV. The Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles had an average size of 281 ± 6.3 nm and a PDI average of 0.22. The orally administered [153Sm]Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles were deposited in various organs which includes bone with a total of 0.3% of the Injected Dose (ID) per gram vs the control of [153Sm]Sm2O3which showed no uptake in any organs except the GI-tract. The IV injected [153Sm]Sm2O3-PLGA nanoparticles exhibit the highest localisation of nanoparticles in the spleen (8.63%ID/g) and liver (3.07%ID/g). The 99mTc-MDP-labelled SLN were spherical and smaller than 500 nm. Optimization of the MDP-loaded SLN emulsions yielded a slightly higher PDI of ≥0.5 and a size range between 150 and 450 nm. The Zeta potential was between -30 and -2 mV. The MDP-loaded SLN had an average size of 256 ± 5.27 and an average PDI of 0.245.The orally administered 99mTc-MDP SLN had the highest localisation of nanoparticles in the kidneys (8.50%ID/g) and stomach (8.04%ID/g) while the control, 99mTc-MDP had no uptake in any organs except the GI-tract. The IV injected 99mTc-MDP SLN also exhibited a high localisation of particles in the kidneys (3.87%ID/g) followed by bone (2.66%ID/g). Both the IV and oral 99mTc-MDP SLN reported significantly low deposition values in the heart, liver and spleen. Based on the imaging and the biodistribution studies, it can be concluded that there was a significant transfer of the orally administrated radiolabelled nanoparticles from the stomach to other organs vs the controls. Furthermore, this biodistribution of the nano carriers warrants surface modification and optimisation of the nanoparticles to avoid higher particle localisation in the stomach. / MSc (Pharmaceutics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014