Atualmente as agências reguladoras estão focadas no controle de resíduos de antimicrobianos, pesticidas entre outros que são prejudiciais no meio ambiente, saúde humana e animal e que podem ser encontrados em alimentos, água de rio entre outros, como por exemplo, resíduos de sulfonamidas (SAs) no leite bovino. A quantificação desses compostos em amostras complexas requer o preparo da amostra, extração, préconcentração dos analitos e eliminação dos interferentes que são necessários para o desenvolvimento de métodos cromatográficos. Por isso, é vantajoso que se utilize métodos simples, rápidos, baixo consumo de reagente, alta sensibilidade, maior precisão analítica e automação das análises. Neste contexto, este estudo explora uma das técnicas de preparo de amostra baseadas em sorvente mais empregadas a SPE na sua vertente automatizada, SPE on-line. Recentemente, o uso de novos sorventes mais seletivos têm recebido grande interesse como os líquidos iônicos (ILs) imobilizados na sílica. Diferentes abordagens para a síntese da sílica modificada por ILs foram estudadas. O sorvente sintetizado pela reação sol-gel através via catálise básica apresentou maior eficiência de extração para as SAs. Os resultados obtidos por espectroscopia vibracional na região do infravermelho e microscopia eletrônica de varredura sugerem que o IL foi ancorado à sílica. O sorvente baseado em sílica modificada por IL ([C4MIM] [PF6]) foi selecionada como fase extratora para o isolamento e pré-concentração de SAs em leite bovino utilizando um sistema SPE on-line -LC-ESIQToF / MS. O método desenvolvido mostrou um LOQ de 5-7,5 µg mL-1, enquanto que a faixa de recuperação relativa da extração foi de 74-93%. A faixa de precisão e exatidão intra e inter-dia obtida foi de 1,5-12,5 e 2,3-13,1, respectivamente. Outra vertente explorada neste trabalho foi o uso de colunas tubulares abertas (OT) em cromatografia líquida. Até agora, as colunas OT foram usadas principalmente para análise de peptídeos e proteínas, e seu potencial para a separação de pequenas moléculas ainda não foi totalmente explorado. Preparou-se uma coluna de SPE de 5 cm em um tubo capilar aberto composto por 84 canais (10 μm de diâmetro interno (id) cada) de um capilar de fibra de cristal e a parede interna de cada canal foi revestida com um polímero orgânico -OD –DVB – mPLOT SPE). A mPLOT SPE foi acoplada com uma coluna tubular aberta PS-DVB de 10 μm x 2 m com detecção em espectrometria de massa por nanospray (OTLC-MS) no modo positivo. Num estudo comparativo com colunas de SPE monolíticas e empacotadas a mPLOT SPE-OTLC melhorou significativamente a préconcentração e o formato do pico das SAs e seus metabolitos (~ 300 Da). A baixa backpressure e a geometria da mPLOT SPE combinada com a filtração automática (AFFL). / Nowadays health regulatory agencies are focusing on the presence of residues of antimicrobials, pesticides among other that are harmful to the environment, human and animal health that are found on food, river water among others, as example, the residues of sulfonamides (SAs) in bovine milk. The quantification of these compounds in complex matrices requires the sample preparation, extraction and preconcentration of the analytes, besides the elimination of the interferents for the development of chromatographic methods high sensitivity and analytical selectivity. Therefore, it is advantageous to use simple, fast methods that exhibit high selectivity, low reagent consumption, high sensitivity, higher analytical precision and automation of analyzes. In this context, this study explores one of the most employed sample preparation techniques, solid phase extraction (SPE) on automatization approach, the on-line SPE. Recently, the use of new sorbents more selective have received great interest as the ionic liquids (ILs) immobilized on the silica surface. Different approaches to the synthesis of silica modified by ILs were studied. The sorbent synthesized by sol-gel methodology through basic catalysis showed higher extraction efficiency for SAs. The results obtained by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy suggested that IL was anchored to the silica surface. The silica modified by IL ([C4MIM] [PF6]) was selected as sorbent for the isolation and preconcentration of SAs in bovine milk using an on-line SPE system -LC-ESI-QToF / MS. The method showed a LOQ of 5-7.5 μg mL-1, while the relative extraction recovery range was 74-93%. The accuracy and precision intra- and inter-day range was 1.5-12.5 and 2.3-13.1, respectively. Another aspect explored was the use of open tubular column (OT) for separation of small molecules. OT columns have been used primarily for peptide and protein analysis, and their potential for small molecules separation has not yet been fully explored. A 5 cm SPE column (mPLOT) was prepared in an open capillary tube composed by 84 channels (10 μm inner diameter (id) each) of a crystal fiber capillary and the inner wall of each channel was coated by organic polymer (PS-OD–DVB). The mPLOT was coupled with a 10 μm x 2 m PS-OD-DVB open tubular column with positive mode nanospray mass spectrometry (OTLC-MS) detection. Compared to the use of monolithic / particulate SPE columns, SPE-OTLC mPLOT significantly improved the preconcentration and peak forms of SAs and their metabolites (~ 300 Da). Low backpressure, mPLOT geometry and the combination with automatic filtration (AFFL) was essential to sample preparation and separation of small molecules on complex matrices.

Entre as diferentes formas empregadas para o preparo de amostras orgânicas visando a determinação de elementos inorgânicos, uma alternativa que foi avaliada neste trabalho foi a digestão assistida por radiação microondas empregando ácidos diluídos. Estudos recentes demonstram ser essa uma alternativa eficiente no tocante à solubilização de elementos minerais para determinação por técnicas espectroscópicas. No entanto, a eficiência deste procedimento depende das características originais da amostra. Neste enfoque, a eficiência da decomposição foi avaliada, considerando-se as características originais das amostras e a caracterização dos produtos finais presentes na solução após a decomposição. Amostras de tecido vegetal (soja em gãos e Paspalum) e de tecido animal (sangue e vísceras de bovino), utilizando misturas oxidantes em diferentes concentrações ácidas foram digeridas em forno por radiação microondas com cavidade. A eficiência das decomposições, avaliada a partir da determinação dos teores de carbono orgânico residual e da recuperação de minerais. A caracterização original das amostras, realizada a partir da determinação dos teores de proteína bruta (PB), gordura (EE), carbono original (CHN-S), efetuada com o intuito de correlacionar essas características com os compostos remanescentes após as digestões. As soluções residuais foram caracterizadas inicialmente por técnica espectroscópica (RMN de 1H) para identificar os principais compostos orgânicos remanescentes. Após os primeiros resultados, estudos para separação FORAM realizados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por ultravioleta. Em seguida os produtos de reação foram, correlacionados com a composição química inicial das amostras. / Microwave-assisted with diluted acids is an alternative to sample preparation of organic samples owing inorganic elements solubilization for spectroscopic techniques determination. The efficiency of this procedure depends on the sample?s original characteristics. In this way, the decomposition efficiency was evaluated considering the sample?s original characteristics and the final products presents in the solution after decomposition. Grains of soybean and samples of forage, bovine blood, and bovine viscera were digested in cavity-microwave oven using oxidants mixtures in different acid concentrations. The decomposition efficiency was evaluated from residual organic carbon determination and mineral recovery by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The original sample characterization was performed from crude protein amount, fatty, and original carbon. In order to identify the main remaining organic compounds, the residual solutions were firstly characterized by spectroscopy technique (1H NMR), with the identification of typical nitro-, aliphatic- and aromatic- compounds. Studies concerning separation of nitrobenzoic acids isomers were performed by HPLC-UV, by using reversal phase chromatography with C18 as stationary phase and H2O:acetonitrile:methanol (75:20:5) + 0.05% TFA as mobile phase. The use of diluted acids proved to be useful and recommended alternative, reducing the reagents volume and consequently the variability of the residues provided by the decomposition process. Comparing the digested solutions with the original sample composition, biological matrix with structural amino acids, proteins and lipids produced nitrobenzoic acid isomers and other organic compounds provided from the cleavage in chemical bonds.

Microfluidics is a vibrant and expanding field that has the potential for solving many analytical challenges. Microfluidics shows promise to provide rapid, inexpensive, efficient, and portable diagnostic solutions that can be used in resource-limited settings. Microfluidic devices have gained immense interest as diagnostic tools for various diseases through biomarker analysis. My dissertation work focuses on developing electrokinetically operated integrated microfluidic devices for the analysis of biomarkers indicative of preterm birth risk. Preterm birth (PTB), a birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation, is the most common complication of pregnancy and the leading cause of neonatal deaths and newborn illnesses. In this dissertation, I have designed, fabricated and developed several microfluidic devices that integrate various sample preparation processes like immunoaffinity extraction, preconcentration, fluorescent labeling, and electrophoretic separation of biomarkers indicative of PTB risk. I developed microchip electrophoresis devices for separation of selected PTB biomarkers. I further optimized multiple reversed-phase porous polymer monoliths UV-polymerized in microfluidic device channels for selective retention and elution of fluorescent dyes and PTB biomarkers to facilitate on-chip labeling. Successful on-chip fluorescent labeling of multiple PTB biomarkers was reported using these microfluidic devices. These devices were further developed using a pH-mediated approach for solid-phase extraction, resulting in a ~50 fold enrichment of a PTB biomarker. Additionally, this approach was integrated with microchip electrophoresis to develop a combined enrichment and separation device that yielded 15-fold preconcentration for a PTB peptide. I also developed an immunoaffinity extraction device for analyzing PTB biomarkers directly from a human serum matrix. A glycidyl methacrylate monolith was characterized within microfluidic channels for immobilization of antibodies to PTB biomarkers. Antibody immobilization and captured analyte elution protocols were optimized for these monoliths, and two PTB biomarker proteins were successfully extracted using these devices. This approach was also integrated with microchip electrophoresis for combined extraction and separation of two PTB biomarkers in spiked human serum in <30 min. In the future, these optimized microfluidic components can be integrated into a single platform for automated immunoaffinity extraction, preconcentration, fluorescent labeling, and separation of PTB biomarkers. This integrated microfluidic platform could significantly improve human health by providing early diagnosis of PTBs.

<p>Phosphorus (P) is often the limiting nutrient in lacustrine and brackish eco-systems, and enhanced input of P into an aquatic system might therefore negatively impact the environment. Because modern waste water manage-ment have reduced external P input to surface waters, internal P loading from the sediment has become one of the main P sources to aquatic ecosys-tems, in which relatively unknown organic P compounds seem to be more active in P recycling than previously thought.</p><p>This thesis focus is on improving analysis methods for organic P com-pounds in lacustrine and brackish sediments, as well as determining which of these compounds might be degraded, mobilized and subsequently recycled to the water column and on what temporal scale this occur. In both lacustrine and brackish environments, the most labile P compound was pyrophosphate, followed by different phosphate diesters. Phosphate monoesters were the least labile organic P compounds and degraded the slowest with sediment depth. In regulated lakes, it was shown that pyrophosphate and polyphos-phate compound groups were most related to lake trophic status, thus indi-cating their involvement in P cycling. This thesis also indicates faster P turn-over in sediment from the brackish environment compared to sediment from the lacustrine environment. </p><p>A comparison of organic P extraction procedures showed that pre-extraction with EDTA, and NaOH as main extractant, was most efficient for total P extraction. Using buffered sodium dithionite (BD) as a pre-extractant and NaOH as main extractant was most efficient for extracting the presuma-bly most labile organic P compound groups, pyrophosphate and polyphos-phate. Furthermore, it was determined that organic P compounds associated with humic substances were more recalcitrant than other P compounds, that the BD step used in traditional P fractionation might extract phosphate monoesters, and that NMR is a statistically valid method for quantification of organic P compounds in sediment extracts.</p>

Phosphorus (P) regulates trophic status in most aquatic systems. However, only bioavailable P contributes to primary production. In most lakes and shallow seas, mineralisation of sediment P into its bioavailable form and its release to the water column is important for maintaining primary production. Sediment organic P forms a substantial proportion of this P to be mineralised and can originate from different sources on land (farmland, forests, etc.) or from primary production in the lake. These organic P forms can thus be expected to have differing composition, degradability and recyclable P content. Knowledge of the chemical structure of sediment organic P compounds is scarce, mainly due to lack of appropriate analytical techniques. The commonly used 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) technique, only identifies P binding groups, so a mass spectrometric (MS) analysis method was developed that allows individual sediment organic P compounds to be identified. EDTA as pre-extractant resulted in the highest P yield in subsequent NaOH extraction. Extracted organic P compound groups were identified using 31P-NMR. For identification of specific P compounds with MS, a sample preparation method prior to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analysis was developed. Liquid chromatography (LC) with porous graphitic carbon prior to ESI-MS/MS enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, enabling several of the ions detected to be identified as nucleotides. 31P-NMR analysis showed P monoesters to be the most stabile P compounds throughout a lake sediment profile. The developed LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis method revealed that some monoester-P (nucleotides) were labile, while other P compounds increased in concentration with Baltic Sea sediment depth and were therefore considered stabile. Differences in patterns of P compounds detected were also shown depending on catchment characteristics in relation to Baltic Sea sediment age. For cost-effective management of eutrophication, knowledge of the sources of degradable organic P forms, contributing to internal loading, is needed. This thesis showed the developed LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis method to be a powerful analytical tool for this purpose.

No description available.

The main objective of the emerging field of metabolomics is the analysis of all small molecule metabolites present in a particular living system in order to provide better understanding of dynamic processes occurring in living systems. This type of studies is of interest in various fields including systems biology, medicine and drug discovery. The main requirements for sample preparation methods used in global metabolomic studies are lack of selectivity, incorporation of a metabolism quenching step and good reproducibility. The efficiency of metabolism quenching and stability of analytes in selected biofluid or tissue dictate how accurately the analytical results represent true metabolome composition at the time of sampling. However, complete quenching of metabolism is not easily accomplished, so sample preparation can significantly affect metabolome's composition and the quality of acquired metabolomics data. In this research, the feasibility of the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in direct extraction mode for global metabolomic studies of biological fluids based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was investigated for the first time. Initial research presented in this thesis focused on resolving several outstanding issues regarding the use of SPME for the analysis of biological fluids. SPME was not simultaneously capable to provide high-sample throughput and high degree of automation when coupled to LC-MS. This was successfully addressed through the development and evaluation of a new robotic station based on a 96-well plate format and an array of 96 SPME fibres. The parallel format of extraction and desorption allowed increased sample throughput of >1000 samples/day which represents the highest throughput of any SPME technique to date. This exceeds sample throughput requirements for a typical metabolomics study whereby ~100 samples/day are processed. SPME can also be used for direct in vivo sampling of flowing blood of an animal without the need to isolate a defined sample volume. This format of SPME is particularly attractive for metabolomic studies as it decreases the overall number of steps and also eliminates the need for metabolism quenching step because only small molecular weight species are extracted by the device, whereas large biological macromolecules such as proteins are not extracted by the coating. In current work, in vivo SPME sampling was successfully applied for sampling of mice for the first time. The proposed sampling procedure was fully validated against traditional terminal and serial sampling approaches for a pharmacokinetic study of carbamazepine and its metabolite. Excellent agreement of pharmacokinetic parameters such as systemic clearance, steady-state volume of distribution and terminal half-life was found for all three methods, with no statistically significant differences (p>0.05). The performance of new prototype commercial SPME devices based on hypodermic needle was also evaluated within the context of the study. The availability of such single-use devices with excellent inter-fibre reproducibility (<10% RSD) presents an important step forward in order to gain wider acceptance of in vivo SPME sampling. Finally, existing SPME coatings were not suitable for the simultaneous direct extraction of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic species, which is one of the requirements for a successful global metabolomics study. To address this issue, a systematic study of 40 types of commercially available sorbents was carried out using a metabolite standard test mixture spanning a wide molecular weight (80-777 Da) and polarity range (log P range of -5 to 7.4). The best performance for balanced extraction of species of varying polarity was achieved by (i) mixed-mode coating containing octadecyl or octyl group and benzenesulfonic acid ion exchange group, (ii) polar-enhanced polystyrene-divinylbenzene polymeric coatings and (iii) phenylboronic acid coatings. The second aspect of the research focused on the evaluation of SPME for a global metabolomics study of human plasma using two complementary LC-MS methods developed on benchtop Orbitrap MS system: reverse-phase method using pentafluorophenyl LC stationary phase and HILIC method using underivatized silica stationary phase. The parameters influencing overall method sensitivity such as voltages, mass ranges and ion inject times into C-trap were optimized to ensure best instrument performance for global metabolomic studies. Orbitrap system provided a powerful platform for metabolomics because of its high resolution and mass accuracy, thus helping to distinguish between metabolites with same nominal mass. The acquisition speed of the instrument at the highest resolution setting was insufficient for use with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), so all methods were developed using conventional LC. However, overall metabolite coverage achieved in current study compared well or even exceeded metabolite coverage reported in literature on different LC-MS or UHPLC-MS platforms including time-of-flight, quadrupole time-of-flight and hybrid Orbitrap instruments. The performance of SPME was fully compared versus traditional methods for global metabolomics (plasma protein precipitation and ultrafiltration). The main findings of this systematic study show that SPME provides improved coverage of hydrophobic metabolites versus ultrafiltration and reduces ionization suppression effects observed with both plasma protein precipitation and ultrafiltration methods. Using SPME, <5% and <20% of peaks showed significant matrix effects in reverse phase and HILIC methods, respectively and the observed effects were mostly correlated to elution within retention time window of anticoagulant for the majority of metabolites showing this effect. This improves overall quality of collected metabolomics data and can also improve metabolite coverage. For example, the highest number of metabolite features (3320 features) was observed using SPME in combination with negative ESI reverse-phase LC method, while in positive ESI mode plasma protein precipitation with methanol/ethanol mixture provided the most comprehensive metabolite coverage (3245 features versus 1821 features observed for SPME). Method precision of SPME method was excellent as evaluated using median RSD (11-18% RSD) of all metabolites detected. A proof-of-concept in vivo SPME study was also performed on mice to study the effects of carbamazepine administration and shows that SPME can be used as successful sample preparation method for global metabolomic studies in combination with unsupervised statistical data analysis techniques. This study highlights important advantages of in vivo sampling approaches including the ability to capture short-lived and/or unstable metabolites, to achieve truer representation of the metabolome at the time of sampling than achievable by blood withdrawal methods and the ability to use smaller animal cohorts while obtaining highly-relevant data sets. The experimental results provide new and useful insight into the effects of different sample preparation methods on the collected metabolomics data, and establish both in vitro and in vivo SPME as a new tool for global LC-MS metabolomics analysis for the first time.

The main objective of the emerging field of metabolomics is the analysis of all small molecule metabolites present in a particular living system in order to provide better understanding of dynamic processes occurring in living systems. This type of studies is of interest in various fields including systems biology, medicine and drug discovery. The main requirements for sample preparation methods used in global metabolomic studies are lack of selectivity, incorporation of a metabolism quenching step and good reproducibility. The efficiency of metabolism quenching and stability of analytes in selected biofluid or tissue dictate how accurately the analytical results represent true metabolome composition at the time of sampling. However, complete quenching of metabolism is not easily accomplished, so sample preparation can significantly affect metabolome's composition and the quality of acquired metabolomics data. In this research, the feasibility of the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in direct extraction mode for global metabolomic studies of biological fluids based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was investigated for the first time. Initial research presented in this thesis focused on resolving several outstanding issues regarding the use of SPME for the analysis of biological fluids. SPME was not simultaneously capable to provide high-sample throughput and high degree of automation when coupled to LC-MS. This was successfully addressed through the development and evaluation of a new robotic station based on a 96-well plate format and an array of 96 SPME fibres. The parallel format of extraction and desorption allowed increased sample throughput of >1000 samples/day which represents the highest throughput of any SPME technique to date. This exceeds sample throughput requirements for a typical metabolomics study whereby ~100 samples/day are processed. SPME can also be used for direct in vivo sampling of flowing blood of an animal without the need to isolate a defined sample volume. This format of SPME is particularly attractive for metabolomic studies as it decreases the overall number of steps and also eliminates the need for metabolism quenching step because only small molecular weight species are extracted by the device, whereas large biological macromolecules such as proteins are not extracted by the coating. In current work, in vivo SPME sampling was successfully applied for sampling of mice for the first time. The proposed sampling procedure was fully validated against traditional terminal and serial sampling approaches for a pharmacokinetic study of carbamazepine and its metabolite. Excellent agreement of pharmacokinetic parameters such as systemic clearance, steady-state volume of distribution and terminal half-life was found for all three methods, with no statistically significant differences (p>0.05). The performance of new prototype commercial SPME devices based on hypodermic needle was also evaluated within the context of the study. The availability of such single-use devices with excellent inter-fibre reproducibility (<10% RSD) presents an important step forward in order to gain wider acceptance of in vivo SPME sampling. Finally, existing SPME coatings were not suitable for the simultaneous direct extraction of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic species, which is one of the requirements for a successful global metabolomics study. To address this issue, a systematic study of 40 types of commercially available sorbents was carried out using a metabolite standard test mixture spanning a wide molecular weight (80-777 Da) and polarity range (log P range of -5 to 7.4). The best performance for balanced extraction of species of varying polarity was achieved by (i) mixed-mode coating containing octadecyl or octyl group and benzenesulfonic acid ion exchange group, (ii) polar-enhanced polystyrene-divinylbenzene polymeric coatings and (iii) phenylboronic acid coatings. The second aspect of the research focused on the evaluation of SPME for a global metabolomics study of human plasma using two complementary LC-MS methods developed on benchtop Orbitrap MS system: reverse-phase method using pentafluorophenyl LC stationary phase and HILIC method using underivatized silica stationary phase. The parameters influencing overall method sensitivity such as voltages, mass ranges and ion inject times into C-trap were optimized to ensure best instrument performance for global metabolomic studies. Orbitrap system provided a powerful platform for metabolomics because of its high resolution and mass accuracy, thus helping to distinguish between metabolites with same nominal mass. The acquisition speed of the instrument at the highest resolution setting was insufficient for use with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), so all methods were developed using conventional LC. However, overall metabolite coverage achieved in current study compared well or even exceeded metabolite coverage reported in literature on different LC-MS or UHPLC-MS platforms including time-of-flight, quadrupole time-of-flight and hybrid Orbitrap instruments. The performance of SPME was fully compared versus traditional methods for global metabolomics (plasma protein precipitation and ultrafiltration). The main findings of this systematic study show that SPME provides improved coverage of hydrophobic metabolites versus ultrafiltration and reduces ionization suppression effects observed with both plasma protein precipitation and ultrafiltration methods. Using SPME, <5% and <20% of peaks showed significant matrix effects in reverse phase and HILIC methods, respectively and the observed effects were mostly correlated to elution within retention time window of anticoagulant for the majority of metabolites showing this effect. This improves overall quality of collected metabolomics data and can also improve metabolite coverage. For example, the highest number of metabolite features (3320 features) was observed using SPME in combination with negative ESI reverse-phase LC method, while in positive ESI mode plasma protein precipitation with methanol/ethanol mixture provided the most comprehensive metabolite coverage (3245 features versus 1821 features observed for SPME). Method precision of SPME method was excellent as evaluated using median RSD (11-18% RSD) of all metabolites detected. A proof-of-concept in vivo SPME study was also performed on mice to study the effects of carbamazepine administration and shows that SPME can be used as successful sample preparation method for global metabolomic studies in combination with unsupervised statistical data analysis techniques. This study highlights important advantages of in vivo sampling approaches including the ability to capture short-lived and/or unstable metabolites, to achieve truer representation of the metabolome at the time of sampling than achievable by blood withdrawal methods and the ability to use smaller animal cohorts while obtaining highly-relevant data sets. The experimental results provide new and useful insight into the effects of different sample preparation methods on the collected metabolomics data, and establish both in vitro and in vivo SPME as a new tool for global LC-MS metabolomics analysis for the first time.

In order to increase efficiency and lifetime of cutting tools it is typical to apply thin coatings by physical or chemical vapour deposition. Applying coatings on cutting tools has shown an increase in both efficiency and lifetime and are of large interest in further development. The study of coatings and their mechanical properties is a very active research area and produces tools extensively used in the industry.  The behaviour of materials on a macroscopic scale can typically be related to microscopic properties. Some coatings produced by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) but especially Physical Vapour deposition (PVD) have crystal structures which are difficult to analyse by conventional methods due to crystal sizes in the nanometre scale. For nanocrystalline materials standard methods fall short due to a limited resolution of the methods.  Recently a method for electron diffraction of crystalline samples was suggested to be used differently in order to achieve a higher resolution. Unlike earlier when electrons were reflected from the sample, using Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD), the electrons were transmitted through thin samples with thicknesses in the magnitude of 100 nm, which enabled the crystal structure to be determined. The new method is typically referred to as either Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) or transmission EBSD (t-EBSD) with a resolution down to approximately 10 nm.  The goal with this master thesis has been to evaluate sample preparation methods and TKD studies on PVD samples. Each step has been divided into parameters which govern the sample preparation and analysis and optimized accordingly in order to achieve best possible results of the crystal structure of PVD coatings. From this it has been possible to show how TKD is optimally performed and which difficulties and limitations that are present.  In this thesis two coatings, TiN and (Ti,Al)N, have been studied with TKD and two different preparation methods have been attempted. These were precision mechanical polishing and in-situ lift out with a Dual Beam System. Mechanical polishing did not succeed in producing samples for TKD but was not ruled out as a possibility while the in-situ lift out method could both produce samples and achieve a crystallographic indexing around 80 %. The only areas which were difficult to index were crystal boundaries and crystal clusters where individual crystals were in the range of &lt;30 nm. In these areas overlapping Kikuchi patterns were observed due to the resolution limit of TKD.

Phosphorus (P) is often the limiting nutrient in lacustrine and brackish eco-systems, and enhanced input of P into an aquatic system might therefore negatively impact the environment. Because modern waste water manage-ment have reduced external P input to surface waters, internal P loading from the sediment has become one of the main P sources to aquatic ecosys-tems, in which relatively unknown organic P compounds seem to be more active in P recycling than previously thought. This thesis focus is on improving analysis methods for organic P com-pounds in lacustrine and brackish sediments, as well as determining which of these compounds might be degraded, mobilized and subsequently recycled to the water column and on what temporal scale this occur. In both lacustrine and brackish environments, the most labile P compound was pyrophosphate, followed by different phosphate diesters. Phosphate monoesters were the least labile organic P compounds and degraded the slowest with sediment depth. In regulated lakes, it was shown that pyrophosphate and polyphos-phate compound groups were most related to lake trophic status, thus indi-cating their involvement in P cycling. This thesis also indicates faster P turn-over in sediment from the brackish environment compared to sediment from the lacustrine environment. A comparison of organic P extraction procedures showed that pre-extraction with EDTA, and NaOH as main extractant, was most efficient for total P extraction. Using buffered sodium dithionite (BD) as a pre-extractant and NaOH as main extractant was most efficient for extracting the presuma-bly most labile organic P compound groups, pyrophosphate and polyphos-phate. Furthermore, it was determined that organic P compounds associated with humic substances were more recalcitrant than other P compounds, that the BD step used in traditional P fractionation might extract phosphate monoesters, and that NMR is a statistically valid method for quantification of organic P compounds in sediment extracts.