The cost of the present generation of inorganic silicon solar cells is very high and further breakthroughs in cost and efficiency using traditional materials are becoming less and less likely after over 50 years of development. Next generation organic solar cells offer a solution to the limitations of silicon through the vision of low-cost, liquid-based, large area fabrication technology based on polymer and nanomaterials at room temperature. However, most polymers used in solar cells are dissolved in organic solvents such as xylene, toluene, chloroform, and chlorobenzene. Such solvents are harmful to people and environments, leading to higher costs due to complicated waste disposal processing. This is in conflict with the low cost, green, and renewable energy for which we are aiming. To realize a green organic solar cell, a novel solar cell has been created using an environmentally friendly water-soluble thiophene polymer [(Sodium poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethoxy-4-butylsulfonate])] (PTEBS) and nanocrystalline TiO2. This novel system has shown great potential in photovoltaics the work has garnered the attention of the international community.In our innovative solar cells, the water-soluble polythiophene (PTEBS) is used as electron donor. Nanoparticle TiO2 acts as electron acceptor. PTEBS/TiO2 solar cells with various structures including bilayer heterojunctions, bulk heterojunctions and a hybrid of bilayer and bulk heterojunctions have been developed and explored. These results are comparable to the best polymer/metal-oxide solar cells reported by other groups using organic solvents.In summary, this is the first time that green solar cells have been fabricated from environmentally friendly water-soluble polymers. By using water as the solvent and utilizing liquid-based processing, the cost of the energy generated by this type of solar cell will be further lowered. In addition, the flexible polymer offers the ease of fabrication and integration into different devices.

Ph. D., Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Different cadmium, cobalt and zinc complexes of substituted thioureas, dithiocarbamates and thiuram di/monosulfides were synthesized using ethanol or water as solvents. The synthesis of dithiocarbamates complexes were performed at room temperature while the rest were refluxed at 70 oC. The complexes were easy to synthesize, of low cost and stable in air and were obtained in good yields. The complexes were characterized using various instruments, such as infrared (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, elemental analyzer, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray crystallography. The complexes were found to coordinate the ligands through sulphur atom, instead of nitrogen atom. This was concluded after shifts to higher or lower wavenumbers were observed from the infrared spectra of the complexes as compared to their free ligands. The 1H NMR also depicted formation of the complexes, with complexes peaks shifting to downfield as compared to the free ligands. There were also signs of broad NH peaks especially for substituted thiourea complexes. The crystals grown from complex II (diphenylthiourea cadmium complex) depicted a tetrahedral geometry, with two sulphur and two chlorine atoms binding to the central atom which is cadmium. The easily synthesized complexes were thermolysed in HDA, TOPO or a mixture of the two to form metal sulphide nanoparticles. The role of the above capping agents or ligands was to control particles growth and prevent them from aggregation. A single source precursor route was employed in synthesizing hydrophobic semiconductor nanoparticles, which are also known as (QDs) quantum dots. Various shapes, which are rods (mono-, bi- and tripods), spheres and hexagonal were revealed through transmission electron microscope (TEM). The sizes of these particles ranged from 1 to 12 nm in diameter. Other instruments used for characterising the as-synthesized semiconductor nanoparticles include X-ray diffractometer (XRD), UV-Visible and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. The optical properties of the particles as determined by the UV-Visible spectroscopy revealed some differences as compared to the bulk materials. All the absorption spectra were blue shifted to the bulk materials signifying finite size of the particles. The XRD peaks observed were broad as compared to the bulk ones, which also signified small particles size. Two phases, which are hexagonal and cubic, were revealed from the XRD. viii The hydrophobic semiconductor nanoparticles or quantum dots synthesized were then transferred into water soluble using ligand exchange method. The chloroform and pyridine routes were used to synthesize hydrophilic semiconductor nanoparticles, with pyridine route being preferred. The shape and size of the particles were not influenced by the transfer into water soluble since the experiments were performed at room temperature. This was confirmed by TEM analysis. The capping agents used after displacing water insoluble capping agents were sugars, which were soluble in water. The XRD pattern of the semiconductor nanoparticles/QDs (CdS) capped by sugars after ligand exchange through pyridine yielded multiple peaks which were difficult to assign. The attempt to employ ligand exchange method in transferring hydrophobic CoxSy and ZnS nanoparticles to hydrophilic CoxSy and ZnS nanoparticles proved unsuccessful. When the materials were centrifuged after the sugars were introduced as capping agents, some solid material settled at the bottom, with some floating on top of the solution. This was an indication that the materials were not miscible. The hydrophilic CdS, CoxSy and ZnS nanoparticles were also synthesized using direct method. In this method, the metal sources and capping (sugars) were dissolved in ethylene glycol at 100 oC. The sulphur sources were also dissolved separately in the same solvent. Upon completion, the latter solution was added to the former one. The particles were grown at 160 oC for an hour with ethylene glycol as a solvent. The morphology of the particles dominated through this method was spherical-like in shape. The crystallinity of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles depicted hexagonal and cubic phases depending on the complexes used. The XRD indicated the armophous nature of the cobalt sulphide nanoparticles, irrespective of the precursor used. Due to the toxicity problem of the quantum dots, especially CdS, the water soluble CdS capped by glucuronic acid, glucose and sucrose after ligand exchange were chosen for that study. However, results showed that the CdS used were not toxic. It was measured or deduced by checking the viability which remained above 90%. Add a bit of deductions about toxicity study here, just some of the general trends.

A rutina é um flavonol glicosídico pertencente a uma importante classe de flavonóides, sendo extensamente encontrados na natureza. Ela apresenta uma importância terapêutica em virtude de determinar a normalização da resistência e permeabilidade das paredes dos vasos capilares, além de inibir o processo de formação de radicais livres em vários estágios. O fruto do faveiro (Dimorphandra mollis Benth., uma espécie nativa brasileira) é uma das fontes para a extração em escala industrial da rutina. A sua aplicação em formas farmacêuticas para o uso externo é muito limitada devido a sua baixa solubilidade em água. Com esta finalidade, foi realizada a síntese química através da introdução de grupos carboxilatos nas hidroxilas dos grupamentos glicosídicos da molécula de rutina, utilizando-se piridina e diferentes anidridos, sendo eles: o succínico, o ftálico e o 2-fenil-glutárico à temperatura de 70 ºC por 24 horas. Estes três derivados sintetizados foram purificados em papel cromatográfico e caracterizados em 2 sistemas de proporções diferentes de eluentes. Além disso, foi feito um estudo comparativo entre as suas propriedades físico-químicas e as da rutina pela determinação da solubilidade e do coeficiente de extinção molar. Desta forma, avaliou-se a atividade antioxidante destes derivados com relação a rutina utilizando 2 ensaios diferentes, como a determinação de malondialdeído pela autoxidação do tecido cerebral e produção de radicais peroxilas pela termólise de um azo-iniciador, com os seus respectivos padrões de referência, o α-tocoferol e o Trolox. O resultado do ensaio de solubilidade indicou que a rutina succinil, a ftaloil e a fenil-glutaroil foram cerca de 800, 85 e 5,5 vezes mais solúvel em água que a rutina. Já em relação aos outros ensaios verificou-se que os derivados sintetizados continuaram apresentando atividade antioxidante e absorvendo luz em seu pico máximo próximo de 392nm, o que mostrou pouca modificação química no núcleo flavonóide. No ensaio de anti-radicais, a rutina ftaloil foi entre os derivados hidrossolúveis a que apresentou um melhor resultado devido a sinergia do anel aromático com o núcleo flavonóide em seqüestrar radicais livres. / Rutin is a glycoside flavonol which belongs to an important class of flavonoids, being extensively found in the nature. It presents a therapeutical importance due to improve the resistance and permeability of capillaries vessels, and is able to suppress free radical processes in some stages. The fruit of the faveiro (Dimorphandra mollis Benth., a Brazilian native species) is one of the sources for the extration in industrial scale of the rutin. Its application in pharmaceutical forms for external use very is limited because it has low solubility in water. With this purpose, it was done the chemical synthesis introducing carboxylate groups on sugar moiety of rutin using pyridin and different anhydrides, such as: succinic, phtalic and the 2-phenyl glutaric at 70 ºC for 24 hours. These three synthesized derivatives had been purificated in chromatographic paper and characterized in 2 systems of different ratios of eluents. Moreover, a comparative study among their physico-chemical properties and of the rutin for the determination of the solubility and the molar extinction coefficient. With this in mind, it was evaluated antioxidant activity of these derivatives with regard to rutin using 2 different assays, as the determination of malondialdehyde by the brain homogenate autoxidation and generation of peroxyl radicals by the thermolysis of a azo compound, with its respective reference standards: α-tocopherol and Trolox. The result of the solubility assay indicated that the succinyl, the phtaloyl and the phenyl glutaroyl rutin had been about 800, 85 and 5,5 times, respective, more soluble in water that the rutin. In respect to relationship to the other assays it was verified that the synthesized derivatives had continued presenting antioxidant activity and absorbing light in its maximum peak next to 392nm, showing that chemical modifications in the flavonoid nucleus had not been made significant. In the assay of anti-radicals, the phtaloyl rutin was the water-soluble derivative what it presented one better result, due one the presence of the aromatic ring that can enhanced the radical-scavenging efficiencies together to the flavonoid nucleus.

O aumento na poluição ambiental é na atualidade uma das grandes preocupações em nível mundial. Especificamente, a poluição atmosférica por material particulado tem demostrado ser um fator determinante no desenvolvimento de doenças cardiopulmonares e câncer de pulmão nas populações expostas. O material particulado é constituído por uma mistura complexa de compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos, muitos dos quais possuem potencial mutagênico e genotóxico. As características destes compostos variam em função da suas propriedades físicas, químicas e em razão das condições meteorológicas prevalecentes. A maior parte dos estudos tem se focado em avaliar o potencial genotóxico da fração orgânica do material particulado e poucos estudos têm explorado a fração solúvel em água e a contribuição diferencial das diversas espécies químicas presentes nesta fração para o dano genotóxico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos mutagênicos e genotóxicos in vitro da fração orgânica e da fração solúvel em água de material particulado (MP10) coletado em três locais diferentes do estado de São Paulo e estabelecer a relação entre a composição química e o efeito biológico observado. Para isto, realizou­-se a extração orgânica e solúvel em água de 12 amostras de MP10. A mutagenicidade e genotoxicidade foram avaliadas usando o ensaio de Salmonella/microssoma e o teste de micronúcleos (MN) em células A549 e 16 hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos (HPAs) e 15 metais hidrossolúveis presentes nas amostras foram determinados quimicamente. Adicionalmente, foi determinada a metodologia de extração da fracção solúvel em água e se avaliou a estabilidade química e biológica desta fração. Os resultados indicam que a extração assistida por micro-ondas é um método eficiente para a extração da fração solúvel em agua do MP e que um tempo superior a 60 dias de armazenamento e congelamento deste tipo de extrato tem um efeito significativo sobre os resultados analíticos e a resposta biológica. Foi demonstrado ainda que as duas frações de MP estudadas são responsáveis pela indução do dano ao DNA e que não existe uma relação direta entre a concentração de MP e o efeito genotóxico observado, confirmando a importância do uso de bioensaios na avaliação da genotoxicidade de misturas complexas como o MP. Os HPAs prevalecentes nas amostras de PM10 foram fluorantene e benzo(ghi)perileno. Nos extratos solúveis em água, as maiores concentrações de metais foram determinadas para zinco, ferro e cobre. Confirmou-se que a indução de MN e o ensaio de Salmonella/microssoma representam uma poderosa ferramenta na avaliação da polução atmosférica e que as análises químicas por si só não são suficientes para a proteção e predição dos efeitos biológicos em populações expostas. / The increase of environmental pollution is today one a major concern worldwide. Specifically, air pollution by particulate matter has been shown to be a determining factor in the development of cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer in exposed populations. The particulate material consists of a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, many of which have mutagenic and genotoxic activity. The characteristics of these compounds vary according to their physical and chemical properties and also to the prevailing weather conditions. Most studies have focused on evaluating the genotoxic potential of the organic fraction of particulate material, but few studies have explored the water­-soluble fraction, and the differential contributions of different chemical species present in this fraction to genotoxic damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro mutagenic and genotoxic effects of organic and water-soluble fractions of 12 samples of particulate matter (PM10) collected at three different sites in the state of São Paulo and establish the relationship between the chemical composition and the biological effect observed. The mutagenicity and genotoxicity were evaluated using the Salmonella/microssome test and the micronucleus assay (MN) in A549 cells and 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 15 water-soluble metals present in the samples were chemically determined. Additionally, the extraction method of water- soluble fraction was determined and the chemical and biological stability of this fraction evaluated. The results indicate that the microwave­-assisted extraction is an efficient method for the extraction of the water-soluble compounds of PM and that the freezing and storage of the extract over 60 days has a significant effect on the mutagenic and analytical results of PM samples. It was demonstrated that the two PM fractions studied are responsible for the induction of DNA damage and that there is no direct relationship between the MP concentration and the genotoxic effect observed, confirming the importance of using bioassays in the genotoxicity evaluation of complex mixtures as PM. The PAHs prevailing in our samples were fluoranthene and benzo(ghi)perylene. In the water-soluble extracts, highest concentrations of the elements studied were found for zinc, iron, and copper in the three places of sampling. We confirmed that MN induction and Salmonella/microsome assay represents a powerful tool to evaluate the atmospheric air pollution and that the total concentration of PM and the chemical analyses alone would not be sufficient for the prognosis of biological effects in exposed populations

A rutina é um flavonol glicosídico pertencente a uma importante classe de flavonóides, sendo extensamente encontrados na natureza. Ela apresenta uma importância terapêutica em virtude de determinar a normalização da resistência e permeabilidade das paredes dos vasos capilares, além de inibir o processo de formação de radicais livres em vários estágios. O fruto do faveiro (Dimorphandra mollis Benth., uma espécie nativa brasileira) é uma das fontes para a extração em escala industrial da rutina. A sua aplicação em formas farmacêuticas para o uso externo é muito limitada devido a sua baixa solubilidade em água. Com esta finalidade, foi realizada a síntese química através da introdução de grupos carboxilatos nas hidroxilas dos grupamentos glicosídicos da molécula de rutina, utilizando-se piridina e diferentes anidridos, sendo eles: o succínico, o ftálico e o 2-fenil-glutárico à temperatura de 70 ºC por 24 horas. Estes três derivados sintetizados foram purificados em papel cromatográfico e caracterizados em 2 sistemas de proporções diferentes de eluentes. Além disso, foi feito um estudo comparativo entre as suas propriedades físico-químicas e as da rutina pela determinação da solubilidade e do coeficiente de extinção molar. Desta forma, avaliou-se a atividade antioxidante destes derivados com relação a rutina utilizando 2 ensaios diferentes, como a determinação de malondialdeído pela autoxidação do tecido cerebral e produção de radicais peroxilas pela termólise de um azo-iniciador, com os seus respectivos padrões de referência, o α-tocoferol e o Trolox. O resultado do ensaio de solubilidade indicou que a rutina succinil, a ftaloil e a fenil-glutaroil foram cerca de 800, 85 e 5,5 vezes mais solúvel em água que a rutina. Já em relação aos outros ensaios verificou-se que os derivados sintetizados continuaram apresentando atividade antioxidante e absorvendo luz em seu pico máximo próximo de 392nm, o que mostrou pouca modificação química no núcleo flavonóide. No ensaio de anti-radicais, a rutina ftaloil foi entre os derivados hidrossolúveis a que apresentou um melhor resultado devido a sinergia do anel aromático com o núcleo flavonóide em seqüestrar radicais livres. / Rutin is a glycoside flavonol which belongs to an important class of flavonoids, being extensively found in the nature. It presents a therapeutical importance due to improve the resistance and permeability of capillaries vessels, and is able to suppress free radical processes in some stages. The fruit of the faveiro (Dimorphandra mollis Benth., a Brazilian native species) is one of the sources for the extration in industrial scale of the rutin. Its application in pharmaceutical forms for external use very is limited because it has low solubility in water. With this purpose, it was done the chemical synthesis introducing carboxylate groups on sugar moiety of rutin using pyridin and different anhydrides, such as: succinic, phtalic and the 2-phenyl glutaric at 70 ºC for 24 hours. These three synthesized derivatives had been purificated in chromatographic paper and characterized in 2 systems of different ratios of eluents. Moreover, a comparative study among their physico-chemical properties and of the rutin for the determination of the solubility and the molar extinction coefficient. With this in mind, it was evaluated antioxidant activity of these derivatives with regard to rutin using 2 different assays, as the determination of malondialdehyde by the brain homogenate autoxidation and generation of peroxyl radicals by the thermolysis of a azo compound, with its respective reference standards: α-tocopherol and Trolox. The result of the solubility assay indicated that the succinyl, the phtaloyl and the phenyl glutaroyl rutin had been about 800, 85 and 5,5 times, respective, more soluble in water that the rutin. In respect to relationship to the other assays it was verified that the synthesized derivatives had continued presenting antioxidant activity and absorbing light in its maximum peak next to 392nm, showing that chemical modifications in the flavonoid nucleus had not been made significant. In the assay of anti-radicals, the phtaloyl rutin was the water-soluble derivative what it presented one better result, due one the presence of the aromatic ring that can enhanced the radical-scavenging efficiencies together to the flavonoid nucleus.

As partículas atmosféricas com diâmetro aerodinâmico menor que 10 µm são classificadas por MP10. Essas partículas podem ser subdivididas em partículas grossas (entre 2,5 e 10 &#181;m) e finas (< 2,5 &#181;m), sendo que as últimas apresentam poder de penetração maior no organismo, podendo atingir os alvéolos pulmonares. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar espécies solúveis em água no material particulado MP10, coletado na Cidade Universitária (São Paulo-SP) durante o ano de 2003, como também, investigar a variação sazonal destas espécies na atmosfera de São Paulo, caracterizando as principais fontes de emissões existentes no sítio de estudo, tais como possíveis formações de espécies secundárias e influências de transporte de massas de ar. As amostras foram coletadas no Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas da USP, utilizando filtros de fibra de quartzo e um amostrador de grande volume. A amostragem ocorreu a cada quinze dias, entre os meses de abril/2003 e maio/2004 (n=28), sendo realizadas também duas amostragens durante dias consecutivos, uma ocorrendo em março/2003 (n=5) e outra em julho/2003 (n=10). Esses dois períodos correspondem a estudos de casos, no qual o primeiro é caracterizado pela ocorrência de precipitação nos dias amostrados, enquanto, o segundo representa dias de ausência de precipitação, característicos do inverno na região de estudo. O tempo de amostragem foi de 24 horas. A extração da fração solúveis em água foi feita por via aquosa e a quantificação por cromatografia de íons. O inverno/2003 representou a estação de maior concentração média de MP10 e também das espécies estudadas, entretanto, considerando o intervalo de concentração obtido em cada estação, no outono/2003 foram encontrados valores de MP10 tão elevados quanto no inverno/2003. Nenhuma amostra apresentou concentração de material particulado acima do limite recomendado pela legislação brasileira (150 µg m-3), porém, considerando o limite de MP10 recomendado pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (50 µg m-3), apenas a primavera/2003 e o verão 2003/2004 não apresentaram amostras acima deste limite. O sulfato representou a espécie mais abundante da fração solúvel em água do MP10, não apresentando grandes variações ao longo das estações do ano. A razão entre os ácidos fórmico e acético mostrou que as reações fotoquímicas contribuem mais intensamente para a presença destas espécies na atmosfera do sítio estudado. O estudo das trajetórias de massas de ar e também as correlações entre as espécies mostraram que o sítio de estudo recebe influência de aerossóis marinhos e também de locais provenientes de queima de biomassa. / PM10 is classified by the atmospheric particulate matter that present the diameter smaller than 10 µm. These particles may be divided in the coarse fraction (diameter between 2,5 and 10 µm) and fine fraction (<2,5 µm). The fine fraction presents high power penetration in the human organism. The objective of this study was to determinate the water-soluble ions in the PM10 collected in the Cidade Universitária (São Paulo, SP) during 2003 year and to investigate the seasonal variation of these species, characterizing the principal emissions sources in the studied site, secondary reaction and air mass transport. Samples were collected in the Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas of USP, using the high volume sample and fiber quartz filter. The sampling occurred every 15 days, between April/2003 and May/2004 (n=28). It was done two sampling in consecutive days, during March/2003 (n=5) and July (n=10). The first period was characterizing by occurrence of precipitation during the sample days and the second period was characterizing by absence of precipitation. The sample time was 24 hours. The extraction of the water soluble ions was done using water and the quantification by ions chromatography. The winter/2003 presented the highest average concentration of PM10 and of the studied species. However, considering the range of the concentration, the autumn/2003 presented PM10 concentration as high as winter/2003. It was not noticed concentrations of PM10 above that established by Brazilian laws (150 µg m-3), but considering the limit of PM10 established by World Health Organization (50 µg m-3), only spring/2003 and summer 2003/2004 did not present concentration highest than this limit. Sulfate was the more abundant studied species. The concentration of that ion did not present variation each season of the year. The ratio between formic acid and acetic acid showed that the photochemical reaction is the principal responsible for the presence of these acids in the atmosphere of studied site. The study of back mass trajectories and the correlation between same species showed that the São Paulo receive influence of marine aerosol by air mass transported and aerosols by region of the biomass burning, too.

O aumento na poluição ambiental é na atualidade uma das grandes preocupações em nível mundial. Especificamente, a poluição atmosférica por material particulado tem demostrado ser um fator determinante no desenvolvimento de doenças cardiopulmonares e câncer de pulmão nas populações expostas. O material particulado é constituído por uma mistura complexa de compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos, muitos dos quais possuem potencial mutagênico e genotóxico. As características destes compostos variam em função da suas propriedades físicas, químicas e em razão das condições meteorológicas prevalecentes. A maior parte dos estudos tem se focado em avaliar o potencial genotóxico da fração orgânica do material particulado e poucos estudos têm explorado a fração solúvel em água e a contribuição diferencial das diversas espécies químicas presentes nesta fração para o dano genotóxico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos mutagênicos e genotóxicos in vitro da fração orgânica e da fração solúvel em água de material particulado (MP10) coletado em três locais diferentes do estado de São Paulo e estabelecer a relação entre a composição química e o efeito biológico observado. Para isto, realizou­-se a extração orgânica e solúvel em água de 12 amostras de MP10. A mutagenicidade e genotoxicidade foram avaliadas usando o ensaio de Salmonella/microssoma e o teste de micronúcleos (MN) em células A549 e 16 hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos (HPAs) e 15 metais hidrossolúveis presentes nas amostras foram determinados quimicamente. Adicionalmente, foi determinada a metodologia de extração da fracção solúvel em água e se avaliou a estabilidade química e biológica desta fração. Os resultados indicam que a extração assistida por micro-ondas é um método eficiente para a extração da fração solúvel em agua do MP e que um tempo superior a 60 dias de armazenamento e congelamento deste tipo de extrato tem um efeito significativo sobre os resultados analíticos e a resposta biológica. Foi demonstrado ainda que as duas frações de MP estudadas são responsáveis pela indução do dano ao DNA e que não existe uma relação direta entre a concentração de MP e o efeito genotóxico observado, confirmando a importância do uso de bioensaios na avaliação da genotoxicidade de misturas complexas como o MP. Os HPAs prevalecentes nas amostras de PM10 foram fluorantene e benzo(ghi)perileno. Nos extratos solúveis em água, as maiores concentrações de metais foram determinadas para zinco, ferro e cobre. Confirmou-se que a indução de MN e o ensaio de Salmonella/microssoma representam uma poderosa ferramenta na avaliação da polução atmosférica e que as análises químicas por si só não são suficientes para a proteção e predição dos efeitos biológicos em populações expostas. / The increase of environmental pollution is today one a major concern worldwide. Specifically, air pollution by particulate matter has been shown to be a determining factor in the development of cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer in exposed populations. The particulate material consists of a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, many of which have mutagenic and genotoxic activity. The characteristics of these compounds vary according to their physical and chemical properties and also to the prevailing weather conditions. Most studies have focused on evaluating the genotoxic potential of the organic fraction of particulate material, but few studies have explored the water­-soluble fraction, and the differential contributions of different chemical species present in this fraction to genotoxic damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro mutagenic and genotoxic effects of organic and water-soluble fractions of 12 samples of particulate matter (PM10) collected at three different sites in the state of São Paulo and establish the relationship between the chemical composition and the biological effect observed. The mutagenicity and genotoxicity were evaluated using the Salmonella/microssome test and the micronucleus assay (MN) in A549 cells and 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 15 water-soluble metals present in the samples were chemically determined. Additionally, the extraction method of water- soluble fraction was determined and the chemical and biological stability of this fraction evaluated. The results indicate that the microwave­-assisted extraction is an efficient method for the extraction of the water-soluble compounds of PM and that the freezing and storage of the extract over 60 days has a significant effect on the mutagenic and analytical results of PM samples. It was demonstrated that the two PM fractions studied are responsible for the induction of DNA damage and that there is no direct relationship between the MP concentration and the genotoxic effect observed, confirming the importance of using bioassays in the genotoxicity evaluation of complex mixtures as PM. The PAHs prevailing in our samples were fluoranthene and benzo(ghi)perylene. In the water-soluble extracts, highest concentrations of the elements studied were found for zinc, iron, and copper in the three places of sampling. We confirmed that MN induction and Salmonella/microsome assay represents a powerful tool to evaluate the atmospheric air pollution and that the total concentration of PM and the chemical analyses alone would not be sufficient for the prognosis of biological effects in exposed populations

Supersaturating drug delivery systems, such as amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs), have been used extensively to elevate the apparent solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, despite the numerous examples of success in increasing solubility and oral bioavailability using ASDs, physical stability challenges remain as formulators seek to employ high drug loading for cost reduction and improved patient compliance. Therefore, stability in both the solid and solution state must be considered for ASDs to be successful. In the solid state, the drug must remain amorphous in the solid matrix throughout the shelf life of the product. Although excipients, such as polymers, have been known to stabilize the amorphous drug in the solid state, stresses encountered during manufacturing and fluctuations in storage conditions may have a detrimental impact on the physical stability of ASDs. Numerous studies have been performed on the impact of each process on ASD stability, yet the relative quantitative impact of each process with respect to the overall energetics landscape is not well understood. Further, ASDs must dissolve after administration and maintain the intended supersaturation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract during the GI transit time to achieve maximum oral absorption. In solution, the energetics advantage of the amorphous over the crystalline material is a “double-edged sword,” in that it produces not only a high absorption driving force but also an undesirable high crystallization potential. An approach to quantitatively measure the thermodynamic activity of amorphous materials is, thus, desirable. However, it is difficult to measure thermodynamic activity quantitatively, especially due to the speciation process induced by formulation excipients and endogenous materials. Hence, it is often difficult to assess the true enhancement in the absorption for a given ASD and to measure its crystallization tendency in solution. Overall, this dissertation aims to address the following: 1. The relative thermodynamics magnitude of various processes with respect to the crystallization energy associated with amorphous drugs 2. The development of a practical tool to measure the thermodynamic activity of amorphous materials over its crystalline counterpart in solution to assess the enhancement in absorption in the presence of excipients 3. The impact of measured thermodynamic activity on drug crystallization energetics in the presence of excipients

Under terminal water deficit, the impact of stem carbohydrate remobilization has greater significance because post-anthesis assimilation is limited, and grain growth depends on translocation of carbohydrate reserves. The working hypothesis of this thesis is that increases in stem carbohydrates facilitate tolerance to terminal drought in wheat. The goals of this thesis are to examine this hypothesis using physiological and genetic tools; identify genes that are related to QTL for stem carbohydrate; work with wheat and barley breeders to integrate findings into the breeding program of the Department of Agricultural and Food Western Australia. The physiological data of three drought experiments (two years in a glasshouse and one year in the field) suggested the maximum level of stem water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) is not consistently related to grain weight, especially, under water deficit. The patterns of WSC accumulation after anthesis differed depending on variety and suggested that WSC degradation and translocation have different genetic determinants. Most of the carbohydrates in stem WSC in wheat are fructans. Because 1-FEH gene was an important gene in fructan degradation, the three copies of this gene (1-FEH w1, 1-FEH w2 and 1-FEH w3) were isolated from the respective genomes of bread wheat. In addition, the genes were mapped to chromosome locations and coincided with QTL for grain weight. The results of gene expression studies show that 1-FEH w3 had significantly higher levels in the stem and sheath which negatively corresponded to the level of stem WSC in two wheat varieties in both water-deficit and well-watered treatments. Strikingly, the 1-FEH w3 appeared to be activated by water deficit in Westonia but not in Kauz. The results suggest that stem WSC level is not, on its own, a reliable criterion to identify potential grain yield in wheat exposed to water deficit during grain filling. The expression of 1-FEH w3 may provide a better indicator when linked to instantaneous water use efficiency, osmotic potential and green leaf retention, and this requires validation in field grown plants. In view of the location of the contribution to grain filling of stem WSC, this is a potential candidate gene contributing to grain filling. The numerous differences of intron sequences of 1-FEH genes would provide more opportunities to find markers associated with the QTL. A new FEH gene was partially isolated from Chinese Spring and the sequence was closely related to 1-FEH genes. This gene, FEH w4, was mapped to 6AS using Chinese Spring deletion bin lines. The polymorphism of this gene was found between different bread varieties using PCRs and RFLPs, and this allowed the gene to be mapped to two populations of Hanxuan 10 × Lumai 14 and Cranbrook × Halberd. In the population of Hanxuan 10 × Lumai 14, it was close to SSR marker xgwm334 and wmc297 where the QTL of thousand grain weight and grain filling efficiency were located. This result indicated this gene might be another possible candidate gene for grain weight and grain filling in wheat.

Aerosols and clouds provide the largest uncertainty in the atmospheric radiation budget. The main focus of this thesis was to investigate the ability of organic compounds in aerosol particles to form clouds, and more specifically those emitted by living organisms. The cloud forming properties of the highly water-soluble methyltetrols and polyols, which are compounds produced by plants and fungi that are common in aerosol, were studied. All compounds and their salt mixtures have a moderate potential to serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). They are thus not likely to have a significant global impact on cloudiness. The potential presence of surfactants released by microorganisms was investigated for aerosols sampled at different locations. Very low surface tension values were measured for these aerosol extracts (30 mN/m), which implies that these aerosols have good CCN properties and indicate the presence of biosurfactants. Their occurrence in aerosols still needs to be confirmed directly by chemical identification. Reactions of organic compounds in sulfate salt solutions exposed to UV-light were studied and found to produce surface active compounds. Thus, mixed sulfate/organic aerosol could have more favourable CCN properties after exposure to light than when kept in the dark. The surface active compounds were proposed to be long-chained organosulfates with hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, similar to other amphiphilic surfactants. Mixtures of salt and strong surfactants formed by bacteria were studied using two different techniques for determining their CCN properties. There were inconsistencies between the two methods which could be accounted for by surface partitioning. The studied mixtures were determined to be good potential CCN material in both techniques. All these aspects require further investigation, but if the impact of strong biogenic surfactants on cloud formation is confirmed, a new link between living organisms and climate would be identified. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.