Conducting polymers are synthesized on electrode surfaces, conduct electricity, and can incorporate different molecules. These properties make them ideal for biocompatible application to interface with the nervous system, particularly for drug release. This thesis describes the development of system based on nanoporous conducting polymers for the controlled release of dopamine. Polypyrrole, a conducting polymer, was demonstrated to release the neurotransmitter dopamine when electrically stimulated. Dopamine release from nanoporous and non-nanoporous polypyrrole films was characterized. Diffusion from unstimulated polypyrrole accounts for much of the dopamine release, while a fraction of the dopamine was released in a controllable fashion when the polypyrrole film was stimulated. Dopamine was retained by holding the releasing electrode at a negative potential. Dopamine release was quantified by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry using carbon-fiber microelectrodes.
Successful controlled release of dopamine from conducting polymer films is promising for treatment of neurological conditions characterized by low dopamine levels, neuroscience research investigating the effects of neurotransmitters on network activity, and it also serves as a model system for controlled release of other similar molecules of pharmaceutical interest.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-05112010-152535 |
| Date | 12 May 2010 |
| Creators | Freedman, Michael Scott |
| Contributors | Dr. Shigeru Amemiya, Dr. Adrian Michael, Dr. Xinyan Tracy Cui, Dr. Guoqiang Bi |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-05112010-152535/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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