Engineering Commons^™

Engineering Of Gold Nanoparticles For Drug Delivery, Fangchao Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Due to their ease of synthesis, versatile surface chemistry, ease of imaging, and biocompatibility, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are employed as drug delivery devices in the treatment of respiratory problems associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). We have developed a method for the synthesis of a tripartite nanoconjugate comprised of an AuNP drug carrier chemically conjugated to a transporter protein (wheat germ agglutinin coupled to horseradish peroxidase or WGA-HRP) and to potent SCI drugs. The therapeutic efficacy and biodistribution were studied in a validated animal model. Our results show that a single administration of the nanoconjugate improved diaphragmatic activity at a …

Rare-Earth-Activated Group Vi D0 Metal Oxides As Thermosensitive Phosphors, Samarage Sameera Perera

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RARE-EARTH-ACTIVATED GROUP VI d0 METAL OXIDES AS

THERMOSENSITIVE PHOSPHORS

by

SAMARAGE SAMEERA PRASAD PERERA

AUGUST 2019

Advisor: Dr. Federico A. Rabuffetti

Major: Chemistry

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Thermosensitive phosphors are solid-state materials that demonstrate distinct dependence of luminescence emission on temperature. These materials enable optical temperature sensing in environments where conventional thermometry is not possible (e.g., gas turbines, combustion engines, surface temperature distributions). However, the design of thermosensitive phosphors that show adequate sensitivity and low thermal quenching in the intermediate temperature range (i.e., 500–1000 K) remains challenging. This challenge can be addressed by understanding how to rationally manipulate the …

Direct Laser Metal Deposition Of Nickel Based Superalloys, Abhishek Ramakrishnan-Sudha

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nickel-based superalloys are substantially used in the manufacturing of boilers for ultra-supercritical power plants and gas turbine hot-section as this grade of alloys provide higher yield strength with the rise in operating temperature and pressure owing to the presence of γʹ second phase precipitates. Conventionally, casting techniques such as centrifugal casting, investment casting, vacuum molding and several other casting based methods are used to fabricate the hot-section components. Nevertheless, a need for designing advanced materials with complex designs such as geometry, microstructure control, compositional changes, microstructure and property varying with the location as in functionally graded materials is not viable …

Fundamental Insights On The Electrolysis Of Co2 Using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells, Juliana Silva Alves Carneiro

Wayne State University Dissertations

The work reported in this thesis focused on providing a fundamental understanding, at the molecular level, required to guide the effective design of electrocatalysts towards a superior reaction kinetics on the electrode of solid oxide electrolysis cells SOECs devices (SOECs) during the CO2 electrolysis. High temperature SOECs are electrochemical energy conversion technologies, that have emerged as promising alternatives to mitigate environmental issues associated with combustion-based technologies, such as the rising atmospheric CO2 levels. The conversion of excess CO2 into high-energy molecules, such as CO can be efficiently achieved through the use of SOEC – which facilitates the electrochemical reduction of …

Immune Modulation By Amphiphilic Oligonucleotides, Chunsong Yu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Immunotherapy is emerging as one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment in clinical practice. Immunotherapy leverages the host’s immune system to attack and kill tumor cells. Rationally-designed cancer vaccines are emerging as one of the powerful immunotherapies primarily because of the promise of inducing tumor antigen-specific immune responses. To improve immunogenicity of cancer vaccines, vaccine antigens are administered with vaccine adjuvants which can robustly activate innate immune system and subsequently lead to adaptive immune response. However, the major challenge of achieving significant therapeutic efficacy is lack of efficient targeted-delivery of vaccine components. By taking advantage of endogenous …

Novel Cathode Framework, Effective Electrolyte Modification, And Electrode Structural Modification Of High Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries, Wenduo Zeng

Wayne State University Dissertations

Firstly, TiN nanotube arrays have been investigated as an effective skeleton in the cathode of lithium-sulfur batteries. A series of TiN nanotubes with various diameter and length have been synthesized and tested. Moreover, graphene nanoplatelets have been utilized as a structural anchor to support the TiN nanotubes, and the synergetic effect of composite material and its enhancement on Li-S battery electrochemical performance and cycling stability have been studied. Secondly, the improvement of electrode structural design has been evaluated for their effectiveness by using an in-situ characterization method with other electrochemical characterization. Lastly, the facile method of using transition metal cations …