Nanotechnology Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Regional Drug Deposition Of Nasal Delivery Devices Using In Vitro Realistic Nasal Models, Mandana Azimi

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objectives of this research project were i) to develop and evaluate methods of characterizing nasal spray products using realistic nasal airway models as more clinically relevant in vitro tools and ii) to develop and evaluate a novel high-efficiency antibiotic nanoparticle dry powder formulation and delivery device. Two physically realistic nasal airway models were used to assess the effects of patient-use experimental conditions, nasal airway geometry and formulation / device properties on the delivery efficiency of nasal spray products. There was a large variability in drug delivery to the middle passages ranging from 17 – 57 % and 47 …

Electrospraying Extracellular Matrix To Form Nanoparticles, Patrick Link

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Alveolar wall destruction is a significant contributor to COPD. Inflammatory macrophages are a major source of the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) proteolysis. ECM breakdown causes air to get trapped in the alveoli, obstructing airflow. One step in curing COPD may be to convert inflammatory to pro-regenerative macrophages. Recently, decellularized ECM scaffolds have shown the ability to induce a pro-regenerative phenotype.

Yet these scaffolds are incapable for reaching the alveolar region of the lungs. To reach the alveolar region particles need a diameter of 1-5 μm or smaller than 300 …

Radioprotective Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: Molecular Imaging Investigations Of Conps’ Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, And Mechanisms Of Action, Philip R. Mcdonagh Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) are being investigated for several anti-oxidant applications in medicine. One of their most promising applications is as a radioprotective drug, an area of research in need due to the severe side effects from radiation therapy. In this work, the potential of CONPs as a radioprotective drug is examined using four criteria: favorable biodistribution/pharmacokinetics, low toxicity, ability to protect normal tissue from radiation damage, and lack of protection of tumor. The mechanisms of action of CONPs are also studied. Biodistribution was determined in radiolabeled CONPs with surface coatings including citrate, dextran T10-amine (DT10-NH₂), dextran T10-polyethylene …

Synthesis Of Graphitic Nanostructures On Noble Metals, Amelie Adele Parmentier

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, two subjects are studied: the growth of graphene from various catalysts with RF-CVD and the growth of graphitic nanostructures from gold-decorated graphene with RF-CVD. In the first topic, various catalysts are made with magnesium oxide and metal nanoparticles: iron, silver and gold. Using a radio-frequency generator, these catalysts are heated and placed in contact with three gases (argon, hydrogen and methane). By controlling various parameters, graphene synthesis can happen. The results are analyzed with Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Thermo-gravimetrical analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the second topic, commercial graphene is functionalized …

Glad Nanostructured Arrays With Enhanced Carrier Collection And Light Trapping For Photoconductive And Photovoltaic Device Applications, Hilal Cansizoglu

Theses and Dissertations

Solar energy harvesting has been of great interest for researchers over the past 50 years. Main emphasis has been on developing high quality materials with low defect density and proper band gaps. However, high cost of bulk materials and insufficient light absorption in thin films led to utilization of semiconductor nanostructures in photovoltaics and photonics. Light trapping abilities of nanostructures can provide high optical absorption whereas core/shell nanostructured arrays can allow enhanced charge carrier collection. However, most of the nanofabrication methods that can produce uniform nanostructure geometries are limited in materials, dimensions, and not compatible with industrial production systems. Therefore, …

Enhanced Light Trapping By Metallic Nanorod Arrays For Organic Photovoltaic Cells, Rosure Borhanalden Abdulrahman

Theses and Dissertations

Metallic nanostructures can exhibit different optical properties compared to bulk materials mainly depending on their shape, size, and separation. Vertically aligned arrays of aluminum (Al) nanorods of different lengths and morphologies were fabricated by DC sputtering using the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) method. Detailed structural and optical properties of GLAD Al nanorod were investigated and compared to those of conventional flat Al thin film coatings. Optical characterization results show that total reflectance is inversely proportional to nanorod length in the wavelength range 200-1800 nm, due to the enhanced surface plasmon resonance and light trapping among the nanorods. In addition, we …

Evidence For The Inhibition Of Dengue Virus Binding In The Presence Of Silver Nanoparticles, Kelley J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Dengue is an emerging hemorrhagic fever virus and widely considered the most important arbovirus in the world. Dengue virus (DENV) is a positive-sense RNA virus that exists in 4, potentially 5, antigenic serotypes. Currently, no vaccines or treatments are approved for DENV infections. Unsuccessful vaccine trials open the door for non-traditional treatments such as silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are known to inhibit viral replication of numerous viruses but have never before been tested for inhibition of dengue virus type 2 (DENV2, ATCC® VR-1584^TM). For the first time, this research presents up to a 96% reduction in DENV2 …

Synthesis, Surface Functionalization, And Biological Testing Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Development As A Cancer Therapeutic, Stanley E. Gilliland Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Iron oxide nanoparticles are highly researched for their use in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, diagnosis, and therapy. The inherent biodegradable and biocompatible nanoparticle properties make them highly advantageous in nanomedicine. The magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles make them promising candidates for magnetic fluid hyperthermia applications. Designing an efficient iron oxide nanoparticle for hyperthermia requires synthetic, surface functionalization, stability, and biological investigations. This research focused on the following three areas: optimizing synthesis conditions for maximum radiofrequency induced magnetic hyperthermia, designing a simple and modifiable surface functionalization method for specific or broad biological stability, and in vitro and in …

Modified Seed Growth Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles In Benzyl Alcohol: Magnetic Nanoparticles For Radio Frequency Hyperthermia Treatment Of Cancer, Stanley E. Gilliland Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Iron oxide nanoparticles have received sustained interest for biomedical applications as synthetic approaches are continually developed for precise control of nanoparticle properties. This thesis presents an investigation of parameters in the benzyl alcohol synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. A modified seed growth method was designed for obtaining optimal nanoparticle properties for magnetic fluid hyperthermia. With a one or two addition process, iron oxide nanoparticles were produced with crystallite sizes ranging from 5-20 nm using only benzyl alcohol and iron precursor. The effects of reaction environment, temperature, concentration, and modified seed growth parameters were investigated to obtain precise control over properties …

Dr. Who?: The Science And Culture Of Medical Wear Design, Patricia Duignan

Theses and Dissertations

The multi-million-dollar medical uniform industry has not utilized advancements in garment and textile technology that could positively impact the protection of healthcare professionals and patients. In most cases the uniforms meet basic requirements – they clothe the professional in a recognizable way. Little innovation in design, function and performance, has been applied to these garments. This is particularly evident in the case of the stereotypical white lab coat worn by many physicians, despite evidence indicating that these lab coats may carry contamination and play a role in the spread of deadly bacteria. Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are among the most …

Study Of Surface Modification Of Tungsten Nanostructures For Superhydrophobic Applications, Richard Alletru

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we studied the impact of the modification of the structure of tungsten surfaces through physical vapor deposition (magnetron sputtering), electrochemical (anodization and electropolishing), and thermal (annealing) processes on the wettability of the designed surfaces. We observed static contact angle values ranging from around 10° to above 150° showing the importance of the techniques used to produce the surfaces. We noticed that the annealing process tends to increase the wettability, transforming hydrophobic surfaces into hydrophilic surfaces. We also observed that electropolishing affects the wettability in such a way that the contact angles of pre-chemically treated tungsten foils tend …

Nano-Biomedical Approaches Of Cancer Therapy Using Carbon Based And Magnetic Nanomaterials, Alokita Karmakar

Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of nanoparticles, they have affected almost each and every field of modern science and technology both in terms of research and application. Due to its subcellular level size and ease of modification for biological and medical purposes, nanoparticles have contributed greatly in various field of biomedical reaserch including cancer research. In this dissertation, emphasis has been given on an important area of research of a multi-modal anticancer therapeutic approach using carbon-based and magnetic inorganic nanoparticles. Cancer is a complex disease that has been known to be generated by mutations at the genetic level, and continue to accumulate …

Cytotoxicity Study Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes And Their Complexes Applied To Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells, Karine Mege

Theses and Dissertations

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are radicals of great concern to biologists. Their role in several diseases--such as neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, premature aging and cancer--has been intensively investigated during the last decade. Since a major focus in cancer research is to better understand how it is induced and therefore how it can be cured, the study of the cytotoxic effects of ROS production within cancer cells is vital. Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science that promises great improvements in a number of disciplines. Nano medicine is one of its daughter fields. Various nanomaterials are used for diagnosis and disease detection, …

Superhydrophobic Nanostructured Coating For Anti-Icing Applications, Khedir R. Khedir

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, anti-icing superhydrophobic (SHP) tungsten nanorod (WNR) surfaces were fabricated. The fabrication of WNR surfaces as rough surfaces was carried out using the Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) technique. Using the magnetron- sputtering deposition method, the deposition Ar pressure, Ar flow rate, and substrate tilting angle were varied to fabricate WNRs with different surface morphologies and porosities. The surface energy of the WNR films was lowered by coating them with a nano-layer (10-15nm) of Teflon AF2400 using an effusion cell. Static contact angle (SCA) measurements of the sessile water droplet gently dispensed on surfaces were used to characterize the …

Investigation Of Advanced Nanostructured Multijunction Photoanodes For Enhanced Solar Hydrogen Generation Via Water Splitting, Hidetaka Ishihara

Theses and Dissertations

As the worldwide demand for fossil-based fuel increases every day and the fossil reserve continues to be depleted, the need for alternative/renewable energy sources has gained momentum. Electric, hybrid, and hydrogen cars have been at the center of discussion lately among consumers, automobile manufacturers, and politicians, alike. The development of a fuel-cell based engine using hydrogen has been an ambitious research area over the last few decades-ever since Fujishima showed that hydrogen can be generated via the solar-energy driven photo-electrolytic splitting of water. Such solar cells are known as Photo-Electro-Chemical (PEC) solar cells. In order to commercialize this technology, various …

Three Models Of Anthrax Toxin Effects On The Map-Kinase Pathway And Macrophage Survival, Daniel J. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Lethal factor (LF), a component of anthrax toxin, is the primary virulence factor that allows Bacillus anthracis to evade the immune response by blocking the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) enzymes. This research modifies three published MAPK models to reflect this signal inhibition and to estimate a first-order reaction rate by fitting the models to published viability data for two macrophage cell lines cultured with the LF-producing Bacillus anthracis-Vollum1B strain. One model appears to be ill-suited for this purpose because not all relevant MAPK components could be integrated into the inhibition equations. Despite different underlying parameters and values, the …