Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Scalable Solution Processing Of Niox Nanoparticles., Peter James Armstrong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a promising alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics. However, PSCs face several challenges due to shortcomings in their stability, module efficiency, and scaled production. Although PSCs is still a young field of research, significant attention has been given to demonstrating power conversion efficiencies that are on par with traditional silicon. With that target reached, converting the laboratory demonstration into practical materials to increase access and abundance of solar energy are among the next large targets for the field. This comes with material challenges for perovskite and their companion charge transport layers (CTLs). Among the charge transport materials …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Acetaminophen-Derived Nanoparticles: A Novel Approach To Inhibit Fibril Formation, Hannia Elena Mendoza-Dickey

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the realm of nanotechnology, nanoparticles (NPs), have garnered significant notoriety in recent scientific research due to their unique physical and chemical properties, such as fluorescence emissions, nanoscale dimensions (typically <1000 nm), ease of surface modification, and biocompatibility. Nanoparticles have shown their potential across a variety of areas, including advanced industrial applications and cutting-edge biomedical research. Considering their cost-effective synthesis, they have shown promise as therapeutic agents for a variety of bioimaging and biomedical applications. This thesis describes the synthesis and detailed analysis of acetaminophen-derived nanoparticles. Techniques such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Thioflavin T (THT) assay, Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-IR), 1H NMR spectroscopy, and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-VIS) were utilized for structural and functional assessments. Acetaminophen derived nanoparticles (ANPs) exhibit potential to hinder the amyloidogenic conversion of soluble amyloid-forming proteins into their toxic form. The novelty of this research focuses on the utilization of chemical structures capable of traversing the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) to mitigate xenotoxicant-induced neuronal damage, a notable contributor to neurodegenerative disorders. This thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of acetaminophen derived-nanoparticles (ANPs). Our nanoparticles possess anti-amyloidogenic properties as evidenced by their ability to disrupt in the soluble-to-toxic trajectory of HEWL. The prevalence and evolution of amyloid fibrils are consistent features in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimerâ??s Disease (AD), and Huntingtonâ??s Disease (HD), as well as metabolic disorders like Type 2 diabetes (T2D). The relationship between amyloidogenic pathways and these disorders highlights the imperative for enhanced understanding and the formulation of specific therapeutic interventions.

Manufacturing Of A Flexible Piezoelectric Nanogenerator By Functionalizing Polyvinylidene Fluoride With Lithium Tantalate And Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes For Energy Harvesting And Sensing Applications, Islam Uddin Shipu

Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical energy is one of the readily accessible green energy sources that could be employed to meet the small-scale energy requirement. In order to capture mechanical energy, power the next generation of electronic gadgets, and health monitoring flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators made of light weight polymers and carbon nanotubes have drawn a lot of attention. Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), a ferroelectric substance, was prepared here and utilized to create a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (FPNG). A compact piezoelectric nanogenerator that successfully transfers mechanical energy into electricity was then created using lightweight polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), and LiTaO3 nanoparticles. To create …

New Methodologies For Sustainable Organic Synthesis In Water., Sudripet Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water is stable, benign, and green solvent. Its usage as a solvent in organic synthesis is significantly enhanced by micellar catalysis. However, replacing water as a reaction medium in organic synthesis is not sufficient to meet the sustainability challenges—excessive organic solvents are still required for product isolation and purification. Notably, solvents used in syntheses contribute to more than 80% of waste generation. In addition to solvents, the use of palladium in large amounts is also a problem for the future as it is a precious, low-abundance metal, and its supply is dwindling. Therefore, this dissertation highlights the various sustainable protocols …

Microwave Synthesis Of Carbon Dot Nanoparticles, Hayden Ferguson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aimed to improve the known microwave method to produce carbon dot nanoparticles from ethylenediamine and citric acid. Carbon dots have recently gained much attention as they have diverse applications, such as bioimaging and drug delivery reagents as cancer theranostics. Research was focused on establishing the ideal time for the synthetic reaction to produce carbon dot nanoparticles with the microwave method. After several trials, the 16-minute trial provided the best results based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and ultraviolet exposure.

Utilizing Fluorescent Nanoscale Particles To Create A Map Of The Electric Double Layer, Quintus Owen

Theses and Dissertations

The interactions between charged particles in solution and an applied electric field follow several models, most notably the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model, for the establishment of an electric double layer along the electrode, but these models make several assumptions of ionic concentrations and an infinite bulk solution. As more scientific progress is made for the finite and single molecule reactions inside microfluidic cells, the limitations of the models become more extreme. Thus, creating an accurate map of the precise response of charged nanoparticles in an electric field becomes increasingly vital. Another compounding factor is Brownian motion’s inverse relationship with size: large easily …

Folic Acid – Carbon Dots – Doxorubicin Nanoparticles As Cancer Theranostic, Michael Tetteh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work focused on engineering bi-functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) based on carbon dots (CDs) to improve early cancer detection and treatment. Therefore, using folic acid (FA) as a targeting agent, the CDs were prepared to deliver high concentrations (HC) of doxorubicin (DOX) and gemcitabine (GEM) covalently and non-covalently to cancer cells. The prepared FA-CDs-DOX/GEM-HC NPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Assessment of the drug loading capacity (DLC) and drug loading efficiency (DLE) indicated that the non-covalent NPs have low DLC but high DLE compared to the relatively low DLE and high DLC of covalent …

Development Of In Situ Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Scatterings For Molecular Behaviors At Aerosol Surfaces, Yuqin Qian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aerosol particles are one of the most important components of the atmosphere. During the growth of aerosol particles, they directly or indirectly affect air quality, human health, and environmental chemistry. Therefore, understanding the chemical and physical properties of such particles is an important scientific, engineering, and medical issue. The growth of aerosol particles in the atmosphere is closely related to the chemical structure at its surface, as well as the heterogeneous reactions which take place at and below the particle’s surface. However, there is a lack of suitable surface-specific analytical techniques which directly measure the chemical structure of aerosol particle …

Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Decipher Mechanistic Details Of Biomolecular Processes Of Biology And Biotechnology Oriented Applications, Adithya Polasa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers in chemistry and biology often utilize computer simulations, in conjunction with experimental data, to model and predict the structures, energies, kinetics, processes, and functions of the systems that are their focus of study, ranging from single molecules to whole viruses. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) techniques to gain a deeper understanding of biomolecular processes in biology and biotechnology-oriented applications. Using a mixture of equilibrium and non-equilibrium MD simulations, this work describes the insertion process of YidC at the atomic level. In order to better comprehend the insertion process, several docking models of YidC-Pf3 in the lipid bilayer were …

Development Of Plasmonic And X-Ray Luminescence Nanoparticles For Bioimaging And Sensing Applications, Meenakshi Ranasinghe

All Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the development of plasmonic and X-ray luminescence nanoparticles (~100 nm) to use in bioimaging and sensing applications. The nanoparticles have interesting optical properties compared to their atomic levels and bulk materials. The optical properties of nanomaterials can be controlled by changing size, shape, crystal structure, etc. Also, they have a large surface area that can be functionalized with biomolecules. Therefore, the optical properties and biofunctionalized nanomaterials are useful in biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery, bioimaging, and sensing. The overall theme is to use nanoparticles with interesting optical properties compared to their atomic levels and bulk …

Novel Synthetic Strategies Toward Polyolefin-Grafted Nanoparticles, Richard Tran Ly

Theses and Dissertations

Surface functionalization of nanoparticles has proven to be a powerful and versatile strategy in the development of various materials with advanced properties. Polymer brush composition can range from complex copolymers to more simplistic polyolefin, and by functionalizing nanoparticle surfaces, mobility of distinct particles can then be tuned and, therefore, control over dispersion in a polymer matrix can be achieved. Presented in this dissertation are new synthetic strategies for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites.

The first chapter covers a novel synthetic strategy for ethylene/propylene-like copolymers grafted to silica nanoparticles. This approach utilizes Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization to promote living …

Sol-Gel Synthesis And Spectroscopic Characterization Of Titanium Dioxide Doped With Copper And Iron, Erin L. Jacoski

Chemistry Senior Theses

A source of bioavailable iron in open oceans stems from aerosols, increasing phytoplankton growth and the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. These aerosols contain semiconductors, like titanium dioxide, which is known to increase the bioavailability and can trigger photoreduction of Fe3+. Recently, it is suspected that other metals in the aerosols also influence the release of iron. In this work, the effects of doping with iron and copper on the physical characteristics of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, since the photocatalytic potential of titanium dioxide depends on its structure and metal content (anatase vs. rutile), were explored. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were prepared …

Characterization Of Bimetallic Silver-Copper Nanoinks With Hydroxyethyl-Cellulose Additives, Daniel Brunick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Coinage metal nanoparticles remain an intriguing subject for research due to their industrial versatility. Primary applications of coinage metal nanoparticles include printed electronics, solar panels, and sensors. Inks formulated with the nanoparticles are conductive and thus useful for fabricating sensors. Silver-copper nanoalloy inks are viable for the fabrication of flexible sensing devices for the detection of volatile organic compounds. One of the challenges is the ability to synthesize composition-controllable alloy nanoparticles at room temperature through wet chemical methods and achieve controllable sintering at room temperature. This work addresses the challenges by investigating the room-temperature synthesis of silver-copper alloy nanoparticles and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Ternary Pt Nanoally Catalysts For Fuel Cells, Ylith Peck

Undergraduate Honors Theses

A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts oxygen and hydrogen into electrical energy while producing water as the only by-product, which has attracted growing interest, especially in the automotive industry. This technology is efficient and has zero pollution to the environment, in contrast to the direct use of fossil fuels in combustion engines which produce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. One of the key components for hydrogen fuel cells is the catalyst that operates at the cathode, which currently use platinum. Due to the scarce amount of platinum in the world, the manufacturing cost for fuel cells …

Investigating Ionic Current Rectification As A Means Of Controllable Drug Delivery Using Silica Nanoparticles And Nano Porous Membranes, Katie L. Nolan

Honors College Theses

This project investigates a novel ionic current rectification (ICR) phenomenon created by the opening and closing of nanopores by charged silica nanoparticles (SNPs) under electrophoretic flow. This voltage-controlled opening and closing of the pores can be exploited to allow delivery of nicotine through the pores at programmable intervals. The ICR phenomenon was thoroughly investigated by varying pH, buffer concentration, SNP concentration, and applied voltage range. The mechanism was also verified by testing with a 2-, 3-, and 5-electrode system. Potential cake layer formation was demonstrated in a longer ICR test, and the implications of this on the drug delivery mechanism …

Optimizing The Fluorescent Quantum Yield Of Carbon Dots, Megan B. Prado

MSU Graduate Theses

Carbon dots (CDs) are a subclass of carbon nanomaterials that exhibit unique properties of fluorescence, photostability, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. These unique properties have enabled numerous applications including biosensing, heavy-metal detection, and pH-sensing, among others. Their optical properties can be modified via doping to produce increasingly fluorescent CDs after appropriate purification. Herein, doped CDs were synthesized in four bottom-up methods for comparison using sucrose or citric acid as carbon precursors. Varying hetero-atom dopants (N, S, B) were used in differing molar ratios. The pH-dependent fluorescence and fluorescent quantum yield (QY) were measured for each sample. Characterization was conducted using Fourier-Transform …

Biomimetic Synthesis Of Palladium Nanoparticles For Catalytic Application, Emily A. Groover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) using materials-directed peptides is a novel, nontoxic approach which exerts a high level of control over the particle size and shape. This biomimetic technique is environmentally benign, featuring nonhazardous ligands and ambient conditions. Nanoparticles are extremely reactive catalysts, boasting a large surface-to-volume ratio when compared to their bulk counterparts. The rational design of these nanoparticles using peptides has been very successful in aqueous environments, but no research has been done to apply it in organic systems. As such, the biomimetic synthesis of Pd NPs in an organic system is here investigated, with ethanol …

Selective Oxidation Of Alkenes In Air Catalyzed By Mn3o4 Nanoparticles, Brojo Kishor Shachib Dhali

Dissertations and Theses

Catalytic oxidation is a process where compounds are oxidized using catalysts. Solid catalysts exhibit several advantages over homogeneous systems, such as catalyst recovery and excellent stability. Various supported transition-metal oxides (for example: CuO, ZnO, CeO2, Fe2O3 and WO3), metal nanoparticles (for example: Pd and Ru) and polyoxometalate clusters (for example: [W10O32]4-, [Mn2ZnW(ZnW9O34)2]10- and [XW12O40]n- (X = P, Si)) have been applied to selective oxidation of organic compounds, but high associated product conversion still remains a challenge. Recently, a number of materials containing Mn3O4 have been used successfully in different catalytic applications, such as degradation of phenols, reduction of nitrobenzenes, and …

Ultrasound-Driven Fabrication Of Nanosized High-Entropy Materials For Heterogeneous Catalysis, Francis Uchenna Okejiri

Doctoral Dissertations

High-entropy materials (HEMs) have emerged as a new class of multi-principal-element materials with great technological prospects. As a unique class of concentrated solid-solution materials, HEMs, formed on the premise of incorporating five or more principal elements into a single crystalline phase, provide an excellent opportunity to access superior catalytic materials ‘hiding’ in the unexplored central regions of a multicomponent phase space of higher orders.

However, the fabrication of HEMs is energy-intensive, typically requiring extreme temperatures and/or pressures under which agglomeration of particles occurs with a commensurate decrease in surface area. For most catalytic applications, non-agglomerated particles with high surface areas …

Enhanced Platinum (Ii) Drug Delivery For Anti-Cancer Therapy, Marek T. Wlodarczyk

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the years, anti-cancer therapies have improved the overall survival rate of patients. Nevertheless, the traditional free drug therapies still suffer from side effects and systemic toxicity, resulting in low drug dosages in the clinic. This often leads to suboptimal drug concentrations reaching cancer cells, contributing to treatment failure and drug resistance. Among available anti-cancer therapies, metallodrugs are of great interest. Platinum (II)-based agents are highly potent and are used to treat many cancers, including ovarian cancer (OC). Cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (II)) is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved metallodrug for treatment of solid tumors, and its mechanism …

Two Dimensional Nanoparticles/Nanozymes For Biosensing Augmented By Machine Learning, Nidhi Chintan Nandu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Biosensing is an ever-evolving field with many resources devoted towards new approaches in sensing and refining the existing methods. For a long time, such approaches involved use of state-of-the-art instruments and were often proved to be time consuming and expensive. Nanoparticles with their unique properties, inexpensive synthesis and ease of manipulation have found purpose in myriad fields including biosensing. Different nanoparticles based on their composition, morphology, dimensionality, and surface modifications have already gained foot hold in the biosensor ranks. The unique opto-electric properties due to the quantum effect in the nanoparticles have also made them one of the leading alternatives …

Electrochemical Characterization Of Surface-Immobilized Metal Nanostructures: Stability, Atomic Level Doping, Catalysis, And Sensing Applications., Badri Prasad Mainali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has two main themes. The first theme involves voltammetric analysis of the stability of Au nanoparticles (NPs) under electrochemical and thermal treatment as a function of size, ligand stabilizer, and atomic composition. The second theme involves the use of Au NPs, electrophoretic deposition (EPD), and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for electrochemical detection of analytes. The electrochemical size stability of 4.1, 15.1, and 50.3 nm average diameter Au NPs upon treatment with multiple electrochemical oxidation-reduction cycling in acidic electrolyte is monitored by observing changes in the peak oxidation potential (E_p) in ASV and the electrochemically measured surface …

Characterization Of Ph – Responsive Nanocage Based On The Ferritin Iron Storage Protein, Satyam Singh

Theses and Dissertations

The iron-storage protein ferritin (Ftn) assembles into a protein cage structure with 24 subunits and octahedral (4-fold, 3-fold, 2-fold) symmetry. Each monomeric subunit contains a robust four-helix bundle fold. The fully assembled Ftn structure has a high degree of thermal stability (up to 100°C), a mono dispersed size (12 nm in diameter), and a large central cavity (7-8 nm in diameter). The central cavity stores ferric iron in phylogenetically diverse group of organisms, including humans. The central cavity has been used for encapsulation of cargoes such as other metals, contrast agents for imaging, small molecule drugs for therapy, …

Electrochemical Oxidation Of Individual Silver Nanoparticles: Exploring The Effect Of Particle Shape, Capping Ligand, Electrolyte, And Potential On The Signal, Jazlynn Sikes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nanomaterials have revolutionized science and technology. Their unique properties can be exploited, and nanoparticles are being used as catalysts, antimicrobials, drug delivery vehicles, sensors, and more. However, the fundamental properties of nanomaterials and their interactions with their surrounding environments are still poorly understood. In this work, a single-particle approach was used to observe the effects of capping ligand, surrounding solution, and particle shape on the oxidative process to gain deeper understanding of silver nanoparticle properties. When allowed the opportunity, the particles will adsorb to the electrode surface then oxidize in rapid succession upon electrode activation, regardless of capping ligand as …

Development Of Biomaterials For Drug Delivery, Raquel De Castro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drug delivery systems (DDS) have highly evolved in the last decades with the development of hydrogels and nanoparticles. However, high systemic uptake, side effects, low bioavailability, and encapsulation efficiency continue to be a major hurdle faced by such DDSs.

Nanoparticles and hydrogels can be specifically designed for targeted DDSs to mitigate some of the problems. This dissertation aimed to design two DDSs for ocular drug delivery and one for cancer treatment. The first project sought to develop chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NP) using PEGDA as a copolymer to encapsulate gentamicin (GtS) for ocular drug delivery. Cs-NPs contain positive charges that can interact …

Polymers In Drug Delivery Systems, Aashay Paresh Pratap

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Conventional drug delivery is associated with challenges such as low bioavailability, reduced half-life, nonspecific interactions, high immunogenicity, and degradation of drug before reaching the target. Modern drug delivery systems are designed to overcome the challenges of conventional drug delivery methods. Polymers play a crucial role in the development of modern drug delivery systems. Polymers form delivery vehicles that improve the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the side effects of a drug. Furthermore, it is possible to control the release of drug by using the delivery vehicles. Polymeric vehicles exist in different forms such as polymeric nanoparticles, hydrogels, and vesicles. Each form …

Fabrication Of Metal-Silicon Nanostructures By Reactive Laser Ablation In Liquid, Eric J. Broadhead

Theses and Dissertations

Metal-silicon nanostructures are a growing area of research due to their applications in multiple fields such as biosensing and catalysis. In addition, silicon can provide strong support effects to metal nanoparticles while being more cost effective than traditionally used supports, like titania. Traditional wet-chemical methods are capable of synthesizing metal-silicon nanostructures with a variety of composition and nanoparticle shapes, but they often require high temperatures, toxic solvents, strong reducing agents, or need capping agents added to stabilize the nanoparticles. Laser processing is an emerging technique capable of synthesizing metal-silicon composite surfaces that offers a faster, simpler, and greener synthesis route …

Detection Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Using A Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Air Cassette Filter, Andrea I. Ferrer Vega

Theses and Dissertations

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive commonly used during military and terrorist activities. Current methods to identify this compound require sampling, transport and analysis at a forensic lab using analytical instrumentation. However, on-site detection is needed to assist efforts to prevent detonation. Gold nanoparticles have been used as sensors throughout the years due to their versatility and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties in the presence of an analyte and low limits of detection. By taking advantage of the Meisenheimer complex that TNT forms in the presence of amines, it is possible to determine its presence at picogram levels. Subsequently, adhering amine …

Design, Synthesis And Applications Of Nanoparticles In Suppression Of Mosquito-Born Flaviviridae Viruses, Maria R. Blahove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, nanoparticles have become an origin of exploration in the chemistry field due to their unique medical uses. The current drug delivery models of nanoparticles often include a metal base with a drug conjugated to its surface. However this raises concerns regarding toxicity. A novel approach to solving this dilemma is the development of nanosized biocompatible polymer-based micelles, created from PEG-PCL-PEG triblock polymer, and formed around a drug of choice. The goal is to create a drug carrier nanoparticle system that is labile at a specific intracellular pH, without undue toxicity to the cell. This creates a drug-loaded nanoparticle that …

Analysis Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles In Foods Using Raman Spectroscopic Techniques, Janamkumar Pandya

Doctoral Dissertations

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and its nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in various applications. Recently, the presence of TiO2 NPs in food and consumer products raised safety concerns to human health and the environment. The goal of this project is to explore the capability of Raman Spectroscopy in the analysis of TiO2-NPs and apply this technique for the analysis of TiO2-NPs in food and environmental samples. Two approaches, i.e. the ligand-based and the mapping-based, were evaluated. The ligand-based approach utilized the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property of the TiO2 NPs as a substrate to enhance the signal of a surface …