Effect of oxygen on the electrical characteristics of field effect transistors formed from electrochemically deposited films of poly(3-methylthiophene)

Field effect devices have been formed in which the active layer is a thin film of poly(3-methylthiophene) grown electrochemically onto preformed source and drain electrodes. Although a field effect is present after electrochemical undoping, stable device characteristics with a high modulation ratio are obtained only after vacuum annealing at an elevated temperature, and only then if the devices are held in vacuo. The polymer is shown to be p type and the devices operate in accumulation only. The hole mobility in devices thermally annealed under vacuum is around 10 -3 cm 2 V -1 s -1. On exposure to ambient laboratory air, the device conductance increases by several orders of magnitude. This increase may be reversed by subjecting the device to a further high-temperature anneal under vacuum. Subsidiary experiments show that these effects are caused by the reversible doping of the polymer by gaseous oxygen.

Medium-Chain-Length Poly (3-Hydroxyalkanoate) Nanoparticle Suspensions

Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-08-16 04:58:55.749

Mesoporous bioglass/silk composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

In the past 20 years, mesoporous materials have been attracted great attention due to their significant feature of large surface area, ordered mesoporous structure, tunable pore size and volume, and well-defined surface property. They have many potential applications, such as catalysis, adsorption/separation, biomedicine, etc. [1]. Recently, the studies of the applications of mesoporous materials have been expanded into the field of biomaterials science. A new class of bioactive glass, referred to as mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG), was first developed in 2004. This material has a highly ordered mesopore channel structure with a pore size ranging from 5–20 nm [1]. Compared to non-mesopore bioactive glass (BG), MBG possesses a more optimal surface area, pore volume and improved in vitro apatite mineralization in simulated body fluids [1,2]. Vallet-Regí et al. has systematically investigated the in vitro apatite formation of different types of mesoporous materials, and they demonstrated that an apatite-like layer can be formed on the surfaces of Mobil Composition of Matters (MCM)-48, hexagonal mesoporous silica (SBA-15), phosphorous-doped MCM-41, bioglass-containing MCM-41 and ordered mesoporous MBG, allowing their use in biomedical engineering for tissue regeneration [2-4]. Chang et al. has found that MBG particles can be used for a bioactive drug-delivery system [5,6]. Our study has shown that MBG powders, when incorporated into a poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) film, significantly enhance the apatite-mineralization ability and cell response of PLGA films. compared to BG [7]. These studies suggest that MBG is a very promising bioactive material with respect to bone regeneration. It is known that for bone defect repair, tissue engineering represents an optional method by creating three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds which will have more advantages than powders or granules as 3D scaffolds will provide an interconnected macroporous network to allow cell migration, nutrient delivery, bone ingrowth, and eventually vascularization [8]. For this reason, we try to apply MBG for bone tissue engineering by developing MBG scaffolds. However, one of the main disadvantages of MBG scaffolds is their low mechanical strength and high brittleness; the other issue is that they have very quick degradation, which leads to an unstable surface for bone cell growth limiting their applications. Silk fibroin, as a new family of native biomaterials, has been widely studied for bone and cartilage repair applications in the form of pure silk or its composite scaffolds [9-14]. Compared to traditional synthetic polymer materials, such as PLGA and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), the chief advantage of silk fibroin is its water-soluble nature, which eliminates the need for organic solvents, that tend to be highly cytotoxic in the process of scaffold preparation [15]. Other advantages of silk scaffolds are their excellent mechanical properties, controllable biodegradability and cytocompatibility [15-17]. However, for the purposes of bone tissue engineering, the osteoconductivity of pure silk scaffolds is suboptimal. It is expected that combining MBG with silk to produce MBG/silk composite scaffolds would greatly improve their physiochemical and osteogenic properties for bone tissue engineering application. Therefore, in this chapter, we will introduce the research development of MBG/silk scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Preparing nanocomposite fibrous scaffolds of P3HB/nHA for bone tissue engineering

Nanocomposites are recently known to be among the most successful materials in biomedical applications. In this work we sought to fabricate fibrous scaffolds which can mimic the extra cellular matrix of cartilaginous connective tissue not only to a structural extent but with a mechanical and biological analogy. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) matrices were reinforced with 5, 10 and 15 %wt hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and electrospun into nanocomposite fibrous scaffolds. Mechanical properties of each case were compared with that of a P3HB scaffold produced in the same processing condition. Spectroscopic and morphological observations were used for detecting the interaction quality between the constituents. Nanoparticles rested deep within the fibers of 1 μm in diameter. Chemical interactions of hydrogen bonds linked the constituents through the interface. Maximum elastic modulus and mechanical strength was obtained with the presence of 5%wt hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. Above 10%wt, nanoparticles tended to agglomerate and caused the entity to lose its mechanical performance; however, viscoelasticity interfered at this concentration and lead to a delayed failure. In other words, higher elongation at break and a massive work of rupture was observed at 10%wt.

Scaffold percolative efficiency : in vitro evaluation of the structural criterion for electrospun mats

Fibrous scaffolds of engineered structures can be chosen as promising porous environments when an approved criterion validates their applicability for a specific medical purpose. For such biomaterials, this paper sought to investigate various structural characteristics in order to determine whether they are appropriate descriptors. A number of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) scaffolds were electrospun; each of which possessed a distinguished architecture when their material and processing conditions were altered. Subsequent culture of mouse fibroblast cells (L929) was carried out to evaluate the cells viability on each scaffold after their attachment for 24 h and proliferation for 48 and 72 h. The scaffolds’ porosity, pores number, pores size and distribution were quantified and none could establish a relationship with the viability results. Virtual reconstruction of the mats introduced an authentic criterion, “Scaffold Percolative Efficiency” (SPE), with which the above descriptors were addressed collectively. It was hypothesized to be able to quantify the efficacy of fibrous scaffolds by considering the integration of porosity and interconnectivity of the pores. There was a correlation of 80% as a good agreement between the SPE values and the spectrophotometer absorbance of viable cells; a viability of more than 350% in comparison to that of the controls.

转基因植物生产生物可降解塑料PHB的研究-phbA功能鉴定、多价表达载体的构建及转基因植物的获得

聚-β-羟基链烷酸（PHA）是许多微生物作为碳源、能源的一类贮藏性聚酯，具有广泛的应用价值。该聚酯可被微生物完全降解且有与塑料相似的性质，因而研究并提高PHA在植物中的合成为解决环境污染提供了新的解决途径。 聚-β-羟基于酸酯（PHB）是研究的最早、研究的最清楚的一种PHA。用聚合酶链式反应扩增并克隆了真养产碱杆菌（Alcaligenes eutrophus）中合成PHB的一个关键酶——3-酮硫裂解酶基因phbA。DNA序列分析表明所克隆的基因与国外报道序列同源性很高，只有一个碱基对的区别。为了检测该基因的功能及导肽的定位效率，构建了带有导肽基因的组成型表达载体，由根癌农杆菌介导转化烟草（Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin 38）得到转基因植株。蛋白质电泳结果表明导肽可以将外源蛋白定位于质体，phbA基因能翻译成相应大小的蛋白。酶活性分析证实了转基因烟草中phbA编码的3-酮硫裂解酶可以催化乙酰-CoA合成乙酰乙酰-CoA。 将携有导肽序列的phbC（编码PHB合酶）和phbB（编码乙酰乙酰-CoA还原酶）连入pBIB-HYG得到组成型表达载体pZCB，用冻融法转入根癌农杆菌，介导转化烟草。烟草为已获得的具有卡那霉素抗性整合并表达phbA的转基因烟草。通过二次转化将携有潮霉素抗性的phbB基因和phbC基因导入已整合phbA的烟草，各基因均由质体导肽控制，最后得到整合PHB合成的三个酶基因的转基因烟草。转基因烟草经PCR、PCR-Southern检测，初步确定整合phbB和phbC烟草植株。以气相色谱初步分析，转基因烟草中PHB的含量可达鲜重的0.233%。 结果表明phbB和phbC基因可以在真核表达系统中编码相应的蛋白。通过色素分析、荧光动力学等手段分析了PHB在叶绿体中的累积对其功能的影响。 为了提高底物乙酰-CoA的供应能力及减少惰性聚酯对植物体的伤害，分离了种子特异性启动子和质体导肽序列，利用忆经克隆的合成PHB的三个关键酶基因，通过一系列DNA重组，分别构建了含有种子特异性启动子的嵌合phbC、phbB的二价表达载体pSCB及嵌合phbC、phbA、phbB的三价表达载体pSCAB，并由导肽将基因表达产物定位于质体。经根癌农杆菌介导转化油菜（Brassica napus L.) H165，获得转基因油菜植株，并进行了PCR、Southern blot及RT-PCR-DNA杂交等分检测。结果表明，三基因已经分别整合到相应的转基因油菜中，并已在转录水平表达。同时转化了油菜不育系、恢复系和保持系，获得批量转化株，并移入温室栽培。

利用转基因植物生产生物可降解塑料(PHB)的研究

聚 3 一控基丁酸酯 (Poly – 3 - hydroxybutyrate,PHB) 及其它类型的聚 3-泾基链烷酸醋同属于聚酯类物质 , 是自然界中多种细菌的碳源及能源储备物。这种聚酯的物理化学特性与传统塑料相似 , 并具有生物可降解性 , 如能取代化学合成塑料将减少环境中的塑料废弃物 , 从源头治理 " 白色污染 " 问题。微生物发酵法生产的 PHB 价格过高 , 无法在市场上与化学合成塑料竞争。随着分子生物学的发展 , 人们逐渐将视线转向植物生物反应器。转基因植物能够利用二氧化碳为碳源、太阳能为能源合成目的产物 , 大大降低生产成本 , 为生产具有市场 竞争力的新型生物可降解塑料提供可行途径。在此领域虽然己取得一定进展 , 但远未达到商业化生产水平。大规模商业化生产要求转基因植物能够在确保环 境安全性的前提下高效、稳定地生产 PHB 。本文尝试改善植物中 PHB 的生产体系 ,为环保型塑料早日进入市场作出努力。 1. 由于表达框架中多次使用同一启动子会导致基因沉默 , 本文克隆了另一 种子特异性启动子 nap300, 以替换重复使用的7S启动子,减轻“共抑制”。将 nap300 与 GUS 基因相连进行功能鉴定。荧光检测和组织化学染色的结果都证明此仅 30Obp 的 DNA 序列足以调控基因进行种子特异性表达。尽管 B 盒作为 高度保守区在种子特异性表达中起重要作用 , 位于此处的两个碱基替代型突变 并未使 nap300 的活性明显降低 , 对启动子的时空表达模式也无明显影响。将 nap300 、 7S 分别与 phbA 基因 ( 编码 3-酮硫裂解酶) 相连 , 在相似表达环境中 对二者功能进行比较 , 发现两个启动子表达模式基本相同并在同一时期达到活 性高峰 , 因此 nap300 可用于改善 PHB 合成基因在植物体内的表达调控。通过 对种子特异性启动子的比较可加深对其表达模式的了解 , 为植物基因工程中的 精细调控提供依据。 2. 叶绿体基因工程是随着植物遗传转化技术发展刚刚兴起的生物技术 , 具 有超量表达外源基因 , 为原核基因提供适宜表达环境 , 消除 “位置效应”和基因沉默 , 环境安全性好等优点 , 较更适合用于植物生物反应器方面的研究。本研究在国内率先探讨将叶绿体转化技术引入植物生产生物可降解塑料这一领域 的可行性 ( 国外仅有日本一例 ), 构建了叶绿体转化及表达载体 pTRV-PHB, 通过基因枪法将 PHB 合成相关基因导入烟草叶绿体基因组。转基因烟草顺利达到同质化，其形态和生长发育均无异常。 Northern 点杂交检测表明与 PHB 合成相关的三个基因均能在转录水平表达 , 未出现核转化中经常发生的“基因沉默”现象。通过 RT-PCR 进一步检测表明叶绿体型转基因烟草中目的基因的表达水平明显比核转化植株中相应基因的表达水平高。气相色谱分析确证转基因植株具有合成 PHB 的能力。这些都表明叶绿体转化适合用于转基因植物生产 PHB的研究。虽然叶绿体型转基因烟草中产物含量偏低 , 并未达到预期结果 , 但经进一步改进与完善 , 终将会成功地用于生产高附加值产品的植物基因工程中。 3. 为初步探讨叶绿体转化中在同源重组反应介导下整合外源基因的机理 , 从油菜叶绿体基因组中分离两段序列作为同源片段 , 基因枪法转化烟草 , 结果显示即使供体所含同源片段与受体叶绿体基因组相应区域差异高达 10%, 转化效率也无降低。这一现象的发现有助于促进“通用载体”　的改进 , 扩展叶绿体转化受体范围乃至达到商业化应用水平。 4. 成功地通过二次转化获得整合并表达多基因的转基因烟草 , 缩短了研究周期 , 对相关转基因植物的研究有一定参考价值。本文还优化了油菜转化体系 , 使转基因油菜同时整合三个 PHB 合成相关基因的效率由 7.69% 增加至 16.0% 。 田间试验与产物分析正在进行中。

Expression and molecular analysis of phbB gene in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The expression vector containing phbB and ble genes was constructed and transformed into cell-wall-deficient strain Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CC-849 by the glass-head method. The transgenic alga was selected and maintained in the TAP agar plates containing 10 mug/mL Zeomycin. Transgenic alga, which could express phbB at the transcriptional level, was obtained and further confirmed with PCR, Southern blot and RT-PCR-DNA hybridization analysis.

Comparative study of PHBV/TBP and PHBV/BPA blends

In order to clarify the effects of phenols on properties of polyesters, the blends of poly[(3-hydroxybutyrate)-co-(3-hydroxyvalerate)] (PHBV) with 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylpropane (BPA) and p-tert-butylphenol (TBP) were studied. The FTIR spectra revealed that there was strong hydrogen-bond (H-bond) interaction between PHBV and both phenols. By evaluating the fraction of H-bonded C = O in the blend, it was concluded that BPA showed a stronger tendency than TBP to form H-bonds with PHBV. Accordingly, BPA formed a stronger suppression than TBP on the crystallization of PHBV. When 30 wt% BPA or 50 wt% TBP were added into PHBV, the crystallization of PHBV was completely suppressed in the DSC cooling scan. As the phenol content was increased, the T-g of PHBV/TBP blend decreased while the T-g of PHBV/BPA blend increased. This difference indicated that TBP and BPA acted as plasticizer and physical crosslinking agent, respectively.

Quantitative FTIR study of PHBV/bisphenol A blends

FTIR spectroscopy was used to verify the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bond (inter-H-bond) between poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and bisphenol A (BPA). By monitoring the spectral changes during PHBV crystallization and blends dissociation, the absorptivity ratio of C=O bonds in crystalline and amorphous regions in PHBV and that of H-bonded and free C=O in PHBV/BPA blends were experimentally determined as 1.40 and 1.68, respectively. Using curve-fitting program, the C=O absorptions in spectra of blends were ascribed to three types of bonds: amorphous, crystalline and H-bonded C=O. The crystallinity of PHBV and the fraction of H-bonded C=O were calculated. These results indicated that the H-bond clearly suppressed the PHBV crystallization. Furthermore, the fraction of BPA molecules that simultaneously formed two hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) with C=O was estimated. It revealed that there existed a H-bond network in PHBV/BPA blends. This network was compared with the covalent network by estimating the number of atoms between every two adjacent crosslink points in chain. Up to the high density of H-bond discussed in this paper, there was always a certain part in PHBV that crystallized due to the dynamic character of hydrogen bonds; however, the hydrogen bonds significantly reduced the crystallization rate of PHBV.

Electrospun fibrous mats for skin and abdominal wall repair

Esta tese centra-se no desenvolvimento de materiais biodegradáveis e nãodegradáveis produzidos por eletrofiação com aplicação na área biomédica. O poli(3-hidroxibutirato-co-3-hidroxivalerato) (PHBV), um poliéster biodegradável, foi selecionado como base dos materiais biodegradáveis, enquanto o poli(tereftalato de etileno) (PET), um polímero sintético, estável e biocompatível, foi selecionado para a produção das matrizes não degradáveis. Adicionou-se quitosana aos sistemas com o objetivo de melhorar o processo de eletrofiação e as propriedades morfológicas, físico-químicas e biológicas dos materiais resultantes. A composição química, bem como as características morfológicas e físicoquímicas dos materiais em estudo, foram manipuladas de modo a otimizar a sua performance como suportes celulares para engenharia de tecidos. Foram realizados estudos in vitro com cultura de fibroblastos L929 para avaliar o comportamento das células, i.e. viabilidade, adesão, proliferação e morte, quando cultivadas nas matrizes produzidas por eletrofiação. Adicionalmente foram realizados ensaios in vivo para investigar o potencial dos materiais em estudo na regeneração cutânea e como tela abdominal. Os principais resultados encontrados incluem: o desenvolvimento de novas matrizes híbridas (PHBV/quitosana) adequadas ao crescimento de fibroblastos e ao tratamento de lesões de pele; o desenvolvimento de um sistema de eletrofiação com duas seringas para a incorporação de compostos bioativos; diversas estratégias para manipulação das características morfológicas dos materiais de PHBV/quitosana e PET/quitosana produzidos por eletrofiação; uma melhoria do conhecimento das interações fibroblastos-suporte polimérico; a verificação de uma resposta inflamatória desencadeada pelos materiais nãodegradáveis quando utilizados no tratamento de defeitos da parede abdominal, o que sugere a necessidade de novos estudos para avaliar a segurança do uso de biomateriais produzidos por eletrofiação.

Enzymatic grafting: A novel approach to develop multifunctional materials of interest

Today more than 99% of plastics are petroleum-based because of the availability and cost of the raw material. The durability of disposed plastics contributes to the environmental problems as waste and their persistence in the environment causes deleterious effects on the ecosystem. Environmental pollution awareness and the demand for green technology have drawn considerable attention of both academia and industry into biodegradable polymers. In this regard green chemistry technology has the potential to provide solution to this issue. Enzymatic grafting has recently been the focus of green chemistry technologies due to the growing environmental concerns, legal restrictions, and increasing availability of scientific knowledge. Over the last several years, research covering various applications of robust enzymes like laccases and lipases has been increased rapidly, particularly in the field of polymer science, to graft multi-functional materials of interest. In principle, enzyme-assisted grafting may modify/impart a variety of functionalities to the grafted composites which individual materials fail to demonstrate on their own. The modified polymers through grafting have a bright future and their development is practically boundless. In the present study series of graft composites with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB) as side chain and cellulose as a backbone polymer were successfully synthesised by introducing enzymatic grafting technique where laccase and lipase were used as model catalysts [1-3]. Subsequently, the resulting composites were removed from the casting surface under ambient environment and characterised by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) in detail. Moreover, the thermo-mechanical behaviours of the grafted composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) measurements, respectively. In addition, hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics of the grafted polymers were studied through drop contour analysis using water contact angle (WCA). In comparison to the individual counterparts improvement was observed in the thermo- mechanical properties of the composites to varied extent. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus values of the composites reached their highest levels in comparison to the films prepared with pure P(3HB) only which was too fragile to measure any of the above said characteristics. Interestingly, untreated P(3HB) was hydrophobic in nature and after lipase treatment P(3HB) and P(3HB)-EC-based graft composite attained higher level of hydrophilicity. This is a desired characteristic that enhances the biocompatibility of the materials for proper cell adhesion and proliferation therefore suggesting potential candidates for tissue engineering/bio-medical type applications [3]. The present research will be a first step in the biopolymer modification. To date no report has been found in literature explaining the laccase/lipase assisted grafting of P(3HB) [1-3]. The newly grafted composites exhibit unique functionalities with wider range of potential applications in bio-plastics, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, tissue engineering, and biosensors. [1] H.M.N. Iqbal, G. Kyazze, T. Tron and T. Keshavarz, Cellulose 21, 3613-3621 (2014). [2] H.M.N. Iqbal, G. Kyazze, T. Tron and T. Keshavarz, Carbohydrate Polymers 113, 131-137 (2014). [3] H.M.N. Iqbal, G. Kyazze, T. Tron and T. Keshavarz, Polymer Chemistry In-Press, DOI: 10.1039/C4PY0 0857J (2014).

Laccase from Aspergillus niger: A novel tool to graft multifunctional materials of interests and their characterization

In the present study, we propose a green route to prepare poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [(P(3HB)] grafted ethyl cellulose (EC) based green composites with novel characteristics through laccase-assisted grafting. P(3HB) was used as a side chain whereas, EC as a backbone material under an ambient processing conditions. A novel laccase obtained from Aspergillus niger through its heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as a green catalyst for grafting purposes without the use of additional initiator and/or cross-linking agents. Subsequently, the resulting P(3HB)-g-EC composites were characterized using a range of analytical and imagining techniques. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra showed an increase in the hydrogen-bonding type interactions between the side chains of P(3HB) and backbone material of EC. Evidently, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a decrease in the crystallinity of the P(3HB)-g-EC composites as compared to the pristine individual polymers. A homogeneous P(3HB) distribution was also achieved in case of the graft composite prepared in the presence of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) as a mediator along with laccase as compared to the composite prepared using pure laccase alone. A substantial improvement in the thermal and mechanical characteristics was observed for grafted composites up to the different extent as compared to the pristine counterparts. The hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the grafted composites were better than those of the pristine counterparts.

Production of bacterial biopolymers from industrial fat-containing wastes

Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master in Biotechnology

Impact of carbon/nitrogen feeding strategy on polyhydroxyalkanoates production using mixed microbial cultures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production using mixed microbial cultures (MMC) requires a multi-stage process involving the microbial selection of PHA-storing microorganisms, typically operated in sequencing batch reactors (SBR), and an accumulation reactor. Since low-cost renewable feedstocks used as process feedstock are often nitrogen-deficient, nutrient supply in the selection stage is required to allow for microbial growth. In this context, the possibility to uncouple nitrogen supply from carbon feeding within the SBR cycle has been investigated in this study. Moreover, three different COD:N ratios (100:3.79, 100:3.03 and 100:2.43) were tested in three different runs which also allowed the study of COD:N ratio on the SBR performance. For each run, a synthetic mixture of acetic and propionic acids at an overall organic load rate of 8.5 gCOD L-1 d-1 was used as carbon feedstock, whereas ammonium sulfate was the nitrogen source in a lab-scale sequence batch reactor (SBR) with 1 L of working volume. Besides, a sludge retention time (SRT) of 1 d was used as well as a 6 h cycle length. The uncoupled feeding strategy significantly enhanced the selective pressure towards PHA-storing microorganisms, resulting in a two-fold increase in the PHA production (up to about 1.3 gCOD L-1). A high storage response was observed for the two runs with the COD:N ratios (gCOD:gN) of 100:3.79 and 100:3.03, whereas the lowest investigated nitrogen load resulted in very poor performance in terms of polymer production. In fact, strong nitrogen limitation caused fungi to grow and a very poor storage ability by microorganisms that thrived in those conditions. The COD:N ratio also affected the polymer composition, indeed the produced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) showed a variable HV content (1-20 %, w/w) among the three runs, lessening as the COD:N increased. This clearly suggests the possibility to use the COD:N ratio as a tool for tuning polymer properties regardless the composition of the feedstock.