Synthesis and Characterization of Porphyrins for use in Nanoparticle capture and assembly

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The dissertation has been an outstanding success. With the hard work incorporated by myself, help and coordination of family members and with the utmost support of friends and other acquainted resource, it is with great pride and satisfaction that I have marked the closure of this paper on a positive note.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], say publicly that the dissertation undertaken and all resources, portals and interfaces used in this area are of singular, independent endeavor, which has not been published nor intended at any other point in time. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The use of silica coated magnetic nanoparticles as contrast agents has resulted in the production of highly stable, non-toxic solutions that can be manipulated via an external magnetic field. As a result, the interaction of these nanocomposites with cells is of vital importance in understanding their behavior and biocompatibility. Here we report the preparation, characterization and potential application of new "two-in-one" magnetic fluorescent nanocomposites composed of silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles covalently linked to a porphyrin moiety.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW2

CHAPTER 03: CONCLUSION5

REFERENCES6

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Nanoparticle characterization is necessary to establish understanding and control of nanoparticle synthesis and applications. Characterization is done by using a variety of different techniques, mainly drawn from materials science. Common techniques are electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Others with a little less reputation are Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), matrix-assisted laser desorption. Amongst the most critical methods undertaken in such delicate situations imply the ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, dual polarization interferometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Magnetic nanoparticles have been the focus of much research due to their potential biomedical applications as both diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents. Suspensions of super paramagnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide are promising magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, improving the image quality of anatomical structures by altering the relaxation time of the protons present. The assembly of a number of building blocks with different functionalities could provide a multimodal platform allowing for the combination of diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities. In particular, nanoscale entities combining magnetic and fluorescent properties have attracted much attention.CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW

Magnetite nanoparticles have been produced by a previously reported co-precipitation method. Application of a silica layer was achieved by following a method reported by Philips and coworkers. Briefly, a colloidal solution of magnetite nanoparticles in tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) was treated with sodium silicate in order to deposit a thin layer of silica on the surface of the oxide particles. In a separate step, a carboxylic acid protoporphyrin (protoporphyrin IX) was reacted with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) under inert conditions in the presence of the carbodiimide coupling agent (EDCI) to form an amide bond (Babincová M, Leszczynska D, Sourivong P, Babinec ...