Abstract
Chapter one includes the literature overview of research relevance to this project, consisting of three distinct parts: design and application of fluorescence sensors, purification, functionalisation and application of Single Walled carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs), and applications of functionalised SWNTs in cancer research.Chapter two reveals the synthesis of different fluorescence sensors. This chapter also explains how different parts of the functional groups may be assembled together and the optimisations on the synthesis of fluorophores. Binding constant determination and quantum yield calculation for each fluorescence sensors are being discussed.
Chapter three presents the preparation of SWNTs used were for the synthesis of new SWNTs based hybrids. SWNTs are purified via a solvent oxidation method, which was adapted here from literature reports. SWNTs were then functionalised either on their external surface by B-D-glucan wrapping to form a scaffold structure for further SWNTs hybrids assembly, or inside their cavities, by filling with small molecules or metals, in order to establish a protocol to filling radiolabelled metals in the future. Finally, all SWNTs were characterised via TEM, SEM and Raman prior to further applications.
Chapter four describes in vitro cell cytotoxicity studies of fluorescence sensors synthesised from the chapter 2 and SWNTs prepared from the chapter 3. Several different cell lines (HeLa, PC-3and CHO) were incubated with each of compounds, which were available as synthesised from chapter 2 and SWNTs (SWNTs hybrids) assembled in chapter at concentrations for 48 hours. Finally MTT assays were carried out to understand the cytotoxicity effects in functionalised and non-functionalised system.
Chapter five examines the applications of fluorescent sensors built as discribed in chapter 2 and SWNTs hybrids (Fluorescent sensors@ B-D-glucan@SWNTs) from chapter 3 under the confocal microscopy and FLIM with different environment conditions, including consideration of concentration, temperature, laser power, time as well as a variety of cell lines (HeLa, PC-3 and CHO).
Chapter six contains all experimental details of the work described in this thesis.
Chapter seven summaries current and future work emerging from this project.
| Date of Award | 28 Oct 2015 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Sofia Pascu (Supervisor) |
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