Date of Graduation

Summer 2017

Degree

Master of Science in Materials Science

Department

Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science

Committee Chair

Kartik Ghosh

Abstract

Nano conjugates, composites of inorganic nanomaterials and bio molecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins, establish a sequence of wide varieties of nano-bio boundaries. The formation of these boundaries strongly depends on bio physicochemical reaction of biomolecules coated on the surface of nanomaterials. I am investigating various nano-bio conjugates consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with simple biomolecules including glucose and the nitrogenous bases of DNA such as cytosine and thymine. All nano-bio conjugates were fabricated using a standard bio-chemical synthesis process. Structural, physical, bio-chemical interface properties of nano-bio composites were probed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM). PL data indicate a visible green emission associated mainly with the oxygen vacancies on the surface of ZnO nanostructure. Oxygen vacancies have been modified with glucose bio molecules through capturing the free electrons on the surface layer. ZnO-DNA base Raman spectra indicate a strong cation (Zn2+) affinity on C2=O7, N1-H or N3-H bonds. The inorganic-organic conjugates may be applied to elucidate the nano-bio interface more significantly, such as for targeted drug delivery, bioimaging, biomolecular sensing, and nanomedicine.

Keywords

ZnO, glucose, thymine, cytosine, surface defect, photo luminescence

Subject Categories

Biological and Chemical Physics | Biology and Biomimetic Materials | Semiconductor and Optical Materials | Structural Materials

Copyright

© Bithi Paul

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