This first book to take a detailed look at one of the key focal points where nanotechnology and polymers meet provides both an introductory view for beginners as well as in-depth knowledge for specialists in the various research areas involved. It investigates all types of application for block copolymers: as tools for fabricating other nanomaterials, as structural components in hybrid materials and nanocomposites, and as functional materials. The multidisciplinary approach covers all stages from chemical synthesis and characterization, presenting applications from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine, such as micro- and nanolithography, membranes, optical labeling, drug delivery, as well as sensory and analytical uses.
In recent years, great focus has been placed upon polymer thin films. These polymer thin films are important in many technological applications, ranging from coatings and adhesives to organic electronic devices, including sensors and detectors. Electrochemical polymerization is preferable, especially if the polymeric product is intended for use as polymer thin films, because electrogeneration allows fine control over the film thickness, an important parameter for fabrication of devices. Moreover, it was demonstrated that it is possible to modify the material properties by parameter control of the electrodeposition process. Electrochemistry is an excellent tool, not only for synthesis, but also for characterization and application of various types of materials. This book provides a timely overview of a current state of knowledge regarding the use of electropolymerization for new materials preparation, including conducting polymers and various possibilities of applications.
Metal ions and metal complexes have long been recognized ascritically important components of nucleic acid chemistry, both inregulation of gene expression and as promising therapeutic agents.Understanding how metal complexes interact with DNA has become anactive research area at the interface between chemistry, molecularbiology and medicine. Metal Complex - DNA Interactions provides a comprehensiveoverview of this increasingly diverse field, presenting recentdevelopments and the latest research with particular emphasis onmetal-based drugs and metal ion toxicity. The text is divided intofour parts: Basic Structural and Kinetic Aspects: includes chapterson sequence-selective metal binding to DNA and thermodynamicmodels. Medical Applications: focuses on anticancer platinumdrugs, including discussions on DNA repair in antitumor effects ofplatinum drugs and photo-dynamic therapy. DNA-Recognition - Nucleases and Sensor: describesprobes for DNA recognition, artificial restriction agents,metallo-DNAzymes for metal sensing applications and metal iondependent catalysis in nucleic acid enzymes. Toxicological Aspects: deals with structural studies ofmercury–DNA interactions, chromium-induced DNA damage andrepair, and the effect of arsenic and nickel on DNAintegrity. This book will be a valuable resource for academic researchersand professionals from a range of pharmaceutical and chemicalindustries, particularly those involved in the development of newand less toxic anticancer metallo-drugs, and in the field ofenvironmental and toxicological chemistry.
Natural biochemical processes are routinely being discovered in living cells that involve RNA. Some of these processes, such as RNA interference, are now being exploited for biotechnology and medicinal applications. DNA has also proven in recent years to be more than a passive storehouse of information. For example, non-B-form DNA structures formed by G-rich DNA have been shown to participate in the regulation of gene expression, a discovery that presents new possibilities for drug targets in the genome. The current quest to understand how nucleic acid functions at the most fundamental level requires that we have a detailed understanding of nucleic acid-metal ion interactions. Because RNA and DNA are polyanions the structure and biological function of these biopolymers depends strongly on their association with metal ions. While this intimate connection between metal ions and nucleic function has been appreciated for decades, the noncovalent and dynamic nature of these interactions has continually presented challenges to the development of accurate and quantitative descriptions. Over the past few years the development of solution state spectroscopic techniques and the achievement of high resolution X-ray crystal structures have provided tremendous insights into the nature of nucleic acid-metal ion interactions, including direct evidence for their importance in determining nucleic acid structure, from the dictation of folding pathways followed by large RNA molecules to the subtle modulation of DNA groove widths. This new book provides a comprehensive review of the experimental studies that define our current understanding of nucleic acid-metal ion interactions with a particular emphasis being placed on experimental biophysical studies. However, the book is not merely a current review of the literature, as original material and fresh perspectives on published results are also presented. Particularly noteworthy topics include: -The chapter by Williams and fellow workers which reviews information provided by x-ray crystal structures and discusses what this information has revealed about the unique nature of Mg2+ interactions with RNA phosphate groups. The authors provide fresh insights, based upon structural comparisons, for how these interactions govern the local folding pathways of RNA. By dedicating separate chapters to the participation of metal ions in the kinetics and thermodynamics of RNA folding, this volume provides a more in depth treatise of both areas than is typically possible for reviews in which these two related, but distinct, topics are combined -Polyelectrolyte models of nucleic acids have proven to be extremely valuable for understanding the sequestering counterions in a so-called diffuse cloud around polymeric DNA. J. Michael Schurr provides a comprehensive review of polyanion models. Despite the success of polyelectrolyte models in describing some physical properties of nucleic acids, this topic is not always sufficiently understood by many researchers to make use of these models and this chapter serves as a valuable and up to date introduction to this topic. -The chapter by Pizarro and Sadler on metal ion-nucleic acid interactions in disease and medicine is complemented by a chapter by Lippert on coordinative bond formation between metal ions and nucleic acid bases. Together, these two chapters provide an overview of transition metal ion interactions with nucleic acids that illustrates the promise and peril that is associated with direct metal ion coordination to nucleic acid bases in living cells. The book is sufficiently detailed to serve as a reference source for researchers active in the field of nucleic acids biophysics and molecular biology. In addition, chapter authors have added introductory material and enough background material in each chapter so that the book can also can serve as an entry point for students and researchers that have not previously worked in the field which will make the book of lasting value and more accessible by a wider audience.
Molecularly Imprinted Catalysts: Principle, Synthesis, and Applications is the first book of its kind to provide an in-depth overview of molecularly imprinted catalysts and selective catalysis, including technical details, principles of selective catalysis, preparation processes, the catalytically active polymers themselves, and important progress made in this field. It serves as an important reference for scientists, students, and researchers who are working in the areas of molecular imprinting, catalysis, molecular recognition, materials science, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.Comprising a diverse group of experts from prestigious universities and industries across the world, the contributors to this book provide access to the latest knowledge and eye-catching achievements in the field, and an understanding of what progress has been made and to what extent it is being advanced in industry. - The first book in the field on molecularly imprinted catalysts (MIPs) - Provides a systematic background to selective catalysis, especially the basic concepts and key principles of the different MIP-based catalysts - Features state-of-the art presentation of preparation methods and applications of MIPs - Written by scientists from prestigious universities and industries across the world, and edited by veteran researchers in molecular imprinting and selective catalysis
This book has been edited by Martine Poux, Patrick Cognet and Christophe Gourdon from the Laboratoire de Genie Chimique/ENSIACET, Toulouse. It presents an ensemble of methods and new chemical engineering routes that can be integrated in industrial processing for safer, more flexible, economical, and ecological production processes in the context of
Intensified processes have found widespread application in the chemical and petrochemical industries. The use of intensified systems allows for a reduction of operating costs and supports the “greening” of chemical processes. However, the design of intensified equipment requires special methodologies. This book describes the fundamentals and applications of these design methods, making it a valuable resource for use in both industry and academia.
This book focuses on the materials, synthetic methods, tools and techniques being developed in the nanoregime towards the life sciences -- in particular biology, biotechnology and medicine. Readers from materials science, engineering, chemistry, biology and medical backgrounds will find detailed accounts of the design and synthesis of nanomaterials and the tools and techniques involved in their production for applications in biology, biotechnology and medicine.
With this handbook, the distinguished team of editors has combined the expertise of leading nanomaterials scientists to provide the latest overview of this field. They cover the whole spectrum of nanomaterials, ranging from theory, synthesis, properties, characterization to application, including such new developments as quantum dots, nanoparticles, nanoporous materials, nanowires, nanotubes, and nanostructured polymers. The result is recommended reading for everybody working in nanoscience: Newcomers to the field can acquaint themselves with this exciting subject, while specialists will find answers to all their questions as well as helpful suggestions for further research.
