“Functionalisation of graphene/graphene oxide and the application of it and its derivatives in nanomedicine” Doctoral Thesis

Author, institution: Nora Šlekienė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science Area, Field of Science: Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Habil. Dr Valentinas SNITKA (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological sciences, Chemical engineering, 05T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Chemical Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Virgilijus VALEIKA (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T) – chairman
Prof. Dr. Vitalis BRIEDIS (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medicine Academy, Biomedicine Sciences, Pharmacy – 08B)
Prof. Dr. Gintaras BUIKA (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T)
Dr. Yuriy BUTENKO (European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC), The Netherlands,Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T),
Prof. Dr. Habil. Juozas Vidas GRAŽULEVIČIUS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering – 05T).

The Doctoral Dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas)

Annotation:
Graphene, the two-dimensional sp²-hybridised carbon, is currently the most intensively studied material. The bio-applications of graphene and its derivatives is due to many desirable properties, such as bio-compatibility, low cost, scalable production and facile biological/chemical functionalisation. Graphene oxide (GO) easily combines with many other nanoscale materials leading to new applications in the fields of drug delivery, cancer therapeutics, tissue engineering, diagnostics and bioimaging. The critical issue to be resolved before further applications of graphene in nanomedicine is the potential short and long-term toxicity of this new nanomaterial. During this study, the novel methodology of graphene oxide functionalisation with hematoporphyrin (GO-HP) by chemical covalent binding was designed. New graphene-based hybrid nanostructures with hematoporphyrin and macromolecules with 4-pyridylporphyrin were synthesised. The interaction of GO, ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticles with lipid membranes was performed and the influence of nanoparticles on lipid membranes dynamics and membranes disruption was evaluated. For the first time, the impact of graphene oxide and graphene oxide with protein “corona” on the viability of different cell lines (Chinese hamster ovary and mouse hepatoma MH-22A cells) and the impact of functionalised graphene oxide with doxorubicin on the viability of mouse hepatoma MH-22A cells were evaluated. It was found, that the MH-22A cancerous cells are better at absorbing graphene oxide nanoparticles than healthy CHO cells and the functionalisation of GO with doxorubicin enhances the anticancer effect of doxorubicin.