Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology

Granting Departments:	Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaroslav Zelenka, Ph.D.

Annotation

Project under dual supervision - cotutelle with University of Rennes, France. Financed by HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01. Objectives: To obtain highly efficient ROS generating nanocomposite nanoparticles and functionalize them with hyaluronic acid to target ovarian cancer cell. To test the in vitro and in vivo photo and radiotoxicity of the functionalized NPs. Methodology: At UCT Prague in collaboration with IIC CAS: Synthesis and functionalization of the apical positions of Molybdenum cluster complexes by reacting the Na2Mo6I8(OMe)6 precursor with selected ligands (1-adamantanecarboxylic, acid, o-carborane-1-carboxylic acid, 4-Methyl-1-naphthoic acid). Embedding of the resulting Mo6 cluster complexes in cyclodextrin containing polymers, design of polymeric nanoparticles and evaluation of their photophysical properties, toxicity in tissue cell culture, generation of oxidative stress, uptake with cancer cells, phototoxicity , and radiotoxicity. Stay at Edinburgh instruments (3 months) to receive additional training in spectroscopic techniques and in particular in X-ray induced luminescence. At University of Rennes (23 months): Design of other polymeric NPs using microfluidic techniques and grafting of peptides/hyaluronic acid onto the nanoparticles in order to specifically target ovarian cancer cells such as SKOV-3 and A2780 cell lines. Evaluation of the dark toxicity, phototoxicity and targeting ability of NPs using viability assays and fluorescence microscopy. Expected Results: Enhancement of the antiproliferative effect of X-rays in the frame of radiotherapy of cancer, understanding of the effect of targeting moieties on the efficiency of photo/radiodynamic treatment.

Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jan Hynek, Ph.D.

Annotation

The constantly increasing world consumption of energy and the connected environmental problems require the development of new ecological energy sources, which includes a wider utilization of fuel cells and batteries. Proton-exchange membranes are an important part of the devices that separates the space of electrode half-cell reactions. Up to now, proton-exchange membranes are made of mainly conductive polymers which have several drawbacks; high manufacturing price, permeability for some fuels or amorphous character, which does not allow deeper understanding of the transport mechanism. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous coordination polymers consisting of metallic nodes connected to each other by di- or multidentate organic ligands. The regular structure containing pores and the possibility of tuning their size, physical and chemical properties make these materials suitable for proton transport within the membranes in hydrogen fuel cells. The work is focused on the preparation of zirconium MOFs containing tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and its derivatives with an effort to maximize their proton conductivity. The prepared materials will be derived from the already known structures of PCN-222 and MOF-525, which are characteristic with a specific surface area of 2200 – 2600 m2/g, mesoporous character and, compared to other MOFs, exceptional chemical stability. Proton donating (phosphonates, phosphinates, sulfonates) or accepting (amines) functional will be introduced into the structures using the substitution of the porphyrin ligand and post-synthetic modification methods. The effect of these modifications on the proton conductivity of the resulting materials will be studied.