Abstract
The antioxidant activity of novel drugs has been of increasing interest in recent years. Free radicals are linked as a cause to many diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer,1 so development of drugs that can scavenge and break down free radicals is needed. One such potential solution is using dopamine, which is water-soluble and an antioxidant. However, the tendency of antioxidant drugs reacting undesirably with proteins and other biochemical compounds is a big issue for the drugs' antioxidant potential. One solution is by encapsulating the antioxidant compound in biocompatible polymer nanoparticles. In this project, dopamine is bound to the polymer polyacrylic acid (PAA) and spherical PAA-dopamine nanoparticles were synthesized. Following their synthesis, the nanoparticles were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and were shown to have an average size of 90 nm after dialysis cleaning. Finally, their hydroxyl radical (OH·) scavenging ability was tested through pH changes and fluorescence, and the data acquired suggests possible radical scavenging potential.
Thesis Completion
2020
Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair/Advisor
Zhai, Lei
Co-Chair
Huo, Qun
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Chemistry
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
1 year
Release Date
12-1-2021
Recommended Citation
Cox, Russell D., "Synthesis of Polyacrylic Acid - Dopamine Nanoparticles as Radical Scavengers for Antioxidant Applications" (2020). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 834.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/834