http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/7603 2017-06-08T04:27:58Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109685 A biocompatible, local drug delivery platform for the chronic treatment of neurological disorders of the brain Spencer, Keven C. (Keven Collen) Many neurological disorders are now classified as circuit disorders, in which the underlying pathology arises from a failure in dynamic communication between anatomically distinct regions of the brain. Systemic therapies are often not effective due to their untargeted nature. The injectrode is a multifunctional probe designed to treat neurological disorders through targeted chemical and electrical stimulation directly to a focal point within the implicated neural circuit. This thesis details the characterization and biocompatibility of the injectrode for the treatment of neurological disorders on chronic timescales. In vitro and in vivo infusion tests were conducted to validate the ability to deliver nanoliter scale volumes (10-1000 n1) of drug to targeted brain structures over the course of an eight week implantation period. Muscimol was delivered to deep brain structures to demonstrate effective modulation of neural activity and behavior. These findings highlight the utility of a local chemical delivery approach to treat circuit diseases of the brain. Glial scar is a major barrier to neural probe function. A main objective of this thesis is focused on understanding the process of glial scar formation from a materials perspective. Micromotion and mechanical mismatch are thought to be key drivers of scar formation. This hypothesis was investigated using a novel 3D in vitro glial scar model, which replicates the magnitude and frequency of micromotions that are observed in vivo. Astrocytes were found to have a significant increase in cellular area and perimeter in response to micromotion compared to static control wells. These findings were applied to improve the biocompatibility of the injectrode. Hydrogel coatings, with moduli matched to brain tissue, were formed to mitigate the effects of micromotion. These coatings were found to reduce local strain by up to 70%. In vivo studies were conducted to explore the impact that implant diameter and modulus have on scar formation. Hydrogel coated implants (E=1 1.6 kPa) were found to significantly reduce scarring at 8 weeks post implantation, compared to uncoated implants (E=70 GPa). Size effects from increasing the overall implant diameter were also observed, highlighting the importance of considering both mechanical and geometric factors when designing chronic neural implants. Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2017.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (pages 148-158). 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109684 First principles investigation and design of fluorophosphate sodium-ion battery cathodes Dacek, Stephen Thomas, III Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most widely used consumer energy storage technology. Recently, lithium-ion batteries have been evaluated for use in mitigating the intermittent power supply of leading renewable energy technologies, thereby enabling their use on the electric grid. In order to facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies, the energy-densities, lifetimes, and cost of batteries must be improved. Due to concerns over long-term lithium availability, sodium-ion batteries are currently being investigated as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries in grid-level applications. In this thesis, we use ab inritio methods to characterize th high-voltage sodium-ion fluorophosphate with formula NaxV2(PO4)2O2yF3-2y as an alternative chemistry to Li-ion batteries. In Chapter 3 we investigate the sodium-extraction limitations in the NaxV2(PO4)2O2yF3-2 fluorophosphate. Specifically, we focus on the potential to reversibly extract sodium beyond the 1 </= x </= 3 range. We find that the capacity limitation arises from a combination of the high voltage of the V 4+/'+ oxidation reaction in the 0 </= x </= 1 region, coupled with a strong sodium-vacancy ordering at x = 1, which prevents the formation of mobile defects in the structure. We deduce that the accessible capacity of Na)V2 (PO4 )2F3 can potentially be expanded to 0 </= x </= 3 by introducing defects into the material and reducing the voltage of the active redox couple in the 0 </= x K 1 range. In Chapter 4, we investigate the stability and voltage characteristics of transition metal substitutions on the fluorophosphate framework. We demonstrate that the inferior performance associated with non-vanadium fluorophosphates is the result of a thermodynamic driving force to release oxygen gas upon charging, in tandem with high voltages. From our calculations, we demonstrate that molybdenum is simultaneously stable in the fluorophosphate framework and capable of reducing the sodium extraction voltage in the 0 K x </= 1 range. We conclude with an analysis of the phase stability and voltage curves of mixed transition metal fluorophosphates along the NaxV 2 (PO4) 202yF 3-2y NaxMo 2 (PO4)202yF3-2y composition line. From the results of this study, we identify NaxV2(PO4)2O2yF3-2 as the most promising candidate system, with the potential to improve the capacity of current fluorophosphate cathodes by 37%. Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2016.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-140). 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109638 Slurry based Three Dimensional Printing (S-3DP tm) of tungsten carbide cobalt Oliveira, Mark A. (Mark Anthony), 1977- Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2002.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-104). 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109636 Spatially controlled presentation of biochemical ligands on biomaterial surfaces using comb polymers Irvine, Darrell J. (Darrell John), 1973- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2000.; Vita.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 243-257). 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z