Centre of Instrumental Techniques
| Department head: Ecorchard Petra, Ing. Ph.D. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AreaThe Centre provides instrument service to other departments and, besides its service activities, it has its own scientific program, the focus of which is applied research. The centre's key research topic is titanium dioxide, which is interesting due to its excellent photocatalytical activity and its various morphological forms with variable particle size. In photocatalytic applications, titanium dioxide is used as a component in active coatings, in the form of crystalline nanosheets or as a composite with SiO2 (protection against biological contamination of building surfaces by algae and fungi, as self-cleaning screeds for concrete surfaces or wood preservatives).For sorption applications, especially in removal of heavy metals and radionuclides from aqueous environment, an amorphous form of titanium dioxide is used, which can also be anchored on recyclable waste.Other examined sorbents are nanocomposites based on graphene and its derivatives, in which e.g. graphene oxide is anchored on polymer substrates, for example, graphene oxide is anchored on polymer substrates. Zeolites and their modified forms, such as metal nanoparticles, metal oxides or ionic liquids, also exhibit high sorption potential. Layered materials are another interesting field of study. Graphene-based materials or double-layered hydroxides are modified with ionic liquids in order to be used as fillers in polymer matrices whose potential is, for example, to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers. Ternary MAX nanolaminates are another type of a layered materials which are interesting for their possible use in extreme conditions including radiation. Scientific topics Photocatalytically active materials and composites (J. Šubrt, S. Bakardjieva) Sorbents for radioactive waste and heavy metals (J. Šubrt, P. Ecorchard) 2D materials (P. Ecorchard, S. Bakardjieva) Aplications Self-cleaning photocatalytic coatings (J. Šubrt) Innovative photocatalytic screeds and concrete additives (J. Šubrt) Sorbents of radionuclides (J. Šubrt) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FacilitiesSingle crystal X-ray diffractometer XtaLAB Synergy S (Rigaku, Oxford diffraction) with Hybrid Photon Counting Detector HyPiX-6000HE - M. Litecká, P. EcorchardElectron microscopy laboratories Scanning electron microscope JSM-6510 - J.Šubrt Transmission electron microscope JEM-3010 - I.Jakubec Instruments for electron microscopy sample preparation: IsoMet Low Speed Saw – Buehler Castable Vacuum System – Buehler Alpha & Beta Grinder-Polisher + Vector Power Head – Buehler Carbon Coater CC7650 – Polaron Sputter Coater SC7640 – Polaron Ultrasonic Disc Cutter – Gatan Dimple Grinder Model 656 – Gatan Precision Ion Polishing System (PIPS) Model 691 – Gatan PECS (Precision Etching & Coating System) Model 682 – Gatan Glass Knife Maker – RMC made for Boeckeler Power Tome Ultramicrotome – RMC made for Boeckeler Thermal analysis and infrared spectroscope laboratory Setaram SetSys Evolution coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometer QMG 700 Pfeiffer, by SuperSonic system, Setaram - M. Motlochová, B. Komárková STA449 F1 (Netzsch) coupled with gas chromatograph 7890B GC (Agilent Technologies) with mass detection 5977 MSD - M. Motlochová, B. Komárková Thermo Nicolet Nexus 670 FTIR spectroscope - P. Kurhajcová Laboratory of specific surface area and porosity measurements Quantachrome Instruments FloVac Degasser a Quantachrome Instruments NOVA 4200e - E. Pližingrová, D. Smržová Lambda 750 UV/VIS/NIR - E. Pližingrová, D. Smržová Laboratory for photocatalysis Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyser TOC-L CPH/CPN - D. Smržová, B. Komárková | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||