REGIONAL CENTRE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS

research · innovation · education

IN BRIEF

Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic+420 585 634 973http://www.rcptm.comrcptm@upol.cz

Prof. Radek ZbořilGeneral Directorradek.zboril@upol.cz+420 585 634 337

Mgr. Lucie MohelníkováAssistant of General Directorlucie.mohelnikova@upol.cz+420 585 634 762

REGIONAL CENTRE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS

Published by: Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, 2016Text: Pavel Tuček; Graphics: Ondřej Růžička; Photo: Viktor Čáp.

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) is a separate scientific unit of Faculty of Science of Palacký University in Olomouc. Palacký University represents one of the most successful universities in the Czech Republic ranked among TOP 500 universities following the U. S. News Best Global Universities Rankings. The Centre was established in 2010 as one of 48 new scientific centres built in the Czech Republic in the framework of Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations with the EU support approx. 20 mil. EUR. The main objective of RCPTM is to perform excellent research in the areas of nanotechnologies, materials science, chemistry, physics and optics, and transfer of the ensuing advanced products and technologies into the various fields of everyday life (biomedicine, industry, and environment) with increased emphasis on the involvement of the Centre into the international networks and collaborations. The scientific team of RCPTM is constituted by specialists from the whole world. The Centre employs approx. 130 scientists from 15 countries including USA, Germany, Italy, South Korea, France or Greece; the average age of RCPTM scientists is 35. Tens of students of master and doctoral study programmes in the fields of chemistry, physics and optics participate every year in the research activities of the Centre.

Each year, the Centre publishes about 250-300 high-impact peer-reviewed prestigious publications in scientific journals. In 2015, the publications with impact factor higher than 5 constituted approx. 40% of all the Centre works. Within 2014-2016, the RCPTM authors scored in tens of top journals involving e.g. Nature family, Chemical Reviews, Chemical Society Reviews, Accounts of Chemical Research, Advanced Materials, ACS Nano, Journal of the American Chemical Society and Angewandte Chemie. In the same period, RCPTM contributed to 20 different journals of the ACS family. From its beginning, the

Centre is evaluated as the best among all newly established Czech scientific centres measured by the citation output. The most important scientific achievements of RCPTM scientists involve e.g. the development of the world’s thinnest insulator (Small 2010), the world’s smallest metallic magnets (Nat. Commun. 2016), the strongest organic magnets (Adv. Mater. 2016) or systematization of approaches towards functionalization of graphene (Chem. Rev. 2012; over 1100 citations). On the long-term basis, RCPTM is very successful in getting both national and international grants, including the ERC projects and FP7 (or H2020) projects, which contributed to the budget of the Centre by more than 55 million EUR (2010-2015). The Centre contributes to highly prestigious scientific collaborations in the field of particle physics (e.g. CERN – Atlas or Pierre Auger Observatory). The most significant examples of FP7 and H2020 involve the project of European Research Council (ERC-COG - Two-Dimensional Chemistry towards New Graphene Derivatives) obtained by Prof. Michal Otyepka and the project under the FP7-NMP scheme (NANOREM - Taking Nanotechnological Remediation Processes from Lab Scale to End User Applications for the Restoration of a Clean Environment). Finally, the Centre implements regular transfer of its results into the technological practice. In the years 2011–2016, the Centre has cooperated with more than 80 industrial partners including large companies such as Procter & Gamble (USA), Waters (Germany) or Nanocomposix (USA). RCPTM products like Mössbauer spectrometers, all-sky cameras, nanomaterials for water remediation or optical segments have been installed in tens of countries including e.g. USA, Germany, Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, United Kingdom, South Korea and South Africa.

Brief Characteristics of RCPTM

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Key RCPTM Researchers

• The Award of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic for Outstanding Results in Research, Experimental Development and Innovations (2011).

• Member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic (from 2015).• Member of the editorial boards of ChemPlusChem (Wiley) and Applied

Materials Today (Elsevier).• Author/co-author of approx. 400 scientific works (over 11 000

citations) including e.g. Chemical Reviews, Nature Communications, Chemical Society Reviews, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials.

• Grant ERC-CoG-2015 “Two-Dimensional Chemistry towards New Graphene Derivatives” grant of the European Research Council, category “Consolidator”.

• Neuron Impuls Award (2014).• Member of the editorial board of Scientific Reports (Nature family).• Author/co-author of approx. 170 scientific works (over 5 000 citations)

including e.g. Nature Chemical Biology, Chemical Reviews, ACS Nano, Advanced Materials.

• “Sustainability Award“ by US Environmental Protection Agency (2015); Silver medal by US Environmental Protection Agency (2013).

• Pioneer in the field of “green chemistry” and in the use of microwaves in organic synthesis and catalysis.

• Member of the editorial boards of e.g. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering (ACS), Environmental Science: Nano (Royal Society of Chemistry).

• Author/co-author of 15 US patents and approx. 650 publications (over 20 000 citations) including e.g. Accounts of Chemical Research, Chemical Society Reviews, ACS Nano.

• The most prestigious Czech scientific award „Česká Hlava – Czech Head“ (2008).• Member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic (from 1996); the chairman of

the scientific board of the Neuron Fund for support of science (from 2014); member of R&D Council of the Government of the Czech Republic (2010-2011); Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters (2014, 2015).

• Member of the editorial boards of e.g. Chemical Reviews, Chemistry – A European Journal, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

• Author/co-author of approx. 600 scientific works (over 30 000 citations) including e.g. Chemical Reviews, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie.

• Komenský Medal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic; a member of Society for Optical Engineering (USA).

• RCPTM representative in many significant world consortia involving ATLAS-CERN, Pierre Auger Observatory or Cherenkov Telescope Array.

• Co-author of the conception of unique detection elements at Pierre Auger Observatory. • Author/co-author of approx. 500 scientific works (over 9 000 citations) including e.g.

Science, Physical Review Letters.

Prof. RNDr. Radek Zbořil, Ph.DGeneral Director of RCPTM

Prof. RNDr. Michal Otyepka, Ph.DHead of the group of Carbon Nanostructures

Dr. Rajender S. VarmaCo-supervisor of the group of Environmental Nanotechnologies

Prof. Ing. Pavel Hobza, Dr.Sc., FRSC, dr.h.c.Coordinator of the international collaboration in RCPTM

Prof. RNDr. Miroslav Hrabovsky, DrSc.Head of the group of Optical and Photonic Technologies

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Joint publicationsKment et al., Photoanodes with Fully Controllable Texture: The Enhanced Water Splitting Efficiency of Thin Hematite Films Exhibiting Solely (110) Crystal Orientation. ACS Nano 2015, 9, 7113-7123.Han et al., α-Fe2O3/TiO2 3D Hierarchical Nanostructures for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. Nanoscale 2017, 9, 134-142.Kment et al., On the Improvement of PEC Activity of Hematite Thin Films Deposited by High-Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method. Appl. Catal. B Environ. 2015, 165, 344-350.

Joint publicationsGeorgakilas et al., Noncovalent Functionalization of Graphene and Graphene Oxide for Energy Materials, Biosensing, Catalytic, and Biomedical Applications. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 5464-5519.Georgakilas et al., Functionalization of Graphene: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Derivatives and Applications. Chem. Rev. 2012, 112, 6156-6214.Tucek et al., Iron-Oxide-Supported Nanocarbon in Lithium-Ion Batteries, Medical, Catalytic, and Environmental Applications. ACS Nano 2014, 8, 7571-7612.

Joint publicationsJayaramulu et al., Biomimetic Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Highly Fluorinated Graphene Oxide and ZIF-8 Composites for Oil–Water Separation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 1178-1182.Jayaramulu et al., An In Situ Porous Cuprous Oxide/Nitrogen-Rich Graphitic Carbon Nanocomposite Derived from a Metal-Organic Framework for Visible Light Driven Hydrogen Evolution. J. Mater. Chem. A 2016, 4, 18037-18042.

Joint publicationsHola et al., Carbon Dots – Emerging Light Emitters for Bioimaging, Cancer Therapy and Optoelectronics. Nano Today 2014, 9, 590-603.Kalytchuk et al., Nanothermometry: Temperature-Dependent Exciton and Trap-Related Photoluminescence of CdTe Quantum Dots Embedded in a NaCl Matrix: Implication in Thermometry. Small 2016, 12, 46-476.Wang et al., Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Supported Copper Nanoclusters: Glutathione Enhanced Blue Photoluminescence for Application in Phosphor Converted Light Emitting Devices. Nanoscale 2016, 8, 7197-7202.

Prof. Patrik SchmukiFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany / Palacký University Olomouc, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

European Research Council - Grant for Advanced Researchers Laureate, Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher, Volta Award of the Electrochemical Society (USA) or H.H. Uhlig Award of the Electrochemical Society (USA).

Director of the Center for Superfunctional Materials of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, Mulliken Lecture Award, Univ. of Georgia, USA (2011) or Korea National Honor Scientist (2010), Over 450 papers published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Nanotech., Nature Commun., Chem. Rev., Chem. Rev. Soc., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., etc.

Chair Professor of Photonic Materials, Department of Physics and Materials Science at City University of Hong Kong, Founding Director of the Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP) at City University of Hong Kong, Ranked 51st among top 100 Materials Scientists in the World.

“Alfried Krupp Förderpreis” for Young University Professors, Fellowship of the Karl-Winnacker Foundation, Member of the Editorial Board of Angewandte Chemie.

Prof. Kwang S. KimUlsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), The School of Natural Science, Ulsan, South Korea

Prof. Roland A. FischerDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Prof. Andrey L. RogachThe Semiconductor and Metal Nanocrystals Group, City University of Hong Kong, China / Palacký University Olomouc, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

RCPTM Visiting Scientists

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Joint publicationsTucek et al., Air-Stable Superparamagnetic Metal Nanoparticles Entrapped in Graphene Oxide Matrix. Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 12879.Tucek et al., Sulfur Doping Induces Strong Ferromagnetic Ordering in Graphene: Effect of Concentration and Substitution Mechanism. Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 5045–5053.Urbanova et al., Thiofluorographene–Hydrophilic Graphene Derivative with Semiconducting and Genosensing Properties. Adv. Mater. 2015, 27, 2305-2310.

Joint publicationsHola et al., Carbon dots—Emerging light emitters for bioimaging, cancer therapy and optoelectronics. Nano Today 2014, 9, 590-603.Bourlinos et al., Luminescent Surface Quaternized Carbon Dots. Chem. Mat. 2012,. 24, 6-8.Datta et al. Yellow emitting carbon dots with superior colloidal, thermal, and photochemical stability. J. Mat. Chem. C 2016, 204, 9798-9803.

Joint publicationsGeorgakilas et al., Noncovalent Functionalization of Graphene and Graphene Oxide for Energy Materials, Biosensing, Catalytic, and Biomedical Applications. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 5464-5519.Georgakilas et al., Broad Family of Carbon Nanoallotropes: Classification, Chemistry, and Applications of Fullerenes, Carbon Dots, Nanotubes, Graphene, Nanodiamonds, and Combined Superstructures. Chem. Rev. 2015, 115, 4744-4822.Georgakilas et al., Functionalization of Graphene: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Derivatives and Applications. Chem. Rev. 2012, 112, 6156-6214.

Joint publicationsTucek et al., Epsilon-Fe2O3: An Advanced Nanomaterial Exhibiting Giant Coercive Field, Millimeter-Wave Ferromagnetic Resonance, and Magnetoelectric Coupling. Chem. Mater. 2010, 22, 6483-6505.Tucek et al., Zeta-Fe2O3 - A New Stable Polymorph in Iron(III) Oxide Family. Sci. Rep. 2015, 5, 15091.Malina et al., Magnetic Ground State of Nanosized β-Fe2O3 and Its Remarkable Electronic Features. RSC Adv. 2015, 5, 49719-49727.

Joint publicationsSharma et al., Natural Inorganic Nanoparticles - Formation, Fate, and Toxicity in the Environment. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 8410-8423.Sharma et al., Ferrates: Greener Oxidants with Multimodal Action in Water Treatment Technologies. Acc. Chem. Res. 2015, 48, 182-191.Sharma et al., Organic-Coated Silver Nanoparticles in Biological and Environmental Conditions: Fate, Stability and Toxicity. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 2014, 204, 15-34.

Prof. Shin-ichi OhkoshiDepartment of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan

Prof. Virender K. SharmaEnvironmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, USA / Palacký University Olomouc, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

Prof. Martin PumeraDivision of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore / Palacký University Olomouc, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

Prof. Emmanuel P. GiannelisCornell University, Department of Material Science and Engineering, New York, USA

Assoc. Prof. Vasilios GeorgakilasDepartment of Material Science, University of Patras, Greece / Palacký University Olomouc, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

Associate Professor & Group leader at Nanyang Technological University, Top 5 Young Materials Scientists - International Union of Materials Research Societies Young Researcher Award, Associate Editor of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics.

Head of the Ohkoshi Laboratory, Inoue Prize for Science, Ichimura Academic Award, IBM Japan Science Prize or Japan Academy Medal.

Head of the Giannelis Research Group at Cornell University (USA), Walter R. Read Professor of Engineering in the Materials Science and Engineering, member or previous member of the editorial boards of Small, Chemistry of Materials and Macromolecules.

Director, Water Sustainability and Public Health Program, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Certificate of Merit - Awarded by American Chemical Society, for co-authorship of the Paper titled “Mechanism of the Formation of Silver Nanoparticles in the Aquatic Environment”.

World recognized expert in Chemistry of new carbon allotropes, author of 3 Chemical Reviews papers.

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Scientific Focus of RCPTMRCPTM focuses primarily on nanotechnology, materials, chemical, and optical research. A large scale of studied nanomaterials involve carbon nanostructures (graphene and its derivatives, carbon dots, nanotubes and their hybrids), metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, polymeric systems, and coordination compounds. The developed materials and approaches are designed for a variety of advanced technologies covering the fields of biomedicine, pharmacy, water treatment, catalysis, fuel cells, magnetic and spintronic applications, analytical chemistry, biosensing, optics, optoelectronics, and photonics.

• New graphene derivatives (fluorographene; thiographene; graphene acid)

• Covalent functionalization of graphene; new rules in 2D chemistry

• Non-covalent interactions with molecules; metals; solvents

• Applications in sensing, electrochemistry; catalysis; energy materials

• Hybrid materials with other carbon nanoallotropes

Graphene & 2D Chemistry

• Magnetically separable nanocatalysts• Applications of microwave assisted reactions• New phenomena in heterogeneous catalysis• Electrocatalysis; non-metallic catalysis with carbon-

based materials• Synthesis of nanomaterials from waste and bio-

sources; formation of nanoparticles in nature; nanotoxicity

Selected Relevant PublicationsGeorgakilas et al., Broad Family of Carbon Nanoallotropes: Classification, Chemistry, and Applications of Fullerenes, Carbon Dots, Nanotubes, Graphene, Nanodiamonds, and Combined Superstructures. Chem. Rev. 2015, 5, 4744-4822.Georgakilas et al., Functionalization of Graphene: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Derivatives and Applications. Chem. Rev. 2012, 112, 6156-6214.Urbanova et al., Thiofluorographene–Hydrophilic Graphene Derivative with Semiconducting and Genosensing Properties. Adv. Mater. 2015, 27, 2305-2310.Lazar et al., Quantification of the Interaction Forces between Metals and Graphene by Quantum Chemical Calculations and Dynamic Force Measurements under Ambient Conditions. ACS Nano 2013, 7, 1646-1651.Lazar et al.,Adsorption of Small Organic Molecules on Graphene. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 6372-6377.

Selected Relevant PublicationsSharma et al., Ferrates: Greener Oxidants with Multimodal Action in Water Treatment Technologies. Acc. Chem. Res. 2015, 48, 182-191.

Gawande et al., Cu and Cu-Based Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications in Catalysis. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 3722-3811.

Gawande et al., Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications in Catalysis and Electrocatalysis. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 7540-7590.

Sharma et al., Natural Inorganic Nanoparticles - Formation, Fate, and Toxicity in the Environment. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 8410-8423.

Jayaramulu et al., Biomimetic Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Highly Fluorinated Graphene Oxide and ZIF-8 Composites for Oil–Water Separation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 1178-1182.

Heterogeneous Catalysis & Green Chemistry

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Selected Relevant PublicationsHola et al., Carbon Dots—Emerging Light Emitters for Bioimaging, Cancer Therapy and Optoelectronics. Nano Today 2014, 9, 590-603.Georgakilas et al., Broad Family of Carbon Nanoallotropes: Classification, Chemistry, and Applications of Fullerenes, Carbon Dots, Nanotubes, Graphene, Nanodiamonds, and Combined Superstructures. Chem. Rev. 2015, 5, 4744-4822.Bourlinos et al., Luminescent Surface Quaternized Carbon Dots. Chem. Mater. 2012, 24, 6-8.Kalytchuk et al., Nanothermometry: Temperature-Dependent Exciton and Trap-Related Photoluminescence of CdTe Quantum Dots Embedded in a NaCl Matrix: Implication in Thermometry. Small 2016, 12, 466-476.Kozak et al., Photoluminescent Carbon Nanostructures. Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 4085-4128.

• Syntheses of carbon dots with controllable photoluminescent properties

• Origin of photoluminescence• Biomedical applications in cell labelling and

theranostics • Applications in optoelectronics; LED technologies• In vitro measurements of cell temperature;

nanothermometry• Hybrids of carbon dots with 2D materials and other

luminophores

Quantum Dots for Cell Labeling,Optoelectronics and Nanothermometry

• Magnetic metals and metal oxides, rare iron(III) oxide polymorphs; superparamagnetism

• Applications of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedicine; biochemistry; sensing and environmental technologies

• Origin of magnetism in graphene and sp-based materials

• Effect of doping and covalent functionalization on magnetism of 2D materials

• Advanced characterization of magnetic nanosystems with in-field Mössbauer spectroscopy; SQUID; PPMS; magnetic force microscopy; EPR; NMR

• Interactions of molecules with 2D nanostructures; organic magnets

Advanced Magnetic Nanostructures

Selected Relevant PublicationsTucek et al., Air-Stable Superparamagnetic Metal Nanoparticles Entrapped in Graphene Oxide Matrix. Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 12879.Tucek et al., Sulfur Doping Induces Strong Ferromagnetic Ordering in Graphene: Effect of Concentration and Substitution Mechanism. Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 5045–5053.Tucek et al., Zeta-Fe2O3 – A New Stable Polymorph in Iron(III) Oxide Family. Sci. Rep. 2015, 5, 15091.Hola et al., Tailored Functionalization of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for MRI, Drug Delivery, Magnetic Separation and Immobilization of Biosubstances. Biotechnol. Adv. 2015, 33, 1162-1176.Tucek et al., Iron-Oxide-Supported Nanocarbon in Lithium-Ion Batteries, Medical, Catalytic, and Environmental Applications. ACS Nano 2014, 8, 7571-7612.

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Selected Relevant PublicationsKment et al., Photoanodes with Fully Controllable Texture: The Enhanced Water Splitting Efficiency of Thin Hematite Films Exhibiting Solely (110) Crystal Orientation. ACS Nano 2015, 9, 7113-7123.Wang et al., Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Supported Copper Nanoclusters: Glutathione Enhanced Blue Photoluminescence for Application in Phosphor Converted Light Emitting Devices. Nanoscale 2016, 8, 7197-7202.Kment et al., On the Improvement of PEC Activity of Hematite Thin Films Deposited by High-Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method. Appl. Catal. B - Environ. 2015, 165, 344-350.Frydrych et al., Facile Fabrication of Tin-Doped Hematite Photoelectrodes - Effect of Doping on Magnetic Properties and Performance for Light-Induced Water Splitting. J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 23232-23239.Sivula et al., Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with Mesoporous Hematite Prepared by a Solution-Based Colloidal Approach. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 7436-7444.

• Development of photoanodes for technologies of direct solar splitting of water

• Effect of doping; sensitizers and co-catalysts on photoefficiency

• Advanced technologies of thin films deposition (high impulse power magnetron sputtering, HiPiMS)

• Electrocatalysis; ORR; HE reactions• Dye sensitized solar cells; fuel cells

Photoelectrochemistry - Solar Cells,Direct Solar Splitting of Water

• Targeted drug delivery with magnetic nanoparticles for anticancer therapy

• Theranostic agents for simultaneous diagnostics (MRI; optical; optoacoustic imaging) and therapy

• Targeted antimicrobial treatment

• Controllable drug release; superparamagnetic condensed clusters

• Magnetic fluid hyperthermia; targeted drug delivery with polymers and non-magnetic carriers

Targeted Drug Delivery with Nano-carriers

Selected Relevant PublicationsUlbrich et al., Targeted Drug Delivery with Polymers and Magnetic Nanoparticles: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Release Control, and Clinical Studies. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 5338-5431.Sarigiannis et al., Synthesis and Evaluation of Condensed Magnetic Nanocrystal Clusters with In Vivo Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography for Tumour Targeting. Biomaterials 2016, 91, 128-139.Voulgaria et al., Synthesis, Characterization and In Vivo Evaluation of a Magnetic Cisplatin Delivery Nanosystem Based on PMAA-graft-PEG Copolymerset. J. Control. Release 2016, 243, 342–356.Zoppellaro et al., Theranostics of Epitaxially Condensed Colloidal Nanocrystal Clusters, through a Soft Biomineralization Route. Chem. Mater. 2014, 26, 2062-2074. Prucek et al., The Targeted Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Magnetic Nanocomposite of Iron Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles. Biomaterials 2011, 32, 4704-4713.

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Selected Relevant Publications and PatentSharma et al., Ferrates: Greener Oxidants with Multimodal Action in Water Treatment Technologies. Acc. Chem. Res. 2015, 48, 182-191.Marsalek et al., Multimodal Action and Selective Toxicity of Zerovalent Iron Nanoparticles against Cyanobacteria. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012, 46, 2316-2323.Prucek et al., Ferrate(VI)-Induced Arsenite and Arsenate Removal by In Situ Structural Incorporation into Magnetic Iron(III) Oxide Nanoparticles. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47, 3283-3292.Prucek et al., Ferrate(VI)-Prompted Removal of Metals in Aqueous Media: Mechanistic Delineation of Enhanced Efficiency via Metal Entrenchment in Magnetic Oxides. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 2319-2327.

The method of synthesis of the iron nanopowder with the protective oxidic coat from natural and synthetic nanopowdered iron oxides and oxyhydroxides. Inventors: R. Zboril, O. Schneeweiss, J. Filip, M. Maslan: (EP2164656). Patent granted 2010.

• Environmentally friendly reductive technologies based on zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI); full scale remediation

• Ferrate(VI) based oxidative technologies for water treatment

• Advanced micro/mesoporous carbon and iron based sorbents

• Combined sorption and redox technologies• Treatment of emerging pollutants (arsenic,

phosphorus; cyanobacteria, endocrine disruptors)

Nanotechnologies and Eco-friendly Technologies for Water Treatment

• Electrochemical sensing with magnetic nanoparticles

• Applications of carbon based nanostructures (graphene derivatives; carbon dots) in biosensing

• MRI diagnostics with superparamagnetic nanoparticles and their hybrids

• Multimodal imaging

• Theoretical modeling of interactions of nanosystems with biomolecules

• Sensing of biomolecules (DNA; RNA; enzymes; proteins) and pollutants in environment

Bio-Sensing and Diagnostics

Selected Relevant PublicationsMagro et al., Triggering Mechanism for DNA Electrical Conductivity: Reversible Electron Transfer between DNA and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2015, 25, 1822-1831.Urbanova et al., Nanocrystalline Iron Oxides, Composites, and Related Materials as a Platform for Electrochemical, Magnetic, and Chemical Biosensors. Chem. Mater. 2014, 26, 6653-6673.Urbanova et al., Fluorinated Graphenes as Advanced Biosensors - Effect of Fluorine Coverage on Electron Transfer Properties and Adsorption of Biomolecules. Nanoscale 2016, 8, 7197-7202.Magro et al., Core–Shell Hybrid Nanomaterial Based on Prussian Blue and Surface Active Maghemite Nanoparticles as Stable Electrocatalyst. Biosens. Bioelectron. 2014, 52, 159-165.Datta et al., Quaternized Carbon Dot-Modified Graphene Oxide for Selective Cell Labelling - Controlled Nucleus and Cytoplasm Imaging. Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 10782-10785.

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Selected Relevant Publications and PatentAdegboyega et al., Enhanced Formation of Silver Nanoparticles in Ag+-NOM-Iron(II, III) Systems and Antibacterial Activity Studies. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 3228-3235.Panacek et al., Polyacrylate-Assisted Size Control of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Catalytic Activity. Chem. Mater. 2014, 26, 1332-1339.Sharma et al., Organic-Coated Silver Nanoparticles in Biological and Environmental Conditions: Fate, Stability and Toxicity. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 2014, 204, 15-34.Markova et al., Chitosan-Based Synthesis of Magnetically-Driven Nanocomposites with Biogenic Magnetite Core, Controlled Silver Size, and High Antimicrobial Activity. Green Chem. 2012, 14, 2550-2558.

Method of immobilization of silver nanoparticles on solid substrates. Inventors: R. Zboril, J. Soukupova (US 20150290677). Patent granted 2016.

• Controllable synthesis of silver nanoparticles with defined size and morphology

• Antibacterial and antifungal activity

• Covalent immobilization onto various substrates for biomedical, disinfection and environmental technologies; prevention of biofouling

• Synergistic action with antibiotics

• Toxicity of nanosilver against higher organisms, mechanism of action

Silver Nanoparticles, Antimicrobial Technologies

• Modelling analytical processes during the transition to the nanoscale (the ionization of substances, nanoseparation beds)

• Development of methods for characterization of nanomaterials

• New tools for early diagnostics – magnetically assisted surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

• Research on ionization and fragmentation in mass spectrometry, preconcentration; chromatographic and electrophoretic separation

• Analysis of pharmacologically interesting substances and natural products, their interactions with living organisms

Selected Relevant PublicationsRanc et al., Magnetically Assisted Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Selective Determination of Dopamine in an Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid and a Mouse Striatum Using Fe3O4/Ag Nanocomposite. Anal. Chem. 2014, 86, 2939-2946.Balzerova et al., Magnetically-Assisted Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (MA-SERS) for Label-Free Determination of Human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in Blood Using Fe3O4@Ag Nanocomposite. Anal. Chem. 2014, 86, 11107-11114.Pribylka et al., Fast Spore Breaking by Superheating. Lab Chip 2013, 13, 1695-1698.Havlicek et al., Current Trends in Microbial Diagnostics Based on Mass Spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 2013, 85, 790-797.Prichystal et al., Structural Analysis of Natural Products. Anal. Chem. 2016, 88, 10338–10346.

New Trends in Analytical Chemistry

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Selected Relevant Publications and PatentAntal et al., Late First-Row Transition-Metal Complexes Containing a 2-Pyridylmethyl Pendant-Armed 15-Membered Macrocyclic Ligand. Field-Induced Slow Magnetic Relaxation in a Seven-Coordinate Cobalt(II) Compound. Inorg. Chem. 2016, 55, 5957-5972.Starha et al., Hydrosulfide Adducts of Organo-Iridium Anticancer Complexes. Inorg. Chem. 2016, 55, 2324–2331.Nemec et al., Suppressing of Slow Magnetic Relaxation in Tetracoordinate Co(II) Field-Induced Single-Molecule Magnet in Hybrid Material with Ferromagnetic Barium Ferrite. Sci. Rep. 2015, 5, 10761.Kasparkova et al., Photoactivatable Platinum(IV) Complex Targeting Genomic DNA and Histone Deacetylases. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 14478-14482.

Dichlorido complexes of platinum with 7-azaindole halogeno-derivatives for use in the treatment of tumour diseases . Inventors: Z. Travnicek, P. Starha, Z. Dvorak (EP2636410). Patent granted 2015.

• Coordination compounds of the selected transition metals with high biological (anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic) activity for biomedical applications

• In vitro and in vivo assessment of biological activity• Molecular magnets/single molecule magnets and

molecular switches based on the transition metal complexes applicable in sensorics, optoelectronics and high density recording media

• Interactions of molecular magnets and spin crossover molecules with magnetic nanoparticles and 2D systems

Coordination Compounds for Biomedicine and Magnetic Devices

• Optical quantum and nonlinear phenomena, quantum information processing with light

• Research of nonstandard detection systems based on optics with sensitivity to single photons

• Special nano-surfaces and corresponding optical technologies; large optical elements for cosmic rays detection

• Optical non-contact measurement methods based upon interferometry in coherent speckle fields and white-light interferometry

• Participation in international projects such as CERN-ATLAS (research on the nature of matter at the LHC accelerator at CERN in Geneva) and the Pierre Auger Observatory (research of ultra-high energy cosmic ray in Argentina)

Selected Relevant PublicationsLemr et al., Experimental Implementation of Optimal Linear-Optical Controlled-Unitary Gates. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2015, 114, 153602.

Pierre Auger Collaboration (Horvath, P.; Hrabovsky, M.; Nozka, L.) has published 6 papers in 2016, e.g.: Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2016, 116, 241101.

Svozilik et al., Revealing Hidden Coherence in Partially Coherent Light. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2015, 115, 220501.

Haderka et al., Spatial and Spectral Coherence in Propagating High-Intensity Twin Beams. Sci. Rep. 2015, 5, 14365.

Perina et al., Internal Dynamics of Intense Twin Beams and Their Coherence. Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 22320.

Optical Technologies and Surface Nanotreatment

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Key Instrumental Techniques

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials in Olomouc ranks today among the best-equipped workplaces in Europe and the instrumentation infrastructure is fully competitive with the world’s best workplaces in the field of materials research, nanotechnology, chemistry and optics. The Centre guarantees high quality services not only due to superior equipment, but also due to a highly qualified staff with wide experience in basic and applied research at the international level.

RCPTM instrumental park consists of eight laboratories: Microscopic Laboratory, Laboratory of Techniques for the Analyses in External Magnetic Fields, Laboratory of X-ray Techniques, Spectroscopic Laboratory, Optical Laboratory, Laboratory for Analyses of Surface Properties, Laboratory of Computational Chemistry, and Synthesis Laboratory.

Transmission electron microscope (FEI Titan 60 - 300 kV) with a high resolution and the possibility of cryo-applications and the accelerating voltage of up to 300 kV. The device is designed for the material research, in particular for the observation of object structures up to the atomic level. The device is equipped with a set of CCD cameras, and analytic techniques enabling the precise chemical mapping involving Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS).

High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM)

The device (NT-MDT company) enables the investigation of material surfaces in both liquid and air environments in atomic resolutions. An integral part of the instrument is the spectroscopic part (Raman spectroscopy). In this way the system provides parallel topographic and chemical mapping of the surface. The Raman spectrometer is equipped with optics reaching the spectral resolution of 0.5 cm¯¹.

The tuned combination of the AFM and Raman part enables to carry out also the so-called TERS analysis (Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) and to obtain the spectral map of the sample with a space resolution less than 20 nm. The instrument also allows the examination of the magnetic and electric properties of the surfaces (magnetic force microscopy – MFM and conductive force microscopy – CFM).

Combined System of AFM and Raman Spectroscopy

Unique Research Infrastructure

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X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is an advanced technique used for the chemical analysis of solid surfaces, eventually frozen samples. Device (VersaProbe II; Physical Electronics) enables the measurement of angle differentiated XPS, the identification of the elements’ content depending on depth (depth profiling) and a real surface mapping. The device is intended for materials research, especially for complex chemical analyses (both quantitative and qualitative) and analyses of chemical/valence states of the surfaces of both conductive and nonconductive samples. Further, the device enables processing of the samples in integrated high-temperature/high-pressure chamber (up to 700 °C/20 bar).

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)

Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS; Dynacool, Quantum Design) allows the characterization of physical properties of the materials and molecular systems in temperature range from 1.9 to 400 K, and in the magnetic fields up to 9 T. The available measurement modules are intended for getting information about heat capacity, magnetization, magnetic torque and electro-transport properties (electrical resistivity, the Hall effect, I-V curves). The PPMS Dynacool instrument belongs among the most modern instruments capable of studying magnetic and transport properties of the materials, magnetic anisotropy, magnetocaloric effect or superconductive materials.

Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS)

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or sometimes referred to as electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, is an experimental method for studying compounds with unpaired electrons; here, electron spin is excited when placed into an external magnetic field. EPR spectroscopy is particularly useful for studying metal complexes or organic radicals. EPR is a non-invasive technique, which can be applied either to living systems to monitor a distribution of O2 or NO in tissues or used analytically to observe labeled species in situ in biological or in chemical reactions. RCPTM is equipped with an EPR spectrometer from JEOL company (JES-X3 series); the EPR spectra can be measured in the temperature range from 2.5 to 473 K in the presence of an external magnetic field up to 1.4 T in the X-band domain with a sensitivity of 5 x 109 spins/10-4 T (at 100 kHz modulation).

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)

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Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a type of mass spectrometry which is useful for detection and quantification of metals, metalloids, and several non-metals at concentrations as low as one part in 10¹² (part per trillion, ppt) on non-interfered low-background isotopes. This technique is suitable for example for quality control of different high-tech technological processes, determination of heavy metals pollution in environmental and biomedical samples, or metallomic species in biological samples.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Ultra-High Vacuum Scanning Probe Microscopy (UHV-SPM)

The instrument (Createc GmbH, Germany) that combines the scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy is operating at cryogenic temperatures (5K) in ultrahigh vacuum conditions. It allows to investigate sub-nanometer objects (molecules, atomic clusters etc.) adsorbed on clean, absolutely flat surfaces with atomic precision. The precision is higher than 10 pm, which makes this instrument genuinely suitable for investigation of molecules and atoms. The special sensors designed to probe the electronic structure and the atomic forces at the same time allow to explore the physical and chemical properties of a broad range of solid surfaces, self-assemblies and individual molecules. A broad range of related spectroscopies can be performed, e.g. probing the local density of states, inelastic spectroscopy of molecules or atomic force spectroscopy with atomic resolution. The instrument is a very valuable tool for investigating many processes and phenomena occurring onto the surfaces, i.e. on-surface chemical reactions, dynamics of self-assembly,

quantum-electronic effects at the surface of the solid matter, charge transfer, charge storage and generation, Kondo effect, interaction of photons and matter, atom and molecule manipulation, doping effects and others.

NMR spectrometer (600 MHz; JEOL company) enables obtaining high-resolution spectra of samples in solution and solid states using 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The spectrometer is equipped with measuring probes with automatic tuning system AutotuneTM 600 MHz 5 mm FG/RO and FG/TH for measuring samples in a solution. Further, the measuring probe is available for solid samples of 600 MHz 3.2 mm HXMAS in 3.2 zirconium cuvettes suitable for experiments on chemical and biochemical samples in the temperature range from room temperature up to 130°C. The spectrometer also allows the studies of the composition and identification of organic and inorganic compounds, including the observation of reaction kinetics of studied substances in various environments.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

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provide information on the oxidation state, spin state, electronegativity of ligands, character of bonds, molecular symmetry and coordination, quantification of non-equivalent crystallographic sites, level of ordering and stoichiometry, type of the magnetic ordering, orientation of the magnetic moments in the external magnetic fields (i.e., spin canting, spin frustration), magnetic anisotropy, magnetic transition temperature, etc. At RCPTM, the Mössbauer spectroscopy is the crucial technique for study of iron and tin containing compounds; the Mössbauer spectra are recorded in the broad range of temperatures (up 1.5 to 1300 K) and external magnetic fields (up to 10 T) adjusting other conditions (atmosphere, humidity, frozen samples, etc.). Besides, the Mössbauer spectra can be measured in back-scattering geometry at room temperature and temperature of liquid nitrogen. RCPTM has also a long-term experience with development and construction of Mössbauer spectrometers which are sold worldwide.

Mössbauer spectroscopy is an element selective technique monitoring the physicochemical properties of compounds via electromagnetic hyperfine interactions between the nucleus of the Mössbauer active atom, its electronic levels and its surrounding (i.e., ligand field). The Mössbauer spectra then

Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Grinding of Optical Surfaces

The CNC machine by ZEEKO company is designed to generate various shapes of the optical surfaces. Surface grinding takes place in several steps – from rough surface shaping to final polishing operations, through which the surface gets the final shape with the roughness in nanometres. The essential part of these technological centres is also a diagnostical instrument

for analysing shapes of the element surfaces which are being processed. These instruments are used in the Centre for research, development and production of the extensive optical elements up to one meter in diameter, which find the usage eg. in big international collaborations in the sphere of astroparticle physics such as the Pierre Auger Observatory or the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

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Researchers of Palacký University in Olomouc have been focusing on the construction of Mössbauer spectrometers since the 1990s, as well as on the development of all necessary equipment such as the velocity drives, gamma radiation detectors, electronic synchronization units and software control. Advantages of the spectrometers developed at Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) include their compact and effective design, along with the fact that they are

very simple to install and operate (on a plug-and-play basis). The MS96 Spectrometers are user-friendly and with possibility of remote control. Another highly important feature is the spectrometer compatibility with all known Mössbauer components and simple integration with low temperature systems and also with cryomagnetic devices. These spectrometers have been installed in tens of world laboratories including Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute or Texas A&M University.

The all-sky camera is an autonomous and versatile night-time all-sky imaging system. With high sensitivity and low dark current, it performs extremely well for night time imaging of the entire sky. It is dedicated for both professional and amateur observers to monitor and evaluate the condition of the sky. The all-sky camera maximizes effectiveness and performance by analyzing the real time sky conditions. It allows to monitor the sky conditions from a local control room or from any remote operating location. The clouds could be detected in advance using built-in algorithm and prevent a long time exposure of a telescope. The system could operate fully independently far away

from any energy source. All-sky cameras are already installed at Cherenkov Telescope Array (in Namibia, Argentina, Mexico, USA, Spain, Chile, Czech Republic), Pierre Auger Observatory (Argentina), Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de San Pedro Mártir (Mexico).

The researchers from Olomouc are active members of the biggest world observatory for a study of cosmic radiation, called the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. Fluorescent detectors consisting of mirrors with a total area of 13m2 are the integral parts of the observatory. This set of optical telescopes is equipped with sensitive detectors of very short flashes of fluorescent radiation which are generated upon passing of particles of secondary cosmic radiation through the Earth atmosphere. The observatory comprises of 27 telescopes with a view angle of 30°; more than half of these telescopes are equipped with mirror planes which were produced by the researchers from RCPTM.

Mössbauer Spectrometers

Autonomous All-sky Cameras and Mirror Segments

Premium Customers

In the framework of the contract research RCPTM cooperates with more than 80 commercial partners, both national and international focusing on the innovative technologies, brand new materials and extraordinary services. The RCPTM researchers have already introduced several technologies and innovations in the fields of environment protection, medicine, chemical industry, optics and photonics. A few examples of successful technology transfer are described below.

Technology Transfer

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Supported by the European Patent “The method of synthesis of the iron nanopowder with the protective oxidic coat from natural and synthetic nanopowdered iron oxides and oxihydroxides” EP 2164656

Water Treatment with Nanotechnologies

Computational Predictions of the Skin Permeability as an Alternative to Testing on Animals

on animals and humans would be minimised. The advantage of computer simulations is their limitless reproducibility, possibility of immediate modification and quick reaction.

The skin represents the biggest and so far the most neglected human body organ, which is the first protective shield against adverse effects of the environment. For the application of cosmetics it is necessary to be acquainted with mechanisms of permeability of chemical substances through the skin layers. The cooperation with Procter and Gamble company (USA) is based especially on the investigation of physico-chemical properties of chemical substance permeability through skin. Such research is always connected with testing on animal and human tissues, which, however, brings along a number of ethical questions.

RCPTM workplace evolved methods which can be used for these purposes and therefore the tests

RCPTM research groups focus, on a long-term basis, on the development of new environmentally friendly technologies for treatment of polluted water and soil. The commercially most successful technology is based on the application of zero-valent iron nanoparticles for in situ treatment of contaminated groundwater. Elemental iron in the form of surface-stabilized nanoparticles is capable of migration in groundwater and by virtue of its reduction and precipitation effects converting highly toxic pollutants to much less toxic or completely nontoxic phases. RCPTM researchers participated in the development of a method for the large-scale production of zero-valent iron nanoparticles patent (EP 2164656, 2013), which has found wide use in the remediation of groundwater, particularly water contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons, nitro-compounds, hexavalent chromium, uranium and other heavy metals. Nanoiron, s.r.o. company, which uses this invented technology, is currently the largest world producer of zero-valent iron nanoparticles, including supporting technologies and technological background. Such technologies of in-situ groundwater remediation are already successfully applied in full-scale remediation and/or in pilot tests on many localities including Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Portugal, Spain, Canada or USA.

The researchers from RCPTM take part also in collaborative projects under the Seventh EU Framework Programme. The project NanoRem (Taking Nanotechnological Remediation Processes from Lab Scale to End User Applications for

the Restoration of a Clean Environment) has 28 partners across Europe. Project objectives are the development of new methods of water treatment based on nanotechnologies and their transfer from the laboratory to industry. On the national level, the same team is leading the consortium of the project Nanobiowat (Environmental Friendly Nanotechnologies and Biotechnologies in Water and Soil Treatment) under the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. Project intention is to establish the Centre connecting potentials of 3 academic and 6 industrial subjects in order to develop and implement ecologically friendly nanotechnologies and biotechnologies for water and soil treatment.

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Physical Reivew Letters

RCPTM publishes approx. 250-300 impacted publications in high-quality journals (40-50% of journals with IF>5) including e.g. Science, Nature Communications, Chemical Reviews, Chemical Society Reviews, Accounts of Chemical Research, Advanced Materials, ACS Nano, Nano Today, Advanced Functional Materials, Angewandte Chemie, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Biomaterials, Chemistry of Materials, Physical Review Letters.

• V. Georgakilas, M. Otyepka, A. B. Bourlinos, V. Chandra, N. Kim, C. K. Kemp, P. Hobza, R. Zboril, and K. S. Kim, “Functionalization of Graphene: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Derivatives and Applications,” CHEMICAL REVIEWS, vol. 112, iss. 11, pp. 6156-6214, 2012. IF = 37.369.

• M. B. Gawande, A. Goswami, T. Asefa, H. Guo, A. V. Biradar, D. Peng, R. Zboril, and R. S. Varma, “Core-shell Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications in Catalysis and Electrocatalysis,” CHEM. SOC. REV., vol. 44, iss. 21, pp. 7540-7590, 2015. IF = 34.09.

• V. K. Sharma, J. Filip, R. Zboril, and R. S. Varma, “Natural Inorganic Nanoparticles - Formation, Fate, and Toxicity in the Environment,” CHEM. SOC. REV., vol. 44, iss. 23, pp. 8410-8423, 2015. IF = 34.09.

• M. B. Gawande, S. N. Shelke, R. Zboril, and R. S. Varma, “Microwave-Assisted Chemistry: Synthetic Applications for Rapid Assembly of Nanomaterials and Organics,” ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH, vol. 47, iss. 4, pp. 1338-1348, 2014. IF = 22.003.

• J. Tucek, P. Błonski, Z. Sofer, P. Simek, M. Petr, M. Pumera, M. Otyepka, and R. Zboril, “Sulfur Doping Induces Strong Ferromagnetic Ordering in Graphene: Effect of Concentration and Substitution Mechanism,” ADVANCED MATERIALS, vol. 28, iss. 25, p. 5045–5053, 2016. IF = 18.96.

• V. Urbanova, K. Hola, A. B. Bourlinos, K. Cepe, A. Ambrosi, A. H. Loo, M. Pumera, F. Karlicky, M. Otyepka, and R. Zbořil, “Thiofluorographene–Hydrophilic Graphene Derivative with Semiconducting and Genosensing Properties,” ADVANCED MATERIALS, vol. 27, iss. 14, pp. 2305-2310, 2015. IF = 18.96.

• S. Kment, P. Schmuki, Z. Hubicka, L. Machala, R. Kirchgeorg, N. Liu, L. Wang, K. Lee, J. Olejnicek, M. Cada, I. Gregora, and R. Zboril, “Photoanodes with Fully Controllable Texture: The Enhanced Water Splitting Efficiency of Thin Hematite Films Exhibiting Solely (110) Crystal Orientation,” ACS NANO, vol. 9, iss. 7, pp. 7113-7123, 2015. IF = 13.334.

• J. Tucek, K. C. Kemp, K. S. Kim, and R. Zboril, “Iron-Oxide-Supported Nanocarbon in Lithium-Ion Batteries, Medical, Catalytic, and Environmental Applications,” ACS NANO, vol. 8, iss. 8, pp. 7571-7612, 2014. IF = 13.334.

• K. Hola, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, E. P. Giannelis, R. Zboril, and A. L. Rogach, “Carbon dots—Emerging Light Emitters for Bioimaging, Cancer Therapy and Optoelectronics ,” NANO TODAY, vol. 9, iss. 5, pp. 590-603, 2014. IF = 13.157.

• P. Lazar, F. Karlicky, P. Jurecka, M. Kocman, E. Otyepkova, K. Safarova, and M. Otyepka, “Adsorption of Small Organic Molecules on Graphene,” JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 135, iss. 16, pp. 6372-6377, 2013. IF= 13.038.

• K. Jayaramulu, K. K. R. Datta, C. Rosler, M. Petr, M. Otyepka, R. Zboril, and R. A. Fischer, “Biomimetic Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Highly Fluorinated Graphene Oxide and ZIF-8 Composites for Oil–Water Separation,” ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE INTERNATIONAL EDITION, vol. 55, iss. 3, pp. 1178-1182, 2016. IF = 11.709.

• J. Tucek, Z. Sofer, D. Bousa, M. Pumera, K. Hola, A. Mala, K. Polakova, M. Havrdova, K. Cepe, O. Tomanec, and R. Zboril, “Air-stable superparamagnetic metal nanoparticles entrapped in graphene oxide matrix,” NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, vol. 7, 2016. IF = 11.329.

• K. Lemr, K. Bartkiewicz, A. Cernoch, M. Dusek, and J. Soubusta, “Experimental Implementation of Optimal Linear-Optical Controlled-Unitary Gates,” PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, vol. 114, iss. 15, 2015. IF = 7.645.

Scientific Publications

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Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, namely Prof. Michal Otyepka became a principal investigator of ERC-Consolidator Grant. Project called “Two-Dimensional Chemistry towards New Graphene Derivatives” aims to understand chemical rules of two-dimensional world of carbon materials, especially fluorographene.

Research and development of unique materials based on graphene and its derivatives is related to the involvement of RCPTM in the multinational consortium Graphene Flagship. The Graphene Flagship is tasked with bringing together academic and industrial researchers to take graphene from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in the range of 10 years, thus generating economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities. The core consortium consists of over 150 academic and industrial research groups in 23 countries. In addition, the project has a growing number of associated members.

Research infrastructures, including e-infrastructures are one of the main pillars of national research and innovation systems of the member states of the European Union, other macro-regional and global formations. Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials is proud that its activities contributed to the establishment of five national research infrastructures. Specifically, these are NanoEnviCz, AUGER-CZ, CERN-CZ, CTA-CZ and ELIXIR-CZ.

The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory studies ultra-high energy cosmic rays (energy > 1019 eV). The observatory is located on the vast plain known as the Pampa Amarilla (yellow prairie) in western Argentina. Optical and photonic technologies research group of RCPTM produces glass mirrors for fluorescence telescopes and Lidars and all-sky cameras for background light monitoring. The employees participate in the observatory operation, measurement of optical properties of fluorescence telescopes and optical elements, data analysis, modeling, design and analysis of optical systems.

RCPTM also actively contributes to CERN activities, in particular in frame of the Forward Detectors subproject within the ATLAS project where RCPTM cooperates with international community. The main objective is the development of algorithms and models for data analysis and simulation for the ALFA detector. Nowadays, RCPTM is going to use its experience in the oncoming Alternative Financing and Procurement project. Students participate in physics analysis in area of proton diffraction as for instance hot topic study of exclusive production of pions in proton-proton collisions.

The researchers from RCPTM take part in several collaborative projects under the Seventh EU Framework Programme. The most important one, project NanoRem, has 28 partners across Europe. Project objectives are the development of new methods of water treatment based on nanotechnologies and their transfer from the laboratory to industry.

RCPTM International Network

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The Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials organizes a unique and internationally significant lecture series connected with the worldwide known name of the Czech scientist Prof. Rudolf Zahradník. This honorary lecture series was established in 2013 in honor of the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the founding chairman of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic.

It is organised under the patronage of the RCPTM director, Radek Zbořil. The ambition is to introduce the most famous and the most successful world scientists, particularly from the field of chemical, materials and physical research, to the Czech world. Thanks to Rudolf Zahradnik Lecture Series, the members of academic community and the public have the opportunity to watch performances of a number of the top scientists including Prof. Toshiaki Enoki (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Prof. František

Švec (University of California), Prof. Pavel Jungwirth (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR), Prof. Peter Sadler (University of Warwick), Prof. Dr. Adi Eisenberg (McGill University), Prof. Mario Ruben (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Prof. Patrik Schmuki (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Prof. Rudolf Zahradník (J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry AS CR, Prague), Prof. Wolfgang Lindner (University of Vienna), Prof. Mark A. Ratner (Northwestern University), Prof. Andrey L. Rogach (City University of Hong Kong) and Prof. Josef Michl (University of Colorado).

AFO is currently one of the most important European festivals in the area of popular science film. It aims to present science as an attractive, dynamic and diverse sector through films charting natural, humanities and social science disciplines. Each year, hundreds of documentary films and television programs enroll in the competition sections of the festival. Traditionally, renowned stations such as BBC, Discovery Channel or National Geographic submit their films. The festival takes place every April in Olomouc. It originated in

1966. Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials awards the creator of the best foreign popular scientific film.

RCPTM Science PromotionRudolf Zahradnik Lecture Series

Academia film Olomouc

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The Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials is one of the organizers of the international conference Nanocon, which has achieved during its existence the reputation of one of the best events among European nanotechnological symposiums. Prof. Zbořil is the main scientific guarantor of this international meeting, which hosts every year approx. 400 participants from more than 40 countries.

Nanocon Conference

• The Award of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport for Outstanding Results in Research, Experimental Development and Innovation was received by Prof. Radek Zbořil in 2011.

• The 2012 SIEMENS Award for the best thesis was given to Assoc. Prof. Karel Lemr (author) and Assoc. Prof. Jan Soubusta (supervisor).

• The award for the best presentation at ISIAME 2012 (the prestigious International Symposium on the Industrial Applications of the Mössbauer Effect) received Assoc. Prof. Jiří Tuček.

• The award for the best presentation at ISTCP 2013 (Congress of the International Society of Theoretical Chemical Physics) received Dr. František Karlický.

• Prof. Michal Otyepka won the 2014 Neuron Impuls competition in chemistry.

• Prof. Pavel Hobza became part of the list of the world‘s most highly cited scientists in 2014 and 2015 - Highly Cited Researcher – according to the Thomson Reuters.

• Dr. Manoj B. Gawande was honoured with the “Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award” – 2014.

• RCPTM scientific team led by Dr. Štepán Kment won the first place for the poster at SPEA 8 conference (8th European Meeting on Solar Chemistry and Photocatalysis: Environmental Applications) in 2014.

• Mgr. Martin Kuba won the first prize for his poster on the Symposium on Atomic Spectrometry in 2014.

• The prestigious Galileo Galilei Award was awarded to Prof. Jan Peřina in recognition of his scientific work by the International Commission for Optics in 2014.

• Dr. Rajender S. Varma was awarded by the ORD Sustainability Award, US Environmental Protection Agency, “Sustainable Strategies for Risk Reduction in Nanotechnology: Application in Chemical Catalysis and Environmental Remediation” in 2015.

• Prof. Radek Zbořil became new member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic in 2015, which brings together leading scientists working in the Czech Republic.

• Prof. Michal Otyepka reached the prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC) in the amount of 1.8 million EUR in 2015.

• Prof. Radek Zbořil became the recipient of the Olomouc City award in 2015.

• Young RCPTM scientists succeeded in French Embassy Science Contest. Mgr. Kateřina Holá received the Jean-Marie Lehn Award (2nd place in Chemistry), while Mgr. Markéta Paloncýová received Joseph Fourier Award (3rd place). Markéta Paloncýová won also the IT4 Innovation award.

• Assoc. Prof. Jiří Tuček won the young scientists special award at Tokyo University in 2015 and became a visiting professor at the same university.

• Scientific team led by Prof. Miroslav Hrabovský won the special award for the best applied results within the project under the Technological Agency of Czech Republic for its originality in 2016.

• Prof. Radek Zbořil and Prof. Michal Otyepka were awarded by Palacký University for their significant scientific achievements in 2016.

• Prof. Pavel Hobza became the recipient of the Olomouc City award in 2016.

• Pavel Hobza was awarded by “Jaroslav Heyrovsky Honorary Medal” in the chemical sciences by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2016.

• Dr. Václav Ranc and Prof. Radek Zbořil won the gold medal at the Invent Arena International Exhibition of Technical Innovations, Patents and Inventions (2016).

• Dr. Rajender S. Varma was awarded by the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) Medal, “for notable and outstanding contributions in the field of Advanced Materials Science and Technology” in 2016

RCPTM Awards

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Cover Arts by RCPTM

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