Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials

The main objective of the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) of the Faculty of Sciences at Palacký University in Olomouc is the regular transfer and development of high-tech technologies into medicinal, industrial and environmental practice, and the participation of the Centre within prestigious international networks and consortia. RCPTM focuses predominantly on top research in the area of metal oxide nanoparticles for catalytic and magnetic applications, carbon nanostructures, metal nanoparticles for antimicrobial and water treatment technologies, coordination chemistry, photonics, new instrumentation in optics and analytical chemistry.

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials
Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc
Šlechtitelů 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
www.rcptm.com

Scientific Research Divisions of the Centre:

• Synthesis and characterisation of transition metal oxide-based nanomaterials and their applications in the field of pollutant removal, medicine, catalysis and optoelectronics;
• Synthesis and application of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical, biochemical, environmental and other nanotechnologies;
• Development of spectrometers for transmission and conversion-electron Mössbauer spectroscopy;
• Development and application of ferrates of alkali metals and alkali earth metals for advanced oxidation technologies for purification of water and contaminated soil environments;
• Study of the toxicity of nanoparticles in relation to man and the environment.

• Theoretical design and synthesis of carbon-based nanomaterials (graphene, nanodiamonds, carbon quantum dots, etc.);
• Development of hybrid materials, carbon nanoparticles (Fe, Fe₃O₄, Si)
• The study of the interaction of carbon with biomacromolecules (RNA, proteins) and metals (Fe, Ti, Cu, Ag, Au);
• Computer molecular simulations for explicating experimental data (1000 CPU cores);
• Designing drugs in silico;
• Simulation of substance penetration in cell membranes.

• Development of new types of biologically active (e.g. substances with antitumoural or anti-inflammatory activities) coordination compounds with application potential in medicine;
• Research into molecular magnets and spin-crossover compounds on bases of transitional metal complexes and possibilities of their use in practise (sensors, memory and recording media, etc.);
• Study of functionalised nanoparticles on iron-oxide based carriers or magnetically interesting coordination compounds, applied for example in targeted drug delivery.
  

• Design, construction and quality-control of specialised optical components for applications in industry and large scientific collaborations (e.g., The Pierre Auger Observatory);
• Development of methods and devices for the production, detection, and characterisation of weak photon fields and for the transmission and processing of quantum information;
• Development of methods for deposition and characterisation of thin layers using methods of plasma deposition and vacuum steaming;
• Optical non-contact measurement methods based on speckle-field and white-light interferometry and moiré topography;
• Laser welding, cutting and surface treatments.
• Your partner in the area of development and transfer of high-tech technologies and expertise in nanotechnology and optical research.

• research, description and modeling of analytical processes when passing to the nanoworld (ionization of compounds, nanoseparation bed, effect of nanoparticles on interaction of radiation with an analyte, electrochemical transformations, etc.);
• new analytical devices (ion sources, separation systems, sensitive detection systems, etc.) and novel analytical methods (lower detection limits, faster analyses, new application possibilities, cheaper analyses, etc.);
• characterization of nanomaterials, investigation of relations between followed parameters and behavior of nanomaterials;
• the analysis of various samples, e.g. minerals, environment, biological samples, surface analysis;
• development of methods for monitoring of transformations of toxic or pharmacologically active substances, interaction of the substances with living organisms (metabolism, bond to proteins);

• Preparation and characterization of noble metal (Cu, Ag, Au) nanomaterials including their composites with inorganic and organic materials
• Functionalization of prepared metal nanomaterials and synthesis of their organized assemblies with regard to their exploitation in bioapplications, catalysis and in the field of development of new analytical methods and sensors (SERS, SPR)
• Study of antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles including a mechanism of their effect on living organisms
• Preparation (production) and modification of zerovalent nanoparticles for utilization in environmental technologies (e.g., in the field of purification of sewage water)
• Study of toxicity of metal nanoparticles by “in vitro” and “in vivo” methods

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials has disposal of a large and modern instrument park that will be substantially enriched in the forthcoming years. The Centre offers free capacities of its instrument infrastructure to the partners from industry, state agencies and institutions as well as to public institutions, to perform contract research, measurements or analytic works. The Centre guarantees high quality of its services not only due to top-class instrumentation but also thanks to highly qualified personnel with broad experience from both fundamental and applied research at an international level.

The Centre offers its services mainly in the following areas:

Microscopic techniques

• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
• Scanning probe mikroscopy (AFM, MFM, STM)
• Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
• High-resolution electron microscopy (CryoHRTEM)
• Electron microprobe

Spectroscopic and optical techniques

• Mass spectrometry including high resolution
• Mössbauer spectrometry
• Conversion electrons Mössbauer spectrometry (CEMS)
• Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
• IR and Raman spectroscopy
• Standard absorption a emission spectroscopy
• Time-resolved spectroscopy in ns domain
• Diagnostics of parameters of laser beams
• High-power laser-beam profile measurement

Study of materials in magnetic and electric fields

• SQUID magnetometry
• Mössbauer spectroscopy in magnetic fields
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• 400 MHz NMR spektrometr
• Physical properties measurement system (PPMS)

Methods for synthesis and study of surfaces, layers and particle sizes

• Determination of size-distribution of nanomaterials using dynamic light scattering (DLS)
• Measurement of surface area (BET)
• Surface analysis using the method of contact angle
• Nanoindentation
• Profilometry
• Speckle interferometry
• White-light interferometry
• Scatterometry (roughness analysis)
• Gradient layers analysis

Chemical synthesis and manufacturing of surfaces and layers

• Grinding and polishing of optical surfaces
• Vacuum steaming
• Plasma deposition
• Chemical synthesis in reaction autoclave
• Laser processing of materials

X-ray techniques

• Single crystal X-ray diffraction
• Powder X-ray diffraction
• X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Separation techniques

• Capillary electrophoresis
• Gas chromatography
• Liquid chromatography

Computational clusters

• 2048+512-core cluster

Your partner in the area of development and transfer of high-tech technologies and expertise in nanotechnology and optical research.