Seznam abstraktů 2025: SEKCE E - POKROČILÉ METODY PŘÍPRAVY A CHARAKTERIZACE NANOSYSTÉMŮ

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene and semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) like MoS2, attracted huge research interests in the last 20 years, owing to their outstanding electronic properties. Wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBG), including silicon carbide (4H-SiC) and group-III Nitrides (GaN, AlN and their alloys), are nowadays the materials of choice in energy efficient power conversion, high frequency electronics and optoelectronics. The integration of these two classes of materials is currently the object of investigation by several academic and industrial teams, with the double aim to address key issues of SiC and GaN technologies and to demonstrate advanced or novel device functionalities, including UV photodetectors, quantum devices, high frequency (THz) transistors, and logic devices able to operate under extreme environments [1,2].
This talk will provide an overview of recent developments and open challenges in this field. Scalable top-down and bottom-up preparation strategies of 2D materials and their heterostructures with WBG will be illustrated [3,4]. Extensive investigation of their structural, chemical, optical and electrical properties by multiscale correlative characterizations (SPM, Raman/PL spectroscopy, atomic resolution electron microscopies) will be presented, with a special focus on nanoscale resolution electrical SPM (i.e. C-AFM and KPFM) providing crucial information on the morphology, surface potential and local current injection of the differently prepared 2D/WBG heterojunctions [5]. Furthermore, perspective device applications based on these material systems will be discussed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported, in part, by MUR in the framework of the PRIN2022 project “2DIntegratE” (2022RHRZN2).
REFERENCES: [1] F. Giannazzo, et al., Mat. Sci. Semicon. Proc. 174, 108220 (2024); [2] F. Giannazzo, et al., ACS Appl. Electron. Mater., 1, 2342 (2019); [3] F. Giannazzo, et al., Appl. Surf. Sci 631, 157513 (2023); [4] S. E. Panasci, et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 35, 2414532 (2025); [5] F. Giannazzo, et al., Nanomaterials 10, 803 (2020).

In this work the stable non-contact non-resonant AFM method, which is based on our US12253539B2 patent, was implemented using photothermal cantilever excitation on the Drive AFM (Nanosurf). This implementation is based on the possibility of reversing the feedback gain sign combined with measurements with negative setpoint. Such implementation allows stable measurements in both imaging and spectroscopy modes in static, dynamic and WaveMode regimes. Usage of short WaveMode cantilevers and thermally induced cantilever oscillations allow fast and reliable measurements of weakly attached objects, maintaining the attractive interaction between the tip and the sample.
This method was applied to study the surface polarity-driven assembly of Co nanodots on polar (Zn-face (0001), O-face (0001 ̅)), and non-polar ((101 ̅0) and (112 ̅0)) ZnO surfaces. All ZnO surfaces cause assembly of Co nanodots into ~ 10 nm weakly attached randomly distributed nanodots with ~ 0.1% surface coverage. Circular dichroism measurements show that Co nanodots on the O-face ZnO surface exhibit a stronger CD signal with 90° symmetry, whereas Co nanodots on the Zn-face ZnO surface result in a weaker CD response with 180° symmetry. This unexpected result has led us to further investigate the underlying mechanisms - to what degree they are related to the different geometry and crystalline phase of Co nanodots or to physical effects such as spin-orbit coupling. Theoretical simulations show the impact of surface dipole electric field orientation and magnitude and surface chemistry on the Co nanodots assembly. The results thus also show a way for controlling the assembly of Co nanodots for diverse nanomagnetism based applications such as spin controlled molecular interfaces.

The tribological properties of the surfaces are crucial due to the high wear cost of the working surfaces. Thus, a lot of effort is made to limit the friction and adhesion forces and surface wear as a result. Especially in the field of nano- and micromechanical systems, where the application of fluid lubricants is limited, other strategies, like thin film coatings, are highly expected [1].
In this work, we present the influence of the loading force and the loading rate, on the adhesion force between the atomic force microscopy tip and the thin film coatings as silanes, thiols and graphene oxide (GO) single-layered flakes. Since adhesion can significantly contribute to friction at the nanoscale [2], limiting adhesive forces is a key point in reducing the wear of nano-coatings. The theoretical models of thermal activation, such as the Bell-Evans (BE) and Dudko-Hummer-Szabo (DHS) models, have been adapted to the results. Fitting parameters as the dissociation rate constant, the distance between the bound state and the transition state, as well as the free-energy of activation, have been calculated.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the National Science Centre in Poland under Project No. 2020/37/B/ST8/02023.
REFERENCES: [1] M. Weiss, Ł. Majchrzycki, E. Borkowska, M. Cichomski, A. Ptak, Tribology International, 2021, 162, 107133; [2] G. A. Tomlinson (1929). The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 1929, 7(46) 905-939.

Efficient and accessible characterization of nanomaterials is essential for both research and industrial applications. The SEMPLOR scanning electron microscope has been designed to provide high-quality imaging and analysis while maintaining a user-friendly and streamlined workflow. Its compact design, intuitive operation, and fast acquisition make SEM analysis available to a broader range of users, from academic laboratories to production environments. This contribution demonstrates how SEMPLOR enables quick and easy imaging and elemental analysis of diverse nanomaterials without compromising precision or reliability.

Thin films of transition metal complexes are widely studied for their tunable properties in optoelectronics, sensing, and molecular electronics. Surface roughness plays a crucial role in determining their functional performance by increasing surface area and enabling unique interactions. Controlled fabrication of films with tailored roughness has therefore become essential for understanding and optimizing film growth mechanisms and enhancing the overall efficiency of these materials in various applications.
In this work we investigate the controlled deposition and structural growth of thin films of the nickel(II) complex, [Ni(HVanox)2], derived from o-vanillin oxime (H2vanox = o-vanillin oxime). Low-pressure experiments to prepare thin films were conducted at temperatures between 120-150°C to optimize the deposition rate for uniform films. Thin films of increasing thickness (16-336 nm) have been prepared on various substrates and were characterized in detail using microscopic and spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These revealed a rough surface with a dense arrangement of elongated, rod and needle-like nanocrystals with random orientation. AFM images revealed the surface with a high degree of roughness, varying with different thicknesses. Microscopic characterization also helped us to understand the growth mechanism of the film by observing a seeding layer, which grows in parallel to the surface of the substrate, upon which long needles or grass-like crystals grow perpendicular to the substrate.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm the elemental composition of the films along with the square-planar environment around the Ni(II) center. XRD data revealed the phase purity of the thin films, with additional Rietveld refinement of the XRD data leading to refined lattice parameters which are in good agreement with the structure of [Ni(Hvanox)2].
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (GAčR grant number: 23-05878S) and the OP-JAK project financed by European Structural and Investment Funds and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Project No. SENDISO - CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004596).

Optical photothermal infrared (O‑PTIR) microscopy overcomes the classical infrared diffraction limit by probing photothermal responses with a visible beam, yielding FT‑IR‑quality spectra at sub‑micron resolution. We present the mIRage‑LS platform, a sub‑500 nm multimodal microscope that unifies O‑PTIR spectroscopy, simultaneous Raman scattering, and co‑located fluorescence, and introduces a high‑speed widefield O‑PTIR modality powered by fluorescence‑detected photothermal IR (FL‑PTIR). In a counter‑propagating configuration—IR pumping from below and visible probing from above—the system achieves <500 nm IR and Raman spatial resolution (demonstrated down to ~280 nm on periodic diatom structures) with FT‑IR‑like spectral fidelity and minimal scattering artifacts. Widefield FL‑PTIR acquires up to 262,144 pixels per snapshot over 65 µm × 65 µm fields (130 nm sampling), enabling single‑wavenumber chemical images in seconds, hyperspectral arrays in minutes, and dynamic imaging up to 5 frames s⁻¹, all with simultaneous widefield fluorescence. The platform supports non‑contact reflection or transmission on glass or CaF2, live‑cell studies with water/oil immersion objectives, and automated detection and chemical identification of particles (featurefindIR) for microplastics and contaminants. Application examples span life sciences and materials: fluorescence‑guided targeting with label‑free IR structural readouts in cells; simultaneous IR+Raman confirmation on polymers; and artifact‑free spectra for 3-30 µm microplastics. By combining molecular specificity, speed and sub‑diffraction IR resolution in a single instrument, mIRage‑LS advances nanoscale chemical imaging for nanotechnology research and industrial analysis.

Aerogel is a type of material with an expanded three-dimensional network structure, assembled by consistent polymer molecules. Organic aerogels have gained attention in recent years as environmentally friendly materials due to their high porosity, low density, and similar characteristics. With the increasing interest, bio-based aerogels are regarded as key materials for sustainable studies due to their renewable sources, and biocompatible structures. In this study, the synthesis methods of cellulose-based aerogels, the structural properties of the obtained materials, and their applications are discussed. In aerogel production, cellulosic materials are generally converted via the sol-gel method and various drying techniques are applied. The pore size and structures of the produced bio-based aerogels vary depending on the precursor, synthesis method, and drying technique. To increase their mechanical strength, crosslinkers and/or hybrid structures are used, and various modifications are made. The produced bio-based find a broad spectrum of applications. Those with low density can be used as supercapacitor materials. Additionally, they are recognized efficient materials in absorption and also adsorption. As a result, bio-based aerogels have a potential that can be evaluated for the development of sustainable material technologies. Thanks to their eco-friendly characteristics and advantageous properties, they hold great potential in various fields including energy storage, CO₂ capture, and electromagnetic shielding. Future studies will focus on improving their properties and enabling industrial-scale production.

The LaNi5 compound is considered a promising candidate for future hydrogen-storage applications. Some of its properties have not been sufficiently studied so far and some critically important data is missing. In particular, there is a miscibility gap when substituting Ni atoms by Sn atoms in LaNi5. We have employed quantum-mechanical calculations implementing the density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to determine the ground-state structural, electronic, thermodynamic, and vibrational properties of several substituted La(Ni,Sn)5 phases. Our computational cell containing 48 atoms allowed for simulating different Sn/Ni ratios as well as different configurations of substituting Sn atoms. Our results indicate that there is a miscibility gap which is quite independent of the temperature. Our theoretical study was complemented by experiments which found a similar miscibility gap, too.
Acknowledgments
This study is a part of the project No. CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004631 Materials and technologies for sustainable development within the Jan Amos Komensky Operational Program financed by the European Union and from the state budget of the Czech Republic. The authors acknowledge the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic for the financial support of large research infrastructures INFRA CZ (ID:90254) at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center and e-Infrastruktura CZ (e-INFRA LM2018140) at the MetaCentrum as well as CERIT Scientific Cloud and project CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004572.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as promising materials for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. Among these, monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) stands out due to its direct bandgap (~1.9 eV) that enables intense visible-range photoluminescence, making it ideal for advanced optoelectronic applications. In this study, MoS2 films were synthesized on Si/SiO2 substrates using a single-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The number of layers in the as-grown MoS2 films was determined via the peak energy difference (Δ) between the in-plane (E2g) and out-of-plane (A1g) Raman phonon modes, verified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. Comprehensive photoluminescence (PL) analysis reveals systematic layer-dependent optical properties that correlate well with Raman characterization. The overall excitonic peak exhibits a continuous red-shift of ~0.04 eV with increasing layer number, attributed to quantum confinement effects and enhanced interlayer screening. Quantitative spectral deconvolution under appropriate fitting constraints demonstrates that trion binding energies systematically decrease with increasing layer number, indicating modified interactions in few-layer systems. Importantly, we observe a layer-dependent inverse relationship between trion binding energy and electron density. Our findings establish a fundamental understanding of layer-controlled excitonic emission in CVD-grown MoS2, demonstrating that trion formation and stability can be precisely tuned through structural optimization. These results reveal that layer-tunable trion dynamics provide critical insights into many-body excitonic interactions and offer essential design guidelines for developing structurally-engineered MoS2-based photodetectors, light-emitting devices, and quantum photonic applications with tailored excitonic properties.

Reproducible efficient isolation and characterisation is the foundation of various aspects of nanoparticles research and development. Izon Science has led the way in developing products, instruments, and services aimed at the Nanoparticles isolation whether for fundamental research, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes, supported by nanoparticles characterization of size, concentration, and zeta potential on a single-particle levels using Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing (TRPS) technology. With our size-exclusion chromatography qEV columns, we have pushed isolate purity further than ever before, improving significantly contaminant depletion in the nanoparticles-enriched volumes. Added to that their ease to use and rapidity of the process, high generated yields, gentle isolation, and scalability, which make the columns the adequate choice for most applications.

Iron oxide nanoparticles are extensively explored for applications in biomedicine, data storage, and spintronic devices, owing to their magnetic behavior and tunable size-dependent properties. While bulk magnetite and maghemite are ferrimagnetic, this long-range magnetic order often diminishes at the nanoscale. The loss of symmetry, reduced coordination environments, and altered bond lengths and angles—particularly in ultrasmall particles with high surface-to-volume ratios—introduce structural and electronic distortions. As a result, the formation of magnetically disordered surface layers has been widely reported by both experimental and computational studies. Configurations involving spin flips at the surface reduce the net magnetic moment and may correspond to metastable, energetically accessible states. Interestingly, magnetic disorder has also been associated with enhanced T₁ relaxation times in MRI, pointing to a potential connection between local spin structure and biomedical functionality.
This study focuses on the electronic structure of bulk and ultra-small nanoscale iron oxide models exhibiting spin-flipped arrangements, evaluated using standard semi(local) density functional theory (DFT) methods and selective approaches beyond standard DFT. A range of exchange-correlation functionals is employed to examine how spin disorder affects key electronic properties such as band structure, band gap width or potential in-gap states. Additionally, machine learning techniques will be explored as a comparative tool to identify the possible spin-flipping phenomena. Altogether the findings aim to identify the most suitable theoretical framework for describing these systems and to support the future design of applications based on their electronic properties.

The demand for advanced chemical and biosensing platforms has driven the development of tailored nanostructured surfaces and functional thin films capable of selective and sensitive interaction with a wide range of target analytes, including biomolecules, explosives, and chemical warfare agents. Among various surface engineering methods, low-temperature plasma processes have emerged as powerful tools for nano-engineering and precise surface functionalization. In this work, we report the development of a novel, flexible electrochemical sensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) fabricated on plasma-polymerized polyimide films.
The fabrication process begins with the deposition of thin polyimide films via magnetron sputtering, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technique where highly energetic ions sputter the polyimide target (Kapton). The bombardment of energetic species results in the fragmentation of the polyimide structure which is then deposited on the substrate and results in its polymerization. These stable plasma polymer films serve as the precursor layer for laser-induced graphene formation, a single-step, maskless technique performed under ambient conditions. The laser photolysis process converts the polymeric surface into a porous, three-dimensional graphene-like structure, leveraging the localized thermal and photochemical effects of laser irradiation. This approach offers several key advantages over conventional graphene synthesis methods: it is scalable, solvent-free, cost-effective, and compatible with flexible substrates.
The deposition of polyimide (Kapton) thin films and its laser ablation were verified using various analytical methods including FTIR, SEM and Raman analysis. The FTIR results proved the presence of characteristic bonds consistent with the polyimide Kapton and results from SEM and Raman proved the formation of graphitic/graphenic structures after the process of LIG. These films were found to be stable after the process of LIG which open opportunity to use this method for the preparation of electrochemical sensors.
Overall, this work highlights the integration of magnetron-sputtered polyimide films with laser-induced graphene conversion as a promising strategy for the fabrication of next-generation, flexible sensing devices. The combination of plasma-assisted thin-film engineering with laser-based nano structuring provides a versatile and efficient route toward the development of advanced electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring, security, and defense applications.

Scattering-type Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (s-SNOM) is a scanning probe approach to optical microscopy and spectroscopy bypassing the ubiquitous diffraction limit of light to achieve a spatial resolution below 10 nanometer. New possibilities emerging with new correlative system attocube Ira-SCOPE, which allows comprehensive spectroscopic material analysis and chemical identification with micro- to nanometer resolution by seam¬lessly merging modern Laser-Direct Infrared (LDIR) reflection absorption spectroscopy, state-of-the-art confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy, and high-sensitivity nano-IR technologies such as nano-FTIR and AFM-IR imaging & spectroscopy. Combining these micro and nano mapping options in one instrument will be described via examples from polymer, graphene transistor and Metal Organic Framework (MOF) research.

Developing functional nanocomposites that can non-invasively monitor material structure is an important area of modern materials science. Clay nanofillers are of particular interest because they can serve as well-dispersed structural fillers and as carriers for embedded analytical markers after intended chemical modification. This study presents nanocomposites containing functionalized clay with integrated Raman-active alkyne functionalities. These nanocomposites allow for local spectroscopic analyses without destroying the sample or requiring special preparation.
The nanocomposites were prepared by melt extrusion to ensure uniform phase distribution in a polystyrene matrix. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the effective incorporation and preservation of alkyne functionalities; the spectra demonstrated distinct peaks in the spectral silent region. This region is typically free from interfering signals, which allows for the precise detection of these functional markers and confirms their stability within the nanocomposite structure.
Additional thermal analysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was carried out to evaluate the thermal stability and structural transitions of the nanocomposites. These methods corroborated the Raman findings, revealing the modified clay's good stability and measurable influence on the polymer matrix's thermal behavior.
These results suggest that these materials are suitable for use in intelligent condition monitoring systems, such as polymer packaging, sensor coatings, and adaptive composites for engineering applications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We want to express our gratitude for the financial support provided by the LIT Institute of Technology at Johannes Kepler University Linz, project number: LIT-2022-11-SEE-123.

Rapid depletion of fossil fuels, the energy crisis, and environmental pollution are the most pressing issues today and in the future. Focusing on alternative green energies is highly desirable and critically important. Among these, green hydrogen production using catalysts from water represents a revolution in the energy sector. Hydrogen evolution driven by the high atom utilization of atomically dispersed single-atom catalysts (SACs) is a hot topic, offering advantages over conventional catalysts. However, most SACs suffer from low specific and intrinsic activity, poor stability at high current densities, and limited durability. One-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes (1D-BNNTs), containing vacant defects and alternative B/N moieties, are considered promising support materials due to their attractive properties, which facilitate strong anchoring sites for single atoms. The intercalated PtRu single atoms (SAs)/nanoclusters (NCs) in multiwalled BNNTs (PtRu SAs/NCs@BNNT) enhance intrinsic activity through the combination of dual active sites (PtRu) and significantly lower the overpotential to only 93.5 mV at a high current density of -1000 mA cm-2 in an acidic medium, compared to commercial Pt/C (199.6 mV at -1000 mA cm-2). This 1D PtRu SAs/NCs@BNNT catalyst demonstrates outstanding hydrogen evolution performance, with a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 61.34 H2 S⁻¹ at 0.1 V, substantially outperforming reported catalysts.

Characterization of the interface between two crystalline phases can be quickly and easily performed by structure compatibility calculation (SCC), a geometric method determining the preferred out-of-plane (OP) and in-plane (IP) crystallographic orientation. The overlaps of atoms from two parallel crystallographic planes (e.g. substrate and thin film plane) are counted for each rotation step of one plane relative to the other, and the average number of these overlaps calculated after 360° rotation quantifies the OP orientation of a given pair of crystallographic planes. The higher the average number of overlaps, the more preferred the OP orientation. The IP orientation is then determined by rotation angles corresponding to global or local maxima of the overlaps. The usefulness and practicality of this method is demonstrated by determining the preferred orientations of various thin films on different substrates. The eight following substrate/film systems were examined: Si/ZnO, C/ZnO, MgO/ZnO, SrTiO3/ZnO, Al2MgO4/ZnO, Si/AlN, Ni/BN, and GaN/FeN. The experimentally determined preferred orientations of these systems (obtained from the literature) agree very well with the preferred orientations determined for these systems by the SCC method. Additionally, the selection of elements for OP orientation determination did not affect the agreement with experimental data. This research was supported by The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic from the SGS projects SP2024/041 and SP2025/029.

Porous zirconia ceramics could be used in large number of applications, such as artificial cortical bones, zirconia filters for hot gas filtration or supporting material for catalysts.The presented work deals with the analysis of suspensions from two types of zirconium oxide nanopowder and two types of reagents (Disperbyk and Dolapix) suitable for the creation of porous ceramics. In the work, a secondary material - micro methyl cellulose (MMC) was used as a combustion additive, and the stability and rheological behaviour of suspensions with increasing MMC content was observed. Thanks to the stability analysis, which proved to be a fast complementary analysis to conventional rheological measurements, the behaviour of the suspensions was predicted even before forming ceramics body, specifically by slip casting. Stability analysis on LUMiSizer analytical centrifuge is a unique approach to obtain a stability of suspension and to assessment of sedimentation or agglomeration of particles thanks to the scanning of transmission profiles during set up time. MCC proved to be a suitable stabilizer of suspension and successfully prevented separation of solid particles from matrix. The microstructure analysis confirmed the influence of MMC on the pore content as well as the applicability of a unique stability analysis for predicting the possibility of porous ceramic body formation.

Plasmonic nanoparticles are characterized by the occurrence of the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) effect, which happens when illuminating the nanoparticle with the light of a specific wavelength (and is dependent on the size, shape, and material of the plasmonic nanoparticle) which causes conduction band electrons to oscillate collectively in a spatially confined manner. One of the materials with particularly good plasmonic properties is gold, which is simultaneously valued for its biocompatibility. Another material that exhibits valuable properties for biomedical applications is iron oxide, particularly in the form of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). 
As demonstrated by Rizvi et al. (2022) [1], it is possible to coat gold nanorods with iron oxide nanoparticles and use magnetic field to control the orientation distribution of the nanorods.  Using finite difference time-domain method, a study was conducted on the electromagnetic field distribution and heat flux values for systems with ordered, and randomly oriented gold nanorods, illuminated with non-polarized light and with light of different polarization angles.
Distributions of x, y, and z components of electric field, as well as heat flux values, were obtained and compared for various configurations and conditions. The results indicate that heat flux is affected by the alignment and can be increased or decreased, depending on the polarization. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Research project supported by program „Excellence initiative - research university” for the AGH University of Krakow.
REFERENCES: [1] RIZWI Mehedi H. et al., Magnetic Alignment for Plasmonic Control of Gold Nanorods Coated with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Advanced Materials, 2022.

Studying the interaction between CsPbBr₃ (CPB) perovskite and various ZnO surfaces is crucial for understanding how structural, electronic, and optical properties - such as bandgap, charge transport, and binding energy - are influenced by ZnO surface polarity and ligand presence, which directly impacts the design of efficient optoelectronic devices like scintillators and solar cells. Oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OAm) ligands are commonly employed to enhance the stability of CPB nanocrystals, to passivate surface defects and thus to improve photoluminescence efficiency and carrier lifetime, and to tune electronic properties. This study presents a detailed structural, electronic and optical analysis of interaction between semiconductor CPB perovskite and ZnO surfaces using DFT formalism. The impact of surface structure of polar (Zn-face ("0001" ), O-face (0001 ̅)), and non-polar ((101 ̅0) and (112 ̅0)) ZnO surfaces and the impact of OA and OAm ligand presence on CPB properties is investigated. The bandgap, HOMO-LUMO, the electron density distribution, the density of states, projected density of states, the charge transport and binding energy of the proposed system are analyzed. The optoelectronic properties of CPB with and without OA and OAm ligands are studied to understand the contribution of each component towards the applications of this work including scintillators and solar cells.

This work refers to the studies of the nanoscale friction mechanisms. The atomic force microscope becomes one of the major tools for studying phenomenon of friction [1, 2]. The occurrence of various friction mechanisms and the fact that friction force depends on the chemical composition of the friction pair and on numerous variables, for example: loading force, sliding velocity, roughness, contact elasticity, temperature, humidity, renders the experiment and data analysis an intriguing and demanding task.
The main goal of presented research was to study the influence of temperature, velocity and load on friction mechanisms, particularly adhesive friction and stick-slip, for robust silicon nitride AFM tip versus trichloro(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)silane hydrophobic functional nanocoating - a nanolayer studied in one of our previous articles [1]. In contrast, here we are focusing on the influence of temperature on friction for aforementioned friction pair. Data recorded for a very wide range of sliding velocities (10-4 000 µm/s) show a significant decrease in friction force with increasing temperature.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the National Science Centre in Poland under Project No. 2020/37/B/ST8/02023.
REFERENCES: [1] Weiss, M., Majchrzycki, Ł., Borkowska, E., Cichomski, M., Ptak, A. (2021), Tribology International, 162, 107133.
[2] Weiss, M., Majchrzycki, Ł., Skonieczny, R., Florjan, D., Ptak, A. (2025), Tribology International, 201, 110203.

Micro and nanoplastics (NPs) are considered as emerging contaminants. When enter in human body they interact with proteins results in the formation of the protein corona, which significantly influences the properties of the particles, e.g,. the sorption capacity. In this study, we investigated the formation of protein corona on negatively and positively charged polystyrene (PS) NPs (PS-NPs) and their subsequent effects on the sorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ metal ions. Both positively and negatively charged NPs exhibited almost similar protein corona compositions, regardless of their surface charge with the exception for glycoprotein, which showed a statistically higher adsorption on negatively charged particles. Lead acetate trihydrate and Cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate salts were mixed individually with the 1 mg/L positively and negatively charged PS-NPs to reach a final concentration of 500µg/L for 4 days. In MQ water without protein corona, there was no significant adsorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+ on both negatively and positively charged PS-NPs. In human serum over 72 hours, positively charged PS-NPs associated with Pb2+ and Cd2+, leading to a reduction in concentration from 100% to 85.9% and from 100% to 92.3% for these metals in the media, respectively. In the presence of negatively charged particles, Pb2+ concentration decreased to 83%, while Cd2+concentration unexpectedly increased to 110.4%. Our results showed that the presence of protein corona significantly influences the sorption capacity of the particles for metals. Moreover, Pb2+ consistently showed higher adsorption than cadmium (Cd2+), indicating a metal-specific affinity towards PS-NPs, after the formation of the protein corona.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This paper was funded by PhD funding budget of Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.