NANOENVICZ: SYMPOSIUM ON NANOMATERIALS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH PROTECTION

Our fabrication approach of nanomaterials utilizes a versatile, easily scalable, and zero-waste hybridspinning technology that combines electrostatic and centrifugal force. A key advantage of this semi-industrial system is its dual-head configuration, which enables the simultaneous spinning of different polymers achieving interwind membrane structures composed of various polymers and/or direct surface functionalization during the production process. One of the applications of this technology in our laboratory is the design of novel, fire-retardant functional separators for lithium-ion batteries based on NMC and LFP cathode materials. Compared to commercially available separators based on polyolefins, evaluating the spun separators demonstrates significantly reduced internal resistance, enhanced active material utilization, and a sustained high specific capacity at elevated discharge rates. Beyond energy storage, the versatility of our dual-head system allows for direct, single-step functionalization of nanofiber membranes. Therefore, we will demonstrate various applications of this technology in the field of environmental applications and biotechnology.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors acknowledge funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 101147457 (INERRANT) and the involvement in No. 101104022 (Battery 2030+ CSA). The authors acknowledge the assistance provided by the Research Infrastructure NanoEnviCz (No. 90266), supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic under Project No. LM2023066.

As a part of the NanoEnviCz research infrastructure, our laboratories at the Technical University of Liberec (TUL) offer a collaborative environment for the synthesis, characterization, and testing of functional nanomaterials. We are pleased to share our analytical capabilities with the broader scientific community to support detailed structural, surface, and quantitative studies. For instance, complex structural elucidation and deeper insights into polymer crosslinking can be carefully evaluated using an FTIR spectrometer with an FTIR microscope and FT-Raman module, alongside Solid State NMR (JEOL 400 MHz). Additionally, reliable surface area and porosity determination via BET analysis (Autosorb 6100 XR-XR) provides an essential foundation for subsequent toxicological testing routinely conducted by our colleagues. When highly sensitive pollutant quantification is required, we can utilize advanced mass spectrometry platforms, including HPLC/MS/MS, GC/MS/MS, and the Sciex X500R QTOF.
We illustrate the practical application of these techniques through our work on cyclodextrin (CD)-based sorbents for micropollutant capture. In our research, we continue to utilize materials based on fluorinated polymers, such as PVDF. These synthetic carriers are highly valued not only for their excellent material properties but also for their straightforward analyzability. Their clean spectral background makes them ideal, easily traceable model systems for confirming successful chemical modifications, such as active CD layer grafting.
However, given the growing environmental concerns surrounding fluorinated substances, alongside our shared commitment to sustainability, there is a natural drive to shift away from these synthetic carriers toward natural, bio-based materials, such as nanocellulose or chitosan. This transition brings significant analytical challenges due to complex matrix interferences and severe spectral overlapping, which can completely mask the signals of active modifications. Consequently, finding ways to successfully characterize these natural matrices represents our current major challenge. We are at the very beginning of this journey—actively exploring new analytical protocols and revisiting classical methodologies to overcome these hurdles. Through the collaborative framework and shared equipment of NanoEnviCz, we aim to tackle this complex issue together, hoping to eventually pave the way for the precise optimization of next-generation, bio-based water remediation technologies.

This contribution demonstrates how comprehensive analyses provided by the NANOENVICZ research infrastructure advance the development of high-performance nanomaterials for sustainable catalytic technologies. By connecting material synthesis with complementary structural, textural, spectroscopic, microscopic, and catalytic investigations, the infrastructure enables researchers to identify the properties that govern catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability.
Recent studies illustrate this integrated approach across environmental and energy catalysis. Advanced characterization of porous metal silicates revealed how the distribution of active sites and the chemical nature of their surroundings can be deliberately adjusted to improve catalytic performance. Studies of modified zeolites showed that controlling acidity and pore architecture is essential for the efficient conversion of renewable biomass-derived molecules into valuable chemicals and fuel components. The infrastructure also supported catalytic valorization of carbon dioxide and methane. Analysis of metal species confined in zeolite frameworks and hierarchical pore systems provided insight into the activation of these stable molecules and into their transformation into fuels and platform chemicals.
Together, these examples highlight the decisive role of comprehensive, integrated analytical methods in moving from empirical catalyst testing toward knowledge-driven materials design. NANOENVICZ provides the expertise, instrumentation, and collaborative environment required to relate nanoscale structure to function, accelerate the optimization of catalytic materials, and support the development of cleaner processes for renewable feedstock conversion, circular carbon utilization, and sustainable energy production.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (25-16545S) and the Research Infrastructure NanoEnviCz funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (No. LM2023066).

In recent years, we have had the opportunity to upgrade and innovate the instrumental techniques to offer potential users of the LRI NanoEnviCz cooperation, reflecting the needs in the field of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for environmental protection. The LRI NanoEnviCz proposes support for student theses at all degree levels and is formed by specialists from three universities and three academic institutions. All institutions have experience with syntheses and characterization of nanomaterials, detection of contaminants or decontamination of pollutants, studying toxicity, etc. The research topics focus on reactive sorbents, sorbents, photocatalysts, catalysts, etc. at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. These materials are typically metal oxides or hydroxides, 2D materials (h-BN, graphene-based materials, MoS2, etc.), double-layered hydroxides or alkoxides, MOFs, MAX and MXene phases, functionalized ionic liquids and their derivatives, nano- or microplastics, etc.
Zeolites are one of the most common sorbents for several uses. Our focus was on the sorption of radionuclides. Several types of the zeolites were chosen for the effective uptake of Sr2+ and Cs+. We characterized the prepared materials and studied their sorption mechanisms.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The authors acknowledge the assistance provided by the Research Infrastructure NanoEnviCz, supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic under Project No. LM2023066.

Understanding the health effects of airborne particles and combustion-related pollutants requires exposure systems that could reproduce realistic aerosol mixtures and allow their characterization. An exposure chamber designed for both laboratory and field studies is presented. The system enables dilution, conditioning, and delivery of aerosols originating from a wide range of emission sources, while maintaining flexibility for different experimental scenarios and biological models.
An important feature of the proposed platform is the ability to perform particle exposure and aerosol measurements at the same time. The exposure chamber is designed to operate in parallel with an extensive suite of analytical instruments, allowing real-time characterization of particle number concentration, size distribution, chemical composition, gaseous co-pollutants, and other relevant aerosol properties during biological exposure experiments. This approach reduces uncertainty caused by aerosol source fluctuation and ensures that the exposure is well characterized.
The chamber will be a key part of a mobile laboratory equipped with additional state-of-the-art monitoring instruments planned for further development and better services provided by the research infrastructure NanoEnviCz. This mobile setup will allow both measurements and biological exposure experiments to be performed simultaneously in field or near-source environments. Its flexible and modular design will support a wide range of nanoparticle types, gaseous pollutants, and emission sources.
By combining mobility, advanced monitoring capabilities, and controlled exposure conditions in a single platform, the system will provide a powerful tool for studying nanoparticle toxicity, complex airborne pollutant mixtures, and the relationships between emission sources, exposure characteristics, and biological responses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (the Research Infrastructure NanoEnviCZ, LM2023066).

The presentation will provide a brief overview of the analytical infrastructure and services offered by UPOL within NanoEnviCz, with a focus on surface and nanoscale characterization. The main part will introduce X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as a powerful tool for investigating the elemental composition and chemical states of materials at the surface.
The principles, capabilities, and limitations of XPS will be briefly discussed, followed by selected examples demonstrating its application in the characterization of surface modifications, oxide layers, catalytic materials, and nanostructured systems.
The aim is to demonstrate how XPS can provide information beyond elemental composition and contribute to understanding the surface chemistry and properties of advanced materials.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors acknowledge the assistance provided by the Research Infrastructure NanoEnviCz (No. 90266), supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic under Project No. LM2023066.