Department of Nanotechnologies

Research directions include synthesis, characterisation and perspective applications of nanostructured materials, including Ge, Bi₂S₃, Bi₂Se₃, Bi₂Te₃ nanowires, nanoplates, carbon nanotubes, graphene, Bi₂Se₃, Bi₂Te₃ , Al₂O₃ thin films, ZnO nanorods, layered structures, nanolaminates, nanocomposites.

The fields of perspective applications are: thermoelectrical devices, meteorological devices, sensors, nanoelectromechanical devices.

Key equipment includes closed cycle physical property measurement system (PPMS) DynaCool 9T Atomic Force Microscope MFP-3D BIO Closed loop cryogenic system HelioxACV Chemical vapour deposition reactor for graphene synthesis EasyTube 101 E-beam lithography system Raith inside FE SEM Hitachi S4800.

The main research areas are: conductivity, mechanical, electric, optical properties of nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanostructured materials, ordered nanoparticle arrays, metal-insulator-metal systems, composite thin films and development of applications. Self-organizing physical and chemical processes are used in the synthesis of nanomaterials, which simultaneously allows the formation of large and highly detailed coatings. The most commonly used materials are: Au, Ag nanoparticles, porous anodized alumina (PAAO), ZnO. In various combinations they merge the plasmonic properties of metals, photoluminescence, and structural resonances, which can be used to form optical sensors. The most important equipment is an inverted fluorescence microscope equipped with a spectrometer, programmable sample stage, dark field condensor, Peltier cooled CCD camera, various lasers, a wide set of optomechanical components for device prototyping, specially designed and automated electrochemical and physical process equipment.