Laboratory of physico-chemical aspects of surface

• Past and ongoing research projects

  • Investigations of adsorption on solids from aqueous solutions: study of the adsorption mechanistic pathways, preparation of new types of adsorbents based on carbonaceous aerogels, study of organic-clay composites for adsorption usage, study of bio sorption possibilities to remove pharmaceutical waste from polluted water
  • Investigation of interactions between gases and carbonaceous solids: study of oxidation and spontaneous combustion process

• Aplications

  • Evaluation of solids behaviour during their heating (thermal stability) under inert and/or oxidative atmosphere including determination of gas evolution
  • Evaluation of stability of solid-liquid dispersions including particle size distribution
  • Evaluation of solids propensity to spontaneous combustion process
  • Evaluation of textural parameters of solids (internal surface, volume and/or size distribution of micropores and mesopores)
  • Evaluation of electrochemical properties of solids using voltammetry

Laboratory of biochemical analyses

• Past and ongoing research projects

  • Detection of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and of hormonal contraception in waters as potential environmental pollutants
  • Determination of the qualitative and quantitative composition of plant secondary metabolites, primarily of phenolic compounds and observation of their contribution in photo-protective processes
  • Chromatographic analyses of photosynthetic pigments, examination of the role of xanthophyll cycle in protective mechanisms of higher plants
  • Determination of antioxidant properties of low-molecular plant metabolites, observation of the effects of growth conditions on their biosynthesis
  • Determination of gastrointestinal hormones and analysis of other factors enhancing insulin sensitivity in morbidly obese patients

• Applications

  • Determination of selected drugs in water and/or more complex matrices
  • Qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyphenols in plant material (plant extracts, food or food supplements)
  • Electrophoresis of serum proteins of humans and animals
  • Electrophoresis of nucleic acids and DNA cleavage with restriction endonucleases
  • Isolation of monocytes from human peripheral blood
  • Assessment of antioxidant activity, qualitative and quantitative determination of selected low-molecular antioxidants