Research activities

The field of research of the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (code L04) is analytics and chemical characterization of materials and processes encompassing the study and development of modern analytical methodologies and tools for trace analysis and chemical speciation of elements and selected compounds, to get more insight into their biogeochemistry for a better understanding of environmental, bio-medical, atmospheric, industrial, food safety, agricultural, etc. related topics.

The scientific and research work in the period 2009 to 2013 is being carried out within the national fundamental research program P1-0034 and several national and international research projects. The analytical expertise of the group members is very broad and covers amongst others:

• (micro)(bio)sensor design, development and application, research on new (nano-structured and nano-sized) sensing materials, electrochemistry-analysis;

• elemental mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma ion source (ICP-MS) and ICP-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for (ultra)trace analysis;

• laser ablation (LA) coupled with ICP-MS for advanced surface and bulk elemental characterization of (bio)materials using direct solid sampling; application of LA-ICP-MS in the fields of new materials synthesis, bio-medical materials characterization, conservation science & archaeology, environmental characterization, forensics, etc.;

• liquid/ion chromatography hyphenated with elemental or molecular spectrometry (LC/IC-ICP-MS or LC/IC-MS-MS) for analytics and chemical speciation of elements, ions and compounds of environmental and biomedical significance;

• sampling and chemical characterization of size-segregated aerosol particles (from nm to μm) and examination on their sources, investigation on the formation of secondary aerosols, studying of chemical processes in theatmospheric aqueous phase;

• examination and modelling of extraction processes, sample preparation (microwave-assisted digestion, sequential/selective extraction);

• development of elemental speciation methodologies using appropriate separation and extraction techniques for studying the role and fate of metal(loid)s.

An important part of the research work is performed by young investigators within their doctoral and post-doctoral studies and for this reason they are very much appreciated and welcome in our Laboratory.

The Laboratory activities also encompass direct contract research work and analytical services for industrial and other partners, including academic groups (infrastructure support), for which we offer our specific expertise in analyticas and chemical characterization as well as modern analytical instrumentation. This work includes development, adaptations and applications of chemical characterization methods and analyses of all kinds of samples (industrial, environmental, biological, etc.) and determination of practically all elements of the periodic table as well as many inorganic and organic ions.