Chemical Sciences

Research in the field of analytical chemistry at the ICPF takes place in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, with a concentration on various aspects of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The primary focus is on so-called NMR-omics, which, based on concentrations of substances and with the help of multidimensional statistical methods, can distinguish samples from patients from those of healthy individuals (metabolomics). We are the only ones in the world to use the same principle for analysis of organic substances in aerosols (aerosolomics). Another principle theme is receptors for anion complexation and chiral recognition. The department also provides support to other departments in the institute when their own analytical equipment does not suffice. For analysis of inorganic substances, the laboratory is equipped with MP-AES and ICP-OES atomic spectrometers. For analysis of organic compounds, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HMRS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be utilized, in addition to NMR. For qualitative and quantitative analysis of more complicated mixtures of organic substances, it is possible to utilize combined techniques like LC-NMR, LC-HRMS, or GC-MS.

Research in the field of organic chemistry at the ICPF takes place in two scientific departments. The Department of Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis focuses primarily on photochemical synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, primarily helicenes and phenacenes. The parent compounds are then derivatized with the objective of improving their optical and electronic properties, which are subsequently tested for various applications in wide-ranging branches of research. The Department of Bioorganic Compounds and Nanocomposites concentrates on, among other things, the preparation of fluorinated carbohydrates, glycosides, and their multivalent analogues, which find applications in glycobiology as enzyme inhibitors, model molecules to study the interaction of carbohydrates with proteins, and as substances that modulate the cellular glycome. The department’s other key topic is the design and preparation of new dendrimers, dendritic and hyperbranched molecules, and molecular formations with precisely defined structures. These macromolecules are further studied as drug delivery vehicles, non-viral vectors for therapeutic siRNA/DNA delivery, or as components of advanced composite materials.

Research in the field of physical chemistry at the ICPF is concentrated in two scientific departments. In the Department of Molecular and Mesoscopic Modelling, complex fluid systems in the volume phase and in nanospace under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions are studied. Computer modelling at the molecular and mesoscopic level serves here as a complement to realistic experiments and finds applications in chemical and material engineering, as it clarifies the relation between the microstructure of systems and their macroscopic behaviour. The second group dedicated to physical chemistry is the Thermodynamics of Specific Materials group, situated in the Department of Chemistry and Physics of Aerosols. The main topic of their research is the properties of phase change substances and heat transfer fluids that can be used in heat accumulators. Areas of interest include both experimental determination of thermophysical properties of substances important for energy storage and mathematical modelling of heat and mass transfer in porous materials with thermochemical transformation.