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Ferroelectric materials have the ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy and vice versa, which makes them widely used as sensors, actuators, and ultrasonic transducers. While their electrical and electromechanical properties are well studied, mechanical properties like Young’s modulus (E) and hardness (H) remain known to a lesser extent. …

All-solid-state batteries are one of the key technologies for future energy storage and the transition to a climate-neutral society. They offer improved safety, stability, and a broader operating temperature range compared to conventional batteries with liquid electrolyte. Perovskite Li0.33La0.56 0.11TiO3 (LLTO) is recognized as one of the most promising solid …

One of commonly used analytical technique for direct elemental analysis of solid samples is Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Although widely used for the analysis of various samples, obtaining accurate quantitative results remains a major challenge as matrix-matched standards are required. The aim of this thesis was …

In the view of designing new nanostructured materials and tailoring their functional properties, understanding the nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms is becoming increasingly important. Nowadays, one of the most addressed scientific and social problems are those facing energy shortage and global warming. People started to realize the value and importance …

Plastic pollution is a global issue, yet our understanding of its impact on organisms and ecosystems remains limited. My PhD thesis explores the presence of microplastics (MP) in river ecosystems, their interaction with freshwater hyporheic biofilms and specifically, the response of hyporheic biofilms to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollution in the …

Ferroelectric domain walls (DWs) are nano-to-atomic-scale interfaces that separate domains of different polar order. What makes DWs so interesting is their dynamic nature in an electric field, which offers an exciting potential for nanoscale and atomic-scale applications, but, also, more generally, the dynamics of DWs is linked to a fundamental …

Alkali activation is a chemical process in which aluminosilicate-rich materials that dissolve in basic media at room temperature form binding phases by polycondensation. Alkali-activated materials (AAM), also called geopolymers, are inorganic aluminosilicate-based materials produced mainly from fly ashes and metallurgical slags or clays with high Al and Si content and …

An everyday awareness of the presence of harmful chemicals around us has led to the development of a way to report overexposure through the reactions of these compounds with specifically prepared materials - sensory elements. In this doctoral dissertation we focused on the electrochemical synthesis (electropolymerization) of conductive polymer polyaniline …

We are speeding full throttle towards a climate catastrophe and we have only until 2030 to take action to avoid the most devastating and unimaginable consequences. The lack of political and corporate will to change the status quo of “business as usual” is causing mass protests and civil disobedience globally. …

Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas are used in many areas, such as food and agriculture, plasma medicine, plasma surface modification, material synthesis and deposition. Because of their versatility, many plasma setups have been developed. Of greater interest are those that operate at atmospheric pressure, like atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs). Regarding …