Sodium niobate (NaNbO3) is the end member of several alkaline niobate-based solid solutions, which represent an important group of environment-friendly lead-free piezoceramics. Even though alkaline niobates are of considerable technological importance, problems in obtaining high densities and a fine-grained microstructure are still reported and not much is known about the …
This work presents experimental studies of ordering phenomena, electromechanical and electrocaloric properties in single crystal, ceramic and solid solution relaxor ferroelectrics and single crystal ferroelectric materials. The main aim of investigations is to prove the existence of a liquid-vapor critical point in these systems and to verify its impact on …
Laser ablation (LA) is a versatile technique that can be used for the elemental analysis of diverse materials as well as for synthesis purposes, i.e. for pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of a wide range of materials. Analysis and synthesis will only be successful if the ablated material can be stoichiometrically …
The KNN solid solution was prepared from pre-synthesized binary compounds of, sodium and potassium niobate in a 1/1 molar ratio. The KNG sintering aid was prepared by homogenizing the pre-reacted binary mixtures of alkaline reagents and germanium oxide with the Na/Ge = 1/1 and K/Ge = 1/1 molar ratios. The …
A new approach for the synthesis of silver (Ag), platinum (Pt) and gold (Au) nanoparticles and their composites with hydroxyapatite (HAp) is developed via a sonochemical process. The major goal was to design physicochemical properties of material in order to achieve: (i) intensive antibacterial activity and (ii) maximal reduction of …
This doctoral thesis describes the preparation of moderately porous Y-TZP ceramics with improved flexural strength. The main field of application is dentistry, where the elastic mismatch between the Y-TZP material and tooth substance influences the survival rate of fixed partial dentures (FPDs). By introducing porosity into the bulk samples a …
KTaO3 belongs to the group of incipient ferroelectrics, which are materials important from the fundamental, as well as from the applications, point of view. It is well known in its single-crystal form; however, the processing of technologically interesting ceramics and thin films is a challenging task and knowledge of their …
This thesis investigates the use of single liquid-crystal droplets as optical microresonators and lasers. We have shown that liquid-crystal droplets can support a number of different optical modes that can be excited by introducing a fluorescent dye in the liquid crystal material and using an external excitation source of light. …
In this doctoral thesis, we present the superhydrophilic effect on surfaces of three different materials, i.e. highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, graphite foil and graphite grain in polymer composite. In order to induce this complicated effect on the surface we used reactive oxygen plasma treatment. The plasma was created in glass …
The research work presented in this thesis considers the development of new biocompatible surfaces that are able to control the adhesion of specific proteins responsible for the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob, Alzheimer, Parkinson and Lewis body disease. Our approach was focused on problems prior to the detection …