hybrid perovskite structures for photovoltaics with improved funcionality by combining with 2D perovskites and/or interface engineering with nanoparticles (carbon and perovskite nanodots, MXene nanoflakes), in-situ and in-operando Xray scattering (GIWAXS), photoluminiscence and J-V curve studies, performance optimization, stability enhancement
functional thin film structures for (opto)electronics and sensors prepared by ultra-high vacuum electron beam evaporation or ion beam sputtering with in-situ monitoring by ellipsometry and small-angle X-ray scattering, their complex characterization by scanning probe, optical, electrical and X-ray methods
self assembly effects of low-dimensional materials at the liquid-air interface and formation of supported 2D and 3D assemblies by Langmuir–Schaefer method (metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon and perovskite nanodots, nanoflakes of 2D materials — graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, MXenes)
anode-free lithium batteries with solid-state electrolyte — in-situ and in-operando GIWAXS spatial monitoring of stress evolution in electrolyte during charge-discharge cycles for tracking the migration of Li ions and the accompanying electrode phenoma, their effect on the battery perfomance (at synchrotron and in laboratory)
application of 2D materials to advanced theranostics — development and in-vitro testing of 2D bioconjugated functionalized nanoplatforms (graphene and MoS2 nanoflakes, MoOx nanodots) for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery and/or contrast imaging utilizing photothermal, photodynamic or magnetic hyperthermia effects
beam-shaping diffractive X-ray optics — computer design, complex characterization and functional testing of the Vshaped channel cut monochromators for the Xray beam compression and expansion designed for the X-ray metrology and bioimaging, respectively; testing of X-ray difractive surfaces prepared by single-point diamond turning and single-point diamond fly cutting technologies)
development of tailored laboratory equipments for diagnostics of nanostructures — lab-GISAXS for in-situ small-angle X-ray scattering experiments with 25 ms time resolution, fast null ellipsometer with 5 ms time resolution, magneto-optical Kerr microscope with autobalance detection scheme and spatial resolution 500 nm, scanning charge transient microscope for probing deep levels in organic and inorganic semiconductors in isothermal regime with resolution of the transient charge of 600 eV, setup for the energy-resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy allowing a complete DOS mapping between HOMO and LUMO of organic semiconductors
custom-designed dual ion beam sputtering machine (Bestec) with in-situ ellipsometry and in-situ GISAXS monitoring, base pressure 2 × 10-8 mbar, working pressure 4 × 10-4 mbar
Laboratory of PVD deposition
UMS 500 apparatus for UHV deposition by e-beam evaporation of inorganic thin films and multilayers (Balzers), base pressure 10-9 mbar — branch in Piešťany
Laboratory of photovoltaics
glove box (Jacomex) interlocked with vacuum chambers (Bestec) for deposition of metallic and organic layers
Kelvin probe for surface potential measurements
I-V tracer with solar simulator SUN 2000 (Abet Technologies)
quantum efficiency measurements (Rera Solutions)
laminar box with controlled humidity
Laboratory of laser beam technologies
high-power 1.4 kW 355 nm UV laser TruMark 6330 (Trumph) with 7 ns pulses, pulse repetition frequency 1–120 kHz, min. focal diameter 16 μm, max. size of irradiation field 170 × 170 mm2
Preparatory chemical and thermal treatment laboratory
fume hood, analytical microbalances, ultrasonic, rotational and magnetic stirrers, centrifuges up to 60k rpm, reaction chambers for ozonolysis and UV photolysis, hot plates, vacuum furnace for rapid thermal annealing up to 1000 °C, high-temperature furnace and other auxiliary instrumentation
X-ray laboratory
modular setup for small-angle X-ray scattering (own development) with microfocus 30 W source (Incoatec) and 2D detector Pilatus 100K (Dectris)
Nanostar setup (Bruker) for small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS) with 2D detectors Pilatus 300K (Dectris) and Vantec 2000 (Bruker) and 250 W Ga liquid metal-jet anode microfocus source, primary beam flux 109 photons/s (Excillum)
D8 Discover SSS setup (Bruker) equipped with 18 kW rotating anode generator (Rigaku) and Goebel parallel beam optics for X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectometry, primary beam flux 109 photons/s
Nanostar setup (Bruker) with microfocus X-ray source (Incoatec), Vantec 2000 detector and imaging plate for (GI)SAXS and (GI)WAXS — branch in Piešťany
Laboratory of optical and spectroscopic techniques
UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer, spectral range 200–2200 nm (Shimadzu)
optical 3D microscope 500× with large working distance (Hitachi)
imaging ellipsometer with spatial resolution 10 × 10 μm (Accurion)
spectroscopic ellipsometer, spectral range 350–1000 nm (Woolam)
spectroscopic ellipsometer, spectral range 260–1000 nm (Sentech)
fast tracking ellipsometer with 5 ms temporal resolution (own development)
scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) with a nano-FTIR module with a wavelength range 660–5000 cm-1, lateral and vertical resolutions down to 20 nm (Neaspec)
confocal microscope LSM 900 for advanced bioimaging and surface topography with a resolution down to 90 nm (Zeiss)
3D optical profilometer ContourX-500 with a 5MP camera with a 1200 × 1000 measurement array and enhanced stitching capabilities (Bruker)
photoluminescence spectrometer FLS1000 for steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared spectral range and the lifetimes from picoseconds to seconds (Edinburgh Instruments)
Laboratory of scanning probe techniques
metrologic atomic force microscope Dimension Edge (BrukerNano)
multimode atomic force microscope Multimode 8 (BrukerNano)
stylus profilometer Dektak 150 (BrukerNano)
atomic force microscope JPK NanoWizard for bioAFM with atomic resolution, scan range up to 100 micrometers and scan rate up to 150 lines/s (Bruker)
Laboratory of electrical and electro-chemical measurements
cyclic voltammetry and coulommetry
deep-level transient charge spectroscopy
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
chamber with mass-flow controller for resistivity measurements in gases
