Superfine powder and nano-structured systems are the most important class of materials for various functional purposes. The fundamental interest to nanopowders is defined by their unusual structure and properties different from bulk counterparts; The applied interest is defined by their practical significance: magnetic materials, adsorbents, catalysts, additives for modifying metal alloys, polymers, protective coatings, carriers of drugs and much more. The specifics of these systems as objects of structural studies is that the structural units constituting them have the size of several nanometers, and for analyzing them it is impossible to use standard techniques.
The main activities of the laboratory:
- Development of experimental (including, in the conditions in situ («on the spot")) and computational methods for studying chemical and phase composition, crystal structure, nanostructure and surface structure of powder nanomaterials, their diagnostic and certification based on integrated use of diffraction, spectral, magnetic resonance and electron microscopy instruments;
- Fundamental research of the structure peculiarities in the ultrafine state;
- Study of phase transitions and phase transformations defined by size effects;
- Study of nanostructured stabilization mechanisms of nonequilibrium states;
- Structure and formation conditions for highly porous 3D nanosystems and compact 3D materials, including nanocomposites;
- Studies of nanostructured materials stability in different conditions of temperature and environmental exposure through in situ methods, including X-rays applying the synchrotron radiation.
The laboratory project "Design of functional nanomaterials: the phenomenon of self-organization in 3D nanostructures and nanocomposites in oxide systems" won the competition in 2014 for grants in perspective areas of the Russian Science Foundation "Fundamental research and exploratory research by staff of existing research laboratories (divisions)" .
Laboratory partners: Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry SB RAS (Novosibirsk), Institute of Hydrocarbons Processing SB RAS (Omsk).
Expert in the field: Doctor in Physics and Mathematics, Professor Sergey Tsybulya,
sergey.tsybulya@yandex.ru
Section of physical methods of solids studies Department of Physics NSU
Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 