The main fields of ACMiN’s scientific and research activity are: cutting-edge materials engineering, physics and chemistry of materials as well as nanotechnology.
The scientific activity of our Centre focusses on creating functional materials of nanometric dimensions and characterizing their physical and chemical properties. We look for materials whose functional properties can be controlled by reducing their size and/or dimensionality. We conduct research into the kinetics of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes, recombination mechanisms of charge carriers occurring due to light absorption in semiconductors, self-organization of nanoparticles, magnetism in systems with lowered symmetry, spintronic phenomena and surface effects.
Our research also deals with self-organization phenomena occurring in thin layered systems of synthetically or biologically derived organic compounds, including phenomena related to the self-organization of multi-component systems. We synthesize new polymer systems used as carriers of biologically active substances as well as hybrid polymers for applications in medicine and environmental protection.
In the field of materials engineering, we primarily investigate plastic deformation and strengthening mechanisms in metallic materials, properties of metals and alloys plastic resulting from substantial deformations, effects of temperature on mechanical properties and structural parameters, properties of layered materials and coatings and gas absorption in metals and alloys. Furthermore, we are interested in metallic materials used in devices subjected to extremely severe service conditions, especially materials intended for operation at high temperatures and wear-resistant ones. We study and design new intermetallic materials, shape- memory alloys, high-endurance light alloys as well as metallic glasses.
As regards ceramic materials, the research conducted at ACMiN is aimed at synthesizing ceramic nanocomposites, producing nanosuspensions and studying their rheological properties, obtaining and forming bioactive materials and synthesizing polymer-ceramic substrates for tissue engineering.
Theoretical research carried out at ACMiN concerns problems such as the nature of electron states and conductivity in quantum nano-systems, e.g. quantum dots or nanostructures containing graphene. We also deal with the theory of high-temperature superconductors and other systems with strongly correlated electrons.
The Centre has implemented an applied research programme related to optoelectronic devices, sensors for quick biochemical analyses, manufacturing technologies of new nanostructured metal oxides for use in photocatalysis, bifunctional catalysis and gas sensors, memory cells, spin-logic nanostructures, micro- and nanomagnetic sensors as well as multiferroic nanostructures.