Young researchers learned from leading materials scientists at TECHSCALE workshop

The workshop connected researchers involved in the TECHSCALE project with internationally renowned scientists. Among the distinguished guests were Yury Gogotsi from Drexel University, a pioneer in the research of two-dimensional materials and MXenes; Gianfranco Pacchioni from Università Milano-Bicocca, a leading expert in theoretical and computational materials chemistry; and Svetlana Mintova from CNRS, an expert in nanoporous materials, particularly zeolites. Other researchers travelled to Liblice from Poland, Japan, China, Spain, France, the United States and several other countries.

The workshop programme featured scientific lectures, presentations of research findings by individual teams and a poster session. Participants explored the latest trends in materials science, approaches to designing materials with atomic precision and their potential applications in advanced technologies. Informal discussions also played an important role, providing opportunities to establish new contacts and explore future joint research activities.

“I presented my PhD research, which focuses on stabilising metal nanoparticles on 2D zeolites. My goal is to develop a stable catalyst. I wanted to share my results, but I was also pleased that the workshop broadened my perspective on what other researchers are doing in related fields. I found the plenary lectures particularly interesting, and some of the ideas presented by Svetlana Mintova could potentially be incorporated into my own research,” said Anna Laštovičková from Charles University.

Vítězslav Hrubý from CATRIN and VSB – Technical University of Ostrava was among those who participated in the poster session. “The conference was very valuable to me. It is always beneficial to meet researchers working on single-atom catalysis, which are also among my research interests. I particularly appreciated the excellent selection of plenary speakers. Yury Gogotsi delivered a highly inspiring lecture, as he always does, but the other plenary presentations were also extremely interesting,” he said.

The TECHSCALE project brings together experts from different institutions and scientific disciplines. It is coordinated by CATRIN at Palacký University Olomouc, with five other faculties of the university involved in its implementation. The project partners also include Charles University and CEITEC at Brno University of Technology. TECHSCALE is supported by the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme.

The project aims to develop a new generation of nanomaterials for applications in energy, catalysis, sensing and theranostics, which combines diagnostics and therapy. At the heart of the research is atomic engineering, an approach that enables scientists to precisely control material properties down to the level of individual atoms. The project also addresses the societal impacts of emerging technologies and their public acceptance.