Collaboration with EMPA brings outcomes

During his visit, he also gave a presentation titled “Low-dimensional Materials in Advanced Biomedical and Chemical Applications.”

“During my visit, I worked with colleagues from EMPA on several joint projects focusing on materials developed at VSB-TUO within the REFRESH project for applications in medicine, particularly in antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer therapies. Among other things, we completed the final revisions of a joint publication on this topic, expected to be published soon in the prestigious journal EcoMat by Wiley,” said Zbořil, who is also the scientific director of the Center for Nanotechnology and head of the Materials & Environment Lab (MEL), one of the four living laboratories of the REFRESH project. He was invited to EMPA by Peter Wick, a recognized member of the European cluster for nanosafety and nanotoxicity.

Zbořil and Swiss colleagues agreed to initiate five new collaborative projects and identified responsible members from the MEL team. The key focus areas for their joint research include the development of a new generation of antivirals based on single-atom engineering, the application of plasmonic materials for antimicrobial technologies, and comparative studies of the toxicity of single-atom materials depending on the type of matrices and metal atoms used.

Tomáš Malina from the Materials & Environment Lab took part in a teleconference where he shared findings from groundbreaking research on selective anticancer therapy utilizing materials developed through single-atom engineering. “We explored potential collaboration with colleagues from EMPA to test these materials for glioblastoma treatment alongside doctors and oncology specialists in St. Gallen,” Zbořil mentioned. He noted that his former doctoral student could leverage his past experience at EMPA, where he completed an internship in Peter Wick’s lab during his doctoral studies.

Partners from both institutions agreed on the joint usage of equipment and facilities also for the REFRESH project. “Colleagues introduced me to the possibilities of comprehensive antibacterial testing that we will apply in the above-mentioned projects. They also introduced me to a range of deposition techniques and their potential for preparing new materials. For further development in the field of single-atom engineering, we agreed to post-process materials developed at VSB-TUO using cold plasma that allows controlled oxidation of single-atom catalysts. EMPA partners also expressed interest in utilizing a range of unique instrumental techniques acquired within the REFRESH project, especially high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and more,” added Zbořil.

Swiss colleagues will visit the MEL facilities this October when researchers also plan to evaluate the progress of individual joint projects.

 EMPA focuses on applied research in materials science, engineering, and sustainable technologies. It closely collaborates with industry, universities, and research institutions worldwide. It has several campuses across Switzerland, including locations in Dübendorf, St. Gallen, and Thun.