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Department of Functional Materials

was established as a new research department within the Condensed Matter Division of the Institute of Physics of the ASCR in January 2009. It brought together researchers working in the field of functional engineering materials and nanostructured diamond thin films. Since then the department has grown to the present 3 research groups and electron microscopy laboratory.

The department research concerns the idea of active functionality imprinted to the solids on the structural level. Current research focusses:

martensitically transforming shape memory alloys in various forms from bulk to thin filaments and thin films and development of their engineering applications
multiferroic materials combining ferromagnetism with martensitic transformations.
preparation, characterization, and functionalization of carbon materials.in different forms covering nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) coatings, nanodiamond particles (NDP) and monocrystalline diamonds (SCD) and graphene based layers

Research in the Department has always been closely linked to engineering applications.

Recent Key Results

Localized deformation of NiTi by 3D-XRD: P. Sedmák, J. Pilch, L.Heller, J. Kopeček, J. Wright, P. Sedlák, M. Frost, P. Šittner, Grain-resolved analysis of localized deformation in nickel-titanium wire under tensile load, Science 353, 559-562 (2016) FREE link, See also Special Topics

Nanodiamonds for sensing and imaging in biology: V.Petráková et al, Imaging of transfection and intracellular release of intact, non-labeled DNA using fluorescent nanodiamonds, Nanoscale, 8, 12002-12012 (2016); J.Havlík, M.Gulka,V.Petráková, M. Krečmarová et al , Benchtop Fluorination of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds on a Preparative Scale: Toward Unusually Hydrophilic Bright Particles, Advanced functional Materials, 26 4134-4143 (2016); V.Petráková et al,Charge-sensitive fluorescent nanosensors created from nanodiamonds , Nanoscale 7 , 12307 – 12311(2015), V.Petráková et al Boosting nanodiamond fluorescence: towards development of brighter probes, Nanoscale 2013 Apr;5(8):3208-11;

Functional textiles with NiTi shape memory alloy filaments: L. Heller, NiTi textile technology; J Seibold, E Müller, K Volenec, P Sittner, L Heller, J Pilch Medical Device (2016) US 09216100; J. Pilch, P.Sittner, Method of heat treatment .. US20120018413 A1; J. Hanuš, A. Richter, P. Rydlo, L. Heller Pressure and/or force sensor (2015): Patent No. 304873

Diamond layer protecting zirconium cladding in nuclear reactors: P. Ashcheulov, R. Škoda, J. Škarohlíd, A. Taylor, F. Fendrych, I.Kratochvílová, Layer Protecting the Surface of Zirconium Used in Nuclear Reactors Recent Pat. Nanotechnology 10, 59 - 65(2016) See also related patent

In-situ TEM observation of moving twin interfaces in NiMnGa: Y. Ge,N. Zarubova, O. Heczko and S-P. Hannula, Stress-induced transition from modulated 14M to non-modulated martensite in Ni–Mn–Ga alloy Acta Materialia 90 151 – 160 (2015) See also Special Topics