A solid solvent for unique materials

 E-Mail IMAGE: The synthesis of new material using a solid solvent. A substrate covered with a system of uniformly distributed anchors is immersed in a solution containing the desired atoms or molecules,... view more  Credit: (Source: IFJ PAN) Materials impossible to obtain with existing methods can be produced using a solid, nanostructured silica solvent. Scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow presented an innovative approach to the production of substances with unique physical and chemical properties. A team of physicists from Cracow (Poland) has succeeded in developing a flexible method for producing sol¬id, two-dimensional silica solvents to produce materials with unique optical, magnetic and structural properties. The term "solid solvent" here means a substance which, when immersed in a solution of the appropriate molecules, binds them to its surface in strictly defined proportions and in a defined manner. This achievement is the work of a team headed by Dr. Lukasz Laskowski from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Science (IFJ PAN) in Cracow. The results of the team's many years of work have just been presented in the