Search by tag «Materials Horizons» 4 results

• Build-It-Yourself: ITMO Researchers Propose Using Chemist Robots for Laboratory Experiments

    Chemists and roboticists at ITMO University have built and tested a robotic platform designed to automate chemical experiments. The robot can independently perform routine operations involving reactions between organic compounds without human involvement. The system is more affordable and versatile than industrial robotic solutions, as it is assembled from 3D-printed components and features open-source software. The robotic chemist has already helped discover that certain chemical reactions speed up in the presence of polymers — a finding that expands opportunities for creating piezoelectric materials and targeted drug delivery systems. The results of the study were published in Materials Horizons.

  21.10.2025

• ITMO Scientists Design Model to Analyze Surfaces of All Sizes

  Researchers at ITMO University have devised a computational model that predicts how the contact area between rough surfaces changes under load. The model is equally efficient on objects of all sizes – be that a tiny nanoparticle or a whole mountain range. The study puts a new perspective on the nature of friction and may potentially be used to produce more wear-resistant parts, explore planet reliefs, and for some other tasks. The study’s findings are published in Materials Horizons.

  23.09.2025

• ITMO Scientists Develop Smart Microcapsules for Corrosion Protection

  A team of researchers from ITMO University, Tianjin University, and the University of Liverpool have developed polymer-based microcapsules for efficient and targeted corrosion protection. The capsules respond to pH changes in the environment through a controlled release of an active material – a corrosion inhibitor, i.e. benzotriazole – over a period of 14 days. Only 700 nm in diameter, they encapsulate a large volume of the active substance, demonstrating an encapsulation efficiency of 86%. The technology opens the ground for smart materials with predicted properties and programmable response to external stimuli. The results of the study are published in Materials Horizons.

  26.08.2025

• New Composite for Ultrafast Durable Sensors Developed at ITMO

  Researchers from ITMO and Almazov National Medical Research Centre have created a new metal-organic framework-based material that can be used to make fast-acting, durable sensors for detecting water and toxic molecules. The structure, described in an article in Materials Horizons, can instantaneously detect changes in humidity and identify dimethylformamide, a dangerous compound often used in production. 

  10.12.2024