A research team consisting of Assoc. Prof. Miroslav Almáši and Dr. Milica Želinská, from the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (Slovak Republic), Dr. Tomáš Zelenka from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), and Dr. Branislav Viliam Hakala from the School of Environmental Science and Technology at Dalian University of Technology (China), carried out a research stay at the SOLARIS synchrotron centre in Krakow. The aim of their visit was to employ advanced analytical techniques for the detailed characterization of porous composite materials designed for environmental and energy-related applications.
The studied composites are composed of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and hierarchically porous carbon monoliths (HPCM). This combination brings together the advantageous chemical properties of MOFs with the structural stability and transport characteristics of HPCM. The resulting composites represent a new generation of functional materials with promising potential for carbon dioxide capture, hydrogen storage, and the removal of toxic substances from water and soil.
The measurements were conducted at the POLYX experimental beamline, using X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) and X-ray microfluorescence (µXRF). These techniques enabled non-invasive, three-dimensional imaging of the internal structure and precise mapping of the spatial distribution of individual components. The obtained results provided valuable insights into the spatial arrangement of MOFs within the carbon monoliths, which is critical for their performance in practical applications. The research was carried out within the framework of the Slovak–Czech bilateral project between UPJŠ and the University of Ostrava (APVV SK-CZ-RD-21-0068: “Monolithic hierarchically porous MOF-carbon composites for environmental applications”), the VEGA project no. 1/0058/25 (“MOF-carbon composites for civil protection”), and the Recovery and Resilience Plan project no. 09I03-03-V03-00034 (“Multimodal approach to studying correlations between structure and properties of advanced materials”). The combination of interdisciplinary research and access to cutting-edge infrastructure enables the development of materials that may help address major environmental challenges and support the transition toward sustainable technologies.
Photo: ÚCHV PF UPJŠ
