Marta Kowalkińska, graduate of the Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, awarded in the Prof. Romuald Szczęsny Competition | Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics at the Gdańsk University of Technology

The master's thesis entitled: "Design, synthesis and characterization of TiO₂ nanostructures for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in the aqueous phase" concerned photocatalysts based on titanium (IV) oxide with different morphology that can be applied to remove toxic phenol from an aqueous solution. By controlling the synthesis parameters, it was possible to obtain nanomaterials with varying degrees of exposure of crystalline planes. The morphology of photocatalysts influenced the degradation path of phenol and, consequently, its mineralization to carbon oxide (IV). In addition, titanium oxyfluoride (TiOF₂) was presented in the diploma thesis as a substrate for the synthesis of photocatalysts with defined morphology. This relationship has been poorly described in the literature so far. Application of that relationship allowed to increase the efficiency of syntheses and facilitated the control of the growth of nanostructures of specific shapes. The research have a great application potential due to the growing problem with organic pollutants.

The results of the research presented in the master's thesis were published in a prestigious journal from the Philadelphia list. Chemical Engineering Journal (Impact Factor = 10,652)  the first author of which is Ms Marta Kowalkińska.:

Marta Kowalkińska, Szymon Dudziak, Jakub Karczewski, Jacek Ryl, Grzegorz Trykowski, Anna Zielińska-Jurek, Facet effect of TiO₂ nanostructures from TiOF₂ and their photocatalytic activity, Chemical Engineering Journal 404 (2021), 126493.