Crystal chemistry of composite materials

The “Crystallochemistry of  Composite Materials” Laboratory develops activities in the field of crystallochemistry including synthesis, structural and microstructural characterization as well as applications of inorganic solid materials – oxide ceramics, metals, alloys and composite compounds with interesting optical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, sensing and catalytic properties. The search for new, non-classical approaches to crystal engineering is focused on the methods of “soft chemistry" – synthesis by solution combustion, sonochemical synthesis, coprecipitation etc., allowing the production of materials with structural and morphological characteristics suitable for selected application. In recent years, research has been focused on oxide nanomaterials. The chemical and physical properties of materials are studied, with a particular emphasis on X-ray diffraction techniques, including qualitative and quantitative phase analysis, analysis of diffraction line broadening to determine crystallite size, size distribution and microstrains. The laboratory specializes in refining of crystal structures using the Rietveld method. The analysis of the results is placed in the context of the structure-property relationship.

1. Zheleva, Z., Kovacheva, D.
   Influence of the type of fuel used for the solution combustion synthesis on the structure, morphology and magnetic properties of nanosized NiFe₂O₄.
   Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2017, 272-283.
   ISI IF:3.779    ISI IF – Q1
2. Gyurov, S., Marinkov, N., Kostova, Y., Rabadjieva, D., Kovacheva, D., Tzvetkova, C.,Gentscheva, G., Penkov, I..
   Technological scheme for copper slag processing.
   International Journal of Mineral Processing, 158, 2017, 1-7
   SJR:0.852, ISI IF:1.617   С ISI IF – Q1,
3. Marinkov, N., Markova-Velichkova, M., Gyurov, S., Kostova, Y., Spassova, I., Rabadjieva, D., Kovacheva, D., Penkov, I., Tzvetkova, Chr.,Gentscheva, G.
    Preparation and characterization of silicagel from silicate solution obtained by autoclave treatment of copper slag.
   Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 87, 2, 2018, 331-339.
   ISI IF:1.745, ISI IF – Q1
4. Gancheva, M., Markova-Velichkova, M., Atanasova, G., Kovacheva, D., Uzunov, I., Cukeva, R.
   Design and photocatalytic activity of nanosized zinc oxides.
   Applied Surface Science, 368, 2016, 258-266. SJR:1.093
   ISI IF:3.38,  ISI IF – Q1
5. Radev, D., Avramova, I., Kovacheva, D., Gautam, D., Radev, I.
   Synthesis of Boron Carbide by Reactive-Pulsed Electric Current Sintering in the Presence of Tungsten Boride.
   International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 13, 6, 2016, 997-1007.
   SJR:0.446, ISI IF:1.534, ISI IF – Q2
6. Koseva, I., Ivanov, V., Simanovskiy, D., Marychev, M., Andreev, P., Tzvetkov, P., Nikolov, V.
   Ca₂GeO₄:Cr⁴⁺ transparent nano-glass ceramics.
   Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 456, 2017, 76-82.
   ISI IF:1.825  С ISI IF – Q2

• Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel
• Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
• Saint-Petersburg State Institute of Technology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.