The research group is preparing and studying mesoporous materials with large surface area - phosphosilicates, organosilicates, metallo-silicates and metallophosphates (Al, Ti, Zr, Sn, Zn) - and inorganic-organic hybrid materials derived from them. We use a synthetic method developed by us based on non-hydrolytic sol-gel reactions, which are unique in that they take place under moisture exclusion and are based on the easy elimination of small molecules such as acetic acid esters, acetamides, silyl halides, and alkylamines. The reactions provide materials with a highly homogenous distribution of components. Based on these reactions and using non-ionogenic templates, well-defined porous xerogels are prepared. We also synthesize inorganic-organic molecular building units based on cubic metal silicates (e.g., (Me₃Sn)₈Si₈O₂₀ spherosilicate) and incorporate them into porous networks by reactions with metal alkyls or halides and by crosslinking with bifunctional silyl chlorides. The reactions provide well-defined catalytic centers embedded in porous silicate matrices. These products are then tested as heterogeneous catalysts for model chemical transformations.

Another research area is the chemical synthesis of nano- and microfibers by the electrospinning technique. We prepare fibers of silica, metal oxides (UO₂, UO₃, ThO₂, U_xTh_1-xO₂, WO₃, W₁₈O₄₉), sulfides (WS₂), and elemental metals (W). The WS₂ nanofibers are composed of inorganic fullerene-like nanostructures. Thermolytic, sonochemical, and reductive reactions are used to prepare nanoparticles of metals (Cu, Ag, Ni, Sb), alloys (CuNi, AgNi, SbSn, BiPd), mixed metal oxides, and metal phosphates. The materials obtained are of interest for their chemical, catalytic, and magnetic properties.

Our research is also directed towards the synthesis of new polytopic ligands and their utilization in the construction of polynuclear transition metal and lanthanide phosphonate complexes and functional coordination polymers with interesting properties (magnetic, porous, and luminescent). The new derivatized phosphonate ligands are then used in the preparation of the metalophosphonate-based molecular building blocks. The synthesis provides homo- and heterometallic phosphonate complexes with polynuclear cores, such as {Co₇}, {Co₁₂}, {Ni₈}, {Co_xDy}, x = 6,7,9, {Co₂Ln₄}, {LnZn₉}, Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy.

Molecular products are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on a Rigaku diffraction system. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is performed on a Bruker Tensor T27 with an ATR module. Raman spectra are measured on a Horiba Scientific LabRam HR Evolution spectrometer with the Olympus microscope. Thermal analysis (TG/DSC) is carried out on a Netzsch STA 449C Jupiter instrument coupled to an IR spectrometer. GC/MS measurements are made on a Chromatograph Thermo Scientific Trace GC Ultra coupled with a mass spectrometer TSQ Quantum XLS. Solution NMR spectra are measured on a Bruker Avance IIITM 500 MHz spectrometer with a 5 mm BBFO probe. We use advanced characterization techniques to study solid pmaterials, such as N₂, Ar, and H₂O sorption on an Autosorb iQ-MP porosimeter, elemental mapping in TEM (STEM-EDS), solid-state NMR spectroscopy on a Bruker Avance NEO 700 MHz spectrometer with a MASDVT700S4 BL4 N-P/H probehead, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.