Research overview

The research of the Elzbieta Megiel Group is focused on four main areas:

Nanomaterials for medical applications

• Bioactive nanocomposites
• Nanostructures as platforms for drug delivery
• Nanoparticles in targeted therapy of cancer and other diseases
• Magnetic nanostructures as contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Anisotropic nanostructures conjugated with cytotoxic drugs for combined cancer therapies

Smart polymer materials

• Stimuli-responsive polymers (temperature-, photo-, pH-responsive and multi-responsive macromolecules)
• Pseudo-living polymerization techniques (ATRP, NMRP) in preparing macromolecules with advanced architecture
• Responsive and biodegradable conjugates of nanoparticles with polymers

Stable nitroxide radicals

• Synthesis of new nitroxides with an advanced molecular architecture
• Application of nitroxides and their conjugates with metal nanoparticles in spectroscopy (DNP NMR) and tissue imaging (MRI)
• New theranostic systems using nitroxide functionalized nanoparticles and cytostatic drugs

Nanocatalysts for green chemistry

• Synthesis of new MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks) and their composites with metallic nanoparticles for catalytic applications
• Fixation of CO2 and transformation into valuable chemicals (mostly cyclic and poly- carbonates) using new nanocatalysts
• Selective oxidation of alcohols using nitroxides and their conjugates with nanoparticles