Research Topic

Et Aqueous Colloids Research Group


CONTACT

Prof. Dr. Etelka Tombácz
+36-62/544212
HU-6720 Szeged, Aradi Vt. tere 1.

INTRODUCTION

The research group was founded by Prof. Etelka Tombácz officially in 2009. Self- sustaining research in the nature-inspired areas of aqueous colloids like natural waters and soils has been conducted since 1990, along a spiritual heritage of Prof. Ferenc Szántó, the follower of Prof. Aladár Buzágh, who founded the Department of Colloid Chemistry in Szeged in 1966 (summary of 35 years of colloid research in Szeged - Hungarian).

The scientific interest of the team is focused on the composite aqueous colloidal systems relevant to  interdisciplinary - biological, geological and environmental - fields.  We seek to reveal correlations between the interfacial equilibria (pH-dependent surface charging, adsorption, surface modification) and colloidal interactions (aggregation/dispersion of nano- and microparticles) in composite systems containing mainly clay minerals, metal oxides, humic substances, polymers/polyelectrolytes under various pH and electrolytic conditions. We use commonly the home-developed potentiometric titration system, adsorption, dynamic light scattering, coagulation kinetics, laser Doppler electrophoresis and rheology methods to characterize several natural and model systems.

Decades ago, a striking effect of magnetic field on the aggregation of nanoparticles under dynamic condition was revealed, which was independent of the magnetic properties of particles. In recent years, all our efforts are focused on magnetic particles in order to develop novel composites such as magneto-optical films, theranostic particles with superparamagnetic core for MRI diagnosis and magnetic hyperthermia therapy. In the frame of international and national cooperation, we synthetize various magnetic cores with designed shells and characterize them to select the eligible samples for in vitro, in vivo tests in specialized labs

 

List of the cooperation partners of the research group