Expanding Horizons of Materials Science
The Nanorobots Research Center
research
our mission
The main goal of our Nanorobots Center is to push frontiers of materials science, to explore fundamental properties of active and smart materials and to translate them to applications improving living conditions of our society. Learn more about our research and areas of study below.
Our research expertise is wide, encompassing materials chemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, biology, synthetic chemistry and nanoelectronics. This allows us effectively tackle many important goals.
Our sponsors
9,400,000 €
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
142,000 €
Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Research Fellowship Programme
research topics
Self-propelled autonomous nanomachines – topic of recent Nobel Prize 2016 – represent new paradigm in nanotechnologies. These autonomous nano-devices gather energy from their surroundings, navigate, are able to swarm and to selectively search for specific cells or chemical species. We work on fundamental research as well on environmental and biomedical applications of these nanomachines.
Electrochemistry is the driving force of modern technology – it represents the hearth of batteries in cars, of supercapacitors in airplanes, of large processes producing clean fuels such as hydrogen or of converting pollutants such as carbon dioxide to useful chemicals. We investigate basics of electrocatalysis of materials and we apply this knowledge in improving living conditions of humankind.
We still have only a very limited understanding of the interactions of nanomaterials with living organisms. We utilize 2D nanomaterials for drug delivery, we study their toxicity and metabolism. The aim of our research in this area is to develop highly targeted cancer therapy.
Wearable flexible electronics, “wearables”, is an extremely important area of future technological development. “Wearables” is not just a smartwatch, but a whole range of wearable devices, including biosensors, implants, biomedical equipment, electrochemical cells utilizing body fluids to power these devices, and super-capacitors. These devices have tremendous potential to improve quality of life and safety. We develop electrochemical wearable sensors and self-powered devices to create a new generation of wearables.
3D printing has revolutionized the concept of object manufacturing, making an enormous impact on industry and economy. The technology has found applications in countless areas. It has rendered practical solutions to scientific problems by offering tailored-shaped devices with exquisite control in design and geometry and through the versatility of printable materials. We develop 3D printing for construction of catalytic systems for energy storage and energy generation devices as well for bioanalytical chemistry devices.
Recent papers
Small-Scale Robotics with Tailored Wettability
Advanced Materials 2023
Collective Behaviors of Active Matter Learning from Natural Taxes Across Scales
Advanced Materials 2023
Magnetically boosted 1D photoactive microswarm for COVID-19 face mask disruption
Nature Communications 2023
people
It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.
More than half of the members are foreigners from all parts of the world (Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Portugal, Iran, Singapore) and we use English as main communication media. This is unique in the Czech Republic. We have wonderful people, who are great scientists but also who have great personalities. We value hard work, passion and love for science – and friendly personality.
open positions
PhD, MSc, BSc students (fully funded possitions)
We are constantly looking for highly talented students to work
Nanorobots Center supported Post-doc
We are constantly looking for highly talented, outstanding post-docs to
Marie Curie Post-doc
We will be very happy to support your application for Marie Curie post-doc at our group. We are very successful, out of 2 people applying in 2017 2 of them were funded!
Project leaders
Director of the AFN Center, Head of the Pumera Research Group
More about Martin...
Martin Pumera, PhD
Assistant Director of the AFN Center, Head of the Hermanová Research Group
Soňa Hermanová, PhD
about us
Nanorobots Center is located at University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic. We are located in the main building (see left top photo) as well as in Technopark (left bottom).
czech republic
Prague is connected to all major (and minor) cities in Europe, with direct flights to Seoul (S. Korea), Beijing and Shanghai (China), Dubai (Emirates), Istanbul (Turkey), Doha (Qatar), Philadelphia and New York.
In eighth place according to students is the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, which places 35th in the Best Student Cities index this year. Prague is also in possession of four top universities, which all feature in the QS World University Rankings.
We are 20 min from airport, 5 minutes from Prague Castle and 10 min from Parlament and other government offices.
Car & Train: We are 2h from Dresden, 3.5h from Berlin, 3 h from Nuremberg, 3h from Vienna.
The Czech Republic (Czechia for short) is in the center of Europe. Czechia is one of the safest countries (#6 in the global list, above Switzerland and Canada). Prague has high-quality medical care, available in English. It has international childcare and schools. As a center of IT and other industries it is easy to find jobs for your husband/wife/partner. Our researcher partners work for Exxon and large IT company in Prague.
Center for Advanced Functional Nanorobots, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 1905/5, 160 00 Praha 6-Dejvice, Czechia
pumera.research@gmail.com
Our Equipment
Optical microscopy lab with both general purpose optical microscopes as well as inverted fluorescence microscope, high-resolution dark-field setup and industry standard nanoparticle tracking instrument. Coupled together with high-speed camera acquisition.
Set of electrochemical analysers.
Materials characterization lab with high-resolution optical profilometer and ultra-high-resolution scanning electromicroscope. The SEM is coupled with high-sensitivity EDX detectors as well as special window-less EDX detector for work in high-resolution immersion mode.
Advanced modular atomic force microscope system with capability of electrochemical measurements in liquid.
A room spanning ultra high vacuum system consisting of XPS and UPS material characterization, UHV depostion and STM microscope. Together with atomic layer depostition system.