FunGlass

18/09/2026

Our PhD student Mahdi Babaei, from the Department of Coatings, completed a research stay at Forschungszentrum Jülich (IMD-2), Jülich Thermal Spray Center (JTSC), supervised at FunGlass by Assoc. Prof. Amir Pakseresht and Dr. Milan Parchovianský.

Supported by the JECS Trust Mobility Program, Mahdi worked on the development of a double-layer ceramic thermal barrier coating system incorporating high-entropy rare-earth oxides. The work focused on processing, thermal spray deposition, and characterization of the resulting multilayer coatings.

We are grateful to Prof. Dr. Robert Vaßen, Mahdi’s host supervisor at Forschungszentrum Jülich, for his scientific guidance, valuable discussions, and support throughout the research stay.

Our thanks also go to the researchers and technical staff at FZ Jülich IMD-2/JTSC for their expertise, technical assistance, and for providing Mahdi with valuable hands-on experience with advanced thermal spray technologies.

This research was also supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under contract No. APVV-22-0070.

17/09/2026

We are pleased to share a new publication resulting from collaboration between researchers at FunGlass – Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glass, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, the Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Universität Jena, Germany, and Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) Laguna, Spain.

The study, “Noble metal-free zeolitic imidazolate framework-based composite for photocatalytic production of green hydrogen,” published in OAE Microstructures in August 2026, investigates a ZIF-8@CuWO₄ composite as a noble-metal-free photocatalyst for hydrogen production.

The results indicate that combining ZIF-8 with CuWO₄ can enhance photocatalytic hydrogen-production performance compared with the individual materials investigated.

The study highlights the value of international collaboration, bringing together complementary expertise from Slovakia, Germany, and Spain in the development of functional materials for sustainable energy applications.

👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 Authors: M. U. Iqbal, S. Rana, M. Zitnan, C. W. Ashling, M. Pérez-Ramos, I. Nadeem, M. González-Rodríguez, D. Galusek, P. Núñez, L. Wondraczek, and J. J. Velázquez.

🔗 The research provides a basis for further investigation of noble-metal-free materials for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

16/09/2026

We are pleased to share that Dr. Ertugrul Varlik from the Department of Biomaterials at FunGlass participated in – Modern Trends in Structural Materials, held on September 8–10 in Pilsen, Czech Republic.
Dr. Varlık presented the latest results of his research on multi-material additive manufacturing of ceramics, with two posters and an oral presentation delivered within the workshop programme.
His contributions included:
🔹 Development of a low-cost multi-material DIW/robocasting system via FDM printer modification
🔹 Digital light processing of KNN-based piezoceramics and magnetic glasses toward multifunctional smart structures
The presented work forms part of the ongoing research within the BiCeps Project, exploring innovative approaches to advanced materials and additive manufacturing.
COMAT 2026 brought together experts from academia and industry to share recent developments in structural materials, advanced manufacturing technologies, and their applications.
A special thank you to Dr. Edgar B. Montufar, BiCeps Project Coordinator from CEITEC Brno University of Technology (BUT), for his insightful contribution and continued support of the collaboration.
We are proud to see FunGlass researchers actively sharing their work and contributing to the international materials science community. 🌍

10/09/2026

♻️ Making glass recycling more sustainable

Not all glass can be easily recycled. Pharmaceutical borosilicate glass, for example, is often excluded from conventional recycling because its different melting properties can lead to defects when mixed with container glass.

As a partner in the EVERGLASS project, FunGlass is exploring new ways to recover and transform such glass using laser processing. In this video, our Director, Prof. Dušan Galusek, explains our research, from analysing chemical homogeneity and structural defects to exploring new applications for laser-processed glass.

Watch the video to learn more about our contribution to making glass recycling more sustainable. 🔬♻️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAbbhApYsCQ&list=PLb8wE1rKCAQcNat105tyME442nXFym4Rk&index=1


Trenčianska univerzita Alexandra Dubčeka v Trenčíne

Glass is used everywhere, from windows and bottles to syringes and ...

09/09/2026

We are proud to share that our PhD student Amir Esfahani, supervised by Dr. Zuzana Neščáková, successfully participated in the Hands-on PhD Summer School – Drug Delivery at the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet - DTU / Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen, held from 17–28 August 2026.

The two-week programme combined expert lectures from academia and industry with intensive hands-on laboratory training in modern drug-delivery technologies.

🔬 During the practical week, Amir worked in a four-member team (Group 9) to develop and characterize a thermosensitive nasal hydrogel for sustained local delivery of ciprofloxacin, targeting chronic rhinosinusitis.

🎤 The team presented their work through a scientific poster and a final group pitch — and we are delighted to announce that Group 9 won First Prize for the final presentation! 🥇

Amir also presented a one-minute self-introduction pitch about himself, his PhD research, and his work on MOF-based antibacterial materials.

This international experience provided valuable opportunities to strengthen practical research skills, scientific communication, teamwork, and collaboration in a multidisciplinary environment.

👏 Congratulations, Amir and Group 9, on this fantastic achievement!

02/09/2026

🌍🔬 Learning, exploring, and gaining research experience at FunGlass!

We were happy to welcome Zofia Grudzień-Murawska, a Nanotechnology student from Politechnika Gdańska, Poland, for a two-month Erasmus+ research stay at FunGlass.

During her mobility, Zofia joined our Glass Analytics Department, where she worked with Aleksandra Nowicka and Katarina Faturikova on the preparation and characterization of zirconia ceramics with mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) coatings for potential dental implant applications.

Her stay gave her the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with advanced analytical techniques, including XRD, XRF, FTIR and laser ablation, and to explore laboratory work and research methodology in an international research environment.

💬 “Here I can see and work with research equipment that I had previously only learned about, so I am gaining a lot of practical experience and expanding my knowledge.”

We are delighted to support young researchers through Erasmus+ mobility and wish Zofia every success in her future studies and research career! 🎓

19/08/2026

Thanks to Prof. Ionescu for his visit and for sharing his expertise with the FunGlass community. We look forward to further scientific exchange and collaboration.
Trenčianska univerzita Alexandra Dubčeka v Trenčíne
GlaCerHub
CliCam

05/08/2026

📢 New publication in Ceramics International!

We're proud to share that our researchers have published a new paper in Ceramics International:

"Formulation Effects on the Processing of Aqueous Tape-Cast Alumina, Spinel, and Zirconia."

The study by Dr. Harsh*t Tripathi, Dr. Ali Najafzadeh, Dr. Ali Talimian, and Prof. Dušan Galusek explores the processing of alumina, spinel (MgAl₂O₄), and zirconia (8YSZ) ceramics using a sustainable, water-based acrylic tape-casting system.

By systematically investigating the effects of solid loading, binder concentration, and plasticizer-to-binder ratio, the team demonstrated how slurry rheology governs polymer alignment and tape anisotropy. Their findings provide valuable insights for reducing processing defects, controlling residual stresses, and designing advanced multilayer ceramic structures.

🔗 Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.07.525

This work was supported by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under projects No. 09I03-03-V04-00196 and No. 09I01-03-V04-00014/2024/VA.

Congratulations to the authors on this excellent achievement! 👏

03/08/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Parisa Naghadian Moghaddam on the successful public defense of her PhD dissertation at the FunGlass Centre on 27 July 2026!

Her dissertation, "Development of Corrosion-Resistant Polymer-Derived Ceramic Coatings on Stainless Steel Substrates," was supervised by Dr. Milan Parchovianský (Trenčianska univerzita Alexandra Dubčeka v Trenčíne) and dr. Yolanda Castro (CSIC, Madrid, Spain), and reviewed by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Günter Motz (Uni Bayreuth, Germany) and Dr. Giulio Giorni (CSIC, Madrid, Spain).

Parisa's research contributes to the development of advanced ceramic coatings that improve the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, with potential applications in demanding industrial environments.

Her PhD was completed under a double-degree (cotutelle) agreement through a collaboration between Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia, and CSIC, Spain

We congratulate Dr. Parisa Naghadian Moghaddam on this remarkable achievement and wish her continued success in her scientific career!

20/07/2026