VSB-TUO played a key role in the success of the NANOCON 2025 international conference

As in previous years, Radek Zboril, head of the Materials-Envi Lab (MEL), served as the event’s main scientific guarantor. This year's invited speakers included other prominent researchers from MEL, Indrajit Ghosh and Yazhou Zhou. Nidhi Garg received an award in the category of best researchers under 33 years of age, while Rahul Patil won the competition for the best poster. Overall, VSB-TUO had the largest institutional representation at the conference.

NANOCON has long been one of the leading international meetings in nanotechnology. In previous years, it has hosted top researchers such as 2023 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry Louis Brus and Swiss materials scientist Michael Grätzel, one of the most cited researchers in the world. This year again, the conference attracted globally renowned experts.

“Jesus Santamaria from Zaragoza, Spain, is a three-time holder of the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant, which is truly exceptional. His plenary lecture showcased major advances and new trends in nanomedicine. Likewise, Peter Wick from the Swiss EMPA institute, a long-term collaborator of MEL, presented remarkable results on the toxicity of nanomaterials,” said Radek Zboril.

Researchers from Ostrava also excelled in this strong international competition. Indrajit Ghosh, one of only nine invited speakers, presented the outcomes of his research in photoredox catalysis. Yazhou Zhou, who recently joined MEL from the Max Planck Institute in Mainz, introduced new directions in the usage of single-atom catalysts, including their applications for converting carbon dioxide into high-value-added chemicals.

Young MEL researchers involved in the REFRESH project showcased their work as well. “I am very pleased with the quality of our scientists’ presentations, which was also recognized by the conference’s scientific committee,” added Radek Zboril.

Among the awardees under 33 was Nidhi Garg, who presented her research on chemical catalysis. “I was honored to receive the Dr. Tasilo Prnka Prize (Honorable Mention) at the 17th International Conference on Nanomaterials-Research and Application (NANOCON 2025) held in Brno, Czech Republic. I’m sincerely grateful for this recognition; it serves as a meaningful encouragement and reflects the invaluable support and mentorship I’ve received in our lab,” she said.

This year’s NANOCON conference was attended by nearly 300 researchers from 32 countries — the highest number in the past five years.