This PhD project focuses on the controlled engineering of iron-modified nanodiamonds and on understanding the relationship between their structural, electronic, and redox properties and their interactions with biological systems.
Nanodiamonds represent a unique class of carbon nanomaterials combining high chemical stability, tunable surface chemistry, intrinsic nitrogen content (especially in detonation nanodiamonds), and biocompatibility. Incorporation of redox-active metal species, such as iron, introduces new functionalities arising from interfacial charge transfer, coordination chemistry, and catalytic redox processes. Despite increasing interest in metal-modified carbon nanomaterials, the physicochemical mechanisms governing iron anchoring, oxidation state stability, and redox activity on nanodiamond surfaces remain insufficiently understood.
The aim of this PhD thesis is to develop controlled strategies for preparation of iron-functionalized nanodiamonds (Fe-ND), to characterize their structural and electronic properties, and to correlate these parameters with their redox behaviour and selected biological responses.
The project will focus on:
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controlled incorporation of iron species onto detonation and HPHT nanodiamonds,
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investigation of the role of surface termination (hydrogenated vs oxidized), nitrogen content, and surface charge in iron anchoring and stabilization,
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analysis of iron oxidation states, coordination environment, and redox activity,
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evaluation of iron-modified nanodiamonds as redox-active nanomaterials in model biological systems.
The core of the project will be devoted to materials preparation and advanced physicochemical characterization using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurements, and complementary electrochemical or redox assays.
In collaboration with a specialized biological laboratory, selected biological experiments will be performed to assess cellular uptake, redox-related effects, and modulation of oxidative stress pathways in model cancer cell lines. These studies will serve to correlate material parameters with biological responses and to evaluate the potential of iron-modified nanodiamonds as redox-active platforms for biomedical applications.
This interdisciplinary project combines materials science, surface chemistry, nanotechnology, and applied bioengineering. The candidate will gain expertise in nanomaterial synthesis, interface analysis, and structure–property relationships, with applications extending toward advanced functional nanomaterials and biomedical technologies.