About us

Nanolab is the electron microscopy laboratory of the University of Pannonia (UP). We study the structures, compositions, and morphologies of solid materials, from atomic resolution to the micrometer scale, using a wide variety of electron microscopy techniques.

Nanolab is part of UP's Research Institute of Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering.  Nanolab staff are members of the Environmental Mineralogy Research Group.

In addition to pursuing our own research projects, our facility provides service to both internal (UP) and external users. If you wish to use the services of Nanolab, please fill in this form. 

Zsombor Molnár did extensive work on amorphous carbonates, by performing hundreds of syntheses with variable ratios of Ca, Sr, and Ba. Major questions answered included (1) the composition of the precipitated phase - always more Ca-rich than the solution, (2) lifetime of the transient amorphous carbonate - when all three cations are present, there are some special cation ratios where the lifetime is orders of magnitude longer than at end-member compositions, (3) structures of both amorphous particles and crystalline products at the end of the experiment - characterized by electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results are useful for understanding the formation of amorphous Ca/Sr/Ba carbonates in nature and potentially for the synthesis of nanomaterials with specific properties.

As announced below, we are now part of EXCITE, a network or laboratories that provide transnational access to imaging and spectroscopy of Earth materials in 26 facilities across Europe and beyond. 

This fall we had a stream of onsite visitors (from Slovenia, Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, Norway) plus remote users (from the UK and Germany) who brought interesting new projects, to which we contributed with TEM measurements.  We are pleased to be able to support research on Earth matters  - and watch out for the results in 2025!

After completing his PhD on problems related to carbonate nucleation, Zsombor Molnár accepted a postdoctoral position in the US, at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Richland, WA, where he will continue to perform experimental geochemistry.

After working for two years in our group on projects related to nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, Imran Uddin returned to his native India to take up a permanent position as professor of nanotechnology.

We wish both of them well and lots of success in their new endeavors with one of the last pictures taken from the group with both of them still present.

It has been a lingering question ever since we started to look at the sediments of Lake Balaton whether the dominant Mg-bearing calcite of the sediment is the same material that is precipitated in “whiting” events, when blooming algae raise the pH and huge amounts of carbonate minerals form. In a book chapter we summarized our observations on material collected from whiting events, with the main conclusion that amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) forms next to algae, then it converts to aragonite spindles that, in turn, convert to the final Mg-bearing calcite. Thus, at least two dissolution/reprecipitation events take place, both assisted by the presence of nm-scale flakes of the clay mineral smectite.  All of this is in line with the results of our lab experiments, and provides important new insight into the formation of lacustrine carbonates.

Dolomite formation is an evergreen problem for geologists. A model based on dissolution/reprecipitation cycles has been suggested by Kim et al. in Science. However, their experimental evidence for dolomite formation was based on erroneous interpretation of electron diffraction, as we have pointed out in an eLetter. 

Aragonite is a polymorph of calcium carbonate, typically metastable under Earth surface conditions. Nevertheless, aragonite forms abundantly in Mg-rich aqueous environments. Zsombor Molnár tested the effect of dissolved Mg ions on the formation of aragonite: Mg-bearing amorphous calcium carbonate (Mg-ACC) formed first, then transformed into aragonite by dissolution-reprecipitation, resulting in peculiar, spindle-shaped mesocrystals. These findings provide insight into the formation of aragonite and could contribute to the understanding of important aspects of the formation of mesocrystals and hierarchically structured biogenic minerals.

Zsombor Molnár completed his PhD (on heterogeneous nucleation of carbonates) and received his well-earned summa cum laude degree from Prof. Judit Padisák (chair of doctoral committee, left) and Prof. András Gelencsér (rector). 

Regina Kövér got her excellent MSc degree in chemistry. Her thesis was about the compositions of polyphosphate inclusions in algae.

Congratulations on the excellent achievements and we wish Zsombor and Regina all the best in their future endeavors.

Within the last year several members of our group received scientific awards.

István Dódony, our external advisor (upper left in the image) was awarded the prestigious Eötvös József Wreath by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for his lifelong achievements in the field of mineralogy and crystal chemistry.

Our other associated research collaborator, Péter Németh (upper row, center) received the Academy Award for his work on diamond nanostructures.

Zsombor Molnár (upper right) won the Best Young Presenter Award at the annual meeting of the Hungarian Microscopy Society.

Péter Pekker was honored by the "Outstanding Research Staff" award by the Faculty of Engineering. Péter is seen in the lower picture, flanked by the rector (left) and the dean (right). Congratulations to all!

Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites - book by Imran Uddin published

We announce with great pleasure the issue of a book entitled “Synthesis and applications of nanomaterials and nanocomposites”, published by Springer, and edited by a member of our group, Dr. Imran Uddin, in collaboration with Dr. Irfan Ahmad. The book contains a comprehensive account of nanoparticle and nanocomposite synthesis methods, and also provides chapters on various applications. Congratulations to the authors!

Imran joined our group last year from India, and is working on the biomimetic synthesis of nanoparticles (metal particles on biological substrates), producing composites that can be used for the degradation of pollutants in water.

Mesocosm experiment, May 2023

For an entire month we are running an experiment in the Balaton Limnological Institute, Tihany.  Right on the shore of Lake Balaton there is a “mesocosm” research facility consisting of 12 jacuzzi-sized containers in which we study the formation of lake sediments (carbonates) and the movement of phosphorus under close-to-natural conditions (i.e., similar to the lake), with the added perks of being able to control a number of parameters (including temperature, stirring, and added materials). One parameter is changed between each triplet of containers, thereby providing us with three parallel measurements. Although the experiment is still running, the daily measurements and preliminary TEM studies of solid materials suggest that we are going to be loaded with interesting data.

We embark on a new adventure by opening a "fine-art" exhibition displaying various types of transmission electron microscopy images. The goals are to show the inherent visual beauty of nanoscale objects and phenomena, and to inform the general public about our research.

"The art of science in electron microscope images" will open at 5 pm on February 14, in the Great Hall of Univ. Pannonia, Veszprém, and can be seen until February 28.

Lake Balaton is a large, shallow, calcareous lake that can be regarded as a “carbonate factory”. Over a two-year period we measured the amount and type of minerals delivered into the lake by inflows and rain, and estimated the amount of carbonates precipitating from lakewater. We found that almost 90% of current sediment accumulation consists of carbonate minerals that form within the lake, the composition of which reflects environmental changes: at low water level their Mg content increases, and even protodolomite can form. 

Two new studies have been published with contribution from our lab, both of which report on previously unknown types of biominerals.

Research led by Yeseul Park and Damien Faivre (CEA Cadarache, France) showed that a magnetotactic bacterium produces copper sulfide particles in a rather unusual location, in the periplasmic space, when cultured in copper-rich media.

Another paper by Laurence Garvie (ASU), with contribution from Péter Németh, discusses the precipitation of hydrated amorphous calcium carbonate by a peculiar organism, the dog vomit slime mold.

The Winter School in Mineralogy is a mixture of workshop and conference, a two-day event we have organized every January for the last 17 years. With online meetings becoming the norm, our school turned quite international. This year our special theme will be "Nanoscale phenomena with global consequences". 

Please check the developing program and you are very welcome to attend. 

Magnetite mesocrystals and a new crystal growth mechanism

With the contributions of members of the EnvMin Research Group, a study on the structure and morphology of kaolinite nanoscrolls has been published (Makó et al., Appl. Clay Sci.). We are proud of this paper because it is the first from Nanolab using some not-so-conventional TEM techniques: low-dose imaging and electron crystallographic image processing, in order to obtain fine structural details from this extremely beam-sensitive material.

Three theses prepared by contributions from Nanolab were defended, all receiving "excellent" grade:

Winfred Nyokabi (env. sci. MSc): Potential disolution of calcium carbonate shells in a freshwater environment;

Faizan Ahmad (env. sci. MSc): Properties and possible sources of magnetic nanoparticles in the urban atmosphere;

Bálint Tóth (chemistry BSc): Characterization of individual aerosol particles generated by household waste burning.

Congratulations to our fresh degree-holders, their thesis supervisors and all members of the group who contributed.

We wish Winfred, Faizan and Bálint well in their future endeavors.

(From left to right in the group photo: Zsombor Molnár, Kornél Rácz, Winfred Nyokabi, Faizan Ahmad, Ilona Nyirő-Kósa, Mihály Pósfai, Péter Pekker; in separate photo: Bálint Tóth; among the supervisors-contributors, missing from the photo is Csilla Balogh, Balaton Limnological Institute, Tihany)

Bacteria cultivated from Baradla Cave are capable of stabilizing amorphous carbonate at room temperature, and thus provide an opportunity for an analysis of this peculiar carbonate form and for a better understanding of carbonate formation.

Amorphous carbonate may be common in temperate caves and its occurrence is directly linked to bacterial activity. This material presumably influences the geochemical signal recorded in cave sediments and thus the conclusions of past environmental and climate changes. 

The results by Nóra Enyedi, Péter Németh and coworkers rely heavily on data obtained using the Talos in Nanolab.

Nanolab closed for visitors because of the coronavirus situation (March-April 2020)

From March 12 until further notice the Nanolab is closed for external users. We continue to do measurements; however, since only one staff member is allowed in the lab at any time, our capacity is reduced.

Nano-picnic, Sept 2018 

The Talos arrived!

The Talos TEM arrived! There was some panic (apparently, the doorstep was a bit too high), but the instrument is now in its place in the brand new Nanolab building, and awaiting installation.

We have received the ion milling machine. Temporarily it will be placed in building C but its final place will be in the new TEM building.