Announcing the winner of the Malvern Panalytical Scientific Award
At Malvern Panalytical, we believe in the power of academic research to deliver the breakthroughs that will make our world healthier, safer, and more productive. That’s why, each year, we spotlight some of the world’s up-and-coming scientific talent through the Malvern Panalytical Scientific Award.
We are excited to announce this year’s winner, plus a shortlist containing impactful nanomaterials research.
Meet our winner!
Lei Gao: Boosting lithium ion conductivity of antiperovskite solid electrolyte by potassium ions substitution for cation clusters
The study investigates ways to enhance lithium-ion conductivity in antiperovskite solid electrolytes, a key component for next-generation all-solid-state lithium batteries. These solid electrolytes are promising alternatives to conventional liquid electrolytes due to their superior safety and stability. However, their relatively low ionic conductivity has been a major limitation for practical applications.
Lei and his team explored structural modifications and compositional tuning to improve the conductivity of antiperovskite materials. By optimizing factors such as lattice dynamics and ion transport pathways, they demonstrated significant improvements in ionic conductivity. The findings provide insights into the fundamental mechanisms governing ion movement in these materials and offer a pathway toward more efficient and commercially viable solid-state batteries. As part of the study, Lei used the Empyrean powder diffractometer from Malvern Panalytical to perform X-ray total scattering.
Read Lei’s award-winning research
Meet our runners-up
Marko Dunatov: Investigating the properties of a multi-stimuli-responsive complex salt
Molecular materials that change their properties in response to external conditions, such as humidity and temperature, have great potential for use in smart materials and energy-efficient systems.
In this study, Marko Dunatov investigated the crystal structure transformations, ferroelectric and thermistor properties, and optical responsiveness of a complex multi-stimuli-responsive salt using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. His research – which utilized the Empyrean X-ray diffractometer – highlights the importance of using multiple analytical techniques to understand these dynamic materials.
Wojciech Piotrowski: Demonstrating a more durable, accurate, high-resolution method for lifetime-based thermal imaging
Lifetime-based luminescence thermometry is an effective way to monitor deep-tissue temperature non-invasively in preclinical and medical settings. However, its short lifetimes and low brightness create limitations. In this study, Wojciech Piotrowski optimized luminescent nanothermometers by co-doping them with Mn5+ and Er3+ ions, confirming their quality using the X’Pert diffractometer and HighScore software.
Wojciech then successfully used these enhanced nanothermometers for 2D thermal mapping, together with a custom-designed instrument for lifetime-based luminescence thermometry. His research demonstrates this setup’s potential to enable more durable, accurate, high-resolution temperature monitoring in deep tissue.
Michael Ammendola: Comparing DCMS with HiPIMS and B-HiPIMS for chromium depositing
There is growing interest in the use of chromium coatings in advanced nuclear fuel applications. These coatings can be deposited onto Zircaloy-4 through direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) or high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). While traditional magnetron sputtering is well researched, HiPIMS – especially in bipolar HiPIMS (B-HiPIMS) form – remains relatively unexplored for advanced fuel applications.
In this study, Micheal Ammendola investigated the performance of monolithic Cr coatings deposited by HiPIMS and B-HiPIMS compared with those deposited by DCMS. He found that the HiPIMS and B-HiPIMS-deposited coatings performed better and exhibited an order-of-magnitude reduction in autoclave weight gain.
Hanjun Zou: Relationship between defect and strain in oxygen vacancy-engineered TiO2 towards photocatalytic H2 generation
Photocatalytic H2 generation is considered an effective approach to convert solar energy into renewable H2 energy. To improve the catalytic activity, much attention has been paid to developing advanced strategies, of which oxygen vacancy engineering is seen as promising. However, oxygen vacancy-induced coexistence of defect and strain makes understanding the essential mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic performance elusive and challenging.
In this study, the classic photocatalyst TiO2 is selected as a paradigm to reveal the relationship between the accompanied defect and strain in boosting H2 generation activity. It is found that oxygen vacancy concentration almost shows a volcano-type trend, while strain exhibits a monotonic decrease with increasing the calcination temperature. To determine the effects of the gradient concentration defect on the crystal structure and possible phase transition for the TiO2 prepared at various calcination temperatures, Hanjun used X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze the patterns of all samples. Understanding the relationship between defects and strain in engineered TiO₂ could provide valuable insights for developing more effective photocatalysts in clean energy applications.
Luca Casula: Development of Nanofibers with Embedded Liposomes Containing an Immunomodulatory Drug Using Green Electrospinning
Chronic wounds present a significant therapeutic challenge. Affecting 6.5 million people in the US alone, conventional treatments such as wound compression and antibiotics are frequently ineffective, creating an urgent need for new treatments.
Simvastatin is a promising drug that could help protect healthy tissue from degradation and restore the regenerative process, but its poor solubility and chemical instability mean that to be developed into a dressing for wound healing through electrospinning, it is often dissolved in organic solvents. This method poses risks to the environment and human health, especially when compared to green electrospinning using water.
Luca Casula’s research focused on avoiding organic solvents in the production of simvastatin dressings by encapsulating it in liposomes alongside an antioxidant prior to the electrospinning process. These composite liposome-nanofiber materials delivered a high phospholipid and drug content, with the liposomes evenly distributed over the fibers.
Using Malvern Panalytical’s Zetasizer Ultra, Luca found the liposomes had separated into two size populations of liposome-nanofiber formulations, which were shown through in vitro testing to be safer for keratinocytes and blood cells than liposomes alone. Both formulations also showed similarly positive effects for reducing inflammation – a crucial consideration in promoting wound healing.
Luca’s research shows clear potential for this method to be used in developing effective dressings for chronic wounds, bringing much-needed hope to chronic wound sufferers.
Luca Morici: Nanocrystal-chitosan particles for intra-articular delivery of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs
Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic joint disease, but its local and degenerative nature means that few efficient treatments exist to alleviate its effects. Kartogenin has recently emerged as a candidate for osteoarthritis treatment, offering the potential to promote cartilage repair – however, its very low solubility is a significant barrier.
Luca Morici’s team decided to tackle this problem by creating a special drug delivery system for kartogenin, combining wet milling and spray drying techniques to reduce the size of the particles. The final product was a more soluble powder that could easily be turned into a read-to-inject microsphere. Malvern Panalytical’s Mastersizer 3000 and Zetasizer Nano ZS were instrumental in assessing the particle size distribution and zeta potential of the samples.
The microspheres were designed for slow and safe release of kartogenin when injected into the joint and showed good stability and no toxicity to human cells during in vitro testing, presenting exciting possibilities for the improved treatment of osteoarthritis and easier production of kartogenin.
Julia Werner: Improved pharmacokinetics and enhanced efficacy of the vancomycin derivative FU002 using a liposomal nanocarrier
Antibiotic resistance is a global obstacle to effective infection treatment. FU002 is a powerful vancomycin derivative that fights Gram-positive bacteria and could help fight vancomycin resistance; however, it suffers from rapid elimination from the bloodstream, limiting its possibilities for clinical efficiency.
Julia Werner’s research tested whether encapsulating FU002 in PEGylated liposomes could slow down this elimination process and improve its potential as a treatment. Malvern Panalytical’s Zetasizer Nano ZS was integral to both the liposome characterization process and examining plasma stability.
In the final analysis, the liposomal form of the antibiotic showed no significant toxicity to liver, kidney, or red blood cells, and studies on Wistar rats revealed significantly prolonged blood circulation. It also showed better therapeutic results than the free drug in a larvae infection model. This is an encouraging conclusion, suggesting that liposomal FU002 not only maintains its ability to fight bacteria but is also more stable and effective in the body, making it a strong ally in fighting antibiotic resistance.
Prem Singh: Palladium Nanocapsules for Photothermal Therapy in the Near-Infrared II Biological Window
Advancements in nanomaterials science have elevated plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) as a popular treatment for various types of cancer. However, the low penetration depth of NIR-I light makes it unsuitable for treating deeper-seated tumors, and the high laser power density needed to overcome this issue can cause tissue damage and complicate treatment.
Prem Singh’s study developed a bimetallic palladium nanocapsule (PdNcap) capable of absorbing light in both the NIR-I and NIR-II regions, overcoming many of the drawbacks of conventional PPTT.
The Pd Ncap demonstrated excellent photothermal stability and conversion efficiency, inducing over 98% cell death of targeted breast cancer cells when combined with Herceptin, even at a low concentration and low laser power. It also showed the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, reducing the potential damage to surrounding tissues. This shows that Pd Ncaps could offer a more versatile and efficient agent for cancer therapy.
Beatriz Dias Barbieri: The role of helper lipids in optimizing nanoparticle formulations of self-amplifying RNA
RNA vaccine technology offers enormous potential for the safe and effective treatment of infectious diseases and cancer. To deliver on this promise, researchers around the world are working to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of RNA vaccines.
Beatriz Dias Barbieri’s study contributed to these advancements by testing three different helper lipids (DSPC, DOPC, and DOPE) alongside two ionizable lipids (MC3 and C12-200) to see how they affected stability, transfection efficiency, and inflammation and immunogenicity of self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccines. Physicochemical characterization was carried out using Malvern Panalytical’s Zetasizer Nano ZS.
The study found that although helper lipids did influence the expression of the saRNA during in vitro testing, it wasn’t a reliable predictor of how the vaccine would work in the body. However, the type of helper lipid used did affect the stability of the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) during storage, with DSPC offering the best stability at low temperatures over four weeks.
Combining C12-200 and DSPC in the LNPs produced the most durable expression in human skin explants and led to better immune responses when tested with a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. This suggests combining these lipids can help balance long-term storage stability and effective immune response for RNA vaccines.