Bartłomiej Wysocki (WUT) at Jackson State University (ICN)

My visit at the Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA was held from 16 February to 16 August 2013 as a part of WP6: Dissemination and uptake of the NanoBRIDGES project results.

Program of my research activities included dissemination of obtained results at the conferences: Southern School on Computational Chemistry & Materials Science Conference (Carbon nanotubes as an ion carriers in electrodeposition of hydroxyapatite coating on titanium alloy), and at the 10th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research (Fabrication of hydroxyapatite-graphene composite coating on porous titanium scaffolds). Additionally, I have participated in the Summer Institute at JSU during which, I have supervised undergraduate students working on their summer research projects.

During my research, I have evaluated toxicity of various carbon nanotubes (CNTs ) and graphene oxide (GO) with different functionalized groups, added to solutions of calcium-phosphates prepared for electrodeposition processes. I have made many innovative composite calcium-phosphate coatings with CNTs and GO on titanium plates and scaffolds prepared for tissue engineering. I have characterized studied CNTs, and prepared coatings by: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX). I have also confirmed the presence of functionalized groups on the surface of tested CNTs and GO by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). To determine GO’s changes in electrolytic solutions after electrodeposition process, I have used a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).  By examination of obtained results, I could confirmed that there is a high influence on morphology, thickness, homogeneity, and even type of calcium phosphates coatings depending on used CNTs and GO used as an ion carriers.

I hope that my work will be continued by implementing obtained experimental results in QSAR model, which will be developed with collaboration between host (Jackson State University, Interdisciplinary Center For Nanotoxicity) and home institution (Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering).

It was not my first visit in US, but it was first time when I have seen researchers from so many different countries and cultures working together on scientific projects. I had in Jackson great time, great science, and great social experience.