Research areas

Two scientific schools at the Department of Chemistry of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv were officially approved by Orders of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine “On the results of accreditation of Ukrainian universities” No186 of June 17, 1994, No 229 of July13, 1994 and No 278 October 3, 1994, namely: “Crystal Chemistry” at the Subdepartment of Inorganic Chemistry (headed by R. Ye. Gladyshevskyi, Corresponding Member of the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) of Ukraine, Doctor of Chemistry, Professor, Chairman of the Subdepartment of Inorganic Chemistry) and “ Physico-chemistry of polymers”at the Subdepartment of Physical and Colloid Chemistry (headed by O. V. Reshetniak, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Chairman of the Subdepartment of Physical and Colloid Chemistry).

“Crystal chemistry of intermetallic compounds”

Scientific researches at the Subdepartment of Inorganic Chemistry are performed within the scientific school “Crystal Chemistry”, scientific area “Crystal Chemistry of intermetallic compounds” and relate to intermetallides and related compounds – hydrides, oxides and organometallic compounds.
In 2019, the Subdepartment employed 49 scientists, including 1 Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, 4 Doctors and 29 Candidates of Sciences and 12 postgraduate students; the employees performed 4 state budgeted scientific-research topics, 1 international economic contract topic, 1 topic within the working hours of teachers, 1 scientific-research work within the framework of Ukrainian-Czech scientific and technological cooperation and 1 international grant. In accordance with Order No 444 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine of May 02, 2018, there is a Center for collective use of scientific equipment “Laboratory of Materials Science of Intermetallic Compounds” on the basis of the Subdepartment. The topics were implemented by 22 on-staff employees of the scientific-research unit: 6 leading, 6 senior scientific researchers, 5 scientific researchers and 5 junior scientific researchers. In 2019, one scientific researcher of the Subdepartment received the title of the senior rscientific esearcher. During the time period of the existence of the scientific school, the scientists of the Subdepartment have made a significant contribution to the development of inorganic chemistry, crystal chemistry and materials science. Doctoral and postgraduate studies successfully function at the Subdepartment and the students are involved in scientific work. The contribution by the Subdepartment in the field of crystal chemistry of intermetallic compounds makes up 20% of world achievements.

During the reporting period, isothermal cross sections of diagrams of state 1 of a four-component system, 39 ternary metal systems, 20 quasi-double systems involving alkali, alkaline earth, rare earth metals, transition d-elements and p-elements of groups III-VI, were built, the crystal structure of 175 intermetallides and 30 hydrides, oxides, chalcogenides, chalcogen halides and complex compounds was determined, a number of new structural types were discovered, and the algorithm of search of crystal chemical regularities was described. Catalytic, hydrogen sorption, electrochemical, electrotransport, thermoelectric and magnetic properties were investigated for the synthesized compounds. Thermometric intermetallic materials – alloys of solid solution based on semi-Geisler phase Ti1-xScxCoSb (0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.15), method of synthesis of single crystals of heterometal p-complexes Cu (I) / Fe (II) and Cu (I) / Zn ( II) on the basis of allyl-containing ligands, as well as methods of titanium-plating of parts made of metal alloys were protected by patents of Ukraine.

During the reporting period, 1 scientific monograph, 2 chapters of monographs, 2 textbooks and 96 articles were published (54 of them in publications included in the scientometric databases Scopus and / or Web of Science, of which 32 in publications that have an impact factor); also, theses of 133 reports at scientific conferences (including theses of 70 reports at international conferences) were published; 5 patents of Ukraine were granted (including 3 patents for inventions). Also, 2 issues of the international scientific journal “Chemistry of Metals and Alloys” were published. The employees of the Subdepartment organized and held the V Scientific and Methodological Conference “Modern Trends in Teaching Chemistry”, All-Ukrainian competition of young researchers “Crystals” named after Yevhen Hladyshevskyi “Anisotropy of Crystals”; also, they participated in the organization and holding of the XVII Scientific Conference “Lviv Chemical Readings – 2019” and the Electronic Microscopy Seminar. 18 scientific seminars took place at the Subdepartment; 11 scientists, 7 of them – specialists from abroad – were speakers from other institutions. Employees of the Subdepartment of Inorganic Chemistry conducted joint research with scientists from 22 universities, industry institutes and research organizations of Ukraine and 48 foreign research centers (from 16 countries of the world). 1 candidate’s dissertation work was performed and defended at the Subdepartment and 2 more works were submitted to the Specialized Academic Council for consideration.

“Physico-chemistry of polymers”

During 2019, 4 Doctors of Sciences took part in scientific research, including 3 Professors and 1 Leading Scientific Researcher; 8 Candidates of Sciences (5 Associate Professors,1 Senior Scientific Researcher, 1 Scientific Researcher and 1 Doctoral Student); 1 Senior Scientific Researcher,1 Scientific Researchers and 1 Engineer without a degree; during the year, 1 postgraduate student had been pursuing postgraduate studies at the Sub-department.
Electrochemical deposition of copolymers of aniline and isomeric mercaptoanilines on the surface of the platinum electrode was investigated. It was found that leukoemeraldin forms of deposited copolymers effectively reduce AuCl4– anions with the formation of poly (An-co-n-MAn)/Au nanocomposites. Electro-catalytic properties of deposited copolymers and gold nanocomposites based on them with respect to the oxidation reaction of glyoxal in a weakly acidic medium (pH = 6.86) were studied. The structure and morphology of polyfunctional organo-inorganic composites based on conjugated polymers and oxide and carbon nano-clusters (graphene oxide, Si and SiO2 nanocrystals) were studied. The optical and electrical properties of the obtained nanomaterials were investigated. The influence of the electric field on the morphology and optical properties of thin films of polyorthoanisidine and poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene obtained on the surface of semiconductor states of oxide electrodes using the method of electrochemical deposition were investigated. The influence of clustering of amorphous metal alloys of the Fe (Al) -TM-REM system, where TM (transition metals) = Ni, Mo, Mn, Nb, Co; REM (rare-earth metals) = Y, Gd, Dy, Tb, upon the change of their magnetic (magnetic susceptibility, saturation induction, coercive force) and mechanical (microhardness, plasticity) characteristics, electrical properties and corrosion resistance (current and corrosion potential, etc.) were studied. The temperature dependences of the stages of the clustering process of amorphous alloys of the Fe (Al) -PM-REM system, where TM (transition metals) = Ni, Mo, Mn, Nb, Co; REM (rare-earth metals) = Y, Gd, Dy, Tb, magnetic and mechanical characteristics of alloys with different composition of alloying applications were investigated. The results of measurements of microhardness, electrical resistance and corrosion characteristics of complex doped clustered metal systems were presented. Practical recommendations for the target use of clustered amorphous alloys were given. The structure and properties of the synthesized polyaniline composite with ferricyanide ion, which had been obtained by the method of oxidative polycondensation of aniline under the action of ammonium peroxide disulfate (NH4) 2S2O8 in an acidic medium (aniline + HCl) in the presence of H3[Fe(CN)6] components in the initial reaction mixture were investigated. The phase equilibria of the Ag – Zn – Ge – S system in the part of ZnS – Ag2GeS3 – Ge – GeS2 were investigated.
Based on the results of the researches carried out during the reporting year, 4 monographs, 32 chapters of collective monographs, 45 articles and 80 theses of reports at scientific conferences of various levels were published, and 1 patent of Ukraine for invention and 1 patent of Ukraine for utility model were granted.

The subject of scientific research fulfils the requirements of the research priority thematic areas of the University for a five-year period in the field of chemistry and is consistent with the research priority areas in Ukraine and in the world.  In particular, the search for new functional materials based on inorganic and organic compounds; development of new composite nanomaterials for various sensors; improvement of physicochemical methods in analytical control of waters, technological solutions, biosubstrates, medicines, foodstuffs are performed.