Research at the Department of Analytical Chemistry covers three fields: 1) study of chemical and physical processes underlying analytical measurements; 2) construction of laboratory equipment and modification of instruments for analytical measurements; 3) real-life applications in various areas.
Studies of electrochemical conversion, ionization in mass spectrometric measurements or on-line preconcetration in capillary electrophoresis fall into the first field. Several apparatuses have been developed, e.g. microfluidic devices for cheap analyses, ionization sources for mass spectrometry (MS) such as desorption electrospray allowing direct analysis of reaction products on the surface of an electrode, or an interface for coupling of laser ablation with synchronous ionisation by electrospray and inductively couple plasma (ICP). Connection of capillary electrophoresis with ICP-MS provides extremely sensitive detection. The designed, constructed and patented circuit for measurements of low conductivity of surfaces can find use beyond the field of analytical chemistry. Regarding applications, our department deals with analysis of biological samples (release of metals from joint implants, metabolite identification or analysis of disease markers), forensic evidence (drug detection, gunshot residue on latent fingerprints), as well as archaeological samples or material analysis of pieces of art. Our department runs a laboratory certified by the State Institute for Drug Control, which plays the key role in the area of pharmaceutical analysis. Joint research in collaboration with leading Czech and foreign institutions (such as University of Texas at Arlington, USA; Institute of Chemical Methodologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy; University of Vienna, Austria; University of Washington, Seatle, USA; University of Szeged, Hungary; Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) is being conducted. The achieved results are published in international scientific journals, protected by domestic as well as foreign patents or provided, based on contract research, to our industrial partners (TEVA, Zentiva, Contipro and others).
