Graduate students of the Faculty of Physics are engaged in the development of new high-tech materials and next-generation drugs

The President of the Russian Federation’s scholarship was awarded this year to 13 graduate students of Novosibirsk State University. A quarter of them are studying inPhysical Faculty (PF) of NSU. This scholarship is awarded based on the results of a competitive selection for the third year in a row. During this time, 13 graduate students of this faculty have become scholarship recipients.

This year, the Presidential scholarship of the Russian Federation supported the research of graduate students of the Faculty of Physics of NSU aimed at studying hybrid systems based on graphene, developing semiconductor materials to overcome key technological barriers of hydrogen energy, and manufacturing wear-resistant elements for gas turbine units of aviation and energy purposes, as well as work on studying the spatial structure of proteins, the results of which will become the basis for developing new generation drugs against neurodegenerative diseases.

Graduate students of the Faculty of Physics at NSU, who became winners of the competition for the appointment of the President of the Russian Federation’s scholarship in 2026, spoke about their research projects.

Dmitry Sorokin(3rd year), dissertation topic — “Graphene for sensory and photonic applications”, scientific supervisor — Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor.Dmitry Vladimirovich Smovzh:

—My research work is carried out in the laboratory of synthesis of new materials at the S. S. Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics, SB RAS, under the guidance of Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor Dmitry Vladimirovich Smovzh. The study is devoted to the investigation of the electrical properties of graphene and graphene structures, modified with titanium and tin nanoparticles, interacting with donor molecules, acceptor molecules, and electromagnetic radiation.

The relevance of the work is due to the fact that graphene is one of the most promising materials for creating next-generation electronic components thanks to the combination of high charge carrier mobility, mechanical strength, chemical and thermal stability, as well as high sensitivity to external physical and chemical influences.

Despite the significant amount of research in the field of graphene technologies, many issues related to the influence of synthesis conditions, structural characteristics, defects, and the functionalization of graphene on its electronic properties remain insufficiently studied.

A special scientific significance is presented by the study of hybrid systems based on graphene and metallic nanoparticles, for which quantitative regularities of interphase interaction and its influence on material properties have not yet been established. The scientific novelty of my work is associated with establishing the interrelationships between synthesis parameters, the morphology of the distribution of titanium and tin nanoparticles, the structural characteristics of graphene layers, and their electrical properties.

Physical mechanisms responsible for the change in graphene conductivity during adsorption of donor-acceptor molecules, polar and nonpolar compounds, as well as under the influence of electromagnetic radiation, are also determined.

The obtained results create a scientific basis for designing functional graphene structures with controllable electrical characteristics and the development of highly sensitive gas and optical sensors of the new generation.

I want to thank my scientific supervisor Dmitry Vladimirovich Smovzh for the support and the opportunity to engage in interesting scientific tasks, as well as the entire team of the materials synthesis laboratory for the help, discussions, and atmosphere in which science becomes not only work but also a passion.

Viktoriya Lomakina(3rd year), dissertation topic — “Development of semiconductor materials based on titanium dioxide, tungsten oxide, and graphite-like carbon nitride for photoelectrochemical applications”, scientific supervisor — D.Sc.Ekaterina Alexandrovna Kozlova:

—The research I am conducting is aimed at overcoming key technological barriers in the field of hydrogen energy, in particular — the problem of effective accumulation and logistics of energy carriers.

The scientific hypothesis of the work was based on the possibility of multiple increases in quantum yield by controlling the architecture of semiconductors. In the course of solving this task, methods for synthesizing thin-film anodes were optimized and various strategies for modifying titanium dioxide, tungsten oxide, and graphite-like carbon nitride were tested.

A key achievement was the implementation of an architectural approach to the formation of cascaded multilayer photoelectrodes based on type II heterojunctions, providing the highest photoelectrochemical activity of the system.

In the long-term perspective, the proposed technological solutions lay the foundation for creating an industrial-scale hydrogen production system.

Ilya Hertsul(1st year), dissertation topic — “Patterns of the formation of interphase boundaries in titanium matrix composites under non-stationary laser exposure”, scientific supervisor — D.Sc.Alexander Gennadievich Malikov:

—Research conducted as part of work on my dissertation is aimed at solving an important technological problem. Critical elements of gas turbine installations for aviation and energy purposes — compressor blades, seals, casings — undergo intensive abrasive wear during operation.

The cause is foreign particles entering the fluid part: quartz sand and volcanic ash from the atmosphere, concrete crumbs from runway coatings, metallic debris, and ice particles.

Titanium alloys, possessing a unique combination of low density and high specific strength, demonstrate low wear resistance, which critically limits their use in friction units and requires either the creation of protective coatings or the development of fundamentally new titanium-matrix composites (TMC).

A direct request for such materials was made by leading Russian high-technology enterprises: CJSC “Group of Companies S7”, JSC “ODK-Aviadvigatel”, PJSC “ODK-Saturn”, JSC “BEMZ” and others.

Until now, direct laser growth of TMC was characterized by uncontrolled phase transformations, cracks, and pores, which made it impossible to obtain defect-free TMC with a high content of ceramic particles. Achieving high wear resistance is a direct result of controlled formation of the interphase layer and microstructure of the material due to variation in the transmitted energy of the laser radiation.

The work is built as a closed cycle: synthesis of composite materials by additive laser growth, structure diagnostics, including the in situ method of synchrotron diffraction, determination of operational characteristics — wear resistance, temperature stability, heat resistance.

Comparative analysis of the obtained data for different systems (Ti-B-C, Ti-Al-O, Ti-B, Ti-Si-C, Ti-W-C) allows identifying universal patterns of interphase layer formation and separating them from effects caused by the local properties of a specific system.

The identified mechanisms are fundamental in nature and may be applicable to other metal-matrix composites, including systems based on nickel, cobalt, and refractory metals.

The practical significance of my work lies in the fact that the established regularities allow transitioning from empirical selection of chemical composition and synthesis regimes to scientifically based design of composite materials with specified properties for specific applications in the aviation, space, energy, and other industrial sectors. In particular, the results of the work will provide the possibility of a justified choice of the type of reinforcing particles depending on the required operational characteristics of the product, for example, the blades of gas turbine units.

Mikhail Kolokolov(2nd course), dissertation topic — “Development and application of pulsed EPR spectroscopy methods for biologically relevant complexes with high structural variability”, scientific supervisor — Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.Olesya Anatolyevna Krumkacheva:

—My dissertation is devoted to the study of the spatial structure of proteins capable of assembling into special cellular formations — stress granules. The main protagonist of the study is the G3BP1 protein, which triggers the assembly of such granules in the cell in response to stress. These processes are directly related to medicine: when disrupted, liquid droplets of proteins turn into solid toxic aggregates, which underlie the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

The complexity of the task lies in the fact that classical methods of structural biology (crystallography and electron microscopy) are unable to “see” such proteins inside a dense cellular droplet, therefore the work uses a combination of magnetic resonance methods and computer modeling.

The scientific novelty of my research lies in the fact that for the first time we managed to directly obtain the structural picture of the G3BP1 protein inside the stress granule itself, and not in a diluted solution as was done before. In addition to the protein itself, the role of RNA molecules is also studied, which initiate the assembly of stress granules and significantly change the structure of the protein upon interaction with it.

The obtained data will become the basis for the development of next-generation drugs against neurodegenerative diseases, which will allow for the rational design of molecules that prevent pathological solidification of cellular droplets. It is important to note that the developed methodology is not limited to a single target: after its refinement on the G3BP1 protein, it can be transferred to other proteins associated with neurodegenerative and oncological diseases.