This year I switched from winter freezing in polish cold December reality to egzotic scientific journey to sweaty Singapour. In simple words I participated in the 15th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME 2013), where I presented poster entitled “Genipin cross-linked polyelectrolyte multilayer films for controllable endothelialization of cardiovascular devices”. The conference included plenary sessions, many parallel sessions in a various topics and two poster sessions. Meeting was aimed at bringing researchers from different material science fields together to discuss the latest advancement and development of novel biomedical materials and devices with controlled properties and functionalities. The following topics were part of the scope of the conference:
- Bioimaging and Biosignals
- Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
- Biomechanics and Computational Bioengineering
- Biomedical Devices and Biomedical Instrumentation
- Biomedical Robotics and Surgical Technology
- Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation Engineering

We managed to install in our laboratory interesting device. This device has the ability to test solar cells using photoluminescence and electroluminescence. The first examines the defects in wafers immediately after the texturizing, but with a passivation layer. The second is designed to test cells mainly due to its contacts quality and firing, but also the defects. Training already done, I plan to use the technique of photoluminescence in my research.

I declare to all and sundry that this month I have finished cytotoxicity analysis of the Chi/CS polyelectrolyte coatings. I also performed SEM and TEM analysis of above mentioned films. Of course some of samples were again sent to Laser Center in Leoben because it seems that SiC nanoparticles fabrication by PACVD method is encouraging. :)

This November was a long month full of cycling through the Leoben in Austria. I spent all my time on practicing tribology measurement methods, samples scratching and PACVD deposition techniques. I have measured mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte coatings based on 24 bilayers of PLL/HA containing silver nanoparticles introduced by in situ UV induced reduction method. I have also prepared set of tube samples for future hemocompatibility analysis of PEMs modified by nanoparticles.

This month I measured textures for the Al-Zr alloy (for the deformed state and for selected recrystallized states) by X-ray diffractometer. It looks that the recrystallization occurred at room temperature - it will be verified by observations into SEM/EBSD.

I have started to write an introduction to my PhD thesis entitled: "Role of low-angle boundaries in microstructure and texture transformations during annealing of severely deformed aluminum alloys"

Contents

1. Methods for the preparation of ultra fine-grained materials using SPD methods
2. Thermal stability of the materials produced by ECAP
3. Mechanisms of recrystallization – main groups of theories
4. Low-angle boundaries – their role in the theories
5. The main methods of research of ultra fine-grained materials (microstructure and texture)
6. Scientific purpose and dissertation thesis
7. Experimental