ACTIVITIES
Bio-Organic chemistry. Organic synthesis. Natural products. Medicinal chemistry. Synthesis on solid support. Combinatorial chemistry. Supramolecular chemistry. Synthesis of natural products and designed molecules with interesting biological activity for medical or agricultural applications. Use of enzymes, cell extracts, normal or genetically engineered cell lines for the preparation of compounds. Synthesis of new molecules or macromolecules with interesting physical or chemical properties for technological applications.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance instrument (NMR) Bruker 300 and 500 MHz
  
• FT-IR instrument
  
• UV instrument
  
• Mass spectrometer
  
• Electronic microscope
  
• Polarimeter
  
• Elemental analysis
  
• Carl-Fisher

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Custom organic synthesis.
Synthetic organic compounds for biological assays.

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ACTIVITIES

• Spectroscopy
  
• Materials
  
• Macromolecules
  
• Supramolecular systems
  
• Organized systems
  
• Polymers
  
• Dendrimes
  
• Photopolymerisation
  
• Physical chemical Characterization
  
• Photonic Materials

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Single photon counting instrument for measuring (fluorescence & phosphorescence) Time region 100ps-min.

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Analysis of microporous material, microelectronics materials.

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ACTIVITIES
Trace Elements-Environment-Man
1. Trace element emission sources in the atmospheric environment.
2. Airborne pollution of marine environment.
3. Nutrient trace elements and covering of Reference Daily Intake (RDI).
4. Trace element indicators of etiology and pathogenesis of diseases.
5. Provenance studies of archeological objects.
6. Development of analytical methodologies for trace element determination.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Two stages high volume air samples.
2. Apparatus for sea water sampling.
3. Units for gamma-ray counting.
4. Units for gamma-ray counting at high count rate.
5. Laminar flow hood.
6. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.
7. Polarograph.

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Trace element determination in different media.

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ACTIVITIES
Photochemical Solar Energy Storage and Conversion

Study of photochemically induced electron transfer reactions of metal complexes for storage or conversion of solar energy as electrical energy (semiconductor sensitization) and use for destruction of pollutants.

Preparation of acid-activated, pillared acid-activated layered clays and development of clay modified electrodes for industrial (bleaching earth), catalytic, analytical and environmental purposes.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Cyclic voltometry setup
Photoelectrochemistry setup.

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Bleaching earth for oil decoloration.

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ACTIVITIES

• Synthesis of amphiphilic compounds for the preparation of organized supramolecular assemblies.
  
• Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystals.
  
• Molecular recognition of organised supramolecular assemblies.
  
• Preparation and characterization of functional dendrimers.
  
• Novel drug delivery systems based on liposomes and dendrimers.
  
• Nanomaterials acting as molecular "nanosponges" based on dendrimers for the entrapment of organic pollutants from water.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Laboratory for Organic Synthesis.
  
• Liposomes preparation facilities.
  
• Optical Microscopy - Image Processing.
  
• AFM and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (Institutional Instrumentation)
  
• Thermal Analysis Methods.
  
• Fluorescence.
  
• NMR, FT-IR and MS Spectroscopy (Institutional Instrumentation)

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
PRODUCTS:
a) Drug delivery systems based on Liposomes and Dendrimers.
b) Development of novel Liquid Crystals.

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ACTIVITIES
Analytical investigation (identification and characterisation of organic compounds and materials, using:

• mass spectrometry
  
• FT-IR spectroscopy
  

Samples: small organic molecules, natural products, raisins, lipids, environmental samples (organic pollutants and degralation products)

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• mass spectrometry
  (pyrolisis techniques, range of detection 0-3000mm)
  
• spectroscopy FTIR (400-4000 cm-1)

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Available only in greek version

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ACTIVITIES

Bioinorganic materials

• Synthesis of complexes with antibiotic and cytostatic activity with potentially improved properties
  
• Study of interactions between metal ions, metal complexes and DNA

Biomolecules-Biopolymers

• Molecular characterisation of new polynocleotides and proteins, study of their physiological role and the effect of bio-active molecules in their expression
  
• Development of ultra-sensitive methods of fluorescence and chemical luminescence for detection and quantitative determination of new molecular biomarkers and their utilisation in health
  
• Development of production and characterisation of microbial polyesters (PHAs/PHB)

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UV), infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR), mass spectrograph (MS), NMR 250 and 500MHz (Brucker), CD (Jasco,G715), freezer -80 C, refrigerators, thermal cycler (grandient eppendorf), electrophoresis devices, centrifugals, accuracy scales, liquid nitrogen devices, Ultraviolet machine, Polaroid camera, automatic sterilizer

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ACTIVITIES
Development or Modification of membranes (composite ceramic membranes, polymeric membranes, carbon membranes, zeolite materials, activated carbon).
Porous Structure Characterization (pore size distribution, specific surface, pore volume, pore connectivity).
Evaluation/Testing of porous materials performance in several environmental and industrial applications (gas pollutant separations, liquid permeability, reverse osmosis, controlled release systems, transdermal drug delivery).
Simulation of heat and mass transport processes in porous media with continuum (macroscopic) and discrete (network) numerical models.
Flow visualisation within porous media using different techniques and pore size scales.
Numerical and experimental simulation and visualisation of oil recovery techniques, under ambient and high pressure conditions.
Porous media reconstruction using scan tomography and computer-aided graphics.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Nitrogen and mercury porosimetry, gas and vapour permeability (multiphase and single phase), thermal analysis, small angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS, SAXS), microscopy/spectroscopy (SEM, AFM, IR). Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), Langmuir-Blodgett Deposition, Plasma Treatment, Phase Inversion, Carbonization/Activation. Intelligent gravimetric Analyses (IGA)

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Control, characterisation and assessment of: filters for protection of individuals, ceramics-porous materials, cement, oil, polymeric packaging materials, membranes.

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ACTIVITIES
Molecular structure. Supramolecular Chemistry. Μolecular organisation. Χ-ray crystallography. Crystal and molecular structure of organic molecules. Crystal and Molecular structure of proteins. Crystal engineering. Cyclodextrin Chemistry. Inclusion Complexes οf Cyclodextrins. Applications of Cyclodextrins. Controlled release. Pharmaceutical Applications of Cyclodextrins. ΝΜR of Cyclodextrin Complexes. Solution structures of cyclodextrin based Supramolecular Arrays. Synthesis of function-specific cyclodextrin derivatives for pharmaceutical applications. Synthesis of conjugated oligomers for molecular wires.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• NMR 250 MHz
  
• NMR 500 MHz
  
• Apparatus for collection of Crystallographic data of biological macromolecules (Rotating anode X-ray generator - RAXIS IV Image Plate - Oxford cryosystem )
  
• Single crystal diffractometer
  
• Circular Dichroism Spectrometer
  
• Fluorimeter
  
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Service is provided for the above instrumentation for the private sector, universities or research centers

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ACTIVITIES

1. Modeling of micromolecular transport in polymeric membrane materials on the macroscopic and molecular level by computer simulation.
2. Experimental studies of sorption and diffusion of micromolecular liquids or vapors in glassy polymeric membranes (in relation to 1 above).
3. Experimental studies of controlled release kinetics from model polymeric devices (in relation to 1 above).
4. Experimental study of systems and processes of technological interest (separation of mixtures by polymeric membranes, microlithography, drug release, ageing of polymers).
5. Modeling of micromolecular transport in pore networks, pore size distribution, pore network interconnectivity.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• UNIX computational systems for modeling studies (1 SGI-R10000, 2 IBM-R6000)
  
• Automated home-made vacuum apparatuses for the measurement of diffusivity and solubility of vapors in polymer samples
  
• Polarizing and interferometric microscopes
  
• Optical microdensitometer
  
• Tensile tester in conjunction with optical equipment for studying (a) mechanical and (b) rheo-optical properties of polymer films in a controlled vapor atmosphere
• Thermal analysis instruments (TMDSC, TMA and TGA).

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE

Characterisation of polymers

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ACTIVITIES

• Molecular simulation for the calculation of structural, thermodynamic, mechanical, rheological and other properties of materials.
  
• Statistical mechanics for the determination of DNA structure and study of fractal structures.
  
• Quantum mechanics calculations for the evaluation of structure and frequencies of small molecules.
  
• Macroscopic models for the prediction of thermodynamic properties and phase equilibrium of fluids for industrial applications.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Dec Alpha workstation with dual processor.
  
• 2 Silicon Graphics workstations with R10000 and R5000 processors.
  
• PC cluster with 12 Pentium III 650 MHz processors.
  
• Access to supercomputing facilities at NRCPS "Demokritos" and Cineca Supercomputing Center in Bologna, Italy.

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE

• Calculation of thermophysical and thermodynamic properties of industrially important fluids for process simulation.
  
• Calculation of structural, thermodynamic, mechanical and other material properties for design of novel materials.
  
• Extensive in-house developed advanced software for the above calculations.
  
• Target industries: chemical, petroleum, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry.
  

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ACTIVITIES

• Chemiluminescence: photo- radio- and sonochemiluminescence
  
• Chemiluminescence in organised media and interfaces
  
• Synthesis of novel chemiluminescent compounds

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Co-60 source
  
• Absorption and fluorescence spectrometers
  
• Luminometers

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
PRODUCTS: novel strong chemiluminescent organic compounds with prospects in analytical applications in pharmaceuticals and foods.

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ACTIVITIES
Synthesis and use of new redox catalytic and photosensitive metal oxides and polyoxometallates in thermal and photocatalytic processes. Pioneer work in:

• Splitting of water (hydrogen production)
  
• Photoelectrochemical production of electricity
  
• Redox reactions with environmentally friendly oxidants, such as O2, H2O2, etc.
  
• Environmental Chemistry
  
• Effective photodecomposition to carbon dioxide water and inorganic anions of a great variety of organic pollutants, such as pesticides incecticides etc.
  
• Advanced oxidation methods in cleaning aquatic systems. Use of Ultrasound processes.
  
• Decomposition of triazines by using photocatalytic and ultrasound processes.
  
• Comparison of photodecomposition of polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons by TiO2 and polyoxometallates.
  
• Comparison-mechanistic details of photodecomposition of selective organic pollutants by TiO2 and polyoxometallates.
  
• Pilot unit for decontamination of industrial waste water.
  
• Photochemical reduction-recovery of metal ions.
  
• Development of new analytical methods for toxic substances.

ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE

• GC-MS
  
• GC with various detectors (ECD, FID, TCD)
  
• HPLC
  
• UV-Visible-near IR spectrophotometers
  
• Pilot unit for decontamination of industrial waste.
  
• Variety of photolysis apparatus

SERVICE PROVIDED/PRODUCTS AVAILABLE

• Analysis of organic substances-pollutants.
  
• Methods for decontamination of aquatic systems
  
• Pilot unit for decontamination of industrial waste water.
  

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