Ondrej Panak

Ondrej Panak (National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia)

Materials Characterisation

Understanding the physical and chemical properties of substances is essential for optimising performance, ensuring safety, and enabling the development of new chemicals, materials, products, and technologies across a wide range of applications and industries. This presentation examines the crucial role of physical and chemical characterisation in determining material properties, interactions, and structure–property relationships. It supports informed material and chemical selection, guides application development, and ensures regulatory compliance.

Chemical characterisation methods—including chromatography, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and various spectroscopic techniques—reveal molecular composition, functional groups, purity, and chemical reactivity.

Physical characterisation techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (e.g., differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)), and particle size and surface area analysis provide critical insights into structure, morphology, crystallinity, and thermal stability. These methods enable researchers and engineers to evaluate material performance under specific conditions and detect defects or changes that may affect product reliability.

Physicochemical methods—including pH, conductivity, solubility, partition coefficients, zeta potential, field-flow fractionation, viscoelastic properties, surface tension, and surface free energy—bridge the gap between physical and chemical perspectives, offering a deeper understanding of how materials behave in complex environments. Together, these techniques form a complementary toolkit that enables a holistic understanding of materials from the atomic to the macroscopic scale.

Nanocellulose is emerging as an ingredient in cosmetic formulations, offering versatility and enhanced performance. In cosmetics, nanocellulose serves as a viscosity modifier, texture enhancer, and stability booster, making it a promising alternative to synthetic polymers and conventional (non-nano) cellulosic compounds. However, safety remains a critical consideration. Derived from lignocellulosic materials, it can be produced through various mechanical and chemical processes, allowing for different functional modifications. The sustainability of nanocellulose is highly dependent on its production methods, which involve diverse mechanical and chemical processing steps.

Our current SSbD case study work focuses on reformulating and optimising four cosmetic products by incorporating nanocellulose, aiming to enhance their functional properties while considering safety and sustainability. This presentation provides an overviews of the SSbD-driven development in this field, highlighting key performance parameters of the products. We will present preliminary results on the characterisation, experimental assessment of human health, and environmental safety of various nanocellulose materials, including assessments using new in silico tools.