The Institute

The Division of Biomedical Physico-Chemistry is the youngest Department at INTiBS - the department was established in 2021 in response to the growing interest in the use of modern nanomaterials in biomedical applications. The employees of the Department develop new luminescent markers for (bio)imaging and (bio)detection of physical quantities (temperature, pressure), chemical and biochemical quantities, modern nanomaterials for filling bone defects, as well as antibacterial materials. For this purpose, various methods of nanomaterial synthesis and modern methods of studying structural and spectroscopic properties are used.

The head of the department is prof. dr. Artur Bednarkiewicz.

The Department consists of two thematic research groups:

• LuNASI – Luminescence Nanoparticles for Sensing and Imaging WEB PAGE
  • prof. dr hab. inż. Artur Bednarkiewicz – the group specializes in obtaining and studying avalanche emission of photons, biodetection, bioimaging, modeling of luminescence dynamics / kinetics, construction of optical and measuring systems
  • prof. dr hab. Łukasz Marciniak – the group specializes in the development of new materials and techniques used in luminescence thermometry, luminescence manometry, luminescent pH meters and optical power density meters as well as light-to-heat converters doped with lanthanide and transition metal ions

• BBRA - Biomaterials for Bio-Related Applications
  • prof. dr hab. Rafał Wiglusz - the group is working on nano-sized materials (e.g. hydroxyaptites (nHAp)) doped with rare-earth metal ions, as well as alkali metal ions that can be used for theranostic applications (therapy+diagnostics). Another important area of research is biomaterials such as hydrogels and polymers, which can find many different applications in medicine, e.g. wound healing, drug delivery, etc. The combination of these two fields creates a comprehensive and interdisciplinary research potential, thanks to which scientists make a significant contribution to improving quality of life.

Research

• New luminescent tags / labels, new methods of detection and analysis of luminescent properties using non-radiative resonant energy transfer FRET.
• New luminescent labels for imaging physical (temperature, pressure) and chemical (pH) quantities, including imaging below the light diffraction limit
• Modern nanomaterials for filling bone defects
• Antimicrobial materials
• Multifunctional and biomedical materials
• Photonic materials

Important publications

List of all scientific articles published by researchers from  the Division of Biomedical Physico-Chemistry can be accessed here: BASE of KNOWLEDGE DBFC.

2025

• M. Szalkowski, A. Kotulska, M. Dudek, Z. Korczak, M. Majak, L. Marciniak, M. Misiak, K. Prorok, A. Skripka, P.J. Schuck, E.M. Chan, A.Bednarkiewicz Advances in the photon avalanche luminescence of inorganic lanthanide-doped nanomaterials Chemical Society Reviews (2025) Advance Article
• W.M. Piotrowski, D. Szymanski, M. Crozzolin, M. Back, L. Marciniak Improving the luminescent properties of Fe3+ in CaAl4O7 by co-doping with Bi3+ ions Materials Research Bulletin 181 (2025) 113081

2024

• M. Majak, M. Misiak, A. Bednarkiewicz The mechanisms behind the extreme susceptibility of photon avalanche emission to quenching  Materials Horizon 11 (2024) 4791-4801.
• K. Szyszka, M. Kardach, D. Szymański, R.J. Wiglusz Synthesis, characterization, and temperature-dependent luminescence of Tb3+-activated and self-activated Sr10 (PO4) 6Cl2 phosphors Journal of Luminescence 275 (2024)120788.
• M. Szymczak, J. Jaśkielewicz, M. Runowski, J. Xue, S. Mahlik, L. Marciniak Highly‐Sensitive, Tri‐Modal Luminescent Manometer Utilizing Band‐Shift, Ratiometric and Lifetime‐Based Sensing Parameters Advanced Functional Materials 34 (2024) 2314068.
• M. Szymczak, P. Du, M. Runowski, P. Woźny, J. Xue, T. Zheng, L. Marciniak Highly Sensitive Optical Manometer Based on the Visible Emissions of Ce3+‐Doped La6Sr4(SiO4)6F2 Multisite Phosphors Advanced Optical Materials 12(7) (2024) 2302147.
• L. Marciniak, W.M. Piotrowski, M. Szymczak, M. Drozd, V. Kinzhybalo, M. Back Customizing thermometry: Optimizing the operating temperature range of phase transition-based ratiometric luminescence thermometers Chemical Engineering Journal 487 (2024) 150363.
• L. Marciniak, P. Woźny, M. Szymczak, M. Runowski Optical pressure sensors for luminescence manometry: Classification, development status, and challenges Coordination Chemistry Reviews 507 (2024) 215770.
• M. Szymczak, A. Mauri, S. Galli, L. Marciniak, M. Fandzloch Highly Sensitive, Multiparametric Thermal History Phosphor Based on An Eu (BTC) Architecture Advanced Functional Materials 34(19) (2024) 2313045.
• N.D. Pinchuk, P. Sobierajska, K. Szyszka, O. Bezkrovnyi, R.J. Wiglusz Preparation of nanohydroxyapatite with diverse morphologies and optimization of its effective aqueous colloidal dispersions for biomedical applications Ceramics International 50(15) (2024) 27426-27435.
•  N. Charczuk, S. Targońska, D. Zákutná, A. Watras, A. Patej, R.J. Wiglusz Europium (III) and Gadolinium (III) co-doped nanohydroxyapatite with enhanced photoluminescence as potential multimodal bioimaging agent Ceramics International 50(9) (2024) 14601-14613.
• K. Szyszka, R.J. Wiglusz Characterization of Sm 3+-activated carbonated calcium chlorapatite phosphors for theranostic applications: a comparative study of co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 26 (14) (2024) 10951-10960.
• N. Nowak, D. Czekanowska, T. Gebarowski, R.J. Wiglusz Highly cyto-and immune compatible new synthetic fluorapatite nanomaterials co-doped with rubidium (I) and europium (III) ions Biomaterials Advances 156 (2024) 213709. 

2023

• M. Dudek, Z. Korczak, K. Prorok, O. Bezkrovnyi, L. Sun, M. Szalkowski, A. Bednarkiewicz, Understanding Yb3+ sensitized photon avalanche in Pr3+ co-doped nanocrystals: modelling and optimization Nanoscale 15 (2023) 18613-18623.
• A Bednarkiewicz, M Szalkowski, M Majak, Z Korczak, M Misiak, S Maćkowski, All-Optical Data Processing with Photon Avalanching Nanocrystalline Photonic Synapse Advanced Materials 35 (2023) 2304390. 
• M. Misiak, O. Pavlosiuk, M. Szalkowski, A. Kotulska , K. Ledwa, A. Bednarkiewicz, On the role of Gd 3+ ions in enhancement of UV emission from Yb 3+ -Tm 3+ up-converting LiYF 4 nanocrystals Nanotechnology 34 (2023) 345702.
• Z.Korczak, M.Dudek, M.Majak, M.Misiak, Ł.Marciniak, M.Szalkowski, A.Bednarkiewicz, Sensitized photon avalanche nanothermometry in Pr3+ and Yb3+ co-doped NaYF4 colloidal nanoparticles Low Temperature Physics 49 (2023) 322.
• M. Pieprz, M. Runowski, K. Ledwa, J. Carvajal, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, Improving accuracy and sensitivity of lanthanide-based luminescent manometers by augmented spectral shift method ACS Applied Optical Materials 1 (2023) 1080–1087.
• K. Maciejewska, A. Paściak, M. Szymczak, K. Ledwa, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, Bimodal role of Cr3+ ions: the nanoscaled photothermal agent and luminescence thermometry Materials Today Chemistry 30 (2023) 101579.
• A. Paściak, M.Misiak, K.Trejgis, K.Elżbieciak-Piecka, O.Bezkrovnyi, Ł.Marciniak, A. Bednarkiewicz, Highly-doped lanthanide nanomaterials for efficient photothermal conversion – selection of the most promising ions and matrices Journal of Alloys and Compounds 934  (2023) 167900

2022

• M. Dudek, M. Szalkowski, M. Misiak, M. Ćwierzona, A. Skripka, Z. Korczak, D. Piątkowski, P. Woźniak, R. Lisiecki, P. Goldner, S. Maćkowski, E.M. Chan, P. J. Schuck, A. Bednarkiewicz Size-Dependent Photon Avalanching in Tm³⁺Doped LiYF₄Nano, Micro, and Bulk Crystals Advanced Optical Materials 10 (2022) 2201052
• A. Bednarkiewicz, M. Szalkowski, Photon avalanche in nanoparticles goes multicolour News&Views Nature Nanotechnology 17 (2022)  440–442.
• Pilch-Wrobel, A. M. Kotulska, S. Lahtinen, T. Soukka, A. Bednarkiewicz, Engineering architecture of core-shell upconverting lanthanide-doped nanoparticles for optimal donor in resonance energy transfer Small 18 (2022) 2200464.
• L. Marciniak, W. Piotrowski, M. Drozd, V. Kinzhybalo, A. Bednarkiewicz, M. Dramicanin, Phase transition-driven highly sensitive, NIR-NIR band-shape luminescent thermometer based on LiYO₂:Nd³⁺ Advanced Optical Materials 10 (2022) 2102856.
• Z. Wu , L. Li, X. Lv, H. Suo, C. Cai, P. Lv, M. Ma, X. Shi, Y. Yang, L. Marciniak, J. Qiu, Persistent luminescence ratiometric thermometry Chemical Engineering Journal 438 (2022) 135573.
• A. Ciric, L. Marciniak, M. Dramicanin, Luminescence intensity ratio squared – a new luminescence thermometry method for enhanced sensitivity Journal of Applied Physics 131 (2022) 114501.
• L. Marciniak, W. Piotrowski, M. Szalkowski, V. Kinzhybalo, M. Drozd, M. Dramicanin, A. Bednarkiewicz, Highly sensitive luminescence nanothermometry and thermal imaging facilitated by phase transition Chemical Engineering Journal 427 (2022) 131941.

2021

• A. Pasciak, A. Pilch-Wróbel, L. Marciniak, P. J. Schuck, A. Bednarkiewicz, Standardization of light-to-heat conversion efficiency of colloidal nanoheaters ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13 (2021) 44556–44567.
• Ryszczyńska, K. Trejgis, L. Marciniak, T. Grzyb, Upconverting SrF₂:Er³⁺Nanoparticles for Optical Temperature Sensors, ACS Applied Nano Materials 4 (2021) 10.
• K. Trejgis, K. Ledwa, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, A single-band ratiometric luminescent thermometer based on tetrafluorides operating entirely in the infrared region, Nanoscale Advances 4 (2022) 437-446.
• C. Lee, E. Xu, Y. Liu, A. Teitelboim, K. Yao, A. Fernandez-Bravo, A. Kotulska, S. Hwan Nam, Y. Doug Suh, A. Bednarkiewicz, B. E. Cohen, E. M. Chan, P. J. Schuck, Giant nonlinear optical responses from photon avalanching nanoparticles, Nature, 592 (2021) 7841.
• J. Drabik, L. Marciniak, Excited-state absorption for ratiometric thermal imaging, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13 (2021) 1261–1269.
• A. Bednarkiewicz, J. Drabik, K. Trejgis, D. Jaque, E. Ximendes, L. Marciniak, Luminescence based temperature bio-imaging: status, challenges and perspectives, Applied Physics Reviews 8 (2021) 011317.
• K. Maciejewska, A. Bednarkiewicz, A. Meijerink, L. Marciniak, Correlation Between the Covalency and the Thermometric Properties of Yb³⁺/Er³⁺Co-doped Nanocrystalline Orthophosphates Journal of Physical Chemistry C 125 (2021) 2659–2665.
• K. Elzbieciak-Piecka, M. Suta, L. Marciniak, Structurally induced tuning of the relative sensitivity of LaScO₃:Cr³⁺luminescent thermometers by co-doping lanthanide ions, Chemical Engineering Journal  421 (2021) 129757.
• D. Stefanska, L. Marciniak, Single band ratiometric luminescent thermometry using Pr³⁺ions emitting in yellow and red spectral ranges Advanced Photonics Research 7 (2021) 2100070.
• D. Stefanska, K. Maciejewska, L. Marciniak, Blue-Emitting Single Band Ratiometric Luminescent Thermometry based on LaF₃:Pr³⁺ New Journal of Chemistry 45 (2021) 11898-11904.
• K. Maciejewska, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, NIR Luminescence lifetime nanothermometry based on phonon assisted Yb³⁺-Nd³⁺energy transfer, Nanoscale Advances 3 (2021) 4918-4925.

2020

• A. Bednarkiewicz, E. Chan, K. Prorok, Enhancing FRET biosensing beyond 10 nm with photon avalanche nanoparticles Nanoscale Advances 2 (2020) 4863-4872.
• L. Marciniak, K. Elzbieciak-Piecka, K. Kniec, A. Bednarkiewicz, Assessing thermometric performance of Sr₂CeO₄and Sr₂CeO₄:Ln³⁺(Ln³⁺=Sm³⁺, Ho³⁺, Nd³⁺, Yb³⁺) nanocrystals in spectral and temporal domain Chemical Engineering Journal 388 (2020) 124347.
• K. Trejgis, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, Engineering excited state absorption based nanothermometry for temperature sensing and imaging Nanoscale 12 (2020) 4667-4675.
• J. Drabik, L. Marciniak, KLaP₄O₁₂:Tb³⁺Nanocrystals for Luminescent Thermometry in Single Band Ratiometric Approach ACS Applied Nano Materials 3 (2020) 3798-3806.
• K. Trejgis, R. Lisiecki, A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, Nd³⁺doped TZPN glasses for NIR operating single band ratiometric approach of contactless temperature readout Journal of Luminescence 224 (2020) 117295.
• K. Kniec, K. Ledwa, K. Maciejewska, L. Marciniak, Intentional modification of the optical spectral response and relative sensitivity of luminescent thermometers based on Fe³⁺,Cr³⁺,Nd³⁺co-doped garnets nanocrystals by the crystal field strength optimization Materials Chemistry Frontiers 4 (2020) 1697-1705.
• J. Drabik, R. Kowalski, L. Marciniak, Enhancement of the sensitivity of single band ratiometric luminescent nanothermometers based on Tb³⁺ions through activation of the cross relaxation process Scientific Reports 10 (2020) 11190.
• A. Bednarkiewicz, L. Marciniak, L. A. D. Carlos, D. Jaque, Standardizing optical nanothermometry for biomedical applications Nanoscale 12 (2020) 14405-14421.
• J. Drabik, K. Ledwa, L. Marciniak, Implementing defects for ratiometric luminescence thermometry Nanomaterials 10 (2020) 1333.
• K. Maciejewska, L. Marciniak, Multimodal Stokes and Anti-Stokes luminescent thermometers based on GdP₅O₁₄co-doped with Cr³⁺and Nd³⁺ ions Chemical Engineering Journal 402 (2020) 126197.
• J. Drabik, R. Lisiecki, L. Marciniak, Optimization of the thermometric performance of Single Band Ratiometric luminescent thermometer based on Tb³⁺luminescence by the enhancement of thermal quenching of GSA-excited luminescence in TZPN Glass Journal of Alloys and Compounds  858 (2020) 157690.

Selected patents and patents applications

2021     Polish patent application P.437330 Układ pomiarowy oraz sposób do wyznaczania sprawności konwersji światła z zakresu VIS i NIR na ciepło w nanomateriałach koloidalnych, A.Paściak, A.Bednarkiewicz, Ł.Marciniak (17.03.2021, P.437330)

2017       PCT/PL2017/050015 - A luminescence detector for temperature measurement  and a method of non-contact temperature measurement of the objects. – pending Ł. Marciniak, A. Bednarkiewicz, D. Hreniak, W. Strek

2017      WO 2017/131540 A2 – Nanocristalline calcium hydroxyapatite, methode for its manufacture and use therefore in regenerative medicine – R.J. Wiglusz, K. Marycz.

2016       P.416543 - Detektor luminescencyjny przeznaczony do pomiaru temperatury oraz sposób bezkontaktowego pomiaru temperatury obiektów – zgłoszony Ł. Marciniak, A. Bednarkiewicz, D. Hreniak, W. Strek 

Apparatus

• Nikon TiX inverted fluorescence microscope coupled with laser excitation and measurement of kinetics, luminescence spectra and dependence of luminescence intensity on excitation power (Andor Shemrock i500, Newton CCD, 3-channel cooled photomultiplier)
• Z-sizer Malvern
• Spektrometr FLS 1000
• Confocal Microscope Olympus FV1200
• Nanosight NS 500

Staff