Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry

Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry is the only independent scientific institution in Poland and one of only eight in the world devoted entirely to the research in catalysis and chemistry of interfaces.

The employment in the Institute evolved from 28 persons when it was established in 1968 to 92 persons in 2001 including 42 research staff with 15 professors and associate professors (docent) specialising in various aspects of catalysis, surface chemistry and colloid science. Currently, the number of Institute's employees is about 100, of which 2/3 are research staff. Over 20 PhD and many undergraduate students are also in the research. There are 18 independent research groups and four laboratories that provide services for scientific community: Laboratory of Surfaces and Nanostructures, Laboratory of Electrochemistry and Surface Chemistry, Joint Laboratory of Biotechnology and Enzyme Catalysis and Centre for Environmental Pollution Analyses CEPA.In 1999 the Institute moved to the new building and that considerably improved the working conditions. 

The activities of the Institute cover the interdisciplinary field of the physical chemistry of  phenomena occurring at solid/gas, liquid/gas and solid/liquid interfaces with an emphasis put on their significance and mechanism in catalysis, flotation, adsorption and detergency.

The main topics of research

• theory of catalytic processes in heterogeneous, homogeneous and enzymatic systems: kinetics and mechanism of reactions, 
• quantum chemical and molecular mechanics modelling of surface phenomena,
• mechanism of catalysis by oxides, zeolites and pillared clays,
• transport phenomena in colloid systems, electrokinetic phenomena, 
• physical chemistry of soft matter , interactions in disperse systems and their stability,
• surfactant systems, adsorption, surface elasticity and foam formation and stability,
• catalytic processes for environmental protection,
• mechanism of the degradation of historical buildings and objects of art under the influence of air pollutants.

ICSC integrates fundamental theoretical and experimental studies, and combines them with applied research so that the results obtained can be used directly to improve technological processes.