Organic instrumental analysis

Center for Instrumental Analysis (CIA) is unique in this part of Europe in terms of equipment and staff, with NMR, MS, IR, UV-vis, GC and LC instruments, and equipment for elemental analysis.
Researchers at CIA analyze, identify, and characterize organic compounds and mixtures.

Our research focuses on bioactive natural products isolates from wild, cultivated, or edible plants. We have isolated and identified a number of bioactive secondary metabolites including flavones, xanthones, triterpenes, lactones, alkaloids, and saponins. Chromatographic techniques are used for isolating the compounds, which are characterized with modern spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, LC/DAD/MS, GC/MS, UV, and 2D NMR methods: COSY, NOESY, TOSCY, HMBC, HMQC) and tandem mass spectrometry.

In addition to research and teaching, we cooperate with other institutions and industry (Ministry of Internal Affairs, Medicines and Medical Devices Agency of Serbia, Hemofarm, Galenika) on analyzing a variety of samples (e.g. raw plant extracts, illicit drugs, falsified medicines, green coffee, chemical weapons, kidney stones).

The expertise of organic instrumental analysis laboratory was confirmed at proficiency test for competence of laboratories analyzing chemical weapons, organized by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) with headquarters in Hague. This very complex and hard test serves the purpose of Organisation so that member countries would find competent laboratories that are able to reliably analyze toxic substances, which is of grave importance especially in a case of potential usage of chemical weapons that calls for quick response.

International cooperation

Inorganic instrumental analysis

Research in inorganic instrumental analysis in the Department of Chemistry is a continuation long-term efforts of ICTM's researchers. Research in this area is conducted in cooperation with Faculty of Chemistry – University of Belgrade and ICTM's own Department of catalysis and chemical engineering and Department of microelectronic technologies.

Key research areas:

1) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of micro and macroelements

Our primary field of research is optimization, correction for interferences, and application of ICP-OES and ICP-MS analytical techniques along with improving sample preparation, in order to achieve characterization and monitoring of concentrations of metals, nonmetals and metalloids in biological and synthetic samples.

2) Removal and speciation of arsenic compounds

Removal (sorption) of arsenic compounds from synthetic and real-world samples of underground waters is a special sub-area of Department’s research. Research includes optimizing conditions for improving removal efficiency of arsenic inorganic and organic compounds, regeneration of sorbents and synthesis of new sorption materials. Removal efficiency is monitored by HPLC-ICP-MS and electrochemically, using differential pulse voltammetry with standard and modified electrodes.

3) Waste water treatment using advanced oxidation processes (AOP)

Research focuses on analysis of model compounds from different classes of organic pollutants, including textile dyes, phenol, chlorophenols, pesticides, surfactants (detergents), nicotine, and ibuprofen. Degradation efficiency is monitored using modern chromatographic techniques and ecotoxicological assays on model organisms (Artemia salina, Daphnia magna).

4) Electrochemical (oxido-reductive) characterization and determination of: 

6) Polymeric materials

This field of research includes synthesis, characterization, and analysis of structure and properties of polymeric materials, with the following sub-areas: