Recycling and reuse of spent catalysts and other advanced materials. The team’s research activities focus on the recycling and reuse of critical raw materials (CRMs)—specifically platinum-group metals (PGMs) and rare-earth elements (REEs)—recovered from waste streams, primarily spent automotive catalysts and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Our expertise encompasses laboratory experiments to produce environmental catalysts with low or zero platinum-metal content, as well as the detailed characterization of precursors, intermediates, and final materials to enhance their catalytic performance. Our research interests lie in the field of materials science, particularly the design, synthesis, and novel applications (reuse) of recycled materials. Key areas include comparative studies of bulk and nanoscale materials; the improvement and optimization of laboratory and industrial synthesis methods; *in situ* and *ex situ* M?ssbauer spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction; relaxation phenomena, superparamagnetism, and mixed-valence compounds; as well as environmental issues and green, sustainable chemical processes. Our research places special emphasis on unlocking the potential of mechanochemistry as: a) a more eco-friendly, efficient, and industrially viable method for the sustainable and environmentally sound treatment of materials (catalyst synthesis, selective metal leaching, etc.); and b) a means to enhance material properties for subsequent reuse in synthesizing active catalysts for wastewater and gas purification, producing new automotive catalysts, and more. The team continuously expands its capabilities by accumulating scientific expertise and increasing its publication output. This makes it a sought-after partner for collaborative projects, including two ongoing European projects related to mechanochemistry, four COST Actions, and numerous national projects focused on catalyst synthesis, the study of fine particulate matter, biogenic materials, and other areas. European projects: 1.) H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020, Project No. 101007669: Chemistry of Platinum Group Metals, CHemPGM (2021–2025); 2.) H2020 ERA-MIN3 Project: Enhanced microwave recycling of rare-earth elements and plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment and their reuse in the production of new magnetic components (MW4REMAM), Project No. 237 (2022–2025).
