Meet Sinna Lampinen

Introducing our MSc student Sinna Lampinen who is currently working with the synthesis of sodalites. The laboratory’s X-Ray diffractometer has been in heavy use during the fall. At home keeping her busy is a small sheep farm focusing on traditional landscape management in cooperation with the local nature conservation assosiation. Some hobbies include birdwatching, music, gym and yoga – whenever she finds time for them!

Meet Ella-Roosa Suni

Meet Ella-Roosa Suni, familiarly Ellis. She’s a third-year student currently doing her BSc lab work where she synthesizes luminescent nanoparticles. Ellis’ hobbies include riding horses, outdoor activities, baking, and having boardgame evenings with her friends.

Newest hackmanite article published in Materials Horizons

Our newest hackmanite article is out! Sami’s second article concerning gamma radiation effects on hackmanite was published in Materials Horizons (impact factor 15.717) last week, Professor Mika Lastusaari being the corresponding author.

The article shows that gamma radiation induces hackmanite’s typical pink coloration and thus the material can be used to quantify radiation doses, but also that the high-energy radiation deforms the color center so that the reflectance spectrum shows additional signals, meaning that hackmanite can be used to identify the radiation quality. And last but not least: hackmanite also remembers exposure to gamma radiation even if it has been totally bleached to its original white color. This was a very nice and unexpected finding.

The article was an international cooperation of several institutions: University of Turku, University of Lyon (France), Tampere University, Swedish Defence Research Agency FOI, University of Jyväskylä, Turku PET Centre, and Mineralogical Society of Antwerp (Belgium).

The article can be found here:

https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MH00593J

Meet Melanie Wals

Introducing Melanie Wals, a BSc exchange student from the University of Regensburg, Germany. She’s in her third year and staying for this semester in Ari’s group, focusing on metal-organic syntheses. On her free time she plays soccer and likes to cook and bake together with her roommates.

Meet Leonnam Merízio

Meet Leonnam Merízio, our newest postdoctoral researcher. He obtained his PhD from the University of São Paulo, Brazil in 2019 and is a researcher at São Carlos Physics Institute, working with persistent luminescent glasses and nanomaterials. Now, as part of his post-doctorate, he is working at UTU for one year. Some of his hobbies include practicing Tae Kwon-do, observe the moon and the planets with a telescope and hang out with friends.

Meet Douglas Fritzen

Meet Douglas Fritzen who obtained his PhD a month ago from the University of São Paulo, Brazil and is now on a short visit at our chemistry department, but will be back next year for two years. His hobbies include taking care of plants (his friends say that he has a green finger), practicing kung fu, and taking pictures of his cats!