NEWS | 
Throughout history, women have played a vital role in electrochemistry and corrosion science, pushing boundaries and driving innovation despite significant challenges. Their pioneering contributions have advanced material science, improved industrial safety, and laid the foundation for modern electrochemical applications. However, their efforts have often been overlooked. Only 30% of science and technology professors worldwide are female, and between 2016 and 2020, women received just 19% of prestigious research prizes. In Slovenia, the representation of women in science reflects similar challenges. As of 2022, women comprised 44% of all doctorate holders in the country. Notably, among individuals under 50, the gender ratio is relatively balanced, but in the 65 and older age group, only 27% of doctorate holders are women. Encouragingly, half of the new doctorate recipients in 2022 were women, indicating progress in gender parity among emerging scientists. However, disparities persist in certain fields such as information and communication technologies. Additionally, female doctorate holders in Slovenia earn, on average, nearly 12% less than their male counterparts, highlighting ongoing gender pay gaps in the scientific community.
At K3, Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry at the Jožef Stefan Institute, we are proud to contribute to the advancement of corrosion science. One of our leading researchers, Dr. Ingrid Milošev, has dedicated her career to understanding corrosion protection and biomaterials, earning international recognition, including the 2024 H. H. Uhlig Award.
Here’s to our incredible team! Together, we stand for a more inclusive and impactful future in STEM.
On December 10th, the Mechanical Engineering Academy 2024 took place under the auspices of the Association of Mechanical Engineers of Slovenia, which brings together experts, innovators, and researchers in the field. Researchers from the K3 department also participated, presenting their achievements through three contributions:
• B. Kapun, M. Može, I. Milošev, P. Rodič: The Effect of Laser Structuring Parameters on Ti6Al4V Topography and Composition,
• N. Kovač, M. Spuller, B. Kapun, I. Milošev, J. M. Lackner, R. Kaindl, W. Waldahauser, M. Cabrioli, G. De Pasquale, P. Rodič: Corrosion Protection of Additive Manufactured AlSi10Mg0.3 Using PMMA-Siloxane Silica Sol-Gel Coating,
• A. Logar, U. Trdan, D. Klobčar, E.-A. Trdan, N. Kovač, B. Kapun, I. Milošev, P. Rodič, G. Černivec: Mitigating Galvanic Corrosion Between Copper and AA6082 via Anodising.
Between December 4 and 7, 2024, Prof. Dr. Philippe Marcus and Dr. Davide Ceratti from CNRS – Chimie-ParisTech, Institute de Recherche de Chimie, Physical Chemistry of Surfaces Group, in Paris, France, visited our department. We have been collaborating closely with Prof. Marcus's group for the past eight years, as our research directions, methodologies, and instrumentation are complementary. This cooperation has resulted in ten joint scientific articles, conference presentations, and collaborative projects. Currently, our collaboration continues through the bilateral Proteus project between Slovenia and France. During the visit, Dr. Ceratti delivered a lecture titled "Corrosion in Modern Materials: Halide Perovskite Solar Panels and Advances in Sol-Gel Coatings for Metal Protection" as part of the departmental seminar series.
- From November 24 to December 14, 2024, Milena Stevanović, M.Sc., from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, participated in a professional exchange at our department. The visit took place within the framework of a bilateral project between Slovenia and Serbia entitled "Electrochemical Preparation of Composite Biomaterials for Medical Implants," financed by ARIS. The project leaders on the Slovenian and Serbian sides are Prof. Dr. Ingrid Milošev and Dr. Ana Janković. The purpose of the visit was to conduct research on coatings based on hydroxyapatite, with and without the addition of the antibiotic gentamicin. During her stay, Milena collaborated with Dr. Ana Kraš and Dr. Denis Sačer.
- From November 18 to 29, 2024, Dr. Ana Kraš participated in a short-term research visit at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Germany, under the mentorship of Dr. Sviatlana Lamaka. The training, funded by the ERASMUS+ program, built upon research initiated the previous year, with a focus on reproducing local electrochemical measurements on zirconium conversion coatings. The findings provided fresh insights into the deposition and enhanced the understanding of coating formation processes. This visit not only facilitated valuable knowledge exchange but also established a strong foundation for drafting a joint scientific article and fostering ongoing collaboration.
- The AMEB2024 Symposium on Additive Manufacturing in Engineering and Biomedicine, held on October 24 at the Jožef Stefan Institute and organised by Prof. Ingrid Milošev (Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry, IJS) together with Prof. Edvard Govekar (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), brought together industry experts, researchers, and innovators for a deep dive into the latest advancements in additive manufacturing. In addition to an overview of technologies, post-treatments and process monitoring, highlights included materials characterisation and corrosion resistance, novel polymer and ceramic applications, and cutting-edge additively-manufactured medical implants. The discussions underscored the transformative potential of these technologies across industrial and biomedical sectors. With such a strong presence of expertise in Slovenia, we are hopeful that more events like this will continue to inspire and drive innovation in the field!
Prof. Ingrid Milošev is this year's recipient of the prestigious international H.H. Uhlig Award, awarded by The Electrochemical Society, a distinguished scholarly organization based in the USA. Established in 1973 in memory of the renowned corrosion scientist Herbert H. Uhlig, the award recognizes Prof. Milošev for her outstanding achievements in corrosion science and technology, including her fundamental contributions to corrosion inhibition research, surface treatment, and the study of biomaterial corrosion. During the award ceremony, Prof. Milošev delivered an invited lecture titled "The Remarkable Versatility of Copper: From Its Corrosion Resistance to Antibacterial Properties." More information at: https://www.electrochem.org/prime2024/division-awards/
From 8 to 21 September 2024, the renowned European Summer School for Quantum Chemistry (ESQC) took place at the Torre Normanna Hotel, near Palermo (Sicily, Italy). Two young researchers from our department (Lea Gašparič and Erik Gregori) attended the school as the only representatives from Slovenia. The highly intensive school is dedicated to presenting modern theoretical and computational methods used in quantum chemistry. The young researchers presented the following posters:
• L. Gašparič, A. Kokalj: "Structure-Activity Relationship of Ruthenium Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction"
• E. Gregori, A. Kokalj: "A DFT Study of the Peculiar Case of 2-(Methylthio)benzimidazole as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Copper"
This year, 100 young talents from 19 Slovenian high schools participated in the call for the 54th Krka Prizes for high school research projects. Out of the 55 research projects submitted, 26 were awarded Krka Prizes, while 29 received Krka Certificates of Recognition. Two Krka Prizes were also awarded to research projects prepared by students from Jože Plečnik Gymnasium Ljubljana (GJP), in collaboration with the Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry (IJS K3), and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana (FS UNI), specifically the Laboratory for Thermal Engineering (LTT). The projects were:
• Surface protection of magnesium alloy for applications in biomedicine, by Mija Kapun; mentors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Rodič (IJS K3), Grega Celcar (GJP).
• Laser structuring of the aluminium alloy surface to prepare the superhydrophobic surface, by Maks Lah and Maj Horvat; mentors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Rodič (IJS K3), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matic Može (FS UNI), and Grega Celcar (GJP).
The research work of Maks and Maj was also presented at the symposium on September 27, 2024, which was followed by the award ceremony (https://www.krkinenagrade.si/). We congratulate the awardees and look forward to continued collaboration with aspiring high school researchers in the future.
Dr. Tanja Lunić from the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, has been on a professional exchange at our department from 1 to 30 September 2024. The visit has taken place within the framework of a bilateral project between Slovenia and Serbia, financed by ARIS and led by Assoc. dr. Peter Rodič and Prof. dr. Bojan Božić. The visit aimed to research the effect of herbal extracts as potential corrosion inhibitors. Tanja Lunić, who is an expert in molecular biology, presented a lecture entitled "Immunomodulatory potential of the moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. Extracts”.
At the EUROCORR 2024 conference in Paris from September 1 to 5, chaired by prof. Philippe Marcus and hosted by CEFRACOR in collaboration with Chimie ParisTech, SFV, and DECHEMA, we engaged in numerous discussions on corrosion and materials protection. This year's conference, themed "A Step Forward in Societal Awareness of Material Degradation Issues," provided a global platform for experts from academia, research, and industry to connect. We contributed three presentations: one keynote lecture (prof. dr. Ingrid Milošev) and two oral presentations (prof. dr. Ingrid Milošev and dr. Ana Kraš). The event, hosting over 1200 participants, offered valuable opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and insights into the latest advancements in corrosion research.
Ana Kraš successfully defended her PhD dissertation titled "Deposition and protection mechanisms of zirconium conversion coatings on aluminium alloy, steel and zinc substrates" at the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School on June 20, 2024. Ana Kraš completed her thesis in the Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry under the mentorship of Prof. Ingrid Milošev. The dissertation evaluation committee included Dr. Sviatlana Lamaka (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany), Dr. Miha Čekada, Asst. Prof. (Jožef Stefan Institute), and Prof. Miran Gaberšček (National Institute of Chemistry). Congratulations!
From 3rd to 7th June 2024, we participated in the RSE-SEE conference (Regional Symposium on Electrochemistry - South East Europe). More than 150 participants joined at the conference giving an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues from South-East Europe involved in research in electrochemistry. At the 2024 conference, we participated with five contributions: one key-note lecture, three oral presentations, and a poster.
This year, under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Rodič at the Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry, students from Vič High School and Jože Plečnik High School prepared secondary school research projects. These projects were entered in the 58th Meeting of Young Researchers of Slovenia, organized by the Association for Technical Culture of Slovenia on May 20, 2024. The students participated in three different topics across various fields:
• Multifunctional superhydrophobic coatings applied to the surfaces of glass and aluminum (students from Vič High School, a field of physics)
• Laser structuring of surfaces, the future of surface treatment (students from Jože Plečnik High School, a field of mechanical engineering)
• Corrosion of magnesium alloys: advantages and disadvantages (student from Jože Plečnik High School, a field of biology)
The first two projects received bronze awards, while the last received a silver award from the ZOTKS.
Congratulations to the students! Thanks go also to the school mentors for their successful collaboration.
- From 29 to 31 May 2024, the 16th conference of the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School was held in Piran. All young researchers currently employed at our department actively participated in the conference with the following presentations:
- N. Kovač, P. Rodić, B. Kapun, I. Milošev: "Corrosion protection of AZ31 magnesium alloy using sol-gel coating",
- A. Kraš, I. Milošev: "Assessing Feasibility of Corrosion Resistance Evaluation Techniques for Zirconium Conversion Coatings on Zinc",
- L. Gašparič, A. Kokalj: "Structure-Activity Relationship of Ruthenium Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction",
- A. Koblar, I. Milošev: "Copper patina as a form of corrosion protection" in - E. Gregori, A. Kokalj: "Adsorption of thiadiazoles on Cu(111) promoted by chemisorbed O: a DFT study".
From 20 to 24 May 2024, we organized an online PWTK tutorial. The aim of the tutorial was to teach participants how to use the PWTK scripting environment to effectively automate their Quantum ESPRESSO calculations by employing built-in workflows or creating their own. The tutorial covered topics ranging from basic to more advanced scripting. About 150 candidates registered, out of which about 100 were selected to attend. The online PWTK online tutorial was well-received by the participants. The tutorial was organized under the auspices of the MaX Centre of Excellence in collaboration with NCC Slovenia.
- Two articles published by the K3 departmental researchers are among the top-cited recent articles in the Corrosion Science journal.
On April 24, we mark the Corrosion Awareness Day. In the video, you can view a selection of photographs that reveal the beauty of corrosion on artworks and sculptures, as well as photographs of objects that demonstrate the harmful effects of corrosion on materials. This selection visually presents the dual nature of corrosion: on one hand, it creates unusual and appealing visual effects that can add artistic value, while on the other hand, it can cause irreversible damage to cultural heritage and industrial structures. The purpose of this video is to raise awareness about the importance of proper protection and preservation of artworks and infrastructure exposed to corrosion, to ensure their long-term preservation and safety.
- Between March 27 and 29, 2024, our department was visited by dr. Ana Janković and dr. Marja Đošić from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade. The visit took place within the framework of the bilateral project entitled "Electrochemical preparation of composite biomaterials for medical implants", which was approved at the Public Call of ARIS on (co)financing of scientific research cooperation between Slovenia and Serbia in the period 20232025. The project leaders are dr. Ana Janković and Prof. dr. Ingrid Milošev. The purpose of the visit was to tour the laboratories and work on the plan of the study and experiments that are set within the framework of the project. dr. Ana Janković presented a lecture entitled "Electrochemical Syntheses of Antibacterial Biomaterials for Medical Applications", which was followed by an in-depth discussion.
We are pleased to announce that from the 18 to the 23 March we will be holding our traditional Jožef Stefan Days, which are organized to commemorate the birthday of the renowned physicist Jožef Stefan, after whom our institution is named. Organising committee has put together a unique and interesting programme for all six days: from topical and entertaining panel discussions, to guest lectures by renowned speakers, to exciting demonstrations of experiments and research departments. The detailed programme is available here.
- On February 6, 2024, we visited the company Kolektor Mobility d.o.o. in Idrija. We have a joint project with the company on research of corrosion processes of rotor and stator components of electric motor drives for automotive applications. Our host and project manager at Kolektor Mobility was dr. Nataša Kovačević, and the purpose of the visit was to review the results of the last three-month period and visit the company's laboratories. The joint project takes place within the framework of the GREMO i-Motion mission, which was established by Slovenian automotive companies as a joint development plan with the aim of the mission of green and digital transformation of the Slovenian automotive industry. It is an interesting and contemporary research problem and we look forward to the common challenges ahead.
- In December 2023, we were visited by prof. dr. Daniel M. Lyons from the Center for Marine Research of the Ruđer Bošković Institute. The Center for Marine Research is located in Rovinj, prof. Lyons is the head of the Laboratory for Marine Nanotechnology and Biotechnology. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare a joint scientific research project. Prof. Lyons visited our laboratories and presented a lecture entitled "Leveraging materials chemistry for environmental research".
