Follow your curiosity
The Zenkina Group
Research
Publications
We are looking for creative and talented students to join us. New group members will be exposed to diverse and interdisciplinary research activities and will gain a theoretical and practical education in various areas, such as organic and organometallic chemistry, materials and surface science.
Group News
Group News
Group Activities
March 2026
Our cover-featured work in Chem. Mater. presents a practical and scalable approach to robust electrochromic coatings via electrografting of diazonium-based molecular building blocks onto surface-enhanced supports. This method avoids complex multistep fabrication processes typically used to build electrochromic films while enabling densely packed, covalently bound films with excellent cycling stability and fast color switching. Since electrochromic materials are used in smart windows, displays, and adaptive optical devices, this work provides an important step toward simpler manufacturing and improved performance in real-world applications.
February 2026
Our study, published in Spectrochim. Acta A, presents a simple, sensitive, and selective method for detecting and differentiating iron and copper ions. We proposed a water-soluble molecular sensor that detects Fe²⁺ in aqueous media based on the color change. Further, we developed a modified molecular sensor that detects both Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ with high sensitivity (down to sub-ppm levels) in organic solvents. Importantly, the latter enables metal speciation by distinguishing Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺/Cu⁺, while remaining selective in the presence of competing ions. Paper-based test strips were also developed for practical, real-time, on-site detection, highlighting the system’s potential for environmental and analytical applications.
January 2026
Exciting start of the year! Our recent work on “Electrochromic materials based on surface-confined terpyridine assemblies prepared via click chemistry” is now published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells! In this work, we propose and explore the possibility of using click chemistry to prepare electrochromic surface-confined molecular assemblies. Using this approach, we anchored metal–organic complex molecules to surface-enhanced conductive support, resulting in materials that exhibit electrochromic behaviour, meaning their optical properties change under applied voltage. The methodology expands the toolbox for designing efficient surface-attached electrochromic systems with potential applications in smart windows and display technologies.
October 2025
I am excited to welcome Amelia Golus to our research group! Omelia is an international exchange MSc student from Cardiff University. I look forward to her contributions to our research and hope that her time in Canada will be both scientifically enriching and personally rewarding, filled with new friendships and positive experiences.
September 2025
I am very happy to share that my former graduate student, Dr. Holly M. Fruehwald has accepted an Assistant Professor position at Wilfrid Laurier University. Congratulations, Holly! It is exciting to see her hard work, dedication, and talent recognized, and I am looking forward to following her future achievements.
Teaching Philosophy
Materials Characterization Facilities
IDW-2019 Materials
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