Our laboratory is equipped with a comprehensive set of thermal analysers, namely low temperature DSC, high-temperature (1400C) DTA, TGA, and EGA (QMS installed in an UHV system). There is a close-cycle helium cryostat connected to a sophisicate system for precision measurements of resistance, AC susceptibility and complex impledence. FT Infrared spectroscopy from 100 to 300K may also be performed over a broad spectral range from near to far IR. Three types of high-temperature furnaces are available for the synthesis and processing ceramics: muffle, tube, and 3-D thermal gradient. A home-made vaccum chamber has been installed for the production of C60 and carbon nanotubes via arc discharge.

Centralised facilities for sample characterisation include SEM, powder XRD, XPS, AES and solid-state NMR.