Moscow State Pedagogical University, Faculty of Physics, Russia
B.Sc. in Physics Teaching
1978
-
1985
University of Kishinev, Faculty of Physics, Department of Semiconductor Physics, Moldova
B.Sc. & M.Sc. in Physics, Physics of Semiconductors, Physics Teaching
Research Fields
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanomaterials, their properties and applications
Teaching Areas
Physics
Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology
Selected Publications
M. Krishnappa, S. Ghosh, S. Pamula, Y. Feldman, I. Lapsker, O. Brontvein, T. Livneh, J. Martinez, J.A. Alonso, A. Zak (2026), (2026), Phase-pure MoS2 nanotubes with controlled crystallinity , templated by pre-prepared high-aspect ratio MoO3 nanowhiskers, Journal of Materials Chemistry C.
Link
X. Han, Z. Qi, V. Kundrat, H. Li, Z. Li, X. Guo, P. Mao, W. Zheng, S. Hou, R. Liu, H. Wu, P. Wang, A. Zak, W. Liu, R Tenne, Y. Guo (2026), (2026), Very-large-scale mimetic optogenetic synapses for physical reservoir computing, Nature Communications.
Link
S.R. Kadam, M. Krishnappa, S. Ghosh, M.B. Sreedhara, A. Neyman, A. Upcher, E. Nativ Roth, L. Houben, A. Zak, A.N. Enyashin, R. Bar-Ziv, M. Bar-Sadan (2024), (2024), Nanotubes and other nanostructures of VS2, WS2 and MoS2: Structural effects on the hydrogen evolution reaction, Applied Materials Today, 39 (Article No.102288) .
A. Pelella, A. Kumar, K. Intonti, O. Durante, S. De Stefano, X. Han, Z. Li, Y. Guo, F. Giubileo, L. Camilli, M. Passacantando, A. Zak, A. Di Bartolomeo (2024), (2024), WS2 nanotube transistor for photodetection and optoelectronic memory applications, Small.
Link
P.N. Immanuel, S-J Hiang, P. Taank, A. Goldreich, J. Prilusky, A. Byregowda, R. Carmieli, H. Shalom, A. Leybovich, A. Zak, N. Aggarwal, K.V. Adarsh, L. Yadgarov (2023), (2023), Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Cs4PbBr6/WS2 hybrid nanocomposite , Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research 5(2), (2300193-1–2300193-11) .
Y. Niu, L. Li, Z. Qi, H.H. Aung, X. Han, R. Tenne, Y. Yao, A. Zak, Y. Guo (2023), (2023), OD van der Waals interfacial ferroelectricity, Nature Communication.
Link
E. Magee, F. Tang, M. Walker, A. Zak, R. Tenne, T. McNally, (2023), Silane functionalization of WS2 nanotubes for interaction with poly(lactic acid), Nanoscale, 15(16), (7577-7590).
S. Wei, M. Serra, S. Mourdikoudis, H. Zou, B. Wu, L. Děkanovsky, J. Sturala, J. Luxa, R. Tenne, A. Zak, Z. Sofer (2022), (2022), Improved electrochemical performance of NTs-WS2@C nanocomposites for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14(41), (46386-46400).
Y. Sun, S. Xu, Z. Xu, J. Tian, M. Bai, Z. Qi, Y. Niu, H.H. Aung, X. Xiong, J. Han, C. Lu, J. Yin, S. Wang, Q. Chen, R. Tenne, A. Zak, Y. Guo (2024), (2022), Mesoscopic sliding ferroelectricity enabled photovoltaic random access memory for material-level artificial vision system , Nature Communications.
Link
E. Magee, F. Tang, E. Ozdemir, M. Walker, T. Di Luccio, J.A. Kornfield, A. Zak, R. Tenne, T. McNally (2022), (2022), WS2 nanotubes as a 1D functional filler for melt mixing with poly(lactic acid): Implications for composites manufacture, ACS Applied Nano Materials , 5(5), (6385-6397).
S. Ghosh, G. Otorgust, A. Idelevich, O. Regev, I. Lapsker, D.Y. Lewitus, A. Zak (2021), (2021), Reinforcement of poly (methyl methacrylate) by WS2 nanotubes towards antiballistic applications, Composites Science and Technology.
Link
S.S. Sinha, L. Yadgarov, S.B. Aliev, Y. Feldman, I. Pinkas, C. Pallellappa, S. Ghosh, A. Idelevich, A. Zak, R. Tenne (2021), (2021), MoS2 and WS2 nanotubes: Synthesis, structural elucidation and optical characterization , The J. of Physical Chemistry C: Energy, Materials & Catalysis, Section C: Physical Properties of Materials & Interfaces, 125(11), (6324-6340).
S. Ghosh, V. Brüser, I. Kaplan-Ashiri, R. Popovitz-Biro, S. Peglow, J.I. Martínez, J.A. Alonso, A. Zak (2020), (2020), Cathodoluminescence in single and multiwall WS2 nanotubes: Evidence from quantum confinement and strain effect, Applied Physics Reviews , 7(4), October 2020 (041401).
A. Grillo, M. Passacantando, A. Zak, A. Pelella, A. Di Bartolomeo (2020), (2020), WS2 nanotubes: Electrical conduction and field emission under electron irradiation and mechanical stress, Small, 16(35), (2002880-1—2002880-9).
C. Pallellappa, S. Ghosh, A. Idelevich, L. Rovinsky, T. Livneh, A. Zak (2020), (2020), Solving the "MoS2 nanotubes" synthetic enigma and elucidating the route for their catalyst-free and scalable production, ACS Nano, 14(3), (3004-3016).
Y.J. Zhang, T. Ideue, M. Onga, F. Qin, R. Suzuki, A. Zak, R. Tenne, J.H. Smet, Y. Iwasa (2019), (2019), Enhanced intrinsic photovoltaic effect in tungsten disulphide nanotubes, Nature, 570, (349-363).
D.M. Simić, D.B. Stojanović, M. Dimić, K. Mišković, M. Marjanović, Z. Burzić, P.S. Uskoković, A. Zak, R. Tenne (2019), (2019), Impact resistant hybrid composites reinforced with inorganic nanoparticles and nanotubes of WS2, Composites Part B: Engineering, 176, (107222).
F. Qin, T. Ideue, W. Shi, X-X Zhang, M. Yoshida, A. Zak, R. Tenne, T. Kikitsu, D. Inoue, D. Hashizume, Y. Iwasa (2018), (2018), Diameter-dependent superconductivity in individual WS2 nanotubes, Nano Letters, 18(11), (6789-6794).
Y.J. Zhang, M. Onga, F. Qin, W. Shi, A. Zak, R. Tenne, J. Smet, Y. Iwasa (2018) , (2018), Optoelectronic response of a WS2 tubular p-n junction, 2D Materials.
Link
O. Grinberg, S. Deng, E. Zussman, T. Livneh, A. Zak (2017), (2017), Raman scattering from single WS2 nanotubes in stretched PVDF electrospun fibers, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics , 19(28), (18443-18451).
F. Qin, W. Shi, T. Ideue, M. Yoshida, A. Zak, R. Tenne, T. Kikitsu, D. Inoue, D. Hashizume, Y. Iwasa (2017)
, (2017), Superconductivity in a chiral nanotube, Nature Communications, 8, (14465).
K.R. O'Neal, J.G. Cherian, A. Zak, R. Tenne, Z. Liu, J.L. Musfeldt (2015), (2015), High pressure vibrational properties of WS2 nanotubes, Nano Letters, 16(2), (993-999).
B. Seo, H.Y. Jeong, S.Y. Hong, A. Zak, S.H. Joo (2015), (2015), Impact of a conductive oxide core in tungsten sulfide-based nanostructures on the hydrogen evolution reaction, Chemical Communications, 51(39), (8334-8337).
M. Naffakh, C. Marco, G. Ellis, S.R. Cohen, A. Laikhtman, L. Rapoport, A. Zak (2014), (2014), Novel poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) nanocomposites containing WS2 inorganic nanotubes with improved thermal, mechanical and tribological properties, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 147(1-2), (273-284).
V. Brüser, R. Popovitz-Biro, A. Albu-Yaron, T. Lorenz, G. Seifert, R. Tenne, A. Zak (2014), (2014), Single- to triple-wall WS2 nanotubes obtained by high-power plasma ablation of WS2 multiwall nanotubes, Inorganics, 2(2), (177-190).
G. Viskadouros, A. Zak, M. Stylianakis, E. Kymakis, R. Tenne, E. Stratakis (2014), (2014), Enhanced field emission of WS2 nanotubes, Small, 10(12), (2398-2403).
M. Shneider, L. Rapoport, A. Moshkovich, H. Dodiuk, S. Kenig, R. Tenne, A. Zak (2013), (2013), Tribological performance of the epoxy-based composite reinforced by WS2 fullerene-like nanoparticles and nanotubes, Physica Status Solidi A: Applications & Materials Science, 210(11), (2298-2306).
D-M Tang, X. Wei, M-S Wang, N. Kawamoto, Y. Bando, C. Zhi, M. Mitome, A. Zak, R. Tenne, D. Golberg (2013), (2013), Revealing the anomalous tensile properties of WS2 nanotubes by in situ transmission electron microscopy, Nano Letters, 13(3), (1034-1040).
M. Staiger, P. Rafailov, K. Gartsman, H. Telg, M. Krause, G. Radovsky, A. Zak, C. Thomsen (2012), (2012), Excitonic resonances in WS2 nanotubes, Physical Review B: Condensed Matter, 86(16), (165423-1–165423-9).
C. Zhang, S. Wang, L. Yang, Y. Liu, T. Xu, Z. Ning, A. Zak, A. Zak, Z. Zhang, R. Tenne, Q. Chen (2012), (2012), High-performance photodetectors for visible and near-infrared lights based on individual WS2 nanotubes, Applied Physics Letters, 100(24), (243101-1–243101-5).
C.S. Reddy, A. Zak, E. Zussman (2011), (2011), WS2 nanotubes embedded in PMMA nanofibers as energy absorptive material, J. of Materials Chemistry, 21(40), (16086-16093).
A. Zak, L. Sallacan-Ecker, A. Margolin, Y. Feldman, R. Popovitz-Biro, A. Albu-Yaron, M. Genut, R. Tenne (2010), (2010), Scaling up of the WS2 nanotubes synthesis, Fullerenes, Nanotubes, and Carbon Nanostructures, 19(1-2), (18-26).
A. Zak, L. Sallacan-Ecker, A. Margolin, M. Genut, R. Tenne (2009), (2009), Insight into the growth mechanism of WS2 nanotubes in the scaled-up fluidized bed reactor, Nano, 4(2), (91-98).
A. Zak, Y. Feldman, V. Lyakhovitskaya, G. Leitus, R. Popovitz-Biro, E. Wachtel, H. Cohen, S. Reich, R. Tenne (2002), (2002), Alkali metal intercalated fullerene-like MS2 (M=W,Mo) nanoparticles and their properties, J. of the American Chemical Society, 124(17), (4747-4758).
Y. Feldman, A. Zak, R. Popovitz-Biro, R. Tenne (2002), (2000), New reactor for production of tungsten disulfide hollow onion-like (inorganic fullerene-like) nanoparticles, Solid State Sciences, 2, (663-672).
A. Zak, Y. Feldman, V. Alperovich, R. Rozentsveig, R. Tenne (2000), (2000), Growth mechanism of MoS2 fullerene-like nanoparticles by gas-phase synthesis, J. of the American Chemical Society , 122(45), (11108-11116).
Experiences
As Chief Scientist (CSO) in start-up company NanoMaterials, Ltd. for ~ 10 year, from 2002 to 2011. During these years industrial (scaled up) synthesis of layered inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles was developed from a few grams to tens of kgs. Formulations of the oils and greases with IFs for friction reduction applications was developed.
Grants & Awards
Israel Science Foundation (ISF) 2016 - 2020
Personal
360,000 NIS per year - for four years
Single wall nanotubes of WS2, their synthesis and properties towards optoelectronics and hydrogen storage
Pazy Foundation
1120 KNIS for four years, 2015 - 2018
Title: Nanocomposite ballistic armor made of inorganic WS2 nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles in polymethyl methacrylate
In collaboration with Dr. Omri Regev, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
International Projects
Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, NATO; 2022-2025
€273,000 - overall project budget
Research grant project SPS G5936: Ultralight wearablE Solar Cells As a Portable Electricity source (ESCAPE)
In collaboration with Italian Scientists:
• Dr. Luca Camilli, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
• Prof. Maurizio Passacantando, University of L'Aquila, Coppito, Italy
• Prof. Antonio Di Bartolomeo, University of Salermo, Fisciano, Italy
• Dr. Filippo Giubileo, National Research Council, Fisciano, Italy
Download CV