Vesa-Pekka Lehto
Professor
Professor in materials physics, specialized in nanomaterials
Department of Technical Physics, Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology
[email protected] | +358 40 355 2470
Professor Lehto received his M.Sc. in 1993, Lic.Phil. in 1996, and Ph.D. in 1999 from the Department of Physics at the University of Turku, Finland. From 2004 to 2008, he led a research group at the same institution. Since 2008, he has served as a full professor of materials physics at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). In addition to his academic roles, he worked as a Senior Scientist in the Discovery Group at Focus Inhalation Ltd. during 2002–2003. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of 3AWater Oy.
His research focuses on the development of silicon-based nanostructured materials for three key applications: (i) multifunctional drug delivery systems, (ii) anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and (iii) adsorbents for metal ions, particularly in dilute aqueous solutions. He has a strong background in the physicochemical characterization of inorganic nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and disordered materials. He leads the Pharmaceutical Physics Research Group, comprising approximately 20 researchers in the Department of Technical Physics at UEF.
Professor Lehto has authored over 230 peer-reviewed publications. His work has been cited more than 8,000 times, with an h-index of 49 (Web of Science).
Research groups
Projects
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Teaching and research environment for battery technology development; investment 01.03.2024 - 28.02.2027 -
Teaching and research environment for battery technology development Finished 01.03.2024 - 28.02.2026 -
Circular Economy of water in industrial processes Finished 01.04.2021 - 30.03.2023 -
EKOAKKU - Utilisation of industrial side streams in the production of low-carbon battery chemicals 01.03.2025 - 31.08.2027 -
Utilization of material analysis, condition control and artificial intelligence for industrial circular economy Finished 01.03.2020 - 31.12.2022 -
Developing coatings and surface chemistry for industrial applications Finished 01.02.2019 - 31.07.2021 -
Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals Finished 01.12.2023 - 30.11.2024 -
Valorization of Industrial Waste Streams for Battery Grade Silicon 01.03.2025 - 29.02.2028
Publications
149/149 items-
Biomimetic porous silicon for rationally designed combination therapy to induce immunogenic cell death
Saarela, Silja; Happonen, Emilia; Laari, Milla-Iida; Sivonen, Minna; Zakir, Mohammed; Saba, Shaghayegh; Tampio, Janne; Liu, Ruixian; Klefström, Juha; Pajula, Katja; Huttunen, Kristiina M; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Xu, Wujun, 2026, Nanomedicine: nanotechnology biology and medicine, 74, 102931. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Black Nickel Coating as a Broadband Terahertz to Deep-Ultraviolet Absorber
Menon, Aadya; Maltanava, Hanna; Belko, Nikita; Cojocari, Maria; Gorbun, Mikhail; Saushin, Aleksandr; Tamarov, Konstantin; Leskinen, Jari TT; Selenius, Mikko; Suvanto, Sari; Semenov, Dmitry; Malykhin, Sergei; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Fedorov, Georgy; Kuzhir, Polina, 2026, ACS omega, 11, 6, 10723-10729. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Brain-Targeting Metal–Organic Framework Nanoplatform Reprogramming Ferroptosis Sensitivity of Glioblastoma
Wang, Mengzhen; Lai, Yi; Meng, Hanxue; Jin, Aojia; Zhang, Ping; Shen, Yinuo; Lin, Shutong; Yu, Haijun; Xu, Wujun; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Zhang, Wen; Xu, Zhiai, 2026, Acs nano, 20, 3, 2856–2871. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Dual-function catalysis: linking photo- and electrocatalytic behavior in In2O3/TiO2 composites
Maltanava, Hanna; Belko, Nikita; Nevalainen, Pauliina; Kinnunen, Niko M.; Tamarov, Konstantin; Moilanen, Jani O.; Leskinen, Jari T. T.; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Kuzhir, Polina, 2026, RSC applied interfaces, 3, 2, 539-550. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Ecotoxicological effects of differently charged polystyrene nanoparticles on sperm motility and early embryo mortality in European whitefish
Dissanayaka, Dissanayakage Dilshan Sampath; Monikh, Fazel Abdolahpur; Kekäläinen, Jukka; Huuskonen, Hannu; Dupuis, Lan; Janhunen, Matti; Kukkonen, Jussi VK; Xu, Wujun; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Kortet, Raine, 2026, Aquatic toxicology, 291, 107721. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Efficient debromination of tetrabromobisphenol A in protic solvents by supported nickel catalysts: Effect of metal-support interactions
Auvinen, Paavo; Olkkonen, Eerika; Tamarov, Konstantin; Uotila, Ida M.; Nissinen, Ville H.; Pelto, Jani; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Suvanto, Mika; Jänis, Janne; Saarinen, Jarkko J., 2026, Applied catalysis A : general, 713, 120818. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Engineering Carbon Nitride Quantum Dots via Sulfur Doping for Controlled Reactive Oxygen Species Generation
Belko, Nikita; Maltanava, Hanna; Brezhneva, Nadzeya; Tamarov, Konstantin; Lehto, Vesa‐Pekka; Moilanen, Jani O; Leskinen, Jari TT; Semenov, Dmitry; Filonenko, Elena; Koshevoy, Igor; Schneidewind, Jacob; De Vos, Winnok H; Kuzhir, Polina, 2026, Global challenges, 10, 1, e00447. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Bisphosphonate functionalized biogenic nanostructured silicon carbide for uranium and scandium recovery
Iftekhar, Sidra; Haluska, Ondřej; Rahmani, Arezoo; Thapa, Rinez; Riikonen, Joakim; Lappalainen, Reijo; Vepsäläinen, Jouko; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka, 2025, Chemosphere, 379, 144404. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Drug-Free Approach to Regulate Undruggable Proto-Oncogene MYC Using Biomimetic Porous Nanoparticles for Cancer Immunotherapy
Happonen, Emilia; Dang, Yijing; Wang, Jiajia; Saarela, Silja; Sivonen, Minna; Zakir, Mohammed; Laari, Milla-Iida; Constantinou, Yiannis; Tamarov, Konstantin; Hakkarainen, Henri; Montaser, Ahmed Bisher; Leinonen, Henri; Küblbeck, Jenni; Örd, Tiit; Taipale, Mari; Kaikkonen, Minna; Liu, Ruixian; Klefström, Juha; Yu, Haijun; Xu, Zhiai; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Xu, Wujun, 2025, Acs applied materials and interfaces, 17, 33, 46521-46534. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Eco-friendly preparation of titanium dioxide/carbon nitride nanocomposites for photoelectrocatalytic applications
Maltanava, Hanna; Belko, Nikita; Tamarov, Konstantin; Kinnunen, Niko M.; Nevalainen, Pauliina; Zalieckas, Martynas; Karpicz, Renata; Koshevoy, Igor; Semenov, Dmitry; Suvanto, Sari; Malykhin, Sergei; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Kuzhir, Polina, 2025, Nanoscale advances, 7, 18, 5601-5611. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research
