Call for abstracts

Abstract guidelines

There is no template file to download. You type your abstract straight into the form, and these few rules are all you need.

At a glance

One abstract per person, submitted by the presenting author.
In English, plain text, 600–2,500 characters including spaces (about 100–400 words). The form counts for you.
No figures, tables, displayed equations or reference lists. Short formulas in the text are fine (see below).
Title up to 220 characters, in sentence case.
Co-authors one per line: name, institution, country. The presenting author is entered separately.
Topic from the list and three to five keywords.
Talk or poster: tell us your preference; the scientific committee makes the final allocation.
You can change your abstract as often as you like until 28 February 2027.

What a good abstract says

In this order, in one or two paragraphs: the problem and why it matters; what you did (materials, methods); the main result, with numbers; what it means. Reviewers decide on the result, so say it plainly. Avoid “results will be discussed”.

Symbols, sub- and superscripts

The form has a small toolbar above the abstract box. It works in the title too.

Sub- and superscripts: type the text, select the part that should be lowered or raised, and press x₂ or x². H2O becomes H₂O, cm-1 becomes cm⁻¹, Fe3+ becomes Fe³⁺. Press again to undo. This works for digits, + and − and a few letters.
Greek letters and symbols: open Greek letters and symbols on the toolbar and click one (α, β, Δ, μ, °, ±, ×, ≈, ≤, →, ⇌, Å …); it is inserted where the cursor is.
Pasting from Word: symbols such as α or ° come across. Word’s formatted subscripts and superscripts do not: H₂O pasted from Word arrives as H2O. Check the preview under the box and fix them with the toolbar.
Equations: keep them short and inline, e.g. ΔG° = −RT ln K. Anything longer belongs in your talk or poster.

What you see in the preview is exactly what the reviewers and the programme will show.

Review and decision

Abstracts are reviewed as they arrive, not all at once after the deadline. We aim to e-mail you a decision within about 20 days of submission; this is a target, not a guarantee, because it depends on reviewer availability. Your PCFM-ID card always shows the current status.

Example

An invented example, 1,068 characters, to show length, tone and symbols.

Visible-light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue on Fe³⁺-doped TiO₂ thin films

A. Example¹, B. Sample²
¹ University of Somewhere, Country · ² Institute of Elsewhere, Country

Fe³⁺-doped TiO₂ thin films (0–2 at.% Fe) were deposited on glass by sol–gel dip coating and annealed at 450 °C. X-ray diffraction shows pure anatase in all films, with crystallite size decreasing from 18 to 11 nm as the Fe content increases. Raman spectra show a shift of the Eg mode from 144 to 147 cm⁻¹, consistent with Fe³⁺ substituting for Ti⁴⁺ in the lattice. UV–Vis spectroscopy gives an optical band gap that narrows from 3.21 ± 0.02 eV (undoped) to 2.86 ± 0.03 eV at 1 at.% Fe.

Under visible light (λ > 420 nm), the 1 at.% film degrades 92% of a 10 µM methylene blue solution within 120 min, following pseudo-first-order kinetics with k = 1.9 × 10⁻² min⁻¹, about six times faster than the undoped film. Scavenger tests with isopropanol and EDTA indicate that ·OH radicals and photogenerated holes (h⁺) are the main active species. At 2 at.% Fe the activity falls again, which we attribute to Fe³⁺ acting as a recombination centre. The films keep 88% of their activity after five cycles, making them a simple, low-cost option for visible-light water treatment.

Topic: Catalysis & Surface Science · Keywords: photocatalysis, TiO₂, iron doping, thin films, band gap

Submit your abstract

Questions: secretariat@pcfm2027.com