Department of Analytical Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Analytical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Petr Bouř, CSc.

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Understanding of conformational behavior of biomolecules is important in biology and medicine. Raman optical activity is a modern spectroscopic method, very suitable for studies of the structure in water solutions. However, the interpretation of the spectra is dependent on their modeling using quantum-mechanics and molecular-dynamics simulations. This is difficult especially for large and complex molecules, such as nucleic acids. To advance the methodology, we will measure spectra of model polynucleotides and find the relation between spectral intensities and the structure and dynamics.

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Silvie Rimpelová, Ph.D.

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Chemical modifications of illegal drugs lead to the formation of novel compounds, i.e. new synthetic drugs that circumvent legislation. While preserving the pharmacophore of such modified substances, they thus mimic the biological effects of the parent drug, but with unexplored pharmacological effects and toxicity that is often significantly higher than that of the parent drug. The main topic of the thesis will be the study of novel synthetic drugs, both synthesized de novo and retained at the black market. The toxicity of these substances will be examined in model cell lines, further, the metabolism of these compounds and the activity of selected metabolites will be studied. Furthermore, the mode of their action (agonist/antagonist) on selected G-protein-coupled receptors will be determined and we will focus in detail on the activity and mechanism of action of individual enantiomers of selected novel synthetic drugs.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Silvie Rimpelová, Ph.D.

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The main topic of the thesis is the study of substances isolated from natural sources as well as de novo synthesized with the potential to inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and activate the immune system response. The work is mainly focused on cardiac glycosides, such as digitoxin or digoxin, and antimitotics, such as colchicine or paclitaxel. The biological effects of newly prepared derivatives of these substances on 2D and 3D cell models of cancerous and noncancerous cell lines will be studied. We will focus on the mechanism of action of these substances, a targeted increase in selectivity for cancer cells and induction of an immune response. Last, but not least, targeted nanosystem delivery will be developed, in cooperation, for the most potent derivatives of the studied compounds.

Department of Biotechnology

Granting Departments:	Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i. Department of Biotechnology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology of Pharmaceuticals ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Jan Masák, CSc.

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Actinomycetes, known for their production of bioactive metabolites such as antibiotics, anticancer agents, and immunosuppressants, were thought to be an exhausted resource due to the frequent rediscovery of known compounds. That this is not the case has been revealed through advanced sequencing techniques that have identified the potential of actinomycetes for new compounds at the genome level. The challenge is that many compound-producing biosynthetic pathways in actinomycetes are inactive under standard lab conditions. In this project, we will focus on our unique collection of actinomycetes from different parts of the world. Through genome sequencing of these strains, we have identified gene clusters encoding biosynthesis of metabolites with unusual structural motifs. Our goal is to employ modern methods to activate these pathways and characterize the produced compounds structurally and functionally. Optionally, we will focus on how the compounds are formed by studying key enzymes involved their biosynthesis. To accomplish this, we will employ a multidisciplinary approach that includes culturing bacteria, DNA editing, heterologous expression, bioinformatics, LC-MS with state-of-the-art instrumentation, and bioactivity testing against a panel of clinically relevant pathogens.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biotechnology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Alena Čejková, CSc.

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The proven antimicrobial effects of metal nanoparticles as a result of their unique properties have ensured a rapid increase in commercial applications. Natural forms of nanoparticles are produced by many different biotic and abiotic mechanisms. Biotechnological approaches using microbial cells/lysates or plant tissues and extracts, among others, are currently of interest, especially given the fact that this approach allows modifications in the size and shape of the nanoparticles produced and provides opportunities for targeted surface modification (functionalization). An integral part of the work will be the characterization of the chemical and biochemical properties with emphasis on the biological activity of the prepared nanoparticles.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biotechnology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Petra Patáková

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The essence of the work will be to collect different types of secondary metabolites, especially pigments, formed by different fungi of the genus Monascus, in the form of both complex extracts and pure substances and to test their effect on Gram-positive sporulating bacteria, especially the genera Clostridium and Bacillus. Bacteria of these species are common food contaminants and their complete eradication is difficult due to the formation of highly resistant spores. Both staining and antimicrobial effects have been demonstrated for Monascus pigments, but testing of the antimicrobial effect has been limited to vegetative cells. Inhibition of sporulation and suppression of spore germination will also be tested in this work. Advanced methods such as flow cytometry together with fluorescent cell labelling, RT-qPCR and transcriptomic analysis will be used.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biotechnology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Jan Masák, CSc.

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Nanoparticles and other nanostructures often have high biological activity. In this case, the biological activity is the result of a set of characteristic properties of these structures, such as their shape and size and their chemical composition. Initially, the predominant study of the biological activities of nanoparticles of metals and their oxides is shifting towards composite nanoparticles consisting of, for example, various polymers and metals. The spatial arrangement of these composites is often crucial. The topic of this dissertation is to find suitable procedures, with emphasis on "green synthesis", for the preparation of nanocomposites based on natural polymers such as chitosan and lignin in combination with various metals. The aim will be to obtain nanostructures with high antimicrobial activity, which are particularly useful in medicine and related fields.

Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Andrej Sinica, Ph.D.

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The cultivation of algae produces biomass, which is a potential source of biologically active substances such as structural and storage polysaccharides, proteins, polyphenols, lipids, carotenoids, etc. The planned dissertation work will focus on the isolation and characterization of structural polysaccharides and possibly other biologically active algal metabolites using appropriate spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman, NMR), chromatographic (GC/FID, GC/MS, GPC, SEC) and other separation methods. Anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer and other biological activities of the selected polysaccharides will be tested in collaboration with the Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemical Technology, Prague. An integral part of the dissertation will be the proposal for the use of the obtained polysaccharides for their application in the form of thin films and their characterization by FTIR, DSC and tensile strength determination.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Andrej Sinica, Ph.D.

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Lactic acid bacteria (LBC) are able to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) with hydrocolloid properties and prebiotic effects, which is interesting for food industry. The planned dissertation will be focused on the isolation and characterization of EPS from culture media of perspective strains of BMK using suitable spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman, NMR), chromatographic (GC/FID, GC/MS, GPC) and other analytical methods. An integral part of the dissertation will also be the study of the physical properties of EPS obtained using thermal and rheological methods. Cultivation of selected strains of BMK and study of prebiotic activity of EPS will take place in cooperation with the Department of Milk, Fats and Cosmetics of UCT Prague.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Andrej Sinica, Ph.D.

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The work will focus on the study of wood polysaccharides interesting in terms of the content of biologically active compounds. These are mainly cell wall polysaccharides and triterpenoids. The aim of the work will be the isolation and purification of low and high molecular fractions as well as the characterization of the structure and composition of isolated compounds. Furthermore, the physical properties and biological activities of selected products will be monitored.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Andrej Sinica, Ph.D.

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Vibration spectroscopic methods in combination with multivariate analysis will be used to characterize sets of model samples of raw materials of various origins, foodstuff, their chemical components (polysaccharides) or other products. The aim of the work will be to develop a procedure for sorting and evaluating the composition and quality of food raw materials and products using these methods including preparative approaches and sample preparations. The conclusions of vibrational spectroscopy will be substantiated and compared with the results obtained by common analytical methods.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Evžen Šárka, CSc.

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Starch-based nanoparticles, which are extensively investigated nowadays, may be used as fillers and reinforcing agents in polymer composites, carriers for drug delivery, barrier coating materials, and stabilizers in oil-in-water emulsions. The addition of starch nanocrystals from different botanical origin to biodegradable films of waxy starch has improved barrier and mechanical properties of the resulting materials. The thesis is focused on the preparation of starch nanoparticles and their potential applications.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Andrej Sinica, Ph.D.

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The work will focus on the study of galactomannans from the endosperm of legume seeds and from non-traditional plant sources of interest in terms of use in the food industry and other fields. The aim of the work will be the isolation and purification of galactomannans as well as the characterization of their composition, degree of branching and molecular weight using suitable spectroscopic and separation methods. Furthermore, the physical properties of these polysaccharides and the possibilities of their use for the formation of films and gels in combination with other hydrocolloids will be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Carbohydrates and Cereals
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Evžen Šárka, CSc.

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The current separation methods used in the purification of sugar juices are under pressure to reduce costs and the ecological burden, caused mainly by the extraction, transport and processing of the necessary raw material – limestone. Currently, new separation methods and technological procedures based on the principles of recycling used materials are being designed and put into practice. The dissertation work will focus on the issue of new technological procedures and separation methods and their evaluation (economic, ecological). Relationships and dependencies will be investigated in terms of quality and efficiency of separation of organic and inorganic compounds from sugar juices.

Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics

Granting Departments:	Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Šárka Horáčková, CSc.

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In the production and cheese ripening, a wide consortium of microorganisms is used, the most important of which are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These are used both as starter and adjunct cultures and, on the other hand, they enter the process as so-called non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB), which mainly include facultatively heterofermentative lactobacilli and enterococci. The influence of these bacteria is strain specific and depended on technological process and interactions with other microorganisms present in cheese. From the NSLAB group, new strains with significant functional properties can be selected and their potential as adjunct cultures with a positive effect on the ripening of the given types of cheese can be used. On the other hand, they can cause defects in cheese (gas production, production of biogenic amines) or be a reservoir of transferable antibiotic (Atb) resistance genes. Monitoring the transmission of Atb resistance genes in the food chain is one of the current trends in food safety control. This issue is described in more detail in defined cultures of LAB or in probiotic strains, but little data is known about NSLAB resistance. The aim of the PhD thesis will be the isolation and characterization of NSLAB strains from raw milk, cheeses made from raw and pasteurized milk in terms of functional (technologically important, protective and probiotic) characteristics, Atb resistance and other. The risk of NSLAB as a potential reservoir of Atb resistance genes will be assessed. Suitable strains of LAB with documented properties will be deposited in the Czech Collection of Dairy Microorganisms Laktoflora and their activity will be verified in experimental cheese productions.

Granting Departments:	Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jiří Štětina, CSc.

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Currently, the new trend in food consumption is to move away from animal products. However, plant-based alternatives to dairy products often have unsatisfactory nutritional and sensory properties. Therefore, for many consumers, so-called hybrid foods, which are made up of animal and plant components in an appropriate proportion with the aim of optimising the nutritional and sensory value of the product, may be more acceptable. In the work, the influence of interactions of plant and milk proteins on the technological properties of the mixed raw material, such as the emulsification properties, gel formation, and colloidal stability or texture of the hybrid product, will be monitored. The findings will be used to design a technology for a hybrid cheese alternative.

Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food and Natural Products ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Darina Dvořáková, Ph.D.

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This dissertation will focus on the development of analytical methods for determining a wide range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment, including food and drinking water, which are the main dietary sources of human exposure. The work aims to extend existing methods to include new substances, such as short-chain carboxylic acids (C2-C3), unsaturated perfluoroalkyl acids, telomeric compounds including their precursors. The research will also explore the implementation of novel procedures in the analysis of PFAS, specifically total oxidable precursors. In case of food, attention will be given to commodities recommended by the European Commission (EU 2022/1431) for monitoring. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry will be employed for analysing targeted chemicals, for some substances gas chromatography with mass spectrometry will also be applied. The new analytical procedures will be used to assess the environmental burden and dietary exposure of the Czech population to these substances. This work provides a new data necessary for the complex risk assessment associated with the exposure of different population groups to these substances. Additionally, it will serve as a basis for implementing new European legislation in the following years.

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food and Natural Products ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Jan Poustka

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The main topic of the dissertation is the application of selected instrumental methods such as infrared spectrometry or mass spectrometry with the aim of optimizing the rapid characterization of various food raw materials and products, including through advanced mathematical-statistical methods inclusive multivariate data analysis. Then compare these methods with sensory evaluation and thus create a comprehensive view of the overall quality evaluation in connection not only with legislative requirements but also with requirements for target sensory quality. The goal of the work is to develop analytical procedures for various materials suitable for their characterization so that they can be used for a meaningful comparison with sensory analysis for evaluation, for example, according to origin or degree of technological processing.

Department of Food Preservation

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Preservation
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Helena Čížková, Ph.D.

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Gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection in various configurations (one-dimensional, chiral, multidimensional, with olfactometry) will be used to analyse volatile profiles of various raw materials and processed foods. The aim of the thesis will be the evaluation of quality, detection of microbial contamination and identification of causes of sensory defects. The results of targeted and non-targeted analyses obtained by GC / MS will be correlated with the outputs of other laboratory methods (chromatographic, microbiological and sensory analysis). Advanced statistical methods will be used to interpret the results of analyses, considering the influence of raw materials, recipe, production and storage conditions. The project will be will be carried out in cooperation with selected food producers.

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Preservation
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Aleš Rajchl, Ph.D.

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Minor raw materials are often neglected, due to low production volume, and sufficient attention is not paid to their quality. This work aims to assess the quality of selected minor raw materials. The work will be also focused on the development of new analytical methods for evaluating the quality of studied materials.

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Preservation
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Aleš Rajchl, Ph.D.

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The PhD thesis will focus on the development of new approaches for evaluating the shelf-life of fruit and vegetable products. Factors influencing the shelf-life of fruit and vegetable products will be evaluated. The suitability of the application of accelerated storage tests for shelf-life estimation will be assessed.

Granting Departments:	Department of Food Preservation
Study Programme/Specialization:	Food Chemistry and Technology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Helena Čížková, Ph.D.

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Honey is widespread and the most important bee product. Due to the high price, its quality and authenticity are commonly violated. Frequently, it is the manufacturer's deliberate adulteration (addition of other ingredients to honey) or misleading indication of botanical or geographical origin. The project will be focused on verifying the authenticity of honey on its physicochemical parameters and chemometrics. The botanical origin of honey (floral, honeydew, unifloral) and its geographical origin will be also assessed based on these parameters. The evaluation of beeswax, which can be relatively easily adulterated with paraffins, stearic acid or palmitic acid, will be the second part of the project. This phenomenon can have a negative impact on the health of bee colonies and the chemical composition of honey. Experimental work will be done in cooperation with selected testing laboratories and will implement common and recent methods of food analysis (chromatography and isotopic methods, mass spectrometry, melissopalynology).

Department of Glass and Ceramics

Granting Departments:	Department of Glass and Ceramics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Ondrej Gedeon, Ph.D., DSc.

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Glass surface is the poorly explored area, but it is closely related to its mechanical and chemical properties. The work will focus to the preparation of model glass surfaces, their characterization and modifications with ionising radiation and to the interaction of the surface with water.

Department of Chemical Engineering

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Juraj Kosek

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Energy decarbonisation is one of the biggest technological and social challenges of the coming decades. The ability to efficiently and safely store large amounts of electricity produced by intermittent renewable sources is an essential prerequisite for securing the increasing energy needs of our societies. Flow batteries represent a promising alternative to today's more widespread solid-state batteries based on Li-ion. However, their broader commercionalization is still obstructed by several techno-economical challanges such as low energy density, high cost of electrolytes and battery stacks. Within this dissertation student will research and develop strategies towards increase of energy and power density of flow batteries using both organic and inorganic redox active species. This will be apporached by various ways including use of electrolyte additives, suspension flow batteries and solid-state capacity boosters with redox mediation. Also the possibility of flow battery hybridization with metal deposition or gas phase electrodes will be thouroughly studied, both experimentaly and theoretically using state-of-art characterization devices and methods. The output of the doctoral thesis will be not only a series of publications, but also practical knowledge leading to the improvement of flow battery-based technologies with regard to energy density, efficiency and durability. The doctoral student will collaborate on the project not only in a team of doctoral students and post-docs at our workplace, but also with partners from several companies and universities. Info: tel. 220 44 3296, doors: B-145, e-mail jkk@vscht.cz, web http://kosekgroup.cz/en

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Fixed dose combinations (FDC) are drug products containing two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients whose combined therapeutic effect has been proven to be superior to that of individual components. Numerous clinical studies show significantly improved life expectancy of patients using FDC compared to their individual counterparts, especially in the cardiovascular area. For large therapeutic areas, it is common to develop FDCs e.g. in the form of bi-layer tablets for the most prescribed combinations of drugs and their strengths, e.g. candesartan and amlodipine. However, smaller, or more marginal patient cohorts are not served by this approach. The aim of this project is to develop and implement novel manufacturing concepts based on the post-mixing of mass-produced single-component subunits (e.g. minitablets), and thus achieve flexibility for small batch manufacturing of FDC products with a broader range of dosage strength combinations and/or interchangeable active ingredients.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Moucha

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The efficiency of new biotechnology and pharmaceutical products manufacture also depends on a suitable bioreactor selection. In the design of an optimal bioreactor, they key parameters are the maximum yield of a primary product and, simultaneously, the lifetime of the used microorganisms. The aim of the doctoral study is to compare the design parameters (transport characteristics such as volumetric mass transfer coefficient, gas hold-up and energy dissipation intensity) of three types of the most commonly used bioreactors. The results will be used to characterize the differences and similarities of specific types of bioreactors in terms of gas distribution, mass transfer and mixing depending on the total energy supplied to the system. Transport characteristics will be obtained experimentally for model batches, which will be designed based on physical properties of real broths. The work is intended as the cooperation of UCT Prague (supervisor's workplace) with ICPF Prague (consultant's workplace) and appropriatley complements the second PhD topic offered by the consultant. Both cooperating workplaces are equipped by necessary facilities i) mechanically stirred reactor, ii) bubble column and iii) air-lift reactor. All bioreactors are adapted to measure transport characteristics by the same methods, therefore the results will be comparable. Requirements for an applicant: master degree in chemical or mechanical engineering, organic technology, biotechnology etc.; ability for teamwork; systematic and creative approach to scientific problems; interest in experimental work

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in high-dose tablets (e.g. metformin, ibuprofen) would benefit from as little dilution by excipients as possible to keep the tablet weight down, while maintaining processability (bulk density, flow behaviour, compressibility, etc.). Co-processing is a rapidly emerging approach that aims to combine the API with a small amount of excipient while achieving large differences in processability, usually by the modification of surface properties, particle size and morphology. The aim of this project is to explore co-processing concepts for several chosen APIs based on both dry and wet routes, and to demonstrate that co-processed APIs can be manufactured in a scalable and reproducible manner. The ultimate aim is to utilise co-processes APIs in direct compression, i.e. the manufacturing of high-dose tablets without any granulation step.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Moucha

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CO₂ capture belongs to frequent industrial needs, both in the cases of low concentration CO₂ removal from waste gases and in the cases of main process streams, e.g., in hydrogen production, when high CO₂ amount/concentration is to be removed. Just the last example represents the process, which the PhD thesis will be focused to. In the premises of Unipetrol company, the CO₂ capture unit is presumed to be permanently optimized. In accordance with the needs of the industrial partner, the experimental research goals will involve i) durability / degradability of the solution currently used in the process, ii)absorption efficiencies and selectivities (H₂S/CO₂) of new absorbents and iii)the influence of low concentration admixtures, e.g., Fe, Ni and V metals, on the CO₂ capture efficiency. The PhD student will acquire valuable experience of industrial area life because he/she will be able independently act in the Unipetrol premises, will cooperate with industrial research department UniCRE and will find here both well-equipped laboratories and experienced consultants.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Ondřej Kašpar, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Denisa Lizoňová, Ph.D.

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The main objective of this Ph.D. project is to develop highly organized cell culture models of the human respiratory tract, which can be used for studying systemic drug delivery through inhalational route. Specific Objectives: 1. Development of an in vitro alveolar air-liquid interface model using alveolar cell lines to study drug absorption and particle translocation through the alveolar barrier. 2. Establishment of an in vitro tracheobronchial (TB) model using TB epithelial and goblet cell lines to investigate drug nanocrystal permeation and retention in the mucus barriers. 3. Characterization of drug absorption, translocation, and mucus penetration properties of aerosolized drug nanocrystals using the developed in vitro lung models. 4. Optimization of nanocrystal size and surface chemistry (in collaboration with other research team members) to enhance drug absorption, minimize macrophage uptake, and improve mucus penetration for efficient systemic delivery. Apart from the research itself, the student will have the opportunity to collaborate within a multidisciplinary research team and present and publish their research

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Injectable depot systems (also called Long Acting Injectables -- LAIs) represent an increasingly popular class of drug delivery systems that offer convenience for the patients, good adherence to medication, avoidance of side effects such as gastric irritation, and theoretically 100% bioavailability. However, there are no established methods for in vitro characterisation of drug release from LAI, or for their bioequivalence testing or in vivo-in vitro correlations. Also, there is a need for accelerated in vitro models, especially for LAIs that last for several months under in vivo conditions. Drug release from LAI depots comprises several elementary steps such as particle dissolution, drug diffusion and enzymatic conversion in the surrounding tissues, drug absorption into systemic circulation, and drug elimination. The aim of this project is to develop and test a series of in vitro methods for the characterisation of LAI, which can be based e.g. on hydrogel matrices, hollow-fibre membrane modules, or 3D cell cultures (artificial muscles). The objective will be to test the reproducibility and bio relevance of such models, as well as their incorporation into a typical workflow of a pharmaceutical R&D laboratory.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Viola Tokárová, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Viola Tokárová, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	University of Palermo Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Moucha

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The volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) plays a crucial role in industrial design in the case of the process controlled by gas–liquid mass transfer. Prediction of kLa is nowadays mostly based on literature correlations. Our research goal is to establish suitable kLa correlations for different types of devices that would be based on the experimental dataset. The PhD thesis aim at the comparison of various gas-liquid contactor types from the viewpoint of their mass transfer efficiency. The suitable correlations will be developed that would be viable for mechanically agitated gas–liquid contactors and also for pneumatically agitated gas–liquid contactors such as airlift reactor.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Ondřej Kašpar, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Denisa Lizoňová, Ph.D.

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This PhD project will focus on the design, preparation, and optimization of an aerosol drug nanocrystal fabrication process as a promising strategy for systemic delivery of poorly soluble low molecular weight drugs via the inhalation route. With a primary focus on nanocrystal preparation and aerosolization, the research aims to develop efficient techniques for the production of inhalable drug nanocrystals. The study will investigate different methods of nanocrystal preparation (wet milling, continuous precipitation) and evaluate their effectiveness in producing stable monodisperse nanocrystals that allow for better drug dissolution and thus higher bioavailability. In addition, the research will focus on the development and validation of aerosolization devices to ensure optimal drug delivery of nanocrystals. Through this research, the thesis aims to contribute to the development of non-invasive drug delivery methods, which will ultimately facilitate the introduction of new therapeutic agents into clinical practice. The student will learn techniques for the preparation and characterization of nanocrystals, the preparation and characterization of aerosols, and other methods necessary for the research project. In addition, the student will have the opportunity to collaborate within a multidisciplinary research team and present and publish their research.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Viola Tokárová, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Permeation of small molecules across lipid bilayer lies at the essence of physiological processes such as cell homeostasis or application processes such as drug delivery. For a long-time, pemeation has been considered a unary property of the permeant, but recent experimental evidence suggests that non-trivial interactions can occur during the co-permeation of multiple solutes simultaneously. Both acceleration and retardation of permetaion has been observed, and the equilibrium water-lipid partitioning coefficient has been affected as well. The aim of this project is to understand the underlying mechanisms that govern solute interaction during co-permeation across lipidic bilayers using computational methods. Using a combination of Molecular Dynamics and appropriate mean-field based approaches, hypothesis regardding co-permeation and co-partitioning will be tested. Specifically, the “crowding out” and “crowding in” hypotheses of co-permeation will be explored computatinoally. The knowledge gained in the simulations will be used for the rational design of co-permeants, for the explanation of potential drug interactinos, and for establishing engineering principles of liposomal formulations.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Liposomes are spherical vesicles composed of a phospholipid bilayer surrounding an aqueous cavity. Liposomes can be used as drug carrier systems, but their capacity is limited by the thermodynamic solubility of the encapsulated substance in the aqueous phase and its partitioning into the lipidic membrane. For this reason, the practical applications of liposomes are not as numerous as they could be. The aim of this project is to develop and demonstrate a method of substantially increasing the drug carrying capacity of liposomes and make it independent of thermodynamic solubility of the compound. Strategies for achieving these goals will include simultaneous liposome formation and substance crystallisation from a supersaturated solution either by cooling or by solvent evaporation or building the liposomes around a concentrated nanosuspension of the drug, or hydration of a solid dispersion of the drug in a lipidic matrix. Once such high-load liposomes are formed, they will be tested for bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble or enzymatically degradable drugs, for side effect elimination of drugs that irritate the GI tract, or for drug application by injection. Furthermore, such liposomes will be used as miniature reservoirs that make it possible to control chemical reaction kinetics in an ON/OFF manner thanks to the reversible phase transition of the membrane.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Přibyl, Ph.D.

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Microfluidic devices are characterized by a large surface-to-volume ratio. This can be used in the efficient separation of special chemicals using extraction, membrane and other processes. The separation of optically active substances, important pharmaceutical products or circular economy intermediates is a challenge for contemporary chemical engineering. Mathematical modeling can lead to a better understanding of the complex reaction-transport phenomena in such devices and to the design of efficiently operating microfluidic reactors and separators. The main goals of the proposed PhD project are: description of the kinetics of reactions catalyzed by free and/or immobilized enzymes in microreactors, development of a mathematical-physical description of mass and momentum transport in microseparators with an imposed electric and/or magnetic field, optimization of modular microreactors-separators in order to achieve a high degree of conversion and high separation efficiencies. The models will be studied using approximate analytical techniques and numerically using the COMSOL program. Our laboratory is equipped with powerfull workstations and PCs. It is assumed that the doctoral student will be involved in grant projects and active participate at international scientific conferences.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Moucha

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In biotechnologies, batch processes are often used, in which living cultures/biomass are used. Metabolites produced by culture are often poisonous and can damage the culture itself, as an example of which can serve ethanol fermentation. In periodic processes, the initial periods including sterilizing, nutrient dosing, etc., used to be time consuming, financially burdening. Therefore, it is desirable to dedicate an effort to develope continuous performance of such processes. One of the operations ensuring the process continualization can be membrane separation. This case brings the necessity of two membranes modules: i) microfiltration to separate solid particles-biomass and ii) pervaporation to separate primary product of fermentation, e.g., ethanol, as mentioned above. The goal of this work is to experimentally develop two step membarne separation technique, including microfiltration and pervaporation, to be prepared for an interconnection with a fermenter. THe development will be conducted from the viewpoint of chemical engineering. The reached separation parameters (selectivity, permeability) will be investigated in dependency on the process parameters (pressure, flowrate, temperature, feed composition). Chemical engineering quantities (membrain polarization module, mass transfer coefficient,...) will be used to describe these dependencies. At the workplace the new membrane modules are available, which were purchased for the purpose of this development. The PhD student will get familier both with industrial membrane module and with the custom made one. In addition to being familiar with modern technologies introduced in industry, the PhD student will also work in the team of students and academic staff who are experienced in industrial cooperation. PhD study will prepare the student to obtain either qualified working position in industry or to be able systematically conduct further research from the viewpoint of qualified chemical engineer. Further information Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Moucha, UCT Prague, building B, room T02, email: tomas.mooucha@vscht.cz

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jitka Čejková, Ph.D.

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Microbial communication pathways play a crucial role in various ecological and biotechnological processes. However, studying these pathways can be challenging, particularly when signals are unknown or consist of unstable mixtures. Traditional methods necessitate prior knowledge of the signaling substance, which may not always be available. To address this limitation, this dissertation proposes a novel approach: encapsulating small populations of microorganisms within semi-permeable microcapsules. These capsules serve as miniature vivaria, enabling live microbial cultures to communicate via chemical signals while preventing physical escape or overgrowth by competing microbes. The capsules, designed with core-shell structures and embedded magnetic particles, offer remote manipulation and recovery capabilities. By controlling the permeability of the shell, the dissertation systematically investigates the role of individual chemical species in microbial communication. This innovative approach offers unprecedented capabilities, including the ability to emit or absorb multiple chemical signals, analyze signal concentration gradients, pre-condition microorganisms, and maintain host status while sensing microbial presence. Moreover, it facilitates the study of multispecies interactions within complex environments. Overall, the dissertation demonstrates that microcapsule vivaria represent a promising tool for uncovering the mysteries of microbial communication pathways, with implications for ecology, biotechnology, and beyond.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Alexandr Zubov, Ph.D.

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Dnešní doba klade stále větší nároky na technologie pro vysokokapacitní mobilní úložiště elektrické energie, jež jsou nezbytná pro lepší využití obnovitelných zdrojů energie, budování chytrých elektrických sítí a rozšíření elektromobility. V úložištích energie se na různích úrovních projevuje důležitost heterofázové morfologie. Příkladem může být vnitřní porézní struktura membrán a elektrod, či dendrity vznikající u jejich povrchu. Tato práce se zabývá ději ovlivněnými morfologií v rámci úložišť energie. Příkladem takového jevů může být právě růst dendritů – útvarů o rozličné morfologii vznikajících elektrodepozicí kovu na povrchu elektrod. Dendritické útvary snižují životnost i kapacitu baterie a mohou vyústit v přehřívání a zkrat článku. Práce je teoretického charakteru, bude tedy realizována primárně skrze nástroje matematického modelování.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Juraj Kosek

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Agglomeration and fouling of particles are the undesired phenomena in many polymerization reactors, e.g., in emulsion, suspension, slurry and gas-dispersion processes. These undesired phenomena negatively affect the quality of products and can even cause shut-down of polymerization processes due to fouling of heat transfer surfaces and loss of fluidization. This PhD thesis will focus primarily on catalytic polymerization of olefins in liquid-dispersion (slurry) and gas-dispersion (fluidized or stirred-bed) reactors. Qualitative theoretical explanation of phenomena causing or affecting the agglomeration/fouling is available, but this explanation is scattered in various branches of science. Therefore the first goal of PhD thesis will be the systematic organization of physico-chemical picture involving particle-particle, particle-wall and particle-fluid interactions. The considered description will involve van der Waals interactions, chain entanglement dynamics, effect of swelling on elastic modulus and particle collision dynamics, electrostatic charging of particles, osmotic stabilization of dispersions, lubrication forces, turbulent mixing conditions, effect of particle size distribution and particle surface texture, heat transfer effect, liquid bridges and thermodynamics of species sorption. For the quantitative understanding of agglomeration and fouling processes, we need the conduct series of well-designed systematic experiments aiming at: (i) measuring the dynamics of agglomeration / fouling in reactors, (ii) characterization of particle and dispersion mixture properties, and (iii) characterization of particle-particle, particle-wall and particle-fluid interactions. In this respect, the laboratory is equipped with all the required equipment involving mixed reactor, AFM, micro-CT, DSC, TD-NMR, rheometry, sorption/diffusion/swelling measurements, digital image processing etc. This PhD project is primary experimental, but the student will conduct also limited DEM (discrete element method) modeling enabling the testing of various hypotheses. The outcomes of PhD thesis will have a broad impact both to fundamental science (experimental studies and systematic data are scarce) and to practical applications (mitigation strategies suppressing unwanted phenomena in agglomeration and fouling). Prospective PhD student is expected to spend a term in some European laboratory with similar research interests and to take some responsibility for the contractual industrial research. Info: phone 220 44 3296, office B-145, e-mailjkk@vscht.cz, webhttp://kosekgroup.cz

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Injectable depot formulations represent a rapidly emerging class of drug delivery systems that offer convenience for the patients, good adherence to medication, avoidance of side effects such as gastric irritation, and theoretically 100% bioavailability. Depot systems often have the form of a suspension of drug of prodrug particles in an aqueous vehicle that also includes stabilisers, viscosity modifiers, tonicity agents and other components. The drug release from intramuscular depots is a non-trivial process that includes particle surface dissolution, diffusion within the depot and the surrounding tissue, enzymatic conversion of the prodrug to the parental drug, absorption into systemic circulation, and eventually biodistribution and elimination from the body. There is an acute need for robust and physiologically relevant mathematical models of drug release from depot systems to enable rational formulation decisions such the effect of particle size distribution or the overall applied dose on the time-dependence of drug plasma concentration in the patient. The aim of this project is to develop, validate and apply such models in collaboration with an industrial partner.

Granting Departments:	KU Leuven, Belgium Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Kočí, Ph.D. prof. Ivo Vankelecom

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Membrane-based gas separation technology has contributed significantly to the development of energy-efficient systems for natural gas purification. Also CO2 removal from biogas, with CO2 contents exceeding 40% has more recently known rapid growth and development. Major challenge of polymer membranes for gas separation is related to their susceptibility to plasticization at high CO2 partial pressures. CO2 excessively swells the polymer and eases the permeation of CH4, thus reducing the selectivity. Membrane crosslinking is one of the best ways to prevent the plasticization. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), consisting of fillers homogeneously dispersed in a polymeric matrix aim at combining the processibility of polymers and the superior separation properties of the porous fillers. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are such materials which have attracted considerable attention due to their tailorable functionality, well-defined pore size, pore tunability and breathing effects. MMMs for biogas upgrading will be prepared with increased permeabilities by choosing proper MOF/polymer combinations and modifying the thermal treatment, employing core-shell MOF materials with high bulk porosity and a selective shell layer.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Adsorbents are porous materials with a high internal surface that are capable of reversible and selective accumulation of solutes in their pores. Adsorbents are typically used for industrial separation or purification processes, but they can also be applied as sensors to accumulate an analyte, or as drug delivery systems to release a previously loaded bioactive substance. One limitation of adsorbents is that being based on weak non-covalent interactions, the solutes can spontaneously desorb when the adsorbent passes through an environment with lower bulk concertation of the solute, or when competing solutes are present. The aim of this project is to develop adsorbents coated by a phospholipid membrane that will act as a gating mechanism to allow temperature controlled ON/OFF diffusion depending on the phase transition of the lipid bilayer. To enable manipulation with such adsorbents, they will also contain magnetic nanoparticles, which can simultaneously act as susceptors for radiofrequency heating. Thus, solute accumulation or release from the adsorbents can be temporally and spatially controlled from a remote source. Such nano-devices will be used for collecting solutes from complex microenvironments such as biological tissues of biofilms, and for drug delivery and controlled release to such environments.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. František Štěpánek, Ph.D.

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Dried nanocrystalline suspensions of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have been shown to be superior to amorphous solid dispersions in terms of dissolution rate enhancement, stability, excipient dilution, and manufacturing simplicity. The formation of aqueous nanosuspension can be achieved in wet stirred media mills that can be operated in a batch mode during process development and then scaled up to flow-through arrangement either in recirculation or single-pass mode. The suspension can then be easily dried to obtain granular material suitable for direct capsule filling or direct tabletting. The aim of this project is to develop and validate a robust scale-up methodology for the manufacturing of nanocrystal suspensions by flow-though wet milling at the highest possible concentration, subsequent spray during or fluid-bed drying, and processing into a final dosage form (tablets, capsules). For a chosen API, the entire process from raw API to finished products will be demonstrates and the product pharmaceutical performance (stability, in vitro dissolution, in vivo bioavailability) will be evaluated.

Granting Departments:	KU Leuven, Belgium Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Kočí, Ph.D. prof. Ivo Vankelecom

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Membrane-based separations currently offer the best strategy to decrease energy requirements and environmental footprint through newly developed solvent resistant nanofiltration (SRNF) or solvent-tolerant nanofiltration (STNF). So-called solvent activation of polymeric membranes involves treatment of an existing membrane by contacting it with solvents or solvent mixtures, which is hypothesized to restructure the membrane polymer through solvatation, increase polymer chain flexibility and organization into suitable structures. This will be verified by systematically treating membranes with different solvents and testing them for the separation of synthetic liquid streams. A high-throughput set-up will be used. Fundamental physico-chemical characterisations of the membranes before and after the treatments will provide insight in the changes at molecular level. The characterization techniques include gas and liquid uptake experiments (diffusivity), PALS (positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, to determine free volume element distributions), ERD (elastic recoil scattering, providing elemental analysis in membrane depth profiles), solid state NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry).

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemical and Process Engineering ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Juraj Kosek

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Recycling is the most beneficial and eco-friendly way to treat large amount of plastic waste. However, conversely to a public belief, the majority of plastic waste is burned in incineration plants or stored in landfills instead of being recycled. The bottleneck of the plastic waste treatment originates in the pre-separation, as only precisely separated waste can be recycled. Even the incineration process requires the pre-separation of plastics, mainly the removal of polymers containing halogens that could otherwise form harmful gases during combustion. Current methods like manual separation, IR spectroscopy or methods based on density differences aren’t sufficiently effective. The new promising technique, triboelectric separation, is based on the idea that each plastic material reaches different electrostatic charge by tribocharging (charging by friction) and therefore charged plastic mixtures can be separated in electric field. The objective of this Ph.D. project is the establishment of experimental bases (systematic series of data) related to charging and discharging dynamics in powders, which will provide integrated description of these phenomena. The student will also investigate opportunities for control of surface charge and subsequent separation of dielectrics in electric field. The student shall challenge several open problems: (i) relation between ESC and mechanical/chemical properties of materials, (ii) electric charge dissipation, (iii) charging of powders under the conditions simulating real industrial production of industrially important powders, (iv) the effect of charge on fouling, (v) charging for separation and recycling of plastic materials. The project is a pioneering work which is desperately needed and is sufficiently challenging for a student with interest in physico-chemical fundamentals of previously described processes. The student will work with highly qualified Ph. D. students and postdocs in our research group and will also cooperate with our European partners. Our laboratory is well prepared for the research of electrostatic processes (Faraday cup, corona charging, high-voltage separator) and characterization of powder texture and material properties (micro-tomography, atomic force microscopy – AFM). Info: phone 220 44 3296, office B-145, e-mailjkk@vscht.cz, web http://kosekgroup.cz

Department of Informatics and Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Informatics and Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Mgr. Daniel Svozil, Ph.D.

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In this industrial PhD project, the candidate will join a dynamic team at the intersection of Cheminformatics, Artificial Intelligence, and NMR, focusing on Drug Design. The role involves enhancing AI|ffinity's NMR-AI platform components for virtual screening, hit discovery, and lead optimization. This task includes developing innovative software solutions for one or more of the following applications: 1. Enhancing 2D molecular representations to bolster the accuracy of ligand-based virtual screening, utilizing 1D NMR screening spectra. 2. Improving AI-driven, structure-based lead optimization algorithms, harnessing the power of 1D NMR restraints. 3. Innovating in de novo drug design algorithms by leveraging ligand epitope information from 1D NMR screening experiments. The project offers practical application of these tools in real-world drug discovery, in collaboration with AI|ffinity and its partners, and includes an international industrial internship for global exposure and insights, directly contributing to drug development.

Granting Departments:	Department of Informatics and Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martin Šícho, Ph.D.

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The PhD project focuses on the application of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) in the field of computer-aided drug design. It aims to develop new methodologies that make the decision-making processes of AI models in drug discovery more transparent and understandable. The project will explore how XAI can improve the reliability of predictive models used for identifying potential drug candidates. A significant aspect of the research will involve integrating XAI approaches with existing drug design algorithms to enhance their interpretability. Ultimately, this project seeks to bridge the gap between advanced AI techniques and practical pharmaceutical applications, fostering more efficient and informed drug development.

Department of Inorganic Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Kateřina Rubešová, Ph.D.

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The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to develop a new type of high-capacity silicon-based anode materials for Li-ion batteries. Unique nanoengineered silicon based materials and composites will be prepared using chemical synthesis methods and low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The Ph.D. student will investigate the mechanism of stress accommodation and interface changes in silicon-based anode materials in contact with quasi-solid and solid electrolytes in Li-ion batteries. New approaches will be pursued for silicon interface engineering using different (i) silicon and nanosilicon structures, morphologies and composites, (ii) doping, (ii) pre-lithiation, and (iv) external pressure. The effects of these approaches will be explored in half cells and full cells using advanced structural, chemical, and electrochemical characterization techniques, including operando X-ray diffraction and operando Raman spectroscopy. These experiments will shed light on the fundamental principles of lithiation and delithiation processes occurring at the interfaces between novel silicon and solid or quasi-solid electrolytes. The experiments will also allow us to identify suitable conditions for avoiding long-term capacity fading and obtaining highly reversible lithiation of silicon anode materials in Li-ion batteries. Mastering the fabrication of silicon materials will enable the creation of stress-tolerable interfaces with low energy barriers for lithium diffusion and ultra-high capacity, paving the way for the future generation of all-solid-state and semi-solid-state lithium batteries.

Granting Departments:	University of Caen Normandy Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. David Sedmidubský

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The aim of this study is to capitalize on the richness of the crystalline, magnetic and electronic structures and photocatalytic properties of W-based oxides by investigating the Fe-W-O system. It is proposed to focus on Fe₂WO₆ as it crystallizes in three different structures exhibiting different transport and magnetic properties. It is of interest to study the thermodynamic conditions in this area of the ternary diagram Fe-W-O to monitor and optimize precise composition and synthesis conditions. Structures and microstructures will be studied by suitable diffraction methods and microscopies. Compounds will be characterized by measuring their magnetic and electrical properties; those with suitable bandgap will also be tested for photocatalytic or photoelectrochemical properties relevant to catalytic degradation of organic pollutants, water splitting or photovoltaic cells.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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The thesis is focused on the covalent and non-covalent interactions of layered pnictogens in order to improve their long-term stability. Mono- and multi-layer materials will be prepared by optimized mechanical exfoliation processes. For non-covalent interactions, substituted delocalized organic systems will be tested and their effect on material transport properties will be studied. The covalent functionalization will be performed using radical reactions. Finally, preparation of functional microelectronic devices based on FET transistors and photodetectors will be studied and optimized.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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Topic is focus on development o novel inorganic analogues of graphene, study of their reactivity and possibilities of derivatisation. Synthetic methods will focus on development of Zintl phase exfoliation procedures. Materials will be studied for future applications in photocatalysis and electrocatalysis as well as energy storage applications.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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The fast-growing family of layered materials based on silicon and germanium possess unique optical properties which are strongly dependent on their surface functionalization. This work will be focused on chemical modifications of the surface of silicon and germanium layers and the influence of introduced functional groups on their luminescent properties. The optimized materials will be tested for electronic applications with a focus on hybrid LEDs and solar cells. Further, student will investigate a compatibility of synthesized 2D nanomaterials with organic semiconductors for a preparation of the hybrid optoelectronic heterostructures.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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This thesis is focused on the exploration of layered chalcogenides and their applications in energy storage and electrocatalysis.

Granting Departments:	Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the CAS, v. v. i. Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Mrázek, Ph.D.

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The increasing power of infrared radiation sources requires new materials with increased luminescence efficiency and temperature stability. Rare earth-doped nanocrystalline materials represent a suitable alternative to conventional glass and single crystals. The work targets the preparation and characterization of transparent nanocrystalline materials on the system Y2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 doped with rare earth elements. The effects of the composition and conditions of preparation on the reaction and growth mechanisms of nanocrystals evenly distributed in an amorphous matrix will be studied. The studied system's composition will be modified to reduce the phonon energy of nanocrystals and increase the luminescence efficiency in the infrared region. A theoretical model of energy transfer in rare-earth ions will be elaborated, and the results will be compared with experimental results of luminescence measurements. Selected materials will be used for the preparation of active optical fibers, which will be tested in fiber laser set-ups.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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2D nanomaterials based on MoS2 and related substances exhibit unique properties. These materials will be prepared by hydrothermal synthesis from various precursors. The synthesis will be optimized in order to obtain nanostructures with defined number of layers. Prepared materials will be characterized by advanced techniques such as AFM, Raman spectroscopy and measurement of photoluminescence spectra.

Granting Departments:	University of Caen Normandy Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Kateřina Rubešová, Ph.D.

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Transparent ceramics can compete with single crystalline materials not only in the stage of research and development but also in the final application. The thesis will be focused on the synthesis of oxide ceramics applicable in the laser or LED field, or utilizable at the detection of ionizing radiation. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) or vacuum sintering will be used for the processing of precursor powders whose optimal crystallinity and microstructure will be also the task of the thesis.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sofer, Ph.D.

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This thesis is focused on the use of 2D nanomaterials based on layered chalcogenides and their composites for photo-electrochemical water splitting. Student will work on tailoring of their properties by doping, surface functionalization and composition optimization in order to reduce overpotential for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and optimize the response of materials to different wavelengths of light in the visible and ultraviolet region.

Department of Inorganic Technology

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaromír Hnát, Ph.D.

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Alkaline energy conversion technologies represent one of the promising ways to increase the utilization of the installed renewable sources of energy. The advantage of the alkaline technologies lies in the possibility to avoid the necessity of the utilization of the Pt-group metals as catalysts for electrode reactions. On the other hand, the intensity of these technologies is generally lower when compare to alternatives. This work focuses on the synthesis and optimization of the new catalysts, their testing using standard procedures and under the real conditions of the energy conversion devices.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Dr. Ing. Vlastimil Fíla

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The high attention on the processes of transformation of methane (C2, C3 hydrocarbons eventually) from natural gas or biogas to higher value products is paid at present time. The processes such as non-oxidative catalytic methane aromatization, selective oxidation to methanol or dimethyl ether are used. The suitable catalyst for chosen process will be developed. The effect of the reaction conditions, catalyst carrier and formation of active phase on catalyst on the methane conversion, catalyst stability and yield of products will be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Martin Paidar, Ph.D.

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Electrochemical methods are suitable for water treatment due its simplicity and high efficiency. Main disadvantage is usually high price. Therefore electrochemical methods are used in the case of water of high salinity or otherwise contaminated. This is not possible to be treated by biochemical methods. Application of individual method has to be evaluated with respect to the direct process water composition.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Bystroň, Ph.D.

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A highly selective oxidations of organic compounds belongs, especially in the case of highly added value products, among highly attractive processes. At present, such conversions are usually achieved using oxidation agents based on often toxic transition metals such as Cr(VI), Mn(VII), Ru(VI) či Os(VIII). An interesting „green“ alternatives to these oxidants represent benign hypervalent iodine based organic oxidation agents. The work will be focused on investigation of electrochemical behaviour of these compounds and their precursors. A motivation of the work is to use electrochemical oxidation for the production of hypervalent iodine oxidants allowing their application as industrial scale.

Granting Departments:	Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaromír Hnát, Ph.D. doc. Ing. Matilda Zemanová, PhD.

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The aim of this project is the development of an efficient electrocatalyst for cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline environment. Developed catalyst will be based on galvanic modification of the appropriate substrate by non-Pt elements of transition metal group. After identification of the substrate, optimal coating’s properties and deposition method the technique will be transferred to the 3D porous electrodes to enhance process efficiency and tested in a laboratory and pilot scale alkaline water electrolysis cell.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Martin Paidar, Ph.D.

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High temperature water electrolysis represents a modern technology closely related to the optimization of operational conditions of the traditional as well as novel high capacity power sources used nowadays to the stabilization of the electricity distribution grid. Stabilization requirement is caused by the strongly increasing capacity of the unstable renewable energy sources connected to the distribution grid.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Bystroň, Ph.D.

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An attention of the numerous laboratories around a globe is focused on the issue of the PEM type fuel cells operational temperature increase above 100 ºC. The globaly accepted approach to solve this problem consists in application of basic polymers impregnated with phosphoric acid as an electrolyte and carbon supported Pt nanoparticles as an electrolyte. The main obstacle of this approach represents leaching of the phosphoric acid into the catalytic layer and its corrosion aggressivenes at the fuel cell operational conditions. Solution of this issue, together with understanding understanding of the degradation processes at elevated temperature represents basic requirement for further development and wider application of this technology in future.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Bystroň, Ph.D.

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Water electrolysis represents an important part of the hydrogen economy considered nowadays as a promising approach to the future securing of the human society with electrical energy. Industrial water electrolysis processes established today suffer from several disadvantages when considering its application in the field of energetics. It is mainly its low efficiency and flexibility. Therefore, this process is a subject of interest of numerous research laboratories around the globe. Electrode reaction kinetics, suitable polymer electrolytes and overall process design represent the main issues studied. Corrosion stability of the individual construction materials is also an issue.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Dr. Ing. Vlastimil Fíla

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The topic of this work is the study of kinetics of N2O decomposition on zeolitic (MFI, FER) and titano-silicates catalysts involving Fe and other transition metals. The work will be focused on kinetic experiments in aiming to develop reliable kinetic model suitable for desing of industrial equipment.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Dr. Ing. Vlastimil Fíla

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Universal simulation programs introduce a tool suitable for design of new and optimization of existing industrial technologies. In the frame of this work the static and dynamic models of selected advanced membrane and/or chemical technologies or their parts will be developed using universal simulation programs. By the help of them and computer experiment the behavior of these technologies will be studied. Verification of developed models by experimental data will be implemented. Aim of the work is the improvement of economic and ecological technological parameters. The universal simulation programs from Aspen Technology will be used preferentially.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Roman Kodým, Ph.D.

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Mathematical modeling represents an extraordinary powerful tool for deeper understanding of the electrochemical units function and their subsequent optimization. Within the framework of this project the attention will focus on the mathematical description of the local transport of electric current, mass or heat etc. in electrochemical and electromembrane systems (fuel cells, PEM electrolysis, electrodialysis, solid-oxide high temperature electrolysis) and investigation of mechanism and kinetics of electrochemical reactions. The models formulated on the base of PDE equations will be implemented to simulate systems with a practical impact.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Martin Zlámal, Ph.D.

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Membrane separations are widely used especially in the water treatment processes. Another key application is in the field of chemical industry, where concentrated solutions are mostly used. However, higher concentrations of solutions bring several problems such as back diffusion, solubility limit and membrane stability to the separation process. It is therefore necessary to understand and describe these phenomena and their influence on the membrane separation process itself to predict the long-term a behaviour of the system.

Granting Departments:	KU Leuven, Belgium Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	doc. Dr. Ing. Vlastimil Fíla prof. Ivo Vankelecom

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Gas membrane separation represents the perspective and energy-saving alternative with respect to the present separation processes (PSA, TSA, amine extraction, rectification, etc.). Most of the membranes industrially applied are based on polymeric materials having low permeability and/or selectivity. In the frame of this work the mixed matrix membranes combining the perspective properties of both, microporous and polymeric membranes, will be prepared and characterized. The microporous material e.g. ZIF-8, silicalite-1, ETS, FAU, TS-1, AFX, MOF, or their post-synthesis modified variants will be used as filler, and combined with polymeric matrix based on newly synthesized and/or industrially available polymers. The aim of this study is the preparation and characterization of membranes for different industrial applications. The target application will be defined upon agreement based on the actual research carried out in cooperating laboratories (e.g. processing of exhaust gases from power plants and other industrial processes, separation of CO2 from biogas, separation of H2 from streams containing CO2 and/or hydrocarbons, separation of hydrocarbons, etc.). In the frame of this work, the problematics of polymer-filler interactions and the development of new materials aiming to increase the thermal and chemical stability, selectivity, and permeability of prepared membranes will be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Josef Krýsa

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Air polution represents a significant problem which can be conveniently solved by an application of photocatalytic processes. Therefore the aim of the present thesis is the preparation of new photocatalytically active composite materials based on TiO2 and the determination of their adsorption and photocatalytic properties. Titanium dioxide nanotubes prepared by anodic oxidation show a larger active area (compared to planar samples), allowing more efficient removal of polutants from the gaseous phase. The influence of various modifications of TiO2 nanotubes and of operating parameters (flow, humidity and UV intensity) on photocatalytic efficiency will be investigated. The goal is to get the material having at the same time good adsorption properties and at the same time a high ability to remove unwanted volatile substances in the air. Part of the work will use the standard ISO tests for monitoring the kinetics of oxidation reactions (NOx, VOCs) on the surface of the prepared photocatalysts. The important part is the characterization of materials/coatings (XRD, SEM, BET, Raman spectroscopy) and further development of methods allowing the testing of functional properties of the prepared materials/coatings in air treatment.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Josef Krýsa

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Production of hydrogen as an alternative energy source/carrier is becoming recently very important and intensively studied process. One of the promising options is direct production of hydrogen from water via solar light. Very important process is also removal of persistent pollutants in waters by advanced oxidation processes, one of them is photo-electrochemical oxidation. The topic of the present thesis is the preparation of semiconductor photoanodes and photocathodes (eg. WO3, BiVO4, CuO, CuFeO2, atd.) for photo-electrochemical water splitting or photo-electrochemical removal of persistent pollutants. Different methods of preparation (aerosol pyrolysis, spray pyrolysis, etc. ) will be used and the resulting films will be characterised (XRD, GDS, UV-VIS, BET, SEM) and their photo-electrochemical properties (open circuit potential, photocurrent, IPCE) evaluated. The attention will be given to the influence of composition, crystalline phase, layer thickness and porosity. The best photoanode and photocathode layers will be applied in the tandem solar photo-electrochemical cell and its efficiency for water decomposition to hydrogen and oxygen by sunlight will be determined.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Josef Krýsa

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A photoelectric chemical system involving a photoanode, photocathode, membrane and suitable ox/red couple allows the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. The theme of this thesis is the investigation of possible systems for solar energy conversion with a focus on suitable photoanode and photocathode materials and their combination with suitable electrolytes. Part of the work will be the preparation of selected photoanode or photocathode materials (e.g. Fe2O3, ZnO, WO3, BiVO4, CuO, CuFeO2, etc.) and investigation of their behaviour during long-term photoelectric polarization. Different methods of preparation (aerosol pyrolysis, spray pyrolysis, etc. ) will be used and the resulting films will be characterised (XRD, GDS, UV-VIS, BET, SEM) and their photo-electrochemical properties (open circuit potential, photocurrent, IPCE) evaluated. The attention will be given to the influence of composition, doping, crystalline phase, layer thickness and porosity.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaromír Hnát, Ph.D.

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Polymer ion selective materials are well established in the many technologies including the environment protection, food industry and large scale production of the basic chemical substances. Energy conversion devices represent the recent but sharply growing field of the ion selective membrane utilization. The work is focused on the complex characterisation of the physio-chemical and electrochemical properties of the developmental ion selective polymer electrolytes.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Dr. Ing. Vlastimil Fíla

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Gas membrane separation represents one of the perspective and energy saving alternative with respect to the present separation processes (PSA, TSA etc.). In the frame of this work the mixed matrix membranes, combining the perspective properties of the both, microporous and polymeric membranes, will be prepared and characterized. The microporous material e.g. ZIF-8, silicalite-1, ETS, FAU, TS-1, AFX, MOF will be used as filler and combined with polyimide matrix. The key issue of mixed matrix membranes preparation which needs to be solved is the adhesion and interface interactions of filler and polymer because of their effects on compactness and selectivity of membrane. The aim of this study is evaluation of different possibilities of microporous and polymer phase modifications with respect to the compactness of membranes and their selectivity and permeability in selected systems of hydrocarbons, CO₂ and H₂.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Josef Krýsa

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The main scope of this work is preparation of photocatalytic active coatings/ paints based on TiO₂ a ZnO on the appropriate substrate (ceramics, glass, metals, facades, hydraulic binders) by different methods. The important part of the work is films characterization (XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy) and development of methods for testing photoactivity and hydrophilic and antibacterial properties of prepared layers. Studied parameters will be the methods of precursor deposition (dip-coating, spraying) and the influence of the binder in the coating and the substrate.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Miloslav Lhotka, Ph.D.

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Scanning isotherms provide important information about the pore network geometry, including its connectivity and pore size distribution, which cannot be revealed from the main adsorption and desorption isotherms. To analyze the connectivity of the porous network in ordered mesoporous materials, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms and their corresponding scanning of the hysteresis loops at temperature 77 K will be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Karel Bouzek

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Water electrolysis represents an important part of the hydrogen economy considered nowadays as a promissing approach to the future securing of the human society with electrical energy. Industrial water electrolysis processes established today suffer from several disadvantages when considering its application in the field of energetics. It is mainly its low efficiency and flexibility. Therefore, this process is a subject of interest of numerous research laboratories arround the globe. Electrode reaction kinetics, suitable polymer electrolytes and overall process design represent the main issues studied. Corrosion stability of the individual construction materials is also an issue.

Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Pavel Hrnčiřík, Ph.D.

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In the past decade, there has been a dynamic development of airborne laser scanning of the altimeter of the territory of most European countries, including the Czech Republic. Digital terrain models, which are one of the results of this laser scanning, provide an extremely large amount of detailed information about the nature of the earth's surface within the given territory. Manual analysis of these data sets is very laborious and lengthy and, in the case of examining larger areas, relatively inefficient, especially from the point of view of human labor costs. In this context, machine learning methods offer a promising alternative for solving this very topical problem. This work is specifically focused on the analytical processing of digital terrain models using machine learning methods for the purpose of identifying and classifying the relics of terrain objects created by human activity (use e.g. in archaeology, nature conservation, etc.).

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Dušan Kopecký, Ph.D.

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The proliferation of modern electronics, integrated circuits, microprocessors and communication and computer technology in general brings with it a high risk of disclosing critical information about the infrastructure in which these elements are used. In the extreme case, there may be a leak or takeover of administrative privileges, which can be misused for digital vandalism, disclosure of important information or attacks on the infrastructure itself. One of the very effective and difficult to detect methods of these attacks is the remote eavesdropping on information that is emanated from electronic devices in the form of electric or magnetic fields. With the development of inexpensive radio technology and as a result of readily available libraries and signal processing algorithms, such an attack may no longer be the sole domain of rich, state-sponsored organizations, but may gradually be adopted by the mainstream hacking community and misused for criminal purposes. The aim of this work is to explore the possibilities and develop and test light and flexible protective shields based on modern nanomaterials, which will serve as an effective passive protection of electronic devices against remote eavesdropping. For this purpose, new composite materials based on electrically conductive nanoparticles with magnetic properties will be prepared. The possibilities of their compatibility with the carrier, chemical structure and morphology, mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties and methods and the possibilities of their processing into the required shape and form suitable for use in miniature electronics will be studied. The experiments will also include testing passive shields in simulated and real conditions and evaluating their ability to dampen electromagnetic waves emitted by electronic devices.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Aleš Procházka, CSc.

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The dissertation is devoted to motion kinematics based on multi-channel data analysis using computational intelligence and digital multidimensional signal processing tools both in the time, frequency, and scale domains. The methodology includes discrimination methods, machine learning, and pattern vector recognition tools for data classification and motion signals modelling in engineering and biomedicine. The application is devoted to monitoring of physiological signals, recognition of motion patterns, and gait data evaluation using selected wearable sensors including accelerometers, positioning GNSS satellite receivers, and thermal cameras. Results will enable real time data processing for diagnostics and artificial intelligence treatment.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaromír Kukal, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Pavel Hrnčiřík, Ph.D.

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The quality of process control of biotechnological production processes used in the pharmacy and food industry is often constrained by the limited possibilities of on-line measurement of key process parameters (e.g. cell concentration, growth rate, production rate, etc.). One possible solution is the use of software sensors to continually estimate the values of key process indicators from on-line measurable process variables. The proposed PhD thesis is focused on the development of hybrid software sensors and data-driven software sensors with dynamically switched structure, that will be able to evaluate the quality of their estimation during the estimation process and continuously adjust the composition of their data inputs, i.e. use a different on-line measured variable or set of variables for each individual phase of the process.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaromír Kukal, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martin Isoz, Ph.D.

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The work is focused on the application of modern methods of model order reduction (MOR) in engineering practice, including chemical and material engineering. The full order models (FOM) are based on the methods of computational continuum dynamics (both fluids and solids). The FOM-generated data are processed via a posteriori data-driven MOR methods such as proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) or its shifted variant (shiftedPOD). The reduced-order model is prepared either in a standard, projection-based, manner or utilising machine learning. The MOR methodology developed within the dissertation will be applied in a number of engineering-driven optimisation problems.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jan Mareš, Ph.D.

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The aim of the dissertation is the design and implementation of a complex system for the analysis of biomedical data. Data for analysis will be provided/measured at the University Hospital of Královské Vinohrady Prague and the Hospital of the Pardubice Region. The system will (i) serve as an auxiliary tool for the specialist (MD) in the objective assessment of the patient's current condition, (ii) enable the analysis of one- and multi-dimensional data (mainly ECG, heart rate, movement data, possibly CT and NMR). The methodology used for the analysis will be based on classical statistical methods (OLR, RF, etc.) and will also use deep learning methods.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Aleš Procházka, CSc.

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The dissertation is devoted to multi-channel data acquisition by selected sensor systems and their processing using specific artificial intelligence tools. A special attention is devoted to sensors for simultaneous data acquisition and the use of wireless communication links for their recording and organization in the selected database system. The associated mathematical processing includes data symmetry evaluation, machine learning application, and pattern recognitiion in engineering and biomedicine. The application is devoted to monitoring of neurological signals, evaluation of motion symmetry, and deep learning application for classification of patterns. Results will enable real time data processing using computational intelligence for dynamic access to records through Internet connection.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Mgr. Pavel Cejnar, Ph.D.

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This work concentrates on the processing, reconstruction, and analysis of multidimensional signals, particularly those with significant interfering components. The analysis of mixed chemical samples, utilizing techniques such as mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis, generates a vast amount of data, often affected by numerous undesirable physical factors. The objective is to focus on identifying and optimizing suitable statistical and machine learning models. This includes comparing various models and refining them to emphasize the filtering of unwanted components, reconstruction of optimal signals, and direct extraction of significant values. The project involves collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, leveraging their extensive experience in protein analysis through mass spectrometry.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Dušan Kopecký, Ph.D.

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The rapid advent of autonomous systems such as robotic assistants, drones or self-driving vehicles has inevitably brought with it an increase in the use of positioning devices, such as microwave sensors, or advanced lidar, radar or radio technology. This also increases the likelihood of the occurrence of undesired interferences of this electromagnetic wave with the integrated circuits of the autonomous device, which may in turn lead to an increased probability of the occurrence of dangerous phenomena, including accidents and loss of life. The aim of this work is therefore to develop new materials for the attenuation of electromagnetic interference and to apply them as protective shields in the operating area of the electromagnetic spectrum of existing positioning systems. The work will focus on the search, synthesis and characterization of suitable electrical and magnetic materials and their nanostructured analogues and the subsequent design, manufacture and testing of new lightweight and flexible shields. Part of the work will also be modelling and evaluation of the shielding efficiency of protective shields in simulated and real conditions of operation of autonomous systems.

Granting Departments:	Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Cybernetics
Study Programme/Specialization:	Measurement and Signal Processing in Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Dušan Kopecký, Ph.D.

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Tactile temperature or pressure sensors are devices used in robotics to evaluate the robot's interaction with other objects. These include, for example, manipulating an object, measuring the slip of a gripped object, determining the coordinates of the position of the object or measuring the magnitude of the force acting on the object. The extreme case is complex tactile systems, the purpose of which is to simulate and replace human touch. The sensors used for these purposes must be sufficiently miniature, sensitive to small changes in pressure, must have favorable dynamic properties and time and operational stability of the parameters. Due to the expected high density of tactile sensors connected in simple applications, there must be the possibility of their operation in the form of sensor arrays and data processing using advanced mathematical and statistical algorithms. Last but not least, the cost of producing them must be reasonable so that they can be easily replaced in the event of wear. The aim of this work is therefore to develop new types of tactile temperature and pressure sensors based on modern nanomaterials, which can be used in experiments with the measurement of temporally and spatially distributed forces acting on the matrix of sensors. Part of the work will be the preparation, characterization and processing of thermoelectric and piezoresistive materials based on organic nanostructured semiconductors and carbon nanostructures. Testing of these substances will include, inter alia, structural, chemical and mechanical analysis and measurement of electrical properties in both direct and alternating electric fields. Selected materials will then be processed into sensitive sensors. Part of this work will also be the design of sensor arrays and their testing and signal processing using advanced algorithms.

Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Filip Průša, Ph.D.

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High entropy alloys belong to a relatively new group of materials which are characterized by the preferential formation of solid solutions instead of intermetallic compounds. These materials exhibit several excellent properties, foremostly high strengths while maintaining sufficient ductility, good corrosion resistance and others. By suitable processing of these alloys, it is possible to achieve further substantial improvement of these already very good properties. The work will be focused on the preparation of new advanced high-entropy alloys combining significantly higher strengths while maintaining sufficient plasticity.

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Prošek, Ph.D.

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To assure safe operation of the infrastructure for transport and storage of hydrogen advancing the goals of decarbonisation of Europe, this project will focus on understanding into the effect of environmental parameters on processes controlling entry of atomic hydrogen into materials in contact with pressurized hydrogen. The risk of hydrogen embrittlement is affected by the quantity of diffusible hydrogen present in metallic material, with thresholds depending on material composition and microstructure. The role of environment (temperature, pH, redox potential, corrosivity, presence of recombination poisons), surface reactions (including adsorption) and surface state (contamination, oxide film, corrosion products) in hydrogen entry in dry pressurized hydrogen, humid hydrogen and water electrolyte in contact with pressurized hydrogen will be investigated. Critical factors controlling the entry and critical application conditions will be identified through understanding the underlying processes. Experiments combining exposures in deuterated water and gaseous hydrogen with the potential to gain deeper insight into the entry mechanism will be carried out at together with an Austrian partner. Industrial support with samples and advanced analytics will be provided by a major operator of underground storages in the Czech Republic. Machine learning techniques will be applied to treat the obtained data and find interdependencies.

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Prošek, Ph.D.

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Additive manufacturing (AM) provides the possibility of a step change in material efficiency by increasing the ‘buy-to-fly’ ratio by reducing material waste, design optimisation by placing material only where it is needed in a component, and the possibility of repair of components to dramatically extend service life. For these benefits to be fully realised, optimised circular approaches to AM are required including the use of recycled materials, improved feedstock (powder) manufacturing with increased yields, manufacturing with low or no defects and resultant parts with excellent performance including the ability to repair and remanufacture to dramatically improve life span. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of car production, this project will aim at optimization of additive manufacturing technologies in order to reach longer lifetime of produced tooling for car part production at reduced manufacturing environmental costs. It will be allowed by deeper understanding into the relationship between the properties of metal powder, manufacturing parameters and application properties. Tooling with improved corrosion, wear or heat resistance will thus be produced. In particular, the project will look at (1) understanding into the effect of powder composition on final performance of produced parts, (2) increase powder re-use or application of powders made of recycled metals, (3) optimization of post-treatment techniques such as fine machining, heat treatment and nitridation, (4) development of methodologies for assessment of product durability, including advanced defectoscopy techniques, mechanical tests and corrosion resistance, and (5) identification of areas where material or energy savings can be reached without compromising the application properties. The project will be carried out with the support of a major Czech car manufacturer and in cooperation with an Australian university.

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Prošek, Ph.D.

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To advance the goals of decarbonisation of Europe, ways for increasing safety of metallic materials used for hydrogen storage and transport need to be sought, increasing the availability of hydrogen as an energy source. Within this study, possibilities for limiting the risk of hydrogen entry to new steel parts and existing steel installations by surface modification and coatings will be investigated. Namely, formation of protective oxide films, surface active inhibitors, and metallic or organic coatings will be studied. The aim will be to identify coatings and surface modification technologies capable of efficient and long-term reduction of atomic hydrogen formation and entry, or forming a barrier between gaseous hydrogen and steel, or otherwise reducing the sensitivity to hydrogen embrittlement. Series of experiments will be carried out to understand the role of different surface treatments in surface hydrogen activity and transport properties of hydrogen in coating materials using advanced techniques available in the hydrogen laboratory of Technopark Kralupy. Selected solutions will be tested in pressurized hydrogen. For the retrofitting applications, surface treatment of materials from natural gas storage facilities will be used. Access to natural gas storage facilities and their typical materials will be provided by a major operator of underground storages in the Czech Republic.

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Milan Kouřil, Ph.D.

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Corrosion of steel reinforcement is a major cause of damage to reinforced concrete structures, causing huge economic damage and posing a safety risk. The protection of reinforcement against corrosion has not yet been satisfactorily addressed. The approaches being developed are based on the selection of more resistant materials, the use of appropriate surface treatments and the application of corrosion inhibitors, sealing agents and electrochemical methods of corrosion protection. In particular, the use of electrochemical techniques to accelerate the transport of corrosion inhibitors to the reinforcement and to increase the effect of sealing agents will be studied. Methods for electrochemical testing of the effectiveness of these protective techniques will be developed.

Granting Departments:	Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Filip Průša, Ph.D.

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Metallic materials are nowadays reaching many application limits regarding their mechanical properties, which can not be further overcome by common techniques, including microstructural refinement or intensive plastic deformation. Therefore, incorporating new phase particles such as oxide or carbides seems to be highly perspective due to their ability significantly strengthen the alloys. In the frame of the dissertation, the possible utilization of waste materials to improve the properties of modern alloy systems will be studied.

Department of Organic Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Pavel Lhoták, CSc.

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The aim of this work is focused on the design and synthesis of higher calixarene analogues (with five or more phenolic subunits) that could be applied as receptors for fullerene recognition. The aim of this work is to achieve selective complexation of C60 or C70 using suitably chemically modified calixarene skeletons and concave/convex principle of the interactions. Novel compounds will be used as receptors for the complexation of fullerenes and as the building blocks for construction of supramolecular self-assembly systems.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Kohout, Ph.D.

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High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the world’s leading method for separation of chemical mixtures. Despite undoubtful progress in numerous areas of this field in recent years, resolution of polar ionised and ionisable analytes still represents a very challenging task to solve. Moreover, most advancements achieved are of purely academic nature and are not transferred into any actual technology used in practice. The present Ph.D. project covers the full scope of research and development of a new portfolio of brush-type stationary phases bearing ion-exchange selectors intended for both chiral and achiral separations of ionised and ionisable compounds. The candidate is expected to synthesise a new library of cation exchangers (CX), anion exchangers (AX) and zwitterion ion exchangers (ZW) derived from natural precursors (e.g., cinchona alkaloids, amino acids, etc.). The prepared selectors will be immobilised to silica gel solid support and tested as separation media for various sets of analytes (e.g., amino acids, organic acids, basic drugs, short peptides, etc.). In collaboration with our laboratory spinoff - Galochrom s.r.o., the synthesis of the stationary phases with the best separation performance will be scaled-up and marketed as a part of the new generation of Galochrom’s product portfolio. Therefore, a direct industrial impact of the Ph.D. project is expected.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Kohout, Ph.D.

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High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the world’s leading method for final purification of most active pharmaceutical substances. Despite undoubtful progress in numerous areas of this field in recent years, resolution of polar ionised and ionisable analytes still represents a very challenging task to solve. Moreover, most advancements achieved are of purely academic nature and are not transferred into any actual technology used in practice. The present Ph.D. project covers the full scope of research and development of a new portfolio of brush-type stationary phases bearing ion-exchange selectors intended for both chiral and achiral separations of ionised and ionisable compounds. The candidate is expected to synthesise a new library of cation exchangers (CX), anion exchangers (AX) and zwitterion ion exchangers (ZW) derived from natural precursors (e.g., cinchona alkaloids, amino acids, etc.). The prepared selectors will be immobilised to silica gel solid support and tested as separation media for various sets of analytes (e.g., amino acids, organic acids, basic drugs, short peptides, etc.). In collaboration with our laboratory spinoff - Galochrom s.r.o., the synthesis of the stationary phases with the best separation performance will be scaled-up and marketed as a part of the new generation of Galochrom’s product portfolio. Therefore, a direct industrial impact, particularly on pharmaceutical industry, of the Ph.D. project is expected.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Radek Cibulka, Ph.D.

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The use of excited organic anions as photoredox catalysts offers several advantages as compared to commonly used neutral molecules, particularly in reductive chemistry. This project aims to explore the photophysical and chemical properties of anionic forms of flavin derivatives. Based on the results, new photocatalytic systems using excited flavin anions will be designed with a focus on photoreductions beyond the current scope of photoredox catalysis.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Markéta Rybáčková, Ph.D.

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Planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanes featuring rigid structure and chemical stability have been widely applied e.g. in asymmetric synthesis. Aza[2.2]paracyclophanes, also known as pyridinophanes, are quite rare but intriguing compounds with interesting chiroptical properties. They have been employed as enantioselective catalysts. The aim of the work will be the synthesis of novel nucleophilic fluorination reagents bearing a chiral aza[2.2]paracyclophane unit and their application in enantioselective synthesis.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Markéta Rybáčková, Ph.D.

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Triptycenes are intriguing organic molecules that have found applications in several scientific fields, including supramolecular and materials chemistry, due to their unique properties and rigid framework. Yet, their potential in asymmetric synthesis and catalysis remains to be unveiled. Heterotriptycenes, which contain a heteroarene ring as a part of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane core, are quite novel class of compounds. The aim of the work will be synthesis of fluorination reagents based on chiral azatriptycene unit and their application in enantioselective synthesis.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Tomáš Tobrman, Ph.D.

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: Currently, most multicomponent reactions make use of three or four components. In both cases, the reactions can be catalyzed by transition metal complexes. However, transition-metal-catalyzed multicomponent reactions that use five or more components are rare. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop new five- and six-component reactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes. The core components will be disubstituted, trisubstituted, and tetrasubstituted alkenes.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Pavel Lhoták, CSc.

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Pillar[n]arenes can be considered relatively new members of the family of phenolic macrocycles. Due to their unique cylindrical shape and electron-rich cavity with adjustable size, pillar[n]arenes have already found many applications in contemporary supramolecular chemistry. To name at least a few such applications, the sensing of various analytes, supramolecular self-assemblies, stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers and model systems to study various noncovalent interactions can be mentioned. It is well known from the chemistry of calixarenes that the introduction of sulfur instead of common methylene bridges leads to dramatic changes in chemical and supramolecular behaviour of such systems. The aim of this project is the construction of pillararenes and their analogues bearing sulfur as the bridging units and the investigation of these new macrocycles including their characterization, derivatization and the study of supramolecular applications.

Department of Organic Technology

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Eliška Vyskočilová, Ph.D.

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The aim of this thesis will be the production of biomass-based fine chemicals. Biomass-based sources will be, e.g., pinenes or furfural, and the fine chemicals produced would belong to the group of fragrances, pharmaceuticals, and others. The main aim would be optimizing the reaction conditions together with the chosen catalyst and the reaction course.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.

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High melting point drugs present a challenge in the formulation of amorphous solid dispersions, e.g. solid solutions with polymers, because the chemical stability of both the drug and the polymer makes it impossible to safely reach the eutectic melt formation temperature. Thus, solid dispersions are essentially formed by dissolving solid drug in the polymer melt, which creates both residence time and mixing requirements in the molten state, as well as requirements for compatibility of drugs and coformers to prevent undesired crystallization of the drug in the finished product. Therefore, this work will focus on the evaluation of compatibility of drugs and coformers by computational and experimental methods, stability of dispersions as a function of their composition and kinetics of drug dissolution in polymer melt. This main axis will be complemented by the study of the application properties of the formulations prepared with the possible support of an industrial partner. The work assumes a significant contribution to supervision from FHNW Basel.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Iva Paterová, Ph.D.

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Double layered hydroxides, also known as hydrotalcite or anionic clays, are an important group of materials with a wide range of applications. They can be applied as catalysts, catalyst precursors or ion exchangers, in sorption and decontamination processes. They can also be used for the intercalation of various substances including drugs. The aim of this work will be to prepare these materials, modify their surface with silanol based compounds and to characterize them by suitable methods. The prepared materials will be used as support materials for the immobilization of selected active substances.

Granting Departments:	KU Leuven, Belgium Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in Czech language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Pavel Čapek, CSc.

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The work is aimed at the mathematical modelling of composite materials, the preparation of which includes the creation of a suspension of solid particles in a liquid mixture of a solvent and a polymer precursor, volume contraction of the suspension caused by evaporating the solvent and by forming a solid polymer matrix. The initial suspension is modelled using the random sequential addition of particles of various shapes. Then, the motion of particles of the filler in the shrinking suspension is simulated. Each model microstructure and the corresponding microstructure of the real composite material sample are characterised using statistical measures and these measures are subsequently compared with each other for the quality of the model to be evaluated. The real microstructures are deduced from digital images of their polished sections that are observed using a scanning electron microscope.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.

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This work is aimed at the study of the drug release from the solid dosage forms comprsing solid dispersions. Such formulations exhibit a well-defined structure, and the drug dissolution can be studied not only by classical dissolution techniques, but also by the apparent intrinsic dissolution. Several fronts develop in dosage forms of this type, where thos fronts corresponds to the liquid penetration, drug leaching and erosion of the residual matrix. Such processes can be described by diffusion-erosion models, which allow determining their rate controlling steps and characteristic rates to be used for the design of controlled release drugs.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Eliška Vyskočilová, Ph.D.

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Essential oils and extracts from plants known for their medicinal effect contain a wide range of different substances, but not all of them have biological activity. Several procedures can be used to isolate individual biologically active compounds from plant extracts and essential oils. One of them is solid phase extraction, in which a very effective and selective separation can be achieved by choosing an optimal combination of stationary and mobile phase. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) could be a suitable alternative to conventionally used stationary phases. The advantage of MIPs is their stability, both physical and chemical. The MIP preparation process, in which cavities complementary to the desired separated molecule are formed in the polymer, is responsible for their high selectivity. It is also always necessary to optimize the preparation of the polymer itself (method, used monomers and cross-linkers, ratio of reactants, temperature, time), the process of extracting the template molecule from the polymer and, last but not least, the procedure of the solid phase extraction (conditioning of the solid phase, elution medium). Terpenic molecules will be selected for the dissertation, suitable MIPs will be prepared and the possibility of separation the selected molecules from plants will be tested.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.

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The disintegration kinetics of tablets is a determining step for their overall dissolution behavior, as it determines the size and specific surface area of the fragments produced during their disintegration. This kinetics depends on the rate of penetration of the disintegration medium into the tablet microstructure, both into the pores and swelling components of the tablet, and the ability of the internal dissolution and swelling processes to disrupt the tablet cohesion. The aim of this work is to study the kinetics of water absorption into the tablet as a function of its composition and microstructure by means of textural analysis and microscopic measurements, to study the resistance of the tablet to erosive effects as a function of the amount of absorbed liquid as well as the size of the fragments formed as a result of these processes. The knowledge obtained should then be used to develop a fully or partially predictive model capable of predicting disintegration behavior based on the microstructure of the tablet and the physical properties of its components.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Pavel Čapek, CSc.

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The work is aimed at simulation and experimental determination of transport properties of mixed-matrix membranes that differ from each other in polymer and filler materials. In addition, the membranes containing different fractions of filler particles will be investigated. Statistical treatment of obtained data will accompany the experimental determination of permeability. Permeability will also be modelled on the basis of reconstructed microstructures of the membranes and transport properties of components forming the membranes.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Eliška Vyskočilová, Ph.D.

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Quaternary ammonium salts can serve as catalysts of important reactions, of which the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides or alkenes leading to cyclic carbonates plays an important role. Another important reaction that can be catalyzed by ammonium salts is the Knoevenagel condensation of aldehydes with nitriles. This reaction is interesting from the point of view of use in the field of chemical specialties such as fragrances or pharmaceutical intermediates. The disadvantage of ammonium salts is their use in a homogeneous arrangement, and therefore complicated separation from the reaction mixture and the impossibility of repeated use. The aim of the thesis will be the preparation of heterogeneous analogues of quaternary ammonium salts, their detailed characterization and testing as catalysts in selected reactions. The influence of the structural properties of the prepared materials on their catalytic activity and, last but not least, the possibility of repeated use will be monitored.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martina Pitínová, Ph.D.

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2D materials are defined as layered materials with minimum thickness to the physical limit. Graphene is the first example of 2D materials, isolated from natural graphite in 2004 which has been since then extensively investigated in the wide range of potential applications. Beyond graphene, a wide spectrum of 2D materials. Layered 2D materials are characterized by large surface area, uniformly exposed lattice plane, adjustable electronic state, ability of surface defect formation, and possibility of controlled surface functionalization. Because of these unique properties, 2D materials can be utilized in catalysis as the supports for anchoring of catalytic active species/metals. The greatest benefit of using 2D support sis possibility to decrease amount of anchored precious metals necessary for catalysing of the chemical reaction. The aim of the research work will be preparation of heterogenous catalysts utilizing 2D materials that will be active in basic chemical syntheses as hydrogenations of hydroformylations. Experimental work will therefore include preparation of heterogeneous catalyst utilizing 2D materials as the supports for various precious metals, as Pt, Pd, R or Ru. The prepared catalysts will be deeply characterized using available characterization methods (SEM/EDS, TEM, XRD, N2-physisorption, Raman spectroscopy etc.).

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.

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Interactive mixtures are self-organizing systems of host-guest particles that form as a result of preferential inter-surface interactions. In addition to their well-known use in powder inhalers, they may find applications in other areas of drug delivery, e.g. to increase the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. The aim of this work will be to study the interparticle inter-surface interactions using surface energy measurements, atomic force microscopy, and centrifugation methods, to define the stability conditions of the interactive aggregates based on the properties measured using those methods, and to find methods of designing a stable interactive mixture for a specific drug.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Patera, Ph.D.

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Drug stability is one of the fundamental qualitative attributes that must be evaluated in the context of drug research and development. Without sufficient information on the stability of the medicinal product, it is not possible to obtain a marketing authorisation and to place the product on the market. Significant effort is invested at the beginning of development to select the optimal API form for further downstream development steps. Understanding the stability of the selected API formulation is important for appropriate choice of manufacturing processes and quality assurance of the finished products. The scope of the work will be to study both the chemical and physical stability of different APIs in terms of formulation composition and type of mixture preparation or process treatment.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Patera, Ph.D.

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Free surface energy is one of the important parameters in industrial applications and processes of powder and fibrous materials. Differences in surface energy affect interfacial interactions such as wetting, cohesion, or adhesion. As the wide range of uses of powders is controlled by surface reactions or interactions, the characterization of surface energies can be important information for improving surface properties (eg surface modification). General theories can only be applied to smooth, molecularly flat solid surfaces or particles. However, most interfaces for particulate matter do not have an ideally smooth surface or an ideally homogenized surface, so the work will focus on determining the heterogeneity of surface properties; heterogeneity of surface energy, and its relation to other properties of these substances.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martin Veselý, Ph.D.

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Layered low-dimensional materials are auspicious for application in all areas of nanotechnology since properties of these materials depend on the degree of exfoliation. Also, catalysis seems to be an exciting application as a superior effect of a two-dimensional (2D) support on the activity of metal nanoparticles due to specific metal-support interactions. This project is focused on preparation and chemical modification of layered materials based on Si, Ge, and SixGe(1-x) mixtures. The aim is to prepare 2D hundreds-of-micron-sized sheets and nanometer-sized quantum dots (QDs) with high optical and chemical uniformity. Functionalization of the prepared uniform low-dimensional materials allows the application of these materials in fundamental research of phenomena typical for heterogeneous catalysis: I) Study of the exclusive effect of 2D support on the enhanced activity of metal nanoparticles and II) Assessment of accessibility and interconnectivity of pores space in conventional catalysts using 0D QDs with varying size as a pore space probe.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Tereza Školáková, Ph.D.

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Pharmaceutical products are sophisticated mixtures of numerous compounds that can be liquids or solids. However, there is still the problem how to select them efficiently without costly and time-consuming tests that are associated with the complexity of the drug development. Surface energy could be used as powerful prediction tool to perform such selections. The aim of this work is to provide a new perspective on the prediction of component compatibility (API and excipient) for formulation design for the production of solid dosage forms based on the surface properties of their components.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martin Veselý, Ph.D.

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Two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit increased catalytic activity in 2D material-supported metallic nanoparticles compared to their bulk counterparts. The increase in activity attributes to specific 2D support-nanoparticle interactions. The thesis focuses on the nanohybrid (2D support-nanoparticle) preparation by various routes, including both the metal introduction after the exfoliation and simultaneous exfoliation and metal deposition. An inherent part of the thesis is a complex and correlated spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of the prepared nanohybrids. Then the final output will be a relation between the synthetic route, material texture, and catalytic performance in model reactions like selective hydrogenations, oxidations, and C-C coupling.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.

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This project will focus on the evaluation of the applicability of the products of primary thermal treatment of organic waste (e.g. waste plastics) and alternative raw materials (biomass) in the steam cracking process. The objective is to study the products and yields of pyrolysis of these raw materials experimentally, to transfer the obtained results to an industrial scale and to compare the economic parameters of such processing with other methods of utilization. The laboratory study will be based on experiments in a micropyrolysis reactor. The transfer of the results to the operational scale will be solved on the basis of comparison with reference results of traditional raw materials using machine learning principles.

Department of Physical Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Ctirad Červinka, Ph.D.

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Large structural and chemical variability of organic semiconductors raises the need for computational screening of the electronic structure of the bulk phase and related material properties, such as the band gap or the charge-carrier mobility. The latter property remains rather low for most existing organic semi-conductive materials when compared to the traditional inorganic crystalline platforms of the optoelectronic devices. Understanding relationships among the bulk structure, non-covalent interactions therein, electronic properties, conductivity, and the response of all such properties to temperature and pressure variation will greatly fasten the material research in the field of organic semiconductors. This thesis will employ the established electronic structure methods with periodic boundary conditions, as well as fragment-based ab initio methods to map the cohesion of bulk organic semiconductors with the charge-carrier mobility is both crystalline and amorphous structures of these materials. Ab initio calculations and the Marcus theory will be used as the starting point for a detailed investigation of the impact of local structure variations, due to chemical substitution, thermal motion, or polymorphism on the conductivity of target materials.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Mgr. Jan Heyda, Ph.D.

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Thanks to the increasing computational power, the results of computer simulations are practically limited only by the quality of input parameters of the used model. In the case of molecular simulations, it is about the used "empirical" force fields, which traditionally rely on available experimental thermodynamic data and simple information from quantum-chemical calculations. These traditional approaches can be replaced by using precise ab-initio calculations, which are computationally extremely demanding. These demanding calculations can be used for training neural networks. With the help of machine learning, the computational demands of these approximate ab-initio simulations can be brought closer to the demands of simulations with force fields [1], and as a result, obtain numerically precise solutions to the studied models. This modern approach has the potential to significantly limit the influence of the choice of force field on the obtained results and thus receive correct answers to fundamental scientific questions for the right reasons. In this work, we focus on the application of this method to the study of aqueous solutions of salts and solutes dissolved in them.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Ctirad Červinka, Ph.D.

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Organic semiconductors represent a broad material class offering interesting properties such as potential biocompatibility, large structural variability, mechanical flexibility, or transparency. These promising properties, however, cannot outweigh insufficient conductivity of the organic matter when compared to crystalline silicon, which impedes wider spread of alternatives to the traditional inorganic platforms for optoelectronic devices. This work will concern development and applicability testing of quantum-chemical methods for modelling polymorphism of molecular crystals similar to relevant organic semiconductive materials. Larger molecular size, high degree of conjugation and frequent heterocyclic nature of the target molecules represent the challenges that the computational chemistry has to face in order to provide accurate decription of molecular interactions in this field. Accurate quantum-chemical treatment of the non-covalent interactions, their relationship to the bulk structure, and the stability of individual polymorphs at various conditions will be targeted within this thesis. Finally, an interpretation of the impact of subtle variations of bulk structure on the charge-carrier mobility in organic semiconductors will be searched for.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Ctirad Červinka, Ph.D.

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Modern formulations of drugs often rely on cocrystalline forms the crystal lattice of which is built from multiple chemical species, mainly an active pharmaceutical ingredient and another biocompatible compound being called a coformer in this context. These cocrystalline drug forms often exhibit higher solubility, stability or other beneficial properties when compared to crystals of pure active pharmaceutical ingredients. Since molecular materials tend to crystallize in single-component crystals rather than in cocrystals, the task of finding a suitable coformer for a given active pharmaceutical ingredient may be very tedious and labor demaning. To circumvent the costly experimental trial-and-error attempts, in silico methods can help to preselect a list of possible coformers offering a high probability of forming the cocrystal. Currently available methods focus on screening the electrostatic potential around the assessed molecules and empiric pairing of its maxima and minima for the individual molecules, which enables coformer screening with a fair accuracy for predominantly hydrogen-bonded molecules. This thesis will aim at incorporation of ab initio calculations of molecular interactions that will bring further improvements also for cocrystal screening of larger molecules with prevailing dispersion components of their interactions. Also the impacts of stechiometry variations and of the spatial packing of the molecules in the cocrystal lattice will be newly considered, greatly enlarging the applicability range of the current cocrystal screening procedures.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Mgr. Jan Heyda, Ph.D.

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Smart materials are rapidly growing field, due to wide spectrum of potential aplications and tunable properties. Such materials typically possess at least one property, which can be reversibly changed in a controlable way by an external stimuli. One group of such materials are thermoresponsive polymers. They undergo collapse transition at the critical temperature. Moreover, near to this temperature their properties are extremally sensitive to changes in the solution environment, such as pH, salt concentration, polymer concentration. In terms of molecular dynamics simulations student will investigate thermoresponsive polymer PNIPAM, and/or its copolymers with ionic liquid. The effect of ionic strengt, as well as of pH on the thermodynamics of collapse transition will be studied. At the second step, besides the atomistic simulations, student will develop a coarse-grained model (with T-dependent effective potentials) that allows to study large scale systems, and thus answer the role of polymer concentration, or of polymer chain length. Flory-like mean-field models will be constructed, and their applicability discussed. This work is motivated by already published experimental work, and connects to the recent thermodynamic modelling of thermoresponsive polymers. If time permits, the salt and cosolvent specific effects will be also addressed. An intensive collaboration with the group of Prof. Joachim Dzubiella at Freiburg University is expected.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Marcela Dendisová, Ph.D.

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V přírodě, a hlavně v odpadních vodách, se vyskytuje čím dál větší množství residuí farmakologických přípravků, jako jsou hormonální přípravky, antibiotika, výživové doplňky a jiné. Jejich rostoucí množství má neblahý vliv na životní prostředí a je tudíž zapotřebí najít spolehlivý nástroj pro jejich detekci a analýzu. K tomu mohou sloužit metody povrchem zesílené vibrační spektroskopie, které jsou využívány pro detekci látek o nízkých koncentracích. Před využitím těchto metod v praxi je zapotřebí studovat adsorpční procesy daných farmakologických látek s využitím technik povrchem-zesílené vibrační spektroskopie, zahrnující Ramanův rozptyl a infračervenou absorpci. Dalším krokem je využití technik blízkého pole založených na mikroskopii skenující sondou. Tyto techniky umožňují sledovat optickou odezvu v závislosti na experimentálních podmínkách (materiál substrátu, energie budícího záření, morfologie povrchu, …) a nalézt optimální podmínky pro jejich detekci.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Karel Friess, Ph.D.

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Membrane separation processes belong to modern, technologically important separation methods, which are less demanding (economically and ecologically) in comparison with classical separation methods. For gas separation applications, polymer membranes are mainly used. Their performance (permeability or separation effect) can be additionally adjusted by the targeted embedding of liquid or solid additives into the polymer matrix. The dissertation thesis will focus on the preparation of 2D/3D membranes via the electrospinning method, characterization, and testing of the composite membranes for the separation of gases based on polymers and functional nano-additives with a purposefully prepared structure. In addition, the modeling of the separation process will be part of the work. The result of this work will be the preparation and testing of membrane material for effective gas separations.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Mgr. Jan Heyda, Ph.D. Prof. Werner Kunz

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Traditional ionic liquids are based on functionalized imidazolium cations, alkyl ammonium cations, etc. in which the delocaliazed charge and hydrophobic groups play dominant role. As a consequence, these compound, which are too different from the natural materials, are toxic for the environment. This contrasts with the recent ionic liquids, in which softer motifs, such as short alkyl chains alternating with hydrophilic ethoxy groups take place, and carboxyl groups carry the charge. These compounds are nontoxic, usually easy to degradate by natural processes. In this thesis, we will investigate the family of Akypo LF2 ionic liquids. Akypo LF2 is a carboxylic acid with a hydrocarbon chain containing 8 ethylene glycol blocks and an octyl chain. Due to presence of a hydrophilic and hydrophobic part it behaves in aqueous solutions as a surfactant. Since it is an acid, various salts can be formed. Significantly, most of the metallic salts are liquid, which means these structures are room temperature ionic liquids with lots of possible uses. In this PhD project we focus on the molecular and structural determination of metallic Akypo LF2 ionic liquids, measuring physicochemical properties with the aim for industrial use. These findings will be used in the development of an atomistic model of Akypo LF2-based ionic liquids. Its application in molecular dynamics simulations should validate the thermodynamic, kinetic, and structureal experimental findings on strict theoretical grounds. Last, the simulation should contribute to microscopic explanations of unique properties of Akypo LF2.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Bc. Petr Slavíček, Ph.D.

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Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Bc. Petr Slavíček, Ph.D.

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Charge transfer processes are fundamental to understanding chemical reactions. Traditional electrochemical techniques often struggle to fully characterize these processes. However, recent advancements in liquid phase photoemission spectroscopy offer promising avenues for integrating spectroscopy with electrochemistry. In this thesis, the applicant will employ innovative methods from quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics, and molecular modeling to elucidate the connection between these fields.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Bc. Petr Slavíček, Ph.D.

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Processes that involve the simultaneous transfer of electrons or energy along with atoms, typically hydrogen or protons, are widely recognized for their significant involvement in biophysical phenomena. This thesis will center on the emerging field of proton-coupled energy transfer (PCEnT) from a theoretical chemistry standpoint. The research will integrate quantum dynamics, molecular simulations, and modern quantum chemistry methodologies. Collaboration with experimentalists is envisioned.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Fulem, Ph.D.

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The objective of the thesis is to explore the current possibilities of in silico approaches as tools for the rational design of drug delivery systems. The project will consist of interconnected research activities involving both experimental and theoretical undertakings, which will lead to the development of an optimized computational tool for the selection of polymeric carriers for given drugs and subsequent optimization of the performance-related characteristics of the resultant drug delivery systems.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Martin Klajmon, Ph.D.

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Knowledge of the phase behavior of substances is a key factor for the design of amorphous molecular materials, such as organic semiconductors or pharmaceutical formulations. Large structural and chemical variability of these materials require the application of computational screening methods that would enable fast and as-accurate-as-possible estimation of their bulk thermodynamic properties. Common molecular mechanics methods (e.g., grand-canonical Monte Carlo simulations) with classical force field models for predicting the phase behavior are notoriously challenging and give results that are far from acceptable numerical accuracy. Therefore, this thesis aims at developing a novel computational methodology based on a unique synergy of established first-principles electronic structure methods and efficient Monte Carlo simulations to map the thermodynamic properties (e.g., densities, enthalpies, and Gibbs energies) of different phases at a wide range of temperatures and pressures to construct global phase diagrams. Furthermore, this approach will enable a better understanding of the relationship between the molecular properties and interactions and the macroscopic phase transformations of bulk materials. At each stage, the developed methodology and its features will be compared with the available experimental data and results from existing computational approaches. Since it is expected that the methodology will exploit various different computational frameworks, the project will also include the creation of program tools for the required interfaces and processing of the simulated data in a form that would allow automation of the calculations, making the developed methodology available to a broader community.

Granting Departments:	Department of Physical Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	prof. RNDr. Bc. Petr Slavíček, Ph.D.

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Department of Physics and Measurement

Granting Departments:	Department of Physics and Measurement
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Dr. Ing. Martin Vrňata

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Metals of highly porous surfaces are called black metals (BMs). BMs surface properties are rather specific; they result from the combined effect of morphology - nanostructural features, surface chemistry, and prominent specific physical properties of metals. Due to large specific surface, high catalytic activity, ability to form complexes with gases that have a character of Lewis bases and also due to easy surface functionalization the BMs possess a large potential in gas sensing -especially chemiresistors. It is advantageous to arrange the active layer of sensors so that the continuous bottom layer made of BM (acting predominantly as a transducer) is surface- decorated by organic receptors. The student will carry out a systematic research of chemiresitors based on black metals (e.g. gold, platinum , antimony, tin) decorated with organic receptors which have high affinity to detected gas molecules.

Granting Departments:	Institute of Physics of the CAS, v.v.i. Department of Physics and Measurement
Study Programme/Specialization:	Molecular chemical physics and sensorics ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Vlček, Ph.D.

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Traditional materials for solid-state chemoresistive gas sensors are semiconductor materials like metalloids, semiconductor metal oxides or organic semiconductors. Transition metal complexes are a very promising class of materials, which are mostly overlooked. They offer, depending on the transition metal ion and the design of the ligands, the possibility of various features with the desired chemical and electronic structure. These compounds are therefore suitable candidates for multiple applications such as gas/chemical sensing. Within this project, new coordination complexes (using transition metals such as Ni, Cu and other potentially attractive metals) will be developed and synthesised (in collaboration with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). The ligands will be designed appropriately and combined with the late first row transition metal ions to lead to the desired structural vacancies. In a second step, these complexes will be used for thin film processing in order to test them as active layer for gas detection. The preparation and analysis of the thin films is crucial to use them for selective and sensitive detection of harmful and toxic gas analytes. The attention will be aimed to chemoresistive and optical gas detection principles. Theoretical calculations (done in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute) will help to understand the sensing mechanism and provide a route to develop and improve the complex design in a systematic way.

Department of Polymers

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in Czech language )
Supervisor:	Stella De Almeida Gonsales, Ph.D.

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Environmental pollution as a consequence of the rapid growth in plastic production and single-use plastic consumption is a major and pressing global concern. In this context, polyolefins deserve particular attention. With difficult degradation, these materials present significant challenges to the environment. Among the solutions for the growing amounts of plastic waste are the continuing development of degradable polymers and the development of strategies for chemically recycling such products. The PhD topic will focus on targeting these important issues by designing and synthesizing new catalysts, recycling strategies, and materials with improved properties.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Zdeněk Hrdlička, Ph.D.

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Increasing the share of waste rubber recycling is, in accordance with the principles of the circular economy, one of the current topics of the rubber industry. Recycling rubber is not easy, as it is an insoluble and infusible material. A perspective form of recycling appears to be the grinding of rubber waste followed by partial or complete reclaiming or devulcanization of rubber particles. These reactions can be caused by chemical agents, elevated temperature or shearing, or less traditionally, by ultrasound, microwave radiation or microorganisms. The work will study the influence of conditions on the course of devulcanization / reclaiming of rubber, the efficiency of this transformation and its nature, i.e. whether devulcanization (splitting of crosslinks) or regeneration (splitting of crosslinks and main rubber chains) takes place. The properties of rubber compounds and vulcanizates containing the obtained recycled rubber will also be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Drahomír Čadek, Ph.D.

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The dissertation will focus on the processing of sustainable materials (such as starch or PBS) mainly through injection molding. This most widespread processing technique uses a range of common synthetic plastics, while when using sustainable materials, there is often a different material flow (if we also consider natural fillers, the mixture flow is even more complicated) and the injection machine settings need to be adjusted accordingly. The goal of the thesis is the use of "intelligent forms" and advanced assessment of the processability of materials. This is primarily an "online" assessment of viscosity through suitable sensors (pressure, temperature, etc.), which will be able to immediately evaluate the machine settings. Combining this technology with sustainable materials will achieve sustainability throughout the production process.

Granting Departments:	École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille, France Department of Polymers
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language , Double Degree )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Jan Merna, Ph.D.

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The thesis will be focused on the preparation of block copolymers based on olefin and diene monomers by coordination copolymerizations. The focus will be on copolymers with blocks of different properties, e.g. hard and soft blocks. Principles of coordination chain transfer polymerization and chain-shuttling polymerization will be applied. Introduction of polar functional groups will also be of interest. The work will include organometallic synthesis of catalysts, polymerization experiments in presence of various transfer agents and full characterization of obtained polymers. The work will be done in collaboration with ENSC Lille under co-tutelle supervision with Prof. Phillipe Zinck.

Department of Solid State Chemistry

Granting Departments:	Department of Solid State Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Čejka, Ph.D.

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API's multiple-component crystals are a valuable option in modfying pharmacokinetic profile, stability of API etc. The application properties of any particular active compound are often rendered by means of the component is built in the structure. This work aims to prepare single crystals of salts, solvates, co-crystals and polymorphs of selected compounds, study potentional temperature dependent phase transitions, their complex characterization using a bundle of analytical methods accenting X-ray structure analysis and consequent correlation of parameters and solvent occupied voids.

Granting Departments:	Department of Solid State Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Barbora Doušová, CSc.

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Aluminosilicates, together with e.g. powdered building waste, biochar, lignin are able to adsorb and keep a large amount of water compare to soils and sediments. The mixing of these materials with selected soils in controlled dosages can support water retention in soils, which is significant due to more and more often "dry periods" and generally lower precipitation. A controlled dosage of the material with high water retention to soil ecosystems can improve markedly a water regime and hydrological cycle.

Granting Departments:	Department of Solid State Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Čejka, Ph.D.

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Topic of this work will be focused on preparation and crystal growth of volatile and subliming organic compounds with accent on active pharmaceutical ingredients (polymorhps, solvates, salts or cocrystals) from gaseous phase and solution in order to prepare large-volume crystals thereof. The work will be focused on sublimation apparatus design and optimization of the crystal growth procedure of organic compounds from gaseous state using horizontal two section resistive furnace with separate temperature regulation. This method is based on transferring (subliming) the starting material into gaseous state in the storage part of the growth system and its subsequent crystallization (desublimation) in the dedicated coolest place of the system. Setting of suitable temperature regime in both furnace sections defines and controls the growth rate of growing crystal. An integral part of the work comprises: (i) a new crystallization container divided into storage and crystallization stages will be designed, (ii) growth conditions (temperature gradient in the furnace, temperature regimes) will be optimized, and (iii) the physical, structural and optical properties of the prepared crystals will be characterized. Second part of this work will be focused on preparation of crystals of model organic compounds grown from solution. The solvents influence on the crystallization process and final crystal quality will be evaluated. Results of characterizations performed on crystals obtained from diverse procedures as well as of used procedures will be compared.

Granting Departments:	Department of Solid State Chemistry
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Barbora Doušová, CSc.

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In soil profiles several toxic elements (arsenic, antimony, selenium) occur as oxyanions primarily bound to HFO phases, forming stable surface complexes. This process runs as the balanced adsorption of oxyanions from a soil solution to active adsorption sites of soil particles, in the presence of another anions and dissolved organic matter. During this process the binary and/or ternary soil complexes of HFO, organic matter and oxyanion have been formed. The adsorption and complexation proceed in a colloid environment, which is susceptible to the ionic strength of soil solution (stabilization or aggregation of particles). According to recent results the stability of formed ternary complexes is critical for the long-term stability of binding oxyanions. The aim of this work will be to qualify the formation of organic matter – ferric oxide – anionic particle ternary komplexes, to describe their structure and binding properties, and to estimate the environmental impact to the stability of complex components, particularly the toxic oxyanionic forms.

Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR, v.v.i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Informatics and Chemistry Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Pavel Rössner, Ph.D.

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Environmental pollution represents a global problem affecting health of most of the population worldwide. To effectively protect the organism against negative impacts of environmental pollution detail molecular mechanisms of effects of pollutants need to be revealed. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the impact of air pollution of whole-genome mRNA expression and epigenetic mechanisms (miRNA expression, DNA methylation) in model human cell systems in vitro. Lung and olfactory mucosa tissue models will be exposed to ambient air in localities with different levels of environmental pollution and mRNA expression profiles and epigenetic changes will be evaluated. The thesis should contribute to formulation of a detailed model describing, at molecular level, the response of the organism to ambient air pollutants.

Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Pavel Topka, Ph.D.

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Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are one of the main contributors to air pollution. They are precursors of photochemical smog (ground-level ozone) and very efficient greenhouse gases (up to 11 times more effective compared to CO2). Furthermore, they are detrimental not only to the environment but also to the human health due to their harmful properties (toxic, malodorous, mutagenic and carcinogenic). Therefore, increasingly strict regulations are being put in place worldwide in order to reduce VOC emissions into the atmosphere. VOCs are emitted from thousands of different sources like chemical plants, petroleum refineries, power plants, paint industry, gas stations, dry cleaners etc. In the industry, the old thermal incineration units are retrofitted with the catalytic oxidation technology, which is a green and cost-effective method for the abatement of VOC emissions. The aim of the thesis is the development of new catalysts for VOC oxidation. The activity and selectivity of the prepared catalysts in the oxidation of model VOCs will be correlated with their physicochemical properties in order to identify the factors important for their efficiency. Required education and skills: • master degree in chemical engineering, physical chemistry, organic technology, chemical physics or similar; • willingness to do experimental work and learn new things, team work ability.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Luděk Kaluža, Ph.D.

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Heteroatoms N, O, S, or Cl bound in hydrocarbons represent a barrier in the chemical processing of fossil and renewable feeds, because they are a source of corrosion in chemical equipment, catalytic poisons, harm the environment or deteriorate the energy value of hydrocarbons. These heteroatoms are therefore removed by decomposition reactions to form hydrogenated heteroatoms and pure hydrocarbons. Some decompositions are accompanied by C-C condensation reactions (Guerbet coupling, aldol condensation). The study will cover the synthesis of new heterogeneous catalysts including the evaluation of their activity and selectivity in model reactions performed in laboratory tubular flow microreactors. Gas and liquid chromatography (GC/FID/MSD/SCD, LC/qTOF) creates the chemical-analytical background for the reaction progress kinetic analysis (RPKA). Microstructural characterization of the prepared catalysts will comprise N2/Ar physisorption, inverse chromatography, XRD, XPS, Raman/IR spectroscopy or SEM/HR-TEM microscopy.Required education and skills • Master degree in chemistry, chemical technology, chemical engineering; • experience with varied experimental work in a chemical laboratory; • ability to work as part of a team.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Ing. Vladimír Církva

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Proposal is based on the connection of two scientific disciplines: traditional photochemistry and recently developed microwave chemistry, when the effect of UV/Vis and microwave radiation on the chemical and physical properties of molecules is studied. The required radiation is generated completely atypically directly by the microwave field using so-called electrodeless discharge lamps (EDLs). The aim of the project is basic research in the preparation of EDLs (mercury, sulfur, other metal) and optimization of the effect of microwave and UV/vis radiation on the photocyclization of stilbene derivatives, which can lead to polyaromatics. Required education and skills: • master degree in organic technology or organic chemistry, • experimental skill and practical knowledge of reaction optimization, • team work ability, • employment contract at ICPF.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Ing. Vladimír Církva

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Proposal is based on the connection of two scientific disciplines: traditional photochemistry and recently developed microwave chemistry, when the effect of UV/Vis and microwave radiation on the chemical and physical properties of molecules is studied. The required radiation is generated completely atypically directly by the microwave field using so-called electrodeless discharge lamps. The aim of the project is basic research and optimization into the influence of microwave radiation on the course of cis-trans photoisomerization and photocyclization of stilbene and o-terphenyl derivatives, leading to phenanthrene, triphenylene, phenacene, helicene analogues or their N- and S-hetero derivatives, which may find application in molecular electronics. Required education and skills: • master degree in organic technology, • experimental skill and practical knowledge of reaction optimization, • team work ability.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Tomáš Strašák, Ph.D.

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The project is focused on the application of modular synthesis principles to a preparation of novel dendritic materials with properties tailored for medicinal applications, especially in the field of regenerative medicine. The first stage comprises the synthesis of a library of carbosilane building blocks (dendrons) using silicon atom as a branching point and bearing suitable peripheral functional groups (saccharide ligands, cationic groups, PEGyl chains etc.). These components will then be used for the construction of multifunctional macromolecular compounds with precisely defined dendritic structure. The application of prepared materials to the encapsulation of small molecule drugs, complexation of therapeutically active proteins and growth factors, and physically-chemical characterization of these systems will be an inherent part of the work, with emphasis on suitable pharmacokinetic and cytotoxic behavior. The work is a part of the research project supported from OP JAK fund; within this project the student will closely collaborate with external partners on the application of the prepared materials. Required education and skills • Master degree in organic chemistry, organic technology; • enthusiasm for experimental work and learning of new things; • team work ability.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Storch, Ph.D.

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The transition to a low-carbon economy requires renewable energy sources and increased energy storage capacity in stationary applications. Lithium-ion batteries, despite their recent advancements, are constrained by short-term storage capacity and energy loss over multiple cycles, diminishing their lifespan. They also present safety and reliability concerns. Organic radical flow batteries (ORFBs), using organic redox-active molecules instead of traditional metal compounds, offer an alternative. This project aims to develop phosphorus heterocycles for ORFBs, ensuring stability over a broad temperature range, and providing high energy density and cyclability. The goal is to surpass the limitations of existing quinone and phenazine-based electrolytes, matching the performance of commercially used vanadium-based ORFBs. Required education: • Master's degree in Organic/Inorganic Chemistry or Organic Technology and related fields.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biotechnology Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Irena Brányiková, Ph.D.

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Phycocyanin (PC) is a blue-coloured protein pigment associated with the accessory light-harvesting complex in microalgae. It is a water-soluble, multimeric compound having fluorescent tetrapyrrole chromophores. Recently, PC has been reported to have various therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiaging, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anticancerous, immunoregulating, and antiinflammatory. Althought PC is already used in food technology and cosmetics, its potential is not yet fully exploited especially due to rapid degradation at acidic pH and relatively high price. The aim of this work will be to cultivate the cyanobacteria Limnospira sp., Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and red alga Galdieria sulphuraria (i), to determine the productivity of biomass and PC under different conditions in the autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic regime (ii), to optimize the production conditions on a laboratory scale (e.g. temperature, pH, source of nitrogen, carbon and energy) (iii), assess the chemical and thermal stability of PC (iv) and evaluate methods of PC extraction from the biomass including production costs estimation.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Technology Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Chemical Technologies ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Karel Soukup, Ph.D.

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The main aim of the proposed project is focused on assessment of the specific properties of the novel polymeric nanofibrous materials prepared by electrospinning in applications as effective catalyst supports. Other targets of this project will be specifically addressed to the optimization of the electrospinning process parameters with respect to properties of the prepared supports, deposition of the catalytically active centers or catalyst precursors and assessment of the effect of support microstructure on the phenomenological kinetics of model reactions. Studied model reactions will involve both reaction in gas-phase (total oxidation of volatile organic compounds) and liquid-phase (selective hydrogenation of unsaturated carbonyl compounds). Additionally, it will be investigated the possible influence of differences between polymer surface nature of nanofibers and conventional polymeric catalyst supports on catalytic properties. Required education and skills: • Master degree in chemical technologies, chemical engineering or chemistry of materials; • methodical and creative approach to work; • willingness to perform experimental work and learn new issues.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Storch, Ph.D.

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π-Conjugated organophosphorus systems have become the subject of intensive research in recent years, primarily due to their applications in materials chemistry. The presence of the phosphorus atom in these molecules facilitates further derivatization, effectively altering some key characteristics of the target molecules and their intended applications. A special place in this class of substances is occupied by six-membered phosphacycles. Although considerable progress has been made recently in synthesizing these substances, polyaromatic compounds incorporating a phosphinine ring remain rare. This study will investigate synthetic routes for introducing the phosphinine core into nanographene structures. The properties of these novel compounds will also be extensively studied. Required education: • Master's degree in Organic/Inorganic Chemistry or Organic Technology and related fields.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jindřich Karban, Ph.D.

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Galectins are a class of lectins (carbohydrate-binding proteins other than enzymes and antibodies) characterized by affinity to some galactosides and sequence homology. Non-covalent interactions of galectins with oligosaccharides are involved in many fundamental biological events. Inhibition of these interactions by synthetic analogs of saccharides (glycomimetics) is of principal significance in their study as well as in drug development. The main goal of this PhD project is the synthesis and evaluation of hybrid glycomimetic galectin inhibitors based on the combination of carbohydrate and organometallic structural motifs. Installation of an organometallic moiety into the structure of a glycomimetic inhibitor can not only result in higher affinity or selectivity of inhibition, but also enable to study the interactions with galectins by means of electrochemical methods. Required education and skills • Master degree in chemistry. • The willingness to acquire and apply advanced methods of organic synthesis.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jindřich Karban, Ph.D.

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Galectins are a class of lectins (carbohydrate-binding proteins other than enzymes and antibodies) characterized by affinity to galactosides and sequence homology. The so-called tandem galectins comprise two related but non-identical carbohydrate-binding domains (CRD) with a partially different substrate specificity. The inhibition of tandem galectins by synthetic analogs of saccharides (glycomimetics) is of principal significance in fundamental research as well as in drug development. Attachment of monovalent domain-specific inhibitors to suitable carriers will give rise to multivalent inhibitors that can inhibit both domains within the tandem galectin simultaneously and very effectively if the right topology is achieved. The main goal of this PhD project is the synthesis and evaluation of glycomimetic inhibitors of individual domains and verification of the hypothesis that an appropriate spatial arrangement of domain-specific inhibitors on a multivalent carrier can lead to high affinity inhibitors of tandem galectins due to a multivalent effect. Required education and skills • Master degree in chemistry. • The willingness to learn and apply advanced methods of organic synthesis.

Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Michael G. S. Londesborough

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The aneutronic fusion of a proton and a 11B nucleus to give three 4He nuclei is the most efficient and ecologically safest energy source, millions of times more yielding than, say, the combustion of coal, and without any of the problems of radioactivity that nuclear fission brings. To achieve p-B fusion, enormous compressions of 10^5 times the density of solid materials are required. Advances in laser technology lead the way in creating such conditions, in which light generates powerful pressure waves through B and H containing plasma. Here, a better understanding of the ideal fuel and the characteristics of the target is needed. This project, supported by an EU Pathfinder grant, proposes the boranes as a fuel for aneutronic fusion. Boranes are comprised solely of atoms of B and H in ratios of approx.1:1 located in immediate proximity to each other –eliminating the need for any primary target, and boding well for confinement. We intend to use the versatility of borane chemistry to make a wide portfolio of fuel candidates, study their behaviour at the conditions of confinement, and demonstrate their utility in p-B fusion

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jiří Henych, Ph.D.

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The work focuses on the preparation of nanostructured cerium oxides by various "wet chemical" methods and their use in environmental and bio-applications. The exceptional surface redox properties of CeO2 nanostructures enable the reactive adsorption/catalytic decomposition of dangerous pollutants (such as pesticides or pharmaceuticals in water), but also, chemical warfare agents. In addition, CeO2 nanoparticles show unusual pseudo-enzymatic properties and can thus mimic enzymes in living organisms, which could lead to the development of artificial enzymes, so-called nanozymes.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Tomáš Baše, Ph.D.

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Atomically precise metal clusters represent a developing area with materials properties of which are effected by their size and can be regarded as transient from an atomic level to bulk. Recently, we have reported the first few examples of hybrid metal and car(borane) clusters and demonstrated their exceptional thermal stability. This PhD theme will focus on new stable hybrid metal (car)borane cluster species of different nuclearity as well as on the synthesis of suitable (car)borane clusters terminated with different functional groups to open up the hybrid clusters to new chemistries. This topic covers numerous challenges that are of synthetic, analytical, or computational origin, and all of them relate to the huge size of the new hybrid clusters consisting of hundreds or thousands of atoms. This project is a part of multidiciplinary international cooperation.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Kaplan Kirakci, Ph.Dr.

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Molybdenum clusters of nanometer dimensions are aggregates of six Mo atoms with ligands. The work includes their synthesis, study of stability, luminescence and biological effects. Upon activation by visible light, the clusters produce singlet oxygen, which is a highly reactive and cytotoxic species. We recently found that clusters can also be excited by X-rays. We have already obtained promising results in the field of X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy. Thus, Mo clusters represent effective compounds for the development of drugs for increasing the effectiveness of cancer radiotherapy, for photodynamic therapy or photoinactivation of bacteria.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Bohumír Grüner, CSc.

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The scope of proposed PhD work involves study of thin films of multiferoic hexagonal ferrites with magnetoelectric properties synthetised by soft chemistry routes, and their complex chemical, microstructural, structural and physical characterization. The PhD study will be focused to the U, Y- and Z-type hexaferrites studied in the form of ceramics and thin films (https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-020911-125101). In particular, thin films will be prepared by means of chemical solution deposition methods using spin- or dip-coating deposition technique and their real (micro) structure (x-ray and neutron diffraction, electron microscopy) in relation to their functional properties will be studied. Physical investigations include measurements of electrical conductivity, dielectric properties complemented with the magnetic and magnetoelectric measurements (in cooperation with both domestic, and foreign physical laboratories).

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Matouš Kloda, Ph.D.

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Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials based on the combination of metal centers or clusters and organic ligands with two or more coordinating groups. Wide scale of available metals and linker molecules allows for tuning the chemical and physical properties of MOFs and adjusting them for a particular application. Phosphinate coordinating group (POOH) forms stable bonds with metal centers while creating predictable coordination motifs, thus providing advantages over more traditionally used carboxylate and phosphonate groups. The aim of the thesis will be the preparation and characterisation of novel MOFs based on phosphinate linkers, with a focus on preparation of crystals suitable for structure determination by X-ray diffraction. The stability of MOFs will also be tested, as well as their potential applications such as pollutant sorption or electron and proton conductivity. The student will learn synthetic techniques for the preparation of linker molecules and MOFs as well as characterisation methods (NMR, powder and single crystal XRD, gas sorption, thermal analysis...) and probing their applications. The work will take place at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Řež.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jan Hynek, Ph.D.

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The constantly increasing world consumption of energy and the connected environmental problems require the development of new ecological energy sources, which includes a wider utilization of fuel cells and batteries. Proton-exchange membranes are an important part of the devices that separates the space of electrode half-cell reactions. Up to now, proton-exchange membranes are made of mainly conductive polymers which have several drawbacks; high manufacturing price, permeability for some fuels or amorphous character, which does not allow deeper understanding of the transport mechanism. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous coordination polymers consisting of metallic nodes connected to each other by di- or multidentate organic ligands. The regular structure containing pores and the possibility of tuning their size, physical and chemical properties make these materials suitable for proton transport within the membranes in hydrogen fuel cells. The work is focused on the preparation of zirconium MOFs containing tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and its derivatives with an effort to maximize their proton conductivity. The prepared materials will be derived from the already known structures of PCN-222 and MOF-525, which are characteristic with a specific surface area of 2200 – 2600 m2/g, mesoporous character and, compared to other MOFs, exceptional chemical stability. Proton donating (phosphonates, phosphinates, sulfonates) or accepting (amines) functional will be introduced into the structures using the substitution of the porphyrin ligand and post-synthetic modification methods. The effect of these modifications on the proton conductivity of the resulting materials will be studied.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Jan Demel, Ph.D.

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Activated borane is a new type of porous polymer that was first prepared at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry in Řež. Activated borane is formed by thermal co-thermolysis of borane clusters with organic molecules. Initial analysis shows that the polymer is probably composed of borane clusters connected by organic linkers coming from the organic molecules. Initial studies demonstrated that activated borane is a perspective material for sorption of water pollutants and as catalyst for Lewis-acid catalyzed reactions. The aim of the dissertation work will be the preparation of novel porous structures, characterization and the study of its applications, mainly as catalysts in Lewis acid-based reactions. During the course, the applicant will master systematic workflow in the laboratory, analysis of wide range of characterization methods (powder XRD, adsorption of nitrogen, FTIR, NMR, etc.) and performing application studies for testing sorption and catalytic degradation of pollutants. The work will be done at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry in Řež

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Karel Škoch, Ph.D.

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Catalysis with transition metal complexes represents well established approach to perform chemical transformations both efficiently and economically. Even though remarkable progress was achieved in this field, there are some disadvantages are associated with transition metal complexes such as high price, toxicity and environmental and strategic issues. Therefore, there is a steady demand for finding a new and alternate approaches towards catalysis using abundant main group elements. Boranylium salts represents a group of positively charged trivalent boron compounds. Their electrophilicity is enhanced by positive charge located at the boron, they are extraordinary strong Lewis acids. Advantageous is their synthetic availability and high reactivity, which makes them attractive for discovering new synthetic avenues, reagents and catalysts. The aim of the work will be preparation of boranylium salts stabilized by carbenes (and other donors), explore relations between their structure and reactivity mainly in regard of utilization as photophysical sensors or catalysts for C-H bond activation or CO2 fixation. Applicant will adopt advanced synthetic techniques on the borderline between organic and inorganic synthesis including Schlenk techniques and glovebox.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Bohumír Grüner, CSc.

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This topics deals with synthesis of asymmetric boron clusters, separation of enantiomers, and study of their interactions with chiral organic platforms. Although the axial chirality resembles that of some chiral organic platforms like BONOL or ansa- substituted metallocenes, the chemistry remains grossly unerexpored and offers broad possibilities.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Josef Buršík, CSc.

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The scope of proposed PhD work involves study of thin films of multiferoic hexagonal ferrites with magnetoelectric properties synthetised by soft chemistry routes, and their complex chemical, microstructural, structural and physical characterization. The PhD study will be focused to the U, Y- and Z-type hexaferrites studied in the form of ceramics and thin films (https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-020911-125101). In particular, thin films will be prepared by means of chemical solution deposition methods using spin- or dip-coating deposition technique and their real (micro) structure (x-ray and neutron diffraction, electron microscopy) in relation to their functional properties will be studied. Physical investigations include measurements of electrical conductivity, dielectric properties complemented with the magnetic and magnetoelectric measurements (in cooperation with both domestic, and foreign physical laboratories).

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jan Šubrt, CSc.

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Li-ion batteries are one of the most promising electrochemical power sources. Ti-based materials such as Li4Ti5O12, Li2Ti3O7, TiO2-B and H2Ti3O7, are considered as important anodes for Li-ion batteries due to their high safety and excellent cycling stability. Li-ion battery (LIB) technology (typically using carbon materials as the anode) faces serious challenges if it is to take over the hybrid electric vehicles and stationary power sources. Ti-based compounds, especially Li4Ti5O12 have been demonstrated as the most promising anode materials for large-sized LIBs since they exhibit excellent cycling reversibility and a high operating voltage to ensure improved safety. However, the rate capability of these Ti-based materials are relatively low because of a large polarization at high charge–discharge rates. To enhance its electrical conductivity, ion doping and surface modification, and ionic diffusivity by designing various nanosized materials were used. A new preparation method will be used based on the extraction of sulphate ions from the crystals of titanium sulphate hydrates and their replacement with hydroxyl groups in aqueous alkali solution. The method leads to nanostructured metatitanic acid or alkali titanates and is suitable also for metal doping the material.

Granting Departments:	Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Petra Ecorchard, Ph.D.

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2D and layered materials (e.g. layered double hydroxides or alkoxides) will be prepared as self-supporting catalysts. These materials will be modified by ionic liquids (e.g. imidazolium type), containing metal. These ionic liquids will be immobilised on a surface of 2D or layered materials and all systems will be studied for heterogeneous catalysis (mainly ring opening catalysis).

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Hynek Beneš, Ph.D.

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Polyurethanes (PU)s are the fifth most demanded synthetic polymers in Europe, mainly due to their high versatility enabling production of flexible, semi-rigid and rigid foams, elastomers, sealants and coatings. Besides chemical recycling of PUs, their biological (enzymatic) degradation is considered as a promising approach. The willingness to biodegrade primarily depends on the chemical composition and structure of PU materials. The versatility of PU chemistry makes possible to prepare PU materials which, in accordance with the current trend, are designed with degradation-on-demand features. This approach can also be applied for NIPU materials (non-isocyanate PUs), which are currently highly investigated due to their environmental-friendly preparation avoid the use of toxic isocyanates. In addition, the NIPU structure can be easily adapted for accelerated biodegradation, e.g. by introduction of more polar (typically hydroxyl) groups. Another eco-friendly feature of NIPUs is their design as entirely bio-based materials. The aim of this work is to prepare novel NIPU materials with different chemical composition and supramolecular structure and to study their biodegradation with the aim of understanding the relationship between the rate of biodegradation and the NIPU structure.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Hynek Beneš, Ph.D.

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The increasing production of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) and it is generally considered as the biggest waste contributed to climate change. The aim of this work is to investigate the possibilities of converting CO2 into polymer materials. The first route will be the CO2-oxirane (epoxy) coupling reaction, which leads to production of various cyclic carbonates, which are monomers for innovative polymer materials, e.g. non-isocyanate polyurethanes and epoxides. The second approach will be the direct CO2 transformation into polycarbonates. The third way will involve the ring-opening copolymerization of epoxide with CO2 leading to linear carbonate-ether copolymers. Bio-based monomers will be used to obtain fully renewable polymer materials. The important part of this PhD topic will be finding a suitable catalytic system for each synthetic path. Our preliminary experiments showed the successful CO2-epoxy cycloaddition in the presence imidazolium and metal-based ionic liquids (ILs). Due to ILs’ countless possible anion/cation combinations, they seem to be suitable candidates to catalyze the cycloaddition reaction of epoxide and CO2. As part of the doctoral project, a student's several-month internship at foreign collaborating workplace (INSA Lyon, France) is assumed.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Zdeněk Starý, Ph.D.

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Polymer composites are materials with a high application potential in advanced technologies. The topic concerns with a control of polymer-filler interface by surface modification of filler particles and its effect on rheological properties of composites with a particular attention to their elasticity in the molten state. Although the effects induced by the presence of filler particles on melt elasticity are reported in literature, understanding of their origins and mechanisms is still lacking. Systematic study of the influence of particle size, concentration and surface modification on melts elasticity in linear and non-linear viscoelastic range will be performed. Moreover, processing properties of the composites including flow instabilities analysis will be studied. The composites will be studied experimentally by different rheological techniques (oscillatory shear, capillary rheometry). Structure of the composites will be visualized by electron microscopy.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Jiří Pánek, Ph.D.

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The aim of the Ph.D. thesis is to develop a conceptually new system for inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) in brain as a treatment tool for suppressing glutamate toxicity and subsequent neuroinflammation-caused secondary damage after ischemic, hemorrhagic or traumatic brain injuries (which typically damage brain and spinal cord more than the primary injury and are the reason why neural damage often gets worse within few days after first occurrence of symptoms). The delivery system will modify the unfavorably hydrophilic properties of the GCP II inhibitors, which are normally unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The delivery system will also enhance inhibitor potency by forming multivalent physically self-assembled („molecular toolbox“) biocompatible polymer-coated solid lipid nanoparticles. The inhibitor-containing nanoparticles will decompose after crossing the BBB by apolipoprotein E-mediated transfer and the polymer-bound inhibitor will become reversibly membrane-anchored in the proximity of the membrane-bound GCP II. This membrane anchoring is expected to be a generally applicable concept for targeting also enzymes or receptors other than GCP II.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Petr Chytil, Ph.D.

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Treatment of stroke, which is one of the deadliest disorders, has improved tremendously in recent years. Pharmacological treatment, i.e., intravenous thrombolysis, will still remain a keystone of acute stroke treatment. Unfortunately, there is still a limited amount of suitable and effective thrombolytics; thus, there is a potential for improvement, especially in using polymer carriers. Polymer carriers are non-toxic, non-immunogenic, and biocompatible polymer materials enabling targeting and controlled release of biologically active compounds in the treated tissue and thus minimizing side-effects of carried active compounds. The doctoral project theme will consist of synthesizing and studying the properties of tailor-made polymer carriers of thrombolytics. The topic is suitable for graduates of chemistry, eventually pharmacy. The student will learn new skills in the synthesis and methods of characterization and can participate in biological characterization. We offer exciting and varied work in a well-established team of Biomedical polymers, affording hi-tech equipment and material background.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Michal Babič, Ph.D.

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The project is focused on the preparation of novel polymer particles in colloidal form for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes via intranasal administration. The particles will be prepared by heterogeneous polymerisation techniques (dispersion or precipitation) and the main polymerisation reaction will be based on an aromatic substitution mechanism. Bioanalogic aromatic substances will be used as monomers. The effect of reaction conditions on the morphology and composition of particles and other physicochemical parameters determining the behaviour of particles in biological systems will be studied. Subsequently, the particles will be derivatized for their detection using preclinical imaging methods so that their biodistribution and pharmacokinetics can be monitored after intranasal administration. Biological testing of the particles will be performed at the collaborating departments of the UEM CAS and the 1st Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University. The aim of this collaboration is to describe how the composition and morphology of the particles from the new polymer types affects the mechanism of each type of intranasal delivery. The researcher will be based in the laboratories of the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry at the BIOCEV Biotechnology Centre.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Zdeněk Starý, Ph.D.

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Nowadays new applications and processing technologies place new and bigger demands on polymeric materials. Materials for 3D printing or electrically conductive polymer composites can serve as typical examples. In most cases these systems have a heterogeneous phase structure, which influences the end-use properties of the final material to a large extent. The aim of the work is to develop novel high-performance polymer materials and composites for 3D printing technologies and discover the relationships between structure and properties of materials relevant for practical applications. Work activities include a synthesis of novel multifunctional nanomaterials, preparation of polymeric materials and chemical and structural investigations by means of different advanced characterization techniques. Furthermore, mechanical and flow behaviour of prepared materials will be studied in detail.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Jan Kučka, Ph.D.

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This doctoral thesis focuses on the development and optimization of labeling techniques for polymers and nanoparticles in the field of medicine. The labeling allows for tracking and provides valuable information for therapy and next biological testing.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Martin Hrubý, Ph.D., DSc.

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The formation of bacterial biofilms is a one of the major issues in the current biomedical research. In the body, such biofilms are created on the surface of the medical devices, e.g., joint prostheses or heart valves, where they cause inflammation and chronic infections. The aim of this Ph.D. project is to develop a novel class of smart self-cleaning anti-biofilm polymer surfaces, based on poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s, that are both anti-fouling and able to catalytically prevent the biofilm formation in the very long-term period. The project work includes polymer synthesis, the surfaces preparation and the study of their physicochemical properties. Moreover, the selected surfaces will be subjected to comprehensive in vitro and in vivo testing in the collaboration with biologists.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Hynek Beneš, Ph.D.

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Itaconic acid is renewable unsaturated dicarboxylic acid and one of the most important biomass-derived compounds that can be transformed into a wide range of valuable chemicals and polymer materials. The aim of this PhD topic is preparation and characterization of poly(itaconic acid) materials and nanocomposites containing 2D layered nanoparticles. The prepared materials will be dynamically crosslinked via reversible covalent linkages and non-covalent interactions (H-bonding, metal-ligand coordination, host–guest complexation or electrostatic/ionic interactions, thereby introducing self-healing and recyclable properties into the materials. As part of the doctoral project, a student's several-month internship at foreign collaborating workplace (Cracow University of Technology, Poland) is expected. The candidates should have good communication skills in English (both in speaking and writing), should be able to work both in a team and independently. Active participation on foreign internships, trainings and scientific conferences is expected.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Ing. Miroslava Dušková

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The principle of stereolithographic 3D printing is the curing of reactive molecules: various oligomers and polymers by mutual reaction of their chemical groups, usually by the mechanism of photopolymerization. The project aim is to use stereolithographic printing in the preparation of biocompatible hydrogels, which e.g. provide excellent media for cell cultivation or are developed as materials for diagnostics, drug carriers and implantation. In these applications, a well-defined 3D gel structure and architecture of pores must be achieved: the goal is to produce a body consisting of interconnected gel domains interwoven with communication channels while maintaining mechanical strength and integrity (bicontinuous structure). The candidate will develop the advanced method of printing of gel objects, which includes a deeper study of the mechanism of gel formation and polymer network formation during the printing process, the development of new reactive mixtures suitable for printing including monomers from natural sources, and the use of the knowledge gained to extend stereolithographic 3D printing to the precision fabrication of hydrogels for biomedical applications. The study will comprise development of novel printing compounds providing biocompatible hydrogels, eventually to be used to produce macroporous hydrogel substrates. The candidate's knowledge of materials chemistry, macromolecular or organic chemistry is a prerequisite. Knowledge of printable shape design software is an advantage.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Martin Hrubý, Ph.D., DSc.

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Self-assembly of (macro)molecules is of crucial importance in the architecture of living organisms. Supramolecular systems have their key properties critically dependent on self-assembly and find use in the area of biomedical applications especially if they are able to reversibly react to external stimuli (changes in pH, light, redox potential, ultrasound, temperature, concentration of certain substances). The doctoral thesis will be based on chemical and/or physicochemical preparation and study of self-assembly of such multi-stimuli-responsive nanoparticles with external environment (pH, redox potential and temperature responsiveness); the exact topic will take into account the student´s interests. The studied nanoparticles and injectable depot systems will be designed for diagnostics and personalized immunoradiotherapy and immunochemotherapy of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Optimized nanoparticles will be then provided to collaborating biological workplaces for in vivo testing.

Granting Departments:	Department of Polymers Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Study Programme/Specialization:	Drugs and Biomaterials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Mgr. Martin Hrubý, Ph.D., DSc.

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Treatment of hypoxic tumors is complicated due to higher radio/chemo resistance resulting in the subsequently lower clinical outcome of the treatment. We propose to explore a new concept of self-assembled polymer radiosensitizers to overcome the problem low hypoxic tumor radiosensitivity. The proposed approach is based on restoration of radiosensitivity of hypoxic cancer tissue by actively hypoxia-targeted delivery of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-precursors as well as on selective decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in hypoxic tissue influencing the HIF-1 alpha system. The proposed concept utilizes hydrophilic biocompatible polymer-based carriers with hypoxia-targeting nitroaromatics systems. The doctoral thesis will be based on synthesis, chemical and/or physicochemical characterization and study of self-assembly properties of such multi-stimuli-responsive nanoparticles with external environment; the exact topic will take into account the student´s interests. The studied nanoparticles and injectable depot systems will be designed for diagnostics and personalized immunoradiotherapy and immunochemotherapy of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Optimized nanoparticles will be then provided to collaborating biological workplaces for in vivo testing.

Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biotechnology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biotechnology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Jan Masák, CSc.

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Actinomycetes, known for their production of bioactive metabolites such as antibiotics, anticancer agents, and immunosuppressants, were thought to be an exhausted resource due to the frequent rediscovery of known compounds. That this is not the case has been revealed through advanced sequencing techniques that have identified the potential of actinomycetes for new compounds at the genome level. The challenge is that many compound-producing biosynthetic pathways in actinomycetes are inactive under standard lab conditions. In this project, we will focus on our unique collection of actinomycetes from different parts of the world. Through genome sequencing of these strains, we have identified gene clusters encoding biosynthesis of metabolites with unusual structural motifs. Our goal is to employ modern methods to activate these pathways and characterize the produced compounds structurally and functionally. Optionally, we will focus on how the compounds are formed by studying key enzymes involved their biosynthesis. To accomplish this, we will employ a multidisciplinary approach that includes culturing bacteria, DNA editing, heterologous expression, bioinformatics, LC-MS with state-of-the-art instrumentation, and bioactivity testing against a panel of clinically relevant pathogens.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Microbiology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Jana Kamanová, Ph.D.

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The classical Bordetella species infect the respiratory tract of mammals. B. bronchiseptica induces chronic respiratory infections in various mammals, while the human-adapted species B. pertussis and B. parapertussis HU lead to an acute respiratory disease known as whooping cough or pertussis. These bacteria establish biofilms on both abiotic surfaces and within the respiratory tract, functioning as an immune evasion mechanism and a focal point for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. The objective of this PhD thesis is to unravel the signaling pathways underlying Bordetella colonization of respiratory epithelia and biofilm formation. The PhD candidate will employ an air-liquid interface model of human nasal epithelia and a microengineered biomimetic system, an organ-on-a-chip, combined with metabolomics, dual RNA-Seq and genetic engineering.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Pavla Bojarová, Ph.D.

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The project for this dissertation focuses on developing a three-step enzymatic synthesis of bioactive chitooligomers (COS) useful in organic crop protection. Chitooligomers are ?-1-4-linked oligosaccharides composed of N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine units whose biological activity depends mainly on their degree of polymerization (DP) and degree of acetylation (DA). COS are known for their ability to induce an immune response in plants and can thus be used as natural crop protection agents against microbial pests. The project will prepare mutant variants of a novel fungal chitinase with enhanced hydrolytic activity to increase the efficiency of chitin cleavage, by which COS fractions with lower DP will be prepared. In the next step, mutant variants of chitinases and ?-N-acetylhexosaminidases with transglycosidase activity suitable for preparing COS with degrees of polymerization of 5-10 on a preparative scale will be used. These chitooligomers will be partially deacetylated with novel chitin deacetylases, yielding COS fractions with different degrees of polymerization and acetylation that are not yet available. The biological activity of the prepared well-defined COS will be tested in collaboration with the Institute of Experimental Botany of the CAS.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Pavla Bojarová, Ph.D.

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Galectins are animal lectins with affinity to beta-D-galactosides, which in vivo participate in, e.g., cancerogenesis, cardiopathologies, they are connected with the modulation of immune response and the course of allergic reaction. The concentration of extracellular galectins in vivo may be used as diagnostic markers in pathologies, such as colorectal carcinoma. A targeted inhibition of extracellular galectins is a prospective therapeutic approach to the treatment of pathologies associated with galectin overproduction. A range of recent structure-function studies is devoted to defining structural requirements for high-affinity and selective carbohydrate ligands of individual galectins. The avidity of specific carbohydrate inhibitors to selected galectins may also be increased by multivalent presentation. The aim of this work is to synthesize new carbohydrate ligands (glycomimetics) with a high afinity and possibly also selectivity for target galectins. Besides usually studied galectins Gal-1 and Gal-3, attention will be devoted to the group of tandem-repeat galectins (Gal-4, Gal-8, and Gal-9). The inhibitory and binding potential of these glycomimetics to galectins will be assayed by in vitro methods of ELISA and other biophysical methods. Structure-affinity relations will be discussed in relation to molecular modeling. Prepared ligands with a high affinity may be used in subsequent experiments with cell cultures, which are available at the supervisor workplace.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Pavla Bojarová, Ph.D.

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Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third most important component of breast milk after lactose and fat. HMOs pass through the digestive tract without major changes and are partially absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. They serve as prebiotics for the gut microbiome of infants, which is important for allergy susceptibility. HMOs prevent adhesion of pathogens to the intestinal epithelium and directly regulate the immune system, e.g. by altering cytokine production. HMOs have been found to prevent or alleviate allergy symptoms. Bacterial cell factories have been used for the high-yield enzymatic synthesis of HMOs without the need for purification of recombinant enzymes. Genetically modified strains of Escherichia coli are suitable for the production of breast milk oligosaccharides. To date, applications have mostly been limited to a basic selection of HMOs, while a broader spectrum of these structures is not available. The subject of this thesis is the development of the synthesis of selected complex HMOs, in particular fucosylated and/or sialylated, on the E. coli platform. These compounds will be further tested in biological experiments concerning their effect on processes related to the initiation and development of allergies, such as passage through the intestinal membrane, expression of relevant biomarkers in epithelial cells, etc.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Microbiology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Ing. RNDr. Petr Baldrian, Ph.D.

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Forest harvesting is economically important but due to the ecological importance of forests, it also represents a dramatic event in the ecosystem development. While clearcutting is a common practice in the temperate and boreal forests, variable retention harvesting is an alternative silvicultural practice in which some portion of the pre-harvest stand is retained after harvest. The broad objective is to maintain structural and functional elements from the pre-harvest condition to promote rapid recovery of biodiversity and ecological functions in the regenerating stands compared to clearcut stands. Harvesting of trees has profound effects on ecosystem processes that are associated with changes in the quality and decreases in the quantity of plant C inputs into the surrounding soil, as well as effects on soil nutrient availability and microclimatic conditions. Harvested stands also offer the opportunity to study the effect of reduced primary production on soil processes. Forest harvesting is known to have major effects on the main symbiotic fungi living on the roots of temperate trees, ectomycorrhizae, however, little is known about harvesting effects on symbiotic arbuscular mycorhizal fungi and bacteria. This project proposes to analyse the short-term effects of forest harvesting on the activity and composition of soil microbial communities in forests with dominant ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and those with mixed ECM/AM. Changes in ecosystem properties and functioning, such as decomposition and N cycling will be linked to the community composition of soil microbes and their transcriptional activity. The project should give a view of the temporary changes of forest stand manipulations as well as answer the response of individual groups of microbes. This is important both for the consideration of future forest management strategies and the predictions of forest management effects on the C balance of forest soils.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Leoš Valášek, Ph.D.

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Imagine a gene is a sentence starting with a capital letter and ending with a period, and a genome as a book telling an entire story. In some protozoans, extra periods have infiltrated the sentences, replacing specific letters of arbitrary words (E and W). As a r.sult, readers are confus.d as to .here thes. sentences really .nd and th. story becom.s disjointed. In this issu. of Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05584-2), we describ. a molecular mechanism that thes. organisms must hav. developed to allo. the reader to navigat. the s.ntences as if there .ere no .xtra periods. Th. sentences are so specifically .ncrypted that read.rs of no other organisms but thos. very fe. can decipher the story in a prop.r .ay. The trick lies in the l.ngth of the tRNA molecul., and in the uniqu. modification of a prot.in that normally ensur.s dot recognition in c.lls - the precis. end of prot.in synthesis. By the intEraction of thesE tWo modified moleculEs, the ribosomE of this protozoan knoWs when to correctly terminatE, notWithstanding the many dots, and whEn to replace thE dots with the two original lettErs, which returns mEaning to the genetic information. LEt’s Explore hoW it is possible on thE molecular levEl and WhEther it could bE used for the benEfit of human hEalth! *This PhD thesis topic and the supervisor are subject to approval by the Faculty's Scientific Council.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. RNDr. Pavla Bojarová, Ph.D.

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Chitin is the second most abundant polymer in nature. Partial deacetylation of chitin produces chitosan, a linear polymer composed mainly of glucosamine units (GlcN) and to a lesser extent of N-acetylglucosamine units (GlcNAc) linked ?(1?4) by glycosidic bonds. Chitosan is biocompatible and can therefore be advantageously used in a variety of biological and biomedical applications. For many biological applications, it is advantageous to work with shorter chains of chitosan, the so-called chitooligosaccharides (COS). COS have been intensively researched for decades in the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, textile industry, food industry and agriculture. Despite their tremendous potential use, poorly characterized heterogeneous mixtures are used in most studies due to the unavailability of well-defined COS. The thesis will focus on the preparation of authentic, pure and fully structurally characterized chitooligosaccharides and their analysis. Exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects (grasshoppers, bees, tarantulas) and fungi will be used as a source of chitin/chitosan. Subsequently, the defined COS chains will be used as carriers for multivalent presentation of bioactive carbohydrates, especially rutinose and galactosyl-carrying glycomimetics, for biological tests with lectins.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Kateřina Valentová, Ph.D.

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Flavonoids, natural compounds found in various plants and foods, continue to attract great interest due to their known positive biological effects. However, these effects are compromised by their low bioavailability after oral administration. In the frame of this work new derivatives of flavonoids will be synthesized and the effect of various modifications on the bioavailability and biological activity of flavonoids will be evaluated. We will focus on the ability of the prepared derivatives to modulate drug resistance of bacteria, the chelatory activity and platelet aggregation inhibitory activity of flavonoids.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, v.v.i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Microbiology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Ing. RNDr. Petr Baldrian, Ph.D.

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Peatlands of Northern Europe are an important source of greenhouse gases (GHG) with a strong influence on global climate - methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. One of the approaches to limit GHG production is the drainage of peatlands and their afforestation. Although this land use change can somehow reduce GHG production, it still partly continues to depend on the management of forests. The fluxes of GHG are, however, also regulated by other factors, such as the seasonal activity of vegetation and microorganisms. Since microorganisms are responsible for GHG production in the soils of forested peatlands, they represent the key to the understanding of GHG production rates and factors that affect them. In this work, we will use field experiments in southern Finland, where GHG production is monitored and where the analysis of microbiome composition and function at different depths of peat can be thus linked to the observed ecosystem-level gas fluxes. This project will offer a combination of fieldwork, labwork and analysis of bioinformatic data. When successful, the results of the thesis should help to indicate what management of peatland forests has the highest potential to mitigate GHG emissions and increase the storage of carbon in forest soils.

Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, v. v. i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Informatics and Chemistry Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Edvard Ehler, Ph.D.

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The development of ancient DNA (aDNA) technologies in recent years gave rise of vast number of human genomic samples, especially from the prehistorical Europe. Most of the known samples are coming from the first four millennia before CE, a periods described as Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age epochs based on associated archaeological findings. These populations are described primarily using their cultural features (archaeological findings, e.g., pottery, burials, food production, technology). The biological relationship between different populations living at that time are only beginning to be unfolded. The applicant will assist in bioinformatic processing of aDNA genomic samples (within an awarded CZ-PL Weave international grant project), focusing on populations from Bronze and Iron Age period from central Europe. The obtained genomic data will be utilized in the main goal of the proposed PhD project – to test different methods of detection of the population substructure and similarities, and identification of population admixture or isolation events. The applicant will be encouraged to test various population genetics methods, as well as modern dimensionality reduction and machine-learning techniques and approaches to describe and comprehend the genomic data on population level. This should allow us to better recognize the genetic background of the target populations, estimate the gene flow between them and thus the regional variability, and help us ascertain their social structure, marriage patterns and identify possible migrations.

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. Paulo Paioti

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Atropisomers are conformational isomers arising from restricted rotation around a single bond. Our main goal is inducing conformational restriction to create pharmaceutical leads by developing catalytic stereoselective synthesis toward difficult-to-access drug-like atropisomers. Atropisomers are chiral, giving rise to two or more isomers that have different pharmacological properties. These attributes relate to a poorly understood fundamental question of how conformational changes, from achiral and flexible to chiral and more rigid impact a molecule’s ability to interact with biological receptors. But to study such concepts, one must first of all create and then synthesize this challenging class of compounds. The main challenge is that atropisomers are intrinsically sterically hindered and potentially configurationally unstable. Accordingly, we will develop new catalytic synthesis methods and strategies, hoping to deliver more efficient, practical and (atropo)selective methods.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Tomáš Kouba, Ph.D.

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Effective treatment against influenza viruses (Flu) suffers from virus resistance. Therefore, there is a great demand for exploring new drug targets and developing effective novel antivirals. This is challenging, since there is only a limited number of antiviral targets for rational drug design. This project will tackle both; it will explore and verify a new target and develop inhibitors against it. Cutting edge results in structural biology of the influenza RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPol), identified a common general mechanism of Flu RNA transcription and replication cycle. The mechanism is entirely dependent on binding of viral endogenous RNA molecules to specific sites on the FluPol. Aided by already existing cryo-EM structures of FluPol, we will design inhibitors based on the sequence, atomic structure and interactions with the protein, and add extensive chemical modification to these viral RNAs. We will then test whether they can inhibit FluPol by in vitro and in cell-based experiments. Targeting these RNA binding sites and using RNA-scaffold based molecules is an innovative concept and expected to be robust in respect to the development of viral resistance. Altogether, the approach has great potential to bring a new universal paradigm to the field of antiviral drug discovery.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Microbiology ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jan Weber, CSc.

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The entry of viruses into host cells is a crucial initial step, particularly for respiratory viruses with significant pandemic potential such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus. Analyzing the interactomes of coronaviruses and influenza A virus and comprehending the early interactions between viral and cellular proteins can provide valuable insights for developing targeted or broad-spectrum antiviral therapies. The main goal of this project is to understand the viral and cellular factors influencing the entry of respiratory viruses. We will employ several strains of coronaviruses and influenza A virus, known to exploit different entry routes into the host cell, and will compare their cellular interactome at the time of entry and during early post-entry events. From the identified cellular interacting partners, interesting candidates will be selected and their role in the virus life cycle analyzed. The student will learn how to work with cell cultures in biosafety level 3, perform proteomic and bioinformatic analyses, and conduct siRNA experiments for gene-knockdown in mammalian cells infected with various viruses. The proposed project will broaden our current knowledge about the early phase of infections of mammalian cells with respiratory viruses.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Tomáš Pluskal, Ph.D.

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Our lab combines cutting-edge experimental (e.g., LC-MS, metabolomics, RNA-seq) and computational (e.g., bioinformatics, molecular networking, machine learning) approaches to develop rapid, generally applicable workflows for the discovery and utilization of bioactive molecules derived from plants. The successful candidate for this position will be developing machine learning models for the prediction of enzymatic activities of enzymes in specialized biosynthetic pathways.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Radim Nencka, Ph.D.

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The thesis will focus on the research of new inhibitors of methyltransferases. These enzymes play an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases and are essential for the life cycle of many infectious pathogens. In this thesis, the student will investigate the rational design and synthesis of novel methyltransferase inhibitors that use S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl group donor. Both SAM derivatives and compounds obtained by screening will be studied. The student will use computational methods to design and optimize new derivatives.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Hocek, DSc.

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We will design and synthesize modified nucleoside triphosphates bearing diverse functional groups for enzymatic synthesis of modified oligonucleotides which will be applied in selection and construction of new functional nucleic acids, e.g. aptamers or aptazymes and for the construction of fluorescent or redox probes for applications in chemical biology. References: 1. Hocek, M.: "Enzymatic Synthesis of Base-Functionalized Nucleic Acids for Sensing, Cross-linking, and Modulation of Protein–DNA Binding and Transcription" Acc. Chem. Res. 2019, 52, 1730-1737. 2. Micura, R.; Höbartner, C. Fundamental studies of functional nucleic acids: aptamers, riboswitches, ribozymes and DNAzymes. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 7331–7353.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Mgr. Jiří Kaleta, Ph.D.

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The multiphotochromic systems are made by interconnection of two or more photoswitches (molecules, whose geometry can be reversibly switched using light). Individual parts (photoswitches and unidirectional molecular motors) of these molecules will be selectively activated/switched by action of a light of defined wavelength. The goal of this Ph.D. project is design, synthesis and study of these unique molecules and their possible utilization for construction of first prototypes of molecular machines of this kind. Special attention will be dedicated to various combinations of individual photoswithes as well as the type of their mutual interconnection (orthogonal vs. non-orthogonal).

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Hocek, DSc.

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We will design and synthesize new modified nucleosides and nucleotides as potential cytostatic agents with new mechanisms of action which includes modulation of receptors or activation of cytostatic proteins. Selected active compounds will be further optimized in order to identify preclinical drug candidates. References: 1. Jordheim, L. P.; Durantel, D.; Zoulim, F.; Dumontet, C. Advances in the development of nucleoside and nucleotide analogues for cancer and viral diseases. Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 2013, 12, 447–464. 2. Perlíková, P.; Hocek, M. Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (7-deazapurine) as a privileged scaffold in design of antitumor and antiviral nucleosides. Med. Res. Rev. 2017, 37, 1429–1460.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Zlatko Janeba, Ph.D.

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The project aims to design and synthesize novel inhibitors of nucleotide salvage pathway enzymes (phosphoribosyltransferase, phosphorylases) and evaluate their biological properties (in collaboration with biochemistry groups). Such inhibitors have the potential to treat various types of cancer.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Tomáš Slanina, Ph.D.

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Stable radical cations and anions are unique molecules that have found numerous applications in photovoltaics, organic electronics, batteries, and catalysis. While electrochemical and redox preparation of radical ions has been studied in detail, little is known about their photochemistry. The candidate will synthesize radical ions based on triarylamines, hexaarylethanes, perylene diimides, quinones, and other motives, and will study their photochemical stability and reactivity in perspective of the application in photoredox and hydrogen atom transfer catalysis. The candidate will use steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy of stable radical ions to elucidate the mechanisms of photochemical redox reactions.

Granting Departments:	Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Milan Vrábel, Ph.D.

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Our group recently described the development and first applications of N1-alkyl-1,2,4-triazinium salts in bioorthogonal reactions (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023, e202306828). In this project, we want to explore the chemistry of these charged heterodienes in more detail. In addition, we want to apply the developed reagents in applications ranging from selective modification of biomolecules to cellular applications (e.g. bioimaging). The project combines synthetic organic chemistry, reaction kinetics and stability studies with biological experiments that will be performed mainly in collaboration with biologists in the group.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	David Marcelo Sabatini, M.D., Ph.D.

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We have a long-standing interest in the regulation of growth and metabolism that stems from our early work on the pathway anchored by mTOR protein kinase. We now appreciate that it is a major regulator of growth and anabolism in animals and responds to diverse stimuli, including nutrients. Because our work revealed that lysosomes play a key role in the activation of mTORC1 by nutrients, we began to study lysosomes as well as other organelles. Available thesis projects: (1) Nutrient sensing by mTOR. We seek to: discover the glucose sensor for mTORC1 and nutrient sensors in animals beyond mammals; understand how the known nutrient sensors function in vivo; and elucidate the biochemical function of GATOR2. (2) Lysosomes in normal physiology and disease. Using the Lyso-IP methodology and CRISPR screening we seek to understand how neurodegenerative diseases impact lysosomes and identify the contents of lysosomes in specialized cells, like immune cells. (3) Methods to study small molecule metabolism in vivo. We seek to develop methods to study carbohydrate metabolism in cells in vivo in mice. (4) Development of drug-like molecules. In collaboration with chemists at IOCB and elsewhere, we seek to develop drug-like molecules that target mTOR pathway components as well lysosomal and mitochondrial proteins.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Kvido Stříšovský, Ph.D.

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The proposed PhD project will be focused on the development of inhibitors and probes for rhomboid intramembrane proteases, which have been implicated in the regulation of mitophagy, malaria parasite invasion and epithelial homeostasis. Prior work in the thesis advisor’s lab has shown that peptidyl ketoamides are potent rhomboid protease inhibitors. The aim of the thesis will be to establish platforms to investigate and improve the potency and selectivity of this class of compounds for rhomboids and develop potent inhibitors and probes for specific rhomboid proteases implicated in Parkinson’s disease and epithelial homeostasis. These compounds will enable and facilitate biological studies of rhomboid proteins and serve as starting points for potential pharmacological applications.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	prof. Ing. Michal Hocek, DSc.

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We will design and synthesize modified ribonucleoside triphosphates bearing diverse functional groups at nucleobase. These nucleotides will be used for sequence-specific enzymatic synthesis of oligoribonucleotides (RNA) bearing labels or modifications at specific positions using engineered DNA polymerases. The applications will include tRNA, mRNA, sgRNA etc. References: 1. Micura, R.; Höbartner, C. Fundamental studies of functional nucleic acids: aptamers, riboswitches, ribozymes and DNAzymes. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 7331–7353. 2. Milisavljevic, N.; Perlíková, P.; Pohl, R.; Hocek, M. Enzymatic synthesis of base-modified RNA by T7 RNA polymerase. A systematic study and comparison of 5-substituted pyrimidine and 7-substituted 7-deazapurine nucleoside triphosphates as substrates. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2018, 16, 5800-5807.

Granting Departments:	Department of Organic Chemistry Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Dr. habil. Ullrich Jahn

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With the project, synthetic approaches to complex indoloterpene and their analogs displaying wide-ranging biological activity will be developed.

Institute of Physiology of the CAS, v. v. i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Physiology of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Petr Ježek, CSc.

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Accurate methods to detect pancreatic ?-cell mass and functionality in vivo are essential to better understand the pathogenesis of diabetes associated with pancreatic ?-cell deficiency and to develop new treatment options. Therefore, we will develop polymer-coated paramagnetic core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) conjugated with small GLP-1 receptor ligands (GLP-1 peptide, liraglutide or agonist 3) to target and monitor pancreatic ?-cell mass using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and luminescence. The newly developed UCNPs will be optimized in size to penetrate blood capillaries of the native and transplanted pancreatic islets and modified for long-term monitoring. Ultrasmall UCNPs (5 nm) will serve as a contrast agent for electron microscopy to visualize and count mtDNA nucleoids in ?-cells, which are typically reduced in diabetes. The specificity, safety and efficacy of all developed UCNPs will be validated in in vitro and in vivo models using multimodal imaging including luminescence, MRI and electron microscopy. See Ref. doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c04274.

Granting Departments:	Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Institute of Physiology of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Biochemistry and Bioorganic Chemistry ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Petr Ježek, CSc.

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3D nanoscopy has not yet assessed mitochondrial cristae morphology, nor the internal structure of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) & protein complexes, termed nucleoids. Hence, we’ll survey 3D-redistribution of cristae and their shaping proteins or nucleois employing our prototype Vutara 3D superresolution microscope for stochastic techniques such a PALM and dSTORM. We will conduct studies under physiological situations vs. pathology (type-2 diabetes, cancer) using dSTORM with nanobodies or FRET excited PALM/dSTORM. Thus nm changes will be reflected by novel 3D nanoscopy methods. Also mtDNA nucleoids will be studied at increased and diminished mitochondrial biogenesis, while applying own mitoFISH nanoscopy for D-loop counting. Artificial manipulations of nucleoid size and mtDNA content will be studied as well as nucleoid division. Results will be translated into specific protocols for 3D nanoscopy, specifically developing novel relevant 3D image analyses based upon the Ripley’s K-function and Delaunay algorithm. Molecular cell biology will thus be combined with up-to-date 3D nanoscopy. Note, the molecular biology techniques will be conducted and be ready for the applicants by the coworkers of the Department No.75. See Ref. doi: 10.1089/ars.2022.0173.

Laboratory of Inorganic Materials

Granting Departments:	Laboratory of Inorganic Materials
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	Ing. Richard Pokorný, Ph.D.

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The goal of this project targets the analysis of one of the critical batch-to-glass conversion processes – the evolution and collapse of the primary foam at the batch-melt interface. This porous foam layer, which behaves as a form of insulation layer, results from the products of various gas evolving reactions that are being trapped in the primary melt. This project will focus on understanding the foam morphology, the reactions that lead to primary foaming.

Granting Departments:	Laboratory of Inorganic Materials
Study Programme/Specialization:	Chemistry and Technology of Materials ( in English language )
Supervisor:	doc. Ing. Jaroslav Kloužek, CSc.

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The analysis of the processes during the vitrification process is performed using a mathematical model. Input data of the model will be obtained by a set of experimental methods including high temperature monitoring of melting processes, analysis of released gases, thermal analysis and determination of oxidative reduction equilibrium in melts.