The Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University received a visit from the president of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science (IAQMS), Prof. Odile Eisenstein. The main goal of IAQMS is to provide a forum for international contact and collaboration and a periodical evaluation of the main developments, advances and promising directions of research in the broad field of its interest – the application of quantum mechanics to the study of molecules and macromolecules. It was established in Menton, France in 1967 and among it’s members there are 14 laureates of the Nobel prize.
On December 14th Prof. Eisenstein gave a lecture about her research involving chemical shifts in NMR spectra of organometallic compounds. NMR is without any doubt one of the most versatile methods for characterization of chemical species. It is used widely in all domains of chemistry and biology. Prof. Eisenstein showed, that by combining the information derived from solid state NMR with simple molecular orbitals analysis it is possible to understand specific reactions associated with transition metal complexes.
Prof. Odile Eisenstein currently performs her research at the Institut Charles Gerhardt, University Montpellier and at the Hylleraas centre for Quantum Molecular Science, University of Oslo. In her scientific work she focuses on theoretical chemistry, reaction mechanisms, organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis.
The university periodic My University informed about the visit in the January 2019 issue.
Laboratory for advanced materials (LAM), established 1.10.2018 as a part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences will be lead by RNDr. Milan Sykora, PhD., as of 1.2.2019. The head of LAM (the ERA-chair position within the LAMatCU-H2020-WIDESPREAD-03-2017-ERAchairs project) was chosen in an international selection process from several other candidates.
RNDr. Milan Sykora, PhD. is an internationally recognized expert in the area of material chemistry. The results of his research were published in prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals, for example Nature, J. Am. Chem. Soc. and ACS Nano and are highly cited. He has also contributed to the development of eight patent applications, all in the area of materials science. His research includes number of important advances/breakthroughs in the field of materials science.
RNDr. Milan Sykora, PhD. obtained his master’s degree in chemistry at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava. He received his PhD. in chemistry from Marquette University, Milwaukee in USA and later moved to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he performed a postdoctoral research. Prior to his return to Slovak republic he held a position as a permanent technical staff member at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), New Mexico, USA. As the head of LAM, he will establish a research program in the field of advanced materials. Particular focus will be on materials for applications in energy conversion and storage, optoelectronics, electronics and related applications.
The information was published in the Our University periodic.