The Soft Matter Group, headed by Professor Miroslav Štěpánek, is a part of the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry of the Charles University in Prague. Our interdisciplinary research very much sits at the interface between physics and chemistry of macromolecules and biomacromolecules. It includes study of solutions of both synthetic and biological macromolecules; their thermodynamic and kinetic properties, such as self assembly, aggregation, diffusion, etc.

For studies of these systems, we use methods, such as light, X-ray and neutron scattering, calorimetry, TEM, AFM and computer modelling.

If you are interested in joining our group, as a graduate or undergraduate student, or as a postdoctoral fellow, please see the page open positions

Theory and simulations

  • Mean field analytiacal and numerical modelling
  • Langevin dynamics
  • Hybrid Monte-Carlo
  • Hartree–Fock 
  • Density functional methods

Experiment

  • Light scattering
  • TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy)
  • AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy)
  • Calorimetry
  • Fluorometry

Academic staff

Miroslav Štěpánek
doc. RNDr., Ph.D.

Associate professor

Filip Uhlík
doc. RNDr., Ph.D.

Deputy head, associate professor

Pavel Matějíček
doc. RNDr., Ph.D.

Associate professor

Peter Košovan
RNDr., Ph.D.

Assistant professor

Lucie Nová
Ing., Ph.D.

Assistant professor

Mariusz Uchman
Ing., Ph.D.

Assistant professor

Pablo M. Blanco Andrés
Ph.D.

Postdoctoral fellow

Roberto Fernandez-Alvarez
Ph.D.

Researcher

Krzysztof Konrad Fink
Ph.D.

Researcher

Robert Mundil
Ing., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral fellow

Oleg Rud
Ph.D.

Researcher

Anastasiia Fanova
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Belhssen Hleli
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Aleksandr Kazakov
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Hongtao Li
MSc.

Doctoral student

Jianwei Li
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Raju Lunkad
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Varvara Prokacheva
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Sebastian Pineda Pineda
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Ladislav Folberger
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Hongtao Cai
M.Sc.

Doctoral student

Soňa Mesíková
Bc.

Master student

Miloš Halda

Bachelor student

Adam Hašpl

Bachelor student

Jakub Nierostek

Bachelor student

Martin Orságh

Bachelor student

Filip Steiner

Bachelor student

Adam Škorňa

Bachelor student

Hanna Zhukouskaya

Master student

Research topics

Block copolymer nanoparticles

28 May 2019

  • Self-assembled block copolymer colloids (micelles, vesicles)
  • Polyelectrolyte surfactant complexes
  • Interpolyelectrolyte complexes
  • Encapsulation of low-molar-mass compounds in polymeric nanoparticles
 

Simulations of polyelectrolytes

28 May 2019

  • polyelectrolyte solutions and gels
  • linear and branched polyelectrolytes
  • star-like, comb-like architectures
  • polyelectrolyte gels (infinite networks)
  • dissociation of weak polyelectrolytes and polyampholytes
 

Boron cluster compounds

28 May 2019

  • Solution behavior of anionic boron cluster compounds
  • Physicochemical properties of boron cluster conjugates
  • synthesis of polymers based on boron clusters
 

Mean field modelling of polymers

28 May 2019

  • Scheutjenes-Fleer Self-Consistent Field Theory (SF-SCF)
  • Hybrid SCF - Monte Carlo modelling
 

Macromolecular synthesis

28 May 2019

  • Synthesis of functional block copolymers
  • Postpolymerization reactions
  • Boron Cluster- and Phenyl Boronic Acid-containing polymers
 

Quantum chemistry

28 May 2019

  • Endohedral fullerenes
  • Quantum Monte Carlo simulations
 

Research topics for students

Selected Publications

of Soft Matter group

O. V. Rud, J. Landsgesell, C. Holm, and P. Košovan,
Modeling of weak polyelectrolyte hydrogels under compression - Implications for water desalination
Desalination, 506, 2021

DOI, BibTeX

S. Jana, and M. Uchman,
Poly(2-oxazoline)-based stimulus-responsive (Co)polymers: An overview of their design, solution properties, surface-chemistries and applications
Progress in Polymer Science, 106, 2020

DOI, BibTeX

J. Landsgesell, P. Hebbeker, O. Rud, R. Lunkad, P. Košovan, and C. Holm,
Grand-Reaction Method for Simulations of Ionization Equilibria Coupled to Ion Partitioning
Macromolecules, 53(8), 2020

DOI, BibTeX

V. M. Prokacheva, O. V. Rud, F. Uhlík, and O. V. Borisov,
Intramolecular micellization and nanopatterning in pH- and thermo-responsive molecular brushes
Soft Matter, 16(1), 2020

DOI, BibTeX

J. Landsgesell, L. Nová, O. Rud, F. Uhlík, D. Sean, P. Hebbeker, C. Holm, and P. Košovan,
Simulations of ionization equilibria in weak polyelectrolyte solutions and gels
Soft Matter, 15(6), 2019

DOI, BibTeX

R. Fernandez-Alvarez, L. Nová, F. Uhlík, S. Kereïche, M. Uchman, P. Košovan, and P. Matějíček,
Interactions of star-like polyelectrolyte micelles with hydrophobic counterions
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 546, 2019

DOI, BibTeX

D. Vrbata, V. Dordovič, J. Seitsonen, J. Ruokolainen, O. Janoušková, M. Uchman, and P. Matějíček,
Preparation of membrane-mimicking lamellar structures by molecular confinement of hybrid nanocomposites
Chemical Communications, 55(20), 2019

DOI, BibTeX

A. Liu M. Nie Y. Hao Y. Yang T. Wang Z. Slanina H. Cong L. Feng et al.
Ho2O@C74: Ho2O Cluster Expands within a Small Non-IPR Fullerene Cage of C2(13333)-C74
Inorganic Chemistry, 58(8), 2019

DOI, BibTeX

S. Hu T. Liu W. Shen Z. Slanina T. Akasaka Y. Xie F. Uhlik W. Huang et al.
Isolation and Structural Characterization of Er@C2v(9)-C82 and Er@Cs(6)-C82: Regioselective Dimerization of a Pristine Endohedral Metallofullerene Induced by Cage Symmetry
Inorganic Chemistry, 58(3), 2019

DOI, BibTeX

R. Fernandez-Alvarez E. Hlavatovičová K. Rodzeń A. Strachota S. Kereïche P. Matějíček J. Cabrera-González R. Núñez et al.
Synthesis and self-assembly of a carborane-containing ABC triblock terpolymer: morphology control on a dual-stimuli responsive system
Polymer Chemistry, 2019

DOI, BibTeX

Z. Slanina, F. Uhlík, L. Feng, T. Akasaka, X. Lu, and L. Adamowicz,
Calculations of the Lu3N@C80 two-isomer equilibrium
Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures, 27(5), 2019

DOI, BibTeX

A. Fanova, K. Šindelka, M. Uchman, Z. Limpouchová, S. K. Filippov, S. Pispas, K. Procházka, and M. Štěpánek,
Coassembly of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with Dodecyl and Carboxyl Terminal Groups with Cationic Surfactant: Critical Comparison of Experimental and Simulation Data
Macromolecules, 51(18), 2018

DOI, BibTeX

O. Rud, O. Borisov, and P. Kosovan,
Thermodynamic model for a reversible desalination cycle using weak polyelectrolyte hydrogels
Desalination, 442, 2018

DOI, BibTeX

A. Murmiliuk, P. Matějíček, S. K. Filippov, M. Janata, M. Šlouf, S. Pispasc, and M. Štěpánek,
Formation of core/corona nanoparticles with interpolyelectrolyte complex cores in aqueous solution: insight into chain dynamics in the complex from fluorescence quenching
Soft Matter, 14(37), 2018

DOI, BibTeX

O. Rud, T. Richter, O. Borisov, C. Holm, and P. Košovan,
A self-consistent mean-field model for polyelectrolyte gels
Soft Matter, 13(18), 2017

DOI, BibTeX

L. Nová, F. Uhlík, and P. Košovan,
Local pH and effective pK A of weak polyelectrolytes – insights from computer simulations
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 19(22), 2017

DOI, BibTeX

P. Košovan, T. Richter, and C. Holm,
Modeling of Polyelectrolyte Gels in Equilibrium with Salt Solutions
Macromolecules, 48(20), 2015

DOI, BibTeX

F. Uhlik, P. Kosovan, Z. Limpouchova, K. Prochazka, O. V. Borisov, and F. A. M. Leermakers,
Modeling of Ionization and Conformations of Starlike Weak Polyelectrolytes
MACROMOLECULES, 47(12), 2014

DOI, BibTeX