About the Conference
Aims
The conference gathers Master's and PhD students in chemistry and materials science from the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry to present their work, exchange ideas and build lasting scientific contacts, in the spirit of Professor Nachtigall's dedication to young researchers.
Scientific topics
Students from across the department are warmly welcome. Contributions from all areas of physical, macromolecular, biophysical, and theoretical chemistry are encouraged.
Format
- Master's students: oral presentations, 12 + 3 min for Q&A
- PhD students: oral presentations, 15 + 5 min for Q&A
- Evaluation by representatives of partner companies and award ceremony
Awards
The presentations will be evaluated by representatives of partner companies. The best talks in each category will be awarded the following prizes.
Ph.D. category
- 1st place15 000 Kč
- 2nd place10 000 Kč
- 3rd place5 000 Kč
Master's category
- 1st place10 000 Kč
- 2nd place6 000 Kč
- 3rd place4 000 Kč
In Honour of Professor Petr Nachtigall
* 20 September 1963 † 28 December 2022
Petr Nachtigall was a physical and theoretical chemist and an internationally recognised expert in the computational study of materials. He studied physical chemistry at Charles University and received his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh. After returning to Prague, he worked at the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry and later at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
In 2009 he joined the Faculty of Science of Charles University. In the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry he led the (Nano)materials modelling group. He co-founded the Charles University Centre of Advanced Materials, CUCAM, and most recently helped prepare the new study programme Science. His research focused on the surface properties of solids such as zeolites, especially gas adsorption and catalytic processes in microporous and nanostructured materials.
Petr liked to solve problems in materials chemistry in close collaboration with experimentalists, and he did so with great success. Where necessary, he went beyond routine methods, and he found ways to overcome the limitations of density functional theory. He advanced the molecular-scale understanding of adsorption complexes and reaction mechanisms in zeolites and metal–organic frameworks. His work on two-dimensional materials, such as the lithium-storage properties of silicene nanosheets, improved the understanding of their properties. His theoretical insight also contributed to the discovery and explanation of the ADOR (assembly–disassembly–organisation–reassembly) method of zeolite synthesis.
Key achievements
- Author of 181 publications in leading scientific journals
- Contributed to the discovery and theoretical explanation of the ADOR method, which has yielded more than 10 new types of zeolites
- Led the (Nano)materials modelling group and co-founded CUCAM at the Faculty of Science, Charles University
- Bedřich Hrozný Prize for Basic Research (2015)
- Prize of the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports for significant results of basic research in natural sciences (2019)
- Donatio Universitatis Carolinae (2021)
With the passing of Petr Nachtigall, we lose not only an outstanding scientist, teacher, and mentor, but also a great person, a dear colleague, and friend.Prof. Jiří Čejka
Program of the Conference (tentative)
The detailed program with the list of presentations will be published here after the abstract submission deadline.
| Morning Session starting from 9:00 |
Opening, introduction of the committee and supporting companies Master Students Presentations (12 minutes + 3 minutes for Q&A) |
|---|---|
| Afternoon Session |
Doctoral Students Presentations (15 minutes + 5 minutes for Q&A) Committee Evaluation and Award Ceremony |
Sponsors & Partners
The organisers sincerely thank all sponsors and partners whose generous support makes this conference in memory of Professor Nachtigall possible.
Interested in supporting the conference? Become a sponsor: conference@physchem.cz
Key Dates
- Abstract submission deadline
- Publication of the final program
- Conference
Participation & Abstracts
Participation
Free admission
Submission and acceptance of the abstract is the confirmation of participation for presenting students. Other participants do not need to register - admission is free.
Abstract submission
- Abstracts must be one page and follow the provided template: abstract_template.docx (21.2 kB)
- Please submit the abstract by sending it to conference@physchem.cz
- Submission deadline: 12 December 2026
Organizing Committee & Contact
Committee
- Doc. Ondřej Sedláček – Chair
- Prof. Jiří Čejka – Organizing committee
- Dr. Michal Mazur – Organizing committee
Contact
Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University
Hlavova 8, Prague, Czech Republic
conference@physchem.cz