Vojtěch Kundrát: Doing science is a permanent oscillation between the ecstasy of the new and the frustration of the unfinished

Why did you choose to study chemistry?
When I was a kid, we used to play the game Dragon's Den with a group of friends, and I enjoyed playing as an alchemist. I was extremely lucky to have teachers at all levels of my studies, from primary school through six-year high school, where I decided to take chemistry after two years, to the chemical high school in Ostrava, to the fantastic supervisors at Masaryk University headed by prof. Pinkas, who guided me through the whole inorganic pilgrimage so far, and prof. Potáček in organic chemistry.

Where do you work now?
I am currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel in the working group of prof. Reshef Tenne, the discoverer of inorganic nanotubes and fullerenes from WS2 and MoS2. I am also collaborating with Thermo Fisher, which has a research and manufacturing facility in Brno. I am working on several related projects to unravel the mechanism of synthesis of various 1D materials. We are using state-of-the-art analytical equipment to directly observe the chemical reactions taking place in the electron microscope. This allows us to observe a wide range of extremely interesting reactions that, although used in industry, have not been thoroughly researched at the atomic level. This will allow us to control these processes at a level never seen before in the near future.
Another work line is the synthesis of nanotubes from exotic materials that have so far only been described as layered single crystal substances. By twisting them, an internal voltage is generated in their structure, which significantly modulates their electromagnetic properties. We are currently initiating a collaboration between the Weizmann Institute, where we are working on their synthesis and detailed description, the Thermo Fisher in Brno, where we are assembling nanoscopic electronic devices directly from nanotubes in an electron microscope, and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics in Dresden, where these devices are being further tested.

What did you appreciate about your studies at the Department of Chemistry, and what do you like to remember?
I think that there is a great deal of freedom at the Department of Chemistry. I basically never hit a wall when we wanted to research something. If I came up with too absurd nonsense it was reasonably pointed out to me and after I tried it and learned that it was really absurd nonsense I got back on the right track. The inorganic, physical and materials chemistry collective in the C12 building was and is especially great, with very welcoming and friendly atmosphere of people passionate for the field.

What about internships abroad during your studies?
I travelled relatively extensively on short internships - Bayreuth for engineering, Cologne for inorganic chemistry. Many times we also went to conferences all over the world, or it was no problem to go to more specific conferences on our own. For example, I went to the nuclear conference in Baltimore at the end of 2019, which was super beneficial for further collaboration with the European Commission's nuclear institute in Karlsruhe.

Did your studies prepare you well for future employment?
Sure and yes. Doing science is a permanent oscillation between the ecstasy of the new and the frustration of the unfinished, all mixed with Stockholm Syndrome towards one's parent institution. So I think it went well.