Overview
The doctoral study is organized by the Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry in cooperation with chemical institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, covering physical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and chemical physics. Modern areas include dynamics and kinetics of physical and chemical processes, statistical thermodynamics of fluids and polymers, advanced electromigration separation methods, and biophysical chemistry. The program reflects global trends and the needs of research facilities and industry in the Czech Republic and the EU.
Start of studies in the winter semester (October)
Opening of applications and publication of the dissertation topics: 15. 2. 2026
Application by: 30. 4. 2026
Detailed information about the study programme
Offer of dissertation topics:
- Ab Initio Prediction of Protein Structure: Viewing Protein Folding as an Intramolecular Solvation Problem
- Combined Thermodynamic and Structural Study of Polymer Systems Utilizing In-Situ VT-XRD.
- Computational Design of Ligands for Radiotherapy
- Controlled Transport of Cell-penetrating Peptides across Biological Membranes – Single Molecule Fluorescence Approach
- Controlling electrode feature size to optimize mass transport and catalytic performance in CO2 electroreduction (CO2RR): transfer principles to water electrolysis (OER)
- Design of nanomaterials by concerted structural and chemical modification of labile precursors
- Design, Synthesis and characterization of non-precious metal based novel materials for (photo)electrochemical hydrogen production applications
- Development of advanced porous materials for sustainable hydrocarbon transformations
- Development of forming and stabilization methods of Lewis Acid Zeolite Catalysts
- Development of Hybrid Visible-Light-Active Catalysts for Photoelectrochemical Fuel Production
- Development of the spectroscopy of Raman optical activity
- Equilibria in heterogeneous systems containing polyions
- Excited state dynamics of molecules and radicals of various spin multiplicity
- Experimental and simulation study of electroadhesion in polymer systems
- Mapping galectin-ganglioside networks on complex model membrane systems
- Modeling of interaction of ions and charged peptides with phospholipid membranes
- Modeling of structure and reactivity of solvated electrons
- Modelling of Phase coexistence in charged macromolecular and colloidal systems
- Molecular Design of New (Metallo- and Xeno-)Peptidic Frameworks for Biocatalysis
- Operational mechanisms, performance, and degradation of halide-based photo-rechargeable batteries
- Preparation and Characterization of Quantum-Optical Bionanosensors
- Preparation and Characterization of Quantum-Optical Bionanosensors
- Quantum Sensing Using Optical Bionanosensors
- Quantum Sensing Using Optical Bionanosensors
- Relativistic corrected coupled cluster methods externally corrected by higher excitations from DMRG
- Structural and functional analysis of Nedd4‑2 E3 ubiquitin ligase regulation by Ndfip adaptor proteins
- Structure-function relationship in insect terpene synthases
- Towards a deep molecular understanding of the mechanism driving unconventional secretion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 from tumor cells
Profile of the graduate
A Ph.D. graduate in Physical Chemistry has basic knowledge covering all fields of chemistry, plus advanced knowledge of physical chemistry, computational chemistry, or both, as well as usually having good interdisciplinary knowledge oriented toward the fields of biology, physics, or nanoscience, according to his/her thesis. The graduate is able to present his/her results at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Experience in teaching undergraduate students, the formulation of grant proposals. The graduate is highly qualified for creative work at any academic, research or technological laboratory dealing with the development, testing and application of new and traditional chemical and physical methods as well as with new materials.
Application submission
The application is submitted electronically through the Charles University study information system. The completed application must be submitted electronically in the study information system no later than on 30. 4. 2026 for study programmes starting in the winter semester (October) and no later than on 15. 12. 2025 for study programmes starting in the summer semester (April).
The admission fee is 100 EUR and it is paid for each submitted application.
Required application appendice is the agreement of a supervisor in the format of the following form available here. We recommend reaching out to the supervisor as soon as possible (ideally before 31. 3. 2026 for study programmes starting in the winter semester and before 30. 11. 2025 for study programmes starting in the summer semester), so the application could be send out in time in case the agreement is granted.
Entrance exam
The regular date of entrance exam for all doctoral programmes starting in the winter semester (October) is in June 2026 (to be specified), an alternative date is in June 2026 (to be specified).
The regular date of entrance exam for all doctoral programmes starting in the summer semester (April) is 4. – 5. 2. 2026, an alternative date is 11. – 12. 2. 2026.
The request for an alternative day is submitted and approved via the electronic information system.
The form of the entrance exam is an oral interview, which mainly concerns the issues of the planned dissertation and the candidate’s knowledge within the field of expertise of the given study programme.
Find more information in:
- Conditions of the admission procedure for doctoral study programmes at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, for study programmes starting in the winter semester (October)
or - Conditions of the admission procedure for doctoral study programmes at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, for study programmes starting in the summer semester (April).
Důležité odkazy
Applicants with specific needs
If you have a physical handicap, you can apply for a modification of the entrance exam. For more information read the Conditions of the admission procedure for doctoral study programmes.
Departments involved in this programme
Guarantor of the study programme
prof. RNDr. Tomáš Obšil, Ph.D.
tomas.obsil@natur.cuni.cz
Do you have a question?
Complete information about the admission procedure can be found on the website for applicants. For questions, please contact the admissions contact persons.
