Published: 05.01.2021
His father was a steelworker but he was interested in explosives and rockets from childhood. The student, graduate, head of department and professor of organic chemistry Vladimír Macháček (76) is still visiting his colleagues to discuss chemistry. In addition to his love for chemistry, he found his life partner at the University of Pardubice.
When did you last visit the university?
Last week.
Are you still teaching?
No, I’m not. But I have friends chemists here who I like to see. I come here every week and I try to keep in touch with the faculty. Now the meetings have been thwarted by the pandemic. But otherwise, we meet as a group every week. We are all experts in different branches including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry or physical chemistry. We argue and discuss expert matters (laughter). It’s good to have an idea of other disciplines than just your own. And this also helps maintain social ties when I’m sad at home.
How did you find your way to chemistry?
Nobody in my family was into chemistry. My father was a steelworker. But already in elementary school back in Ostrava I was interested in explosives and rockets and I had a minilaboratory in the entrance of a small apartment. I was attracted to it. I completed a secondary chemical school and it seemed logical to continue to study chemistry in university. This was the only clear choice for me. Prague was far away and the university in Pardubice had good references.
What were your students’ years like?
There were eight of us who went to Pardubice after secondary school. I enrolled in the first year in 1962 and finished in 1967 at the Department of Organic Chemistry. I like to remember those times because I met my future wife there. We had a chemical marriage, my wife studied inorganic chemistry. Moreover, from the second year I started “cooking” at the Department of Organic Chemistry which means that I performed chemical syntheses and prepared new compounds, initially for my future colleague Mirek Kaválek and later for my great teacher, Professor Vojeslav Štěrba, who contributed the most to my chemical development.
What was your specialization in your professional life?
After completion of university I went to serve my military duty and in 1968 I returned directly to the department. At that time, they introduced the method of nuclear magnetic resonance at the university. Most people probably know this method from medicine but it had been used in chemistry much earlier. I absolutely loved this method. And with all modesty, I helped introduce it and was specialized in it for many years. In addition, I focused on organic synthesis, initially colourants—azo dyes. We studied their origination and behaviour by means of reaction kinetics methods, which means by determining speeds and balances. From the chemistry of azo dyes, to which we returned from time to time, we moved to the chemistry of polynitro compounds and their reactions with nucleophiles. We worked on the border between organic and physical chemistry. Therefore, our approach is called physical organic chemistry.
Do you follow how chemistry and research are transforming?
I’ve been close to it since 1967. The times have shifted; research is more practice-oriented. People are less devoted to basic research and focus rather on applications. But it is basic research that provides a number of ideas and inspirations for future use. I am fascinated by the development of experimental methods that allow an insight into the depth of matter. This was impossible a few years ago.
Which names do you associate with the faculty?
Because I’m one of the oldest at the faculty I remember the oldest colleagues. For example, I like to remember Professor Miroslav Večeřa. He was a doyen of more departments and a great manager. In 1963–64, he brought from the Institute of Organic Syntheses a group of people who were supposed to renew and transform the department. And he succeeded.
The group consisted of Professor Štěrba, a “chemical ideologist”, Doc. Panchartek, an excellent teacher, and Ing. Šlosar, an experienced synthesist and practitioner. The department also had the former rectors: Prof. Večeřa, an elected but non-appointed rector who held his office for only several days, Doc. Josef Panchartek, who was also the first graduate to receive an engineering title in 1954 and the first post-revolutionary rector. Other personalities were Prof. Oldřich Pytela and the current Vice-Rector Prof. Mirek Ludwig. I can recall a number of older colleagues including Ing. Socha, Doc. Kaválek, Doc. Klicnar, Doc. Vetešník, RNDr. Kalfus, RNDr. Schreiber, Prof. Čegan. Some have passed away and are now in the chemical heaven. But it would be a mistake to forget them. After all, they lived for the department, worked here, taught students, did research. Although the conditions were completely different from today.
Did you have any female scientists in your team?
My wife called me a misogynist. But I think she was wrong about this. I have always had a positive attitude to women but organic chemistry really stinks. Now I’m frequently in contact with Prof. Miloš Sedlák, who is the Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology. I also often see my PhD student Doc. Petr Šimůnek. Petr is my successor in nuclear magnetic resonance research. We have a number of publications on the tautomerism of azo dyes. I also like to see my former colleague Ing. Markéta Svobodová.
This year the university is celebrating 70th anniversary. What would be your message to the faculty?
Because I am the fan of the faculty, I wish it every success. I would like it to be among the best. And I hope that the faculty will have lot of enthusiastic students.
Prof. Ing. Vladimír Macháček, DrSc.
Graduated from the University of Chemical Technology in Pardubice (organic technology, specialized in organic chemistry, 1967), defended his dissertation in 1969 and became associate professor at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Pardubice in organic chemistry in 1983. Became doctor of chemical sciences at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague in 1991 and professor of organic chemistry at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague also in 1991. Analysed the mechanisms of organic reactions by means of reaction kinetics methods and nuclear magnetic resonance. Is the co-author of more than 120 original papers published in international journals.
This text can be found in the special 100th edition of the University Journal, in both printed and on-line form.
TEXT: Věra Přibylová / FOTO: Milan Reinberk
