Short curriculum vitae (Publications (PDF))

František Hartl graduated in 1985 as “Rerum Naturalium Doctoris”(RNDr) at Charles University in Prague. In 1985-1991 he was employed as a research fellow at the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences. At the same time, in 1988-1991, he did his PhD with Prof. A.Vlček, Jr.

During the studies he received training in the field of coordination chemistry, catalysis, electrochemistry and photochemistry. Subsequently he moved as a postdoc to the University of Amsterdam. In 1992 he was appointed as lecturer in the group Inorganic Photochemistry and Spectro-Electrochemistry headed by Prof. D.J. Stufkens. In 2000 he continued with Prof. L. De Cola in the group Molecular Photonic Materials and in 2005 he joined the group Homogeneous and Supramolecular Catalysis of Prof. J.H.N. Reek. In 2008 he accepted the position of Full Professor and Head of Inorganic Chemistry at the university of Reading (UK). Nevertheless he still supervises a PhD. project in Amsterdam.

As documented by ca 120 scientific papers, he is a flexible chemist active in various areas, in particular development and application of spectro-electrochemical techniques at variable temperatures (with several commercially successful cell designs) (picture: LT IR Spectro Electrochemical cell), photochemical and redox activation of transition metal clusters, bonding properties and tunable reactivity within redox series of coordination and organometallic compounds, photochromic materials, molecular wires, redox switches of photo-induced electron and energy transfer, time-resolved spectroscopy, redox catalysis. He has participated in several EU research networks (TMR, RTD, Marie-Curie, COST) and actively collaborates with a number of research groups, mainly in France and the UK. He also has an industrial patent (with Akzo Nobel Coatings) on oxidative drying of alkyd paints catalyzed by environmentally benign complexes. He has taught several coordination, organic and organometallic chemistry, spectroscopy and electrochemistry (under)graduate courses, also as a visiting professor at the Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan, 2006 and the Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble, France, 2008.