Hrvoj Vančik

Title and position: Ph.D. (Chemistry)
1978 Teaching Assistant
1989 Assistant Professor of Chemistry
1996 Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Zagreb
2001 Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Zagreb
2021 Professor emeritus, University of Zagreb

Nationality: Croat; citizen of Croatia
Date and place of birth: 17 May 1952, Varaždin, Republic of Croatia
Marital status: divorced

EDUCATION
B.S. Chem. Eng., University of Zagreb, Falcuty of Science, 1976 (Prof. T. Cvitaš)
B.S., Academy of Music (violin), 1977 (Prof. T. Ninić)
M.S., University of Zagreb, 1978 (Prof. L. Klasinc)
Ph.D., University of Zagreb, 1981 (Prof. D. E. Sunko)
Postdoctoral, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, U.S.A., 1983/84 (Prof. J. Michl)

Major research interest: Organic and physical organic chemistry and spectroscopy, solid-state reactions, matrix isolation, photochemistry, philosophy of chemistry, terminology of chemistry and science

Major research achievements:

  1. Detailed study of the nature and structure of carbocations in solid state by using cryogenic IR spectroscopy.
    First isolation of unstable carbocations (7-norbornyl cation, 2-norbornyl cation, allyl cation, etc).
  2. Investigation of aromatic C-nitroso compounds as models for studying reaction mechanisms in solid
    polycrystalline state. Discovery of new photochromic system in solid state. Discovery of new organic
    semiconductor.
  3. New concept about the problem of complexity (in studies of philosophy of chemistry).

Project leader of 4 scientific research projects.

Activity in the university education process: Lecturer of organic chemistry, physical-organic chemistry, photochemistry, and history and philosophy of chemistry. Establishing of two new university courses: Molecular photochemistry, History and philosophy of chemistry.

Mentorship: 5 M. S. Theses, and 10 Ph. D. Theses (V. Gabelica, M. Mesić, V. Šimunić-Mežnarić, I. Biljan, I. Halasz, K. Varga, P. Bibulić, S. Milovac, K. Lukić, and A. Mihanović

University activity: Head of the Department of Chemistry (1995-2000), Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics (2003-2005), Member of the University Board of the University of Zagreb (2010-2013), Head of the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics (2013-2018), Member of the University Council of the University of Zagreb (2015-2019).

Organizational competences: Organizer and Director of 12 international conferences, Central European Chemistry Meeting, Varaždin, 2000, 2003, 2006. International Symposium for Philosophy of Chemistry, Split 2006. Conference in honor to the 80. birthday of Professor Emeritus Dionis Sunko, Zagreb, 2002. Math/Chem/Comp Conferences, Dubrovnik 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, ESOR, European Symposium on Organic Reactivity, Dubrovnik, 2019.

Membership: Croatian Chemical Society, American Chemical Society, Philosophy of Science Association, International Society for Philosophy of Chemistry

Awards:
2002 Award for Science of the Republic of Croatia
2018 Award “Andrija Mohorovičić” for science (University of Zagreb).
2019 Medal of the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Uni. Zagreb

Foreign languages: English, German, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian (Mother tongue)

Invited lecturer:
Recent Results of IR-Spectroscopy of Carbocations, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 1992.
The IR of Stable Silicon Containing Cations, Yale University, New Haven, 1993.
Matrix Isolation and Vibrational Spectroscopy of Carbocations, 12th Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry (IUPAC), Universitá di Padova 1994.
Solid State Chemistry of C-Nitroso Compounds, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, 2003.

Scientific publications: 67 publications (Current Contents) of which most are in the journals with the highest impact (J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem., J. Phys. Chem., J. Org. Chem., J. Chem. Soc. Perkin, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., Pure & Appl. Chem., Polymer, etc.)

Books:

  1. Temelji organske kemije (Basic organic chemistry) (University textbook, in Croatian)
  2. Basic Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences (University textbook, in English), Springer Verlag, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, N.Y. 2014.
  3. Aromatic C-Nitroso Compounds, (scientific book), Springer Verlag, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, N.Y. 2013.
  4. Dvanaest predavanja iz filozofije kemije (in Croatian) (Twelf lectures from philosophy of chemistry), IuHV, 2017.
  5. Philosophy of Chemistry, (University textbook, scientific book in English), Springer Nature, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, 2021
  6. Basic Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences (University textbook, in English), Springer Nature, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, N.Y. 2014. 2nd Edition

Most important citations:

  1. G. A. Olah, Nobel Award Lecture, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 34, 1393.
  2. Metoden der Organischen Chemie (Houben-Weyl) Vol. 19c, Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart – New York 1990. (3 citations: S. 35, 383, 385)
  3. Annual Reports (Organic Chemistry) Vol. 82, 1985, The Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 1986. (p. 236)
  4. Annual Reports (Organic Chemistry) Vol. 87, 1990, The Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 1991. (p. 42)
  5. J. March, Advanced Organic Chemistry, VI Ed., J. Wiley & Sons, N.Y. 1992. (4 citations: 10-0116, 10-0120, 10-0185, 10-0208).