Prom. fyz. Jiří Vacík, CSc.

Personal Details

Data and place of birth: 2. 11. 1953, Jindřichův Hradec, CZ
Civil status: married (2 children)
E-mail: vacik@ujf.cas.cz

Education

• 1978 – Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague; Specialization – experimental nuclear physics; Thesis: ‘Study of blocking of charged particles in single crystals in nuclear reactions with thermal neutrons’
• 1985 – CSc. (PhD) Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Academy of Sciences of CR (ASCR) / Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University in Prague; Thesis: ‘Study of nuclear reactions of (n,a) and (n,p) slow neutrons with isotopes ¹⁴⁷Sm, ¹⁴³Nd, ²²Na and ⁷Be’

Employment and Internships

• 1980 – present NPI CAS Řež – neutron physics and materials science using neutron and ion beams
• 2008 (1 month) Institute Laue-Langevin, Grenoble – neutron microradiography of boron in diamonds
• 2006 (2 months) Japan Atomic Energy Agency (Tokai) & University of Medical Science (Shiga), JSPS fellowship – synthesis of metal/fullerene composites and their application in tissue engineering
• 2002 (4 months) Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (Takasaki), JSPS fellowship – synthesis of transition metal/carbon allotrope thin-film composites
• 1998 – 2001 (4 years) Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (Takasaki), JAERI fellowship – synthesis, modification, and characterization of functional hybrid systems
• 1997 (2 months) National Institute for Materials and Chemical Research (Tsukuba), STA fellowship – positron annihilation spectroscopy of radiation-damaged polymers
• 1994 (2 months) Joint Institute of Nuclear Research, Dubna – nuclear track networks for electronics
• 1992-1993 (6 months) Hahn-Meitner-Institute (Berlin), DAAD fellowship – depth profiling of light elements in ion-modified polymers by neutron depth profiling, development of a method for 3D profiling of nuclear tracks in irradiated thin films

Professional Expertise

• Development of ion and neutron beam analytical methods for fundamental and applied research
  - Development of a method for low energy ion beam irradiation/implantation for modification of solids, and ion beam sputtering of targets for synthesis of thin films.
  - Development and installation of Neutron Depth Profiling method at the LVR15 nuclear research reactor in Řež for analysis of the spatial distribution of light elements in solids.
  - Development of ion transmission spectroscopy for characterization of 3D geometry of micro-objects in thin solids using MeV energy ion beams.
• Neutron spectroscopy – reaction of thermal neutrons with radioactive nuclei
• Neutron microradiography and tomography using multipixel detectors
• Radiation damage, corrosion, aging of thin films
• Diffusion of atoms (ions) in solids (for Li-ion batteries, Ion separation on-line systems)
• Thin films of fullerene-metal hybrid composites (synthesis, modification, application)
• MAX and MXene thin films (synthesis by ion beam sputtering, modification, application)
• Complex material phenomena (self-organization, phase separation, interface dynamics)
• Hybrid materials for tissue engineering (synthesis, characterization, application)
• Functional materials for bio- and gas-sensors (synthesis, characterization)

Publication Activities (author or co-author of about 330 papers)

Three most cited papers:

1. V. Petráková, A Taylor, I. Kratochvílová, F. Fendrych, J. Vacík, J. Kučka, J. Štursa, P. Cígler, M. Ledvina, A. Fišerová, P. Kneppo, M. Nesládek, Luminescence of Nanodiamond Driven by Atomic Functionalization: Towards Novel Detection Principles, Advanced Functional Materials 22(4) (2012) 812-819; IF = 18.5, No. citations: 138.

2. L. Bacakova, L. Grausova, J. Vacik, A. Fraczek, S. Blazewicz, A. Kromka, M. Vanecek, V. Svorcik, Improved adhesion and growth of human osteoblast-like MG 63 cells on biomaterials modified with carbon nanoparticles, Diamond and Related Materials 16(12) (2007) 2133-2140; IF = 4.3, No. citations: 84.

3. S. D. Janssens, P. Pobedinskas, J. Vacik, V. Petrakova, B. Ruttens, J. D'Haen, M. Nesladek, K. Haenen, P. Wagner, Separation of intra- and inter-granular magnetotransport properties in nanocrystalline diamond films on the metallic side of the metal-insulator transition, New Journal of Physics 13 (2011) Article Number: 083008; IF = 3.0, No. citations: 70.

Three most recent papers:

1. J. Vacik, G. Ceccio, I. Tomandl, Neutron depth profiling - a method for direct visualization of Li-ion distribution and migration in all-solid-state Li-ion batteries (ASSLIB), Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids 179 (2025) 1564-1568.

2. G. Ceccio, J. Vacik, V. Lavrentiev, R. Miksova, M- Drozdenko, Study of LiCoO2 + C60 using neutron and ion beam profiling methods, Applied Radiation and Isotopes225 (2025) 111980.

3. M.T. Wan, R. Gilles, J. Vacik, H.W. Liu, N.L. Wu, S. Passerini, D. Bresser, Metal-Free Polymer-Based Current Collector for High Energy Density Lithium-Metal Batteries, small 20 (48) (2024) art. 2404437.

Grant Project Activities – over the last 5 years (2020-2025)

1. Ternary MAX nanolaminates - advanced innovative materials for future applications in extreme conditions, LTAUSA 17128, Inter-Excellence / Inter-Action, MEYS CR, 2017 - 2020, co-investigator.

2. Janus nanoparticles for catalysis and membrane processes, No. 18-07619S, GACR, 2018 - 2020, co-investigator.

3. Microstructural analysis of MAX and MXene nanolaminates with high radiation resistance, No. 18- 21677S, GACR, 2018 - 2021, principal investigator.

4. Project No. 6 (Study of construction materials for solid Li-ion batteries), OPRDE CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001812, MEYS CR, 2017 - 2019, principal investigator.

5. Nanostructured heterojunctions for chemiresistors, No. 19-02804S, GACR, 2019 - 2021, co-investigator.

6. Preparation and properties of nanoporous membranes with functionalized nanoparticles, No. 22-17346S, GACR, 2022 - 2024, principal investigator.

7. Black metals surface-decorated by MXenes as sensitive chemiresistor layers, No. 23-05002S, GACR, 2023-2025, principal investigator.

8. Ferroic multifunctionalities (FerrMion), OP JAK, 2024-2028, member of the NPI team.

Other Research Activities

• Member of the editorial board of Journal of Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids, Plasma Science and Plasma Technology (since 2012 – present)
• Member of the evaluation panels for the Grant Agency of CR (2015 - 2020)
• Member of the peer-review teams of experts for evaluation of grants for doctoral study programs at the Institute of Chemical Technology Prague
• Coordinator of the scientific program of the NPI CANAM infrastructure (canam.ujf.cas.cz)