The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is a leading scientific institution, founded in 1825, with a rich tradition. "This post is a great honor, and international recognition of my scientific work", said Vancso. The appointment follows his prestigious appointment, in which he was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in Great-Britain, earlier this year.
Summary of his oratie held on the 19th of October 2010:
The Technology of Macromolecules: synthesis and applications in optics, catalysis and biology
The focus of nanotechnology shifts more and more in the direction of biological substances and the systems built from these basic building blocs, which also encompasses semiconductor-polymer-metal complexes. The structure of macromolecules can be manipulated relatively easily, with high precision, control and variety, using the latest technological advances. Binding chemically functional groups with covalent chemical bonds to polymer chains is relatively easy. Polymers, therefore, are ideal for use as a binding medium in molecular nanotechnology. For building nano-sized units, it is necessary for one to understand, and be able to manipulate the physical and chemical behaviour of the individual building blocks, as well as the binding intermolecular interactions. This is the focus of quantitative supramolecular nanochemistry. In his inaugural lecture, Gyula Vancsó dealt with not only macromulecular nanotechnology and quantitative supramolecular chemistry, but also with the characterization and possible applications of "intelligent" polymer systems, polymer-metal and polymer-semiconductor integrated nanosystems. In a case study he introduced a polymer-metal nanosystem, as well as it’s possible uses in microreactor technology. The Professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and his research team presented a complex system based on the coating of micro-reactors with a complex system to increase the efficiency and preformance of micro-reactors by a very large factor. Following this, Gyula Vancsó introduced optically active, luminescent, semiconductive polymer-semiconductor structures containing nano crystals. He proceded to detail applications in medicin, regarding the selective tagging of cancerous cells. Finally, in light of his most recent achievements, the chemist demonstrated an organic-inorganic, highly complex integrated system, held together by supramolecular forces. With help of this particular case study, Gyula Vancsó demonstrated the guided synthesis of hierarchical nanostructures, self-assembly, optical properties and molecular sensitivity sensor usage, which are made useful by biological, ecological and saftey reasons.