David Šestak received the 2026 EuChemS EUCYS Award
Oct 2, 2026
The 2026 EuChemS EUCYS Award for the best chemistry contribution at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) was awarded to David Šestak from Croatia.
David received the award for his project “The solvatochromic behavior of Brooker’s merocyanine in binary solvent mixtures” in the Chemistry category. His research investigated how the optical properties of Brooker’s merocyanine change in mixtures of different solvents. Using UV–Vis spectroscopy, he examined changes in the dye’s absorption depending on solvent composition. The results contribute to a better understanding of solvatochromism and its potential applications in sensors, optical filters and dye-sensitized solar cells.
The EuChemS special prize is awarded annually at EUCYS to recognise an outstanding research contribution in chemistry by a young scientist. EUCYS is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at encouraging cooperation between young scientists and supporting their future careers in science and technology.
Photo: © Varaždin School of Construction, Natural Sciences, and Mining