Key Person
Research profile
50+
scientific articles
20
H-index
1650+
citations in Scopus
Cezar Florin Catrinescu is a Professor at “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași (TUIASI), specialising in advanced materials, heterogeneous catalysis and environmental applications. His research connects materials science with chemical and environmental engineering, developing approaches to pollution control and the conversion of renewable resources into valuable chemicals.
His expertise covers the synthesis, characterisation and application of porous materials, supported metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, inorganic–organic hybrid materials and semiconductor photocatalysts. Through research conducted at TUIASI and with international collaborators, he contributes to the development of materials and processes for cleaner water, resource valorisation and more sustainable chemical production.
Research and academic background
He graduated from TUIASI in 1995 with a degree in Biochemical Engineering and obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2004. His doctoral research was initiated under a cotutelle agreement between TUIASI and Université de Haute-Alsace, France, and included research stays at the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Mulhouse. In 2021, he obtained his habilitation in Chemistry, qualifying him to supervise doctoral research.
His international training includes a one-year Marie Curie fellowship at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona, Spain, and research placements at GSF Munich, Germany. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral research at the University of Madeira, Portugal, focusing on clay-based catalysts and the conversion of biomass-derived compounds into higher-value chemicals. Further research experience included a Swiss-funded project on pesticides and persistent organic pollutants in the Bahlui River and the Portuguese CLAYCATS4 project on catalysts for biomass conversion.
His main reseach areas include:
- Advanced materials for environmental applications: clays, pillared clays, zeolites, mesoporous silica and supported nanoparticles.
- Catalytic and photocatalytic water treatment: heterogeneous Fenton-like oxidation and semiconductor photocatalysis for organic pollutant removal.
- Adsorption and pollutant separation: development and evaluation of porous and modified materials for water purification.
- Renewable resource valorisation: catalytic conversion of biomass-derived molecules through green chemistry approaches.
- Environmental analytical chemistry: chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis of micropollutants and treatment products.
- Advanced materials
- Heterogeneous catalysis
- Photocatalysis
- Water treatment
- Biomass valorisation
- Environmental analitycal chemistry
Leading research and collaboration
His academic career at TUIASI began in 1995 as a research engineer, followed by teaching and research appointments as Assistant Professor, Lecturer and Associate Professor. He also held an Associate Professor appointment at the University of Madeira during 2005–2006.
He has contributed to national and international projects addressing advanced wastewater treatment, sustainable water management, environmental bioremediation, catalytic nanomaterials and biomass conversion. His project leadership includes research on iron oxide nanoparticles confined within mesoporous silica for the Fenton oxidation of persistent organic pollutants. He has also coordinated technical assistance and analytical training activities for the water utility APAVITAL, supporting the analysis of disinfection by-products in water.
His scientific contributions include peer-reviewed publications, two books and an OSIM patent. His work has advanced understanding of catalyst preparation, the stability and behaviour of active iron species, photocatalytic materials and the removal of organic pollutants. Alongside these activities, he has served on the scientific committees of successive editions of the International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Management (ICEEM).
Training the next generation of researchers
As a habilitated doctoral supervisor in Chemistry, he supports doctoral research at the interface of materials science, catalysis and environmental engineering. Section B highlights his experience in international doctoral co-supervision through a cotutelle arrangement with Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, France.
His institutional responsibilities have included directing the Faculty’s Coordination Council for Doctoral Programs and membership of the Council for University Doctoral Studies. He also contributes analytical expertise to TUIASI’s RENAR-accredited Laboratory for Analysis and Control of Environmental Factors (LACMED), where he has been responsible for GC–MS analysis since 2013.
Within CERSUS, this combination of research, analytical and supervisory experience supports the training of young researchers and collaboration across disciplines and partner institutions.
Role in CERSUS
As a key member of the coordinating TUIASI team, Cezar Florin Catrinescu brings expertise in environmental materials, catalytic processes and pollutant analysis to the CERSUS research programme.
His contribution supports the project’s interconnected research on innovative materials for environmental applications and resource recovery (WP2) and advanced wastewater treatment for circular water management (WP3). His experience in adsorption, heterogeneous Fenton catalysis and photocatalysis provides a scientific foundation for developing and evaluating materials capable of removing persistent and emerging organic pollutants.
His research on catalytic conversion of renewable molecules also strengthens the connection between materials development, pollution prevention and circular bioeconomy applications. By linking material properties with treatment performance and analytical evidence, he helps the consortium assess how innovative materials can be translated into effective environmental technologies.