The Smart Organic Material Group (SMOG) brings cutting-edge skills in the fields of organic, polymer and material chemistry and engineering. The SMOG aims to bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research in the field of organic materials and to provide solutions to major challenges facing our society. Our research activities concern the development of functional molecules and new synthetic strategies to enable access to dynamic complex molecular systems. Through engineering we aim to develop new processes for the production of smart materials. Our goal is to synthesize animate materials by designing fundamentally new activation strategies and using functionalization of synthetic and natural materials. Our research targets a wide range of applications including biomaterials, drug delivery systems, information storage, sensing and diagnostics. Our multidisciplinary team is involved in original (inter)national research projects as well as in external collaborations in Romania or abroad.
Dr. Victor Jerca is heading the Smart Organic Materials Group (SMOG), which is focusing on the development of (multi)functional materials for advanced applications. He obtained a PhD in chemical engineering from University POLITEHNICA in Bucharest under the supervision of Prof. Dan Sorin Vasilescu and performed postdoctoral research with Prof. Dan Sorin Vasilescu (University POLITEHNICA in Bucharest) and with Prof. Richard Hoogenboom (Ghent University). He published considerably fundamental and applicative work, with emphasis on synthesis and characterization of functional polymers, with particularly focus on polyoxazoline-based smart materials. Dr Jerca is the recipient of the Romanian Academy prize ‘‘Costin D. Nenitzescu’’ awarded in 2012. He is currently a member of the editorial board of Dyes and Pigments Journal and Materials.
Dr. Mircea Vuluga is a senior researcher with more than 35 years of expertise in securing research funding and budget management. He has strong expertise in industrial upscaling products and technology, acquired during his industrial appointment to C.Ch. Craiova Doljchim and participated in the implementation of 4 pilot industrial installations. He has been working on ring opening cationic polymerization of cyclic acetals and on the chemical modification of natural polymers (collagen, cellulose). Dr. Vuluga is specialized in the molecular, thermogravimetric and optical characterization of synthetic and natural macromolecules.
Dr. Adriana Jerca is an experienced researcher with a PhD in Chemical Engineering (2011) from University POLITEHNICA in Bucharest. She performed postdoctoral research with Dr. Dan Anghel (Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry) and with Prof. Richard Hoogenboom (Ghent University). She is the recipient of the Romanian Academy Prize “Costin D. Nenitzescu” awarded in 2012. Her main expertise lies in the development of polymers and organic materials, and she is currently working on designing responsive polymers and smart materials for photonics and biomedical applications. Her expertise in material science is reflected by numerous publications, book chapters, national patents and (inter)national communications. She has managerial experience in coordinating national projects as project leader.
Emilian Ghibu is a PhD student in the Smart Organic Material group. He received his Bachelor and Master degrees in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products majoring in Organic Chemistry from Politehnica University of Bucharest. The main research of Emilian is the design and synthesis of smart hydrogels for controlled release of biologically active compounds.
Alexandru Molența joined the group of Smart Organic Materials in 2021 and is currently a Master student. He received his BSc in Chemistry from University of Bucharest under the supervision of Prof. Marius Andruh and Dr. Victor Jerca. He investigates the use of 2-oxazoline based smart monomers for the development of macromolecular and supramolecular organic architectures. He is also involved in the synthesis of light responsive materials for sensing and diagnostics.
Main research directions are focused on syntheses of organic building blocks for the development of (macro)molecular architectures as a platform for health and photonic materials.
2-Oxazoline functional derivatives.
New methods for obtaining functional 2-oxazoline derivatives using mainly fine organic synthesis. Synthesis of 2-oxazolines with polymerizable functions by radical and / or anionic mechanism.
Multi-functional materials
Integration of various functions in dynamic complex molecular systems. Development of multifunctional organic materials with complex response to external stimuli such as light, temperature, pH, magnetic field, and enzymes.
Organic materials for opto-electronics and photonics.
Design and synthesis of new structured organic materials with applications in photonics. Development of azo derivatives for obtaining photoswitches and materials with increased efficiency of nonlinear properties of the second and third order using molecular engineering.
Polymeric networks.
Development of organic materials with 3D structure for controlled and directed release of therapeutic agents. Polymeric systems designed for the treatment of diseases with an inflammatory reaction and autoimmune response of the body.
2022 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; Advances and opportunities in the exciting world of azobenzenes, Nature Reviews Chemistry, 6: 51–69.
2021 Xu X., Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R. Bioinspired Double Network Hydrogels: from Covalent Double Network Hydrogels via Hybrid Double Network Hydrogels to Physical Double Network Hydrogels, Materials Horizons, 8(4): 1173-1188.
2021 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; In vitro assessment of the hydrolytic stability of poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline), Biomacromolecules, 22 (12): 5020–5032.
2020 Xu X.; Jerca F.A.; Van Hecke K.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; High compression strength single network hydrogels with pillar[5]arene junction points, Materials Horizons, 7 (2): 566-573.
2020 Xu X., Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Bio-inspired Hydrogels as Multi-task Anti-icing Hydrogel Coatings, Chem, 6(4): 820-822.
2020 Xu X., Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Structural Diversification of Pillar[n]arene Macrocycles. Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 59(16): 6314-6316.
2020 Ceglowski M.; Jerca V.V.; Jerca F.A.; Hoogenboom R.; Reduction-Responsive Molecularly Imprinted Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) for Controlled Release of Anticancer Agents; Pharmaceutics, 12 (6), 1-15.
2020 Iordache T.V.; Banu N.D.; Giol E.D.; Vuluga D.M.; Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Factorial Design Optimization of Polystyrene Microspheres Obtained by Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization in the Presence of Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) Reactive Stabilizer; Polymer International, 69 (11): 1122-1129.
2020 Xu X.; Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; Self-Healing and Moldable Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) Supramolecular Hydrogels Based on a Transient Metal Coordination Network; Macromolecules, 53 (15): 6566-6575.
2020 Van Den Broeck E, Verbraeken B, Dedecker K, Cnudde P, Vanduyfhuys L, Verstraelen T, Van Hecke K, Jerca V.V., Catak S, Hoogenboom R, Van Speybroeck V; Cation-pi Interactions Accelerate the Living Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization of Unsaturated 2-Alkyl-2-oxazolines; Macromolecules, 53(10): 3832-3846.
2020 Maji S, Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Dual pH and Thermoresponsive Alternating Polyampholytes in Alcohol/Water Solvent Mixtures; Polymer Chemistry, 11(12): 2205-2211.
2020 Xu X, Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Self-Healing Metallo-Supramolecular Hydrogel Based on Specific Ni2+ Coordination Interactions of Poly(ethylene glycol) with Bistriazole Pyridine Ligands in the Main Chain; Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 41(4).
2020 Xu X, Van Guyse OFR, Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Metal Ion Selective Self-Assembly of a Ligand Functionalized Polymer into [1+1] Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Polymer Structures via Metal-Ligand Coordination; Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 41(1).
2019 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; Well-Defined Thermoresponsive Polymethacrylamide Copolymers with Ester Pendent Groups through One-Pot Statistical Postpolymerization Modification of Poly(2-Isopropenyl-2-Oxazoline) with Multiple Carboxylic Acids; Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry, 57 (3): 360-366.
2019 Xu X.; Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; Covalent Poly(2-Isopropenyl-2-Oxazoline) Hydrogels with Ultrahigh Mechanical Strength and Toughness through Secondary Terpyridine Metal-Coordination Crosslinks; Advanced Functional Materials, 29 (48): 1904886.
2019 Van Guyse JFR, Cools P, Egghe T, Asadian M, Vergaelen M, Rigole P, Yan WQ, Benetti EM, Jerca V.V., Declercq H, Coenye T, Morent R, Hoogenboom R, De Geyter N.; Influence of the Aliphatic Side Chain on the Near Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization of 2-Alkyl-2-oxazolines for Biomedical Applications; ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11(34): 31356-31366.
2019 Arraez FJ, Xu X, Van Steenberge PHM, Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R, D'Hooge DR; Macropropagation Rate Coefficients and Branching Levels in Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization of 2-Ethyl-2-oxazoline through Prediction of Size Exclusion Chromatography Data; Macromolecules, 52(11): 4067-4078.
2018 Jerca F.A.; Anghelache A.M.; Ghibu E.; Cecoltan S.; Stancu I.C.; Trusca R.; Vasile E.; Teodorescu M.; Vuluga D.M.; Hoogenboom R.; Jerca V.V.; Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications; Chemistry of Materials, 30 (21): 7938-7949.
2018 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Anghelache A.M.; Vuluga D.M.; Hoogenboon R.; Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) as a Versatile Platform Towards Thermoresponsive Copolymers; Polymer Chemistry, 9 (25): 3473-3478.
2018 Jerca V.V., Hoogenboom R.; Photocontrol in Complex Polymeric Materials: Fact or Illusion? Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 57(27): 7945-7947.
2018 Monnery BD, Jerca V.V., Sedlacek O, Verbraeken B, Cavill R, Hoogenboom R.; Defined High Molar Mass Poly(2-Oxazoline)s; Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 57(47): 15400-15404.
2018 Glassner M, Verbraeken B, Jerca V.V., Van Hecke K, Tsanaktsidis J, Hoogenboom R. Poly(2-oxazoline)s with Pendant Cubane Groups. Polymer Chemistry, 9(39): 4840-4847.
2017 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Photoresponsive Polymers: Quo Vadis. European Polymer Journal, 88, 257-258.
2017 Jerca F.A.; Jerca V.V.; Hoogenboom R.; Photoresponsive Polymers on the Move; Chem, 3 (4), 533-536.
OCUMATER
Near infrared-light drug-delivery materials for ocular implants
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-0538
POXADOX
New polyoxazoline conjugates for cancer chemo-immunotherapy
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-0745
RESPOXA
Development of light-responsive poly(2-oxazoline)s micelles as a theranostic platform for improved tumor-targeted drug-delivery
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1696
POLYAMOS
Polyoxazoline hydrogels - pluripotent carriers of antimicrobials for local treatment of osteomyelitis
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021- 2544
DRESMATER
Personalized dressing platform based on smart materials for wound management
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-1776
Ghent University – Belgia
Adam Mickiewicz University – Polonia
ENS Lyon – Franta
U.Claude Bernard Lyon – Franta
Bogazici University – Turcia
Bradford University – UK
Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Medico-Militară „Cantacuzino” - București
Institutul de Biologie și Patologie Celulară Nicolae Simionescu “N. Simionescu” - București
Universitatea Politehnica Bucuresti
Universitatea Bucuresti
Institutul Național de Cercetare – Dezvoltare pentru Chimie și Petrochimie - Bucuresti
Institutul Național pentru Fizica Laserilor, Plasmei și Radiației -Măgurele
