Maria-Magdalena Zaharescu (born 1938) is a Romanian chemist, specializing in the physical chemistry of oxide systems.
Dr. Zaharescu is a Senior Researcher and Head of Department at the “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest. In 2001, she was elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy. In June 2015 she became a full member of the Academy.
She was one of the 100 women scientists featured in "Successful Women Ceramic and Glass Scientists and Engineers: 100 Inspirational Profiles" by Lynnette Madsen (2016).
Her scientific interests include:
Physical chemistry of oxide systems (reactions mechanisms, thermal phase equilibria, structure-properties correlations).
Sol-gel science (sol-gel chemistry, nanostructured oxide films and powders, inorganic-organic hybrids, nanocomposites, oxide nanotubes). She introduced and developed the field of sol-gel research in Romania.
Vitreous oxide systems with special properties (thermally and chemically stable)
graduated from the Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
received her Ph.D from the Institute of Chemistry, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
More than 350 scientific papers from which over 250 published in internationally recognized ISI journals, including J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol.; J. Eur. Ceram. Soc.; J. Am. Ceram. Soc.; J. Mater. Chem.; J. Mater. Sci.; J. Mater. Res.; Mater. Chem. Phys.; J. Non-Cryst. Solids; J. Therm. Anal. Calorim.; Appl. Surf. Sci.; J. Nanopart. Res.; Ceram. Int.; Thin Solid Films; Rev. Roum. Chim., etc. as well as 3 patents and 8 book chapters edited by the Romanian Academy and international publishers.
International research projects in collaboration with Davis University, USA (funded by NST-USA), National Technical University of Athens, Greece (funded by NATO) and universities from Czech Republic, Bulgaria, France, Slovenia
Member of the International Society of Sol-Gel Science
Member of the American Ceramic Society – Basic Research Division
Member of the American Nano Society
Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology.
1971 - Gheorghe Spacu Award, Romanian Academy
1982 - Scientific Merit Medal, Romania
1983 - Scientific Order Third Degree, Romania
2007 - Honor Award and Gheorghe Spacu Medal, Romanian Society of Chemistry
