Dorina M. Opris

Dorina M. Opris serves as an Adjunct Professor at ETH Zürich's Department of Materials and leads the Functional Dielectric Elastomers group at Empa's Laboratory of Functional Polymers in Switzerland.

Education:

• B.Sc. in Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University (1997)
• M.Sc. in Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University (1999)
• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin (2005)

Research Interests: Dr. Opris pioneers functional polymeric materials with emphasis on dielectric elastomers for low-voltage transducers. Her work integrates organic synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles, polable elastomers, and structured organic films with advanced solution processing techniques including gravure printing and slot die coating. Research bridges molecular design with electromechanical device applications.

Scientific Awards:

• ERC Consolidator Grant (2020) for stimuli-responsive dielectric polymers research
• EuroEAP Society award (2019) for dielectric elastomer transducer innovations
• Romanian Government Scholarship (1992-1997)
• DFG Fellowship (2001-2004) for hybrid materials research

Grants and Teaching: Secured ERC Consolidator Grant worth nearly 2 million euros. Teaches macromolecular chemistry and materials science courses at ETH Zürich since 2018, with prior teaching experience at Freie Universität Berlin and Babes-Bolyai University.

Labs and Teams: Directs Empa's Functional Dielectric Elastomers group, collaborating with industry leaders including Dow, Evonik, and Panasonic on transducer materials development and printing technologies.