MUSTAFA GAZİ

Professor Mustafa Gazi serves as Vice Chair of the Chemistry Department within the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in North Cyprus. With over three decades of academic experience, he maintains an active research program while supervising numerous graduate students and managing departmental operations from his office AS228.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University (1988-2007)
• MS in Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University (1988-2000)
• BS in Chemistry, Istanbul Technical University (1988-1997)

Professor Gazi's research spans polymer chemistry, environmental remediation, and pharmaceutical applications with particular expertise in polysaccharide-based materials. His work focuses on developing innovative solutions for water treatment, creating advanced drug delivery systems, and designing chemical sensors for environmental monitoring. His laboratory specializes in chitosan and alginate modifications, nanocomposite development, and antimicrobial material synthesis, bridging fundamental chemistry with practical applications in environmental and health sciences.

Analysis of his students' recent thesis work reveals several dominant research directions: development of polysaccharide-based materials for water treatment (particularly for antibiotic and heavy metal removal), creation of novel drug delivery systems using biopolymers, synthesis of metal-organic frameworks and quantum dot composites for sensing applications, and exploration of natural product derivatives for neuropharmacological applications. These research streams demonstrate a consistent focus on sustainable materials with environmental and biomedical applications.

Scientific Awards:

• Multiple EMU Research Incentive Awards (2017-2021)
• Multiple EMU Publication Citation Awards (2017-2021)

Professor Gazi has successfully supervised over 40 graduate students (25+ PhD and 20+ Master's theses) with research spanning environmental chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical applications. His funded projects include 'Alginate based cryogels and microsphere beads to form a controlled release mechanism for ciprofloxacin and berberine' (2021-2022) and 'Synthesis of Boron Crosslinked PVA/Polysaccharide based Porous Carbonaceous Materials for Supercapacitors Application' (2018-2019). His research group maintains strong collaborations with international institutions and consistently produces high-impact publications in materials science and environmental chemistry.

The research group operates advanced polymer synthesis and characterization facilities, with particular expertise in polysaccharide modification, nanocomposite fabrication, and materials testing for environmental and biomedical applications. Current research directions include developing molecularly imprinted polymers for sensing applications, creating surface-modified filter papers for water disinfection, and engineering polyelectrolyte complex hydrogels with antibacterial properties.