Stela Maria Pruneanu

Stela Maria Pruneanu is a Senior Researcher I (R4) at the National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (NIRD TIM) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, affiliated with the Department of Materials, Energy and Advanced Technologies and the Research Team "Isotopic, Elemental and Molecular Fingerprinting." With over 20 years of active research experience since her 1999 PhD, she specializes in graphene-based nanomaterials synthesis and electrochemical applications for biomolecule/pollutant detection.

Her educational background includes:

• BSc in Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1987)
• PhD in Chemical Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (1999)

Dr. Pruneanu pioneers graphene synthesis via template methods and CCVD-IH on noble-metal catalysts, with research emphasizing graphene-metal nanoparticle composites for electrochemical sensors. Her work targets hydrogen peroxide detection (oxidative stress biomarker), pharmaceutical pollutant analysis (carbamazepine, captopril), and dental nanocomposites for caries therapy, bridging chemical physics, environmental engineering, and biomedical materials science.

Scientific awards: None documented in the provided sources.

As a Key Expert, she led projects including graphene-porphyrin assemblies for hydrogen peroxide detection (2015-2017), graphene-polymer dental composites (2014-2017), and graphene-metal electrodes for pollutant sensing (2011-2016). Her grant activities encompass peer-review for international programs and R&D project management for enterprises, with documented contributions to patent development and ISI journal publications.

She operates within NIRD TIM's advanced infrastructure, including the Experimental Pilot Plant for Light Stable Isotopes Separation and the Computing Platform for Emerging Technologies, collaborating with Babeș-Bolyai University, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, and industry partners like APEL LASER S.R.L.