Interview with Andrei Honciuc—Winner of the IOCN 2025 Best Poster Award
We are pleased to share an interview with Prof. Dr. Andrei Honciuc, from “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, who received the Best Poster Award at the 5th International Online Conference on Nanomaterials (IOCN 2025).
1. What inspired your interest in nanomaterials research, and how has your focus developed over time?
My interest in nanomaterials grew out of a long-standing fascination with interfaces. Every material phase is defined by its boundaries, and these boundaries behave unlike the bulk: they carry excess energy (surface energy), they are chemically activated and are electronically active and thus are the host for the most interesting physicochemical processes. The interface is the “locus” for the heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption, adhesion, electron transfer, biological recognition, and many other fundamental physicochemical phenomena. As I advanced in my training, I became increasingly drawn to systems where interfacial effects dominate. Nanomaterials offer precisely this environment: as the surface-to-volume ratio increases, the interface becomes the controlling “engine” for the materials’ behavior. Studying nanomaterials allowed me to explore how different phases communicate through charge, mass, and energy exchange, and how new interfaces form when materials interact. Over time, this perspective has shaped my research focus on colloidal systems, Pickering emulsions, polymer and hybrid nanoparticles, and methods for probing surface energy and interfacial phenomena at the nanoscale.
2. How does your current research contribute to advancing innovation or solving key challenges in nanomaterials?
My research advances innovation in nanomaterials by creating systems whose interfacial properties and morphology can be precisely engineered and directly linked to function. A central theme is the control of surface architecture in Pickering-emulsion-derived polymer microspheres, Janus nanoparticles, and hybrid composites, enabling materials with tunable properties such as pollutant adsorption, encapsulation and controlled release of bioactives, colorimetric sensing, variable conductivity, and piezoelectric response.
These efforts span several active directions: nanomaterials for environmental remediation, nanostructured carriers for biomedical applications, and functional materials for optoelectronics and energy harvesting.
An example is the work presented in the award-winning poster on polymer–nanoparticle composites with piezoelectric response. By integrating conductive polymer nanoparticles into polar, flexible polymer matrices, we design composites that convert mechanical deformation into electrical output. Such materials address the need for lightweight, low-power energy harvesting and sensing components.
3. When and how did you first become aware of the open access Nanomaterials journal? How do you think open access impacts scholars like yourself?
I first became aware of the Nanomaterials journal while developing the NanoTRaPPED method, a technique we introduced to quantitatively determine the surface energy of nanoparticles dispersed in liquids. Surface energy is a central parameter governing nanoparticle stability, assembly, and interfacial reactivity, yet it is notoriously difficult to measure directly at the nanoscale, on nanoparticles. The NanoTRaPPED method provided a practical route to extract this quantity from emulsification-polymerization experiments, and I chose Nanomaterials as the platform to publish and promote this work to the broader community.
Open access played an essential role. For emerging ideas, prototype methodologies, and unconventional directions, visibility is critical. Open access ensures that new concepts are immediately available to researchers across disciplines and institutions, regardless of subscription constraints. In my experience, this accelerates feedback, encourages adoption, and creates the conditions for rapid refinement and follow-up studies.
My involvement with Nanomaterials continued beyond these initial publications. Later, I had the opportunity to serve as Guest Editor for two editions of the Special Issue “Morphological Design and Synthesis of Nanoparticles”. Both editions attracted strong interest and demonstrated the value of open platforms in bringing together diverse perspectives on nanoparticle synthesis, structure control, and interfacial behavior.
Overall, open access journals like Nanomaterials act as an effective launchpad for new ideas, allowing early-stage concepts and frontier research to reach the community quickly and transparently.
4. What message would you share with fellow early career researchers navigating similar paths?
I would encourage early career researchers to stay close to the fundamental questions that genuinely motivate them. We owe it to ourselves to understand something of the inner workings of this universe, and that pursuit often defines a fulfilled scientific and professional life. Strong practical ideas will follow and these grow from careful observation, patient experimentation, and the willingness to explore directions that may at first appear unconventional. Last but not least, may you be inspired from nature; nature has done all the inventions for us already!
This award enhances the visibility of my current research directions and helps position our work more strongly within the nanomaterials community. This award creates momentum for advancing our ideas, materials and the emerging technologies from our laboratory, such as NanoTRaPPED, PEmPTech, water-floating composites for environmental remediation, and piezoelectric polymer composites.
I also hope to attract researchers from the nanomaterials community interested in publishing their work in our Special Issues:
- “Morphological Design and Synthesis of Nanoparticles (Third Edition)” in Nanomaterials
- “Emerging Topics in Polymeric Nanoparticles” in International Journal of Molecular Sciences