Research Interests

 1. Development of new nano-systems based on plasmonic and hybrid nanoparticles incorporating specific biomolecules, as anti-cancer drugs and molecular reporters for applications in nanomedicine and, particularly, in cancer nano-therapy (targeted cancer nano-chemotherapy, nano-photodynamic therapy, plasmonic hyperthermia, multimodal therapy, molecular imaging and diagnostic, etc.)

Expertise

►Nanomaterials synthesis, fabrication and their characterization and biofunctionalization;

►Optical confocal microscopy (scanning confocal Raman and fluorescence microscopy including time-resolved fluorescence FLIM, dark-field, etc.)

►Optical spectroscopy (UV-VIS, Raman, SERS, fluorescence, FT-IR, dynamic light scattering, ‘hole-burning” optical spectroscopy, etc.)

►Simulations in optics (FDTD-finite difference time domain, RCWA-rigorous coupled wave analysis, DDA-discrete dipole approximation).

International visibility

► Author and co-author of more than 230 scientific papers (from Web of Science Core Collection);

►Included in the list of the first 2% most cited scientists in the world in his field of research in 2020 and 2021 ( World’s Ranking of 2% most cited Top Scientists, Stanford Univ. and Elsevier by Scopus)

► Over 6450 international citations (excluding self-citations, from Web of Science);

► Hirsch index H= 42;

► Co-author of scientific book published by Springer Verlag Ed.;

► Invited contributor of 5 chapters in international books;

► Co-author of 3 scientific books published in Romanian;

► Co-editor of one scientific book published in Romania;

► 31 invited/plenary lectures in international meetings (conferences)

► Principal investigator of 9 national research projects +3 bilateral international projects.

► Advisor of 25 PhD students (22 defended, 3 on progress, 2 international join program).

► Guest Editor for a special issue on SERS published in Journal of Nanotechnology (2012) hindawi.com;

► Co-Editor for a special issue in J. Mol. Structure (2013) for a collection of papers presented at the XXXIst European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, August 26-31, 2012;

► Co-chairman of the European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy (EUCMOS 2012) in Cluj-Napoca phys.ubbcluj.ro;

► Member of the International Scientific Committee of European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy (http://eucmos2016.mke.org.hu/organizers-and-committees.html)

► Member of the International Scientific Committee of European Conference in Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules (http://www.ecsbm2015.de/general-information/organizational-remarks/);

► Co-author of 2 articles featured on the front cover of Nanotechnology Journal:

► Co-author of 1 article featured on the front cover of Applied Material & Interfaces Journal

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Scholar Google:  scholar.google.com   

Research Gate: researchgate.net  

BrainMap ID: U-1700-038N-4081

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Most Relevant Publications

1. Light transmission through metallic channels much smaller than the wavelength by: Astilean, S; Lalanne, P; Palamaru, M Optics Communications Volume: 175 Issue: 4-6 Pages: 265-273 (2000) - this is the most cited co-authored paper  published so far (240 times cited). 

2. Blazed binary subwavelength gratings with efficiencies larger than those of conventional echelette gratings by: Lalanne, P; Astilean, S; Chavel, P; et al. Optics Letters Volume: 23 Issue: 14 Pages: 1081-1083 (1998) - this is my first co-authored paper on "nano" published  in the dawn of nanoERA (230 times cited) .

3. Chitosan-coated triangular silver nanoparticles as a novel class of biocompatible, highly effective photothermal transducers for in vitro cancer cell therapy By: Boca, Sanda C.; Potara, Monica; Gabudean, Ana-Maria; Juhem, Aurelie; Baldeck, Patrice; Astilean, Simion Cancer Letters, Volume: 311 Issue: 2 Pages: 131-140 (2011)  - this is  the most cited co-authored paper in my research center published so far (228 times cited). 

4. Doxorubicin-Incorporated Nanotherapeutic Delivery System Based on Gelatin-Coated Gold Nanoparticles: Formulation, Drug Release, and Multimodal Imaging of Cellular Internalization By: Suarasan, Sorina; Focsan, Monica; Potara, Monica; Olga Soritau; Adrian Florea; Dana Maniu, Simion Astilean,ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Volume: 8 Issue: 35 Pages: 22900-22913 (2016) - this is the most cited co-authored paper in my research center  published  in the last 4 years (69 times cited) .

5. Isotopic-substitution effects on the molecular relaxation of dimethysulfoxide in pure liquid and different media  By: Bratu, I; Klostermann, K; Iliescu, T; Astilean S,    Journal of Molecular liquids Volume: 45 Issue: 1-2 Pages: 57-63 (1990) - this is my first co-authored paper published in ISI journal (7 times cited).