Physical Chemistry

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

The discipline of Physical Chemistry was established in the academic year 1992-1993, once the first generation of the Pharmacy specialization (established in 1991) within the Faculty of General Medicine from Timişoara reached the second year, where this subject is studied.

The first head of discipline was prof. dr. Zeno Simon (corresponding member of the Romanian Academy), seconded to the practical works of dr. chem. Ludovic Kurunczi, at that time a part-time associate professor and principal researcher II at the Timişoara Institute of Chemistry of the Romanian Academy. Soon, Dr. Ludovic Kurunczi also took over the teaching of the Physical Chemistry course, and in 1995 he became a full-time associate professor and head of discipline. Since 1998, Assoc.prof. Ludovic Kurunczi held the position of full professor of Physical Chemistry, ensuring until February 2012 the coordination of the discipline.

In the 2012-2017 period, the coordination of the discipline was ensured by the late prof. dr. Georgeta-Maria Simu. In September 2017, the discipline of Physical Chemistry suffered a sudden loss, through the passing into eternity of the one who was a valued teacher, extraordinary colleague, and reliable friend, professor Georgeta-Maria Simu.

Starting with September 2017, the head of discipline becomes associate professor, Ph.D. Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi, who holds the position of full professor starting with September 2020.

During 1993-1995, the practical works were carried out under the supervision of Dr. chem. Traian Sulea in the Physical Chemistry laboratory of the West University of Timişoara, the discipline not having its own laboratory. In the period 1996-1999, the leading of the laboratories is the responsibility of Mrs. Chem. Gabriela Suru, a scientific researcher at the Timişoara Institute of Chemistry of the Romanian Academy. At the same time, during this period, the arrangement and equipment of an own laboratory of the discipline were initiated, in a building made available to the students of Pharmacy by the University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Timişoara. The endowment of the laboratory equipment was made considering the specifics of the discipline, in close connection with the needs of the specialized disciplines in the pharmaceutical field.

The final accreditation of the Faculty of Pharmacy in 2000 also led to a consolidation of the Physical Chemistry discipline, by obtaining new equipments. In the period 1999-2004, the discipline was joined by Mr. assistant chemist Dan Fara, a graduate of the West University of Timişoara, and in the period 2004-2008, the position of junior teaching assistant was occupied by Ms. Claudia Temereancă, a graduate of our faculty. She held the position of junior teaching assistant until the academic year 2007-2008. In October 2008 the disciplined was joined by Mr. Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi, who gets the position of junior teaching assistant in February 2009, taking over the leading of the laboratories. Since the fall of 2017, the discipline has been joined by the pharm. Sebastian-Claudiu Simu, as an external corroborator, then occupied the position of university assistant starting with the academic year 2018-2019. Currently, Mr. Sebastian-Claudiu Simu holds the position of lecturer within the discipline, starting with the academic year 2023-2024.

In 1998, the study section “Pharmacy in French” was established, which still operates within the faculty. During 1998-2009, the Physical Chemistry courses in French were taught by professor Ludovic Kurunczi, and the management of the practical stages was taken over starting 1999 by the late Dr. Chim. Georgeta-Maria Simu, as an external corroborator, a second-degree researcher at the Timişoara Institute of Chemistry of the Romanian Academy. In 2009, Dr. Georgeta-Maria Simu held the position of full-time associate professor in the discipline, taking over the teaching of courses at the French section. After the retirement of professor Ludovic Kurunczi in 2012, the teaching of the Physical Chemistry course was provided until 2017 by professor Georgeta-Maria Simu and associate professor Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi. Also, the discipline ensured the teaching of the courses of Principles of Physical Chemistry (2012-2016), currently the Physico-chemical Bases of Drug Preformulation at the Lugoj Extension of Pharmacy Assistance series (starting with the academic year 2017-2018).

Until 2012, the discipline ensured, through professor Kurunczi, the teaching of the course “Methodology of Pharmaceutical Scientific Research”.

The Physical Chemistry team also supported the course “Principles of Physical Chemistry Applied in Cosmetic Pharmaceutical Technology” since the establishment of the master’s program “Formulation and evaluation of the dermal cosmetic product” 10 years ago, through the involvement of professor Anca-Octavia Dragomirescu, the coordinator of this master’s program. The course has a wide addressability, both to graduates of pharmaceutical and medical studies, but also to all those interested in ” chemistry of skin and cosmetics”, such as biologists, chemists, and technological engineers. In the first years, the courses and seminars were held by professor Ludovic Kurunczi, then by professor Georgeta-Maria Simu. Currently, the lectures are held by professor Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi.

THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF PHARMACISTS

Within the fundamental disciplines studied (study years I and II specialization Pharmacy, respectively year I study specialization Pharmacy Assistance), Physical Chemistry ensures the familiarization of students with a series of concepts necessary to understand the “chemical phenomenon”, as well as awareness of its importance in approach to specialized disciplines, such as Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Biopharmacy, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical Technology, Drug Analysis, etc.

The content of the courses and the analytical programs of the discipline has been constantly improved, currently being in line with those of similar disciplines from the other faculties of pharmacy in the country, but also from prestigious university centers in Europe. At the European level, in many universities with pharmaceutical training, the Physical Chemistry discipline is complemented by independent courses in Colloidal Chemistry, Solid State Chemistry, or chapters of the discipline are taught in a modular system (Thermodynamics, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Electrochemistry, Colloids, etc.). Within our faculty, the discipline of Physical Chemistry ensures the teaching of all these chapters in a unitary analytical program. Thus, the Physical Chemistry course in the first semester aims to familiarize students with classical and statistical thermodynamics (thermodynamics of phase transformations, equilibrium constants, chemical potential, the heat of reaction, etc.), presents the importance of chemical bonds and structure in determining physical properties (polarity, aggregation states, etc.) and chemical (reactivity vs. stability). At the same time, in the first semester, some basic notions related to radiochemistry, radionuclides, and radiopharmaceuticals are presented. In the second semester, the Physical Chemistry course is structured in several chapters: molecular spectroscopy (the physical basis of the appearance of spectra and their importance in the instrumental analysis of the drug), states of aggregation (properties of fluids and solids of pharmaceutical interest), electrochemistry formation of electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutions, the significance of pH and buffer use, acid-base nature of drugs and their forms in vivo), formal kinetics and kinetics of enzymatic reactions, dispersed systems (interphase properties and adsorption, stability of dispersed systems, stabilization methods and their importance in pharmaceutical technology).

At present, the practical works are correlated and adapted in each semester with the course content. Thus, in the first semester, practical works of thermodynamics (partial molar quantities, study of partition equilibrium, solid-liquid binary equilibrium, thermal effects on solutions, colligative properties) and structure (refractometry, molar refraction, polarimetry) are carried out. In the second semester, practical works of chemical kinetics, UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, colloidal chemistry, and electrochemistry are carried out.

Within the laboratory works, the tutoring system has been practiced since 2012, through which students from years III-V are involved in the development of practical works, guiding their younger colleagues together with the group assistant. In this sense, we mention the students Bogdan Dragoş (graduate 2012), Elena Minea (graduate 2014), Mihai Moghioroş (graduate 2014), Diana Petrean (graduate 2016), Ana-Maria Igaş (graduate 2016), Marcela Marcu (graduate 2017), Mădălina Ispas (graduate 2017), Mălina Lupşescu (graduate 2017), Sebastian Simu (graduate 2017), Cătălin Grozav (graduate 2017), Mădălina Mincan (graduate 2017), Claudia Cărpenişan (graduate 2017), Larisa Pop (graduate 2017), Iulia Vladu (graduate 2017), Iuliana Florea (graduate 2018), Paul Vasiloni (graduate 2018) as well as students from the French series: Bouani Bouthaina (graduate 2015), Fessi Sabrine (graduate 2015), Ben Salah Ons, Ben Jmaa Slima, Haddad Edyl and Cherni Asma (2016 graduates). Starting with the 2017-2018 academic year, the “Volunteering in Academic Development” (VADA) student volunteer program with exceptional results was attended by “ten-grade students in Physical Chemistry” students: Sara-Luiza Bîc (5th grade) and Mirabela Romanescu (year IV).

Students have been active in the field of scientific research since 2012: Applications of physical chemistry in the study of pharmaceuticals and/or compounds with potential biological activity. The scientific activities of the circle foresee the extension of some notions discussed in the course and aim, especially at the students who carry out their bachelor’s theses and dissertations within the discipline.

The discipline currently ensures the teaching of the optional course Drug Design – addressed to students in the third year of the Pharmacy series (semester I). The course was introduced in 1995 under the name Quantitative Structure-Activity Relations (QSAR) / Drug Design. At present, the course aims to familiarize the pharmacist student with notions related to drug research in the preclinical phase of identifying molecular structures with the potential to become drugs; and establish connections between the notions acquired by students in fundamental and specialized disciplines. the phase of drug discovery, respectively the completion of the knowledge regarding the drug research (rational design).

In the period 2016-2018, and currently from 2023, the discipline also ensured and ensures the teaching of a new optional course, namely the Polymorphism of Medicinal Substances – addressed to students in the 5th year of the Pharmacy series (first semester). The course’s main objectives were to familiarize the student with the importance of the solid-state of bioactive compounds, the polymorphic transformations that may occur, but also aspects related to methods of obtaining and characterizing polymorphic forms and their importance in terms of optimizing bioavailability.

Graduates of undergraduate studies may also opt for enrollment in doctoral studies, under the leadership of professor Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi, Ph.D., doctoral supervisor at the Doctoral School of the Polytechnic University of Timişoara, in Chemistry domain (habilitation thesis defended on December 8, 2017, confirmed by the Order of the Minister OMEN no.3367 / 22.03.2018). Currently, professor Ionuţ-Valentin Ledeţi leads the activity of 4 doctoral students (one chemist and three pharmacists), the topic of their theses aiming at the physical chemistry of active pharmaceutical ingredients.