Research Experience

  • Study the bulk and grain boundary effects on electrical conduction in SOFC by complex impedance spectroscopy.
  • Surface, Interface and Thin Film Analysis by XPS (ESCA)
  • Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigations on bare and chemically modified single crystalline electrodes (GaAs(hkl) and Ag(111)), deposited films and adsorption layers.
  • Non-linear optic properties at electrified single crystalline electrodes / solution interface (evidence of surface state- and field-effects at GaAs(hkl) / electrolyte junction).
  • Spectroellipsometric characterization of thin films and single crystalline electrodes / solution interface.

Positions

  • Scientist Reasearcher

    May 2010 to Present

    Institute of Physical Chemistry

  • Research Assistant

    February 2000 to May 2010

    Institute of Physical Chemistry

    Education

  • Ph.D. in Chemistry

    November 2009

    Institute of Physical Chemistry

    Thesis entitle: "The study of surface phenomena at single monocrystalline electrode/solution interface".

  • Master of Science

    October 1998 to July 1999

    Physics Department, University of Bucharest

  • Bachelor of Science

    October 1998 to July 1999

    Physics Department, University of Bucharest

    List of Publications

    1. Lazarescu, V.; Scurtu, R.; Lazarescu, M.F.; Toader, A.M.; Volanschi, E.; Passivation effects of 4,4'-thio-bis-benzenethiolate adsorbed layers on semiconducting electrodes. Electrochimica Acta, 2010. 55(27), 8293-8301.
    2. Scurtu, R.; Ionescu, N. I.; Lazarescu, M. F.; Lazarescu, V., Surface states- and field-effects at p- and n-doped GaAs(111)A/solution interface. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2009, 11, (11), 1765 - 1770.
    3. Lazarescu, V.; Scurtu, R.; Lazarescu, M. F.; Toader, M. A.; Volanschi, E.; Santos, E.; Jones, H.; Gütz, G.; Bäuerle, P., Potential-induced conformational changes in α-CN-terthiophene thiolate film on GaAs(110). 2009, 25, 6522-6531.
    4. Santos, E.; Avalle, L. B.; Scurtu, R.; Jones, H., l-Cysteine films on Ag (111) investigated by electrochemical and nonlinear optical methods. Chemical Physics 2007, 342, 236-244.
    5. Trapalis, C.; Gartner, M.; Modreanu, M.; Kordas, G.; Anastasescu, M.; Scurtu, R.; Zaharescu, M., Stabilization of the anatase phase in TiO2 (Fe3+ , PEG) nanostructured coatings. Applied Surface Science 2006, 253, (1), 367-371.
    6. Lazarescu, V.; Gartner, M.; Scurtu, R.; Anastasescu, M.; Ghita, A.; Lazarescu, M. F.; Schmickler, W., Fermi Level Pinning at n-GaAs(110) Electrodes. Elsevier 2006.
    7. Lazarescu, V.; Scurtu, R.; Lazarescu, M. F.; Santos, E.; Jones, H.; Schmickler, W., Field effects and surface states in second harmonic generation at n-GaAs (h k l) electrodes. Electrochimica Acta 2005, 50, (25-26), 4830-4836.
    8. Gartner, M.; Scurtu, R.; Ghita, A.; Zaharescu, M.; Modreanu, M.; Trapalis, C.; Kokkoris, M.; Kordas, G., Spectroellipsometric characterization of sol-gel TiO2-CuO thin coatings. Thin Solid Films 2004, 455, 417-421.
    9. Crisan, M.; Predoana, M. G. L.; Crisan, D.; Scurtu, R.; Gavrila, R.; Zaharescu, M., SiO2-ZrO2 Sol-Gel Nanostructured Thin Films with Optical Properties. Key Engineering Materials 2004, 264, 553-556.
    10. Crisan, M.; Gartner, M.; Predoana, L.; Scurtu, R.; Zaharescu, M.; Gavrila, R., Sol-Gel SiO2-ZrO2 Coatings for Optical Applications. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 2004, 32, (1), 167-172.
    11. Lazarescu, V.; Lazarescu, M. F.; Scurtu, R.; Anastasescu, M., Electrochemical and Optical Nonlinear Properties of GaAs(111)-A Electrodes. Annals of West University of Timisoara 2003, (12), 589-596.
    12. Gartner, M.; Crisan, M.; Jitianu, A.; Scurtu, R.; Gavrila, R.; Oprea, I.; Zaharescu, M., Spectroellipsometric Characterization of Multilayer Sol-Gel Fe2 O3 Films. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 2003, 26, (1), 745-748.
    13. Georgescu, V.; Popa, V. T.; Scurtu, R.; Ionescu, N. I., Co-Cr mixed oxide catalysts for complete oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Progress in catalysis 2001, 10, 51-58.
    14. Georgescu, V.; Popa, V. T.; Scurtu, R.; Ionescu, N. I., Cu-Cr mixed oxide catalysts for complete oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Progress in catalysis 2000, 9.

    Conferences

    1. Second Workshop on Size-Dependent Effects in Materials for Enviromental Protection and Energy Application, September 2010, Nessebar, Bulgaria, "IT-SOFC Electrolytes Investigated by Impedance Spectroscopy", Rares Scurtu, Cristian Antonescu, Victor Fruth.
    2. The 14th International Conference of Physical Chemistry, June 2010, Bucharest, Romania, "Study of conduction phenomena in SOFC electrolyte by impedance spectroscopy", R. Scurtu, S. Preda, J. M. Calderon-Moreno, C. Adronescu, V. Fruth.
    3. The 7th International Conference of the Chemical Societies of the South-East European Countries on "Chemistry - Beauty and Application", September 2010, Bucharest, Romania, "Impedance Spectroscopy Characterization of La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3-δ as Electrolyte for IT-SOFC", Rares Scurtu, Cristian Antonescu, Victor Fruth.
    5. The 60th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, 16-22 August, 2009, Beijing (China), Surface States- and Field-Effects at Bare and Thiolate Covered GaAs(111)A Electrodes, R. Scurtu, M.F. Lazarescu, V. Lazarescu.
    6. The 60th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, 16-22 August, 2009, Beijing (China), Passivation Effects of 4, 4' Thio-bis-benzene-thiolate Adsorbed Layers on Semiconducting Electrodes, V. Lazarescu, R. Scurtu, M. F. Lazarescu, A. M. Toader, E. Volanschi.
    7. The 5th Kurt Schwabe Symposium 2009, 24-28 Mai, Erlangen (Germania), Surface States- and Field Effects at Thiolate-Covered GaAs(110) Electrodes, V. Lazarescu, R. Scurtu, M. F. Lazarescu, A. M. Toader, E. Volanschi, E. Santos, H. Jones, G. Goetz, P. Baeuerle.
    8. Journees d'Electrochimie 2009, 6-10 iulie 2009, Sinaia, SHG- and EIS-investigations on thiolate-covered GaAs(110) electrodes, V. Lazarescu, R. Scurtu, M. F. Lazarescu, A. M. Toader, E. Volanschi, E. Santos.
    9. The 59th Annual Meeting of the ISE, September 2008, Seville, Spain, "Potential-induced conformational changes in α-CN-terthiophene thiolate film on GaAs(110)", Valentina Lazarescu, Guenther Goetz, Elizabeth Santos, Rares Scurtu, Ana Maria Toader, Elena Volanschi.
    10. The 58th Annual Meeting of the ISE, September 2007, Banff, Canada, "Self Organized Organic Monolayers on Semiconductor Electrodes" , Valentina Lazarescu, Mihail-Florin Lazarescu, Catalin Negrila, Rares Scurtu.
    11. The 210th ECS Meeting, November 2006, Cancun, Mexico C1 - Biological Nanostructures, Materials, and Applications "L-Cysteine Films on Ag(111) Investigated by Electrochemical and Optical Methods", Elizabeth Santos, Lucia Avalle, Rares Scurtu and Harold Jones.
    12. The 57th Annual Meeting of the ISE, September 2006, Edinburgh, England, "Surface States and field effects at (NH4)2S – modified GaAs (100) electrode", Lazarescu V., Scurtu R., Gartner M., Visan T., Lazarescu M, F., Santos E., Schmickler W.
    13. The 9th International symposium on the passivation of metals and semiconductors, and the properties of thin oxide layers, Paris (France), July 2005 "Fermi level pinning at n-GaAs(110) electrodes", Valentina Lazarescu, Mariuca Gartner, R. Scurtu, Mihai Anastasescu, Adrian Ghita, Mihail F. Lazarescu, Wolfgang Schmickler.
    14. The 54th Annual ISE Meeting, Thessalonoki, Grecia, Septembrie 2004 "Surface State and Field Effects in Second Harmonic Generation at GaAs(hkl) Electrodes", V. Lazarescu, M.F. Lazarescu, R. Scurtu, Elizabeth Santos, H. Jones, W. Schmickler.
    15. The 4th International Conference of the Chemical Societies of the South-East European Countries, July 2004, Belgrade (Serbia) "The overall activation energy of thermokinetic oscillations", N. I. Ionescu, M. Caldararu, C. Hornoiu, M. Carata, C. Munteanu, P. Chesler, R. Scurtu.

    Technical Skills

    • Electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) - experience with Zahner IM6 and Solartron SI 1260 frequency analyzers
    • Linear and non-linear optical measurements (spectroellipsometry, second-harmonic-generation(SHG))
    • FTIR, AFM measurements on thin films
    • Automatized data acquisition using LabView software

    Computer Skills

    • Windows 9x, Xp
    • Experience with the LabView, Origin and OriginC, Visual Basic Language, HTML, MS Office suite software and graphics packages.

    Language

    • English

    Hobbies

    • Trekking, photography and playing basketball.

    Last update: October 2010