Ionel Haiduc, a Romanian chemist who served as president of the Romanian Academy from 2006 to 2014 and was a member of the Academia Europaea, has died at the age of 89. The Cluj-Napoca branch of the Romanian Academy announced his death, describing him as a reference figure in Romanian chemistry.
Haiduc was a full member of the Romanian Academy since 1991 and led its Cluj-Napoca branch from 1995 to 2006 before taking the helm of the national institution. His research career covered inorganic ring chemistry, organometallic compounds of non-transition metals, organophosphorus ligands, organometallic compounds with antitumor action, and supramolecular chemistry.
His scientific output includes more than 350 papers in specialized journals, nine books, and numerous contributions to edited volumes. One of his books, «Supramolecular Organometallic Chemistry», published in 1999, was prefaced by Jean-Marie Lehn, a Nobel laureate in chemistry. According to the Romanian Academy, the work helped open a new research direction in supramolecular chemistry.
Beyond his research, Haiduc trained generations of students and researchers during a long university career. He was a visiting professor at universities in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. He was also a member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and several Romanian universities awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa.
The Cluj-Napoca branch said his scientific, teaching, and academic activity, along with his contribution to the development and prestige of the Romanian Academy and its Cluj branch, leaves a remarkable legacy in Romanian research and culture.