Yusuf Yagci, Professor of Chemistry at the Istanbul Technical University, Türkiye, who is one of the pioneers in photopolymer sciences, passed away on 30 January 2023 due to a massive heart attack while working in his office.
Yusuf was born in Mustafakemalpasa in Bursa, Türkiye, and was educated at the prestigious Galatasaray Engineering High School, Istanbul. He continued his education at the University of Liverpool, U.K., where he studied with Professor Bamford and graduated with a master’s degree in 1977 and later graduated with a PhD degree in 1979 under the supervision of Professor Ledwith. He then returned to his native homeland, Türkiye, and joined Istanbul Technical University where he rose through the academic ranks and became a full professor in 1989.
His research at Istanbul Technical University over a period of more than four decades focused on the synthesis of polymers using light-induced reactions. Initially, he worked on photoinduced cationic polymerization and later expanded to advance many areas of photopolymer sciences, such as photochemical methods to make block copolymers, macrophotoinitiators, photoinitiated free radical and controlled radical polymerization, living radical polymerization, photoinduced atom transfer polymerization, light-induced click reactions to create polymers, photo-induced metal-free atom transfer radical polymerization, and light-induced step-growth polymerization.
He was an exceptionally productive scientist who published over 55 books/book chapters and 750 research papers. Yusuf’s accomplishments have been recognized through many national and international awards. He was elected to the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 1994 (Assoc. Member) and 1997 (Full Member). Most recent awards include the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) International Award (2008), Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Ministerial COMSTEC International Award (2010), OIC Science & Technology Award (2017), and Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (2017), Belgian Polymer Group International Award (2018), Japan Photopolymer Science and Technology Award (2018), Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (2018).
In addition to his outstanding research accomplishments, he was also a dedicated teacher and mentor to his students. He supervised over 120 PhD students. His enthusiasm for chemistry and supportive character enabled over 40 of his students and researchers to become professors, now teaching polymer chemistry at different universities in Türkiye and other countries.
Yusuf was particularly active in service to the polymer chemistry community by organizing many international conferences. For example, he initiated and chaired the first IUPAC International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization (Türkiye) and co-chaired with Dr. M. Mishra the first International Symposium on Advanced Polymers via Macromolecular Engineering (APME) in 1995 (U.S.A.). This conference series has continued to be held every two years. His last conference he organized was the 7th European Symposium of Photopolymer Science in September 2022. The conferences he organized were excellent platforms for discussing the latest advances in polymer science, and the associated social events he organized were especially memorable.
Yusuf’s untimely passing is a tremendous loss for the polymer chemistry community, and all who knew him will greatly miss his warm-hearted and supportive personality. His scientific studies will be a LIGHT for researchers.
(NOTE BY Dr. Munmaya Mishra: Prof. Yusuf Yagci served as a coeditor (with Dr. Mishra) since the establishment of the journal (1997), ‘Designed Monomers and Polymers’ until about 2018.