1. Catalysis of the Chemical Process: health and sustainability
This is the Institute’s most extensive line of investigation and includes research into all spheres of chemical catalysis: homogeneous, heterogeneous and enantioselective catalysis, the development of new ligands and catalytic processes and the design and simulation of catalytic reactors.
The general aim of this research is to develop processes and products for industrial use that exploit resources more efficiently and minimise waste, that is, that are governed by the principle of sustainability. |
Research groups:
Prof. Carles Bo: In silico studies at the service of catalysis
Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren: Organometallic chemistry for health and material science applications
Prof. Vladimir Grushin: Practical catalytic methods for selective fluorination
Prof. Arjan Kleij: Salen technology for new materials and catalytic systems
Prof. Núria López: Theoretical heterogeneous catalysis: atomistic simulations to rationalize methodologies
Dr. Rubén Martín: Rational solutions for challenging reactions
Prof. Feliu Maseras: Improving the efficiency of catalytic processes by computational methods
Prof. Paolo Melchiorre: Novel strategies for the cost-effective and sustainable synthesis of complex compounds
Prof. Kilian Muñiz: Activation and transformation of nitrogen compounds
Prof. Miquel À. Pericàs: Green aproaches to catalysis for fine chemicals
Prof. Piet van Leeuwen: Ligand design for catalyst based on new concepts
Prof. Anton Vidal: Modular approaches to efficient catalytic methods
2. Supramolecular Chemistry: nanoscience and new materials
Work in this area is primarily geared toward designing molecular receptors, self-replicating and self-assembling molecules and molecular aggregates with specific properties (sensors, molecular motors, etc). Research is likewise actively conducted on supramolecular catalysts.
The general aim is to contribute to the development of molecular nanotechnology through a bottom-up approach. |
Research groups:
Prof. Pau Ballester: Molecular self-assembly for the construction of complex architectures
Prof. Javier de Mendoza: Chemistry applied to biology and material science
3. Renewable energies: photovoltaics and hydrogen production
This is the most recent line of research to be included at ICIQ, as well as the fastest-growing. Currently, research is focused on discovering catalysts for the generation of clean energies and developing organic solar cells to serve as an alternative to the silicon cells used today.
Research in this field aims to contribute to the development of renewable energy sources from a chemical standpoint. |
Research groups:
Prof. José Ramón Galán-Mascarós: Photomagnetic materials and bioinorganic models for energy applications
Prof. Antoni Llobet: Mimicking Nature: artificial photosynthesis
Prof. Emilio Palomares: Development of molecular photovoltaic devices
Dr. Atsushi Urakawa: Reaction engineering to maximize efficiency of processes