Team
About Us
Welcome to the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab, a research group devoted to the synthesis, characterization and application of advanced nanomaterials.
We work at the crossroads of materials chemistry, nanotechnology and chemical engineering to produce novel materials for a wide range of applications, from catalysis to energy production and storage.
Meet the team
Dr. Javier García Martinez
Group Leader, Nanomol
Javier is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab at the University of Alicante, Spain. Published extensively in the areas of nanomaterials and energy and is the author of more than twenty five patents. His latest books are “Nanotechnology for the Energy Challenge” (Wiley, 2010), “The Chemical Element” (Wiley, 2011), “Chemistry Education” (Wiley 2014), and “Mesoporous Zeolites” (Wiley 2015).
He is also co-founder and Chief Scientist of Rive Technology Inc (Boston, MA), a VC-funded MIT spin-off commercializing hierarchical zeolites for diffusion-limited applications. Rive’s proprietary technology improves traditional zeolite catalysts and adsorbents through the introduction of broad channels, or molecular highways, which overcome the diffusion limits of these materials, leading to better yields, process efficiency and process economics.
Recognized as a leader in nanotechnology and materials science. In 2005, Javier was awarded the Europa Medal, awarded annually to the outstanding European chemist under the age of 35, and he received the Silver Medal of the European Young Chemist Award in 2006. In 2007, Javier received the TR 35 Award from MIT’s Technology Review magazine. In 2014, Javier received the Rey Jaime I award and in 2015 the Emerging Research Award by the American Chemical Society. Since 2010, he is member of the Council on Emerging Technologies of the World Economic Forum, which recognized him as Young Global Leader. Javier is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, member of the Global Young Academy and Bureau member of the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry.
Dr. Elena Serrano Torregrosa
Researcher Fellow, Nanomol
Elena is a Research Fellow at the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab of the Inorganic Chemistry Dpt. at the University of Alicante (Spain). Her current research interests are in the area of new synthetic pathways to prepare stable and efficient photoactive materials for clean energy production.
Elena has a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (2001) from the University of Alicante (Spain) and a Master degree in Materials Science (2004) from the University of Basque Country (Spain). She received her PhD thesis from last university on the nanostructuration of functional materials and carried out her post-doctoral activity in collaboration with Arkema at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) at Lyon (France). In 2008, she joined the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab as a ‘Juan de la Cierva’ postdoctoral researcher. Currently, she is a
Fellow of this group and her current research interests are in the area of new synthetic pathways to prepare stable and efficient photoactive materials for clean energy production.
Aida Grau Atienza
PhD student, Nanomol
Aida Grau has a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (2010) and a Master degree in Materials Science (2011) from the University of Alicante (Spain). She began her career at AIDICO (“Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción”, Spain). In 2012 she joined Molecular Nanotechnology Lab, where she is doing her PhD thesis on the incorporation of chemical functionalities to mesoporous silica materials and zeolites for energy-related applications.
Dr. Noemi Linares Pérez
Researcher Fellow, Nanomol
Noemi is a Research Fellow at the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab of the Inorganic Chemistry Dpt. at the University of Alicante (Spain). Her current research interests are in the area of heterogeneous catalysts for energy-related applications.
Noemi started her research career on 2001, as an undergraduate student, in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Alicante. After that, she worked for the Coca-Cola Company in Alicante in the Quality Control and Environment Management Department for almost 5 years. But, in 2006, she decided to go back to the University and start her research career again. That year, she obtained a Fellowship from the Board of Education and Science of Spain to carry out her Ph. D. in the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab of the Inorganic Chemistry Department at the University of Alicante (Spain) under the supervision of Professor Garcia-Martinez. In September 2010, she obtained her Ph.D. thesis degree in the Materials Science Program at the University of Alicante (Spain). After her dissertation, she moved to Florence (Italy) for a postdoctoral fellow at the Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici-CNR, where she worked under the Initial Training Network NANO-HOST on the immobilization of homogeneous catalysts in nanostructured materials. In 2013, she come back to the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab as a Researcher Fellow.
Her current research interests are in the area of heterogeneous catalysts for energy-related applications.
Alexander Sachse
Researcher Fellow, Nanomol
Alexander studied chemistry at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (Germany) where he graduated in 2007. Alexander was assigned with the PhD prize from the “Fondation Balard” for his exemplary research achievements. In 2015 Alexander joined the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab as a Research Fellow where he continues investigating on strategies to achieve hierarchical porous catalytically active materials (in particular zeolites).
Irene Barceló
Postdoctoral researcher, Nanomol, Nanomol
Irene started her research career as an undergraduate student in 2000 modeling chemical processes in the Chemical Engineering Dept. at the University of Alicante. Also, as an undergraduate student, she held two interships in Republic of Macedonia (process analyst) and Germany (pharmaceutical laboratory technician). After graduation, she worked as technical assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Environment for 4 years conducting environmental consultancy services. In 2008, she decided to resume her research career again at the University Institute of Electrochemistry/Physical Chemistry Dept. of the University of Alicante. In July 2010, she obtained her Master degree in Material Science. In June 2005, she obtained her PhD thesis degree based on third generation solar cells under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Roberto Gómez and Prof. Dr. Teresa lana-Villarreal. After her dissertation, she joined the Molecular Nanotecnology Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher.
Her current research interests are in the area of the (photo)electrochemistry of semiconductors and photovoltaics.
Former members
Marisa has a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering (2009) from the Polytechnique University of Valencia (Spain) and a Master’s degree in Molecular Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (2012) from the University of Alicante (Spain). In October 2010, she joined Molecular Nanotechnology Lab, where she did her PhD thesis on the synthesis of new materials based on titania. She is actually a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Strasbourg (France).
Doctor, Nanomol
Jesús Jiménez has a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (2014) from the University of Salamanca (Spain) and a Master’s degree in Materials Science from the University of Alicante (Spain). In 2014, he joined Molecular Nanotechnology Lab to do his Master thesis based on photoactive materials based on titania. He is currently a PhD student at the ICIQ (Spain).
Master’s degree in Materials Science, UA
Rodrigo Gil has a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (2014) from the University of Salamanca (Spain) and a Master’s degree in Materials Science from the University of Alicante (Spain). In 2014, he joined Molecular Nanotechnology Lab to do his Master thesis based on the design of multifunctional catalyst for the controlled release of hydrogen from ammonia borane at the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Granada (Spain).
Master’s degree in Materials Science, UA
Silvia has a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (2012) from the University of Murcia (Spain). In July 2014, she joined molecular Nanotechnology Lab, where she is doing her PhD thesis on the synthesis of efficient hybrid photocatalyst titania-based materials.
Bachelor degree in Chemistry, Univ. Murcia
Daniel Johnson
Former member
Dr. Adela I. Carrillo
Former member
Sonia Domínguez
Former member
Pedro Brugarolas
Former member
Laura Cano Casanova
Former member
Gonzalo Abellán Sáez
Former member
Other research
Mesoporous zeolites for refining applications
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Sol-gel coordination chemistry: incorporation of chemical functionalities in mesoporous materials
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Synthesis and characterization of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles
Read more →Advanced mesoporous titania for efficient photocatalysis
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