GROUP HEAD
José A. Odriozola
(Full Professor)
(Full Member of the Royal Sevillian Academy of Sciences)
José A. Odriozola is a Full Professor in the Inorganic Chemistry Department and the Materials Science Institute at the University of Seville, and a Visiting Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Surrey.
His research interests include catalysts and catalytic processes development, as well as the catalytic processes from “electrons to reactors”. He has co-edited Heterogeneous Catalysis for Energy Applications and Engineering Solutions for CO₂ Conversion.
STAFF MEMBERS
Miguel A. Centeno
(Senior Research Scientist)
Miguel A. Centeno is research scientist of CSIC at ICMSE. He graduated in 1989 and obtained a PhD in Chemistry in 1995. Since then, he has been awarded with different fellowships.
He has focused his research in the heterogeneous catalysis and surface chemistry of materials field, looking for relationships between catalytic activity and the surface structure of the solid. He is actively working in different reactions for energetic and environmental catalytic applications (RWGS, PROX, WGS, methanation, etc).
Svetlana Ivanova
(Full Professor)
(Director of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry of the US)
Dr Svetlana Ivanova holds a PhD degree from the University of Strasbourg, France, and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry in the University of Seville, Spain.
Her research interests are centered on the design, synthesis and application of heterogeneous catalysts in hydrogen production and clean-up reactions as well as in biomass chemical valorization to high added value products. She has co-authored more than 90 articles, and co-edited contributed to seven books.
Luis F. Bobadilla
(Associate Professor)
(Director of the PhD Program in Materials of the US)
L.F. Bobadilla holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Sevilla, where he is currently a Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry. He has over 50 publications in scientific journals and he is editor or author of other 6 books focused on materials science and catalysis.
His research interests are focused on the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts and the optimization of catalytic processes aided by in situ and operando spectroscopic methods.
Tomas Ramirez Reina
(Full Professor)
Dr Tomas Ramirez Reina, FHEA, AMIChemE, FRSC, received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Seville (Spain) in 2014. He moved to Imperial College London (UK) and then to the University of Surrey (UK) where he worked as Catalysis & Reaction Engineering Group Leader in the Department of Chemical & Process Engineering for several years.
His research interests include the development of advanced heterogeneous catalysts for energy and low-carbon technologies. In particular, his work is focused on clean hydrogen production, carbon dioxide utilization, biomass valorisation and biofuel production.
Marcela Martínez Tejada
(Associate Professor)
(Academic Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in “Science and Technology of New Materials» of the US)
Dr. Leidy Marcela Martínez Tejada. is a chemical engineer from the University of Antioquia (Colombia) and PhD. in Materials Science from the University of Seville (Spain). She is currently Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Seville.
Her research interest encompass the devise of heterogeneous catalysts for reactions of energy and environmental interest. She also focuses on the development of structured catalysts and microchannel reactors to narrow the gap between research and industrial applications.
Maribel Domínguez-Leal
Anna Penkova
(Associate Professor)
(Director of the X‑ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA) Service at the Research, Technology and Innovation Centre (CITIUS), US)
Miriam González Castaño
(Tenured Lecturer)
Dr Miriam Gonzalez has a background in chemistry and a PhD in heterogeneous catalysis. She is currently associated to the University of Sevilla under a Maria Zambrano contract devoted to the catalytic cracking of fare gases. Before she did a postdoc for developing and characterizing coatings in EMPA-ETH (Switzerland). Afterward, she was in charge of the catalysis laboratory for low-carbon technologies in the Process and Plant Engineering department of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
Estela Ruiz López
Ruiz-López is a postdoctoral researcher (Margarita Salas fellowship) who holds a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (2020).
Her research interests have focused on the green energies development based on electrochemical devices. Nowadays, her aims point out to the development of new catalysts for sustainable thermochemical and electrochemical processes including biomass valorisation and CO2 recycling.
Muhammad Asif Nawaz
Asif is a chemical engineer and materials scientist holding a Ph.D. (2022), in heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering from East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), China. Since October 2022, he is contributing to various projects like NICER BIOFUELS, FLEXBY, BioCAS-CCU, and CO₂ Valorisation Network at SURFCAT group. He has received several distinctions, including the Juan de la Cierva Fellowship (2022), and multiple research excellence awards through CSC at the ECUST. His expertise spans catalysis and sustainable fuel technologies, with a focus on zeolite-based systems, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, and CO₂ utilization for clean energy applications.
Juan José Villora Picó
Dr. Villora-Picó has done a Master in Materials Science (2016) and subsequently he completed his PhD in Materials Science at University of Alicante .
His research background includes the preparation of doped carbon materials for catalysis and adsorption applications. Currently he is associated with the University of Sevilla on the project “Catalysts development for biogas reforming”. He has experience in preparation and characterization of materials, adsorption and catalysis.
Sergio García Dalí
Dr. García-Dalí is a postdoctoral researcher (Juan de la Cierva fellowship) who earned his PhD from the INCAR-CSIC in 2021, where he focused on the electrochemical exfoliation of 2D materials.
After that, he pursued a postdoctoral position at Institut Jean Lamour/Université de Lorraine (France), where he broadened his expertise in electrochemistry towards electrocatalysis.
Currently, he leads a research line focuses on the electrochemical synthesis of catalysts for hydrogen production.
Jesús Gándara Loe
Camilla Maria Cova
PhD CANDIDATES
Rubén was born in Valencia. He graduated in Chemistry at the University of Valencia in 2019 and obtained a Master’s Degree in Chemical Sensors at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Before joining us, he approached the chemistry of LDHs and MOFs. He is fluent in mathematical chemistry and cheminformatics.
His research is focused on the development of new Fischer-Tropsch tandem catalysts for heavy hydrocarbon production in microreactors.
Débora graduated in Chemistry in 2017 at University of Sevilla.
Her research area is focused on the conversion of different biomass fractions, gas and/or liquid energy vectors, through heterogeneous catalysis to green hydrogen. (PID2020-113809RB-C32)
Guillermo Torres Sempere
Guillermo was born in Cadiz. He graduated in Chemistry and obtained a master’s degree in Science and Technology of New Materials at Seville University in 2020 and 2021 respectively. He is doing a PhD focused on CO2 gas-phase conversion by using heterogenous catalysts.
The main goal of his research is focused on the incorporation of CO2 into circular economy by the valorisation of this compound.
Gabriel Delgado Martín
Gabriel graduated in Chemistry at the University of Seville and Completed a Master´s Degree in Science and Technology of New Materials there in 2018.
His research focuses on the design of structured catalysts based on carbonaceous materials through the use of 3D technology for reactions of chemical use of biomass.
Sergio Carrasco Ruiz
Sergio was born in Ronda, Malaga. He graduated in Chemistry at the University of Seville in 2021. He is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in New Materials Science and Technology at the University of Seville.
His research focuses on the design of advanced catalysts for biofuels production via H2-free hydrodeoxygenation reaction.
Maria Saif
Maria obtained her bachelor in Chemical Engineering in 2015 from the Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology, University of the Punjab. She has completed her Master’s in Chemical Engineering in 2022 from East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST).
Currently she is affiliated as a PhD candidate in Surface Chemistry and Catalysis group, Universidad de Sevilla. Her research interests are “Fischer Tropsch Synthesis, CO2 valorization, Reaction Engineering, & Clean Energy fuels.
Alberto Benito Clemente
Simone Lixi
Raúl Hiram Méndez Ruiz
Gerardo Andrés Alvarenga Salinas
Bachelor of Science with a specialization in Chemistry, graduated from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FACEN) of the National University of Asunción, Paraguay, and Master of Science in Advanced Chemistry and Specialist in New Materials from the University of Burgos, Faculty of Sciences, in Burgos, Spain.
Since September 2023, he has been a recipient of a scholarship from the Carolina Foundation in Spain to pursue a PhD in Science and Technology of New Materials (Inter-University) at the University of Seville. His research is conducted within the Surface Chemistry and Catalysis Research Group at the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS), part of the Isla de la Cartuja Scientific Research Center.