The Team
Principal Investigator
Dr. Gonzalo Prieto
Gonzalo graduated in Chemical Engineering at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and earned his PhD degree in 2010 at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ in Valencia, Spain) under the guidance of Prof. Martinez. From 2010-2013 he conducted postdoctoral research at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University (The Netherlands) with Prof. Krijn de Jong and Prof. Petra de Jongh, working as part of the Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design research consortium of the US Department of Energy. After a short stay as visiting researcher in the Spivey group at Louisiana State University (USA), in fall 2013, he received an Alexander von Humboldt grant and joined the department of Heterogeneous Catalysis led by Prof. Schüth, at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung (MPI-KOFO, Mülheim, Germany) were he later obtained a Group Leader position. In Fall 2018, Prieto joined the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ) as a Senior Researcher of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and moved his research group to Valencia.
His research activities encompass aspects of (nano)material synthesis, their physicochemical and structural characterization by tomographic imaging techniques, at various length scales, and (synchrotron radiation) operando and in situ spectroscopy, and reactivity assessment. These methods are jointly geared at the design and development of solid catalyst materials and (tandem) catalytic processes for the activation and selective valorization of small molecules in unconventional carbon feedstocks into synthetic (e)fuels and platform chemicals.
Prieto is part of various scientific panels at European level and has managed/currently manages ca. 20 research projects funded by regional, national and international agencies. He has been/is the Principal Investigator at the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) for EU Horizon 2020 research projects REDIFUEL, IDEALFUEL and 112CO2, and serves as the coordinator for the Horizon Europe research consortium E-TANDEM as well as an ERC Consolidator Grant of the European Research Council (TANDEng), which supports the research activities of his team
Lab Staff
Postdoctoral Fellows
Mercedes Reyes
Mercedes was born in Valencia (Spain). She obtained an Advanced VET in Analysis and Control in 2004. Mercedes has extensive professional experience (> 10 years) as a lab technician at the ITENE, AIMPLAS, and IATA-CSIC Institutes in the Paterna Technology Park (Valencia). In 2025, she joined Gonzalo Prieto’s research group at ITQ as a lab technician. Her work relates to the synthesis of porous materials; characterization of catalysts using gas adsorption techniques and temperature-programmed methods; and electron microscopy and tomography experiments on porous materials. Her free-time affinities include traveling, cooking, practicing Yoga/Pilates, swimming, and, above all, enjoying time with her family and friends.
Carla Vidaurre-Agut
Carla was born in Castellon, Spain. She holds a degree in Chemical Technical Engineering and MSc degree in Organic Chemistry, both from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. She has over twelve years of professional experience as a research technician, specializing in the physicochemical characterization of materials for biomedical applications, specifically in the fields of biomaterials and nanomedicine. Over the past eight years at ITQ, she has developed extensive expertise in laboratory work, with a strong focus on the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs), surface modifications, and the synthesis of polymers and organic compounds.
In September 2025, she joined Gonzalo Prieto’s research group to expand her scientific knowledge.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Additionally, she likes reading books, cooking, and pursuing crafts.
Dr. Tania Ródenas
Tania was born in Valencia. After graduating in Chemistry (Valencia University, Spain), she obtained her PhD degree under supervision of Dr. Sabater and Prof. Corma at ITQ (Valencia, Spain). There she developed multifunctional catalysts for cascade-type reactions in the field of fine chemicals production. Afterwards, she has accumulated ca. 8 years of research experience in different countries. Firstly, at TU Delft (The Netherlands) in the research group of Prof. Gascon and Prof. Kapteijn, developing MOF-polymer composites and ultrathin membranes therefrom for applications in selective gas separation processes. In 2013, she joined the group of Dr. Buller and Prof. Dr. Schlögl at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany), as an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow, to explore the use of organo-metallic reticular polymer nanocrystals as “shuttles” to introduce active metals and dopants on graphitic carbon structures for electrocatalysis in green hydrogen production. Since 2020, she works as a researcher and project manager in our group. In 2023, she was beneficiary of a Ramon y Cajal contract. Tania’s work concentrates on tomographic imaging of porous solid catalysts and computational structural analysis therefrom. Recently, she has secured a permanent position as a Titulado Superior. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, doing puzzles, swimming and spending time with her little children Hugo and Laia.
Dr. Jord Peter Haven
Jord was born in Oldenzaal, the Netherlands. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Chemical and Process Engineering, both obtained at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. In spring 2020, he started his PhD on catalytic membranes for alkane dehydrogenation at the University of Twente. He will defend his dissertation in May 2025. In March 2025, he joined Gonzalo Prieto’s group at ITQ in the context of the European project E-TANDEM. His research combines catalyst synthesis, characterization, and testing, with process simulations and techno-economic analyses. In his spare time, he likes traveling and practicing sports, with a particular focus on marathon running.
Researchers and PhD Candidate
Adrià Palomares
Adrià Palomares Ferrando, born in Simat de la Valldigna (Valencia, Spain) graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Valencia. In Fall 2022, he became a member of our research group to pursue his master’s thesis. In 2024 Adrià has started working on his PhD project with support from a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. His research focuses on catalysis for the integration of C-C and C-X (N,O,Si) reactions for the production of functionalized organic commodities from renewable sources. Beyond academia, Adrià is a passionate sports enthusiast with a particular penchant for tennis and football. Additionally, he finds joy in following Formula 1 races.
Adrián Rielves
Adrián was born in Alhaurín de la Torre (Málaga, Spain). He holds a BSc and MSc degrees in Chemical Engineering by the University of Málaga (Spain). In Fall 2020, he moved to Valencia to work as a researcher under the guidance of Dr. Prieto in R&D projects in cooperation with industry. Since May 2022, he pursues his PhD in cooperation with an industrial partner. His research interests are on the design and synthesis of porous materials, their characterization with physicochemical and advanced microscopy and tomography methods and their application as solid catalysts for the selective valorization of C1 and C2 platform molecules into high-demand oxygenated commodity chemicals. In his free time, he enjoys going to gym regularly, playing e-games and doing outdoor activities.
Enrique Torregrosa
Quique was born in Cartagena (Spain). He holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering by the Polytechnical University of Cartagena and obtained his MSc degree in Green Chemistry at the Polytechnical University of Valencia (UPV). In spring 2021, he joined our research group at ITQ to carry out his MSc thesis and he is about to start his PhD. His research interests are on the development of novel catalytic processes for renewable energy storage in synthetic carriers and the electrification of catalytic processes. He is passionate about basketball and an NBAfollower. In his leisure time he also enjoys watching movies and reading
Ilaria Ceteroni
Ilaria was born in Fermo (Italy). She holds a BEng in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and a MEng in Chemical and Process Engineering by the University of Bologna (Italy). During her academic career, she collaborated with the Carbon Capture and Storage research group at the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) for her Master Thesis, focused on the assessment and commissioning of a high-pressure volumetric apparatus for adsorption analysis. She then joined Gonzalo Prieto’s group at the Institute of Chemical Technology (Spain) as a PhD student in November 2021. Her research interests are on the development of solid catalysts for applications in tandem catalytic processes for C1 molecules conversion to functionalized, added-value chemicals. Besides being a chemical engineer researcher, Ilaria enjoys travelling, hiking in the nature and doing sports. As Italian, her biggest passion is the food (not just pizza and pasta) and she loves discovering cultures tasting typical dishes.
Niloufar Atashi
Niloufar was born in Ahvaz (Iran). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry from K. N. Toosi University of Technology (Tehran, Iran), and a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry from Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran, Iran), working on catalytic oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at the Heterogeneous Catalysis department. In 2020, she moved to Valencia where she is currently pursuing her PhD at ITQ under the supervision of Gonzalo Prieto. Her research project focuses on designing mono- and multimetallic catalysts with nanoscale precision, to establish structure-performance relationships for catalytic routes related to the production of high-purity, COx-free hydrogen as energy vector. Some of her hobbies as an active sociable individual are traveling, playing piano, and learning languages.
Wilson Henao
Wilson was born in Medellín (Colombia). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Production Engineering by the Metropolitan Technological Institute (Colombia). In 2019, he completed his Master’s Degree in Nanostructured Materials for Nanotechnology Applications at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), and since 2020 he is pursuing his PhD at the Institute of Chemical Technology (Spain) under the supervision of Dr. Gonzalo Prieto and Dr. Giovanni Agostini (ALBA-CELSS). His research project focuses on the development of supported multimetallic and subnanometer clusters as catalysts for energy-related catalysis. Hence, his research interests are on the design of nanostructured systems and their structural characterization in catalytic applications by in situ and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation sources. His pastimes include art, hiking, and outdoor activities. ORCID iD: 0000-00029507-5931
Daniel De Baker Jiménez
Daniel was born in Badajoz, but lived in Seville throughout his childhood and did his secondary education in The Netherlands. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Granada and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Chemistry from the Instituto de Tecnología Química (CSIC-UPV) where he currently works. Since October 2024 he joined Gonzalo Prieto’s group to undertake a PhD based on precision catalyst design for the production of synthetic oxygenate chemicals. Besides science, his interests and hobbies include tennis, going to the gym, videogames and languages.
David Velázquez Ojeda
David is originally from Monzón (Huesca), he moved to Zaragoza to study a degree in Chemistry at the University of Zaragoza, where he specialised in organic chemistry and cosmetics. After completing her studies, he worked for five years as an R&D technician at ESCIENCIA, developing scientific dissemination and innovation projects. In 2024 he furthered his training with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Chemistry at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). Since the beginning of 2025 he is part of Gonzalo Prieto’s group as a technician specialised in fine chemistry.
In addition to his professional background, David has a very dynamic and curious profile, with diverse interests ranging from creative and technological activities to sports and entertainment, which gives him a broad and versatile perspective both inside and outside the laboratory.
Carlos Andrés Durán Bustamante
Carlos was born in Medellín, Colombia, where he lived most of his life and completed his education. He holds a degree in Biological Engineering from the National University of Colombia (Medellín campus). He is pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable Chemistry at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). In 2025, he joined Gonzalo’s research group to carry out his Master’s thesis, focusing on the separation of hydrocarbon matrices derived from tandem Fischer–Tropsch reactions, processes with high added value for the current market.
Beyond science, his interests include sports, philosophy, art, and nutrition
Alumni
Dr. Nico Duyckaerts
Nico dissertated the PhD thesis entitled “In-situ Hydrocracking of Fischer Tropsch Hydrocarbons: How α-Olefins Influence the Final Product Distribution”. Following graduation he took a position as Lab Team Leader at BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany).
Dr. Bidyut B. Sarma
Bidyut was an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral researcher in our group from 2017 to 2020. He moved to take a position as postdoctoral researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, Germany).
Dr. Jonglack Kim
Jonglack was a PhD candidate researcher in our group, at the MPI-KOFO, from 2016 to 2019. He dissertated the PhD thesis entitled “Oxide Promotion Effects in Copper-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of CO2 and Organic Carbonate Derivatives”. Following graduation, he egressed from the group to take a position as Lab Team Leader at BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany).
Dr. Valentina Nese
Valentina was a postdoctoral researcher in our group at the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforashung (Mülheim, Germany) from 2015 to 2017.
Dr. Kai Jeske
Kai was born in Bochum, Germany. He holds a M.Sc. degree in Chemistry obtained at the Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany. In 2017, he joined the Prieto’s group, while at the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforashung (Mülheim, Germany), first for his MSc thesis and then for a PhD. His research interests are on the design of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts and processes leading to unconventional product distributions and developing multiphase analytics of complex product mixtures for the production of liquid chemicals from syngas (C1), and applications relating to Biochemistry. In May 2022, Kai has obtained his PhD degree (with honorific mention) with his dissertation Support design in Cobalt catalyzed syngas conversion towards unconventional product distributions. Following PhD graduation Kai moved to take a position as Aviation Senior Technologist at BP Europa SE (Bochum, Germany).
Dr. Sebastián Llopis
Sebas was born in Valencia, Spain. He graduated in Chemistry from the University of Valencia in 2014. Later, he completed an interuniversity MSc degree in experimental and industrial organic chemistry. During his MSc degree he had the opportunity to carry out a research project in the organic chemistry laboratories of the Faculty of Pharmacy under the direction of Prof. Santos Fustero. The experience acquired during the development of the research project motivated him to pursue a doctorate after being awarded an FPI scholarship in the research group of Dr. Urbano Díaz at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ). During his PhD, he specialized in the synthesis of hybrid organic-inorganic materials by incorporating chiral moieties into silica-based matrices, and their application of stereoselective catalysts. During his PhD, he enjoyed a 4-month research stay at the University of Berkeley (California), with Prof. Dean Toste, working on metal organic hybrid materials (MOFs). After dissertation, he joined a research project under the supervision of Dr. Gonzalo Prieto, as part of the IDEALFUEL EU H2020 project. His work is on the design of oxide catalysts for the selective valorization of lignin to carbon-neutral fuels. Sebastian eggressed from our group in 2022 to take a position as I+D Researcher at the Technological Institute for Energy (ITE), Valencia, Spain. Outside of the lab, he enjoys going to the gym and playing team sports like soccer and paddle tennis. He loves Fallas (Valencian festivity) and is a passionate supporter of the Valencia FC.
Laura Latorre Valverde
Laura Latorre joined our research group at ITQ in 2023 to carry out her Master’s Thesis (TFM), which focused on the study of the catalytic dehydration of synthetic higher alcohols to produce an e-fuel composed of higher ethers. She received the Master’s Thesis Award from the Cátedra BP-UPV de Innovación Energética for the best MSc thesis at UPV (2024). Laura eggressed from our group in 2024 to take a position as a Energy Analyst Consultant at BCG (Madrid).
Dr. Raquel Peláez
Raquel was born in Gijón (Spain). She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Chemical Engineering by the University of Oviedo. She obtained her PhD at the same university in 2020 under the supervision of Prof. S. Ordóñez and Dr. P. Marín. Her PhD studies were devoted to the development of a sustainable process of synthesis of high oxygenated compounds as fuel additives or biofuels. Her PhD thesis was awarded with Cum Laude and International distinctions, as well as the Extraordinary PhD Prize in physical sciences and technical disciplines. During her PhD time (2019), she enjoyed a research stay at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) with Prof. U. Arnold. After a brief period as a postdoctoral researcher at the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Oviedo, she moved to Valencia in June 2020 to join Gonzalo Prieto’s research group at ITQ as a postdoctoral researcher. Her research is focused on the development of catalysts and new process routes for the selective valorization of unconventional carbon feedstocks such as biomass derivatives and C1 compounds into synthetic liquid fuels and high value-added platform chemicals. Raquel eggressed from our group in 2024 to take a position as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. In her free time she enjoys traveling, doing outdoor activities and reading.
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6648-8983
Dr. Marcos García
Marcos was born in Oviedo (Spain). He holds a MSc degree in Chemical Engineering (with honors) by the University of Oviedo. During this period he spent 6 months at the University of Strathclyde as an Erasmus student and one year at the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforschung (Mülheim a.d. Ruhr, Germany) as a MSc student in the Heterogeneous Catalysis department under the supervision of Gonzalo Prieto. In 2018, when the research team was relocated, Marcos moved to ITQ (Valencia, Spain), where he currently is pursuing his PhD on the design of new catalysts and tandem processes for the selective chain propagation of C2 into C3 compounds. Marcos collaborates in teaching activities in the Chemical Engineering BSc courses at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), as part of the FPU scholarship (Spanish Ministry of Education) he was awarded with to pursue his PhD. In 2024, Marcos disserted the PhD thesis entitled «Tandem catalytic processes for selective ethylene valorization into C3 chemicals»; and he eggressed from our group to take a position as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA. During his free time, he loves fitness, snowboarding, music and getting to know new places and people.
Dr. Eva Andrés Marcos
Eva was born in León (Spain). She holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering and MsC in Chemical Engineering by the University of Oviedo (Spain). In 2017, she moved to the Max-Planck Institute for Coal Research (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany) to perform her MSc on the development of oxide overlay catalysts. When the group was relocated to Valencia (Spain), she moved along and received a FPU grant by the Spanish Ministry of Education to pursue her PhD at Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ) under the supervision of Gonzalo Prieto. Her research interests are on the development of multifunctional catalysts and processes for the selective production of commodity chemicals from C1 feedstocks alternative to petroleum. She also collaborates in teaching activities in the Chemical
Engineering BSc courses at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). In 2024, Eva disserted the PhD thesis entitled «Tandem catalysis for selective C1–to–C3 chain propagations towards platform chemicals production». Eva eggressed from our group in 2025 to take a position as a R&D Engineer at Tecnalia Research & Innovation, San Sebastián, Spain. She loves playing sports, travelling, dancing, interior design and painting.
Dr. Alberto Rodríguez-Gómez
Alberto obtained his BSc degree in Chemistry in 2010 from the University of Seville (Spain) and earned his PhD in Materials Science in 2018 from the same university under the supervision of Prof. A. Caballero. He then developed solid catalysts for hydrogen production from various sources. In 2015, he conducted a three-month research stay at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH, Switzerland), under the guidance of Prof. C. Copéret. In 2018-2022, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, Saudi Arabia) as part of the Advanced Catalytic Materials group, led by Prof. J. Gascon, working on the design of reactors, catalysts and processes for the valoriation of different hydrocarbon feedstocks, such as crude oil, vacuum gas oil or isobutane, into high-value commodity chemicals. In 2022, he was awarded a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación grant by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and joined our team at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ, Valencia, Spain). Alberto’s research interests focus on the synthesis and characterization of nano-structured materials, in situ/operando (surface) spectroscopies, reactor design and catalytic processes for CO2 valorization. In 2025, Alberto was awarded funding from the Emergia Program to develop his research line based on materials science and catalysis, and joined the MATPRONER research group (Materials Processed by Radiant Energies) at the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS, a joint institution of CSIC and the University of Seville. His interests out of research include science at broad, western history, classical guitar, video games and waterpolo.
Dr. Iván López-Luque
Iván was born in Riogordo (Málaga, Spain). He holds a BSc degree (with honors) in Chemical Engineering by the University of Málaga, and an MSc degree in Chemical Engineering by the University of the Basque Country. During his MSc Thesis, he was granted an Erasmus+ Scholarship and carried out his MSc thesis at Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands). Since 2019, Iván pursues his PhD under the supervision of Gonzalo Prieto, supported by a FPU grant by the Spanish Ministry of Education. His research interests are on the catalyst design for processes of CO2 conversion to high value oxygenate chemicals. He also collaborates in teaching activities in the Chemical Engineering BSc courses at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). In his free time, he is into traveling, playing beach-volley, swimming, and Socializing. At the end of 2024, Iván disserted the PhD entitled «Bifunctional and nanospatial effects in copper catalysts for methanol synthesis”.
Iván left our group in Abril 2025 to take a position as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Urakawa’s group in Catalysis Engineering (Department of Chemical Engineering) at Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
Verónica Recio
Verónica was born in Valencia (Spain). She pursued an intermediate VET on Pharmacy and Parapharmacy in 2017 followed by a higher VET on Laboratory of Analysis and Quality Control in 2019. In 2020, she joined Gonzalo Prieto’s research group at ITQ as a lab technician. Her work relates to the synthesis of porous and nano-materials via diverse chemical routes, with controlled properties aimed at their application as catalysts, and their physicochemical characterization by sorption and microscopy methods. Her free-time affinities include trekking, traveling and listening to music.
At the end of May 2025, Vero left the group to focus on her studies.
Dr. Mª Elena Martínez
Elena was born in Guadalajara, Spain. She holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry by the University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. She performed her BSc thesis as an Erasmus Student at the University of Tübingen (Germany). Then she obtained her MSc in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Currently she is a PhD Student at ITQ under the supervision of Gonzalo Prieto. Her research focuses on the development of catalysts and new processes to connect renewable carbon and nitrogen cycles for the production of commodity chemicals. She likes painting, swimming, hanging out and travelling with friends. In 2024, she disserted the PhD thesis entitled «Catalytic co-valorization of C1 and N1 compounds towards nitrile chemicals».
Federica Fiore
Federica Fiore was born in Naples, Italy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Chemistry and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Industrial Chemistry and Technology with a specialization in Products, Processes, and Environmental Protection at the University of Naples Federico II.
Since May 2024, she has been a member of Prieto’s Group, where she is carrying out her Master’s thesis as part of the European project E-TANDEM, titled «Catalysis for the Direct Synthesis of Renewable Oxygenate Fuels from Synthesis Gas».
Outside of her academic and professional path, Federica is passionate about photography, holding two diplomas in the field. She also loves traveling and enjoys cooking.
About us
We develop advanced catalytic processes to convert small molecules like CO2 into valuable fuels and chemicals. Through precise nanomaterial design and innovative imaging techniques, we drive sustainability and train the next generation of industry professionals.