Synthesis and design of new nanocatalysts is an important area of research that aims to introduce multiple types of useful applications in a greener market. The necessity of nanostructuring the active sites has emerged as the key point in a successful design of the catalysts. The book covers the progress in this research area done in the last ten years. It includes the classification of catalysts and structure of active sites at the nanoscale. The book covers examples to present the concept, evolution of nanocatalysts from the perspective of chemistry of materials and their applications.
About the Author: Vanesa Calvino-Casilda (Madrid, Spain 1978) is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Distance Education University (UNED) from 2014. She obtained a BS in Chemistry (UNED) in 2002 and the European PhD in Chemistry (UNED) in 2008. During her PhD, she carried out two stints at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland and the Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague. She got a PhD Prize for her active and productive PhD research (UNED, 2008).
She has been a Research Associate at the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) for six years (2008-2013). During this time, she worked at the Catalytic Spectroscopy laboratory under the supervision of professor Miguel Angel Bañares. She was responsible for developing a new line of research based on Raman monitoring of catalytic liquid phase reactions for the synthesis of fine chemicals. During this period, she carried out several stints at different research centers (CINDECA, Argentina; the University of Twente, Netherlands and PerkinElmer, London).
Her research focuses on green chemistry, fine chemistry, catalysis and Raman Spectroscopy monitoring. She has participated in more than 20 research projects and has published 41 SCI journal publications, 8 book chapters and an Application Note with Perkin-Elmer. She is an author of 2 patents and has presented 89 communications at national and international conferences. One of these communications received the Award for the best paper presented on "Technological Innovation in Green Chemistry" at the 6th International Green Chemistry Conference, held in Barcelona in 2004. She has also been a guest editor in a special issue of Catalysis Today journal.
During her active research career, she has also developed her teaching career at the Department of Inorganic and Technical Chemistry at UNED from 2004 working in several teaching activities (teaching support, research project supervision, laboratory practices, courses, Masters, Science Week, popular science publication and so on).
Antonio José López-Peinado (Guadix, Granada, Spain 1959) completed his studies of Chemistry in 1981, obtained the Bachelor Degree in 1982 and a PhD in 1984 from the University of Granada. During the period of his research training he enjoyed several postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Amsterdam, with Dr. JA Moulijn and at the Pennsylvania State University, with Drs J. Phillips and LJ Radovic in 1987 and 1991 respectively. He also received a grant from the Japanese government for a stint at the NIRE Tsukuba in 1993.
He has taught Chemistry & Environmental Science postdoc levels, first at the University of Extremadura from 1987-1989, and then since 1989 at the National University of Distance Education. Since 2010, he is a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the National University of Distance Education (UNED).
His research is focused on the synthesis and characterization of materials, surface chemistry, sustainable chemistry and catalysis. He has more than 80 scientific papers published in international journals, 3 patents and has actively participated in international conferences. His experiences include research and teaching at universities in Japan, Poland, Portugal and Cuba. He has directed 8 doctoral theses.
He is a member of different societies and national and international scientific committees amongst which are the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
His research group was awarded the prize for the work presented on "Technological Innovation in Green Chemistry" at the 6th International Green Chemistry Conference, held in Barcelona in 2004.
Since 2005, he has been actively involved in outreach programs of Chemistry and Environment and has participated in activities organized by the Science Week of the Community of Madrid and the Faculty of Sciences of the UNED.
Rosa María Martín-Aranda (Toledo, Spain, 1964) completed her studies in Chemistry in 1987 obtaining her PhD in 1992 from the University Autónoma of Madrid. She is Full professor of Inorganic Chemistry, at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), with teaching activity at the Degree and Postdoctoral Degree of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Inorganic Chemistry, Fundamentals of Applied Catalysis, Green Chemistry and Fine Chemical Productions, Heterogeneous Catalysis. She is a member of the UNESCO chair for environmental education.
She has carried out research in diverse fields such as organic/inorganic chemistry and, on the development of new methodologies, with reduced environmental impact. To quote a few; Synthesis of inorganic materials for fine chemical production, Heterogeneous Catalysis and surface science: Catalyst preparation, characterization and testing, Applications of inorganic catalysts under ultrasound and microwave activation, Inorganic membrane applications for reactions and fine chemical synthesis, Micromembrane reactors design and application for organic synthesis. She has at least 90 of her papers published in international journals, 7 patents and has also participated in national and international conferences (more than 150 communications). She has also organized several International Congresses on Catalysis, and has been a part of international exchange projects with different Universities and Institutes around the world.
María Elena Pérez-Mayoral (Madrid, Spain, 1969) completed her studies in Chemistry in 1992 obtaining a Bachelor Degree in 1993 and a PhD in 1999 from the University Complutense of Madrid. She has been a collaborative professor, in the Faculty of Chemistry, at the University Complutense of Madrid and in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University San Pablo CEU, in Madrid. In 2009, she was invited as a researcher at the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague). Since 2011, she is an Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), with teaching activity at the Degree and Postdoctoral Degree of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences.
She has carried out research in diverse fields such us organic photochemistry, medical chemistry, organometallic chemistry and, more recently, on the development of new methodologies, with reduced environmental impact, for the synthesis of biologically relevant heterocyclic compounds, promoted by porous catalytic systems, in the framework of sustainable environmental chemistry and catalysis. She has at least 55 of her papers published in international journals, 9 patents and has also participated in national and international conferences (more than 120 communications).
She has also been an organizer of the CIS-5 conference and a guest editor of the special issue of Catalysis Today; E. Sastre, E. Pérez-Mayoral, C. Márquez-Álvarez, Catalysis Today 227 (2014) 1. Additionally, she is a frequent reviewer of internationational journals such as Catal. Today, Catal. Commun., ChemCatChem, among others.
