We extend our sincere congratulations to Jairo Sebastián Martínez Vivas for the successful defense of his doctoral thesis, “Stimuli-responsive NHC-based pincer complexes for catalysis.”
The defense took place at the Salón de Actos of the Escuela de Doctorado (Universitat Jaume I) on January 30, 2026, from 10:30 to 13:30.
Dr. Martínez Vivas has been awarded the distinction of Excellent CUM LAUDE in recognition of the outstanding quality of his doctoral work.
His research demonstrates the potential of supramolecular and anion-induced redox interactions as effective tools to provide adaptive and reversible control over the electronic properties of transition metal pincer complexes, and consequently over their catalytic behaviour. Through systematic studies on Rh(I), Mn(I), and Pd(II) platforms, the thesis shows how these interactions can modulate electronic structure and reactivity in a controlled and reversible manner.
The incorporation of an NDI moiety transforms the pincer ligand into a multistimuli-responsive unit capable of mediating communication between external additives—such as halides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—and the electronic state of the metal centre. This dynamic approach to catalyst design enables reversible switching between distinct catalytic activity states using mild and easily accessible stimuli, offering new perspectives for the development of next-generation stimulus-responsive catalysts.
The thesis was presented under the supervision of Prof. Macarena Poyatos and Prof. Eduardo Peris and was carried out at the Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM).
We congratulate Dr. Martínez Vivas on this important academic achievement and wish him every success in his future scientific career.
