We extend our sincere congratulations to Laura Ibáñez Ibáñez for the successful defense of her doctoral thesis, “Photocatalytic Applications of Organometallic Complexes in Sustainable Processes: Hydrogen Storage and Generation of High Value-Added Products.”
The defense took place at the Salón de Actos (Aula Magna) of the Escuela Superior de Tecnología y Ciencias Experimentales (Universitat Jaume I) on March 6, 2026.
Dr. Ibáñez Ibáñez has been awarded the distinction of Excellent CUM LAUDE in recognition of the outstanding quality of her doctoral work.
Her research focuses on the development of homogeneous single-entity photocatalytic systems based on transition metal complexes for applications in sustainable chemical processes. The work addresses key global challenges such as hydrogen storage through Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) and the generation of high value-added chemicals through light-driven catalytic transformations.
Within this framework, a series of platinum-group organometallic complexes were synthesized and thoroughly characterized, and their catalytic performance was evaluated under visible-light irradiation in different reaction platforms. The results demonstrate that single-induced transition metal photocatalysis enables chemical transformations under mild conditions while offering improved efficiency and selectivity compared to conventional thermal approaches and dual photocatalytic systems.
In addition, mechanistic investigations based on experimental studies provided valuable insight into the reaction pathways involved and the role of light in the catalytic cycles, contributing to a deeper understanding of photocatalytic processes and their potential in sustainable chemistry.
The thesis was presented under the supervision of Prof. José A. Mata and Dr. Gregorio Guisado Barrios (CSIC–Universidad de Zaragoza) and was carried out at the Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM).
The evaluation committee was composed of Prof. Miguel Monge (Universidad de La Rioja), Prof. Ana Petronilo (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), and Prof. Miquel Navarro (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid).
We congratulate Dr. Ibáñez Ibáñez on this important academic achievement and wish her every success in her future scientific career!
