Current Members
Research Group Leader
Marcelo E. Domine Maccari
Dr. Marcelo E. Domine obtained his Bachelor (1992) and Master (1996) degrees in Chemistry from the National University of Cordoba (Argentine). He completed his PhD at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in 2003 under the guidance of Prof. A. Corma. Then, he carried out postdoctoral research at the Institute des Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON-CNRS, France 2005-07). In 2008, he re-joined Prof. A. Corma’s group as a Ramon y Cajal researcher of CSIC. Since 2009, he has developed his work as Tenured Scientist of CSIC at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC), Spain.
His current research involves the synthesis and characterization of molecular sieves and nano-structured materials based on supported metal nano-particles and metallic mixed oxides, and their application as heterogeneous catalysts in acid–base and redox reactions; mainly focusing on the development of novel and sustainable chemical processes for the transformation of renewable raw materials (i.e. biomass and its derivatives, municipal wastes, etc.) into valuable chemical products.
Marcelo is the co-author of more than 65 scientific publications in high-impact journals and 30 applied patents. He has presented his work at over 80 national and international conferences and has delivered more than 30 invited lectures. In addition, he has participated in 38 publicly funded research projects and 27 industry collaboration contracts.
A significant part of his work focuses on the development of new catalytic processes of industrial relevance in collaboration with companies in the chemical and petrochemical sectors, resulting in numerous applied patents (14 licensed patents and four currently in industrial exploitation).
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/marcelo-domine-90994b
e-mail: mdomine@itq.upv.es
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1111-2855
Technicians
Miriam Parreño Romero
Miriam received his B.Sc. in Chemistry at the UV and M.Sc in Sustainable Chemistry at at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
In 2011, she joined at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ, UPV-CSIC), where she worked on the synthesis and characterization of solid materials, their application in catalytic reactions in liquid phase using batch reactors, and the chromatographic analysis of reaction mixtures.
In 2012, she carried out a short-term research stay at the Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France), focusing on the synthesis and characterization of solid catalysts and on the identification of organic compounds through chromatographic techniques. Since 2014, she has continued her research within Dr. Marcelo E. Domine’s group at the ITQ, participating in several research projects dedicated to the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials. Her work involves the use of advanced physicochemical techniques, particularly high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), as well as the catalytic evaluation of these materials in liquid-phase reactions under both batch and fixed-bed conditions. In the past, her research focused on photochemical reactivity (Master’s) at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol).
email: mpromero@itq.upv.es
Claudia Fernández de la Peña
Claudia received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Málaga in 2012.
She has been working at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ, UPV-CSIC) since 2014, actively participating in research projects focused on biomass valorization, the development of sustainable marine biofuels, and the scale-up of processes to pilot-plant level. Her work combines experimental activities —including catalyst synthesis and characterization, biomass conversion reactions, and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC)— with data interpretation and the preparation of technical reports. She has extensive experience in operating batch and continuous reactors, as well as in the use of advanced analytical techniques such as GPC, HPLC, GC, GC-MS, GC×GC-FID/MS, ICP, and EA. In addition, she contributes to the organization and management of the laboratory, collaborating in resource planning and in the processing of orders and budget requests to ensure the efficient operation of the group’s experimental activities.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claudia-fernández-b36a4a60
email: clferde@itq.upv.es
Madalina Georgiana Idriceanu
Madalina received her B.Sc. and M.Sc in Chemical Engineering at University of Valencia in 2018 and 2020, repectively.
She has been working at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) as a research laboratory technician since 2019. Her research experience focuses on the synthesis and catalytic evaluation of heterogeneous catalysts. She has extensive expertise in catalyst preparation and physicochemical characterization using techniques such as XRD, ICP, and TG. She is also experienced in catalytic testing under both batch and continuous-flow conditions, including high-pressure systems. In addition, her work involves the analysis of complex liquid samples through advanced chromatographic techniques (GC-FID, GC-TCD, GC-MS, SIMDIS, PIONA, GC×GC/FID/MS) and the use of data acquisition and control software for analytical instrumentation.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/madalina-g-idriceanu-437879167
email: maid1@itq.upv.es
PhD Students
Francisco Cernicharo Toledo
Fran is a PhD student in CAT-REN’s group at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) since February 2021. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry and M.Sc in Organic & Industrial Chemistry at UV in 2019 and 2020, repectively.
His doctoral research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis for the production of sustainable fuels. In the past, his research focused on the use of nitroenynes in asymmetric catalysis and their application to the enantioselective synthesis of furans and pyrans (Bachelor’s) and on the enantioselective addition of hydroxyindoles to ortho-quinone methides and nitroalkenes.
Lucía Camarena Peiró
Lucía is a PhD student in CAT-REN’s group at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) since December 2022. She received her B.Sc. and M.Sc in Chemical Engineering at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Her doctoral research focuses on the design and development of catalytic systems for the production of sustainable marine biofuels and high value-added chemicals from lignin-derived model compounds and lignin, contributing to the advancement of cleaner and more sustainable energy alternatives. Previously, her research focused on optimizing the manufacturing conditions of polyurethane foam blocks for automotive applications (Bachelor’s) and on the removal of antibiotics from wastewater through ozonation processes (Master’s).
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lucia-camarena-peiró
email: lucapei@itq.upv.es
Franc Esparza Cambra
Franc is a PhD student in CAT-REN’s group at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) through an industrial doctorate in collaboration with Catalyxx. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc in Chemical Engineering at University of Valencia in 2020 and 2022, repectively.
His research focuses on the development of new catalytic processes and kinetic models to transform bioethanol into high value-added bioproducts, such as butanol and higher alcohols. This project combines catalysis, industrial-scale simulation, and experimental validation, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional petrochemical processes.
Master Students
Liseth Anahi Morales
Liseth Anahi obtained her B.Sc. in Chemical Science & Engineering at the University of Twente, followed by an M.Sc. in Sustainable Chemistry at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in 2023 and 2025, repectively.
Her research focuses on the design and study of catalysts and catalytic processes based on ruthenium (Ru) and transition metal bimetallic systems, applied to the selective catalytic hydrogenation–hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived model compounds.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisethanahimorales
email: lamorgom@itq.upv.es
Period Abroad
Maria Laura Martínez Bocanegra
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Córdoba (Cordoba, Argentina)
María Laura holds a Ph.D. in Engineering with a specialization in Chemistry and a postgraduate degree in Environmental Engineering from the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Córdoba (FRC-UTN, Argentina). She also obtained a Diploma in Tools and Management for Climate Change from the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes and Jujuy.
Her research focuses on the design and synthesis of mesoporous materials tailored for heterogeneous catalysis, aiming to develop efficient catalytic systems for specific reactions in the chemical industry. Through her work, she has contributed to advancing more sustainable and energy-efficient processes in both national and international research projects.
Dr. Martínez is currently a Researcher at CONICET-Argentina and a lecturer in Catalysis and Catalytic Processes at the Chemical Engineering Department of FRC-UTN, where she actively combines research and teaching. She has participated in numerous specialized conferences and seminars, establishing herself as a recognized expert in the field of heterogeneous catalysis.
Alex Ariel Fernández Andrade
Universidad Bio-Bio (Concepción, Chile)
Alex obtained his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Técnica de Manabí (Ecuador) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Materials Engineering and Sustainable Processes at the Universidad del Bío-Bío (Chile).
His doctoral research focuses on the production of bio-based aromatic amines through the reductive amination of furfural, employing Pd/ZrO2–TiO2 catalysts with a particular emphasis on kinetic studies.
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/alex-fernández-276367228
email: alex.fernandez2201@alumnos.ubiobio.cl
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7073-0867
Scopus ID:57289877900