The research of the Catalytic Materials Group is centered on the preparation and characterization of new materials with catalytic properties.

The environmental impact of the current use of fossil fuels could be diminished if biomass-derived resources were considered as an alternative feedstock for hydrogen and syngas production.

The production of hydrogen from biomass-derived substrates could contribute in the medium term to the implementation of the use of H2 as an energy vector through the use of fuel-cells. The use of photo-assisted catalytic processes could decrease the energy necessary for the process.

Over recent years, we have developed new multicomponent materials which effectively catalyze the steam reforming of C1-C4 bio-alcohols. Special attention has been paid to the selectivity and stability of catalysts, which is related to their characteristics. The use of renewable substrates such as bio-ethanol as platform molecules has also been envisaged through their transformation by selective catalytic processes.

Recently, we considered the transformation of biosubstrates assisted by photocatalysis as a new research topic. Moreover, we are developing new materials for the chemical recycling of CO2 and contemplating its transformation to hydrocarbons, DME or higher alcohols.

The characterization of materials before and after the catalytic processes is of major importance in order to establish the relationship between their catalytic behavior, stability and the characteristics of the catalysts.