Premis Extraordinaris de doctorat de Ciencia de Materials dels cursos 2008-2009, 2009-2010 i 2010-2011

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Dr. Xavier Martí                                     

Dr. Xavier Martí Rovirosa performed his PhD thesis entitled “Growth and characterization of magnetoelectric YMnO₃ epitaxial thin films” at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) under supervision of Prof. Josep Fontcuberta and Dr. Florencio Sánchez. The thesis, defended on December 2009, has received from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Outstanding Award for the PhD in Materials Science. The studies focused on developing materials and devices for spintronic applications in two complementary directions. On one side, new multiferroic (ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) epitaxial thin films were obtained by exploiting strain-engineering techniques. On the other, pioneering concepts and devices which, exploiting magnetic exchange bias and multiferroic materials, were proposed and realized allowing to control the magnetic state of a magnetic memory by electric fields (USA patented). Resulting from the PhD work, 22 research papers have been published in high impact journals (including 3 Physical Review Letters and 5 Applied Physics Letters). After the thesis X. Martí moved first to Charles University in Prague (2009-2012) and currently at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of University of California in Berkeley.

Dr. Ana Belén Jorge Sobrido

Dr. Ana Belén Jorge Sobrido has been awarded the "Outstanding Award for the PhD in Materials Science" from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona for the period 2008/2009, assessing the quality of publications and patents based on original results of the thesis. She performed her PhD thesis entitled ‘New oxynitrides of rare earth and transition metals with several applications’ at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) under the supervision of Prof. Amparo Fuertes. As a result of this thesis, five articles have been published in high impact factor journals including Nature Chemistry and Journal of the American Chemical Society. Relevant results on nitrogen doped ceria lead to PCT and USA patent applications in 2009. Dr. Ana Belén Jorge Sobrido obtained her BS degree in Chemistry from University of La Laguna in 2004. She is presently a postdoctoral fellow at University College of London (UK) developing high-pressure chemistry research in the group of Prof. Paul McMillan. 

 Dr. Elena Taboada

 Elena Taboada carried out her PhD Thesis at the ICMAB under the supervision of Dr. Anna Roig on the topic "Synthesis of gamma-Fe₂O₃-SiO₂ composite nanoparticles targeting at magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic hyperthermia applications". She dealt with the design, fabrication and stabilization of magnetic colloids under physiological conditions, while keeping their relevant magnetic properties. The most outstanding application of the nanoparticles she developed was as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, enabling a better differentiation between healthy and pathological tissues by enhancing the contrast of the images. Taboada et al Langmuir 23 (2007) 4583, Advanced Functional Materials 19, 14 (2009), 2319, ACS Nano 3, 11 (2009) 3377. After the PhD, she spent a first post-doctoral term at the ICMAB followed by a second one at the UPC.

Dr. Claudia Simão

Dr. Claudia Simão defended her PhD in April 2011. Her PhD Thesis was entitled "Surface self-assembly of electroactive molecules as wires and switches" and it was supervised by Dr. Marta Mas and Prof. Concepció Rovira from the Molecular Nanoscience and Organic Materials group (NANOMOL) at ICMAB. She worked on the synthesis of electroactive molecules, the chemical functionalisation of surfaces with these molecules and the investigation of the potential properties of the resulting hybrid surfaces as molecular wires or molecular switches, in which an electrical input was transduced into magnetic and optical outputs. This work has already led to many outstanding publications in Nature Chem., NanoLetters, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. and Chem. Science and also a patent. Her PhD Thesis was also awarded with the NanoMatMol 2011 prize from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ). Currently, she is working as a postdoctoral fellow at ICN in the group Prof. Clivia Sotomayor

Dr. Marta Gibert

Dr. Marta Gibert carried out her PhD thesis entitled “Self-assembled strain-induced oxide nanostructures grown by chemical solutions” at ICMAB under the supervision of Prof. Xavier Obradords and Prof. Teresa Puig. In this work, she investigated the growth of interfacial oxide nanoislands with narrow distribution of sizes and notable tendency to form ordered arrays. These results have been published in 14 papers and presented in more than 20 (inter)national conferences and meetings. After her PhD, Marta joined the group of Prof. Jean-Marc Triscone at the University of Geneva, where she is currently working on nickelate-based heterostructures.

Dr. Mathieu Gonidec

Dr. Mathieu Gonidec defended his PhD in September 2011 at the UAB. His PhD Thesis was entitled "Synthesis and Properties of Multifunctional Single Molecule Magnets" and it was supervised by Profs. Jaume Veciana and David B. Amabilino from the Department of Molecular Nanoscience and Organic Materials at ICMAB. His work was addressed to the synthesis of new double-decker phtalocyanine lanthanide complexes showing single-molecule magnet behaviors along with other relevant physical – electrochemical, optical and mesomorphic – properties. Among others, his interest was aimed to the study of the organization of such molecules on surfaces and the influence of their oxidation states on their magnetic properties. His work has already led to several outstanding publications in journals like Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., J. Am. Chem. Soc, and Phys. Rev. B. He is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University in the group of Prof. George Withesides.

Dr. Adrián Carretero

Dr. Adrián Carretero Genevrier is currently a post-doctoral researcher at Collège de France in Paris. He has been recently awarded with the "Outstanding Award for the PhD in Materials Science" from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona for the period 2010/2011, based on the quality and originality of the results accomplished during his PhD thesis. Dr. Carretero performed his PhD at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) under the supervision of Prof. Teresa Puig and Dr. Narcís Mestres. His thesis entitled "Synthesis and self-assembly of 1D manganese-based complex oxides from template directed chemical solution deposition" has yielded several publications in high impact journals, cover pictures, and conference prizes. The original synthesis method proposed in this work has led to the growth of new crystalline phases of manganese oxide based nanostructures with enhanced ferromagnetic properties. After concluding his PhD thesis, Dr. Carretero moved to Paris where he is conducting his research on aerosol and sol-gel routes for the synthesis of functional nanostructured inorganic and hybrid materials at the State Solid Chemistry group led by Prof. Clement Sanchez. To date, he is joint inventor of one Patent and published 13 articles in high impact international journals such as Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Materials, Chemical Communications, and JACS.