Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

PhD in Chemical Sciences | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | 1998

•    FPU National Fellowship (1994-1997)

•    Research stays: University of Würzburg (Germany, Prof. H. Werner); UC Berkeley (USA, Prof. R. G. Bergman)

Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Sciences | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | 1993

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Academic Positions

Full Professor | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | March 2025 - Present

Department of Inorganic Chemistry

Associate Professor (Profesor Titular) | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | February 2010 - March 2025

Department of Inorganic Chemistry

Assistant Professor (Profesor Contratado Doctor) | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | November 2006 - February 2010

Department of Inorganic Chemistry

Ramón y Cajal Fellow | Universidad de Murcia, Spain | January 2002 - October 2006

Department of Inorganic Chemistry

Postdoctoral Researcher | University of Würzburg, Germany | 1998 - 2001

•    Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (EU Training and Mobility of Researchers Programme)

•    Contracted Researcher

 

RESEARCH PROFILE

Research Interests

•    Organometallic chemistry

•    Photophysics and photochemistry

•    Photocatalysis

•    Platinum-group metals

•    Cyclometalated complexes

•    Luminescent materials

Research Summary

My research expertise lies in the synthesis, characterization, and study of the photophysical properties (luminescence) and photochemical reactivity of platinum complexes bearing cyclometalated heteroaromatic ligands, including aryl-NHC derivatives. My work integrates photophysical and electrochemical analyses with computational studies of excited states to elucidate structure–property relationships and reaction mechanisms.

Major Scientific Contributions:

•    Synthesis and characterization of the first strongly luminescent cyclometalated Pt(IV) complexes

•    Discovery of unprecedented photoinduced C-H activation mechanisms in Pt(II) complexes

•    Development of photochemical cyclometalation procedures

•    Identification of new families of luminescent Pt(II) complexes

•  Pioneering work on gold complexes with hydrosulfido and trithiocarbonato ligands (included in university textbooks)

Editorial Activities

Regular reviewer for prestigious journals including:

•    Journal of the American Chemical Society

•    Angewandte Chemie

•    Chemistry - A European Journal

•    Nature Communications

•    Chemical Communications

•    Inorganic Chemistry (frequent referee)

•    Dalton Transactions

 

RESEARCH FUNDING (as Principal Investigator)

Fundación Séneca (Regional Government of Murcia)

"Catalysis and photocatalysis by transition metals in organic synthesis and polymerization processes"

Project No. 22654/PI/24 | 2025-2027 | €102,410

Spanish State Research Agency (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades)

"New organometallic and photochemical reactions with application in catalysis"

Project No. PID2021-122966NB-I00 | 2022-2026 | €151,250

Spanish State Research Agency (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades)

"Extending the applicability of organometallic transition metal complexes in catalysis and photochemistry"

Project No. PGC2018-100719-B-I00 | 2019-2022 | €89,540

PUBLICATIONS

(Full publication list in this link)

SELECTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (2021-2025)

XL Bienal de la Real Sociedad Española de Química, Bilbao, 2025. "Effect of Aggregation on the Luminescence of Dinuclear Pt(II) Complexes with N^C^C Ligands and Diphosphine Linkers" (Poster)

XLII Reunión del GEQO, Sevilla, 2024. "New Classes of Luminescent Pt(II) Complexes Obtained Through Photoinduced Cyclometalation Reactions" (Poster)

XLII Reunión del GEQO, Sevilla, 2024. "Dinuclear Diphosphine-Bridged Pt(II) Emitters Bearing N^C^C Ligands" (Poster)

XXV Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (EuCOMC XXV), Alcalá de Henares, 2023. "Strongly Phosphorescent Pt(II) Complexes with Terdentate N^C^C Ligands" (Poster and flash presentation)

XL Reunión del GEQO, Barcelona, 2022. "Light-Induced Reactions of Cyclometalated Pt(II) and Pt(IV) Complexes" (Invited talk)

XL Reunión del GEQO, Barcelona, 2022. "Luminescent Pt(II) Complexes with a N^C^C Ligand: Effects of Ancillary Ligands and Aggregation" (Oral communication)

XXIV Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (EuCOMC XXIV), Alcalá de Henares, 2021. "Phosphorescent Platinum(IV) Biaryl Complexes" (Poster)

XXIV Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (EuCOMC XXIV), Alcalá de Henares, 2021. "Tris-Chelate Pt(IV) Complexes Containing Cyclometalated Aryl-NHC Ligands and Aromatic Diimines" (Poster)

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER & INDUSTRY CONTRACTS

New Methodologies for the Chemical Modification of Biosynthetic Polymers

Company: CETEC (Centro Tecnológico del Calzado y el Plástico)

Role: Team member | Period: 2025-2026 | Amount: €14,900

Improvement of Properties of Biosynthetic Polyhydroxyalkanoates

Company: CETEC

Role: Team member | Period: 2023-2024 | Amount: €14,900

Coordination Chemistry of Macrocycles with Pharmaceutical Interest

Company: Kinsy, S.L.

Role: Team member | Period: 2020-2021 | Amount: €31,402

 

SUPERVISION & MENTORING

PhD Theses Supervised: 

Author: Juan Carlos López López

Title: Synthesis, photophysical properties and photochemical reactivity of cyclometalated platinum(IV) complexes.

Supervisor: Pablo González Herrero

Defense date: 10 November 2023. International Doctorate Mention.

Author: Dionisio Poveda Otazo

Title: Ciclometalación fotoquímica de compuestos heteroaromáticos en complejos de platino(II) y luminiscencia de derivados con ligandos N,C,C.

Supervisors: Pablo González Herrero, Ángela Vivancos Ureña.

Defense date: 23 June 2023. International Doctorate Mention.

Author: Fabio Juliá Hernández

Title: Propiedades fotofísicas y fotoquímicas de complejos ciclometalados de Pt(II) y Pt(IV).

Supervisor: Pablo González Herrero

Defense date: 27 June 2016. International Doctorate Mention.

Author: Roberto Frutos Pedreño

Title: Reactividad de complejos arílicos de paladio con grupos amida en posición orto. Síntesis de paladaciclos y heterociclos de 5 a 9 miembros.

Supervisors: Pablo González Herrero, José Vicente Soler.

Defense date: 28 October 2013. International Doctorate Mention.

Author: Francisca Yolanda garcía Sánchez

Title: Síntesis y propiedades de complejos de oro, plata y cobre con ligandos (fluoren-9-Iliden)metanoditiolato.

Supervisors: Pablo González Herrero, José Vicente Soler.

Defense date: 23 November 2007. International Doctorate Mention.

Author: María Pérez Cadenas

Title: Síntesis y propiedades fotofísicas de complejos de platino y paladio con ligandos (fluoren-9-iliden)metanoditiolato.

Supervisors: Pablo González Herrero, José Vicente Soler.

Defense date: 20 April 2007. International Doctorate Mention.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Languages:

•    Spanish (native)

•    English (fluent)

•    German (working knowledge)

Last updated: 24 October 2025