Spanish National Research Council
In terms of fundraising, CSIC is ranked the 1st organisation in Spain and the 5th in Europe, with a total FP7 contribution of over 260 million euros. The Institute of Catalysis and Petroleum Chemistry (ICP) belongs to the Chemical Sciences and Technology Division of CSIC and is part of the International Excellence Campus together with the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid (UAM). ICP develops new technological solutions within the field of catalysis, both inorganic and enzymatic, covering the areas of energy, environmental protection, and chemical synthesis. Its capabilities embrace the design of novel catalytic materials, the development of new catalytic processes and technologies, methodologies for process control and advanced characterization techniques. The Spectroscopy and Industrial Catalysis (SpeICat) group, co-led by Prof. Avila and Prof. Bañares, belongs to the Catalytic Process Engineering department and to the Structure and Rectivity department of the ICP. Its principal research lines are the rational design and synthesis of structured porous adsorbents and catalysts for prevention of atmospheric pollution and processes optimization, supported by the operando spectroscopic characterization methodology.
Among other research lines, SpeICat group of CSIC has developed many honeycomb shaped catalysts and adsorbents aimed at the reduction of atmospheric contaminants, some of them patented and implemented at industrial scale in nitric acid plants (DeNOx-SCR), power plants (DeNOx-DeSOx), adhesive plants (Ads/Des-Oxidation of VOCs) or high-temperature ceramic ovens (elimination of acid gases HF, HCl, etc.). The development of this type of solids constitutes one of the most important improvements within the catalytic field in the recent decades, and this group is one of few European public research laboratories with this technology.
