Víctor F. Puntes

Víctor F. Puntes

Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca

Experimental Sciences & Mathematics

Prof. Dr. Victor Puntes is  Group Leader at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) (2005-), with joint appointment at Vall Hebron Institute de Recerca (VHIR) (2015-). He received his Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Barcelona and his M.S. degree in chemical engineering from University Louis Pasteur in 1994. Between 1999 and 2003 he held a postdoc position as postdoctoral researcher at the University of California–Berkeley (UCB) and the LBNL. In 2003 obtained a Ramón y Cajal position at the UB. He also acted as scientific consultant  and actively contributed to several R&D management activities and scientific committees.   Besides, he is normally engaged in dissemination lectures and activities broadcasting his research and that of his community.

Research interests

Prof. Víctor Puntes works on the synthesis, characterisation and applications of engineered inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) in the fields of energy harvesting, environmetnal remediation and medicine. By controlling the size, structure and shape of the inorganic core, and manipulating the linking of organic molecules to the nanoparticle surface, the group aims to design nanoparticles that interact with a variety of systems (biological, medical, materials, etc.) providing controlled electromagnetic and molecular heterogenicities useful to manipulate materials and biological states at both, the molecular and the electron transport scales . This allows for the deliberate modification of these systems, or the use of NPs for manipulating and reporting states.

Selected publications

-  Oliveras J, Marcon L, Bastus NG & Puntes V 2022, 'Functionalization of Graphene Nanostructures with Inorganic Nanoparticles and Their Use for the Removal of Pharmaceutical Pollutants in WaterFrontiers in chemical engineering 4, 1-14.

- Galyamin D, Ernst LM, Fitó-Parera A, et al. 2022, 'Nanoceria dissolution at acidic pH by breaking off the catalytic loop', Nanoscale, 14(38):14223-14230.

- Ernst LM & Puntes V 2022, 'How Does Immunomodulatory Nanoceria Work? ROS and Immunometabolism', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 750175.

- Suárez-López R, Puntes VF, Bastús NG, Hervés C & Jaime C 2022 "Nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles in the presence of different surfactants" Scientific Reports 12, 1, 13926.

- Barbero F, Michelini S, Moriones OH, et al. 2022, 'Role of Common Cell Culture Media Supplements on Citrate-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticle Protein Corona Formation, Aggregation State, and the Consequent Impact on Cellular Uptake', Bioconjugate Chemistry, 33, 8, 1505 - 1514.