I got a PhD from the UPC (1997) and then completed a one-year postdoc at the University of Warwick (UK). Since 2006, I have been the Head of the MINOS Research Group at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, working on nanomaterials and microsystems for gas sensing. In 2009 I became full Professor. From 2010 to 2014 I was the Director of the Centre for Research in Materials Engineering and Micro / Nano Systems, a centre that brings together researchers in physics, chemistry, materials, nanoscience and microsystems. I am President of the Spanish Network of Microsystems and Nanotechnology (IBERNAM) and vice-president of the IEEE Spanish Sensor Chapter. I have co-authored 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, given 30 invited lectures at international conferences and lead over 30 regional, national and international projects. Have been invited regularly to conduct research in France and Japan. Founder of the spinoff Green Smart Data. In 2012 I received the URV’s RQR and ICREA Academia awards.

Research interests

Growth of single crystalline metal oxide nanomaterials employing bottom-up approaches. Specifically, self-catalysed growth of n-type semiconductor nanowires or nanorods onto ceramic, silicon, silicon MEMS or polymeric substrates. Nanowires can be grown and loaded with p-type nanoparticles, achieving functional nanomaterials with heterojunctions at the nanoscale, with superior performance for gas sensing. Gaining insight in the surface chemistry, nature of defects and the specific mechanisms of interaction with target gases, unveiling gas-sensing mechanisms and structure-performance relationships. Functionalisation of carbon nanomaterials employing cold plasmas, for grafting metal nanoparticles or complex molecules, achieving highly sensitive and selective sensors. More recently, working towards the realization of nanomaterial-based flexible gas sensors and sensor systems with a performance that matches the one of conventional rigid devices.

Keywords

gas sensor microsystems; carbon nanomaterials, mwetal oxide naowires; nanoporous alumina; signal processing