Arjan obtained his MSc (with honors) and PhD (cum laude) from the University of Utrecht (NL). In 2002 he moved to Spain as a NWO TALENT fellow with Javier de Mendoza, followed by another postdoc at the University of Amsterdam (NL) working with Joost Reek. He also held various scientific positions in the industry at Avantium and Hexion. In 2006, he returned to Spain as a junior ICREA fellow and ICIQ Group Leader, and was promoted to ICREA Professor in 2011. He is a member of several advisory and editorial boards (Green. Chem., Adv. Synth. Catal., ChemCatChem, Journal of CO₂ Utilization, ACS Sust. Chem. Engin., ChemSusChem), was chair of the EUGSC-4 conference in 2019 and is co-chair of the SHOCS symposium in 2025, and associate editor for Organic Chemistry Frontiers (RSC). Citations >18600, h-index of around 72. He received the 2020 RSEQ Excellence, 2023 SCQ Excellence and the 2023 European Sustainable Chemistry Awards, and became a FRSC in 2021.

The research of my group focuses on the valorization and recycling of small molecules (including CO₂) into value-added chemicals and polymeric materials. We design new and more sustainable catalytic methods and processes to apply them in selective organic synthesis processes. We employ homogeneous catalysis approaches based on metal complexes and/or organocatalysts, and investigate important process features such as catalyst recycling, energy/material efficiencies, atom-efficiency and overall selectivity/reactivity profiles. In all these endeavors, we wish to develop novel types of stereoselective and enantioselective transformations including those focusing on the preparation of compounds featuring challenging quaternary stereocenters. Our generic view on chemistry is to pursue and increase circularity as to sustain a healthy and global perspective for future generations to come.