The ‘Defect Engineering of Responsive Advanced Materials‘ research group was started in 2024 thanks to the Junior Leader ‘La Caixa’ Fellowship.
We are a small and welcoming research group based at the Institute of Molecular Science of the University of Valencia. Come and DREAM with us!!
Our research focuses on the development and modulation of advanced reticular materials with potential applications in healthcare and the environment. We specialize in Multivariate Modulation (MTVM), an innovative synthetic approach that combines heterogeneity and defect engineering to introduce specific functionalities into these materials. Through this technique, we create structures with larger and more complex pores, enhancing properties such as reactivity and porosity while maintaining structural stability. Additionally, we study the mechanisms of nucleation and crystallization in situ to control the self-assembly process of materials and tailor their properties for specific applications. Our research encompasses applications in water contaminant filtration, energy generation through photocatalysis, and controlled drug release, addressing global challenges such as access to clean energy, potable water, and more effective medical treatments.
Research Team
If you are interested in joining our Research Team, please get in touch at isabel.abanades@uv.es
We have 2 PhD positions available for Jun 2027
Team members
Dr Josefina Morrone
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (2026-2028)
Dr. Morrone is a MSCA-Postdoctoral Fellow working on the synthesis of MOFs heterostructures for climate-relevant applications.
In 2016, she received her degree in Chemical Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires. During her undergraduate studies, from 2015 to 2016, she worked in the development of micro and nanoencapsulation of pesticides at National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI-Argentina). In 2022, she completed her doctoral thesis from the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) under the supervision of Dr. M. C. Fuertes and Dr. P. C. Angelomé, focusing on the design, synthesis, and characterization of the structural and optical properties of sensors based on mesoporous photonic crystals. She then obtained a postdoctoral fellowship under the supervision of Dr. A. Zelcer and Dr. M. C. Fuertes, where her work involved developing new synthesis techniques for composite materials that exploit the properties of mesoporous films in technological applications (2022-2023). From 2023 to 2025, she worked as a researcher at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA-Argentina), where she continued to develop new materials for carbon capture and catalytic conversion.
Dr Boyu Li
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (2026-2028)
Dr. Li is a MSCA-Postdoctoral Fellow working on the development of MOF-based self-cleaning membranes for the remediation of contaminants in water treatment processes.
Boyu Lobtained his PhD in Environmental Engineering from Tongji University (China) in 2024, where he developed strong expertise in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and mixed-matrix membranes for selective CO₂ separation, integrating experimental approaches with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate separation mechanisms. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University at Albany, State University of New York （USA）, where he systematically advanced the design of biochar-based materials for the targeted removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), gaining in-depth understanding of adsorption mechanisms and material optimization strategies. Following his doctoral studies, he was awarded a Young Research Fellowship from Jiangsu Province （China）for research on carbon-based materials for lithium extraction from aqueous systems. His research integrates advanced porous materials design and membrane engineering to address key challenges in gas separation and water purification.
Dr Gabriela Tuono Martins Xavier
Postdoctoral researcher (2026-2027) – AVI project
Dr Xavier is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher focusing on the design and synthesis of advanced materials, especially defect-engineered metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), for the removal of emerging contaminants and resource recovery from wastewater within our AVI project.
Gabriela obtained her PhD in Science and Technology with an emphasis in Chemistry from the Federal University of ABC (UFABC, Brazil) in 2023, where she developed mixed-matrix membranes based on clay and PVDF for phosphorus removal from aqueous systems. She carried out a six-month research stay at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology under the supervision of Prof. Pierre Le-Clech. She also holds a Master’s degree (2019) and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (2016), with a strong background in Environmental Chemistry.
She has experience in adsorption, catalysis, and wastewater treatment, including the optimization of phosphorus adsorbents (achieving up to 99% removal) and their validation from laboratory to full-scale systems. She has also worked on mixed-matrix membranes and MOF-based catalysts with high efficiency. Her research interests focus on sustainable materials for water treatment and resource recovery.
Carmen Rosales Martinez
PhD candidate 2023-2027
Carmen Rosales Martínez is currently a PhD candidate under Dr Isabel Abánades Lázaro supervision at the Institute of Molecular Science of the University of Valencia. She is studying the growth and applications of multivariate modulated Metal-Organic Frameworks.
Carmen graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Granada in July 2023. During her degree, Carmen did a research internship with Prof. Juan Niclós-Gutiérrez laboratory, where she later developed her bachelor’s thesis entitled “Molecular recognition between the chelate copper(II)-thiodiacetate and a synthetic nucleoside adenine derivative” which resulted on a published paper on Molecules as a first author (doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155830). She also undertook a research stay at the Laboratory of Crystallographic Studies (LEC) IACT-CSIC to develop new skills such as solving crystalline structures under the supervision of Duane Choquesillo-Lazarte (3 months in 2023) and she participated in three different conferences, including two oral communications at an international congress (ISMEC 2022 and ISMEC 2023) and a poster communication at a national congress (BioGranada 2023). She also joined the MOF summer school.
Carmen is working on the defect-engineering of multivariate modulated MOFs for environmental and healthcare applications.
Pau Giménez Cobos
Bachelor’s final year researcher 2026-2027
Pau is a final-year Chemistry student at the University of Valencia, currently completing his Bachelor’s Thesis within the group in co-direction with Dr Joaquín López-Soriano. His Project focuses on the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for their application in electrocatalytic nitrate reduction.
Alumni
Paula Martín Calero
Master’s Researcher 2025-2026
Bachelor’s final year researcher 2024-2025
Paula did a Master’s in Experimental techniques at the University of Valencia, including her Master’s research project and extracurricular practise within the group working on Multivariate MOFs for water remediation. She also did the final year of the Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Valencia (2021-2025) within the group.
Gina Cordero
Internship for the degree of laboratory technician (2026)
Gina is doing her final year internship for the Superior degree of Laboratory technician. She has completed internships at Uffino, a winery laboratory focused on wine quality control, and at Colornou, an industrial company where she carried out color testing and water quality analysis in wastewater treatment processes. She is working on multivariate MOFs for water remediation.
Nerea Alfajarin Gandía
Bachelor’s final year training (2026)
Nerea did her final year internship for the Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Valencia. She worked on multivariate MOFs as drug delivery systems.
Diego Bayo Martín
Bachelor’s final year training (2026)
Diego did doing her final year internship for the Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Valencia. He worked on multivariate MOFs for water remediation and catalytic applications,
Nadia Medina Díez
Bachelor’s final year researcher 2024-2025
Nadia did her final year project of the double Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Physics at the University of Valencia (2020-2025). She worked on the ‘Stimuli-responsive multivariate modulated MOFs: towards smart applications’.
Ýrem Nur Öz
Erasmus Visiting student-2025
Ýrem is a senior Chemistry student with a Chemical Engineering minor at Gebze Technical University. She has a strong passion for synthesizing and characterizing new materials, with research experience in phosphazene-based hybrid polymers supported by the TUBITAK 2209-A grant. She has also completed industrial internships in chemical production (Hektas Production Inc.) and quality control (Tum Ekip Pharmaceuticals). She worked on multivariate MOFs for water remediation and photoswitchable systems during the 2025 summer as part of an Erasmus intership.
Raúl Toledo
Internship for the degree of laboratory technician 2024
Raúl was working with us for his internship (400h) to get the degree accreditation of laboratory technitian. He worked on the application of multivariate modulated MOFs for water decontamination and shortly after he secured a Research technician job at ANIA. Well done Raúl!