ICIQ has been awarded six projects in the ‘2025 Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento’ call funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), securing a total amount of more than 2.4 million euros, considering the 5 associated predoctoral grants also awarded. This call is part of the national programme to support high‑quality fundamental research and associated predoctoral training, aim to strengthen the scientific competitiveness of the Spanish research ecosystem and address major societal challenges. The funded projects are:
CARBENGOLD – Superelectrophilic Gold Carbenes: Synthesis and Synthetic Applications (PID2025‑167953NB‑I00)
The objective of this project, led by Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren, is to develop new catalytic methods based on gold encapsulated within very large cavitand‑type ligands, to achieve the high electrophilicity required to translate gas‑phase C–H bond activation chemistry of hydrocarbons into solution. The team will synthesize gold(I) and digold(I) complexes that mimic this reactivity and generate superelectrophilic species. A second objective is the design and synthesis of new chiral catalysts for broad‑scope cyclopropanation and intermolecular alkyne/alkene reactions.
LATE‑CHIRAL – Stereoselective late‑stage construction of chiral centers with a catalytic carbyne transfer platform (PID2025‑168668NB‑I00)
LATE‑CHIRAL, under the direction of Prof. Marcos García‑Suero, targets a challenge in medicinal and agrochemical research: the efficient stereoselective construction of chiral centers at a late stage in complex molecules. More than two‑thirds of drug molecules include at least one chiral center and are often produced as a single enantiomer, yet general strategies using aryl C–H bonds without directing groups are largely unexplored. LATE‑CHIRAL aims to develop a general platform for the selective construction of chiral centers using (hetero)aryl C–H bonds from fine/feedstock molecules as well as drug molecules, natural products and agrochemicals by means of carbyne transfer catalysis.
LIGHT‑SPOT – Light‑Guided Micromotors for Spatiotemporal Photocatalysis (PID2025‑168675OB‑I00)
LIGHT‑SPOT, led by Prof. Katherine Villa, addresses the challenge of efficiently converting light energy into localized chemical reactivity with precise spatial and temporal control. The project will develop semiconductor‑based photocatalytic micromotors with controlled crystalline facets, capable of autonomously responding and adapting to illumination gradients. The main objective of the project is to understand how crystalline anisotropy and the spatial separation of oxidative and reductive facets in photoactive semiconductors enable the generation of directional photochemical gradients that couple light geometry with motion and surface reactivity, establishing the foundations for spatiotemporally programmable photocatalysis in sustainable processes and selective pollutant transformation.
Molenergy – Molecules and Hybrid Molecular Materials for Sustainable Electrocatalytic Energy Applications (PID2025‑168560OB‑I00)
Led by Prof. Antoni Llobet, Molenergy will focus on creating highly efficient hybrid molecular materials to be used as electrodes and molecular photoelectrodes for redox reactions, significantly advancing the state‑of‑the‑art in this field. This will be accomplished through a detailed understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics governing the multiple chemical processes that dictate their behavior. A central focus of the project is the enhancement of key oxidative transformations, such as the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen, and the transformation of CO₂ with special emphasis on achieving products beyond CO, using transition‑metal molecular complexes anchored onto conductive and semiconducting surfaces.
REFINE – Renewable Electrosynthesis of Fine Intermediates and New Energy‑carriers: From Mechanisms to Solar Devices (PID2025‑168677OB‑I00)
REFINE, led by Prof. Julio Lloret‑Fillol, will shift artificial photosynthesis from C1 solar fuels to solar manufacturing: selective electrosynthesis of fine intermediates, food‑relevant building blocks, and new energy carriers from CO₂ and water using renewable electricity and sunlight. It tackles the orthogonality gap between reductive organic chemistry and oxidative water splitting by combining mechanism‑guided catalysis with spatially decoupled, multi‑compartment flow devices that control local pH and mass transport. The project aligns with Spanish priorities for climate, energy and mobility and with the vision from European and international initiatives such as SUNERGY or Mission Innovation missions.
SelfCO₂ – Self‑assembled molecules for efficient solar cells to power CO₂ electro‑reduction catalysts (PID2025‑168671NB‑I00)
SelfCO₂, coordinated by Prof. Emilio Palomares and Dr. Eugenia Martínez‑Ferrero, builds upon the demonstrated feasibility of driving CO₂ electroreduction using molecular solar cells. The new project aims to deepen the mechanistic understanding of CO₂‑reduction pathways and link product selectivity to the applied electrical bias under dark and illuminated conditions. A central innovation is the development of next‑generation self‑assembled monolayers (SAMs) engineered to enhance interfacial charge transfer, operational stability, and the overall performance of hybrid perovskite solar cells, integrated into a dedicated photoreactor and coupled to advanced catalytic platforms optimised for selectivity, turnover and long‑term stability.
All six projects are scheduled to start on 1 September 2026. They will run for three years, except for CARBENGOLD, led by Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren, which will run for four years. Altogether, these projects will help ICIQ continue to strengthen its strategic research lines in sustainable catalysis, renewable energies and molecular medicine, while also advancing fundamental chemical knowledge and opening new paths towards more sustainable technologies and improved health outcomes.
The “Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento” are funded by financiado por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.
La entrada ICIQ will lead six new research projects under the ‘Generación de Conocimiento 2025’ call se publicó primero en ICIQ.