Post-Doctoral Fellow

Maria’s main interests are focussed on the study of designed synthesis by modelling approaches of novel microporous materials (zeotypes and organic-inorganic hybrids) to tailor specific applications. The influence of template framework interaction in the structure by SXRD and PXRD refinement and the study of their potential properties for gas adsorption and catalysis due their chemical and structural characteristics. Further interests include interdisciplinary techniques such as AFM and High Throughput methodologies.

She gained her first Degree in Chemical Sciences at the U.A.M, Madrid, Spain, sponsored by a Spanish Governmental Scholarship. This was followed by post-graduate work within the Applied Physical Chemistry framework at the Karl- Franzens University of Graz, Austria, sponsored by an Erasmus-Socrates Scholarship. She then gained her PhD in 2008 at the University of St. Andrews working with Prof. Paul Wright sponsored by the EU with a Marie Curie Scholarship (MRTN-CT-2002-005503 ‘INDENS’). Her thesis title was : Templating Approaches to the Synthesis of New Microporous Materials for Gas Adsorption and Separation.

Maria is now working at the CNM on a joint project between Martin Attfield, Mike Anderson and Richard Winpenny working on the development of novel MOF materials and AFM methods in crystal growth.

Molecular modeling, multinuclear NMR, and diffraction studies in the templated synthesis and characterisation of the aluminophosphate molecular sieve STA-2
M. Castro, V. R. Seymour, D. Carnevale, J. M. Griffin, S. E. Ashbrook, P. A. Wright, D. C. Apperley, J. E. Parker, S. P. Thompson, A. Fecant and N. Bats.
J. Phys. Chem. C, 2010, 114, 12698.