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Alexandra Velty, a researcher at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint centre of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has been selected as the Spanish champion of the second edition of the international Frontiers Planet Prize. This award, sponsored by the Frontiers Research Foundation, recognises the work of scientists worldwide who contribute to securing the future of the planet. The national winners were announced today as part of World Earth Day, celebrated every year on 22 April to raise awareness of environmental issues affecting the earth.

Velty has been selected by the jury as the Spanish champion of these prestigious awards, thanks to the work she has developed with Professor Avelino Corma at the Institute of Chemical Technology, focusing on the molecular design of solid catalysts and the analysis of reaction mechanisms. The award-winning paper highlights the potential of using zeolites and ordered mesoporous materials to convert CO2 into fuels and other chemicals essential to our daily lives.

Key to decarbonising the planet

The research conducted by the Molecular Design of Catalysts Group not only drives the development of sustainable processes based on the conversion of renewable materials such as biomass and carbon dioxide but also plays a crucial role in global decarbonisation and the drive for sustainable development.

"Catalysis plays a crucial role in our daily lives and will become even more so in the future, especially in the production of energy, drinking water, food and the chemical industry. This research aligns with green and circular chemistry principles," stresses Alexandra Velty.

The award-winning work highlights the potential of zeolites and ordered mesoporous materials in the conversion of carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas - into fuels and chemicals essential to our daily lives, such as methane, methanol, synthesis gas, as well as the production of intermediates for plastics, pharmaceuticals, solvents, and agrochemicals. "It is a key strategy for the decarbonisation of the planet," says Alexandra Velty, who adds that "this award represents a great recognition of the work done by our group in the molecular design of solid catalysts for the development of green and sustainable chemical processes".

In its second edition, the award attracted the participation of 20 academies of science and 475 leading universities and research institutions from 43 countries, as well as an independent jury of 100 sustainability experts chaired by Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany). The jury awarded 23 national prizes, from which three international winners will be announced at a ceremony in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, on 26 June.