Hermenegildo García, new full member of the RAC

Hermenegildo García, a researcher at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint research centre of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and professor at UPV has been appointed a full member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain (RAC). With this appointment, the RAC acknowledges Hermenegildo García’s contribution to the development of Photochemistry and his efforts in the search for solar fuels.

As a full member, Hermenegildo García has received Medal No. 16, previously held by Antonio Hernando Grande, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and founder of the Institute of Applied Magnetism.

During the inaugural ceremony held at the RAC headquarters in Madrid, Hermenegildo García delivered his acceptance speech, titled "Chemistry with Light: Converting Solar Energy into Renewable Fuels", where he addressed the latest advances in utilising solar energy for the production of sustainable fuels. Professor Avelino Corma, researcher and co-founder of the ITQ (UPV-CSIC), responded to his speech.

"It is an honour and a source of pride for me to join the RAC at the proposal of Arturo Romero Salvador and Manuel Aguilar Benítez de Lugo and to receive this medal that once belonged to such an esteemed figure as Professor Hernando Grande," stated Hermenegildo García.

Strengthening Photochemistry in the Academy

With the appointment of Hermenegildo García, the RAC reinforces its commitment to Photochemistry, a rapidly growing research field. This discipline studies light-activated reactions and has the potential to revolutionise clean energy production by converting sunlight into chemical compounds such as hydrogen, methane, or ammonia, which can be used as fuels without generating a carbon footprint.

As a member of the RAC, Hermenegildo García will continue promoting Photochemistry research and its application in developing renewable fuels, contributing to advancements in the energy transition toward a more sustainable future.

An International Leader in Photochemistry and Catalysis

Hermenegildo García Gómez (Canals, 1957) is a UPV professor and conducts his research at the ITQ (UPV-CSIC). Throughout his scientific career, he has achieved significant breakthroughs in converting solar energy into green hydrogen and fuels by developing photocatalysts, some of them based on graphene.

His research group coined carbocatalysis, which utilises graphene and its derivatives, obtained from agricultural waste, as heterogeneous catalysts in chemical processes for transforming CO? into methanol. These materials can also be used for electrical energy storage in supercapacitors.

Internationally, he has excelled in heterogeneous catalysis using porous catalysts and nanoparticles, contributing to areas such as photocatalysis, gold nanoparticle catalysis, and solar fuels. With over 950 articles published in high-impact journals, his work has accumulated over 81,000 citations and an h-index of 136 (Google Scholar, January 2025). He has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher for 12 consecutive years and ranks among the top 1% of the most-cited scientists worldwide in Chemistry, Materials Science, and Environmental Science.

Among his numerous accolades are:

• The Enrique Moles National Research Award (2021)
• The Rey Jaime I Award in New Technologies (2016)
• The Medal of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain (2023)
• The ERC Advanced Grant (2024)
• The Yueqi Award from China University of Mining and Technology (2021)

Additionally, the University of Bucharest has honoured him as Doctor Honoris Causa and has served as an Honorary Professor at King Abdulaziz University since 2015.