I was born in Colombia, but my passion for science has given me the opportunity to collaborate with scientists in different countries on a variety of topics, including the synthesis of inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials (glassy and crystalline) as coatings, membranes and composites for environmental and energy applications. Following my undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Nariño in Colombia, I completed my Master and PhD degrees within the Ceramic and Glass Institute (CSIC, Spanish Research Council) at the University Autónoma of Madrid, under the guidance of Professor Alicia Durán and Dr. Mario Aparicio. During this work, we designed and developed hybrid and inorganic coatings and multilayer systems with unique corrosion inhibition, bioactive and chemical-resistance properties, with an emphasis on ecofriendly synthetic approaches.
In 2012, I accepted a post-doctoral position in the Department of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) in collaboration with Dr. Filipe Figueiredo. My research was focused on the design of membranes for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. I used the hybrid concept to develop novel acidfunctionalised mesoporous benzene-silica hybrid proton conducting materials and composite membranes with polymeric matrices by sol-gel processing.
In 2013, I moved to Hokkaido University (Japan) as a Post-doctoral researcher in collaboration with Professor Kiyoharu Tadanaga and was appointed as an Assistant Professor within the Division of Applied Chemistry in 2016. My current research is focused on the synthesis of sulfide and oxide solid electrolytes, and electrodes for all-solid-state lithium batteries. Our research has contributed to addressing different challenges in this area, including the synthesis of sulfide and oxide solid electrolytes and composite electrodes by novel chemical routes and the design of interfacial materials for electrode/ electrolyte for all-solid-state batteries.
In addition to continuing the development of national and international collaborations, my long-term goals includes the design and synthesis of functional materials, inorganic and hybrid materials, for “green” energy generation and storage that enable cleaner and more sustainable technologies.
