The main objective of the QUIMERA group is the design of organometallic species with unusual reactivity and properties, with special emphasis on cooperative and heterobimetallic systems that incorporate both transition metals and P-block elements. Within this framework, we develop strategies for the cooperative activation of small molecules (e.g., carbon dioxide, ammonia, or nitrous oxide) and their subsequent functionalisation through organometallic catalysis. We start from the premise that cooperativity may be key to overcoming the main limitations of current catalytic protocols. In fact, the high efficiency of natural catalysts (enzymes) is largely based on cooperativity and molecular confinement. Our ultimate goal is to create synthetic approaches that, inspired by enzymes, allow us to develop and study unusual modes of chemical cooperation, based mainly on bimetallic architectures and the use of congested spaces at the molecular level.
Main areas research
The main lines of research we carry out are highly interrelated and include:
- Highly polarised heterobimetallic catalysts
- Frustrated Lewis pairs based on transition metals
- Transition metal/main group element hybrid systems in low oxidation states
- Precious metal catalysts in radical configurations
- Design of molecular photocatalysts and electrocatalysts
- Design of highly congested phosphorus ligands
- Computational study of reaction mechanisms
Antonio Pizzano Mancera
Tenured Scientist
Marta Roselló Merino
Higher Technician
Sonia Bajo Velázquez
Associate Professor
Juan José Moreno Díaz
Associate Professor
Liping Yan
Postdoctoral Researcher
Robin Sievers
Postdoctoral Researcher
Nereida Hidalgo Reinoso
Postdoctoral Researcher
Quentin Le Dé
Postdoctoral Researcher
Lukas Fischer
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sreejyothi Prasanna Kumar
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sergio Rojas Buzo
Postdoctoral Researcher
Martina Landrini
Postdoctoral Researcher
Macarena González Alférez
Postdoctoral Researcher
Juan Miranda Pizarro
Postdoctoral Researcher
Félix León García
Postdoctoral Researcher
Christian Camilo Sánchez Sierra
PhD Student
Helena Corona García de Leaniz
PhD Student
Irene Caro Campos
PhD Student
Sara García de la Puente
PhD Student
- Pita-Milleiro, A.; Hidalgo, N.; Moreno, J. J.; Fernández, I.; Campos, J.* An open-shell Ir(II)/Ir(IV) redox couple outperforms an Ir(I)/Ir(III) pair in olefin isomerization, Nat. Chem. 2025, DOI : 10.1038/s41557-024-01722-7.
- Serrano-Díez, E.; Pita-Milleiro, A.; Rangel-García, J.; Moreno, J. J.; Roselló-Merino, M.; Campos, J.* Reversible Bimetallic Inhibition to Modulate Selectivity During Catalysis, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 1271
- Bajo, S.; Soto, E.; Fernández-Buenestado, M.; López-Serrano, J.*; Campos, J.* A low-coordinate platinum(0)-germylene for E–H bond activation and catalytic hydrodehalogenation, Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 9656.
- Johnson, C. L.; Storm, D. J.; Sajjad, M.A.; Gyton, M. R.; Duckett, S. B.*; Macgregor, S. A.*; Weller, A. S.*; Navarro, M.*; Campos. J.* A Gold(I)–Acetylene Complex Synthesised using Single-Crystal Reactivity, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, e202404264.
- Corona, H.; Pérez-Jiménez, de la Cruz-Martínez, F.; M.; Fernández, I.*; Campos, J.* Divergent CO2 Activation by Tuning the Lewis Acid in Iron-Based Bimetallic Systems, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202207581.
- Hidalgo, N.; Moreno, J. J.; García-Rubio, I.; Campos, J.* Enhanced Dihydrogen Activation by Mononuclear Iridium(II) Compounds: A Mechanistic Study, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202206831.
- Somerville, R. J.; Borys, A. M.; Perez-Jimenez, M.; Nova, A.; Balcells, D.; Malaspina, L. A.; Grabowsky, S.; Carmona, E.; Hevia, E.*; Campos, J.* Unmasking the constitution and bonding of the proposed lithium nickelate “Li3NiPh3(solv)3”: Revealing the hidden C6H4ligand, Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 5268. [Highlighted in Chemistry World]
- Miranda-Pizarro, J.; Luo, Z.; Moreno, J. J.; Dickie, D. A.; Campos, J.*, Gunnoe, T. B.* Reductive C–C coupling from Molecular Au(I) Hydrocarbyl Complexes: A Mechanistic Study, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 2509.
- Campos, J.* Bimetallic cooperation across the periodic table, Nat. Rev. Chem. 2020, 4, 696.
- Alférez, M. G.; Hidalgo, N.; Moreno, J. J.; Campos, J.* Reversible Hydride Migration from C5Me5to RhI Revealed by a Cooperative Bimetallic Approach, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 20863.
Descubrimiento Automatizado mediante IA de Catalizadores Bimetálicos para la Captura y Transformación de CO2
Project AIA2025-163492-C55 funded by:
Entity: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (328.750,00 €)
Participants: CSIC
Validity: 01-12-2025 hasta 30-11-2029
IP: Jesús Campos
Cooperative Catalysis: Low-Coordinate Bimetallics for the Catalytic Activation of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide and Ammonia
Project 101169746 — BiMetalGAS — ERC-2024-COG funded by:
Entity: European Research Council -ERC Consolidator Grant- ( 1.998.946,00€)
Participants: CSIC
Validity: 01-05-2025 hasta 30-04-2030
IP: Jesús Campos
Valorización de Dióxido de Carbono y Dinitrógeno Mediante Catalizadores Bimetálicos Cooperativos
Project funded by:
Entity: Fundación Ramón Areces (151.810,00 €)
Participants: CSIC
Validity: 08-04-2025 hasta 07-04-2028
IP: Jesús Campos
Selective Functionalization of C-H Bonds through Innovative Bimetallic Designs
Project PID2022-139782NB-I00 funded by:
Entity: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (243.750,00 €)
Participants: CSIC
Validity: 01-09-2023 hasta 31-08-2026
IP: Jesús Campos
Reactivity of Dinitrogen and Hydrocarbons for C–N Bond Formation (READHY)
Project 101109769 — READHY — HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01 funded by:
Entity: European Commision (HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF)
Participants: CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla and Yale University (USA) (261,380.64 €)
Validity: 01-02-2024 hasta 31-01-2027
Beneficiary: Nereida Hidalgo Supervisor: Jesús Campos