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Javier Ruiz-Martinez

Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering

Physical Science and Engineering Division 
Center membership :
KAUST Catalysis Center

javier.ruizmartinez@kaust.edu.sa


Affiliations

Education Profile

  • Postdoctoral fellow, Utrecht University 2013
  • PhD, University of Alicante, 2009
  • MSC, University of Granada and Norwegian University of Science and Technology 2003
  • BSc, University of Granada, 2001

Research Interests

​Professor Ruiz-Martinez's research interests lie at the interface of heterogeneous catalysis, material science, and spectroscopy. A strong emphasis is placed on unravelling the chemistry and kinetics behind chemical processes, such as catalyst synthesis, catalytic reactions and catalyst deactivation. His goal is to understand the structural properties of catalysts during synthesis and when are working under real conditions, establishing relationships between material structure and catalytic performance/deactivation. The applied methodology is the development of novel spectroscopic tools and their application in industrially-relevant and model catalysts with well-defined porosity and reactive centers. His research projects involve the study of chemical reactions, such as C1 chemistry, selective hydrogenation, and halogen chemistry for the activation and production of chemicals. 

Selected Publications

  • K. de Wispelaere, C.S. Wondergem, B. Ensing, K. Hemelsoet, E.J. Meijer, B.M. Weckhuysen, V. van Speybroeck, J. Ruiz-Martinez. "Insight into the Effect of Water on the Methanol-to-Olefins Conversion in H-SAPO-34 from Molecular Simulations and in Situ Spectroscopy". ACS Catal., 6, 1991 (2016).
  • A.I. Olivos-Suarez, A. Szecsenyi, E.J.M Hensen, J Ruiz-Martinez*, E.A. Pidko*, J. Gascon*. "Strategies for the Direct Catalytic Valorization of Methane using Heterogeneous Catalysis: Challenges and Opportunities". ACS Catal., 6, 2965 (2016).
  • J.J.H.B. Sattler, J. Ruiz-Martínez, Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, B.M. Weckhuysen§, "Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Light Alkanes on Metals and Metal Oxides". Chem. Rev., 114, 10613 (2014).
  • J. Ruiz-Martínez, A.M. Beale, U. Deka, M.G. O'Brien, P.D. Quinn, J.F.W. Mosselmans, B.M. Weckhuysen, "Correlating metal poisoning with zeolite deactivation in an individual catalyst particle by chemical and phase sensitive X-ray microscopy". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 52, 5983 (2013).
  • I.L.C. Buurmans§, J. Ruiz-Martínez§, W.V. Knowles, D. van der Beek, J.A. Bergwerff, E.T.C. Vogt, B.M. Weckhuysen, "Catalytic activity in individual cracking catalyst particles imaged throughout different life stages by selective staining". Nature Chem. 3, 862 (2011).