Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA) is proud to announce that one of its talented alumni, Dr. Enric Petrus, has recently been recognized by the Group of Experts in Chemistry and Computation of the Royal Spanish Chemical Society. This prestigious recognition underscores Dr. Petrus’s remarkable contributions to the intersection of chemistry and computation, specifically commending his groundbreaking methodological developments.
During his tenure as a member of Prof. Carles Bo Group from 2018 to 2023, Dr. Petrus played a pivotal role in expanding the frontiers of chemistry and computation. His thesis entitled “POMSimulator: a Method for Understanding the Multi-Equilibria and Self-Assembly Processes of Polyoxometalates” stands as a testament to his innovative work. The development of the POMSimulator method has significantly contributed to our understanding of the aqueous speciation and self-assembly of polyoxometalates. “I feel honored for receiving this award. The development of POMSimulator has been a very enriching experience both scientifically and personally”, he states.
The Carles Bo Group, renowned for its cutting-edge research in computational chemistry, takes pride in Dr. Petrus’s well-deserved recognition. Professor Carles Bo attributes Enric’s success to his unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit, qualities that have undoubtedly enriched the scientific community.
The GEQC-RSEQ’s acknowledgment of Dr. Petrus underscores the critical importance of methodological developments in the realm of chemistry and computation. It serves as an inspiration for researchers and scientists, encouraging them to explore new frontiers in scientific understanding and make substantial contributions to their respective fields.
About Dr. Enric Petrus
Dr. Petrus has a bachelor degree in Chemistry and a Master in Synthesis, Catalysis and Molecular Design from Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Recently, he defended his doctoral thesis in Computational Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Carles Bo at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA). His thesis focused on studying the behaviour of metal oxides in aqueous solution. To do so, they developed a method that they named POMSimulator as it describes the aqueous speciation and self-assembly of polyoxometalates (POMs). As a postdoc, he was working on the “Data4Mat” project to develop and employ novel linked databases for chemical information.
Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Thomas Hofstetter in Eawag (Dübendorf, Stwizerland), in collaboration with Prof. Markus Reiher research group (Zürich, Switzerland), where he is working on chemical reaction exploration of contaminants in water.
