Studied chemistry at the University of Valencia and obtained his PhD at the Complutense University of Madrid in 1976.
Researcher since 1990, founded the Institute for Chemical Technology (Instituto de Tecnología Química, or ITQ), the joint research centre created by Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). During the last thirty years, he has developed his research work in both basic and applied heterogeneous catalysis. He works in molecular design for catalytic converters and in sustainable catalytic processes in fields such as hydrocarbon refining and biomass derivatives, as well as fine chemicals. He has worked in key aspects of acid-base and redox catalysis in order to understand the nature of the active centres and reaction mechanisms. Leveraging this knowledge, he has developed a set of catalytic converters that are being used in various industrial processes. He has published a myriad of works in prestigious international magazines. He has co-written around 200 patents, 20 of which are under industrial use. He is member of the Royal Academy of Engineering in Spain, of the Academy of Europe, of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain, of the National Academy of Engineering (USA), of the French Academy of Sciences, of the Academy of Europe (Chemical Sciences Section) and the Royal Society. He has received numerous national and international awards, such as: Mexico’s National Award for Science and Technology (2006), the Somorjai Award of the American Chemical Society (2008), the Chemistry Centenary Prize and Spiers of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2010 and 2016), the Catalysis European Award “François Gault” (2001), the Breck Award of the International Zeolite Association (2004), the Michel Boudart Award for the Advancement of Catalysis (2009), as well as the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research (2014), among others.
He has been awarded 18 honorary doctorates.