Álvaro Gallo wins the award for the best Spanish thesis from the IEEE Magnetic Society for his work on materials for water decontamination

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Álvaro Gallo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), CSIC, has won the unique award for the best doctoral thesis in Magnetism, Magnetic Materials, and their Applications. The award was granted and funded by the Spanish Chapter of the IEEE Magnetic Society (Magnetic Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

"I am thrilled because since I started my thesis, I have been part of the IEEE Magnetics Society and the Spanish Magnetism Club," says Gallo, who now adds a third award to his achievements at ICMM: a runner-up in the Margarita Salas Research Awards and an Extraordinary Doctorate Award at the Autonomous University of Madrid. "It's incredible, and this award was a unique recognition," adds his supervisor, Research Professor Puerto Morales, with whom he continues to work as a postdoctoral researcher.

The thesis, "Magnetic Nanoreactors: Environmental Catalysis Applications," was supervised by Morales and Jesús García Ovejero and received an outstanding grade with honors and international recognition. In it, the researcher aimed to "contribute our bit to seek solutions to problems such as climate change and environmental pollution."

To achieve this, he used structures of nanoscale magnetic materials based on iron oxide. "These structures are capable of trapping contaminants present in water and transforming them into other compounds that are not harmful to the environment," explains the researcher, highlighting that the magnetic nature of these nanoparticles allows for the separation of contaminants "simply by using a magnet, leading to an efficient, straightforward, and clean process."

Gallo emphasizes that what makes his work special is its connection to the industry. In fact, he has already succeeded in scaling up his nanoreactors to reach the initial stages of industrialization, with highly favorable results: "This technology is suitable for incorporation into existing industrial water treatment processes," notes the researcher. Morales expresses her happiness and pride in her student's achievements and mentions some future steps: "We need to secure a project in that direction."

As for Gallo, he speaks of how "gratifying" it will be for his work to be recognized at the upcoming meeting of the Spanish Magnetism Club, as it will be an opportunity to present his complete thesis: "It's always beneficial to disseminate your work among specialists in the field."

-- Ángela R. Bonachera - ICMM Communication Office--