Miguel Camblor, elected as a new member of the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association

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Miguel Camblor, a researcher at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), part of the Spanish National Research Council, has been elected as a new member of the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association. He will be part of this commission for the period 2025-2031.

“It’s such an honor to have been elected as a new member of this important Commission for the zeolite community”, says the Spanish researcher. He is an expert in zeolites and has developed the first stable zeolites with extra-large pores in 3 dimensions and, since the celebration of the 21st International Zeolite Conference (21st IZC), which is taking place in Dalian, China, just now, he will be one of the people who validate the new zeolite structures created in the world.

The Structure Commission of the IZA was established at the 4th International Conference on Molecular Sieves in 1977 to evaluate zeolite structural data in the literature, and to prepare compilations of those data for the benefit of the zeolite community. This has led to the Structure Commission being given the authority by IUPAC to assign framework type codes (consisting of three capital letters) to all unique and confirmed framework topologies, the generation of a series of publications that are updated on a regular basis, and the design and maintenance of a set of zeolite structure databases that can be accessed via the internet. 

Every three years, half the Commission membership is renewed, with the existing members having the opportunity to nominate new members and vote accordingly. Miguel Camblor was elected in the internal election of June 2025. 

Miguel Camblor

Prof. Dr. Miguel A. Camblor is a Research Professor at ICMM-CSIC. His scientific career has been focused on zeolites and other porous materials, mainly from the point of view of their synthesis and the factors affecting the structure that crystallizes (structure-direction in zeolite synthesis) and on the discovery of new zeolite structures and compositions. His work has also covered the structural and physicochemical characterization, postsynthesis modifications and applications of zeolites. Applications are sought through national and worldwide collaborations (South Korea, USA, China). 

His career has been developed in 3 different institutes of the CSIC (Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry 1987-1989, Institute of Chemical Technology, 1989-1992 and 1994-2000, and Institute of Materials Science of Madrid, ICMM since 2002), in an American university (California Institute of Technology, CalTech, 1992-1994), and a private chemical company (Industrias Químicas del Ebro, IQE, 2000-2002, as Head of the R&D department). Through all these movements Camblor has gained a wide knowledge of different research centers, mentalities and policies.

He has also extensive knowledge of the business and industrial sectors, aided by his professional experience at IQE and by his participation in 12 research contracts with companies (Exxon, Kansai Paint Co., UOP, IFP, Rhône-Poulenc, Total Europe, Akzo, Proquimed, Engelhard, Envirocontrol) most of them international, acting in 2 of them as PI and in one OPI-Company joint PETRI project (also as PI). He has participated in a total of 24 competitive projects and 5 contracts with companies. At ICMM he has been scientific co-responsible for the textural characterization and FESEM general services for 9 and 17 years, resp. He is an active member of the equity commission since its foundation (ICMM got the "Equality Distinction" in 2019 and a mention in 2023) and has been member of the Committee to prepare ICMM's application to the Severo Ochoa Award in 2023 (which achieved a score of 94.3 over 100) and 2024.

Dr. Camblor is an inventor in 17 patents, five of them owned by international companies (Exxon Mobile, Institute Français du Petrol and Rhône Poulen Chimie) and is author of over 140 articles, most of them as corresponding author, with an average of 70 cites per paper. He has supervised eight PhD students (one still running) and many other undergraduate, graduate and master's projects.

The International Zeolite Association (IZA)

The International Zeolite Association (IZA) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA. Section 3. The IZA main objectives are: promote and encourage all aspects of zeolite science and technology. “The term zeolite is to be understood in its broadest sense. It includes both natural and synthetic zeolites as well as molecular sieves and other microporous and mesoporous materials having related properties and/or structures,” says the organization in its constitution.
A purpose of the IZA is to organize International Zeolite Conferences (IZC's) as authorized by the IZA Council on a triennial basis, in continuation of the series of International Conferences on Molecular Sieves which started in London in 1967, and to sponsor and promote other activities such as special meetings, working groups, publications and educational activities in the field.