To design, develop, characterize and test new catalytic devices based on nano- and micro-structures for the generation and purification of hydrogen.
To develop fuel reformers based on catalytic walls, membrane reactors and microreactors for commercial fuel cell application.
To develop photocatalysts and photocatalytic reactors for the generation of hydrogen from water and sunlight.
To valorize industrial and agricultural residues and waste water into added-value fuels.
To design and evaluate the performance of new, environmentally-friendly, energy efficient construction materials with the aid of sophisticated macro-to-nanometric experimental techniques and advanced numerical modeling tools.
To provide the scientific and technological basis for the study and control of dissolution and mobilization of leachates from hazardous reservoirs and facilities.
To design and develop miniaturized systems for space-based experiments devoted to energy and in-situ resource utilization.
To promote understanding and awareness of energy issues and the development of responsible energy policies.

Current Research Projects

Microreactors fabricated with 3D printing technologies for the catalytic and photocatalytic production of hydrogen.
MINECO ref. ENE2015-63969-C3-1-R (2016-2018)
Jordi Llorca
3D printing technologies can produce structures with low cost materials with high versatility of geometries and sizes adaptable to different applications. The project aims using 3D printing techniques to develop new ceramic and plastic microreactors with improved transport properties to perform catalytic and photocatalytic reactions to generate hydrogen for energy purposes.
This project is carried out in consortium with ICMAB(CSIC)
Energy saving and flexibility in buildings.
COMRDI15-1-0036-11 (RIS3CAT 2017-2019) project funded by ACCIÓ (FGeneralitat de Catalunya) and FEDER(EU)
Jordi Llorca
The use of fuel cells represents an attractive strategy for abetter energy management in buildings. Here we preparenew catalysts and develop catalytic fuel reformers for the generation of hydrogen-rich streams to feed a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC).
Synthetic fuels.
COMRDI15-1-0037-06 (RIS3CAT 2017-2019) project funded by ACCIÓ (FGeneralitat de Catalunya) and FEDER(EU)
Jordi Llorca
The upgrade ofbiogas from anaerobic digestors is an interesting route for the power-to gas (P2G) concept to merge renewably electricity into the natural gas grid. Here we work on the development of catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂ into synthetic fuels.

Associated laboratories

Catalysis and energy Laboratory
NEMEN (Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science an Engineering)

Closed Research Projects

MINECO ref. ENE2012-61715EXP(2015-2016).Simultaneous modulation of optical and electronic properties to generate hydrogen with photocatalysts and sunlight (2015-2016)
MINECO ref. ENE2012-36368. Hydrogen generation and conditioning for portable fuel cells with microreactors and photocatalysts (2013-2015)
KIC InnoEnergy MEMET (EU). Bio-ethanolreforming in a membrane reactor for direct fuel cell feeding (2014).
MICINN ref. CTQ2009-12520. Structured reactors and microreactors coated with aerogels and hydrotalcites for hydrogen production (2010-2012).
MICINN ref. PRI-AIBAR-2011-1092. Obtención de hidrógeno ultra puro a partir de bioetanol en reactores de membrana (2011-2012).
CIDEM (Generalitat de Catalunya) - Programa d’incentius a projectes empresarials en recerca industrial i desenvolupament experimental. "nAUTO: noves oportunitats funcionals de les nanotecnologies en el sector de l’automoció" (2009-2010).
CIDEM ref. VALTEC08-2-0021 "Fuel reformer for the generation of hydrogen." (2009-2010).
MEC ref. ENE2006-06925. "Producción de hidrógeno a partir de biocombustibles con monolitos cerámicos funcionalizados" (2007-2009).
MEC ref. PCI2006-A7-0539. "Estudio mecanístico de la obtención de hidrógeno a partir de biocombustibles líquidos" (2007-2009).

Doctoral theses in progress

PhD Student Thesis title	Ilaria Lucentini Production of hydrogen from ammonia in catalytic wall reactors
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Jordi Llorca

PhD Student Thesis title	Gerardo Gómez Millán Valorization of low concentration sugar side-steam derived from dissolving pulp production as platform chemicals and biofuels additives
Institution Supervisor	Aalto University(Finland) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Jordi Llorca

PhD Student Thesis title	Lourdes Rodríguez-Chiang Enhancement of methane production from the anaerobic digestion of chemical pulp and papermill effluents
Institution Supervisor	Aalto University(Finland) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Jordi Llorca

PhD Student
Thesis title

Xènia García.

In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of catalytic processes

Institution
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Jordi Llorca

PhD Student
Thesis title

Lester Martínez
TiO₂ nanostructures for the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

Institution
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Jordi Llorca

PhD Student Thesis title	Ander Elkoro Optimization of the rheology of cement-based materials for 3D printing applications.
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Ignasi Casanova

PhD Student Thesis title	Valentin de Carlos Blasco Computational modeling of the mechanical behavior of concrete nuclear structures subjected to various strain rates.
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Ferhun Caner

PhD Student Thesis title	Alejandra Castedo Catalytic photo production of hydrogen in microreactors and photonic crystals
Institution Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Jordi Llorca

Doctoral theses defended in the last five years

Thesis title
Author Name

Catalytic Conversion of Bio-ethanol over Pd-Rh/CeO Catalysts for Hydrogen Production with In-situ Hydrogen Purification.

Ali Hedayati

Place & year
Supervisor

Ecole des Mines de Nantes(France) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya 2016

Jordi Llorca

Thesis title
Author Name

Li-ion batteries for automotive application.

Adrian Schiffer

Place & year
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2016

Jordi Llorca

Thesis title
Author Name

Nanocomposites with aerogel for etanol steam reforming.

Montserrat Domínguez Escalante

Place & year
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2016.

Jordi Llorca

Thesis title Author Name	Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoclusters for catalysis applications. Nuria Jimenez Divins
Place & year Supervisor	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2014. Jordi Llorca

Thesis title
Author Name

Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoclusters for catalysis applications.

Leonor Alves

Place & year
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2014.

Jordi Llorca

Thesis title
Author Name

Hydrogen production from bioethanol using cobalt hydrotalcites.

Raúl Espinal

Place & year
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2013.

Jordi Llorca

Thesis title
Author Name

Modeling, analysis and dynamic control of a three-stage ethanol reformer for fuel cell applications.

Vanesa García

Place & year
Supervisor

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2012.

Jordi Llorca

Publications

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