Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Luis A. Oro
Instituto de Sintesis Quimica y Catalisis Homogenea
Inorganic Chemistry Chair Professor
University of Zaragoza-CSIC
Zaragoza-50009, Spain
Phone:
+34-976-761143
E-mail: oro@unizar.es
Luis A. Oro obtained his Ph. D. in 1970 from the University of Zaragoza. He carried out his postdoctoral studies at Cambridge University (1972-1973). He has served on the faculties of the University of Zaragoza, Madrid Complutense, and Santander, and became chair professor of Inorganic Chemistry in Zaragoza in 1982, being since 2015 Emeritus professor and since 2019 Honorary professor. He has been the head of the Instituto Universitario de Catalisis Homogenea (2004-2013). He has been Visiting professor at the Universities of Würzburg, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Münster and King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals.
His main research interests are in coordination and organometallic chemistry of platinum group metals where he has co-authored well over 650 scientific papers on synthesis, reaction mechanisms, homogeneous catalysis, and written several reviews and books. He has been co-editor of "Iridium Catalysts for Organic Reactions" (Springer-Nature, 2021), "Iridium Complexes in Organic Transformations" (Wiley-VCH, 2009), "Metal Clusters in Chemistry" (Wiley-VCH, 1999), and co-author of "Homogeneous Hydrogenation" (Kluwer, 1994). He has also given over 300 invited talks and several named lectureships, and mentored well over one hundred PhD graduate and postdoctoral students. His laboratory has hosted a Marie Curie Training Site on Homogeneous Catalysis by Organometallic Complexes. PhD students and post-doctoral fellows from the entire world have worked in his laboratory.
Named "Highly Cited Researcher" in the field of Chemistry by ISI Web of Knowledge (2001). He is, or has been, a member of the editorial board of several scientific publications such as Angewandte Chemie, and others dealing with homogenous catalysis and inorganic and organometallic chemistry, including to be co-chairman of the Editorial Board of ChemCatChem. He is Series Editor of Topics in Organometallic Chemistry. He has been President of the ChemPubSoc partnership for the European Journals of Inorganic (EurJIC) and Organic Chemistry (EurJOC), ChemCatChem and ChemPhotoChem (2002-2020). He has been invited lecturer at many relevant conferences, including being the chairman of the VI European Conference on Inorganic Chemistry (2000), the 13th International Symposium on Homogeneous Catalysis (2002), the XXII International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (2006) and the Symposium on Metal Transition Homogenous Catalysis at the 43rd IUPAC Congress (2011).
He has received several awards and honours: Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2019; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad San Jorge, 2019; Lord Lewis Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018, Doctor Honoris Causa, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 2015; Lourenzo-Madinaveitia Award, 2015; Honorary Fellow Chemistry Europe, 2015; EuChemS Award, 2014; ICIQ Serratosa Medal, 2014; National Research Prize for Chemistry, 2007; Research Prize and Gold Medal of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry, 2007; Zaragoza Gold Medal, 2007; Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Rennes I, 2005; Sacconi Medal, 2003; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow, 2003; Elhuyar-Goldsmidt Lecturership, 2002; Aragon Prize, 2001; Betancourt-Perronet Prize, 2001; King "Jaime I" Prize, 1999; Pacific NorthWest Inorganic Lecturership; 1998; Sabatier-Catalan Prize, 1997; Humboldt Research Award, 1995; Solvay Prize, 1989).
He is member of the National Academies of Germany and France (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina and Academie des Sciences), the European Academy of Sciences, the Academia Europaea, honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and corresponding member of the Academia das Ciencias de Lisboa. He has been President of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) (2008-2011), as well as vice-president of the European Science Foundation (1993-1998). He has been President of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (2000-2005). He has also served in high level positions in the Spanish science administration, being General Director of Scientific and Technical Research (1987-1988), General Secretary of the National Plan of Scientific R&D (1988-1994) and member of the board of governors of the State Research Agency (2016-2022). He has also published various papers and books in the area of research and science policy. A representative book on this subject is: "El Sistema Español de Ciencia y Tecnología: Evolución y Perspectivas" (with A. Lafuente, 135 pgs. Fundesco, 1992).