About us

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About us

The Blas Cabrera Institute of Physical Chemistry, in its present configuration, was founded in 1946, but its history is older since connects with the old National Institute of Physical Chemistry founded in 1932. Our mission in this 88-year history has been to enhance the excellence research in fundamental and applied physical chemistry, contributing to the scientific training of several generations of researchers at the highest level. Our vision is to be an international reference in multidisciplinary research focused to the resolution of the present challenges of our society in the fields of health, biotechnology, new materials, and environment.

El IQF in figures

  • Scientist staff: 32   
  • General staff: 65
  • Total staff: 115
  • Research groups: 13
  • Departments: 4
  • Nº of ISI publications:
    • > 4500
    • > 3000 (last 25 years)
  • Publications/year:
    • ~ 120-150
  • Publications/researcher/year:
    • > 4
  • Citations: 
    • > 85000 
    • > 6000 per year
  • Average citations/publication: 18.6
  • H index: 98
pub by researcher
 

History

The Institute of Physical Chemistry "Blas Cabrera" (IQF) is located at the “Rockefeller” building, the seat of the former National Institute of Physics and Chemistry, inheritor of the “Laboratorio de Investigaciones Físicas” of the “Junta de Ampliación de Estudios” (JAE). The building was constructed and equipped thanks to a donation of the Rockefeller Jr. Foundation as an acknowledgment to the excellence of the scientific work carried out by Blas Cabrera, Miguel A. Catalán, Enrique Moles, Julio Palacios and others. The creation of the National Institute of Physics and Chemistry was an important effort for Spain to join the contemporary scientific trends on what today is know as the Spanish Silver Age for Science and Literature.

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In 1938 the JAE was suppressed and in 1939 the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) was created. The premises and belongings of the JAE were transferred to the CSIC. The Rockefeller building became the seat of institutes “Alonso de Santa Cruz” of Physics (1940-1966) and the “Alonso Barba” of Chemistry (1940-1967). Both institutes were the seed of the Institute of Physical Chemistry “Blas Cabrera”, Optics, Organic Chemistry and Plastic and Rubber (1967). All of them were placed in the Rockefeller building until they were moved to their present locations. Afterwards, the evolution of the “Blas Cabrera” institute gave rise to the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (1975), and the Institute for the Structure of Matter (1976).

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Over the years, the research developed in the different Institutes housed in the “Rockefeller” building was characterized by favoring the training of new scientists inside and outside of Spain, through the cooperation with prestigious foreign research centers and the introduction in our country of advanced and multidisciplinary experimental methods. Moreover, the intense training activity performed by these institutes contributed decisively, during the decades from 1950 to 1970, to the creation of multiple university chairs, departments and laboratories of Physical Chemistry, Inorganic, Organic and Technical Chemistry.

More historical notes can be found in this page and in the IQF's library.

Organization chart

Instituto de Química-Física "Blas Cabrera" management:

  • Director: Juan A. Hermoso Domínguez.
  • Deputy director: Inmaculada García-Moreno y José M. Pérez Cañadillas.
  • Manager: Sagrario Salado Rey.
  • Board and commissions.