Dr. Josep Cornellà
Curriculum Vitae
Josep Cornellà studied chemistry at the University of Barcelona and obtained his PhD from Queen Mary University of London in 2012. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Scripps Research Institute (USA) and the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Spain). In 2017, he joined the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research as a Max Planck Research Group Leader, where he founded the group ‘Sustainable Catalysis for Organic Synthesis’. Josep Cornellà is director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research since April 2025.
Research Interests
One of Cornellà's research focuses is on alternative catalytic concepts using elements such as bismuth. This heavy metal sometimes performs better than established transition metals in catalysis, but is less harmful to the environment and non-toxic. Cornellà is also focusing on nickel catalysts, which have a long tradition of research at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research. He aims to simplify the use of nickel as a catalyst in research and industry with air-stable nickel complexes.
Selected Awards
Josep Cornellà has been recognized for his research with several awards including the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize in 2021, an ERC Starting Grant in 2020, the Ruhr Prize for Art and Science in 2020, and the OMCOS Prize in 2024. In addition, he was included in Science News magazine's “10 scientists to watch” selection in 2022.