Academic Contributions
Dr Aromí is author of 193 papers in indexed journals on the synthesis and functional properties of new coordination chemistry complexes and supramolecular assemblies with interest on molecular spintronics, spin crossover, single molecule magnetism, spin-based quantum computing and photo-responsiveness (>9.400 citations, H index 49; WOS). Dr Aromí is one the pioneering chemists to synthesize molecules to use their electronic spin to realize qubits and qugates for quantum computing. Spin based molecular quantum processors are an emerging technology in the quantum information arena, but with a bright future ahead. Aromí's pioneering involvement on the topic is evident from his seminal review Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012. 41, 537-546, or his papers featuring the first molecular quantum gates (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2011, 107, 117203 and J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014. 136, 14215). On this topic, Prof. Aromí has advanced the interesting avenue of using light as external switch of 2-qubit molecular qugates (Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 13648; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 15622) and is among the first chemists in the world to produce molecular systems able to realize complicated quantum algorithms such as error correction protocols or the ability to exploit six qubits (Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 10337; Commun. Chem. 2020, 3, 176; Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 5574) or to put forward models of molecular double quantum dot cellular automata (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202110310).
Research Fund Raising
Since the creation of his research group, Prof. Aromí has raised as individual PI >4.3 MEur from EU, Spanish and Catalan grants. Most of these research projects are related to the topic of molecular spin-based quantum computing, especially, the ERC Starting Grant ERC-2010-StG-258060 (FuncMolQIP; 1.5MEur) and European Consortia QUANTERA NET (Project SUMO), FET-OPEN (Project FATMOLS) and the Complementary Plan 'Quantum Communication' from the European Program of the Recovery Plan NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1), where Prof. Aromí leads Work Packages.
Research Excellence
The excellence of the PI's research granted his ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2010-StG-258060). It has also been recognized by the Catalan Government through the prestigious five-year ICREA Academia award, which provides research benefits and funding. He has been awarded for three times in a row (2008, 2013 and 2018), therefore, for 15 years uninterrupted of benefit. At the time, only 26 scholars in Catalonia, from all disciplines, were awarded this prize three times (10% of the awarded).
Leadership
Prof. Aromí made proof of academic leadership by funding very early a successful research group (Group of Magnetism and Functional Molecules, GMMF). To take up the new research challenges, Dr. Aromí has reorganized his research structure into the Lab of Molecular Design (LabMolDesign¸ https://www.labmoldesign-ub.com/). Since 2018, Prof. Aromí is the Director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona (IN2UB; https://www.ub.edu/in2ub/), one of the largest research institutes of this University (he was re-elected in November 2022). Since January 2021, Prof Aromí has been nominated by the General Director of Research of the Catalan Government, Science Coordinator of the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR).
He has co-directed the scientific team in charge of preparing a successful proposal to acquire a PULSED EPR spectrometer with ENDOR (X and Q Band), unique in Spain, for the University of Barcelona under the call 'Equipamiento Científico- Técnico 2021' (EQC2021-007330-P; 1.325.000,00 EUR).
Dr. Aromí has chaired several international or national conferences (MOLMAT2012, EMRS symposium in 2014 and 2015, GE3C symposium 2020 or 1st Inorganic Chemistry Meeting of the Catalan Society of Chemistry 2023).
Internationalization
Prof. Aromí has a very extensive international background (chemical engineering in France, PhD in the USA, postdocs in the Netherlands and the UK). In addition, he has been invited professor at Berkeley (USA), Melbourne (Australia), Bordeaux (France), etc. Prof Aromí has given about 77 oral research presentations at international conferences worldwide, most as invited, and has pronounced more than 30 research seminars at universities all over the world (Europe, Asia, Australia, America and Middle East). Since 2021, Prof Aromi represents the Catalan Chemical Society (SCQ) at the Inorganic Chemistry Division of the EuChemS.
Mentoring
Dr Aromi teaches undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona since 2007 (theory and laboratories). He has mentored tens of project and master students and has directed seven Doctoral Theses in addition of supervising 10 postdocs.
