Pilar Aranda

Pilar Aranda is a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), leading the Nanostructured Hybrid, Biohybrid and Porous Materials Group. Her research focuses on designing functional materials for energy, environmental, and biomedical applications, particularly leveraging clay minerals like sepiolite and biomass derivatives. She is renowned for innovations in bionanocomposites, photocatalytic materials, and controlled drug delivery systems.

Key contributions include developing nanocomposites for contaminant removal, energy storage (e.g., PEMFC membranes), and biomedical applications such as wound dressings and nucleic acid delivery. Her work emphasizes sustainability, utilizing agricultural waste (e.g., sugarcane bagasse) and bio-based polymers (e.g., zein, chitosan).

Dr. Aranda received the 2024 CSIC Equality Distinction Award, reflecting her commitment to advancing gender equality in science. Her research integrates chemical synthesis, nanotechnology, and biomaterials engineering, with applications in healthcare, energy, and environmental remediation. She collaborates actively in international projects and has authored over 150 publications since 2000.

Her group’s work spans laboratory-scale innovations to industrial partnerships, focusing on scalable production methods. Current projects include graphene-like clay composites for hydrogen technologies and magnetic biohybrids for targeted drug delivery. The team also investigates the biocompatibility and toxicity of nanomaterials to ensure safe clinical and environmental applications.