Fernando Palacio Parada

Spanish - English

Professor of Research of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC)
Ph. D. (1995) University of Zaragoza


Department of Condensed Matter Physics &
Materials Research Institute of Aragón.


Faculty of Science

Universidad de Zaragoza
C/ Pedro Cerbuna 12,
E-50009 Zaragoza, SPAIN



Tel:  (+34-976) 76 12 27
Fax: (+34-976) 76 12 29
E-mail: palacio@unizar.es


Short Biography

Fernando Palacio is Professor of Research of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) at the Materials Research Institute (Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon) in Zaragoza and member of the Department of Condensed Matter Physics of the University of Zaragoza. He graduated in Chemistry and got his PhD degree at the University of Zaragoza with a contribution to the tensorial treatment of crystal field states of arbitrary symmetry. Then he moved to The University of Oxford to work with Dr. Simon Altmann where they jointly developed an alternative treatment to the double groups based on projective representations. In 1977 he became interested in the magnetism of insulating systems and moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago to work with Prof. Richard Carlin where he spent two years. During this time he contributed to some seminal results which strongly influenced molecular magnetism later on, like the magnetic characterisation of the first molecular magnet and the discovery of the first molecular ferromagnet with FM-AFM switchable states. In 1979 he got a permanent position at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics in the University of Zaragoza.

In 1986 he joint the new Materials Research Institute (Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon) in Zaragoza as member of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. He has been an invited scientist at the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, University of Leiden, at the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS and University of Bourdeaux, and at the Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo. In 2002 he was BBVA Professor at The University of Cambridge and in December 2003 he was awarded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science a scientific stay at the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, under invitation of Professor Kazuito Hashimoto. In 2008 he actively contributed to the constitution of the European Institute of Molecular Magnetism, where he is currently the vice-chairman and business director.

Part of his research activity concentrates on the magnetic behaviour of molecular systems with extended magnetic interactions, where he is particularly interested in the magnetism of metal free organic systems. He combines magnetic and calorimetric techniques with neutron scattering and muon spin rotation to contribute to the understanding of exchange mechanisms and magnetic ordering in molecular systems. Another part of his activity deals with the study of magnetic nanoparticles prepared following molecular synthetic routes and the development of their ferrofluids. Besides the development of preparative techniques to accurately control size and shape in these materials, his current interest concentrates in understanding their magnetism and in their biomedical applications, e.g., as drug carriers, contrast agents for magnetic resonance image (MRI) and as therapeutic agents through magnetothermic processes (hyperthermia).


Professional Situation

Institution CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS
Center INSTITUTO DE CIENCIA DE MATERIALES DE ARAGÓN
Unit FÍSICA DEL ESTADO SÓLIDO A BAJAS TEMPERATURAS
Current Position PROFESOR DE INVESTIGACIÓN, desde 23/01/1989

Research Lines

Molecular Magnetism, magnetism in insulating systems, magnetism of s, p electrons, metal free magnets, spin densities, magnetism of low dimensional systems.
Magnetic nanoparticles, ferrofluids, biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles, hyperthermia.
Magnetic materials, magnetic phase transitions, diluted antiferromagnets.

Academic Formation

Graduated in Research Organisation and Management by the ESADE Business School, Barcelona, 1981
Ph.D. in Chemistry. University of Zaragoza, Spain, 1974
B.Sc. in Chemistry. University of Zaragoza, Spain, 1971

Professional Activity

Position Institution Dates
FPI fellowship University of Zaragoza 1971 - 1974
Assistant Professor University of Zaragoza 1968 - 1976
Fellowship from the British Council The University of Oxford 1976
Fullbright Fellowship Uni. of Illinois in Chicago 1977 - 1978
Associate Professor (non tenure) University of Zaragoza 1978 - 1979
Associate Professor in Mechanics and Thermodynamics (tenure) University of Zaragoza 1979 - 1986
Scientific Researcher CSIC ICMA, CSIC 1986 - 1989
Department Director ICMA, CSIC 1988 - 1991
Professor of Research ICMA, CSIC 1989 -

Scientific Publications (Download Full Publication List)

1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
2011 2012 2013 2014            

Representative activities in science management

Chairman of the research group Multifunctional molecular magnetic materials in the Institute of Materials Science of Aragón since its constitution as official group in 2005. This is a multidisciplinary group formed by about 30 scientists and PhD students comprising physicists, chemists, biologists and clinical doctors. In the last ten years the group has raised over 8,5 M€ in research grants and industry contracts.
Deputy General Director of the European Institute of Molecular Magnetism, EIMM, since its foundation in May 2008 to Dec. 2013. The EIMM is a lasting institution derived from the Network of Excellence MAGMANet
Member of the International Committee: Magnétisme : Systèmes monocristallins et couches minces, of the Laboratoire Leon Brilloin, Saclay, Francia, since April 2012
Member of the Scientific Advisory Council of Oryzon Genomics S.A., since Nov. 2006
Vice-Chairman of the Network of Excellence MAGMANet, from the European 6th FP, as responsible of the Joint Programme of Integration, (2005 – 2010). Total funding: 10,470,000.00 EUR
Chairman of the Intellectual Property Use and Dissemination Committee and responsible of the Industrial Support Group, in the Network of Excellence MAGMANet, (2005 – 2010)
Principal Investigator of the Zaragoza node at MAGMANet, (2005 – 2010). Total funding: 757.186,23€
Member of the International Advisory Committee of the CICECO Institute, University of Aveiro (since May 2008).
Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Spanish network NanoSpain, since Oct. 2002.
Member of the International Evaluation Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Priority Programme Molecular Magnetism, since Dec. 2001 to Dec. 2004.
Spanish Delegate at the COST ad hoc Technical Committee in Materials, since May 1990 to May 2003.
Member of the Management Committee of COST Action D4 Design and preparation of new molecular systems with unconventional electrical, optical and magnetic properties, Jun. 1993 to May 1998 (the whole Action).
Member of the Steering Committee of the European Science Foundation project Molecular Magnets, Mar. 1998 to Jun. 2003 (the whole Project).
Member of the Management Committee of COST Action D14 Functional Molecular Materials, since Feb 1999 to Mar. 2002 (the whole Action).
Chairman of the Evaluating Committee and Internal Rapporteur of COST Action 514 Ferroelectric Thin Films, since May 1999 to May 2000.
Chairman of the Evaluating Committee and Internal Rapporteur of COST Action 518 Molecular Materials and Functional Polymers for Advanced Devices, (Jan. – Dec. 2000).
Member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Institute Laue Langevine (Grenoble, France), since Jan. 2002 to Apr. 2004.
Member of the Research Council of Spain Advisory Committee on Materials Science, Sept. 1993 – Apr. 2001 and Jun. 2012 - Jun. 2014.
Member of the Scientific Committee College 5b: Magnetic Structures of the Institute Laue Langevine (Grenoble, France), Jan. 1991 – Dec. 1996.
Member of the National Committee of Users of Neutron Techniques (advisory panel for the Spanish Administration) since 1990; executive secretary Jan. 1992 – Feb. 1992.
Director of the Laboratoire Europeen Associée LEA-MANES (Associated Laboratory between the Crystallography Laboratory of the CNRS in Grenoble and the Dept. of Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Zaragoza. (1988 – 1990).
Director of the Department Magnetic Properties of Materials at Low Temperatures, in the ICMA, 1988 – 1991.



To know more details about our work visit

Preparación y estudio de Materiales Magnéticos Multifuncionales de carácter Molecular (M4)

Last Updated Jul 2014