Staff Profile

Dr Daniela Gonzalez-Varela is a research assistant in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University.

Dr Daniela was awarded with a PhD degree in Chemistry from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in 2023. She has carried out her PhD researcher in the Materials Research Institute (IIM-UNAM) on synthesis and characterization of ceramic-carbonate dual phase membranes and their application as membrane reactors for CO₂ separation coupled with chemical reactions as methane reforming and CO oxidation.

During her PhD, she worked as a part-time teaching assistant in the Chemistry Faculty at UNAM.

My research interest has mainly focused on the development of materials for carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technology, using ceramic captors for CO₂ capture and ceramic membranes for CO₂ separation at high temperature.

I am currently working on supported molten-salt membranes for CO₂ separation in the MatCoRE group (Led by Prof Ian Metcalfe).

• Articles

  • González-Varela D, Hernández-Fontes C, Wang N, Pfeiffer H. State of the art and perspectives of the CO₂ chemisorption in ceramics with its simultaneous or subsequent chemical transformation. Carbon Capture Science & Technology 2023, 7, 100101.
  • Gonzalez-Varela D, Gomez-Garcia JF, Mendoza-Cruz R, Pfeiffer H. Scrutinizing different catalytic processes in the (Gd–La) codoped CeO₂–NiO-carbonate membrane reactor, implying CO₂ permeation mechanisms. Journal of Membrane Science 2023, 688, 122116.
  • Gonzalez-Varela D, Gomez-Garcia JF, Tavizon G, Pfeiffer H. High CO₂ permeation using a new Ce_0.85Gd_0.15O_2-δ-LaNiO₃ composite ceramic–carbonate dual-phase membrane. Journal of Environmental Sciences 2023, 140, 219-229.
  • Ovalle-Encinia O, Sánchez-Camacho P, González-Varela D, Pfeiffer H. Mixed ionic-electronic conducting composite-based ceramic-carbonate dense membranes for CO₂/O₂ counter-permeation and CO oxidation. Chemical Engineering Science 2021, 246, 117000.
  • González-Varela, D, Ovalle-Encinia, O, Gómez-García, JF, Tavizon, G, Pfeiffer, H. High-temperature CO₂ perm-selectivity of yttrium-doped SDC ceramic–carbonate dual-phase membranes. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering 2020.
  • Ovalle-Encinia, O, Sánchez-Camacho, P, González-Varela, D, Pfeiffer, H. Development of New Bifunctional Dense Ceramic-Carbonate Membrane Reactors for Gas Mixtures Separation, through CO Oxidation and Subsequent CO₂ Permeation. ACS Applied Energy Materials 2024.
  • González-Varela D, Alcántar-Vázquez B, Pfeiffer H. Structural evolution and reaction mechanism of lithium nickelate (LiNiO₂) during the carbonation reaction. Journal of Materiomics 2018.