The emeritus professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Institute of Molecular Science of the Universitat de València, a member of the Coordination Chemistry research group, has been recognised for his work El Nitrato y la Comunidad del Nitrógeno.

Francesc Lloret Pastor, emeritus professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Institute of Molecular Science of the Universitat de València and a member of the Coordination Chemistry research group, has been awarded the 10th Ciutat de Benicarló Science Communication Prize for his work El Nitrato y la Comunidad del Nitrógeno.

The award forms part of the 11th edition of the Ciutat de Benicarló Literary Awards, organised by Benicarló City Council, which this year recognised works in the categories of science communication, fiction and illustrated children’s books. According to the organisers, the awards consolidate their commitment to a diverse, high-quality culture, with works that connect science, memory and inclusion.

Lloret’s award-winning work adds to a broad career devoted to both research and science communication. The researcher has published nearly 700 scientific articles, cited more than 35,000 times, and has received numerous national and international distinctions for his contributions to the field of chemistry.

In 2024, Francesc Lloret received the European Science Communication Award for the book Un Mundo Magnético: la Omnipresencia de los Imanes, published by the Universitat de València and Edicions Bromera. He has also been awarded the Research Excellence Prize of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry in 2005, the Catalan-Sabatier Prize of the French Chemical Society in 2018, and the Distinguished Research Career Award of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry in 2022.

An Honorary Doctor of the University of Bucharest since 2014 and a member of the European Academy, Lloret has developed an internationally recognised scientific career. This new award also reinforces his role as a science communicator and his ability to bring scientific concepts closer to broad audiences.

The Mayor of Benicarló, Juanma Cerdá, highlighted “the outstanding quality of the works submitted and the capacity of the Ciutat de Benicarló Literary Awards to continue attracting talent and cultural projects with an innovative and committed outlook”. He also noted that the awards have become established as a cultural benchmark that projects the name of Benicarló beyond the local area.