Development of space technologies and instrumentation to study the Earth System

The mission of this group is to use scientific knowledge to help provide clean energy to all people. Our strategy is to develop materials beyond silicon, to obtain new functionalities, low cost and higher environmental sustainability. In particular, we develop photovoltaic (conversion of light into electricity) and thermoelectric (conversion of residual heat into electricity) technologies using nanostructured semiconductors (organic, inorganic, and hybrid). At the same time, we design and apply photonic and plasmonic architectures that help improve the performance of these devices.

The ‘Laser Processing Research’ (LPR) group focuses its activity on the laser processing of functional nanostructured materials through the techniques Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE), Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), laser direct irradiation and Laser Direct Write (LDW) for energy storage and environmental applications. Current research lines: - Laser deposition of carbon-based hybrid nanocompounds. - Chemical transformation by direct irradiation of carbon-based thin films and nanostructures. The research group was created in 2010 and currently it is in the phase of

FunNanoSurf involves the synthesis, characterization and processing of molecular based materials, mainly porphyrins and curcuminoid systems (0D, cyclic and linear conjugated systems) and supramolecular entities as cyclodextrins and curcubiturils. Such systems are also estudied in the development of polymers (1D) and 2D materials. FunNanoSurf studies their properties to find applications related to the fields of molecular electronics, molecular magnetism, biomaterials and sensors (creating devices or parts of them as for example functioned electrodes for sensor applications).

The group has wide experience in the development and implementation of atomistic computational methods (for example, the very well-known SIESTA code), and in the formulation of new frameworks for theoretical analysis (such as the computation of the magnetoelectric coefficient, and the first-principles theory of flexoelectricity). Due to their great versatility, the group's methods can be applied in a variety of fields, such as functional oxides, nanoscale heat transport, low-dimensionality systems, and soft matter.

NANOMOL is a large and interdisciplinary research group with a wide expertise and recognized excellence in the synthesis, processing, characterization, and physico-chemical studies of molecular and polymeric functional materials. We aim to generate new knowledge on the nanostructuring of molecular materials in order to improve the properties of products manufactured in diverse economical sectors, such as electronic, pharmaceutical, and biomedicine.

Synthesis of Electroactive materials and control of their properties and microstructure by electrochemical doping and electrodeposition in various electrode geometries. Aplications in Energy (and Bioelectrodes for functional electroestimulation and tissue repair in the central nervous system in the past). . The use of soft synthesis methods including electrochemical procedures of doping and crystallzation from precursors, allows to obtain new materials.

Development of new inorganic functional materials and tuning of selected properties through the modification of the chemical composition by anion substitution and of the microstructure. The activities are focused in three important groups of materials with recent interest: functional nitride-based materials, inorganic battery materials and electrolytes, carbon nanomaterials and inorganic nanostructures.

Area Global: MATERIA, updated 28/05/2025 As of June 2025, the Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites Group (nn.icmab.es) is formed by four staff researchers, a RyC fellow, five postdocs, ten PhD students, and three MSc students. Group members have backgrounds in physics, chemistry, nanoscience, biomedicine, and biotechnology. The team has extensive international experience. Anna Roig (AR) coordinates the group. The research staff members are Martí Gich (MG), Anna Laromaine (AL), and Pablo Guardia (PG). Juan Pellico as a RyC fellow (JP).