3D tissue models can be used in vitro (in the lab) for the study of diseases and the testing of novel drugs, including their incorporation into microfluidic devices to form the so-called “organ-on-chip” systems. 3D tissue models can also be used in vivo (i.e. implanted in the body) to directly
Search for new catalysts for the hydrogen economy using machine learning and elastic strain engineering
The “hydrogen economy” is currently hindered by the low rate and efficiency of hydrogen production from water and energy generation by hydrogen oxidation into water. The former process is controlled by the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER), the cathodic reaction during the electrochemical process
Novel supramolecular hydrogels for biomedical applications
Hydrogels can be formed from polymers or from small molecules, from either natural or synthetic sources. Further, they can be classified by the types of bonds that form the hydrogel network – either covalent or non-covalent. Supramolecular hydrogels, particularly those formed from the non-covalent
Computational discovery of hydrogen storage materials
IMDEA Materials has know-how and experience in developing computational high-throughput screening workflows for discovery of hydrogen storage materials. Our focus has been mostly directed towards advanced porous materials such as metal organic frameworks and related materials (Fig. 1). Our
Nanostructured fabrics to host new nanomaterials for advanced electrodes in energy storage and conversion
IMDEA Materials has developed a method to produce highly conducting nanostructured fabrics for use as current collectors or scaffold for active materials in composite electrodes for energy storage and conversion. Integration of these fabrics reduces electrode weight, improves cyclability/durability
Printable Carbon-based conducting cables
IMDEA Materials has developed a method to produce highly conducting nanostructured fibres for use as lightweight conductors (see Fig. 1). On a mass basis, these conductors have superior electrical/thermal conductivity and higher ampacity (maximum current density) than most metals. Their graphitic
Nanostructured Silicon anodes for Lithium-ion batteries
IMDEA Materials has a proprietary method to produce continuous sheets of nanostructured Silicon [1] (see Fig. 1) and their integration as high capacity anodes in Lithium-ion batteries without use of processing solvents or polymers. The electrodes combine high capacity (> 6 mAh/cm2), high
Advanced lightweight materials for fire safety and energy efficient structures
Sandwich-structured composites are the most reliable and effective technology for weight reduction of interior panels in the transportation industry. However, the properties and manufacturing processes of sandwich composites are limited by the characteristics and mechanical properties of the
Fire retardant reprocessable epoxy-based composites
IMDEA Materials has developed a technology to produce Reprocessable Epoxy Resin (REP) composites with excellent fire retardancy and re-processability. Compared with pure epoxy resin with a Limited Oxygen Index (LOI) of 21.7 % and no rating in vertical burning test (UL-94), recyclable epoxy resin
Defect-engineered electrodes
Although secondary Li-ion batteries are widely used for electrochemical energy storage, low energy (100-300 Wh kg-1) and power density (250-400 W kg-1) are limiting their applications in several areas including long-range electric vehicles. This is mainly due to the use of graphite anodes with low
In-situ studies of defect-engineered electrodes
Diffusion independent pseudocapacitive ion storage is one of the recently investigated mechanisms for achieving ultrafast Li and Na-ion storage. It usually involves surface/ near surface charge-transfer reactions. Nevertheless, intrinsic pseudocapacitance of transition metal oxide anodes is not
New 3D-printed alloys for extreme conditions
IMDEA Materials has recognized expertise on the design of alloys for high temperature, high strength and lightweight applications, which are suitable for the production of 3D printed components by laser-based or binder-jetting methods. Previous works include the design of superalloys for turbine
Accelerated product development via AI-guided material design and chemical processes optimization
IMDEA Materials has know-how in developing data-driven experimentation workflows that exploit machine learning algorithms to minimize the number of experiments involved in the development of materials tuned to specific applications and/or the chemical processes governing their synthesis and
Virtual testing of metals
IMDEA Materials offers a mature, fully stand-alone technology able to predict the mechanical response of an engineering alloy as function of its microstructure [1]. This technology is able to provide the anisotropic elastic properties and stress-strain elastoplastic curves, the creep response and
New coatings for extreme conditions
Titanium aluminum nitrides (TiAlN) are currently the most versatile coatings in terms of performance with various applications in industry: as wear-resistant coatings for cutting tools; for increasing productivity in die casting, reducing soldering and retarding fire cracks; for plastic
Multiscale in-situ characterization of materials and processes
Current trends to reduce weight, energy consumption and improve functionality are leading to new materials with complex microstructures, whose behavior can only be understood from the synergetic contribution of processes occurring at multiple length scales (from nm to m). Examples of these materials
Bioresorbable scaffolds for tissue engineering
IMDEA Materials has developed technologies to manufacture scaffolds made of biodegradable polymers (PCL, PLA, PLGA, etc), biodegradable metals (Mg and Zn) and their composites for tissue engineering (see Fig. 1 below). The main advantage of this technology is that it allows designing scaffolds with
Physical simulation of joining of dissimilar materials
IMDEA Materials has developed a physical simulation tool to predict joinability of dissimilar metallic materials with different melting points. Very small samples of the actual dissimilar materials are subjected to the same thermal and mechanical profiles in a thermo-mechanical simulator (GLEEBLE
Ultrafast processing of advanced metallic materials
IMDEA Materials has developed technologies for ultrafast processing of advanced metallic materials in a thermo-mechanical simulator (GLEEBLE 3800). They allow to precisely control the thermo-mechanical processing at high heating/cooling rates, as well as at high strain rate plastic deformation.
Modelling and simulation of Hydrogen embrittlement
Europe’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 is strongly pushing renewable energy sources and hydrogen has emerged as a versatile and environmentally friendly mean to store and transport clean energy. The large-scale usage of hydrogen has prompted new challenges in the core electrochemical
Fire retardant battery materials
IMDEA Materials is working on new battery materials that combine electrochemical integrity and enhanced fire safety. Fig. 1 below shows a fully solid-state battery based on a HKUST-1 MOF modified electrolyte with simultaneously improved electrochemical performance and fire safety was successfully
Sustainable, fire safe phase change materials
IMDEA Materials can design and prepare novel Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage applications that: are prepared in an easy and green pathway and, at the same time, have high mechanical performance, fire safety, form stability, phase transition enthalpy, and thermal
3D printing of structural composites by using recycled fibers
Due to the rapid growth in the use of composite materials, environmental concerns have become an increasingly influential topic, making recyclability of composite materials a key issue. Furthermore, several related EU laws have been passed to minimize the environmental impact of composite structures
Predictive simulation of metal Additive Manufacturing – from composition & processing to mechanical properties
As part of its strategic initiative on damage-tolerant additive manufacturing, IMDEA Materials develops a suite of physics-based computational models and simulation tools aimed at linking processing, microstructures and properties, in order to accelerate the discovery and deployment of new alloys
AI-guided smart manufacturing of structural composites
Manufacturing in the EU is crucial, given that it is one of the main drivers in innovation, job creation and sustainable growth. It involves almost 2,000,000 companies that provide approximately 28.5 million jobs. Therefore, its impact is significant in terms of economic share, with it being ~18% of
New nanostructured materials for high-rate Li-ion battery anodes: properties and lithium storage mechanism study by in-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering
There is an ever-increasing interest in new materials that can extend the current performance of battery electrodes materials in terms of longer cyclability, higher energy density and higher power density. Our research groups have established a route for the fabrication of highperformance anodes for
Hierarchical Strategy for Simultaneous Improvement of Mechanical and Fire-Safety Properties of Polymer Composites with Phosphonate-Loaded MOF Additives
Flame retardant (FR) additives are commonly used to improve fire-safety of synthetic polymers, which are widely employed in manufactured consumer goods. The incorporation of a FR in a polymer typically leads to deterioration of its mechanical properties. It also manifests itself in a non-negligible
Dynamic behavior of composites: Coupling tests and simulations
The use of polymer-based composite materials in aircraft structures has increased consistently in the last decades and today they represent up to 50% in weight for wings, fuselage sections and tail surfaces in the latest generation of commercial aircrafts. However, the use of such composites in
Integration of energy storage devices in structural laminates
One of the current scientific and technological trends in structural composites is the incorporation of new functionalities as thermal/electrical conductivity or energy harvesting capacities to classical laminates. However, the inclusion of any internal conductive layer with capacitive storage will
Development of porous Mg scaffolds for bone growth by additive manufacturing
Mg is a biocompatible and biodegradable metal with osteopromotive capabilities that is beginning to be used for bone repair and fixation in biomedical applications. Mg elastic modulus and density are closer to bone than those of other metallic alloys used in biomedical applications (stainless
High throughput strategies applied to the discovery of new alloys
Magnesium has a large potential for more sustainable transport applications due to its low density. However, its poor strength and ductility limits its widespread application. The main fundamental problem arises from the low critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) for basal slip in Mg, which induces
Simulation of multiphysical coupled problems in mechanics of materials
There are situations in which the mechanical response of a material is coupled with relevant physical phenomena occurring in parallel. Some examples are chemomechanical problems in which mechanical fields interact with the evolution of the local composition, as it happens during the deformation
A microstructure and specimen size dependent fatigue modeling approach
The fatigue performance of a metallic alloy is strongly influenced by its microstructure, especially in the crack nucleation regime. Micromechanics based fatigue modeling [1] is the appropriate tool to account for this influence. In this framework, fatigue life is obtained from a fatigue indicator
In-situ XCT infiltration of fibers by resin transfer molding process
Fibre-reinforced polymers are extensively used in the automotive, aerospace and energy industries for structural applications. The interest in Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) processes, for the production of composite materials has grown in the last years, especially in the vacuum assisted resin
Mechanical behavior of InP twinning superlattice nanowires
It has been shown that InP semiconductor nanowires carry charge and excitons efficiently and also exhibit very high optical efficiency. Their mechanical properties are extremely important, as mechanical strain strongly influences the electric, optical and magnetic properties. However, this