Novel Materials

Main research lines

Synthesis of nanocarbon/semiconductor hybrids for photo and electrocatalysis, interaction of nanocarbons with liquid molecules, polyelectrolytes and inorganic salts.
Synthesis of inorganic nanowires and assembly as macroscopic yarns and fabrics.
Sensors: triboelectric, thermoresistive , chemical, piezoresistive, piezoelectric.
Hierarchical materials: materials design from the nanoscale to the macroscale, nano-reinforced materials, composite materials with enhanced electrical and thermal conductivity.
Electrospinning for polymeric nano-membranes.

Sustainable materials: bio-based nanocarriers, novel guest-host nanomaterials, nano-cross linkers, multifunctional polymer nanocomposites, renewable and recyclable polymeric materials, biodegradable polymers, carbon fiber reinforcement, etc.
Fire retardant materials through nanodesign: multifunctional nanomaterials to increase fire retardancy, layered double hydroxides, Metal-Organic Frameworks, sepiolite, molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), nanocarbon, nano metal hydroxide, graphene, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), etc.
Energy storage and energy saving materials.
Phase-change materials for thermal management.

Materials for hydrogen economy

High-throughput design and synthesis (magnetron sputtering) of novel catalysts for green hydrogen production and energy generation from hydrogen by means of elastic strain engineering.

Metallic materials

Advanced high strength steels showing combination of enhanced mechanical and in use properties.
High alloy steels, superalloys and high entropy alloys.
Analysis of chemistry-processing-microstructure-properties relationship on macro- and microscales with emphasis on their strength, ductility, fatigue and
fracture resistance.
Study of solidification-microstructure relationships using traditional (vacuum induction melting, vacuum arc melting, gravity and tilt casting, directional solidification) and advanced techniques (centrifugal and suction casting, vacuum melt atomization).
Rapid screening of phases, crystal structures, properties, microstructure and kinetics in bulk materials by the Kinetic Diffusion Multiple Technique.
Deposition of multiscale functional coating layers by employing methods such as blade casting, spin coating, spray coating, electrospining, etc.

Materials for extreme conditions

Impact, high temperature, mechanical, fire, predictive simulation.
Prediction and prevention strategies for metal, polymer-based composite materials under simultaneously extreme conditions such as high-temperature behaviour under structural loading.

Nanostructured silicon anodes.
Carbon nanotube fabrics for hybrid electrodes and metal-free current collectors.
Defect-engineered electrodes.
Fire-retardant electrolytes.
Flame resistant all solid-state polymer electrolytes.
Electrolyte composition optimisation accelerated by Artificial Intelligence.
Flexible and structural batteries.

Lightweight materials

Green materials approaches

Regenerative Engineering

Bioresorbable 3D printed metallic and composite scaffolds for bone regeneration.
New materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Biodegradable cardiovascular metallic stents via 3D printing.

Hydrogels

Medical Treatments

Degradable metal nanoparticles for biomedical applications (anticancer or antibacterial activity).
Biofunctionalization and surface modification on materials with molecules to improve their performance.
Mechanotransduction.