ICMAB

Work at the SSCL was originally centered on the synthesis of new phases and crystal chemistry of high Tc superconducting oxides, and their doping by chemical and electrochemical methods. Also and with a more applied point of view, electrochemical deposition methods to achieve coatings of polycrystalline superconducting oxides on irregular substrates was one of the main lines of research.

With time, the research lines in the lab have diversified within the field of electroactive phases, and now include other oxides, oxynitrides, and nitrides, as well as polymers and organic-inorganic hybrids, with applications that hit directly fields like energy (batteries and supercapacitors), electronic devices, photoactive materials , and biomaterials (drug delivery and electroactive materials that may favour neural growth).

A big part of the research performed shows a strong involvement in synthesis and technical procedures that involve soft chemistry methods and alternative conditions that stabilize new phases, or known phases in special conformations and microstructures. Thus, is the case of sol-gel techniques, chemical vapour transport techniques, supercritical fluid synthesis and of electrochemical deposition and doping, that have allowed the preparation of previously non existing phases such as silver-copper oxides or new nitride-based materials showing new of improved properties with respect to oxides, important in the fields of photocatalysisl, magnetism, electroactive and superconducting materials. Research in battery materials is carried out involving both the study of the nickel electrode in alkaline batteries and the development of new non oxidic materials for lithium batteries. Also, the developing of thin transparent conductive coatings that are biocompatible is opening in what is becoming a strongly developing field, that of interfacing electroactive materials with living systems.

The lab counts with two CSIC associated units, at the University of Valencia (resp. A. Fuertes) and the Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos in Toledo (Neural Repair Laboratory) (resp. N. Casañ), which sustain part of the research carried out in the ICMAB lab, and integrate a larger research unit. In the last case, it allows for an interdisciplinary approach and a simbiosis that projects the ICMAB research lines into a larger framework. Also, the Department leaders have contributed significantly to the creation of supercritical, electrochemistry and nano labs in MATGAS.

The research being carried out is and has been financed by National Agencies (Ministry of Education, CSIC, Generalitat de Catalunya) and European Community grants (STREP, NoE), as well as by industries (ex. Red Electrica de España, MATGAS and Air Products)

 

Equipment

• 7 furnaces, T < 1400 ºC (5 with atmosphere control, O2, Ar, Ar/H2, N2, NH3)
• High sensitivity TGA, inner furnace Perkin Elmer (Ar, Ar/H2, O2) up to 1000ºC and DTA 1500ºC
• Potentiostat/Galvanostat EG&G PAR 273 A, 100 V compliance, 1 A; 263 A, 10V compliance, 100 mA
• Electrochemical Quartz Microbalance Seiko-PAR, QCA 9 MHz
• Arbin Multipotentiostat , 8 channels 100 mA and 1 A max
• McPile Multipotentiostat, 16 channels, (12 pot., 4 galv.)
• VMP Multipotentiostat, 4 channels (2 with EIS, 100 Khz ) 20 V compliance
• Electrophoretical system Labconco 0-1000 V, 0-0.5 A
• Globe box Labconco with purification down to 1ppm O2 and 5 ppm H2O
• System for synthesis in Liquid ammonia
• 120 KV Transmission electron microscope JEOL 1210 equipped with EDS analyzer LINK QX 2000 X
• Spin Coating system up to 6000 rpm, N2 flow
• Multi-purpose continuous and batch supercritical CO2 equipment working up to 300 bar and 150 ºC.
• High pressure (up to 690 bar and 150 ºC) phase-monitor equipment equipped with a video camera system
• BET specific area analysis equipment. Micromeritics ASAP-2000…
• Freeze-Drying equipment
• Optical microscopes, NIKON, LABOPHOT, OPTOPHOT