Unidades Asociadas

National Hospital for Paraplegics (NHP) of SESCAM as an Associated R&D Unit to the CSIC through the Materials Science Institute of Madrid

Responsible at the National Hospital for Paraplegics: Dr. Elisa López Dolado
Responsible at ICMM-CSIC: Dr. M. Concepción Serrano López-Terradas
Creation Date: July 17, 2017
Renewed since then in three-year periods. Currently active.

The main objective of this associated unit is the design and development of new biomaterials and advanced devices capable of effectively promoting neural repair processes in the injured spinal cord. In the context of this research, NHP-Sescam represents a privileged enclave, with internationally renowned researchers and specialized infrastructures that are essential for its development. The expected impact of the research lines of this Associated Unit is therefore high, not only at a scientific-technical level but also at a social level (due to the high number of individuals directly or indirectly affected by this pathology who could benefit from its results) and economic level (due to the potential reduction in treatment and rehabilitation costs). Furthermore, the nature of this research anticipates a great possibility of transferring results in the medium to long term, both to research centers in the field and to the business sector.

This Associated Unit provides significant support for maintaining close collaboration with various research groups at the National Hospital for Paraplegics, including the "Laboratory of Interfaces for Neuro-Repair" (LINER) and the "Experimental Neurophysiology and Neural Circuits" Group (GNEC). Currently, we have two active research projects within the framework of this collaboration, MAG4Spinal (National Plan, Research Challenges, 2021-2024) and Piezo4Spine (Horizon Europe, PathFinder, 2023-2026).
 

• With Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• ICMM's researcher: Rafael Pérez del Real

The Associated Unit 'Institute of Applied Magneti' " is composed of Pilar Marín Palacios, Patricia de la Presa, José María González Calbet, and Elena Navarro. The collaboration of these researchers with groups at ICMM is diverse: searching for novel applications for ferromagnetic amorphous materials, synthesis of permanent magnets based on ferrites, and magnetic study of magnetic nanoparticles with biomedical applications.
 

Associated Unit CSIC/UCM Laboratory of heterostructures with application in spintronics supports this joint research line, with almost 18 years of history, on devices with application in spintronics based on complex oxides. This research line has a specialized group at UCM in the growth and fabrication of devices of such quality that they are at the forefront of the specialty worldwide, while it has a group at CSIC for the functional characterization of the mentioned devices, both from a macroscopic and microscopic point of view.

The result is a mixed team, extremely competitive in the national and international context in the study of heterostructures and devices based on mixed oxides with applications in spintronics. Currently, we are jointly working on new functionalities for 2D electronics, in particular, quantum matter induced by proximity effects.

Recently, our research lines have expanded to the fabrication and study of heterostructures that combine van der Waals two-dimensional materials such as graphene, dichalcogenides, etc., with strongly correlated complex oxides. The complementarity of both groups allows for a symbiosis without which they would experience a clear setback in the level of activity and the impact of their research.

Currently, these activities are supported by two funding sources for their development: FLAGERA3 Program, R&D+i Projects of International Joint Programming 2019 - Deadline 2. To2Dox "Two-dimensional sheets of correlated oxides" and the synergistic R&D project 2020, Community of Madrid. "Correlated states in self-supported oxide films." And the SPINQUOX project Call 2021 - "Projects for Ecological Transition and Digital Transition."
 

Led by Prof. Mar Garcia-Hernandez (ICMM-CSIC) and Prof. Jacobo Santamaria (UAM)

• With Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
• ICMM's researcher: Gloria Platero Coello

The association intends to put in common the different and complementary research expertise of the members of the UA and of the ICMM participating in this project to study materials and systems with topological properties and nonlinear and nontrivial dynamics. 
Prof. Luis López Bonilla, an expert in nonlinear systems, leads the U Carlos III research group. We will also join efforts to investigate light-matter interaction in low dimensional systems with non-trivial topology and magneto-transport experiments in these systems. (Prof. Jesús Iñarrea from the U Carlos III). 
Our association also envisages participating in calls for proposals related to these topics, training graduate students enrolled in master programs at the university, and jointly advising PhD students. 

The Low-Temperature and High-Magnetic-Field Laboratory was founded over 12 years ago and since then has promoted synergies in research and the maintenance of cryogenic infrastructure on the UAM/CSIC campus.

Currently, we work jointly on the synthesis and characterization of new quantum materials such as single crystals of novel quantum materials, particularly magnetic two-dimensional materials and potential topological materials. These materials are incorporated into exfoliated devices to obtain new functionalities, particularly by combining superconductivity and magnetism. Thanks to a collaboration, both groups have access to a vectorial magnetic field solenoid capable of providing 5 T - 1 T - 1 T. This solenoid, designed and built at UAM, is used for magnetic force microscopy measurements at ICMM and another similar one for tunneling microscopy at UAM.

UAM manages the helium supply on campus and is currently working on the installation of the new liquid helium infrastructure. The new infrastructure, which will be installed under the EQC2021-007277-P project, will significantly improve the helium supply, with increased liquid storage capacity and modernization of the facility.

Led by Prof. Mar García-Hernández (CSIC) and Prof. Hermann Suderow (UAM).

• With Universidad de Valencia
• ICMM's researcher: M. Eugenia Dávila Benítez

ICMM's researcher: M. Asunción de Andrés Miguel

The Associated Unit is composed of researchers from the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid (CSIC) and the Department of Industrial Chemical Engineering and the Environment at the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. It allows for the consolidation of a long-standing collaboration, forming an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to the design, preparation, and characterization of nanomaterials for energy and sensor applications.

Areas of collaboration include:
Energy Storage: Integration of graphene into energy storage devices, such as the fabrication of electrodes for supercapacitors by combining mixed transition metal spinel-type oxides with two-dimensional carbonaceous materials (reduced graphene oxide or graphene).
Energy Conversion: Stabilization of hybrid perovskite-based solar cells through the introduction of graphene into the hole-injecting layer and active layer. Supported photocatalysts: Solvothermal preparation of doped and supported binary transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs) with different morphologies for the photocatalytic oxidation of antibiotics and microplastics in aqueous media.
Sensors: Platforms for amplification of optical signals (Raman and fluorescence) based on ultra-small nanoparticles combined with nanostructured thin films to maximize amplification through the formation of "hot-spots" and homogeneity. Exploration of droplet microfluidics, which allows for the fabrication of emulsions with the potential to be used as templates for directing the assembly of metallic nanoparticles into specific configurations.