Researchers Rosario Nuñez and Gerard Tobias: “The therapeutic approach proposed here has the potential to be the basis of a more efficient, less aggressive and less toxic cancer treatment.”
The study of metal-insulator transitions in VO2 through atomic scale imaging has allowed to uncover a periodical tweed structure: a weaving of vanadium dimers acting like the threads of an actual tweed at the atomic level. This research, led by ICMAB researcher Felip Sandiumenge and ICN2 and ICREA researcher Gustau Catalan, and published in Advanced Materials, provides relevant information for the understanding of transitional states in specific classes of materials.
ICMAB researchers from the LMI group have collaborated in a study to design minimalist biostructures that imitate natural enzymes, capable of carrying out two differentiated and reversibly regulated activities thanks to a unique combination of structural and functional properties. The strategy used opens the door to the creation of “intelligent” nanomaterials with tailor-made combinations of catalytic functions.
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The journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces published the cover of the article "Combinatorial Screening of Cuprate Superconductors by Drop-On-Demand Inkjet Printing".
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The production, preparation, and use of bacterial nanocellulose as corneal bandages could be the key to help delicate stem cells to migrate to the cornea and heal the eye from a range of ocular disorders.
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The radio programme "Les dones i els dies" in Catalunya Radio, led by Montse Virgili, talked about the Matilda Effect with three scientists: Maria José Yzuel (UAB), Sònia Estradé (UB) and Arancha González (ICMAB).
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The journal ChemNanoMat (Chemistry of Nanomaterials for Energy, Biology and More) published the cover of the article "Nanorods Based on Mesoporous Silica Containing Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Catalytic Nanomotors: Study of Motion Dynamics".
In this study, researchers have demonstrated that by feeding machine-learning algorithms with high-throughput experimental datasets, it is possible to retrieve predictive models for the performance of organic solar cells.
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Researchers have used a combination of cerium oxide nanoparticles and manganese metal organic precursor in the laser targets for the synthesis of a hybrid material. The used laser deposition technique allowed the versatile fabrication of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.
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The TV programme "... i bona lletra!" from El 9 TV interviewed on 22 January 2021 Mariona Coll to talk about her new project on new materials for photovoltaics received by the BBVA Foundation Leonardo Grant programme.
The Societat Catalana de Química (SCQ) has been publishing the highlights in Chemical Research in Catalunya for the last two decades. Between the pages of the latest Edition we can find two publications by ICMAB Researchers who have made significant contributions to the field this year.
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The radio programme "Al matí" from Ràdio Sabadell hosted in its last edition of the "Ciència km 0" section, on 8 January 2021, ICMAB researcher Mariona Coll, working in new perovskites for photovoltaic energy.
Collaboration is a key part of research. Whether it be collaboration with similar researchers with different skill sets or perspectives, or collaboration with researchers in others fields for an interdisciplinary approach, joining efforts with other institutions is a solid way to improve ICMAB’s work. Here are the institutions that have collaborated more with ICMAB in 2020:
International research partnerships are a key factor to improve our collective knowledge. Not only does it allow everybody to share access to different scientific installations and techniques, it also gives research a more diverse viewpoint that ensures every possibility is considered. These are the countries that ICMAB has collaborated more with during 2020:
Scientific dissemination is clearly dependent on journals to help spread the word about research done all around the world. Many specialized journals, in fields like materials science or nanotechnology, have helped ICMAB Researchers get eyes on their research. These are the journals that have shared more of our research in 2020:
The Clarivate journal Impact Factor metric system gives a yearly numeric indicator of how much has an article been cited and how much impact has it had. This year, ICMAB’s average IF has been at 7.42, with an 18 % of all publications having an IF higher than 10. These are the ICMAB articles that have had a higher IF during 2020:
Citation is one of the key factors to understand the effect an article has had on a particular field. This year, ICMAB Researchers have published articles across many fields, like energy storage, thermoelectrics, or nanomedicine. From all this research, two of ICMAB’s articles have become highly cited pieces. Do you want to know which articles have been the most cited this year?
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More than 216 articles have been published this year by the many researchers that form ICMAB. Some researchers have been able to publish multiple articles in the same year. These are the researchers that have published most articles during 2020 (Source: Web of Science-Core collection, as of 14/12/2020):
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The Aireamos platform is the result of the efforts of different Spanish research groups and entities that are studying the virus transmission mechanism via aerosol by analyzing CO2 levels in air. The platform was presented via Youtube on 3 December 2020. Albert Verdaguer, ICMAB researcher, is part of this group.
Judith Guasch is interviewed in Onda Cero Radio on 21 November 2020 in the programme "De cero al infinito" con Paco de León, to talk about her recent research on hydrogels to mimic lymph nodes for cancer immunotherapy.
The rapid characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has allowed researchers at the Soft Matter Theory Group to learn more about how it interacts with surfaces through extremely precise simulations. The results have been published in the scientific journal Biointephases.
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On 9 November 2020, Judith Guasch appered in the cover of the Agencia SINC in an interview to talk about her research on 3D hydrogels that mimic lymph nodes and that will be used as scaffolds for T cell culture in cancer immunotherapy.
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"Our colleagues at ICN2 studied a range of ferroelectrics using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and discovered that 180-degree domain walls – regions separating ferroelectric domains with opposite polarization – are mechanically softer than the surrounding material" says Konstantin Shapovalov, ICMAB researcher and co-author of the now published article in Physical Review X Mechanical Softness of Ferroelectric 180° Domain Walls, in which he contributed with the theoretical interpretation of this unexpected phenomenon.
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A joint collaboration between the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB) and The University of Manchester has succeeded in mapping the electrical properties of organic biosensor/electrolyte interfaces at the nanoscale by measuring local electric forces. Electronic biosensorsbased on organic materials could make soon a reality the dream of low-cost, disposable, flexible and biocompatible electronic devices for the interaction with biological systems.
Research on room temperature superconducting materials has been one of the biggest challenges of condensed matter physics in the last century. Let's see how we started and where are we now, after the recent results obtained by researchers at the University at Rochester and published in Nature.
The first article of the joint project between ICMAB and MIT in the framework of the collaborative project MIT-SPAIN "la Caixa" Foundation SEED FUND is now published in Physical Review Materials. The project is focused on the investigation of new materials for photovoltaic applications. Ignasi Fina is the ICMAB researcher involved in the study.
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A study published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science has combined experimental and theoretical approaches to study the passivation layers formed on calcium metal electrodes and their influence on the reversible operation of calcium-based batteries. The work is led by researchers from the ICMAB-CSIC, who have collaborated with the ALBA Synchrotron (MIRAS beamline) as well as with other international laboratories and universities.
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The treatment and cure of all kinds of cancer is still one of the key issues science has to face. On the occasion of the World Cancer Research Day, we want to highlight the ways in which ICMAB Researchers are currently working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this illness.
A route to control the conductivity in the functional oxide Er(Mn,Ti)O3 through the use of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) could allow for an improvement of conductivity that is not detrimental to other materials’ properties like magnetism or multiferroicity, as demonstrated in a new Nature Materials article that counts with the collaboration of ICMAB Researcher Konstantin Shapovalov from the Electronic Structure of Materials (LEEM) Group.
The magazine edited by Ecoembes, Circle, which has sustainable innovation as its central theme, includes in its last issue a report about the future of Li-ion batteries waste generation entitled "Rumbo al mañana (eléctrico y sostenible) de los residuos" and includes some thoughts about Li-ion batteries by ICMAB researcher M. Rosa Palacín.
