On the one hand, spectroscopic photodetection is a powerful tool widely employed in disciplines such as medical diagnosis, industrial process monitoring, or agriculture. However, its application in novel fields, including wearable, portable and biointegrated electronics, is hampered by the use of bulky dispersive optics. Traditional spectrometers are based on broadband photodetectors combined with diffraction gratings or dichroic prisms, characterized by a rather high structural complexity and cost. During this PhD, two approaches will be used to overcome these issues and thus demonstrate miniaturized spectrometers: multipixel photodetectors coupled to reconstructive algorithms, and optical microcavities based on thickness wedges in which spectral selectivity is given by local cavity thickness.

The same architectures will also be optimized in order to fabricate multijunction organic solar cells based on novel spectral splitting concepts. Organic solar cells are very promising as they are based on abundant, non-toxic materials and low thermal budget processes, thus rendering highly sustainable. Further increases in power conversion efficiency, as such granted by multijunction strategies, hold the promise to make this technology closer to commercialization. The two architectures mentioned above, lateral gradients and optical microcavities, can be used precisely with this objective if finely tuned for solar cells optimization. The miniaturized device can also be used for fundamental analysis of samples (i.e. for detection of impurities in a sample, traces of solvent…).

The candidate will join the team led by Mariano Campoy-Quiles, which is a team of around 10-12 physicists, chemists, material scientists and engineers, whose mission is to contribute to find solutions that will help to provide clean energy to everybody.

The team is part of the Nanostructured Materials for Optoelectronics and Energy Harvesting (NANOPTO) group, which is generally devoted to materials for energy and photonic applications.

To develop the project, the candidate will learn how to use a large variety of techniques and methodologies. The main tasks that will be carried out within the project include:

1. Fabrication and optimization of organic photodetectors and solar cells
2. Investigation of the lateral gradient and cavity geometries
3. Development of reconstruction algorithms
4. Fundamental study/characterization of materials and devices using, e.g. advanced spectroscopy
5. Literature review and paper drafting
6. Contributing to the group (e.g. taking care of the maintenance of a given piece of equipment, giving presentations at group meetings, helping new students, etc.)

We are looking for a creative and motivated PhD candidate, who enjoys being part of a team.

The fellow should hold a Bachelor degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science or Nanoscience, related engineering disciplines, and hold a recognized Master degree (or equivalent). Some experience in materials processing and/or optics/photonics would be an added value.

• a) Use (magneto)-optical spectroscopy to analyse the properties of a wide range of materials in which spin-orbit coupling and Jahn-Teller physics is relevant. These include, among others, single and multilayered manganites, cuprates and heavy transition metal compounds. The objective is to identify materials where spin-photon coupling is most efficient.
• b) Study the dynamics of light-matter interactions in these solids using ultrafast optical spectroscopy. The objective is to analyse the lifetime of optically induced excitations and their dynamics down to the femtosecond scale. This will be done in the frame of an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Allan Johnson (ICFO).
• c) Develop nano/mesoscopic devices that exploit electromagnetic control of spin states. We propose electric transport modulation by electromagnetic fields at resonance frequencies where spin inversion occurs. The objective is to develop quantum nanodevices where spins are controlled by light.

The present project aims at expanding the range of quantum materials, with emphasis on the use of light to modulate and control their properties.

1. Casals et al, Phys Rev Lett 117, 026401 (2016)
2. AS Miñarro and G. Herranz, Phys Rev B 106, 165108 (2022)

All required infrastructure and equipment is found at the host Institution (ICMAB-CSIC) and its immediate environment, as well as through a collaboration with ICFO. The successful candidate will be trained in materials synthesis and nanodevice fabrication. This involves growth of thin films (nanometer scale) by pulsed laser deposition with in-situ RHEED, and access to the ICMAB clean room for device fabrication down to 100 nm and below, using optical and electron-beam lithography. The host group has also an extended experience in measuring electrical transport under magnetic fields for nanodevice characterization. The host laboratory also includes optical setups that allow (magneto)-optical spectroscopy and imaging, using light in the visible and near infrared in a wide range of frequencies (400 – 900 nm). (Magneto)-optical spectroscopy will be carried out as a function of temperature (10 – 320 K). The lab also includes a confocal microscope that allows diffraction-limited lateral resolution (a few hundreds of nanometers). Ultrafast optical collaboration will be done in collaboration with Dr. Allan Johnson at ICFO. The ultrafast dynamics of quantum materials at ICFO has an amplified titanium sapphire laser system and optical parametric amplifiers allowing for ultrafast spectroscopy with down to 30 fs temporal resolution at wavelengths from 400-2700 nm. Supercontinuum probing from 500-750 nm simultaneously allows tracking a range of excitations simultaneously in an optical cryostat enabling measurements down to 77K.

The supervisor of the project will provide all the necessary means for the successful candidate to attend schools and relevant international scientific meetings and workshops. Candidates should be fluent in English, with a background in optics and condensed matter physics. Programming and mathematical skills as well as enthusiasm for Science are more than welcome.

Immunotherapies have shown very promising results, i.e. complete remissions in aggressive hematological cancers and melanoma, but still have some limitations that require more research, and therefore more accurate preclinical models. Organoids are micrometric 3D cell aggregates capable of physiologically resemble the structure and/or functions of the original tissues. Usually, they are formed by primary cells grown on a 3D scaffold consisting of a mouse sarcoma extract. However, these murine 3D scaffolds show limitations on recapitulating the physicochemical characteristics of human tissues. Additionally, they are expensive and may suffer from batch-to-batch variability, due to their natural origin.

Consequently, we initiated a project to develop artificial ECMs of lung tumors, based on our recently described synthetic 3D hydrogels, in order to fabricate non-small cell lung tumoroids that can properly recapitulate the human biology. The fabrication of the artificial ECMs is tackled through different angles, which include the 3D printing of synthetic bionanomaterials or their incorporation into a microfluidic system to obtain an organ-on-achip.

Moreover, we work in collaboration with different (pre)clinical groups including the Technical University of Valencia-Hospital General de Valencia as well as the National Centre for Cancer Research (CNIO).

The PhD student will be involved in the synthesis, physicochemical characterization (NMR, X-ray tomography, rheology, SEM, confocal microscopy, etc.), and processing (e.g. through 3D printing) of synthetic 3D hydrogels to act as artificial ECMs.

She/he will also perform cell culture studies to evaluate the effectivity of such bionanomaterials, first with primary cell cultures of lung cancer cells and then with patient-derived lung biopsies in close collaboration with the Technical University of Valencia-Hospital General de Valencia as well as CNIO. The organoids will be analyzed by optical and fluorescence microscopy, ELISA, flow cytometry, etc.
Finally, we will perform functionality assays, which will mainly be focused on immunotherapies, especially those related to immune checkpoint inhibitors 

The PhD project is addressed towards the understanding of the TLAG growth mechanisms and tuning of material microstructure to boost the superconducting properties. Advanced growth facilities (including in-situ XRD synchrotron), last generation Transmission Electron Microscopes and high magnetic field installations at cryogenic temperatures will be available for this project.

1. X Obradors & T Puig, Superconductor Science and Technology 27 044003 (2014)
2. J Gutierrez et al, Nat Mat 6 367 (2007)
3. A Llordes et al, Nature Materials, 11 329 (2012)
4. L Soler et al, Nature Communications 11 344 (2020)
5. S. Rasi et al, Advance Science (2022)

The project aims to engage talent young students for a Materials Science doctorate in the field of High Temperature Superconductors (HTS), by investigating the novel high-throughput TLAG growth process. She/he will be integrated in a large interdisciplinary amd international group, with different background expertise in the field of HTS materials developing cutting-edge research in the synthesis, microstructural and physical understanding of high temperature superconductors. The goal is to unravel the growth mechanisms of TLAG and boost the superconducting properties at high magnetic fields by designing the material microstructure landscape. This research was initiated with an ERC-Advanced Grant which was followed by two ERC-Proof-of-Concepts.

The position requires:

• Bachelor and master in material science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, nanoscience or related fields.
• Good knowledge in Condensed Matter Physics
• A high level of English. All working meeting are held in English
• High motivation to experimental research.
• Working aptitudes in a collaborative group.

ICMAB Institute offers excellent conditions for PhD researchers, including:

• a creative, world-class interdisciplinary research environment for fundamental and applied nanoscience state-of-the-art infrastructure for the preparation and characterization of nanostructured materials.
• a highly regarded scientific education.
• a strong international nanoscience network.
• Experience and knowledge on superconductivity, superconducting materials and electron microscopy characterization techniques will be valuable
• The PhD will be integrated in a very international group of PhD students and Postdocs with backgrounds in chemistry, materials science and physics of superconducting materials.

The continuous increase in computational power has fueled the development of methodologies that allow the simulation of materials and biomolecules with atomistic resolution. We use them at ICMAB as a kind of “theoretical microscope” to understand all sorts of properties, looking at the organization and motion of atoms and molecules.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have employed these cutting-edge simulation methods to understand fundamental aspects of SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission and disifection. We have investigated the reasons for the long periods of time that this particular virus can remain infectious when deposited over common surfaces such as plastics or over human skin and the possible virucidal use of certain materials (metals, carbon filters). We also focused on the mechanisms behind virus inactivation with surfactants and reactive species for disinfection applications. These simulations were carried out using atomistic models as well as coarse-grain models of the full virus and involved a fruitful collaboration with industrial partners working in disinfection.

The lessons learned from this experience with SARS-CoV-2 may be essential to be prepared for the next pandemic. Based on these results, we propose to take one step further identifying which factors are critical in the design on materials that inactivate viruses (virucidal materials), focusing in particular to materials inactivating enveloped viruses (which include coronaviruses, influenza...) We propose a combination of methodologies (from highly coarse grained models of a full virus to hybrid quantum/classical methods) to perform an extensive investigation of the fundamental driving forces and mechanisms behind the interactions of enveloped viruses and candidate virucidal materials. Mechanisms as diverse as interactions with ions (typical of virucidal action of clays or certain metals) to generation of reactive oxygen species (typical of certain new nanostructured materials) will be evaluated.

An early-Stage Researcher (ESR) will be recruited during 36 months to work in modelling and simulation. Interaction with experimental groups will be also required.

The ESR will investigate from an atomistic point of view the fundamental factors involved in the virucidal action of different materials and extract relevant guidelines for the design and fabrication of novel virucidal materials. The ESR will be trained in Molecular Dynamics atomistic simulations based on different levels of atomistic theory (classical molecular force fields, reactive force fields and hybrid QM/MM) and also coarse-grain simulations.

This particular part of a wider project will involve making a variety of new chiral dyes with absorption spanning the visible spectrum. The preparative routes chosen will be based on full analysis of the sustainability of the synthetic methods and purification steps. The properties of the new dyes will be established using spectroscopic methods, their phase behaviour will be studied using a variety of spectroscopic, optical, diffraction and surface characterisation techniques, and their behaviour as materials in optoelectronic devices will be explored.

The Amabilino Research Team is historically an inclusive and diverse assembly of people, now in the Sustainable Molecular Systems (SusMoSys) group, that enthusiastically tackle challenges in molecular materials chemistry, especially focused on sustainable charge transport materials. Our approach is to design and synthesise new compounds having unique and useful properties. David Amabilino is an expert in molecular materials in general and especially chiral ones. His group working in the ICMAB are making chiral molecules that self-assemble. The interdisciplinary work that he carries out enjoys many fruitful collaborations with groups with complementary skills, and he has mentored twenty doctoral researchers as well as approximately the same number of postdoctoral researchers.

This predoctoral position will involve the preparation of new sustainable organic materials for incorporation into optoelectronic devices, with the goal of enhancing sustainability, charge transport and stability. The heart of the work is the synthesis of new chiral organic dyes, their rigorous purification and characterization, and the study of their properties.

The doctoral candidate, preferably a chemist with some acquired knowledge of synthesis and photochemistry, will be trained in the synthetic chemistry of dye chemistry, especially state of the art aryl coupling reactions and the use of naturally occurring starting materials.  They will also be shown the many tools available for the purification and characterization of the compounds, and the ways in which these dyes can be incorporated into devices.  The transversal skill training they receive will be determined by their career development plan, including for presentations, innovation, outreach and project management. It is expected that the results will be presented in international meetings of high standing, giving experience and exposure to the candidate to help in their career progression.

The new materials will be made using the tenets of green chemistry, with sources of starting materials and reagents analyzed in detail, and the processing performed using the same guiding principles. This totally holistic approach to creating organic functional materials could also potentially give a boost to the already rapidly increasing efficiencies of these materials. The aim is to show that using enantiomerically pure materials that can form nanoscale chiral morphologies, the interface area between materials in devices will be optimized, and that this can be achieved sustainably, adapting concepts that are evident in Nature´s solutions to light harvesting.

The transition to a carbon-free energy system requires a huge energy storage capacity to match renewable production with the consumer demand. The current mature electrochemical storage technologies that are technically able to satisfy such operation, such as lithium-ion batteries and vanadium redox flow batteries, are based on too scarce elements to satisfy such capacity need.

Zinc batteries have emerged in the past decade as a suitable candidate for this challenge. They show high power, decent energy density and long cycling using nearly-neutral aqueous electrolytes, MnO2 as cathode and metallic zinc as anode. They present attractive material price and availability, as well as safe and environmentally benign components.

On the other hand, zinc/air batteries could allow 3-5 times the specific energy of current Li-ion batteries at a lower cost, making an ideal choice for electric vehicles. However, their durability is often limited, and the mechanisms that lead to their failure are generally poorly understood.

For both battery chemistries, complex deposition and dissolution mechanisms are involved in the main and in side reactions. The research line lead by Dr. Dino Tonti aims to contribute to the understanding of mechanisms and improve performance by combining new materials and advanced characterization.

Dr. Dino Tonti is a chemist at ICMAB. He has worked on surface science and optical techniques, synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles, carbons and battery materials. He is currently involved in metal-air batteries within several topics: development of novel electrode architectures, study of electrolyte additives, and characterization of electrochemical processes by analysis of discharge products and in situ monitoring. The present work will be supported by the collaboration with Dr. Laura Simonelli and Dr. Andrea Sorrentino, beamline scientists for x-ray absorption and microscopy at the ALBA Synchrotron, where part of the experiments will be designed and carried out.

Dissolution and precipitation reactions that govern zinc batteries are often sensitive to the operating conditions, the electrode architecture, cell geometry and the electrolyte composition. The overall mechanism is extraordinarily complex and leads to a wide range of performances. A key factor to understand the reaction mechanism and to control rechargeability is the composition and morphology of the products deposited on both electrodes during the discharge and charge processes. This work will study the evolution of these precipitates, and relate them to several factors such as the electrode texture, the presence of solid or soluble catalysts or other additives in the electrolyte able to control the stability of reaction intermediates. This information will help to minimize formation of side products, and produce precipitate architectures that promote the most efficient removal.

The student will participate to the development of more efficient zinc battery electrodes using different compositions, textures, and electrolytes, focusing on the investigation of the electrode materials before, during and after operation, with emphasis on imaging and spectroscopic operando techniques. The evolution under different conditions will be also rationalized by multiscale continuum modelling, with the aim to design optimal electrode architectures.

In particular he/she will:

• Process electrodes, assemble cells and test their electrochemistry
• Design specific operando experiments to follow the formation of compounds during electrochemical cycling
• Model electrochemical deposition and dissolution processes by finite element tools

Required degree: MSc or equivalent in Physics, Chemistry, Nanotechnology, Chemical engineering or Materials Science.

Valuable experience: electrochemical techniques, electrodeposition, electrochemical energy storage, electron microscopy, x-ray absorption, data analysis.

The multidisciplinary research we carry out is aimed at the self‐assembly, nanostructuring and processing of functional molecules as crystals, particles, vesicles, and structured as self‐assembled monolayers on various substrates showing non‐conventional chemical, physical and biological properties. As one of the main Spanish research groups specialized in nanomedicine, we are members of the Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER‐BBN) and NANBIOSIS. During the last years, the Nanomol group has hosted 50 Doctoral Thesis under the supervision of the permanent members of the group and more than 25 Postdocs, from more than 10 different foreigner countries.

The project is framework in a collaborative European project (Micro4Nano). Specifically, the work will consist on the design, preparation and characterization of molecular multifunctional materials based on organic radicals for the preparation of organic nanoparticles (ONPs) for 2‐Photon Absorption Microscopy (2PM) with good photostability to be used as nanothermometers for biological applications. The ability to process such organic molecules as ONPs is a good strategy in order to confer them the desiderate water stability, to work in biological environments, which is not attained in solution due to the high insolubility of organic molecules in water, thus, becoming promising materials with applications in the area of bioimaging and biomedicine (i.e. for nanothermometry applications).

The offered job position will be framed in the interdisciplinary field of molecular nanostructured materials with optical properties for biological applications. The candidate will prepare ONPs doped with organic radicals looking for an enhancement of the Luminescence Quantum Yield, the luminescence lifetimes and emission in the biological window (Red/NIR region). The possibility to tune the emission as a function the radical concentration inside the ONP together with the doublet electronic configuration of radicals also open the way to new strategies in the fabrication of sensors (i.e. for nanothermometry) and OLED with high Internal Quantum Efficiency. Structural and optoelectronic characterization of the ONPs will be addressed by appropriate spectroscopic (absorption, emission, DLS), microscopic (SEM, TEM, confocal) and calorimetric techniques.  Specifically, the influence on the luminescent properties of new materials presenting open-shell electronic structures which have a SOMO (Semi‐Occupied Molecular Orbital) level will be studied.

NANOMOL is a research unit of the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) which has been awarded with the prestigious Severo Ochoa Excellence label and belongs to CSIC, the largest research institution of Spain. Our premises are located at the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona) research park. 

Candidates must hold a degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry or Materials Science and a recognized Master degree (or equivalent), both with high qualifications. An interdisciplinary outlook is desired and will be encouraged. Experience in organic synthesis, electrochemistry, spectroscopic characterization, nanoscience and cell cultures will be highly valued. We are looking for a collaborative and proactive person, as well as a team player with the ability to work effectively on complex research projects in a multidisciplinary environment with good knowledge of English.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the best non-invasive clinical diagnostic methods used in medicine that provides images of soft tissue anatomy in excellent detail, in particular with the use of contrast agents (CAs). Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCA) are the most widely used in MRI. These CAs have historically been considered as safe, but recent reports have emerged regarding the accumulation of residual toxic Gd(III) ions in the brain, bones, skin, liver and kidneys. Since the use of CAs in MRI is of vital importance to gain lifesaving clinical information, it is critical to find alternative imaging probes than the current Gd-based CAs.
Our goal is the development of metal-free contrast agents based on organic radicals since they are also paramagnetic species like GBCA but less toxic than them. Our strategy consists in the incorporation of many organic radical units to a dendrimer scaffold or nanoparticles (NPs), to increase the contrast capability. Dendrimers are globular macromolecules and nearly perfect monodisperse nanosystems with tunable size and precise number of peripheral groups. Thus, they are chemical versatile scaffolds, which can hold many radical units. On the other hand, we also plan to prepare organic nanoparticles based on radical dendrimers or spin labelled gold NPs for the same purpose.

NANOMOL is a research unit with wide expertise and recognized excellence in the synthesis, processing and study of molecular and polymeric materials with chemical, electronic, magnetic and biomedical properties. We continuously generate new knowledge in our basic and applied research projects regarding the micro and nano structuring of molecular materials. We are actively involved in implementing
nanotechnology, sustainable and economically efficient technologies for preparing advanced functional molecular materials. 

The researcher will join the pioneer, dynamic and active Department of Molecular Nanoscience and Organic Materials (NANOMOL) at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) located at the UAB university campus.

The candidate will be enrolled in the design, preparation and characterization of new radical dendrimers and NPs, with tuned structural characteristics at the nanoscale and different capabilities as CAs. The candidate will use different preparative methodologies (organic synthesis, molecular self-assembling) and advanced characterization techniques (EPR, MALDI-TOF, HPLC-SEC, UV-Vis, DLS, cryo-TEM, ITC, etc.) available at ICMAB, the UAB campus such as Se-RMN service or the ICTS – NANBIOSIS unit from Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN).

In the framework of the interdisciplinary collaborative network, CIBER-BBN, which Dr. José Vidal is also a researcher, the candidate will assess the toxicity and behavior against bioreduction in biological fluids of the final compounds and their properties as MRI CAs under different conditions (in vitro, ex-vivo and in vivo). The candidate will participate in the evaluation of T1-weighted images in phantom experiments to calculate the relaxivity of the investigated radical nanostructures. A post mortem ex vivo MRI analysis of the different radical dendrimers will be undertaken following an ex vivo method
developed to select contrast agents with good potential for in vivo efficiency. MRI studies in vivo will be also performed with the best in vitro performing radical nanostructures and compared with currently used Gd-based CA, in healthy and tumourbearing mice.

Candidates must hold a degree in Chemistry, Materials Science or similar and a recognized Master degree (or equivalent), both with high qualifications and with a good level of written and spoken English. An interdisciplinary outlook is desired and will be encouraged.

The Sustainable Molecular Systems group led by Prof. Kasper Moth-Poulsen is conducting research in several fields including Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage (MOST) and Conversion, Photon Fusion, Selective Nanoscale Functionalization and Nanoparticle Systems. The group consists of approximately 10 PhD students and post docs as well as a number of bachelor, master and visiting students.