Currently, the most advanced electrochemical energy storage systems are based on vanadium salts as the electrolyte. However, vanadium is an expensive and scarce material. A team from the CSIC has developed a new electrolyte based on iron salts, incorporating the necessary additives to enable the battery to function efficiently and at a high voltage.

This new infrastructure represents an important step forward in fostering green energy innovation between research groups and industry. The laboratory is now operational and open to projects from CSIC researchers and other ALBA users.

Capturing and storing CO₂ from the air is one of the strategies to reduce greenhouse gases. In its search for innovative solutions to mitigate the climate crisis, LightNET Carbon Capture has collaborated SACYR, a engineering and infrastructure company, in the validation of a material to fix CO₂ on surfaces. The applied technology is based on a patent co-owned by CSIC and ICN2.

A team at CSIC's Institute of Carbon Science and Technology (INCAR) has developed a method to obtain graphene from coke. The method avoids the graphitisation phase, uses the chemical route and low temperatures. It is a sustainable and effective process that uses a by-product of the petrochemical industry.

A team led by researchers from ICMAB-CSIC and the University of Barcelona (UB) has designed a new molecular compound based on gadolinium, which opens new frontiers in magnetic refrigeration. It is of particular interest in the field of molecular magnetism and the design of devices with technological applications at the nanoscale.

An ICMAB-CSIC team has developed and patented an illumination device with a customised spectrum, which can change the intensity and range of colours, depending on every single application. It allows for the complete characterisation of optoelectronic materials and devices with a single device. Winner of the EmErgEnt award, the device will boost the development of many photovoltaic technologies. Scientists are now looking for industrial partners.

It is a pioneering facility that houses two high-end electron microscopes: one to resolve the structure of large protein and nucleic acid complexes and the other to study materials at the atomic scale. Created thanks to the joint action of several research institutions, including the CSIC, it is located at the ALBA Synchrotron (Cerdanyola, Barcelona) and is open to the entire scientific community.

The inks are based on nano and micro particles that change colour or fluoresce when irradiated with infrared light. They are dynamic and adaptable, therefore they can be customised to produce various results. The solution helps to combat counterfeiting of official documents, banknotes, luxury products and other goods.