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.

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.

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.

CSIC teams have developed a methodology to revalorise stainless steel slag from steel mills and transform it into an adsorbent material, which can be used for the treatment of effluents and industrial wastewater or for the purification of air pollutants.

Scientists have developed a new photocatalyst that can eliminate almost all organic pollutants present in water, using sunlight as a source of activation. Developed by CSIC, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Castilla la Mancha, it is currently available for industrial partners interested in its development and commercialisation.

A CSIC team at the Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos has developed a procedure to prepare hydrophobic aerogels, based on biopolymers, in a simple and fast way. The resulting material has good mechanical properties and is resistant to humidity. The team is now looking for companies interested in licensing the patent.

CSIC scientists have developed a process to obtain lightweight vitreous aggregates from waste glass and industrial waste. Its implementation is a clear commitment to a circular economy. The method has been patented and is available for industrial implementation.

Researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) have developed two innovative laser technologies to produce hybrid nanocarbon electrodes for high-power supercapacitors. These supercapacitors not only charge and discharge electrical energy quickly, but also store more energy than those normally used.