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LAB TOUR 2026 begins in Soria with the European Researchers’ Night

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LAB TOUR 2026 begins in Soria with the European Researchers’ Night

On September 26, 2025, the Casino Círculo Amistad Numancia in Soria will host the kickoff of LAB TOUR 2026 within the framework of the European Researchers’ Night. The event will feature a strong local connection through Daniel Martin-Jimenez, researcher at ICMAB-CSIC and member of the PSCI group, who returns to his hometown to bring cutting-edge science closer to the province of Soria.

From 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the program will include the presentation of LAB TOUR 2026, a talk on the transformative role of nanoscience, and three interactive workshops on light and optics, electricity and magnetism, and microscopy techniques. The activity will be held in Spanish and is open to all audiences.

This event marks the starting point of LAB TOUR 2026, a project coordinated by ICMAB with funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and supported by Ruralia and Diputación de Soria.

👉 [More information about the event]
👉 [Read the news in local media]

PhD position: Development of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on charge-transfer semiconductors for near-infrared (NIR) detection

Written by PCSI user on . Posted in News, Uncategorized.

Join a cutting-edge research project focused on the exploration of new materials for the development of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on charge-transfer semiconductors for near-infrared (NIR) detection.

🎯 What You’ll Do

•Design and fabricate thin films based on novel organic materials as semiconductors

•Develop and characterize OFET devices

•Use nanoscale advanced characterization to study interfaces and morphology

•Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration within ICMAB’s e-MolMat and PCSI groups

•Participate in training activities, conferences, and scientific communication

🎓 Your Profile

•MSc in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanoscience or related fields

•High motivation

•Interest in interdisciplinary research and willingness to collaborate internationally

Are you interested? Send your CV to mmas@icmab.es and e.barrena@csic.es

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025

More info in ICMAB – New PhD position: Novel materials and interfaces for the development of organic devices for NIR detection

AMatS 2025: Spain’s Advanced Materials Community Meets in Barcelona

Written by PCSI user on . Posted in Events, News.

The 4th Conference on Advanced Materials in Spain (AMatS 2025) will take place from 24th to 26th November 2025 at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), bringing together researchers, professionals, and institutions working at the forefront of advanced materials science.

Organized in part by Esther Barrena and Daniel Martin-Jimenez from the Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces group, the event will feature cutting-edge research on materials for energy, electronics, and catalysis. AMatS 2025 will begin with the InCAEM Opening Ceremony at the ALBA Synchrotron, including talks and a guided tour of the new InCAEM facilities—Spain’s latest infrastructure for in situ correlative studies of energy materials.

The program will include:

  • 3 plenary lectures, 3 invited talks, and 7 presentations by Advanced Materials Plan coordinators
  • ~50 contributed talks, flash communications, and poster sessions
  • A Gala Dinner, networking events, and a poster welcome session

This conference is a unique opportunity to explore the latest scientific trends, engage with leading experts, and connect with major institutions such as ICMAB-CSIC, ICN2, ALBA, and PIC-IFAE.

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts for oral, flash, or poster presentations.
Key dates:

  • Abstract deadline: 27 June 2025
  • Acceptance notification: 15 September 2025
  • Early registration: 1 June – 15 October 2025

📍 Venue: Auditori de Lletres, UAB
🔗 More info and registration: https://amats2025.com/

Join the Spanish advanced materials community at AMatS 2025 in Barcelona!

Welcome, Mercedes!

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We are delighted to welcome Mercedes Linares Moreau as a new postdoctoral researcher in our group, supported by the prestigious Beatriu de Pinós fellowship.

Mercedes graduated with a Licentiate in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 2013 and earned her PhD in Physics from the University of San Martín (UNSAM) in 2018. During her PhD, she studied electrical transport in mesoporous oxide thin films and metal-oxide nanocomposites, specializing in multiple Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) techniques.

From 2018 to 2021, she joined Prof. Falcaro’s group as a postdoctoral researcher, working on MOF thin films and ceramic-to-MOF conversion as part of the ERC – POPCRYSTAL project. Since 2021, she has held a Senior Scientist position at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, also within Prof. Falcaro’s group.

Her research focuses on the heteroepitaxial growth of oriented MOF films and patterns for applications in optics, sensing, and microelectronic devices. Additionally, she explores in-situ characterization of MOFs and MOF-biocomposites, aiming to develop new materials with enhanced stability and functionality for environmental and industrial applications.

We warmly welcome Mercedes and look forward to her contributions to our team. Wishing her great success in this new chapter!

Tribute to Carmen Ocal

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On February 14, a tribute to the recently retired scientist and founder of the PCSI group, Prof. Carmen Ocal, was held at the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid. Organized by the scientists Carmen Munuera (ICMM), Agustina Asenjo (ICMM), Juan de la Figuera (IQF Rocasolano) and Esther Barrena (ICMAB), the event counted with the contribution of her colleagues, students, friends and collaborators, who highlighted the important educational, research and social work of Carmen Ocal throughout her scientific career. For more information on the event:
https://www.icmab.es/tribute-to-carmen-ocal-upon-her-retirement-organized-at-icmm-csic

Shunya Yan, new doctor in the PSCI group

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On October 18, Shunya Yan defended her thesis entitled “Polymorphism in Organic Semiconductor Thin Films: A Nanoscale Investigation of Thermal and Interfacial Effects”. Her thesis work was supervised by Dr. Esther Barrena.

The members of the thesis committee were:
Dra. Carmen Munuera, ICMM, Spain
Dr. Cristian Rodríguez, ICN2, Spain
Dra. Mercedes Linares, Graz University of Technology, Austria

Shunya Yan got the highest score for her work. Congratulations!

PhD Researchers meeting (JPhD2024) at ICMAB

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The PhD student, Alba Cazorla from the PSCI group, is part of the organizing committee of the JPhD2024, which will be held at ICMAB from 27th to 29th November 2024.

JPhD2024 is aimed to exchange knowledge about scientific research from different fields, share research works and communicate among the PhD researchers of the UAB Campus in an academic and scientific environment. The meeting integrates the entire UAB research framework and is open to other institutes and universities as well.

The conference is a 2-day long in person event framed with oral presentations, poster sessions, workshops, and interesting scientific plenary talks regarding current scientific issues given by established researchers in their own fields. A visit to ALBA Synchrotron is also planned. The plenary talks are given by Albert Figuerola (IN2-UB), Cristina Fornaguera (IQS), Mariela Menghini (IMDEA), Daniel Pérez (ALBA) and Pelayo García (ICFO).

Daniel Martin awarded in outreach by the RSEF-BBVA Foundation

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The jury of the 2024 Awards of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics-BBVA Foundation has awarded physicist Daniel Martín Jiménez, from the PCSI group (ICMAB-CSIC), the prize in the category of Best Contribution to Dissemination in the publications of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics[1]. In this context, the specialist in Nanotechnology presented his work entitled “Molecular Chefs”. The jury unanimously highlighted “the originality of Daniel Martín’s article, published in the journal of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics, in presenting the fundamentals and practical application of nanotechnology. The parallelism established between nanotechnology and molecular cuisine, two fields in which Spain stands out internationally, allows the reader to become familiar with the basic procedures of these disciplines in a pleasant, close and rigorous way.

September 6, Prof. Camen Ocal retired. All the best for the new path in her life!

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On 6th September, Prof. Camen Ocal retired. She has been a research professor at ICMAB-CSIC, leading the PCSI Group since 2007. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to science, exemplifying how to conduct excellent, rigorous and honest research. Equally dedicated to promoting gender equality in science and education, she has been an inspiring role model.  She has directed the work of 12 PhD students who currently hold positions in scientific and technological centres or universities. The group is very grateful for her work during all this time, and we wish her all the best for the new path in her life!

Sept 1st Daniel Martín-Jiménez starts his MSCA-PF: GOOD LUCK and success!!

Written by Carmen Ocal on . Posted in News.

September 1st, Daniel Martin-Jimenez starts his project TORNADE, one of the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Awards for Postdoctoral Fellowships. 

We wish Daniel GOOD LUCK, fruitful job and great results!!!

TORNADE has a double objective. On the one hand establishing novel uses of SPM techniques to characterize with high resolution anisotropic organic layers for the production of more efficient organic electronic devices. That will be a feedback for optimizing the preparation methods as to obtain organic thin films with a more controllable domain distribution and enhanced electronic properties.

You can have a look to the scientific background and production of Daniel here.