Principal Investigator:
Sixto Giménez
Beatriz Julian-Lopez
The main interest of the group is to develop advanced luminescent nanomaterials, including both inorganic and hybrid organic–inorganic materials, with tailored structure and properties, for applications in photonics, energy, ceramics and catalysis. The team has a broad expertise in the design, synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials based on metal oxides, metal halides and hybrid organic-inorganic siloxanes, by using Soft-Chemistry routes and self-assembly strategies. Our current efforts focus on developing smart systems integrating lanthanide ions, due to their unique optical properties (up- and down-conversion, energy transfer, cooperative effects, etc…), but also on optical absorbers and emitting materials such as mixed metal transition oxides or hybrid halide perovskites for solar fuels, photoelectrocatalysis and displays. Specific lines of research:
- Adv. Mat.for light emission.
- Soft chemistry synthesis (sol-gel, solvothermal, microwave, etc.) and structural characterization of luminescent hierarchical nanostructures.
- Fundamental understanding of the solution chemistry and mechanisms of formation of nanocrystals and nanostructured materials.
- Design of systems with tailored properties, in terms of chemical behaviour, nanostructure and luminescence. In particular, materials with up-conversion, down-conversion, down-shifting and energy transfer processes coupled with other functional properties.
- Develop functional materials able to be integrated in different media such as polymers, glasses, ceramics or hybrid organic-inorganic coatings, for their application in the fields of energy conversion, integrated optics, lighting and displays, photo-(electro)catalysis, bioimaging, or security applications.
- Industrial Innovation and Technology Transfer
The group has been involved in industrial projects on luminescent materials as markers for sustainable plastics recycling and anti-fraud in connection with a regional funding program (AVI). Some of the materials developed are under study with companies for further deployment.
