The Centro de Física de Materiales (The Center for Materials Physics, CFM) is a joint centre between CSIC and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), which is devoted to promote cutting-edge research on advanced nanomaterials, focusing on the study of experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics. Its main research topics include the description of the electronic, magnetic, optical, and vibrational properties of nanostructures, biomolecules, surfaces, and solids.
One of the research groups at CFM is the Ceramic and Cement-Based Materials (C2M), which is fully involved in the goals of the LTC Green Concrete. Combining knowledge from different disciplines like solid-state physics, soft-matter physics, geochemistry and chemical engineering, the “Ceramic and Cement-based Materials” group focuses on the computational design and synthesis of new ceramic and cement-based materials with lower CO2 fingerprint. Among its different lines of research, they are worth mentioning:
- The use of atomistic and colloidal simulations to study the structure and properties of materials.
- The implementation of new hydrothermal and supercritical fluids (SCF) technologies for the ultra-fast synthesis of ceramic nanoparticles.
- The development of new sintering methodologies through the use of autoclaves or microwaves that allow notable energy saving and a drastic reduction of CO2 emission.
- The development of new cement-based materials for energy storage applications.
- The design and development of photonic meta-concretes (PMC) for applications in buildings, solar cells or telecommunications.