NEWS
HIGHLIGHTS
ABOUT US
Clean energy and low-power electronics share a common bottleneck: how ions move through solid materials. We study ion transport in ceramics and turn this knowledge into new solid-state devices. Our devices span from the microwatt to the megawatt range.
From fundamentals to devices
We work along the whole chain, from the fundamentals to the working prototype:
- Materials and Nanoionics. We control how ions travel through oxides and across their interfaces, down to the nanoscale.
- Manufacturing. Thin films and ceramic 3D printing let us build cell designs that conventional ceramic processing cannot produce, using fewer critical raw materials.
- Characterisation and AI. We test many materials in parallel and observe them while they operate. The resulting datasets feed AI tools that speed up discovery, on the way to self-driving laboratories.
- Devices and systems. We build and test prototypes under realistic conditions, together with industrial partners.
What we build
- Ceramic fuel cells. Ceramic devices that turn hydrogen or other fuels into electricity, or electricity into hydrogen, by using oxygen ions or protons as charge carriers.
- Full-ceramic batteries. Safe, non-flammable batteries made entirely of ceramics, for sensors in industry and critical infrastructure. Besides lithium, we explore alternative chemistries such as sodium ions, oxygen ions and protons.
- Ion-driven computing. Devices that process information by moving ions, not only electrons. Like synapses in the brain, they remember their past activity. This lets them compute with ultra-low energy directly on sensors and small devices.
We combine long-term research with industrial collaboration, from mature fuel-cell technology to emerging fields such as all-solid-state energy storage, protonics and ionotronics.
The Nanoionics and Fuel Cells group at IREC, 2025. See our group page at irec.cat
OUR HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL
ATLAB was launched in 2010 as one of the first research groups at the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC). The original idea was to combine fundamental and more applied aspects of mass transport and nanoscale phenomena for developing novel solid-state energy devices. The early years were dedicated to consolidating our main research lines, creating key permanent positions and commissioning lab facilities for manufacturing and characterisation. First EU granted actions (SAPIENS in 2012 and SiNERGY in 2013) were an important boost to start a continuous growth in personnel, budget and research network. Step by step, a strong alliance with national, international and industrial partners crystallised in new opportunities, international visibility and relevant scientific and technological outputs. In particular, the coordination of the Cell3Ditor project (2016) and the funded ERC Consolidator Grant ULTRASOFC (2016) were important milestones to launch innovative independent research lines such as 3D printing of solid oxide cells and interface-dominated micropower sources, respectively. Further consolidation of the group leader position with an ICREA Professorship (2018) as well as the recognition with the “Consolidated Research Group” SGR label by the Generalitat de Catalunya (2018) are also considered turning points. At the international level, the strengthening of the group reputation took shape with the appointment to the organisation of the main European conferences for Solid State Ionics (2018 and 2020 E-MRS Spring symposium with 200+ abstracts) and Thermoelectrics (European Conference on Thermoelectrics, ECT 2022), the incorporation of our group leader to editorial boards of relevant journals (Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Elsevier, Journal of Physics: Energy, IOP) and the guest editing of special issues (Advanced Materials Interfaces or JPhysEnergy, among others). Nowadays, we are a well-established and reputed research group with a vast network of ongoing collaborations and a consolidated annual budget well above €2 million.
Research lines
Applications
Ceramic fuel cells
Ceramic cells that turn hydrogen or other fuels into electricity, or electricity into hydrogen.
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Full-oxide batteries
Safe, non-flammable batteries made entirely of oxides, for sensors and critical infrastructure.
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Ion-driven computing
Devices that store and process information by moving ions, using ultra-low energy.
Learn moreEnabling technologies
Advanced manufacturing
Thin films and ceramic 3D printing for cell designs that conventional processing cannot make.
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Accelerated research
High-throughput testing and AI tools that speed up the discovery of new materials.
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Advanced characterisation
We observe materials and devices while they operate, under realistic conditions.
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