Miguel Muñoz Rojo, a researcher at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant, a prestigious and highly competitive funding scheme from the European Research Council (ERC). These grants are designed to support the validation and commercialization of innovative ideas that emerge from ERC-funded research projects.

After previously receiving €2 million to develop thermal modulators aimed at improving battery performance, Muñoz Rojo will now use these advanced materials to create thermal barriers for sensitive electronics. The technology is intended to protect the components of various types of sensors that operate under significant temperature fluctuations. According to the researcher, even minor changes in temperature can reduce the sensitivity and performance of such devices.

Current solutions typically focus on overall cooling systems but fail to effectively block so-called thermal bridges, which are often responsible for localized performance issues. “No existing technology offers a lightweight, integrable, and durable thermal barrier,” Muñoz Rojo explains. His new ERC-funded project, supported with €150,000, aims to address this challenge.

The work of Muñoz Rojo’s research group, Energy2Devices, focuses on the growth and characterization of thermal properties at the nanoscale of a novel class of materials known as MXenes. These atomically thin, two-dimensional materials, similar to graphene and first discovered in 2011, have attracted considerable attention due to their exceptional properties and potential applications, particularly in energy storage technologies.

At the nanoscale, MXenes exhibit highly attractive thermal characteristics, acting as outstanding thermal insulators. “After studying these materials at a fundamental level through the ERC Consolidator Grant, we are now ready to exploit them for the development of thermal barriers,” says Muñoz Rojo. The results of the group’s previous research have already led to a patent that will now serve as the foundation for the development of an industrial prototype.

Innovation for Society

The project benefits from a collaborative ecosystem involving several companies that have already expressed interest in both the implementation of the prototype and the provision of industrial guidance. Its relevance is further strengthened by the participation of Thermaflux, an international start-up founded by Muñoz Rojo with the involvement of CSIC and the University of Twente in the Netherlands, where he previously worked. Although only a few months old, Thermaflux has already secured more than €150,000 through various competitive funding programs.

Through this start-up, the team will be able to advance both the scientific and commercial aspects of the technology. Fundamental research will continue at the laboratories of the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), while innovation, product development, and commercialization efforts will be carried out through Thermaflux.

The project also includes the recruitment of a new postdoctoral researcher, who will join the existing team of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in Muñoz Rojo’s group. The researcher emphasizes that the achievement would not have been possible without the contributions of his team. He particularly highlights the work of Rem Elnahas, whose short doctoral research stay led to significant advances in the project.

Over the next 18 months, the team will focus on transforming the technology into a practical solution with near-term applications. “Our preliminary results demonstrate both the feasibility and scalability of our approach,” concludes Muñoz Rojo.

Link to the news article on the ICMM-CSIC website:https://www.icmm.csic.es/en/noticias/miguel-munoz-rojo-obtiene-una-erc-proof-concept-para-desarrollar-proteccion-termica-para 

"Thank you all, both at CSIC headquarters and at ICMM, for the support provided throughout this process. I am very pleased to contribute to the growth of this institution with this prestigious project, and I hope it will yield good scientific results.” This is how Miguel Muñoz Rojo (Murcia, 1987), a researcher at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid, announced that he had been awarded one of the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grants. It was early November, and the earthquake (and its consequences) had begun.

Now it is time for this researcher’s project, THERMO2DEAL, to get underway. Lately, the scientist hardly stops for a minute, although he handles everything with a constant smile. There are many documents to sign, paths to set in motion, first steps to plan, and of course, work—lots of work. We speak with him on a day when he manages to sit down for a few minutes.

The project you will work on thanks to the ERC Consolidator Grant focuses on heat management. Why is this important?

Some of the major challenges of our society are related to the consumption, dissipation, and loss of energy. Proper heat management is essential to help overcome these challenges. Better heat management allows us to improve technological applications such as electronics or caloric systems, and to make energy storage or recovery processes more efficient.

What do you propose in this area?

To advance in the field of heat management, we need to equip it with new tools. More specifically, in the field of materials, solid-state thermal devices are currently limited to resistors and capacitors. This contrasts strongly with the richness of electronic devices available to us, where, in addition to these elements, we can also find components such as transistors, switches, or diodes. We are currently experiencing a thermal renaissance in which several groups worldwide are trying to develop these devices. In recent years, I have devoted much of my research to developing and studying several of these devices. My vision is to contribute to a new era of thermal control through the development of new thermal devices that enhance our capabilities for energy management, storage, and recovery.

What are the first steps you are going to take?

This ERC will allow me to create a research group to develop a solid-state thermal modulator that dynamically manages the temperature of a battery. Through this new thermal device, temperature fluctuations in the battery will be avoided, improving both its performance and its lifespan.

You have been working on this proposal for several years. How would you describe the process?

I would say it is a challenge. It is a highly demanding European call, which requires sacrifice and perseverance. Throughout the process, you improve and become more resilient. The work of scientists in obtaining funding is not always rewarded, which generates a lot of frustration. Very interesting proposals are always left along the way. However, I believe we must learn to enjoy the journey—and not only the goal—and have faith that sooner or later, in one way or another, we will be able to carry out the idea we have worked so hard on.

Your time at international universities and research centres has been essential to achieve this. What did each of them bring you?

The seed of this proposal emerged at Stanford University, when I worked there as a postdoctoral researcher. My experience at Stanford allowed me to live in a unique knowledge “bubble” and to learn how American campuses work. In the Netherlands, when I worked as a professor at the University of Twente, I was able to put that idea on paper. The Dutch taught me their strong management and leadership skills. It was after joining CSIC that the proposal became successful. Returning to CSIC is always a mark of quality, and it is an ideal place to develop my ERC. Throughout all these stages, there were always scientists, professors, and advisors who supported me and gave me feedback, to whom I am very grateful.

You still maintain a relationship with the University of Twente. What is it like?

When I decided to return to Spain, the thermal engineering department at the University of Twente looked for ways to continue collaborating. At that time, I obtained a project from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) as principal investigator, which provided the perfect basis to maintain that cooperation. In this project on heat management in batteries, I coordinate several Dutch researchers and companies that are part of the consortium, including Philips, Thales, InnoEnergy, and VDL. This collaboration will run until the end of 2027, and we hope to extend it afterwards.

What would you say your international and European profile brings to this kind of funding call?

In addition to working at the universities mentioned before, I have had the privilege of studying and working during my career at research centres and universities in Berlin, London, Bordeaux, and New York. All of this has allowed me to broaden my perspective, gaining a global outlook through cooperation with people from multiple cultures and learning about research centres with different ways of working. Academic growth leads to improvement as a scientist while also enabling better understanding and management of multidisciplinary and international teams.

How do you connect your laboratory work with keeping a vision of what industry needs and the international state of the field?

Companies need researchers who can provide them with creative solutions to the problems they face. On the other hand, research institutes and universities need companies to understand the real challenges we are closest to and to stay active in the needs most relevant to society. Maintaining and expanding this industry–research ecosystem is essential to staying at the forefront of technological development and innovation. It is important for companies to trust researchers in this country, and for us to build relationships of trust with them, so as to establish the foundations for future joint projects.

How do you approach your international partnerships in this regard?

International cooperation is essential for innovation. Learning from abroad bears fruit when applied in a creative, cooperative, and multidisciplinary way, always relying on solid existing knowledge and on colleagues whose complementary contributions help ensure the success of the project.

Let’s talk a bit about the person behind the scientist. I imagine spending four years working on a project without knowing if it will succeed is very draining. What would you say is the trick?

The trick is balance. Life, like a professional career, is not always a bed of roses. Many of the circumstances along the way cannot be controlled, but how we manage them depends on us. Developing good emotional intelligence to enjoy life as much as possible helps reduce that strain and ensures that professional success is not an end in itself.

Family support must be essential in these cases.

Family is everything. They are our most important travel companions and those with whom we should enjoy the journey. They share our successes and are our support during difficulties.

What lessons have you learned from this whole process?

I believe in a culture of effort and perseverance, guided by generosity and professional ethics as the fundamental basis for achieving our goals. If the goal is not achieved, it should not be seen as failure but as a learning opportunity. In the field of scientific proposals, that effort is generally rewarded by the system in some way. Maintaining faith in developing the idea we have conceived must be our driving force.

Would you be able to give any advice to someone who wants to apply for an ERC or another highly competitive grant?

The most important thing is the generation of a highly innovative idea. It is essential to discuss it with colleagues in the field and compare it with the current literature in order to refine the details and improve it. It is also important to be well established in the field and to generate preliminary data to ensure the success of the project.

Link to the news on the ICMM-CSIC website: https://www.icmm.csic.es/en/actualidad-y-divulgacion/miguel-munoz-rojo-es-importante-que-las-empresas-confien-en-los