In a world that is closing in Electrification of vehiclesOne of the big problems that still needs to be solved is that of Battery management. In particular, it is about how to extend their lives and how to make them safe. He will work on this for the next five years. Miguel Muñoz Rojo, A researcher from Murcia preparing to find a solution to reduce the temperature reached by the batteries. To carry out this technological revolution, Miguel Muñoz RojoMember of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM), has received a prestigious European grant of two million euros that will allow him to work on this project for five years.
“How can we develop a material that… dynamically change their thermal properties and can change from a conductor to an insulatoror vice versa?” This is the question with which Muñoz Rojo begins the project that he has been working on in centers for several years International such as Stanford University (USA) or the University of Twente (Holland); Thanks to this funding, you can now give your search an important boost.

Technically speaking, the Murcian scientist is being asked to formulate a “Advanced battery thermal management “using solid-state thermal modulators,” according to a statement from the ICMM. In more general language, the researcher uses an analogy with electricity: “We know that we have transistors, diodes or switches to control them,” he emphasizes. However, when it comes to heat, semiconductor devices to handle this energy are mainly limited to resistors and capacitors.
For this reason, the researcher wants to “develop more advanced devices, such as: Switches, modulators or thermotransistorsyes,” he says.
Longer and safer batteries
To achieve this, learn together with your team “relatively new” materials, metallic carbides (MXenes): “We will exploit the properties of these materials to develop an electrochemical thermomodulator.” The researcher explains that this new modulator or thermal switch will offer advanced functionalities and enable its application in technologies related to thermal management.
And yes, the most important thing Application will be batteries: “By allowing the batteries to operate almost isothermally, you improve their functioning and extend their useful life,” emphasizes the scientist, recalling that this is the key to the electrification of the future, “in which batteries will play an important role. ” to a greener world“.
Specifically, he points out: “A battery operating at 60°C can suffer a 20% loss of capacity in just 600 cycles.” The same battery would only have a 4% degradation at 25°C“And be careful, it’s not just a question of durability, but also of Securityas reducing the temperature can prevent deterioration that leads to battery explosion.
The financing obtained by this Murcian comes from a highly competitive competition, which means that this project It’s not science fiction. Are the Consolidation grants from the European Research Council (ERC), grants to support researchers consolidating their own team or independent research program. Spain with 23 projectsIn this edition, together with France, it ranks third in the number of scholarships awarded, behind Germany (66 projects) and the Netherlands (36).
A total of 308 projects were selected in this edition more than 2,100 applications.