New useful materials for a better society
![](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/estimuls-extres.webp)
![](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/prop-transicions-fase.webp)
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- Harnessing energy exchanges for cooling, heating, energy harvesting and storage devices.
- Predicting the fracture of structural materials under mechanical stresses.
Projects
![martafernandez-230313-0199-ub-fisica-laboratori-23051-M-retoc](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/martafernandez-230313-0199-ub-fisica-laboratori-23051-M-retoc.jpg)
PROD2023 TWISTER
Prototype of TWISTocaloric cooler with Energy Recovery based on natural rubber
2024-2025
![martafernandez-230313-0055-ub-fisica-laboratori-23051-M-retoc](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/martafernandez-230313-0055-ub-fisica-laboratori-23051-M-retoc.jpg)
PID2022 ARTIFAQS
Avalanche Regimes and Transitions In Ferroics as Analogs for Quasiplanar Systems
2024-2025
![pid2020-acmuma-img](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/pid2020-acmuma-img.webp)
PID2020 ACMUMA
Advanced Caloric and Multicaloric Materials for Efficient and Clean Refrigeration
2022-2025
![ted-2021-rubcool-img](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ted-2021-rubcool-img.webp)
TED2021 RUBCOOL
Mechanocaloric refrigerators based on natural rubber
2022-2024
![PCI2022-COOL-BATMAN-img](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/PCI2022-COOL-BATMAN-img.webp)
M-ERA.NET 2021 COOL BATMAN
Battery Thermal Management System Based on High Power Density Digital Microfluidic Magnetocaloric Cooling
2022-2025
![lav-2021-elastocool-img](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/lav-2021-elastocool-img.webp)
LLAV2021 ELASTOCOOL
Prototype of elastocaloric cooling device
2022-2023
Finished
To carry out its research activity, the group has human and technical resources:
A team of professionals with expertise in Condensed Matter Physics and in the behaviour of Complex Systems.
Collaborations with other national and international research groups.
A laboratory with experimental equipment for materials research, in constant development.
Team
![Antoni Planes Vila](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-antoni-planes-23318-S.jpg)
Antoni Planes Vila
Full Professor
![Lluís Mañosa Carrera](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-llui-s-man-osa-23318-S.jpg)
Lluís Mañosa Carrera
Full Professor
![Teresa Castán Vidal](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-teresa-castan-23318-S.jpg)
Teresa Castán Vidal
Full Professor
![Eduard Vives Santa-Eulalia](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-eduard-vives-23318-S.jpg)
Eduard Vives Santa-Eulalia
Full Professor
![Marcel Porta Tena](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-marcel-porta-23318-S.jpg)
Marcel Porta Tena
Associate Professor
![Jordi Baró Urbea](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-jordi-baro-23318-S.jpg)
Jordi Baró Urbea
Lecturer Professor - Serra Húnter
![Blai Casals Montserrat](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/blai-casals-foto.jpg)
Blai Casals Montserrat
Lecturer Professor
![Enric Stern Taulats](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-enric-stern-23318-S.jpg)
Enric Stern Taulats
Postdoctoral researcher - Juan de la Cierva - Incorporation
![Eduardo Mendive Tapia](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-eduardo-mendive-23318-S.jpg)
Eduardo Mendive Tapia
Postdoctoral Researcher - Marie Sklodowska-Curie
![institut-nanociencia-nanotecnologia-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/institut-nanociencia-nanotecnologia-logo.webp)
![ubics-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ubics-logo.webp)
![universitat-barcelona-fisica-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/universitat-barcelona-fisica-logo.webp)
News
![](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Premis-Consell-Social-i-FBG_guanyadors-2023.jpg)
Adrià Gràcia has been awarded the Ramon Margalef Award from the Consell Social i de la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera for his work “A multicaloric cooling cycle that exploits thermal hysteresis” published in Nature Materials
![](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-antoni-planes-23318-S.jpg)
Conference “Phase Transitions in Materials: Homage to the 70th Anniversary of Prof. Antoni Planes”. Faculty of Physics UB, Barcelona (22/09/2023)
![](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Actualitat_2_ranquing_Best_Scientist_Lluis.png)
In the Best Scientist ranking there are PDI from the Faculty of Physics, such as #LiciaVerde, #RobertoEmparán or Lluís Mañosa.
![generalitat-catalunya-departament-recerca-universitats-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/generalitat-catalunya-departament-recerca-universitats-logo.png)
![ministerio-cinecia-innovacion-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ministerio-cinecia-innovacion-logo.png)
![unio-europea-fons-europeu-desenvolupament-regional](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/unio-europea-fons-europeu-desenvolupament-regional.png)
![agencia-ajuts-universitaris-i-recerca-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/agencia-ajuts-universitaris-i-recerca-logo.png)
![bosch-i-gimpera-logo](https://www.ub.edu/functionalmaterials/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/bosch-i-gimpera-logo.jpg)
functionalmaterials@ub.edu