Over the past years, the Silicon and New Concepts for Solar Cells (SyNC) group at the Instituto de Energía Solar (IES), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has participated in MAD2D-CM — “Two-dimensional (2D) disruptive materials for the new technological transformation”. With the project now completed, this post offers a brief, public summary of the initiative and points to selected outputs produced during the project.
IES and the SyNC group
IES research spans the full photovoltaic value chain: from foundational materials science (new materials for next-generation solar cells) to device engineering, and all the way to the design, commissioning, and operation of multimegawatt solar power plants. The institute’s multidisciplinary environment brings together expertise in physics, materials science, engineering, and chemistry, and also explores PV applications in vehicles and energy storage, as well as broader societal challenges of large-scale solar deployment.
More about IES: https://blogs.upm.es/ies/
What was MAD2D?
MAD2D-CM is a project framed within the Plan Complementario (Advanced Materials) in the Community of Madrid. It is co-funded by the Comunidad de Madrid and by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, under Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). Its overarching goal is to advance the study of nanomaterials with advanced functionalities—including graphene and other 2D materials, smart materials, and nanostructured materials—with potential impact in strategic sectors such as energy, environment, electronics, ICT, and health.
The work combines:
- Design, preparation, and processing of materials and devices
- Experimental characterization and theoretical modelling of physical/chemical properties
- Application development and technology-oriented demonstrations
Activities are organized around several coordinated research lines, including Graphene & other 2D materials, Materials for Energy & Environment, and Smart materials, with an additional emphasis on integration and collaboration across the ecosystem (academia, research institutes, technology centers, and industry).
MAD2D was developed as a multi-partner consortium coordinated by Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), with participation from UPM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), IMDEA Nanociencia, and IMDEA Materiales.
SyNC @ IES within MAD2D
Within MAD2D, the SyNC group contributed from the perspective of photovoltaic device concepts and advanced absorbers, aligned with our research line on 2D-material-based solar energy conversion. Our work connects materials innovation with device physics, exploring how ultrathin and nanostructured semiconductors can enable new PV functionalities (e.g., lightweight and semitransparent devices) and complementary energy-related applications.
Beyond SyNC/IES, other UPM teams also contributed to MAD2D, including the Grupo de Dispositivos Semiconductores (ISOM):
https://www.upm.es/recursosidi/map/grupo-de-dispositivos-semiconductores-del-isom/
Selected links and outputs from the project
Below is a short, non-exhaustive list of project-related resources and publications (we will update it as needed):
Selected publications
- Organic solar cells: Principles, materials, and working mechanism
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359029424001110 - High Conductivity and Thermoelectric Power Factor in p-Type MoS₂ Nanosheets
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsaem.4c02932 - Photovoltaic windows based on ultrathin transition-metal dichalcogenides: Natural indoor illumination spectra and energy-saving potential
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211285524012357 - Breaking Barriers in Chalcogenide Perovskite Synthesis: A Generalized Framework for Fabrication of BaMS₃ (M═Ti, Zr, Hf) Materials
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202405416 - SbSeI and SbSeBr micro-columnar solar cells by a novel high pressure-based synthesis process
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2023/ta/d3ta03179a
