image: The Universitat Jaume I of Castelló launched in September a leading project on advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries based on the innovative “Polymer-in-Ceramic” concept, a hybrid of both materials with high rigidity and strength, either compact or porous and machinable. This will allow the ceramics industry to explore new avenues for diversification with added-value products and will promote the transfer of knowledge to the emerging regional energy storage industry. The study,“Future advanced 3D printing of polymer-in-ceramic solid electrolytes for all-solid-state metal batteries (PICASSO)”, which will be developed over four years and has received over half a million euros from the Prometeo 2025 call for excellence research groups–CIPROM 2024, will be coordinated by full professors Antonio Barba Juan (Research Unit “Innovative Ceramic Materials for Energetic Applications”, Department of Chemical Engineering) and Germà García Belmonte (Electrocatalysis and Energy Group, Institute of Advanced Materials –INAM), in collaboration with the Electricity, Electronics and Automation Group (EEA). The research team will develop advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries using state-of-the-art additive manufacturing techniques, such as ultraviolet stereolithography, aimed at producing these composite materials, a mixture of ceramic materials and photopolymers. This approach will allow precise control of the composite’s internal microstructure to maximize lithium-ion diffusion, reduce unwanted electronic conductivity, and minimize interfacial resistance with the electrodes, enhancing battery efficiency and lifespan. In a second phase, the PICASSO project will implement a rigorous battery testing and characterization protocol, evaluating electrical and operational parameters throughout the full service life using techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and computer simulations. The goal is to obtain comprehensive diagnostics that lay the groundwork for future industrial transfer of these devices.
Credit: Universitat Jaume I of Castellón
The Universitat Jaume I of Castelló launched in September a leading project on advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries based on the innovative “Polymer-in-Ceramic” concept, a hybrid of both materials with high rigidity and strength, either compact or porous and machinable. This will allow the ceramics industry to explore new avenues for diversification with added-value products and will promote the transfer of knowledge to the emerging regional energy storage industry.
The study,“Future advanced 3D printing of polymer-in-ceramic solid electrolytes for all-solid-state metal batteries (PICASSO)”, which will be developed over four years and has received over half a million euros from the Prometeo 2025 call for excellence research groups–CIPROM 2024, will be coordinated by full professors Antonio Barba Juan (Research Unit “Innovative Ceramic Materials for Energetic Applications”, Department of Chemical Engineering) and Germà García Belmonte (Electrocatalysis and Energy Group, Institute of Advanced Materials –INAM), in collaboration with the Electricity, Electronics and Automation Group (EEA).
The research team will develop advanced solid electrolytes for lithium and sodium metal batteries using state-of-the-art additive manufacturing techniques, such as ultraviolet stereolithography, aimed at producing these composite materials, a mixture of ceramic materials and photopolymers. This approach will allow precise control of the composite’s internal microstructure to maximize lithium-ion diffusion, reduce unwanted electronic conductivity, and minimize interfacial resistance with the electrodes, enhancing battery efficiency and lifespan.
In a second phase, the PICASSO project will implement a rigorous battery testing and characterization protocol, evaluating electrical and operational parameters throughout the full service life using techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and computer simulations. The goal is to obtain comprehensive diagnostics that lay the groundwork for future industrial transfer of these devices.
This ambitious project results from the integration of knowledge from typically independent scientific fields: ceramic processing, electrochemistry for energy storage, and advanced mathematical modeling. This multidisciplinary collaboration enables addressing the complete process, from material sintering to final device validation, focusing especially on the competitiveness and sustainability of future batteries.
One of the project’s objectives will be to apply the acquired knowledge to the ceramics sector for the study and development of various added-value products, aiming to promote diversification of this traditional industry, which has a high technological maturity and requires innovation in both products and processes. Furthermore, diversification will strengthen its competitiveness, technological development, and productivity.
The emerging regional energy storage industry may also benefit from the project’s results. Providing the sector and companies with highly qualified professionals, new knowledge, and technical solutions from viable chemistry developed in this region will reinforce their commitment to the territory and enhance their positioning nationally and across Europe.
Inaugural Lecture
One of the project coordinators, Antonio Barba, delivered the inaugural lecture of the 2025–2026 academic year at the UJI. Under the title “Transforming matter: a view from chemical engineering”, the professor presented advances in innovative techniques such as cold sintering, which significantly reduces energy consumption and emissions in ceramic material production, highlighting its potential in strategic areas such as solid-state lithium-ion batteries, essential for the future of energy storage and the transition to a more sustainable model.
The full professor of Chemical Engineering emphasised that this discipline “goes beyond the traditional chemical industry” because its principles apply to any industrial process where matter is transformed, highlighting the importance of research and knowledge transfer to contribute to the economic and social progress of the region.
Video: Opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 academic year at the Universitat Jaume I (12-09-2025) (from minute 30:40 to 59:55).