Neus Sabaté

Neus Sabaté

Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona - Centre Nacional de Microelectrònica

Engineering Sciences

I obtained my Degree in Physics in 1998 at the University of Barcelona (UB). After that, I joined UB Electronics Dep. to develop ionizing radiation detectors. After that I stayed at the LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse, where I discovered my passion for silicon-based microsystems (MEMS) technologies. In 1999, I started my PhD at the Microelectronics Institute of Barcelona (CSIC) where I developed silicon-based flow and gas sensors for industrial applications. After the obtaining of my PhD, in 2004 I joined the IZM Fraunhofer in Berlin where I played a key role in the development of a new technique for stress measurements in thin films for the microelectronics industry. In 2006 I started a research line in silicon microfabricated fuel cells at IMB-CSIC that has evolved until the biodegradable electrochemical power sources I develop today. In 2015 I founded the spin-off Fuelium, aimed to commercialize disposable paper batteries for single use applications, and became ICREA Professor.


Research interests

Since 2006, I have focused on the development of microfuel cells, with the final goal of integrating them within microdevices requiring power autonomy. After many years of development using silicon-related technologies I decided to approach printed electronics technology that allows to build devices entirely made of polymer-based and paper materials at a very competitive cost. The main goal of my research line is to obtain single-use electrochemical power sources that can provide with power autonomy the new generation of single use smart devices while being environmentally friendly. The creation of greener electronic devices to decrease the global electronic waste is one of the key aspects that drives my research. Moreover, I am highly motivated in transferring the devices I create to the "real world" in order to contribute to the enhancement of the industrial local ecosystem.

Selected publications

- Sailapu, Sunil Kumar; Macchia, Eleonora; Merino-Jimenez, Irene; Pablo Esquivel, Juan; Sarcina, Lucia; Scamarcio, G.; Minteer, Shelley D.; Torsi, Luisa; Sabate, Neus 2020, 'Standalone operation of an EGOFET for ultra-sensitive detection of HIV', Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 156, 112103.

- Sailapu, Sunil Kumar; Kraikaew, Pitchnaree; Sabate, Neus; Bakker, Eric 2020, 'Self-Powered Potentiometric Sensor Transduction to a Capacitive Electronic Component for Later Readout', Acs Sensors, 5, 9, 2909 - 2914.  

- Anna Llorella, Marina Navarro-Segarra, Irene Merino-Jiménez, Juan Pablo Esquivel & Neus Sabaté 2020, 'Electro-fluidic timer for event control in paper-based devices' Microfluidics and Nanofluidics 24, 1, 10.

- Ortega, Laura; Llorella, Anna; Pablo Esquivel, Juan; Sabate, Neus 2020, 'Paper-Based Batteries as Conductivity Sensors for Single-Use Applications', ACS Sensors, 5, 6, 1743 - 1749.

- Navarro-Segarra, M., Alday, P.P., Garcia, D.,Ibrahim, O.A., Kjeang, E., Sabaté, N., Esquivel, J.P. 2020, 'An Organic Redox Flow Cell‐Inspired Paper‐Based Primary Battery´, Chem Sus Chem, vol 13(9), pp. 2394–2401.

- Perla Patricia Alday, Sandra Cerqueira Barros, Raquel Alves, J. M. S. S. Esperança, Marina Navarro-Segarra, Neus Sabaté, Maria Manuela Silva & Juan Pablo Esquivel 2020, ´Biopolymer Electrolyte Membranes (BioPEMs) for sustainable primary redox batteries', Advanced Sustainable Systems',  1900110.    


Selected research activities

Patent applications

  1. Self-powered energy transfer for potentiometric sensor  (EP20194360 03/09/2020)
  2. Passive event detection device. (P202030949  18/09/2020)

Awards

  • Finalist of the EU Women Innovators 2020 Award (Main Category)
  • Premio Física, Innovación y Tecnología 2020 de la Real Sociedad de Física Española
  • Premi a la Innovació Tecnològica 2020 de la Fundació de Dones Emprenedores FIDEM