The Group GlaSS, nominated as Group of Excellence of CSIC (included in the highest 10% of CSIC research groups), is integrated in the Glass Department of the Institute of Ceramic and Glass of CSIC. The general objective of the group is the design, processing and characterisation of glasses, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials, going from the structural features to properties (optical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, etc) and applications.

The research lines focus on topics related to glass, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials from basic research up to applications in the industrial glass sector and other final users of glassy materials. Topics connected to energy, environment and optics are the aim of most projects developed in the last 15 years.

Different materials related to optics, as laser glasses and nano glass-ceramics with photonic applications produced by melting and sol-gel, coexist with the study of phosphate and oxynitride phosphate glasses as solid electrolytes for Li-batteries or optical devices. One main field focuses on components for fuel cells (PEMFC membranes, sealing glasses and glass-ceramics for MCFC and SOFC), and solid electrolytes and electrodes for Li-batteries. Developments in protective and environmentally friendly anticorrosive coatings is a subject long developed, along with mesostructure coatings with photocatalytic activity for abatement of water or gas pollutants and solar cells.  Energy saving is other important issue with different approaches, from industrial glass furnaces to solar and heat control glasses for buildings. Archaeometry, conservation and protection of historical glass and heritage occupy a central site.

The collaboration with glass industry is one identity sign of the group. The alliance with national and international research groups and companies in the field of glass permits the group contributing in the most relevant international associations as the International Commission on Glass (ICG).

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