Nokia issued what could be a truly revolutionary patent: a self-charging graphene-based photon battery, capable of being printed on flexible substrates.

The patent describes a battery that can regenerate itself immediately after discharge through continuous chemical reactions, without an external energy input. The result is an energy autonomous device. The battery uses humid air for the purpose of recharging and be made highly transparent.

Graphene-info conducted an interview with Catharina Paukner on the company’s latest developments and plans for the future yielded enlightening facts, figures and projections.

Cambridge Nanosystems was spun-off from the University of Cambridge last year with with an aim to supply graphene and SWCNT materials. The company recently started building a 5-yearly ton graphene factory with the help of a £500,000 grant from the Technology Strategy Board. The new factory is due to open in 2015.

Researchers from Cambridge University, together with a team from Beijing Institute of Technology, developed a unique multifunctional graphene and sulphur electrode that combines an energy storage unit and an electron/ion transfer system.

The electrode uses a metal organic framework (MOF) as a 'template' to produce a conductive porous carbon cage. Sulphur within the cage acts as the host and each sulphur-carbon nanoparticle acts as an energy storage unit. Graphene is wrapped around the sulphur electrode to speed the transfer of ions and electrons. The electrode is regarded as holding great promise, providing a way of both enhancing the use of sulphur and improving the cycle stability of batteries.

December was a big month for new graphene products, with three of them announced by two different companies. HEAD launched a line of skis that features graphene. Their new Joy line for women boasts several models of skis, enhanced with graphene. The company states that graphene enables them to reduce weight while increasing the product's strength. Graphene will be used in the midsection of the groomer ski category to allow heavier tip and tail of the ski to grip the snow, and in powder boards graphene was used in the tip and tail to allow the ski to float through the fluff.

The skis are already for sale on Amazon.com, and are around 20% more expensive than fiberglass or carbon ones. Head also claims a line of graphene-enhanced men's skis is on its way, but with no timetable to speak of.

Catlike, a Spanish sports equipment company, launched a 2015 line of graphene-enhanced cycling shoes called Whisper. The company declares this line a product of intensive R&D that created successful fusion of materials like carbon, graphene and nylon to maximize quality and performance. The company’s graphene-enhanced products include several models intended for different purposes, like road cycling shoes, triathlon shoes and mountain biking shoes.

Catlike also uses graphene to produce cycling helmets, in a line called Mixino 2014. The company states that graphene allows improving the helmet's safety features, as well as reaching minimum volume and weight and increase ventilation. The Mixino helmet has a robust inner skeleton, made in the shape of an aramid skeleton (Aramid Roll Cage) which has been treated with graphene in its polymer matrix. This increases the entire mechanical performance and improves impact energy absorption. The Mixino line includes several models, among them Mixino Road, Mixino MTB, Mixino VD2.0 and more. Amazon already sells these helmets.

Graphene 3D Lab announced signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Boots Industries, a Canadian 3D printer manufacturer. Graphene 3D Lab intends to purchase all Boots Industries assets and hire a team of Boots Industries in an all-share transaction estimated at $500,000 CAD.

Graphene 3D Lab plans to create a proprietary 3D printer with the capability of printing functional and electronic devices and optimized to maximize performance of Graphene 3D functional printing materials. Boots Industries was founded in 2012 in Quebec city, and is now a leading member of the Canadian 3D printing market. Their BI V2.0 large-volume 3D printer is considered rather successful and the company is working on furthering their latest BI V2.5 model.

According to a report from a Chinese website, The Spanish Graphenano, along with the University of Cordoba and Grabat Energy, developed a polymeric graphene battery, especially suited for electric cars, that will be cheaper and lighter than conventional batteries and will run 1000km on a 10 minute charge. Graphenano claims that this revolutionary battery will be put into production in 2015.

Polymeric batteries can have a longer lifetime compared to conventional hybrid ones (up to four times!) and due to graphene's light weight, the battery itself will be light enough to improve the electric car's fuel efficiency. This battery is even supposed to be 77% cheaper than lithium batteries, and it is rumored that prototypes have already been sent to several German car manufacturers, which at this time remain undisclosed.

Make sure to read our latest article on graphene oxide, an interesting material with many possibilities that is worth learning more about. This article is a Graphene-Info independent piece, especially designed to provide an introduction to the material and an informative market status.

2014 is nearing its end, which made the Graphene-Info team feel a bit nostalgic. So here are the leading stories of the past year, ranked by popularity among readers. We wish all our readers a wonderful 2015!

1. Is Tesla developing a graphene-enhanced Li-Ion battery?
2. Interview with Angstron Materials' head of marketing and business development
3. Graphene 3D Lab aims to have commercial graphene-based 3D printing materials in 6 months
4. UK's Perpetuus enters the graphene market
5. Graphene enable Italy's Vittoria to launch the world's fastest bicycle wheels
6. Electrons in a graphene superlattice behave like in no other material
7. Samsung announces a breakthrough large-area graphene synthesis process
8. Phosphorene, a new 2D material is a native p-type semiconductor
9. Rebar graphene (CNT-Graphene hybrid) is better than CVD graphene, easier to manufacture
10. Haydale to raise $16 million via London IPO