Graphene water treatment company raises £4 million
Arvia, a UK-based water and wastewater treatment company, has secured £4 million in its latest round of investment funding. The company developed its own graphene-based proprietary material called Nyex which removes organics, contaminants and micro-pollutants from wastewater and is regenerated in-situ in the novel organics destruction cell (ODC) process. The technology was spun-out of Manchester University’s School of Chemical Engineering.

Graphene helps in creating square ice at room temperature
An international team of researchers created a transparent nanosized graphene capillary to investigate the atomic structure of water trapped inside. They found that it is likely that square ice is very common on the molecular scale and present at the tip of many microscopic crack or pore in any material. The scientists explained that microscopic cracks are present everywhere, not only on this planet. So understanding that water on a nanoscale behaves so differently from the common bulk water is important for better understanding of materials.

Graphene improves Alumina properties
The Spanish Graphenea, along with Russian and Spanish collaborators, showed that adding graphene to alumina improves the ceramic's wear resistance and decreases friction. The result is expected to soon find uses in real products, as graphene and its derivatives seem to be biocompatible and in addition carry a low cost.

Haydale increases graphene inks manufacturing capability and processing capabilities
Haydale recently ordered an additional significantly larger reactor, the HD200, as well as three Rotovac HD60 units for delivery by the end of June. The company also announced a new 230 m2 dedicated manufacturing area at its South Wales, UK facility to keep up with rapidly growing demand for these groundbreaking materials.

Talga Resources to construct a graphene pilot line in Germany
Talga Resources announced its plan to construct a graphene demonstration plant in central Germany. The plant is to produce between 100 t/y and 200 t/y of graphene, with feedstock sourced from Talga’s Swedish projects.

Rice scientists find simple ways to control graphene QDs from coal
Rice researchers have found a way to engineer coal GQDs for specific semiconducting properties in two separate processes. The researchers' work demonstrates precise control over the graphene oxide dots' band gap, the very property that makes them semiconductors.

Alabama Graphite finds graphene flakes on its property
Alabama Graphite announced that it has found naturally occurring flake graphene at its Coosa Property in Alabama, USA. The graphene was obtained using an innovative and cost effective process.

XG Sciences demonstrates impressive silicon graphene anode material
The American XG Sciences demonstrated full battery cell cycle stability, through more than 400 charge/discharge cycles, with a charge storage capacity of 600 mAh/gram over a broad voltage window in its next generation silicon graphene anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Graphene acts as a perfect separator in a novel light utilization device
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IIS) designed a device based on graphene and metal nanoparticles that shows a significant response to light and is colour sensitive. This may be greatly beneficial for applications like ultra-sensitive photodetectors and efficient solar cells.

Caltech scientists claim novel way to make graphene fast, well and at room temperature
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology announce themselves the first to invent a technique that will allow fast, room-temperature production of long sheets of high-quality graphene. They also say the process is scalable, fast and results in good quality graphene. Until now, Caltech scientists have grown 1 centimeter graphene squares but plan to grow them to up to 4 inch. They will explore adding different molecules and compounds for varying effects.

Preheating gas precursors enhances CVD graphene production
Researchers from Israel's Bar Ilan University discovered that preheating the gas precursors in atmospheric-pressure CVD graphene production results in 100% reproducibility, and higher quality graphene sheets.

Humidity sensor made from graphene quantum dots and bacteria
Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago engineered a humidity sensor on a bacterial spore. They call it NERD, for Nano-Electro-Robotic Device. They've taken a spore from a bacteria and put graphene quantum dots on its surface, then attached two electrodes on either side of the spore. Then they change the humidity around the spore,causing the spore to shrink. As it shrinks, the quantum dots come closer together, increasing their conductivity, as measured by the electrodes.

Angstron Materials develops thermal foils for smartphones and electronic devices
Ohio-based Angstron Materials has developed a group of cost-effective thermal foil products that can be customized for handheld devices and other products. The company says that its foil sheets have been qualified for use by a major mobile electronics company. Such thermal foils can be used for the technology beneath devices' screens that conducts heat away from internal electronic components and batteries to help maintain optimal performance.