Graphene-Info newsletter

Graphene UAV made by UK collaboration

A research partnership between the University of Central Lancashire’s College of Science and Technology and Civic Drone Center, and the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute yielded a graphene-enhanced UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

A test flight of the UAV was recently carried out, aiming to trial the graphene within the UAV to test its robustness, aerodynamic properties and how it can be integrated into the manufacturing process. The researchers work to explore how graphene can be integrated within the aerospace industry, and collaborating with the National Graphene Institute provided the partners with an opportunity to conduct research with a viable real-world application.

Nanomedical Diagnostics declares commercialization of graphene biosensor

Nanomedical Diagnostics, a U.S-based biotech company developing and commercializing bioelectronics for use in research and diagnostics, launched its first product, AGILE Research, a label-free, quantitative, low-cost biosensor for small molecule and protein analysis. The product is entering beta testing this fall and planned for commercial release in early 2016.

AGILE Research is based on graphene biological field effect transistor (BioFET) technology. Its vision is enabling personalized healthcare by improving diagnostic ease, speed, and cost through cutting-edge capabilities. Nanomed’s current focus is finalizing AGILE Research product design and will be evaluating its performance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Stanford University.

Graphene transparent electrode for OLEDs

As part of project GLADIATOR, The Fraunhofer Institute FEP will show an innovative organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a graphene-based electrode at Plastic Electronics 2015. With graphene as an electrode, the researchers hope for flexible devices with higher stability. The electrode contains CVD-produced monolayer graphene of high quality, supplied by Graphenea, in order to compete with the reference material ITO (which graphene, in this case, replaces), the transparency and conductivity of graphene must be very high.

Graphene-Info conducted an interview with Beatrice Beyer, the project's coordinator at the Fraunhofer Institute, on this project and the technology they develop.

Opening a band gap in graphene allows for high-performance transistors

Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University and the Institute for Basic Science in Suwon, South Korea have designed a new method for opening up a band gap in graphene to allow the construction of graphene-based transistors. The scientists' method is based on applying a vertical electric field through the bilayer graphene, which has been shown to break the symmetry between the two graphene layers. This modification creates atomic sites with different electric potentials, which produces a band gap.

The scientists have opened a band gap in graphene by carefully doping both sides of bilayer graphene in a way that avoids creating disorder in the graphene structure. Delicately opening up a band gap in graphene in this way enabled the researchers to fabricate a graphene-based memory transistor with the highest initial program/erase current ratio reported to date for a graphene transistor (34.5 compared to 4), along with the highest on/off ratio for a device of its kind (76.1 compared to 26), while maintaining graphene's naturally high electron mobility (3100 cm2/V·s).

Haydale news

Haydale has been awarded over £450,000 by the government to work on series of research projects. The studies, set to take place over the next 18 months, include several areas of research like a low cost, self-cleaning graphene enhanced coating which could be used to clean and filter swimming pools and waste water, as well as developing resins and coatings for boats and sign posts which emit UV fluorescent dyes under impact.

The company has also signed a letter of intent with Huntsman Advanced Materials, a leading global chemical solutions provider, to use the company’s graphene enabling technology together with Huntsman’s ARALDITE resins and heavy duty adhesives to create enhanced composites. The agreed first step will be the development of a graphene enabled ‘master batch’ which will be used for development and validation. The companies hope that this work might open up the potential for a whole new range of advanced composite materials and products with enhanced performance and lower cost.

Haydale's subsidiary Haydale Composite Solutions (HCS), has entered into a collaborative 18 month research project awarded and managed by the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) and involves two end users, Airbus UK and BAE Systems. The research project aims to produce a material less likely to be damaged by lightning strike on an aircraft.

Skeleton Technologies' graphene supercapacitors to power Estonian unmanned ground vehicle

Skeleton Technologies is to supply graphene-based supercapacitors to Milrem's multipurpose UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) to be showcased at DSEI 2015. Milrem (Military Repair, Engineering and Maintenance) is an Estonian company whose mission is to be a partner in the defence and security sector, offering flexible product development solutions and full life cycle support for heavy vehicles. Milrem is also developing a mobile command post and an unmanned tracked vehicle for military purposes.

Skeleton Technologies' high power cells will be used to deliver energy efficiency and product reliability to the UGV, which can be used for a wide range of defense requirements including reconnaissance and observer missions, targeting weapon systems and providing support solutions such as medical supplies. The universal platform allows operators to optimize their vehicle fleet and reduce life cycle management costs with simplified maintenance and spare supplies.

Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed efficient and low-cost semitransparent perovskite solar cells with graphene electrodes.

Researchers at Stanford University in California have developed a new material comprising interspersed layers of graphene and phosphorene that has been shown to be a more stable, more conductive and higher capacity anode for sodium ion batteries than previous materials.

Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, collaborating with Monash University, have developed an ultrathin, flat, lightweight graphene oxide optical lens with extraordinary flexibility, that enables potential applications in on-chip nanophotonics and improves the conversion process of solar cells.

A newly published patent filing from LG reveals the specifications for a next-gen microwave oven that includes a graphene door to prevent the radiation inside from leaking out, ensuring more uniform heating.

Group NanoXplore has announced that it has participated in the financing of two innovative graphene applications companies: NanoPhyll, and Two Carbon.

Researchers from the Laboratory of Nanooptics and Plasmonics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) in Russia have devised a graphene oxide-based biosensor with the potential of significantly speeding up the process of drug development.

Rumors suggest that a way to prolong the life of the standard lithium-ion batteries, discovered in the past by Samsung, may find its way to Samsung's Galaxy S7 and grant it a 5-day battery.

Graphene 3D Lab has filed a non-provisional patent relating to the preparation and separation of atomic layers of graphene.

The UK-based Applied Graphene Materials announced that its performance in the 2015 financial year (which ended on July 31) was slightly ahead of company expectations.

University of British Columbia (UBC) physicists demonstrated what they define as 'the first ever superconducting graphene sample' by coating it with lithium atoms.

The newly established Edison Motor Cars, a partnership between Sunvault Energy, the Edison Power Company and Delaware Corporation, has declared a highly ambitious first project: an electric car powered by graphene-based hydrogen fuel cell that will allegedly perform better than a Ferrari.

Graphene Nanochem has inked a commercial order for its graphene-enhanced PlatQuartz lubricant additive from Scomi Oiltools.

The University of Manchester has been awarded a £3 million research grant to develop breakthrough applications for various 2D materials, graphene included.