April 2012

Researchers from the Iowa State University discovered that Graphene behaves like a laser when excited with very short femtosecond light pulses. Graphene has been shown to have two technologically important properties population inversion of electrons and optical gain. This means that Graphene can be used to make a variety of optoelectronics devices, including broadband optical amplifiers, high-speed modulators, and absorbers for telecommunications and ultra fast lasers.

We already heard of some infra-red graphene related research: Infrared detection using graphene nanoribbons and a graphene-based technology for use in low-cost infrared imaging applications for the US military.

Researchers from the Michigan Technological University discovered that the addition of graphene augmented the conductivity of titanium dioxide, thus increasing the electricity production in a dye-sensitized solar cells by 52.4%. Graphene’s superior electrical conductivity enables it to function as bridges, thus speeding up electron transfer between the titanium dioxide and the photoelectrode.

The team also developed a low-cost, comparatively foolproof technique to synthesize titanium dioxide sheets embedded with the nanomaterial. The idea is to first create a graphite oxide powder and then form a paste by mixing the powder with titanium dioxide. The paste is then applied over a substrate (glass for example) and baked at high temperatures.

The University of Manchester launched a £1M Graphene and innovative materials technology development funding call for a proof-of-principle and feasibility work. They will also be able to supply follow-on funding for successful projects.

This is aimed towards colleagues across the campus who are interested in technology transfer and keen to take the next steps beyond their research results. More details will be issued in September 2012.

IBM researchers managed to develop a graphene insulator superlattice that achieves a Teraherz frequency notch filter and a linear polarizer. These kinds of devices can be used in mid- and far-infrared photonic devices, including detectors, modulators and three-dimensional metamaterials. Terhertz is interesting because this kind of frequencies can penetrate paper, wood and other solid objects.

IBM managed to create these devices by using a multi-layer graphene/instulator superlattice and a multi-layer stack structure in microdisk arrays.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee developed a new material called Graphene Monoxide (GMO) which is semiconducting. It's also may be easier to scale up compared to Graphene. This new material can provide the key towards graphene based electronics. The researchers say that they discovered GMO by chance...

In their experiments, the team heated Graphene Oxide in a vacuum, to reduce oxygen. But the results surprised them - the the carbon and oxygen atoms in the layers of GO became aligned, transforming themselves into an ordered semiconductor - the GMO.

Aixtron announced today that the BM 300 system was installed at the the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. AIST purchased the system back in April 2011. The system was installed in 2011 in AIST’s super clean room facility in Tsukuba and was commissioned by the local Aixtron support team.

AIST reports that they managed to produce monolayer graphene on 300 mm wafers using the new system. AIST will use the system to deposit high-quality graphene with a controlled number of layers. This will be a key part of a process technology used for creating low-voltage operation CMOS FETs, in which the power supply voltage will be less than 0.3V.

CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)-funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin will collaborate with Thomas Swan on graphene production in a €750,000 project. Thomas Swan will fund the project and will also place an engineer in SFI for two years.

The aim of the collaboration would be to provide a "stable and consistent source of true graphene" to academia and industry as downstream research develops future commercial applications. The two entities are anticipating initial lab samples within the next few months.

Scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) say they have developed a new technology to separate graphene from the metal substrate it has been synthesized on. The new method is cheap and environmental friendly as it does not harm the metal which can be reused infinitely.

Researchers suggest a new graphene based bio-sensor that can be used to detect bacteria and wirelessly transfer data. An example use case is putting it on tooth enamel. The graphene sensor is printed on water-soluble silk and can be "bio-transferred" on organic materials The silk is then dissolved in water and the sensor remains in place.

The device also includes an RFID tag, and is powered by tiny electric charges in the bacterial cell membranes.

XG Sciences announced today that the US Air Force Research Laboratory awarded them with a project to develop ultra high-energy capacitors for in space energy storage systems.

The company's graphene-based energy storage materials have demonstrated significant increases in storage capacity over traditional activated carbon.