Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark demonstrated how an electron beam can be used to "write on graphene" - by selectively breaking the carbon atoms in the graphene sheet. This makes graphene the thinnest paper ever. The font size created was only 2-3 nm.

The researcher used a 300 keV electron beam that it able to break local carbon-to-carbon bonds. When the bonds break, the atoms are kicked off, which means that there are free bonds that attract new carbon species from the vacuum or on the graphene surface.

American Graphite Technologies (AGT) announced several new updates regarding their financial status and graphene projects. First of all, the company completed a financing round, totaling $145,000 (out of which $95,000 were already announced last week). AGT is currently negotiating another round of equity financing.

Back in April 2013, AGT announced it is planning to collaborate with Ukraine's Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology ("KIPT") on graphene-based working materials for 3D printing. AGT now informs us that they expect to start the project shortly as they hope to finalize  regulatory approvals soon.

Today we updated the companies-listings here at Graphene-info. We currently have over 60 companies in our database, and now we categorize them (to graphene suppliers, makers, graphite mining companies, etc.) so you can more easily find interesting and relevant companies.

We also added a cool new feature: an interactive world map showing the location of all graphene related companies in our database. Individual company pages now also include a map showing the company's location. So hop over to our Companies page to view the new map and the new categories. Enjoy!

Researchers from Japan's Okayama University developed a new way to produce graphene oxide (GO) using microwave irradiation. The current method of producing GO uses the Hummers methods which involves oxidation with KMnO4 and NaNO3 in concentrated H2SO4 - and this requires a long reaction time and large amounts of reagents.

The researchers say that microwave irradiation of the natural graphite flakes before oxidation starts improves the efficiency of the oxidation process. The researchers filed for a patent in Japan (No.5098064) to cover this new technology.

MIT researchers developed a new system, based on ferroelectric materials and graphene, that uses plasmons wave control to interconnect between electronic devices and light wave devices (such as fiber optics and photonic chips). Current such interconnectors are relatively slow and are often a bottleneck in those systems.

The new hybrid-material device can control surface plasmons wave (oscillations of electrons confined at interfaces between materials). The waves operate at terahertz frequencies in this new device, which is considered ideal for next-gen computing devices.

Researchers from China's Beijing Institute of Technology developed new supercapacitors based on electrodes made from graphene quantum dot (GQD) assemblies on horizontally aligned carbon nanotubes (HACNTs). They say that adding the GQD results in more than 200% capacitance improvement compared to bare HACNT electrodes.

To fabricate these devices, the researcher synthesized super-long vertically aligned CNTs (VACNT) (using water-assisted CVD) and then transformed hem into HACNTs using a roller. The GQD were uniformly anchored on the HACNTs using an electrochemical deposition process. The composite film that was producing in this method was assembled in a symmetrical two-electrode configuration.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a transparent transistor made from just one molecular monolayer graphene. The graphene was used as transparent top-contacts in this design. The new "molecular computer chip" is built from three layers: gold, molecular components and graphene. The molecular transistor is switched on and of using a light impulse.

While such chips may be used to make integrated circuits in the future, the first application the researchers found was testing of molecular electronics. The new chip enables molecular placement with great precision, which speeds up molecular research.

The UK Technology Strategy Board launched a new collaborative R&D project called NanoSynth with a budget of almost a million GBP ($1.5 million USD) - to develop a synthesis platform for the industry-scale production of graphene-filled epoxy resins for advanced composite applications.

According to the NetComposites, the project coordinator, those graphene epoxy resins will improve current resins and will feature better strength, stiffness, toughness, electrical conductivity and thermal performance. The new resins may prove to have a significant impact on a wide range of markets, including the aerospace and automotive ones. The worldwide yearly market of epoxy resins is estimated at over $15 billion.

Researchers from Taiwan's Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences developed a light-activated switch by coating graphene with chlorophyll. This is a simple photon transistor - two silver electrodes, connected by a sheet of graphene which is covered by a layer of chlorophyll (using drop casting).

When the chlorophyll is exposed to light it releases electrons into the graphene. Chlorophyll is very efficient - each photon that it absorbs increases the current by about a million electrons. The device that the researchers made is very basic and will need a lot of work before it can be commercialized.

American Graphite Technologies (AGT), a mineral exploration company that is also involved with graphene technologies (partnering with Cheap Tubes on graphene paper) is seeking to raise more money to fund its current projects. 

AGT entered into an agency agreement with Carter Terry & Company - to act as a financial advisor investment bank and help them with raising the required capital. AGT is trading in the NASDAQ (OTCBB: AGIN). AGT just announced it raised $95,000 from two investors that were not introduced by CT&C.