April 2016

Directa Plus has announced that all of its graphene-based products have received international certification from Farcoderm, the renowned toxicity testing organization, confirming them to be safe for human contact. The company's products, such as GRAFYSORBER and PURE G+, were found to be not toxic, non skin corrosive, non eye irritant etc.

The company announced that it is pleased with these certifications and that the results confirm that its graphene-based products are safe for use.

Fuji Pigment recently announced the development of a large-scale manufacturing process for carbon and graphene quantum dots (QDs). QDs are usually made of semiconductor materials that are expensive and toxic, especially Cd, Se, and Pb. Fuji Pigment stated that its toxic-metal-free QDs exhibit a high light-emitting quantum efficiency and stability comparable to the toxic metal-based quantum dots.

Quantum yield of the carbon QDs currently exceeds 45%, and the company said it is still pursuing higher quantum efficiency. Quantum yield of the graphene quantum dot is over 80%. QD’s ability to precisely convert and tune a spectrum of light makes them ideal for TV displays, smartphones, tablet displays, LEDs, medical experimental imaging, bioimaging, solar cells, security tags, quantum dot lasers, photonic crystal materials, transistors, thermoelectric materials, various type of sensors and quantum dot computers.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an efficient way of cooling electronics by using functionalized graphene nanoflakes. This could come in handy as heat dissipation in electronics and optoelectronics is a major obstacle for the further development of systems in these fields.

According to the researchers, the method is a "golden key" with which to achieve efficient heat transport in electronics and other power devices by using graphene nanoflake-based film. This can open up potential uses of this kind of film in broad areas, and the team states that it is getting closer to pilot-scale production based on this discovery.

Researchers at the Autonomous University of Madrid, in collaboration with CIC nanoGUNE and the Institut Néel of Grenoble, have demonstrated that the simple absorption of a hydrogen atom on a layer of graphene magnetizes a large region of it. As a result, by selectively manipulating these hydrogen atoms, it is possible to produce magnetic graphene with atomic precision.

Graphene inherently lacks magnetic properties. The hydrogen atom has the smallest magnetic moment (the magnitude that determines how much and in what direction a magnet will exert force). This work reveals how when a hydrogen atom touches a graphene layer it transfers its magnetic moment to it. The researchers explain that in contraposition to more common magnetic materials such as iron, nickel or cobalt, in which the magnetic moment generated by each atom is located within a few tenths of a nanometre, the magnetic moment induced in the graphene by each atom of hydrogen extends several nanometres, and likewise displays a modulation on an atomic scale.

A Chinese company (possibly called Interim, though details are sketchy) presented a fully bendable smartphone with a graphene-based screen during a trade show at Nanping International Conventional Center in Chongqing. The bendable touch display weighs 200g, and the smartphone can be worn around the wrist. The display is rumoured to be an OLED display with a diagonal of 5.2 inches.

There are no substantial details about the company behind the graphene smartphone and what the plans are to bring the graphene phone to market. It's not clear what the meaning of a "graphene-based" display is, in this case. While graphene can theoretically be used to make light emitting devices, it's highly unlikely that this is the case here. My guess would be that this is a flexible OLED display (could also be a flexible LCD, but that's unlikely) with a graphene-based touch panel.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a one-step method to pattern graphene by using stencil mask and oxygen plasma reactive-ion etching, and subsequent polymer-free direct transfer to flexible substrates.

The researchers explain that despite progress made in the direct synthesis of large-area, uniform, high quality graphene films using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with various precursors and catalyst substrates, the infrastructure requirements on post-synthesis processing, patterning and transfer for creating interconnects, transistor channels, or device terminals have slowed the implementation of graphene in a wider range of applications. This simple and scalable graphene patterning technique is based on a shadow mask technique that has been employed for contact metal deposition; Not only are these stencil masks easily and rapidly manufactured for iterative rapid prototyping, they are also reusable, enabling cost-effective pattern replication. Since this approach involves neither a polymeric transfer layer nor organic solvents, it can obtain contamination-free graphene patterns directly on various flexible substrates.

Researchers at the University of Michigan developed a graphene oxide-based device that could provide a non-invasive way to monitor the progress of an advanced cancer treatment. The device is able to capture cancer cells out of a blood sample and let them go later, enabling further tests that can show whether the therapy is successfully eliminating the most dangerous cancer cells.

The scientists explain that cells released into the bloodstream by tumors could be used to monitor cancer treatment, but they are very difficult to capture, accounting for roughly one in a billion cells. In their quest to develop technologies for capturing such cells from blood samples, they researchers designed devices that trapped the cells on chips made with graphene oxide, but all analysis had to be done on the chip because the cells were firmly adhered. However, it was found important to study cells individually, and this new device makes this possible.

Graphenea recently ordered a BM Pro system from AIXTRON, a worldwide leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry.

AIXTRON’s BM Pro system, now in its 3rd generation, has been specifically optimized for high quality graphene deposition with Graphenea’s tool having the highest throughput to date. Graphenea placed the order for the 8-inch configuration deposition system during the first quarter of 2016. The tool is scheduled for delivery later this year which will be followed by the installation and commissioning of the system by AIXTRON’s European support team.

Versarien has announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) to collaborate on the production of power storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors using Versarien’s graphene nano platelets. Working with the SME team and battery specialists, Versarien will have access to WMG’s expertise and world leading facilities in the Energy Innovation Centre.

WMG aims to improve the competitiveness of organizations through the application of value adding innovation, new technologies and skills deployment, bringing academic rigor to industrial and organizational practice. WMG bridges the gap between academia and industry, enabling the development of innovative products.

Graphene 3D Lab has announced that it has been approved to move forward with the next task of its research, development and royalty agreement with a Fortune 500 listed manufacturer. G3L has successfully concluded the initial task of the Agreement.

The Agreement encompasses the development of multi-phased deliverables over the course of approximately a year. Due to confidentially clauses, neither specific research objectives nor the identity of the Fortune 500 manufacturer could be disclosed. Upon successful completion of the research phase, and subject to approval by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the developed materials are to become a part of a consumer retail product.