A team of researchers from Exeter’s Centre for Graphene Science have developed a method for creating entire device arrays directly on the copper substrates used for the commercial manufacture of graphene. Complete and fully-functional devices can then be transferred to a substrate of choice, such as silicon, plastics or even textiles.

This new approach is simpler than conventional ways of producing graphene-based devices, and could lead the way to using simple and cheap-to-produce graphene devices for various applications, from gas and bio-medical sensors to touch-screen displays.

Reports from China indicate that new guidelines for industries that create new materials, such as graphene, were published. The guidelines specify that China aims for the stable supply of advanced basic materials by 2020, to provide 70% of critical and strategic new materials the country needs, while making technological breakthroughs in frontier materials, such as graphene and nanophase materials.

The material industry is considered strategic and fundamental for the Chinese national economy. China will make great efforts to improve new materials to shore up industrial development. The guidelines were jointly composed by the MIIT, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance.

Graphenea, a company focused on the production of high quality graphene for industrial applications, has announced a significant price reduction. The price of CVD films has dropped 15% on average this January, and the price of graphene oxide (GO) is being reduced by 30% on average.

CVD films are being offered on the copper substrates that they are grown on, in sizes ranging from 10x10 mm to 4 inch diameter. The same high quality graphene films are also available on SiO2/Si, quartz, PET, suspended on TEM grids and cavities, and on custom substrates as required. For customers wishing to do their own transfer, CVD graphene is also available on polymer films for easy transfer.

Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a graphene-based health sensor that attaches to the skin like a temporary tattoo and takes measurements with the same precision as bulky medical equipment. The graphene tattoos are said to be the thinnest epidermal electronics ever made. They can measure electrical signals from the heart, muscles, and brain, as well as skin temperature and hydration.

The research team hopes to integrate these sensors applications like consumer cosmetics, in addition to providing a more convenient replacement for existing medical equipment. The sensor takes advantage of graphene's mechanical invisibility - when the sensor goes on the skin, it doesn’t just stay flat—it conforms to the microscale ridges and roughness of the epidermis.

Dotz Nano, a nanotechnology company focused on the development, manufacture and commercialization of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), has signed a marketing agreement with Strem Chemicals, a manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals headquartered in the U.S.

Strem Chemicals will aim to facilitate sales of Dotz’s GQDs to academic, industrial and government research and development laboratories, as well as commercial businesses using GQDs for research purposes.

Researchers from Purdue University in the U.S have shown that a snowflake-like fractal design (in which the same pattern repeats at smaller and smaller scales) can increase graphene's inherently low optical absorption. This could lead to graphene photodetectors with an order-of-magnitude increase in photovoltage, along with ultrafast light detection and other advantages.

Graphene has an intrinsically low optical absorption, which is a major drawback for use in photodetectors. To address this issue, the Purdue researchers designed a graphene photodetector with gold contacts in the form of a snowflake-like fractal metasurface. They demonstrated that the fractal pattern does a better job of collecting photons across a wide range of frequencies compared to a plain gold-graphene edge, enabling the new design to generate 10 times more photovoltage.

Polish chemical company Grupa Azoty reportedly plans to invest around 1.4 million Euro in a graphene production line this year. The line is to be located at the group’s plant in Tarnow, Poland, and will have an output capacity of around 1 kg of graphene per week.

The Grupa Azoty spokesperson stated that company representatives have been in talks with various entities interested in cooperating and using graphene in their manufacturing processes. The line’s output is intended for sales both in the domestic and foreign markets.

Researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have used graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) to create the electronic components used to carry out logic operations in computing. The team described this as "the first step toward integrating atomically precise graphene nanoribbons onto nonmetallic substrates".

The researchers explained that in most cases, GNRs are neither uniform nor narrow enough to exhibit the desired semiconductor properties. However, if the nanoribbons are made in a "bottom up approach, it is possible to create atomically precise nanoribbons with highly uniform electronic properties.

Versarien has acquired a majority stake in Cambridge Graphene, a spin-out company from the University of Cambridge established in May 2014 to commercialize graphene inks. Versarien acquired a 85% stake for £180,000 - which values the entire Cambridge Graphene company at £200,000.

Cambridge Graphene develops inks based on graphene and related materials using processes developed at the Cambridge Graphene Center. The spin-out company has commercialized graphene inks for novel technology applications.

Saint Jean Carbon recently announced that it has started the design and build of a graphene based lithium-ion battery. SJC stated that based on the Company’s graphene production capabilities, the material being produced is 99.999999%gC and a single layer of graphite measuring one atom in thickness will be used to create the anode.

This announcement follows two years of research, and the Company feels that due to the fact that no harsh chemicals or heat has been used to produce the graphene, the high order of carbon is kept in perfect condition, creating the possibility of extremely high performance for lithium-ion battery applications.