Researchers from the University of Exeter have developed an innovative new memory using a hybrid of graphene oxide and titanium oxide. These devices are reportedly low cost and environmentally friendly to produce, and are also suited for use in flexible electronic devices such as 'bendable' mobile phone, computer and television screens, and even 'intelligent' clothing. These devices may also have the potential to offer a cheaper and more adaptable alternative to 'flash memory', which is currently used in many common devices.

The team stated: "Using graphene oxide to produce memory devices has been reported before, but they were typically very large, slow, and aimed at the 'cheap and cheerful' end of the electronics goods market. Our hybrid graphene oxide-titanium oxide memory is, in contrast, just 50 nanometres long and 8 nanometres thick and can be written to and read from in less than five nanoseconds—with one nanometre being one billionth of a metre and one nanosecond a billionth of a second."

Back in December 2015, Graphene 3D Lab announced signing a research, development and royalty agreement with a Fortune 500 manufacturer (that has been included in the Fortune 500 list for over 15 years). Now, the Company declared the conclusion of this project, largely due to the fact that the Partner’s development objectives were adjusted to focus on areas that wouldn’t benefit from the expertise of the Company.

The conclusion of this agreement was decided despite the fact that Graphene 3D executed and completed all the deliverables specified in the Agreement, and as per the Agreement, the Partner will compensate Graphene 3D for all direct & indirect research & development costs incurred by the Company relating to the project.

Haydale Graphene Industries is setting up its first Asian Graphene Research Center in Thailand Science Park in Pathum Thani, focusing on conducting translational research to serve industries in the region.

The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology, through Thailand Science Park and Haydale Graphene Industries, have signed a collaborative agreement to establish Haydale Technologies (Thailand) or HTT, the first graphene research center this region.

Researchers at the Australian RMIT have developed an electrode prototype, inspired by fern plants, that could be a major boost to the capacity of solar power. The graphene-based prototype also opens a new path to the development of flexible thin film solar capture and storage, advancing the feasibility of self-powering smart phones, laptops, cars and buildings.

The RMIT team said the new design drew on nature’s own solution to the challenge of filling a space in the most efficient way possible through intricate self-repeating patterns known as fractals. The leaves of the western swordfern are densely crammed with veins, making them extremely efficient for storing energy and transporting water around the plant, said a leading member of the team. Our electrode is based on these fractal shapes which are self-replicating, like the mini structures within snowflakes and we’ve used this naturally-efficient design to improve solar energy storage at a nano level.

An image of graphene ink in alcohol has won the overall prize in a national science photography competition, organized by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). 'Graphene - IPA Ink', by James Macleod, from the University of Cambridge, shows ink which is forced at high pressure through micrometre-scale capillaries made of diamond. This rips the layers apart resulting in a smooth, conductive material in solution.

The image came first in two categories: Innovation, and Equipment and Facilities, as well as winning overall against many other stunning pictures, featuring research in action, in the EPSRC's competition - now in its fourth year.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have made a breakthrough in the field of graphene oxide membranes for water desalination. Previous research at The University of Manchester found that when immersed in water, graphene oxide membranes become slightly swollen and smaller salts flow through the membrane along with water, but larger ions or molecules are blocked. Now, the team has devised a strategy to avoid the swelling of the membrane when exposed to water. The pore size in the membrane can be precisely controlled which can sieve common salts out of salty water and make it safe to drink.

When the common salts are dissolved in water, they form a 'shell' of water molecules around the salt molecules. This allows the tiny capillaries of the graphene oxide membranes to block the salt from flowing along with the water. Water molecules are able to pass through the membrane barrier and flow anomalously fast which is ideal for application of these membranes for desalination.

Scientists at MIT, along with researchers from IBM, the University of California at Los Angeles, and Kyungpook National University in South Korea, have found a way to produce graphene with fewer wrinkles, and to iron out the wrinkles that do appear. The team reports that the techniques successfully produce wafer-scale, "single-domain" graphene - single layers of graphene that are uniform in both atomic arrangement and electronic performance.

After fabricating and then flattening out the graphene, the researchers tested its electrical conductivity. They found each wafer exhibited uniform performance, meaning that electrons flowed freely across each wafer, at similar speeds, even across previously wrinkled regions.