Scientists from St. Petersburg University and Tomsk University in Russia, along with teams at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and University of the Basque Country, Spain, have modified graphene in such a way that it has taken the properties of cobalt and gold: magnetism and spinorbit interaction. This advance can greatly benefit quantum computers.

The graphene was (for the first time, according to the researchers) modified to adopt such fundamental properties as magnetism and spin-orbit interaction. The spin of an electron is a magnet induced by the spin of the electron around its axis. It also orbits the nucleus to produce electric current and therefore a magnetic field. The interaction between the magnet and magnetic field is a spin-orbit interaction. Unlike in gold, the spin-orbit interaction in graphene is extremely small. The interaction between graphene and gold increase spin-orbit interaction in graphene, while interaction between graphene and cobalt induces magnetism, the team explained.

Applied Graphene Materials has announced the launch of the Genable platform dispersion technology for the incorporation of graphene into coatings formulations. This launch reportedly Follows 3 years of development work, driven by direct engagement with global industry partners. Applied

Achieving the consistent and successful incorporation of graphene into existing manufacturing processes and formulations is well recognized as a challenge for companies seeking to incorporate graphene nanoplatelets in their products. The materials technology behind AGM’s Genable range has been developed to address this critical area. Genable dispersions are said to achieve long term stablity and are designed to be delivered easily into existing manufacturing processes.

Graphene 3D Lab patents a graphene-based technology to harvest thermal energy produced in Bitcoin mining. The supercomputers used to mine Bitcoin and other digital currencies give off a lot of thermal energy, which is currently mostly wasted, and so G3L's technology will be used to capture this energy and redirect it to power fridges and A/C units.

Graphene 3D Lab’s technology uses graphene-based modules to harvest the thermal energy given off by these powerful machines and redirects it into heating and/ or refrigeration solutions. Not only will G3L’s technology boost return on investment for data center operations, it is also expected to help reduce the environmental footprint of data processing.

Haydale Graphene Industries, the global advanced materials group, has announced that Haydale Technologies Taiwan (‘HTW’) has signed a supply agreement for specific graphene-based and other specialty inks to Graphene Platform (‘GPC’), Tokyo, Japan.

GPC will brand the inks as GP Graphene Ink, which will be specifically targeted to the printed electronics market primarily in Japan, but with the potential to target other Asian countries where there is also a significant market.

The India-based Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) has designed and developed a graphene-based emergency lamp which can be fully charged in less than two minutes.

Commercially available emergency lamps rely on a battery which requires a minimum of three hours to get fully charged. Use of graphene-based supercapacitors, instead of the battery, reportedly ensures more life for the storage system of the lamp. It can be directly charged from the power supply in one or two minutes and provide light for up to 30-60 minutes. Another attractive feature of the lamp is its excellent power efficiency coupled with long operating life. It can also be charged from solar power, as was reported. C-MET has filed an Indian patent application for this technology.

First Graphene has provided an update on its work with the Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) on the development of the BEST Battery. FGR holds a 70% interest in Graphene Solutions, the company which has contracted with the Swinburne University of Technology to advance the supercapacitor technology.

FGR supplied the following highlights: a pilot production line for manufacturing the BEST Battery has been set up, able to manufacture a commercial prototype of BEST Battery that reportedly meets the industrial requirements and standards. It was said that the single layer BEST Battery is able to hold LED light for 15-20 minutes on only several seconds of charging time, and that an eight layer prototype was achieved. Scale-up work is continuing with steady improvements in performance, as does the optimization of design aspects and processes. FGR reports the use of raw materials to improve efficiencies in both cost and performance. Also reported were prototype designs for graphene-based flexible smart watchbands that will reportedly offer great advantages over existing watches in weight, charging times and battery life.

Versarien has announced that the signing of an agreement to develop a range of graphene-based sensor technologies to enable the creation of digital bandages and wound dressings capable of various forms of physiological movement and excretion detection.

This project will utilize strain sensors printed with graphene ink using methods which have been developed by the Company’s subsidiary, Cambridge Graphene Limited. Trials will take place at the internationally renowned Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The team will work to optimize the usability of the data from the graphene dressings to ensure the optimal recovery of the patients post discharge. The agreement will also involve Dr. Chris Crockford, Managing Director of Digital and Future Technologies Limited, who will act as liaison between the hospital, Versarien and wider global providers in this field.

Several companies in China are now commercializing graphene-based heating elements, embedded in wearable and other devices. Many such devices are now available, shipping globally via retailers such as Amazon and others.

Graphene is an excellent thermal conductor, and using it for heating devices is somewhat surprising. The producers of these devices explain that graphene is strong, thin and flexible, and it provides "pure far infrared radiation" and is also safer and more environmentally friendly compared to other alternatives. Whether this is actually so is an open question.

A collaboration between Spanish research institutes—led by the nanoGUNE Cooperative Research Center (CIC)—has achieved a breakthrough in so-called molecular electronics by devising a way to connect magnetic porphyrin molecules to graphene nanoribbons. These connections may be an example of how graphene could enable the potential of molecular electronics.

Porphyrin is an important molecule that is responsible for making photosynthesis possible in plants and transporting oxygen in the blood. Recently, researchers have been experimenting with "magnetic porphyrins" and discovered that they can form the basis of spintronic devices. Spintronics involves manipulating the spin of electrons and it is this spin that is responsible for magnetism: When a majority of electrons in a material have their spins pointing in the same direction, the material is magnetized. If you can move all the spins up or down and can read that direction, you can create the foundation of the 0 and 1 of digital logic.

Researchers at MIT have developed a novel graphene-assisted method to convert temperature fluctuations into electrical power. Thermoelectric devices usually generate power when one side of the device is a different temperature from the other. In the team's design, however, instead of requiring two different temperature inputs at the same time, the new system takes advantage of the swings in ambient temperature that occur during the day-night cycle.

The new system, called a thermal resonator, could enable continuous, years-long operation of remote sensing systems, for example, without requiring other power sources or batteries, the researchers say.