Rice University scientists have developed a graphene-based epoxy for electronic applications. Epoxy combined with graphene foam invented in the Rice lab of Prof. James Tour) is reportedly substantially tougher than pure epoxy and far more conductive than other epoxy composites, while retaining the material's low density. It could improve upon epoxies in current use that weaken the material's structure with the addition of conductive fillers.

By itself, epoxy is an insulator, and is commonly used in coatings, adhesives, electronics, industrial tooling and structural composites. Metal or carbon fillers are often added for applications where conductivity is desired, like electromagnetic shielding. The trade-off, however, is that more filler brings better conductivity at the cost of weight and compressive strength, and the composite becomes harder to process. The Rice solution replaces metal or carbon powders with a 3D foam made of nanoscale sheets of graphene.

Grafoid and Stria Lithium have announced the successful co-development of an innovative graphene-based filtration membrane to separate Magnesium and Calcium from salars. Developed in concert with Grafoid Inc. a related company sharing common directors and an active partner in the 2GL Green Energy Technology Strategic Alliance this filtration membrane functions as a precursor that promotes efficiencies within the conventional process of recovering Lithium from Salts.

The Companies explain that the key method of recovering commercial lithium has remained the same for over half a century: by evaporating brines collected from salars and salt lakes in evaporation ponds. However, this method is time consuming and can take a year or more - leading to large amounts of salt waste. In addition, Magnesium and Calcium are also present and form impurities that must be refined out in the process. With the demand for lithium outpacing the recovery rate of lithium from brine faster and more efficient methods of recovery will be critical to supply the growing demand.

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, will be presenting a paper focused on CMOS-compatible graphene interconnects next month at the world-renowned semiconductor-technology conference - the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (Dec. 1-5 in San Francisco).

The team has shown that integrating graphene into the interconnect scheme holds the promise of increasing performance and limiting power consumption in next-generation CMOS ICs, as graphene offers high conductivity and is not prone to electromigration.

Graphenea recently launched a graphene foundry service GFAB. The company will manufacture custom circuit designs on graphene wafers up to 6. The service is aimed at enabling fast device prototyping and accelerating development of new applications, lowering entry barriers to graphene-based solutions.

Graphenea states that in view of the market demands, the offer now includes small batch sizes (1-3 wafers). Lithography masks can be manufactured by Graphenea or provided by the customer. GFAB includes graphene growth, transfer on 4 and 6 wafers, metal contact deposition and lift-off, and graphene lithography with etching.

Haydale has announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement ("JDA") between Haydale Technologies (Thailand) Limited ("HTT") and Thailand's Star RFID ("Star"). The JDA is for the parties to quickly co-develop both graphene and silver-based inks for the printed Radio Frequency Identification market ("RFID"). The co-development is expected to lead to a supply and collaboration agreement in the coming months.

The parties have already commenced development of a dedicated silver ink for Star and have a small paid-for project to carry out this work. Star has first right of refusal for any products arising from the JDA.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have set out to tackle the issue of a lack of graphene production standards, which leads to many cases of poor quality graphene from suppliers. The team developed a systematic and reliable method for establishing the quality of graphene samples from around the world. They were able to achieve this by using a wide range of analytical techniques and tested samples from many suppliers.

Upon analyzing samples from over 60 different providers from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, the NUS team discovered that the majority contained less than 10% of what can be considered graphene flakes. The bulk of the samples was graphite powder that was not exfoliated properly.

GraphenTech, a company based in the Netherlands that produces Graphene (from 2 to 7 layers), has come out with a rather surprising announcement: It will be distributing free graphene samples to companies or research organizations looking to develop graphene-based products.

The Company explains that the objective of this initiative is to prepare future collaborations before producing graphene at a large scale after the success of its Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

A KAIST research team has developed a graphene-based hybrid storage device with power density 100 times faster than conventional batteries, allowing it to be charged within a few seconds. The team states that it could be suitable for small portable electronic devices.

Porous metal oxide nanoparticles formed on graphene in the aqueous hybrid capacitor. (Image: KAIST)

The researchers developed an aqueous hybrid capacitor (AHC) that boasts high energy density, high power, and excellent cycle stability by synthesizing two types of porous metal oxide nanoclusters on graphene to create positive and negative electrodes for AHCs.

Grahope New Materials (GNM), China-based developer of graphene applications with a special focus on heating applications, has commercialized and is selling several types of graphene-based products, ranging from home textiles and clothes to therapeutic products.

GNM has kindly sent Graphene-Info a pair of "Graphene Physical Therapy Eye Mask" for review. The Company states on its website that the mask "effectively soothes the eyes and alleviates eye fatigue", by heating rapidly and generating "far infra-red waves that are similar to the human body's".

In a recent study, researchers from the Stevens Institute of Technology in the U.S have come up with an original idea - they designed a bionic mushroom that uses graphene to produce electricity. More accurately, the researchers have generated mushrooms patterned with energy-producing bacteria and an electrode network.

Many examples of organisms that live closely together and interact with each other exist in nature. In some cases, this symbiotic relationship is mutually beneficial. The research team wanted to engineer an artificial symbiosis between button mushrooms and cyanobacteria. In their vision, the mushroom would provide shelter, moisture and nutrients, while bacteria 3D-printed on the mushroom's cap would supply energy by photosynthesis. Graphene nanoribbons printed alongside the bacteria could capture electrons released by the microbes during photosynthesis, producing bio-electricity.