With the emergence of the Covid-19 virus and its global threat, Graphenea initiated several steps to try and help those trying to combat this crisis. On March 16^th, Graphenea approached all those performing research on treatment and diagnosis of Covid-19, to offer free graphene.

Now, Graphenea announced the production of a disinfectant alcohol-based hydrogel following World Health Organization recommendations and pharmaceutical guidelines. As part of its effort to join the battle against COVID-19, Graphenea will donate the hand sanitizer to public authorities for use in hospitals, by seniors, police and/or military personnel. The aim is to protect medical personnel, high risk groups, and law enforcement agents against the virus.

Researchers at Aalto University, collaborating with researchers at CNRS France, have developed a graphene-carbon nanotube catalyst which gives better control over important chemical reactions for producing green technology and clean energy.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are the most important electrochemical reactions that limit the efficiencies of hydrogen fuel cells (for powering vehicles and power generation), water electrolyzers (for clean hydrogen production), and high-capacity metal-air batteries. The team has developed a new catalyst that reportedly drives these reactions more efficiently than other bifunctional catalysts currently available. The researchers also found that the electrocatalytic activity of their new catalyst can be significantly altered depending on choice of the material on which the catalyst was deposited.

NanoXplore recently announced that it has entered into an agreement with Echelon Wealth Partners to raise, on a bought deal private placement basis, approximately CAD$25,000,000 (around USD$17.6).

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of this raise to support sales and marketing of graphene, research initiatives particularly related to the use of graphene in Li-Ion batteries, U.S. expansion, working capital and general corporate purposes.

A team led by Boston College researchers has used a sheet of graphene to track the electronic signals inherent in biological structures, in order to develop a platform to selectively identify deadly strains of bacteria. This effort could lead to more accurate targeting of infections with appropriate antibiotics, according to the team.

The prototype demonstrates the first selective, rapid, and inexpensive electrical detection of the pathogenic bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus and antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii on a single platform, said Boston College Professor of Physics Kenneth Burch, a lead co-author of the paper.

LIGC Applications has developed the Guardian G-Volt, a face mask with a graphene filtration system that can be sterilized and safely re-used.

Global interest in protective masks has surged in recent months, due to ongoing coronavirus outbreaks around the world. However, the company, which is based in New York, said it had taken five years to design and test the mask. They are now crowdfunding the project online.

Advanced materials company Directa Plus said its graphene material could be used in medical devices to help authorities combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company, whose Italian operations were unaffected by government moves to close down activity not associated with essential goods and services, said its graphene was non-toxic and its bacteriostatic properties could be used in the production of medical devices, such as masks, gloves and gowns to ensure better prevention properties for the spread of the virus.

Patrick Franz, the founder and chief executive of materials group PlanarTECH which is currently engaged in an equity crowdfunding campaign to expand its business and enter new markets, sees graphene as a potentially useful tool in the fight against Coronavirus.

Franz says research papers written in China over the last four years identified graphene oxide as a potentially effective anti-viral agent. Though none of the studies targeted the same pathogen responsible for the current Coronavirus outbreak, Frantz says the conclusion is that graphene oxide may offer a platform to fight a variety of viral infections (such as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus) and possibly in the form of a coating.

Following a Global Business innovation Programme initiated in 2019, and a collaborative visit to the US, the UK established a new Graphene Innovation Group (UK-GIG) that puts together 15 specialists from UK companies that together share many years of experience in graphene and expertise across the entire value chain.

Scott Storey, a Business Innovation Advisor at Inventya and the lead coordinator at the UK-GIG, explains more about the group - "We can take an everyday industrial challenge, apply our combined graphene knowledge, engineer and manufacture an effective solution, and take that solution to national and international markets. UK-GIG is now an established cohort of 15 UK-based graphene companies, ranging from early stage through to established businesses. The UK-GIG companies are fully aware of the huge potential for graphene technology to improve materials or be used in novel ways across multiple sectors. They are seeking collaboration opportunities where they can combine their expertise to do what they do best - solve problems, design graphene applications, and help commercialize an increasingly exciting field. They aim to make the UK the best place on earth to be grafting in graphene!"

We have reached out to some of the GIG members, to find out how has graphene effected their business and products, and the effects of graphene on their materials or devices.

We're happy to announce the sixth edition of Graphene-Info's very own Graphene Handbook, the most comprehensive resource on graphene technology, industry and market - now updated for 2020. Get your copy now to stay current on graphene research, development and market!

The Graphene Handbook 2020 edition can be downloaded now for $97 USD (via Paypal or credit card). To secure your copy simply click here. Existing digital-copy customers are entitled to a 50% discount (and if you bought your copy in September 2019 or later, you'll get the upgrade for free). If you did not receive your upgrade coupon, contact us to get one.

For more information, and to order your copy today, visit The Graphene Handbook info page.

Researchers from the University College London designed new graphene-based supercapacitor materials that enable higher power density than current designs. The new materials also enable the production of bendable supercapacitors, without a liquid electrolyte which minimizes explosion risk.

The researchers say the new supercapacitor design can achieve an energy density of 88.1 Wh/L - the highest ever reported for carbon-based supercapacitors. The main innovation is the production of electrodes made from multiple layers of graphene, that enable a dense but porous material.