Haydale and PETRONAS Technology Ventures (PTVSB), the technology commercialization arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), have executed a collaboration agreement to functionalize graphene for product applications, in an effort to accelerate commercialization of graphene-based formulations in various different industries.

The agreement, which runs through to 31 December 2025, will see the parties exploring graphene for further commercial applications in battery cells, composites, coatings and thermal materials, among others. The collaboration will also cover knowledge sharing between the parties.

Researchers from Princeton University, University of California, Japan's National Institute for Materials Science, CNRS and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have use high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy to study the wavefunctions of the correlated phases in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG). 

For the first time, the researchers were able to specifically capture unprecedentedly precise visualizations of the microscopic behavior of interacting electrons that give rise to the insulating quantum phase of MATBG. Additionally, through the use of novel and innovative theoretical techniques, they were able to interpret and understand these behaviors. 

Sparc Technologies has reported positive results in relation to its ecosparc product. The critical Thermal-Cycling Resistance Testing has reportedly demonstrated significant reductions in cracking when utilizing ecosparc-enhanced coatings in comparison to coatings without ecosparc.

The prevention and postponement of cracking plays a pivotal role in extending the life of protective coatings. A primary cause of coating deterioration, which subsequently leads to corrosion and asset degradation, is the occurrence of cracks on welds and angular surfaces. An accredited third-party laboratory conducted the ThermalCycling Resistance Test.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has closed its previously announced offering of units. The Company reported gross proceeds of approximately CAD$3.45 million (around USD$2,549,000).

GMG said the net proceeds will be used primarily to strengthen its financial position and provide liquidity to finance ongoing operations, most notably for research and development.

Bio Graphene Solutions (BGS) has announced a strategic partnership with Brook Restoration, one of the largest structural restoration companies in Canada.

The strategic partnership will enable Brook to leverage BGS’s graphene-enhanced liquid admixture for concrete products in building and public infrastructure projects in Ontario. Brook has also made a strategic investment in BGS’s current financing - further solidifying Brook’s commitment to innovation and sustainability within the construction space.

The MINIGRAPH project (Minimally Invasive Neuromodulation Implant and implantation procedure based on ground-breaking GRAPHene technology for treating brain disorders) aims to pave the way for a new generation of adaptive neuroelectronic therapies, resolving the most important limitations of current technology. The project revolves around the development of a new generation of graphene-based brain implants.

The project started in October 2022 and will go on for 36 months. It is a HORIZON-EIC project, with an estimated cost of €3,928,402.50. Among its members are ICN2, IMEC, Fraunhofer, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, MSRL and more. Recently, Scientists from the Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute – CATRIN at Palacký University also announced that they will participate in the project.

Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich, in collaboration with partners from Peking University, the University of Warwick and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, have succeeded in attaching electrodes to individual atomically precise graphene nanoribbons, paving the way for precise characterization of the ribbons and their possible use in quantum technology.

Researchers attach carbon nanotube electrodes to individual atomically precise nanoribbons. (Image credit: Empa, from: Nanowerk)

In the coming decades, quantum technology is expected to provide various technological breakthroughs: smaller and more precise sensors, highly secure communication networks, and powerful computers that can help develop new drugs and materials, control financial markets, and predict the weather much faster than current computing technology ever could. To achieve this, there is a need so-called quantum materials: substances that exhibit pronounced quantum physical effects. One such material is graphene. Giving it a ribbon-like shape,  for example, gives rise to a range of controllable quantum effects.

The Graphene Flagship, Europe's $1 billion graphene research initiative, has summed up its progress in advancing graphene-based innovations for automotive in the last ten years. The project examines, among other topics, how graphene can address key challenges in the automotive sector, such as fuel efficiency, recycling, and environmental impact.

Graphene has the potential to drive significant advancements in the automotive industry — from strengthening structural components to improving electrochemical energy storage (i.e., Batteries) efficiency and safety in electric cars as well as enhancing the performance of the self-driving car. The Graphene Flagship has orchestrated a number of projects researching the benefits of graphene in automotive applications and how vehicles can be improved. The Graphene Flagship reports it is now seeing this research and development come to fruition. Listed below are the automotive-related advancements that were achieved.

Researchers at  Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Arizona State University have developed a technique that combines two approaches to nanofabrication - top-down and bottom-up methods - to enable atomic-scale precision manufacturing using a focused electron beam.

Top-down methods, such as lithography, employ external influences to modify materials. While they offer precision patterning, their resolution is often constrained by factors like beam size and scattering effects. On the other hand, bottom-up methods capitalize on the spontaneous self-assembly of atoms and molecules through chemical reactions, granting atomic-level control. However, the positioning in this method tends to be random rather than directed.
The novel technique demonstrated on twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) harmoniously integrates these two approaches.

Researchers from Columbia University, Technical University of Denmark, Aarhus University, Université Paris-Saclay and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have designed a simple fabrication technique that could help study the fundamental properties of twisted layers of graphene and other 2D materials in a more systematic and reproducible way. The team used long “ribbons” of graphene, rather than square flakes, to create devices that offer a new level of predictability and control over both twist angle and strain.

Graphene devices have typically been assembled from atom-thin flakes of graphene that are just a few square millimeters. The resulting twist angle between the sheets is fixed in place, and the flakes can be tricky to layer together smoothly. “Imagine graphene as pieces of saran wrap—when you put two pieces together you get random little wrinkles and bubbles,” says Columbia postdoc Bjarke Jessen, a co-author on the paper. Those bubbles and wrinkles are akin to changes in the twist angle between the sheets and the physical strain that develops in between and can cause the material to buckle, bend, and pinch randomly. All these variations can yield new behaviors, but they have been difficult to control within and between devices.