June 2024

Researchers at the University of Antwerp and CIC biomaGUNE have reported a novel method based on graphene, for understanding the role of surface molecules in the formation of nanoparticles. The research provides an advanced characterization tool for the design of nanomaterials.

Gold nanoparticles have been the subject of intense research for several decades due to their interesting applications in fields such as catalysis and medicine. "Surface ligands" are organic molecules typically present on the surface of gold nanoparticles. During synthesis, these surface ligands play an important role in controlling the size and shape of the nanoparticles. For several decades, the CIC biomaGUNE team led by Ikerbasque Research Professor Luis Liz-Marzán has studied the growth mechanisms and properties of these nanoparticles. However, many questions remain about the exact behavior of surface ligands during and after growth. Direct observation of surface ligands and their interface with gold nanoparticles has therefore been a long-standing goal for many scientists in this field.

Australia-based NematiQ has announced that after more than a decade of work, the NematiQ Graphene Oxide membrane has obtained WaterMark certification, solidifying its status as a safe product for water filtration. 

The Australian WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory scheme for plumbing and drainage products of a certain type. Certification ensures products are fit for purpose and appropriately authorized for use in plumbing and drainage installations. The Australian Building Codes Board administers and manages the Scheme.

An India-based EV startup called iVOOMi has launched the S1 Lite, an electric scooter available with two battery options, Graphene and Li-ion. 

The graphene unit offers a range of up to 75 km and takes 7-8 hours to charge fully, while the Li-ion pack provides a range of up to 85 km and can be charged in under 4 hours. Both variants feature a 1.2 kW motor with 1.8 kW peak power and 10.1 Nm of torque.

Solidion Technology, an advanced battery technology solutions provider, has announced its plan to begin expanding the production capacity of silicon-rich graphene composite materials in early 2025.

The amount of energy that a lithium-ion battery can supply to an electric vehicle (EV) is limited by the amount of charges stored in its anode and cathode materials. Although graphite has been the preferred anode material during the past 30 years, silicon oxide (SiOx) and silicon (Si) are two evolving anode materials capable of improving the energy density of EV batteries and extending the EV range by 20-40%. However, the higher-capacity gain of both silicon and silicon oxide is limited by the technical issue of large volume change-induced rapid capacity decay and processing difficulty. Solidion has targeted this technical obstacle and has established a Dayton, Ohio-based facility for manufacturing silicon oxide (SiOx) and silicon (Si). The Solidion team is ready to expand the production capacity for these two types of high-capacity anode materials.

Researchers from the University of Michigan, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard University have shown that three layers of graphene, in a twisted stack, benefit from a similar high conductivity to "magic angle" bilayer graphene but with easier manufacturing—and faster electron transfer. The findings could improve nano electrochemical devices or electrocatalysts to advance energy storage or conversion.

Twisting two sheets of graphene at a 1.1° angle, dubbed the "magic angle," creates a "flat band" structure, meaning the electrons across a range of momentum values all have roughly the same energy. Because of this, there is a huge peak in the density of states, or the available energy levels for electrons to occupy, at the energy level of the flat band which enhances electrical conductivity. Recent work experimentally confirmed these flat bands can be harnessed to increase the charge transfer reactivity of twisted bilayer graphene when paired with an appropriate redox couple—a paired set of chemicals often used in energy storage to shuttle electrons between battery electrodes. Adding an additional layer of graphene to make twisted trilayer graphene yielded a faster electron transfer compared to bilayer graphene, according to the team's recent study, that created an electrochemical activity model.

The Graphene-Info team is proud to announce the celebration of its 15-year anniversary. Since its inception in 2009, Graphene-Info has been committed to providing the industry with news, insights, information products and various services, aiming to push this field forward and facilitate growth.

Over the years, Graphene-Info has grown from a modest one-man project to a prominent player in the graphene industry. Looking ahead, Graphene-Info aims to further enhance its offerings, add new market services, and continue delivering exceptional value to its customers.

In celebration of this milestone, Graphene-Info offers 15% discount on its Graphene Handbook - the ultimate guide to graphene basics and industry. 

Researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed advanced graphene membranes with pyridinic-nitrogen at pore edges, reportedly showing unprecedented performance in CO₂ capture. This could mark a step towards more efficient carbon capture technologies.

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a technology that reduces carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sources such as power plants, cement factories, steel mills, and waste incinerators. But current capture methods rely on energy-intensive processes, which makes them costly and unsustainable. Researchers are working to develop membranes that can selectively capture CO₂ with high efficiency, thereby reducing the energy and financial costs associated with CCUS. But even state-of-the-art membranes, such as polymer thin films, are limited in terms of CO₂ permeance and selectivity, which limits their scalability. So, the challenge is to create membranes that can simultaneously offer high CO₂ permeance and selectivity, crucial for effective carbon capture.

Chinese researchers have reportedly discovered naturally occurring few-layer graphene in the lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 probe, which provides new insights into the moon’s geological activities, evolutionary history, and environmental characteristics, broadening understanding of the complex mineral composition of lunar soil and offering information on resource utilization on the moon.

According to the research team from Jilin University, it is estimated that approximately 1.9 percent of the total interstellar carbon exists in the form of graphene, whose morphology and properties are determined by a specific formation process. Therefore, natural graphene can provide important reference and information for the geological evolution of celestial bodies and the in-situ resource utilization on the moon.

Ionic Industries has announced that it has taken the first steps in the development of a comprehensive collaboration arrangement with Tata Steel, one of the world’s largest steel manufacturers and the largest in India. 

The first step in this process has been the signing of an MOU with Monash University for the creation of a Centre for Innovation on Environment and Intelligent Manufacturing. Tata has formed similar partnerships with only two other universities: Imperial College and The Henry Royce Institute (Manchester University).

Today we published a new edition of our Graphene Batteries Market Report, with all the latest information and updates from companies and researchers in the field. The batteries market is extremely active, as demand from EVs and mobile applications increases R&D efforts, and graphene is seen as a potential material to increase capacity, decrease charging times and improve other performance metrics.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• The advantages of using graphene in batteries
• The different ways graphene can be used in batteries
• Various types of graphene materials
• What's on the market today

The report package also provides:

• A list of all graphene companies involved with batteries
• Detailed specifications of graphene-enhanced anode materials
• Personal contact details into most graphene developers
• Free updates for a year

This Graphene Batteries market report provides a great introduction to graphene materials used in the batteries market, and covers everything you need to know about graphene in this niche. This is a great guide for anyone involved with the battery market, nanomaterials, electric vehicles and mobile devices.