Salgenx, developer of graphene-based salt water flow battery technology, has announced the development of a method to transform dendrites into a key component for high-performance cathode metallic materials in the saltwater flow battery. 

This new approach aims to not only mitigate the problems caused by dendrites but to also leverage their unique properties to enhance battery efficiency and longevity.

Specialist structural flooring manufacturers Staircraft have been testing the use of Haydale's graphene-based functional ink for application on their innovative chipboard flooring system. Significant investment has reportedly been made to get the new flooring system to adopt a heating solution that is cost effective and easy to install.

In a recent trial, Staircraft has reported very encouraging results and is now focused on continuing to collect definitive data before introducing the concept to their customer base. 

As part of an effort to promote self-reliance, the Indian government's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has granted seven new projects to private MSMEs and start-ups in the defense industry, under the Technology Development Fund scheme. 

One of these projects aims to develop graphene-Based smart & e-textiles for multifunctional wearable applications. Alohatech has been granted funding for this project, which will focus on developing conductive yarn and fabric-making processes using graphene nanomaterials and conductive inks. 

Limb neuroprostheses aim to restore motor and sensory functions in amputated or severely nerve-injured patients. These devices use neural interfaces to record and stimulate nerve action potentials, creating a bidirectional connection with the nervous system. Most neural interfaces are based on standard metal microelectrodes. 

Left: a histological section of the nerve implanted with an electrode longitudinally. Right, an image of the sciatic nerve with an EGNITE electrode implanted transversely to allow stimulation and recording of nerve impulses. Image credit: UAB

Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and ICN2 have demonstrated in animal models how Engineered Graphene for Neural Interface (EGNITE), a derivative of graphene, allows the creation of smaller electrodes, which can interact more selectively with the nerves they stimulate, thus improving the efficacy of the prostheses. The study also demonstrated that EGNITE is biocompatible, showing that its implantation is safe.

The exceptional electronic properties of graphene make it a material with large potential for low-power, high-frequency electronics. However, the performance of a graphene-based device depends not only on the properties of the graphene itself, but also on the quality of its metal contacts. The lack of effective and manufacturable approaches to establish good ohmic contacts to a graphene sheet is one of the factors that currently limit the full application potential of graphene technology. The quality of the graphene-metal contacts is described in terms of the contact resistance (RC). Low RC values are crucial for any high-frequency or low-power application. Graphene’s low density of states near the charge neutrality point (Dirac point) limits carrier injection from metals, often resulting in high RC values.

(a–d) Schematics showing the process sequence for manufacturing the devices and the laser irradiation of graphene in the contact regions. (e) Optical micrograph of one of the measured devices. Image credit: AMO

Recently, researchers from RWTH Aachen University and AMO have developed a scalable method based on laser irradiation of graphene to reduce the RC in nickel-contacted devices. A laser with a wavelength of l = 532 nm is used to induce defects at the contact regions, which are monitored in situ using micro-Raman spectroscopy. 

Black Swan Graphene has announced the release of its fourth commercial Graphene Enhanced Masterbatch ("GEM") product, as it continues to deploy broad commercialization efforts.

This new thermoplastic polyurethane ("TPU") masterbatch is an addition to the GraphCore 01 product line. TPU is a versatile polymer that combines the properties of rubber and plastic, making it an ideal material for a variety of applications ranging from industrial to consumer goods; inflatable products are particularly well suited for this new GEM. Using this new GEM, Black Swan has reportedly demonstrated a 25% improvement in light weighting capability, along with other mechanical performance improvements.

Premier Graphene has announced that it has shipped proprietary graphene suspension test samples by HGI Industrial Technologies, a company with a strategic agreement with Premier Graphene, to one of the largest essential materials companies in the world for use in concrete. This materials company is adding graphene samples to concrete to confirm the improved qualities of this concrete as measured by HGI’s in-house tests. 

Premier Graphene stated that with almost 8,000 employees, with a dominant distribution system in North America including almost 800 operating locations, this worldwide leader in the aggregate and cement business presents an extraordinary opportunity for it and HGI. With over a century of operational expertise and a public market value exceeding $50 billion USD, Premier Graphene’s potential partner leads North America in sustainable construction materials, road contracting, and building products sales.

Today we published a new edition of our Graphene Oxide Market Report, with all the latest information, including new research activities related to GO. Our market report is a comprehensive guide to graphene oxide (and r-GO) materials and their promising applications in energy storage, composite materials, bio-medical, water treatment and more.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• The difference between graphene oxide and graphene
• Graphene oxide properties
• Possible applications for graphene oxide
• Reduction of graphene oxide to r-GO

The report package also provides:

• A list of prominent GO research activities
• A list of all graphene oxide developers and their products
• Datasheets for over 20 different GO materials
• Free updates for a year

This Graphene Oxide market report provides a great introduction to graphene oxide materials and applications, and covers everything you need to know about GO materials on the market. This is a great guide for anyone interested in applying graphene oxide in their products.

Researchers at AMO GmbH, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Senseair AB and the University of Bundeswehr have developed a waveguide-integrated incandescent thermal mid-infrared emitter using graphene as the active material. This innovative approach is said to significantly enhance the efficiency, compactness, and reliability of gas sensor systems, paving the way for widespread applications across various industries.

Many applications require robust, real-time air quality monitoring solutions, driving the demand for distributed, networked, and compact gas sensors. Traditional gas sensing methods, including catalytic beads and semiconducting metal oxide sensors, suffer from performance degradation, frequent calibration needs, and limited sensor lifetimes due to their reliance on chemical reactions. Absorption spectroscopy offers a promising alternative by utilizing the fundamental absorption lines of several gases in the mid infrared (mid-IR) region, including greenhouse gases. This method provides high specificity, minimal drift, and long-term stability without chemically altering the sensor. The ability to “fingerprint” gases through characteristic absorption wavelengths, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) at 4.2 μm, makes it a promising technology for precise gas detection.

Researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and National Institute for Materials Science in Japan have combined the electrical properties of graphene with the semiconducting characteristics of indium selenide in a field-effect geometry, to create a device that can efficiently convert heat into electrical voltage at temperatures lower than that of outer space. The innovation could help overcome a significant obstacle to the advancement of quantum computing technologies, which require extremely low temperatures to function optimally.

Device schematic representing a fully encapsulated few-layer InSe channel, with graphene electrodes. Image credit: Nature Nanotechnology

To perform quantum computations, quantum bits (qubits) must be cooled down to temperatures in the millikelvin range (close to -273 Celsius), to slow down atomic motion and minimize noise. However, the electronics used to manage these quantum circuits generate heat, which is difficult to remove at such low temperatures. Most current technologies must therefore separate quantum circuits from their electronic components, causing noise and inefficiencies that hinder the realization of larger quantum systems beyond the lab. Now, researchers in EPFL’s Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES), led by Andras Kis, have fabricated a device that not only operates at extremely low temperatures, but does so with efficiency comparable to current technologies at room temperature.