Graphene Flagship: Europe's $1 billion graphene initiative - Page 5

A study recently conducted by Graphene Flagship partners the University of Strasbourg and CNRS, France, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, has shown that graphene quantum dots are biodegradable by two enzymes found in the human body.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are tiny flakes usually smaller than five nanometres that have potential for many applications. GQDs are fluorescent, so they can absorb light and then emit it, often at a different wavelength. They are also so small that they can penetrate cells. Together, these properties pave the way to a wide array of applications in bioimaging, biosensing and new therapies - among other potential uses.

An international team of researchers recently reported its success in creating a new type of graphene-based photodetector.

The team integrated three concepts to achieve the new device: metallic plasmonic antennas, ultra sub-wavelength waveguiding of light and graphene photodetection. Specifically, the 2D-material hexagonal boron nitride was used as the waveguide for hyperbolic phonon polaritons, which can highly confine and guide mid-infrared light at the nanoscale. By carefully matching the nano-antenna with the phonon polariton waveguide, they efficiently funnel incoming light into a nanoscale graphene junction. By using this approach, they were able to overcome intrinsic limitations of graphene, such as its low absorption and its small photoactive region near the junction.

The Graphene Flagship has been invited by the European Commission to create an experimental pilot line for graphene-based electronics, optoelectronics and sensors. This will be a unique experimental manufacturing facility, where European companies, research centers and academic institutions can produce novel devices based on two-dimensional (2D) materials on a pilot scale.

The goal of this endeavor is to demonstrate how to manufacture and scale up the production of devices based on 2D materials for market applications. This is a crucial step before graphene technologies can be transferred to full scale manufacturing.

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, a spin-off of the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and ICREA, has received €1 Million in funding from Sabadell Asabys and Alta Life Sciences, as well as ICF and Finaves, which will allow the company to speed up the development of novel graphene-based implants to optimize the treatment of brain disorders, such as Parkinson’s and epilepsy.

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics was established in 2019 with the mission of developing brain-implants based on graphene technology for application in patients with epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and other neuronal diseases. These smart devices, built around an innovative graphene electrode, will decode with high certainty neural signals from the brain and produce a therapeutic response adapted to the clinical condition of the specific patient.

The Graphene Flagship has announced 16 New FLAG-ERA projects, that cover a broad range of topics, from fundamental to applied research. These projects which will become Partnering Projects of the Graphene Flagship receiving around €11 million in funding overall.

Bringing together a diverse range of European knowledge and expertise, FLAG-ERA is an ERA-NET (European Research Area Network) initiative that aims to create synergies between new research projects and the Graphene Flagship and Human Brain Project.

​The European Commission recently invited a group of Graphene Flagship partners and associated members to set up an experimental pilot line to integrate graphene and related layered materials (GRMs) in semiconductor platforms.

The project aims to establish a European ecosystem covering the entire value chain, from tool manufacturers and chemical and material providers to pilot lines. This collaborative project will pioneer the manufacture of new prototype electronics, photonics and sensors integrating GRMs. The 2D Experimental Pilot Line (2D-EPL) will offer prototyping services to companies, research centers and academics to develop their innovative technologies based on 2D materials in an established processing platform.

​The Graphene Flagship has announced a transition into Core 3, the fourth funding cycle of the €1 Billion research initiative funded by the European Commission. In this three-year phase of the project, the Graphene Flagship expects to advance much further toward the commercialization of graphene and layered materials. While keeping an eye on fundamental research, the Graphene Flagship Core 3 will have a special focus on innovative research to boost graphene-enabled technologies to higher technology readiness levels.

It was stated that roughly 30% of Core 3 budget will fund eleven industry-led 'Spearhead Projects', each established with clear market-motivated objectives. These Spearheads focus on a wide range of application areas, but all have the common goal of developing new or improved products integrating graphene and layered materials.

Graphene Flagship partners Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, CIC EnergiGUNE and INCAR-CSIC, Spain, have produced rechargeable batteries and energy storage devices made of a non-toxic and environmentally friendly graphene-based material.

With current metal-ion batteries reaching their theoretical limitations in terms of cycle life, capacity and power, researchers focused on metal-air alternatives, such as sodium-air (Na-O₂) batteries.

Cambridge Raman Imaging Limited (CRIL), a Frontier IP Group portfolio firm, has been awarded €140,000 (£116,380) in EU funding to accelerate development of its graphene-enabled scanning microscope.

CRIL, which was spun out from the University of Cambridge and Italian university Politecnico di Milano in 2018, is developing a microscope which uses graphene to modulate ultra-short pulses of light to diagnose and track cancer tumors.

The Graphene-Info team is excited to announce its attendance at the Mobile World Congress 2020 on February 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain. The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the world's largest gathering for the mobile industry, organized by the GSMA. It features a large exhibition, conference programme and networking opportunities.

For several years, the MWC event hosts a special graphene pavilion organized by the Graphene Flagship. This year, the Graphene Pavilion is promised to be even larger than before!