Electronics - Page 29

University of Exeter scientists discovered that GraphExeter, an adaptation of graphene, is durable to prolonged exposure to high temperatures and humidity. This makes the material not only a transparent, flexible and lightweight conductor, but a resilient one at that. The scientists predict major importance of this discovery for various electronic applications (and a possible ITO replacement).

GraphExeter is a University of Exeter discovery, and is made of sandwiched molecules of ferric chloride between two graphene layers. It turns out that this creates a unique conductor with many useful traits, which is also now proving to be durable: the researchers found that it can withstand relative humidy of up to 100% at room temperature for 25 days, as well as temperatures of up to 150C or as high as 620C in vacuum.

Researchers at MIT and Harvard University found a way to use folded DNA to control the nanostructure of inorganic materials. DNA structures are built in a certain shape, then used as templates to create nanoscale patterns on sheets of graphene. This technique can further large-scale production of graphene electronic chips.

This technique forms DNA nanostructures with precisely planned shapes using short synthetic DNA strands called single-stranded tiles. Each of these tiles acts as an interlocking brick and binds with four designated neighbors. The researchers transferred the structural information encoded in DNA to graphene, using a relatively simple process that includes anchoring the DNA onto a graphene surface using a molecule called aminopyrine, which is similar in structure to graphene. The DNA is then coated with small clusters of silver along the surface, which allows a subsequent layer of gold to be deposited on top of the silver.

the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) announced the development of a technology that enables the use of graphene for 3D printing, which is supposed to significantly improve the manufacture of flexible and wearable devices.

Their technology enables the 3D printing of objects using metal, plastic and graphene, and can be applied to diverse industrial segments with printed electronics particularly in mind.

The Australian Talga Resources announced a graphene research and development program with Friedrich Schiller University Jena, a renowned German materials research organization.

The program has an initial six month duration and will focus on using Talga's graphene to develop superior conductive ink development with potential applications in printable, flexible electronics and other applications (possibly including batteries).

Purdue University researchers developed a graphene-based frequency tripler with a spectral output purity greater than 70% (a considerable improvement over current tripler technology), which could offer high efficiency performance for various electronic components in areas like boradcasting and communications.

This technology addresses the output power at third harmonic while allowing for signal amplification for conversion gain in a scaled device. The researchers say graphene is a perfect fit fot this application due to its high carrier mobility trait.

Researchers at the Rice University have devised a process in which a computer-controlled laser burns through a polymer to create flexible, patterned sheets of multilayer graphene that may be suitable for electronics or energy storage. The process works in air at room temperature, cancelling the need for hot furnaces and controlled environments.

The product of this process is not a 2D piece of graphene but a porous foam of interconnected flakes about 20 microns thick. The laser doesn't cut all the way through the base material, so the foam remains attached to a flexible plastic base.

Graphene 3D Lab announced signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Boots Industries, a Canadian 3D printer manufacturer. Graphene 3D Lab intends to purchase all Boots Industries assets and hire a team of Boots Industries in an all-share transaction estimated at $500,000 CAD.

Graphene 3D Lab plans to create a proprietary 3D printer with the capability of printing functional and electronic devices and optimized to maximize performance of Graphene 3D functional printing materials.

Lomiko Metals, the Canadian company focused on the exploration and development of minerals with aims towards a new green economy, announced signing an agreement to invest in a new graphene-related venture called Graphene Energy Storage Devices (Graphene ESD) which is a U.S Corporation.

Graphene ESD Corp. has been formed with intentions to commercialize their energy storage technology, as Lomiko recently reported a successful conclusion to phase I of its Graphene Supercapacitor Project with Graphene Laboratories and Stony Brook University. 

Researchers from the Functional Materials research unit at the National Research Council of Italy in Bologna discovered an effective way of producing graphene-polymer composites by using an already-familiar industrial dye as a replacement to the traditional harmful solvents.

Different solvents and soaps that are nowadays used for graphene production might be appropriate for basic research, but are problematic for large-scale industrial applications. The tested industrial dye, already in wide use in polymer manufacturing, removes some of these problems by being non-toxic and eliminating the need to extract it at the end of the process.

Researchers at the Swedish Umea University revealed that semiconducting polymers, placed on a layer of graphene, transport electrical charges more efficiently than when the same polymer is placed on a silicon substrate.

The researchers say that graphene enhances the charge transport through the polymer film, making it potentially useful for producing more efficient electronic devices like organic solar cells, OLEDs and more.