Graphene-Info: the graphene experts

Norway-based Graphene Oxide developer Abalonyx says that there is a strong interest in graphene oxide (GO) solutions in the research community, across a wide range of applications. While first industrial adoption is "on the horizon", Abalonyx estimates that industry acceptance is strongly related to cost.

Abalonyx' current production cost is around €800 per Kg (dry weight basis) - since the Company's GO is currently used by researchers and early R&D efforts. Abalonyx estimates that as production volume goes up, the price of production could reach around 22 Euro / Kg - which will make GO applicable for areas such as concrete and asphalt. The projection is based on the company's own extrapolation of today's capacity and the effect of full-automation. The cost does not include waste handling (although Abalonyx believes that it will be able to handle that at no cost). Abalonyx is currently selling its GO at €1,300 - €4,000 per Kg depending on amount and grade (€1.3 - €4 per gram).

Skeleton Technologies and British bus manufacturer Wrights Group have announced the signing of a high-volume, multi-million-euro contract for the next 5 years. Skeleton Technologies will supply graphene-based supercapacitors to the latest KERS enabled hybrid-electric double and single deck buses produced by the Wrights Group.

The demand to reduce CO₂ emissions in city centers is one of the key drivers for WrightBus to implement new technology which cuts such emissions by saving fuel. The integration of graphene-based supercapacitors into test WrightBus double deck buses reportedly enables a 36% fuel saving compared to a UK-based EuroVI diesel bus baseline. It also adds at least another 3 passengers to the capacity of these buses compared to a lithium battery-based hybrid equivalent.

Huffington Capital Corp (trading in Canada under TSXV:HU.H), a capital pool company, announced that it is set to acquire US-based Grapheneca. The financial terms were not disclosed, but he two companies signed a letter of intent and the agreement calls for Grapheneca to complete a $4.5 million CAD private placement.

Grapheneca (Nano Graphene Inc) is producing high-quality graphene flakes and graphene composite materials at its New York production facility, using the company's patented production process.

Researchers at the University of Bristol are developing graphene-enabled ‘smart trousers’ with artificial ‘muscles’ which could help the elderly and disabled with their mobility.

The project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), incorporates a number of technologies including smart electronics and graphene. Some items of clothing which make use of these, including a pair of ‘power trousers’, have already been demonstrated at the British Science Festival.

A new study by KGI, UC Berkeley and Nanomedical Diagnostics researchers illustrates the impact of a graphene-based biosensors in identifying the circulating biomarkers of aging.

As a way to replace conventional assays, the research team presented a new portable digital device for biosensing based on functionalized graphene that can be employed for any click-able application. The lab-on-a-chip technology called Click-A+Chip is designed for facile and rapid digital detection of azido-nor-leucine (ANL)-labeled proteomes present in minute amount of sample.

MIT and Graphenea have developed an array of graphene sensors for sensitive and selective detection of ammonia. The array consists of 160 graphene pixels, allowing large statistics that result in improved sensing performance. The sensors are extensively tested for various real-life operational conditions, which seems to be a step forward to practical use.

The sensors are built by attaching porphyrins, a class of organic molecules, to the graphene surface. Porphyrins are particularly well-matched to graphene sensors because they provide excellent sensitivity while producing minimal perturbation to graphene’s outstanding electrical properties. When ammonia molecules attach to porphyrins, the compound becomes a strong dipole that changes electrical properties of the graphene. This electrical change is detected as a sign of the presence of ammonia.

Haydale has been jointly awarded a contract by the English Institute for Sport (‘EIS’) for the development of advanced wearable technology for elite athletes in training for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The EIS will use Haydale and its long-term partner the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University to incorporate graphene coatings into a range of clothing for elite performers.