Graphene-Info: the graphene experts

Recent research by NPL, Oxford Instruments, Chalmers University and Graphensic has enabled the quantum Hall effect to be realized at both lower magnetic fields and higher temperatures, whilst still retaining part per billion accuracies.

The long-term collaboration between NPL, Chalmers University of Technology and Graphensic has resulted in a big advance in graphene samples. Epitaxial graphene (epigraphene) has been grown on silicon carbide and has better performance at higher temperatures and lower magnetic field than was previously possible. In practical terms, it has also removed the difficult process of fine-tuning the carrier density and means the ‘table-top’ system can be warmed up and cooled back down and the plateau stays where it is set with no user intervention.

Global infrastructure services firm Aecom is reportedly developing one of the UK’s first 3D-printed commercial products made from graphene-reinforced polymer.

The CNCTArch is being tested in Bristol (Photo from Aecom)

Aecom has produced a graphene arch using additive manufacturing techniques. It believes the method could reduce the time and cost of installing digital signalling systems and transform the digitization of transport networks. The 4.5-meter high, lightweight arch is being tested on outdoor track at Network Rail’s workforce development center in Bristol.

Riptron, a spin-out company from the University of Manchester, has entered a partnership with China-based Tunghsu Optoelectronics to advance graphene sensors designed to measure the quality of air. The graphene-based sensors are expected to enter mass production shortly following the partnership between the two companies.

In this context, Riptron will secure around £1 million investment over two stages from Tunghsu Optoelectronics.

Israel's Bar Ilan University (BIU) will establish a nanotechnology excellence center in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The new center at the BIU will include a laboratory to focus on nanomedicine research and two-dimensional (2D) materials engineering, mainly producing graphene.

According to BIU, the main task of the joint research lab is to integrate teamwork of Chinese and Israeli researchers with the participation of industrialists from both countries.

Researchers from Northwestern University have recently shown that graphene oxide “paper” can be made by mixing strong, solid GO flakes with weak, porous GO flakes. This finding may aid the production of higher quality GO materials, and also sheds light on a general problem in materials engineering: how to build a nano-scale material into a macroscopic material without losing its desirable properties.

Large single layers of GO wrinkle easily, leaving breakable gaps. Small, hard flakes don’t integrate well. image by Northwestern

“To put it in human terms, collaboration is very important,” said Jiaxing Huang, Northwestern Engineering professor of materials science and engineering, who led the study. “Excellent players can still make a bad team if they don’t work well together. Here, we add some seemingly weaker players and they strengthen the whole team.”

Samsung may be in the race to develop a graphene-based alternative to lithium-ion batteries for its phones. Rumors are going around claiming that the Company hopes to have at least one phone with a graphene battery ready next year or by 2021.

The word is that these graphene-based batteries will be capable of a full charge in under a half-hour, but they still need to raise capacities while lowering costs. In 2017, Samsung said its researchers developed a "graphene ball" material that enables five times faster charging speeds than standard lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and Yale University in the U.S have reported on a novel device architecture comprising graphene Schottky diode varactors. The team assessed that such devices have great potential for optoelectronics applications.

graphically illustrated edge contact image

The team has shown that graphene varactor diodes exhibit significant advantages compared with existing graphene photodetectors, including elimination of high dark currents and enhancement of the external quantum efficiency (EQE).