The Korean Grapheneall recently started to produce graphene oxide and reduced GO, in a low price that is enabled by the company's new oxidation and purification process that helps to decrease acidic waste. The company set up a factory and started production of GO and rGO in ton scale per month.

Grapheneall's SEM image of GO

The unique purification process is said to be simple and take just one hour, as opposed to many other purification processes that are more time consuming. Grapheneall's production line is an automated system that is able to check and save real-time conditions, which assists the company in controlling the progress of production.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a highly sensitive graphene-based biosensor capable of diagnosing diseases using a simple blood test.

The graphene-based biosensor can reportedly check the blood concentration of beta amyloid, which is known as a protein that causes dementia, utilizing a blood test for early age-related dementia (Alzheimer's disease) diagnosis. With the sensor, the research team confirmed the diagnostic capability for dementia through the blood samples of transgenic mice and normal mice models.

Haydale Composite Solutions (HCS), Haydale Graphene Industries' wholly owned subsidiary that specializes in the design, development and commercialization of advanced polymer composite materials, will be launching graphene-enhanced poly lactic acid (PLA) filaments for 3D printing at the TCT show in Birmingham on 28 and 29 September 2016.

HCS is collaborating with UK-based Filamentprint, a company specializing in the compounding and manufacture of thermoplastic filaments for 3D printing and Fullerex, Haydale's sales agent for its functionalized nanomaterials.

Researchers from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), in collaboration with researchers from other Russian institutions, have designed a way to acquire 2D graphene-like layers of various rock salts. Thanks to the unique properties of atomically thin materials, this opens up fascinating prospects for nanoelectronics. Based on the computer simulation, they derived the equation for the number of layers in a crystal that will produce ultrathin films with potential applications in nanoelectronics.

Previous theoretical studies suggested that under certain conditions, films with a cubic structure and ionic bonding could spontaneously convert to a layered hexagonal graphitic structure in what is known as graphitisation. However, there was very little experimental data to make any practical use of this proposal.

Department of Energy (DoE) funded researchers investigated the electronic properties of 2D hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite sheets, as an alternative to graphene and other materials. The researchers reported that such perovskites could rival graphene in PV applications, since the 2D crystals exhibited efficient photoluminescence, were easier to grow than graphene and it's possible to dope it to make the various varieties of ionic semiconductors needed to beat other 2D materials with tunable electronic/photonic properties.

Scientists created these new forms of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites in atomically thin 2D sheets and first showed how they hold promise as semiconductor materials for photovoltaic applications. Next they showed how they could serve as an alternative to other 2D semiconductors that are widely studied as potential successors to silicon in future electronic devices.

Last month we asked several graphene experts about their thoughts on the commercial potential of CVD as a graphene production process. This interesting discussion led to my talk with Jesus de la Fuente, Graphenea's Founder & CEO.

Graphenea is one of the world's leaders in CVD graphene, and Jesus kindly agreed to update us on his thoughts on CVD and the recent advances made at Graphenea.

Applied Graphene Materials has signed a joint development agreement with James Briggs, one of Europe’s largest consumer chemicals companies, to develop graphene-based anti-corrosive coatings. This collaboration reportedly follows the outstanding performance results from proof of concept studies into such coatings.

AGM and James Briggs have already started an accelerated product development program that aims towards early market exploitation of graphene. Under the JDA, James Briggs will incorporate graphene material into its existing paint formulations to deliver higher-performing primers with improved corrosion protection. The expectation is that a new range of primers will be launched in early 2017. Alongside this, the two businesses will be cooperating on potential applications for lubrication products given the improved friction properties offered by the application of graphene.

Skeleton Technologies has received 13 million Euro in an investment led by FirstFloor Capital, a Malaysian venture capital investment firm specializing in funding high-growth technology companies.

The Round C investment, which also includes existing Skeleton Technologies’ investors UP Invest and Harju Elekter, brings total financing to 26.7 million Euro and will support Skeleton Technologies in its next phase of revenue ramp-up to bring graphene supercapacitors from high-end sectors to the mass market.

A team of researchers from China and Japan has designed a new method to make minuscule ribbons of graphene that are highly sought-after building blocks for semiconductor devices thanks to their predicted electronic properties. These structures, however, have proven challenging to make.

Previous attempts at making graphene nanoribbons relied on placing sheets of graphene over a layer of silica and using atomic hydrogen to etch strips with zigzag edges, a process known as anisotropic etching. This method, however, only worked well to make ribbons that had two or more graphene layers. Irregularities in silica created by electronic peaks and valleys roughen its surface, so creating precise zigzag edges on graphene monolayers was a challenge.