May 2017

NASA is getting set to announce its first mission to fly directly into the sun’s atmosphere during an event on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. The mission, Solar Probe Plus, is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2018.

Placed in orbit within four million miles of the sun’s surface, facing heat and radiation unlike any spacecraft in history, the vessel will explore the sun’s outer atmosphere and make observations that may answer questions that have long since plagued researchers.

Researchers from the ICFO have developed the first graphene-QDs-CMOS integrated camera, capable of imaging visible and infrared light at the same time. The camera may be useful for many applications like night vision, food inspection, fire control, vision under extreme weather conditions, and more.

The imaging system is said to be based on the first monolithic integration of graphene and quantum dot photodetectors, with a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) read-out integrated circuit. The implementation of such a platform in applications other than microcircuits and visible light cameras has been impeded by the difficulty to combine semiconductors other than silicon with CMOS, an obstacle that has been overcome in this work.

Zenyatta Ventures has announced that the next phase to test a graphene-enhanced concrete admixture is progressing through their Collaboration Agreement with Larisplast, an Israeli business that specializes in the field of concrete admixtures.

The 10 kg market sample of high-purity graphite that was sent to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel (BGU) will allow for the testing and optimization of a much larger volume of concretes. Zenyatta and Larisplast have both received grant funding from the Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation under the Ontario-Israel Collaboration.

Directa Plus, a producer and supplier of graphene-based products, has announced that Deewear, an Italy-based company focused on providing sportswear that combine design, technology and wearability, has launched D-ONE, a new generation of sportswear that combines the properties of Directa Plus’ Graphene Plus (G+) with the benefits of postural compress fabric, while offering superior comfort.

D-ONE consists of three high-performance technical layers: an inner layer coated in G+, an external layer of smart compress fabric and, in the advanced range, a middle layer that provides muscle articulation and postural support.

Researchers from UCLA and the University of Connecticut have designed a biological supercapacitor which operates using ions derived from bodily fluids. The team predicts that this work could lead to longer-lasting cardiac pacemakers and other implantable medical devices.

The biosupercapacitor, which features graphene layered with modified human proteins as an electrode, could be used in next-generation implantable devices to speed bone growth, promote healing or stimulate the brain.

Applied Graphene Materials has outlined details of a new graphene-enhanced ink technology and signed a development deal with the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Center. A patent for this new development, called Structural Ink, has been registered and once fully commercialized, the product will be targeted at the advanced composites industry.

The technology will aim to enable users to increase mechanical toughness, through the addition of graphene. This is ultimately designed to improve performance, enable further weight reduction and reduce total manufacturing costs.

Graphene Nanochem announced that it has received two purchase orders for a total of 4,000 barrels of PlatDrill R, valued at $589,680, for deployment in the near term in Myanmar for a leading oil and gas company.

In December 2016, Graphene Nanochem received a contract order for its Platdrill fluid in the shale gas market in China worth about $360,000.

Researchers at Rice University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel (BGU) have shown that laser-induced graphene LIG (that was invented at Rice) is a highly effective anti-fouling and anti-biofouling material (that protects surfaces from the buildup of microorganisms, plants or other biological material on wet surfaces), and, when electrified, also serves as a bacteria zapper.

This form of graphene is extremely resistant to biofilm formation, which has promise for places like water-treatment plants, oil-drilling operations, hospitals and ocean applications like underwater pipes that are sensitive to fouling, Prof. James Tour says. The antibacterial qualities when electricity is applied is a great additional benefit.

UK-based graphene supercapacitor developer Zap&Go announced that it was awarded with a $1.6 million USD from the European Union to perfect the prototype cordless tools powered by its fast-charging graphene supercapacitors.

Zap&Go initiated a self-funded feasibility study to embed its graphene supercapacitors in cordless tools. The company says that it has received commitments from major OEMs in joint development agreements. In this new EU-funded project, Zap&Go intends to further develop its power modules and electronics, integrating them with cordless tools such as vacuum cleaners and power drills, and finally build units to conduct customer trials.

NUS researchers discovered that manipulating the electron spin lowers the contact resistance in graphene-metal interfaces, which normally suffer from large electrical resistance.

The researchers have shown that edga-contacted device geometries in metallic-graphene interfaces feature some of the lowest contact resistances reported to date - significantly lower than in surface-contracted interfaces. The researchers explain that this is due to the different behavior of electron spins in these geometries.