Monthly Archive, June 2018 - Page 2

A study led by SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati), in association with the University of Antwerp (Belgium), the University of Trieste and the Institute of Science and Technology of Barcelona (Spain), reports the phenomenon of ion trapping by "graphene carpets" and its effect on the communication between neurons. The researchers observed an increase in the activity of nerve cells grown on a single layer of graphene. Combining theoretical and experimental approaches, they have shown that the phenomenon is due to the ability of the material to 'trap' several ions present in the surrounding environment on its surface, modulating its composition.

The researchers analyzed the behavior of neurons grown on a single layer of graphene, observing a strengthening in their activity. Through theoretical and experimental approaches, the researchers have shown that such behavior is due to reduced ion mobility, in particular of potassium, to the neuron-graphene interface. This phenomenon is commonly called ion trapping, already understood at the theoretical level, but observed experimentally for the first time only now.

Versarien, through its subsidiary Cambridge Graphene, has signed a wide-ranging agreement with Arrow Greentech, an India-based holding company and a leading global manufacturer of cast water-soluble film. In addition, Versarien launched a new brand to market its graphene inks under the name Graphinks.

Versarien and Arrow Greentech have entered into an exclusive commercial arrangement for the supply of propriety Graphinks (graphene inks) to Arrow Greentech for onward supply to the water-soluble film market worldwide; to collaborate on exploring the potential benefits of using graphene within security threads for banknotes and passports on a named-exclusive basis.

Researchers at MIT and Israel's Technion have used graphene to devise a new way of enhancing the interactions between light and matter, in a work that could someday lead to more efficient solar cells that collect a wider range of light wavelengths, and new kinds of lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that could have fully tunable color emissions.

The basic principle behind the new approach is a way to get the momentum of light particles (photons) to more closely match that of electrons, which is normally much greater. This huge difference in momentum normally causes these particles to interact very weakly; bringing their momenta closer together enables much greater control over their interactions, which could enable new kinds of basic research on these processes as well as a host of new applications, the researchers say.