February 2020

UK-based planarTECH has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, as part of Graphene-Info's Graphene Crowdfunding Arena. planarTECH aims to expand its current business and also initiate new graphene endeavors. Investors are now able to participate in this financing round, already at 39% only a few hours after it opened!

planarTECH, founded in 2014, supplies CVD equipment for the production of high quality graphene sheets, as well as other 2D materials. The company was focused on research institutes, and already sold over 65 systems with a customer list that includes Manchester University, the University of Cambridge, Stanford University and the National University of Singapore.

A KAIST research team in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison theoretically developed a graphene-based active metasurface capable of independent amplitude and phase control of mid-infrared light. This research gives a new insight into modulating the mid-infrared wavefront with high resolution by solving the problem of the independent control of light amplitude and phase, which has remained a long-standing challenge.

Light modulation technology is essential for developing future optical devices such as holography, high-resolution imaging, and optical communication systems. Liquid crystals and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) have previously been utilized to modulate light. However, both methods suffer from significantly limited driving speeds and unit pixel sizes larger than the diffraction limit, which consequently prevent their integration into photonic systems.

Micro Powders, in collaboration with Garmor, recently launched GraphShield 730, a next-generation graphene-based anticorrosion additive for powder coating applications.

GraphShield 730 uses Micro Powders’ wax composite technology to deliver a high loading of Garmor’s unique edge functionalized graphene product, enabling the delivery of an advanced nanomaterial into coating formulations safely and effectively without any changes needed in the customer’s production process. Graphene imbues the final coating with significantly enhanced corrosion resistance on both bare and treated cold rolled steel, with up to 50% reduction in corrosive creep.

Scientists from University College London and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a graphene-based design for supercapacitors, which reportedly increased their density by 10 times.

Supercapacitors charge quickly but also discharge at a high speed. Existing supercapacitors tend to have a low energy density about 1/20 of the battery capacity. Batteries combined with supercapacitors are already in limited use for example, in Chinese public transport. But the bus in which such a battery is installed is forced to charge at almost every stop.

Cambridge Raman Imaging Limited (CRIL), a Frontier IP Group portfolio firm, has been awarded €140,000 (£116,380) in EU funding to accelerate development of its graphene-enabled scanning microscope.

CRIL, which was spun out from the University of Cambridge and Italian university Politecnico di Milano in 2018, is developing a microscope which uses graphene to modulate ultra-short pulses of light to diagnose and track cancer tumors.

Scientists from Chung-Ang University, Korea, led by Prof Hyungbin SonKorea, have observed a unique way in which graphene forms a hybrid layer that prevents copper corrosion.

A challenge with using copper is that its surface oxidizes over time, even under ambient conditions, ultimately leading to its corrosion. Thus, finding a long-term method to protect the exposed surfaces of copper is a valuable goal. One common way of protecting metal surfaces is by coating them with anti-corrosive substances. Graphene is studied extensively as a candidate for anti-corrosive coating, as it serves as a barrier to gas molecules. But, despite these properties, graphene sheets have been said to protect copper from corrosion only over short periods (less than 24 hours). In fact, surprisingly, after this initial period, graphene appears to possibly increase the rate of copper corrosion, which is completely in contrast to its anti-corrosive nature.

G6 Materials Corp. (formerly known as "Graphene 3D Lab) has announced the start of a new green-energy focused collaboration with Gilman Industries, a company focused on commercializing its hydrogen-producing technology. The objective of the project is to develop a new generation of Evolve, a proprietary hydrogen generator that produces hydrogen by splitting water with an electric current.

During the course of this project, G6 will develop a robust graphene-based material for electrodes within the hydrogen generator. Introducing a resilient graphene-based material has the potential to deliver chemical stability that could allow the generator to operate with seawater, which if successful, would drastically expand the range of potential applications.

Scientists at Rice University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated the use of a very small visible beam to burn graphene into microscopic patterns.

Scientists recorded the formation of laser-induced graphene made with a small laser mounted to a scanning electron microscope. Image credit: the Tour Group

The labs of Rice chemist James Tour, which discovered the original method to turn a common polymer into graphene in 2014, and Tennessee/ORNL materials scientist Philip Rack revealed they can now watch the conductive material form as it makes small traces of LIG in a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

UK-based planarTECH is launching an equity crowdfunding campaign at on Seedrs, as part of Graphene-Info's Graphene Crowdfunding Arena, and the company now released its first investor video pitch that summarizes the business and technology:

planarTECH is the first company to apply to our Graphene Crowdfunding Arena, and potential investors can currently pre-register for exclusive early access to this campaign. The first step should be to join Seedrs as an investor (which will also enable the participation in future graphene campaigns) and then to apply to planarTECH’s investment page as an interested investor. The company's campaign will go live soon!

This is a sponsored article by Dr Richard Collins, IDTechEx

Graphene is on the cusp of significant market growth; the opportunities are exciting and diverse, each with significant potential. Graphene and 2D Materials Europe 2020 (13-14 May, Berlin) is the largest B2B event on the topic with a dedicated focus on the commercial frontiers. www.GrapheneEurope.tech

There is often confusion surrounding the types of graphene, commercial status, and their target markets. This article will briefly summarise each and showcase what to expect at this event.