April 2020

ZEN Graphene Solutions has announced an international collaboration with UK-based Graphene Composites to fight COVID-19 by developing a potential virucidal graphene-based composite ink that can be applied to fabrics including N95 face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for significantly increased protection. Once the development, testing, and confirmation of the graphene ink's virucidal ability have been completed, the ink will then be incorporated into fabrics used for PPE.

Francis Dubé, CEO of ZEN commented, "We are pleased to be collaborating with GC and be on the forefront of a new innovative technology that could contribute to combating the deadly COVID-19 virus. The development of this potential COVID-19 virucidal graphene ink is coming at a crucial time to provide effective PPE supplies for the safety of frontline workers and hospital staff." Dr. Dubé continued, "The current N95 masks trap the virus but don't kill it. Our testing will demonstrate if the graphene ink is an effective virucide which would kill the virus as this could make a big difference to people's safety. We have been very impressed by the Graphene Composites team and look forward to continued collaborations."

Scientists from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and their colleagues have used multi-functional graphene to develop a medical technology that allows for targeted cancer treatment at the molecular level.

Graphene good biocompatibility and biodegradability make it an attractive material for medical research in fields like medical tools and drug delivery carriers. However, a recurring issue is the difficulty in modifying many individual functional molecules onto a graphene nano-sheet at the same time for its biomedical applications.

Advanced materials engineering company Versarien has announced that its subsidiary, 2-DTech, has been awarded a grant of up to £104,000 from the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC).

The firm said the award was part of APC's £1 million-plus initiative to support 14 micro, small and medium-sized companies that are developing innovative low-carbon technologies to reduce vehicle emissions.

Talga Resources, battery anode and graphene additives developer, has announced that it has been approved for Innovate UK co-funding to support development of an e-axle designed for Bentley Motors.

Copper windings in EV electric motors components. Image credit: Talga Resources

The OCTOPUS project aims to deliver the ultimate single unit e-axle solution designed specifically to meet Bentley Motors performance specifications via optimized motor and power electronics technology and materials. The project is funded under the Office for Low Emission Vehicles’ and Innovate UK’s IDP15: The Road to Zero Emission Vehicles competition.

Italian sports equipment maker NRC launched new sports sunglasses that come with a graphene-enhanced frame. NRC says that the graphene increases the durability, flexibility and lightness of the frame - and so enabled NRC to design glasses that "perform far beyond all limits".

The EVEREST series of sunglasses are now shipping for €215 in Europe - and can be found at Amazon.

Graphenea has announced the successful completion of project G4SEMI, funded by the European Commission SME Instrument.

The project, which lasted two years, aimed at integrating graphene into CMOS semiconductor workflows. The business goal was to create added value through fast-tracking market acceptance of graphene-on-wafer by lowering the technological barriers to adoption of graphene by the €545 billion semiconductor devices industry.

It was recently reported that Rolls-Royce is to work with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) and its partner Versarien on the use of graphene and other 2D materials used in wiring for next-generation aerospace engine systems.

The initial program of work will use the state-of-the-art chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment located within the GEIC.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati claim they have developed a graphene-based "superhydrophobic" material that can separate oil and water. The material could have various uses in industry and healthcare.

Superhydrophobic materials materials with extreme water repellency are considered the best for removing oil from water, but they are generally not scalable, use environmentally toxic products such as fluorinated polymers, or have poor mechanical and chemical stability.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel are developing a new type of graphene-enhanced air-filter that self-sterilizes and decontaminates based on water filtration technology.

The new nanotechnology is based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) water filters that eliminate viruses and bacteria in water. This new concept, engineered for air-filtration, could be used in air filters in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems or integrated into face masks for a self-sterilizing effect. Most masks will become contaminated during usage, including the N95 respirator mask, and if not properly used or handled, becomes a contamination risk.

Korean researchers have developed a graphene-based field-effect transistor-based biosensor that detects SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs from patients with COVID-19, in less than one minute.

Currently, most diagnostic tests for COVID-19 rely on a technique called real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which amplifies SARS-CoV-2 RNA from patient swabs so that tiny amounts of the virus can be detected. However, the method takes at least 3 hours, including a step to prepare the viral RNA for analysis. Edmond Changkyun Park, Seung Il Kim and colleagues wanted to develop a faster diagnostic test that could analyze patient samples directly from a tube of buffer containing the swabs, without any sample preparation steps.