Scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas, along with colleagues in Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, have observed a rare phenomenon called the quantum anomalous Hall effect in bi-layer graphene. Previous experiments have detected it only in complex or delicate materials.

The quantum Hall effect is a macroscopic phenomenon in which the transverse resistance in a material changes by quantized values in a stepwise fashion. It occurs in two-dimensional electron systems at low temperatures and under strong magnetic fields. In the absence of an external magnetic field, however, a 2D system may spontaneously generate its own magnetic field, for example, through an orbital ferromagnetism that is produced by interactions among electrons. This behavior is called the quantum anomalous Hall effect.

Three companies in China recently launched graphene-enhanced lead-acid batteries, and they claim the graphene materials boost the performance of the batteries. While it is hard to verify the exact content and composition of these batteries, it seems as if graphene is finally starting to enter the battery market.

First up is Tianneng battery, which offers its TNEH Series Deep Cycle Black Gold Battery. The company says that the graphene expands the cycle life of the batteries and improves the performance at low temperatures. The TNEH series offers a 20% longer cycle life compared to the company's non-graphene batteries. The same battery also offers a 5% increase in capacity at low temperatures.

Directa Plus has stated that its graphene technology is being used in a newly-launched high-tech range of trail shoes.

Directa Plus said a specially developed graphene membrane is integrated into the lining of the norda 001 G+ Spike high-performance trail shoes, which are now available for consumer purchase.

A team of researchers at UBC Okanagan (UBCO), studying the burning rate of nanomaterials in liquid fuels, believe they have created a recipe for clean-burning, power-boosting aircraft fuel.

A droplet of fuel mixed with nanomaterials is ignited during an experiment in UBCO’s Combustion for Propulsion and Power Lab. Image credit: UBCO

The team is investigating the combustion characteristics of microscopic graphene oxide inside fuel. Their experiment measures the ignition delay, burn rate and speed by which the graphene particles and fuel separate into smaller particles. Working with our industry partner, ZEN Graphene Solutions, we are assessing how the burn rate of this mixture can potentially improve its combustion properties, explains lead author and doctoral student Sepehr Mosadegh.

Researchers from Columbia University and collaborators from Korea's Sungkyunkwan University and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have reported that graphene can be efficiently doped using a monolayer of tungsten oxyselenide (TOS) that is created by oxidizing a monolayer of tungsten diselenide.

The new results relied on a cleaner technique to manipulate the flow of electricity, giving graphene greater conductivity than metals such as copper and gold, and raising its potential for use in telecommunications systems and quantum computers.

G6 Materials (Formerly called Graphene 3D Lab) reported its financial results for Q3 2021 (which ended on August 31). The company's revenues in the quarter increased 55% from Q2, to reach $341,134. The increase is attributed to a stable increase in sales.

The company's net loss for the quarter improved by 37% to $571,194. The company's CEO, Daniel Stolyarov, says he is pleased with the increase in revenue, and he expects the company to continue the positive momentum in the future.

California-based company Lyten has developed a graphene-enhanced lithium-sulfur battery for electric vehicles. The battery reportedly achieved a higher gravimetric energy density than traditional lithium-ion and solid-state technologies. Lyten is said to have has previous collaborations with the US government for military projects.

The product was named LytCell EV and was designed to deliver three times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries. The company reported 900 Wh/kg, precisely three times as much as the batteries in circulation today. Lyten Sulfur Caging is the name of the technology used in LytCell batteries to unlock the performance potential of sulfur by halting the advance of polysulfide, a cycle-life compromising factor that has so far prevented the practical use of Li-S in electric vehicles battery powered. Based on testing, a LytCell prototype reportedly proved to withstand more than 1,400 cycles very well.