Electronics

Researchers from Guangdong Technion − Israel Institute of Technology have developed printable graphene inks with low-surface-tension solvents and mild-temperature post-processing using polypropylene carbonate (PPC). 

a, b Illustrations of liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of graphene from graphite using PPC as a dispersant aid. c Photograph of graphene/PPC isolated as a powder from the liquid medium after LPE. d Photograph of a graphene ink formulated by redispersing the graphene/PPC powder. e Photograph of graphene micro-supercapacitor (MSC) electrodes deposited on paper with the graphene ink by aerosol jet printing. Image from: Communications Materials

In this work, graphene is produced by liquid-phase exfoliation with PPC, and the exfoliated graphene/PPC is used to generate printable inks. As a dispersant aid, PPC improves graphene exfoliation, dispersion stability, and redispersability in solvents with low surface tensions (<30 mJ m^–2), facilitating the formulation of desirable inks for efficient aerosol jet printing on diverse substrates. 

Researchers from Graz University of Technology, University of Florence,  Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna have demonstrated an innovative process that enables certain common dyes - found in standard marker pens - to be converted into laser-induced graphene (LIG).

The study focused on Eosin Y, a widely used xanthene dye, which exhibited excellent stability and structural properties ideal for laser conversion. While most existing LIG production relies on polymer precursors such as polyimide, this research shows that non-polymeric materials like dyes and inks can also serve as effective precursors. 

Researchers from the University of Calgary, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo and Aalto University recently developed an all-graphene water-based ink for 3D printing via direct ink writing, which the team considers first of its kind. The ink could unlock new possibilities for addressing environmental challenges, such as eliminating invisible electromagnetic pollution from our surroundings.

The eco-friendly graphene ink enables applications in various fields, including electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, electronics, and environmental protection while providing a scalable solution for next-generation 3D-printed technologies.

Researchers at the Swiss École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and National Institute for Materials Science in Japan have developed a new technique to directly measure energy gaps and bandwidths in multilayer graphene systems, paving the way for deeper insights into exotic quantum states and future electronic devices.

When layers of graphene are stacked on top of each other and slightly rotated, the atomic lattices create a periodic interference pattern known as a moiré pattern. This pattern significantly changes the electronic behavior of the material, sometimes leading to exotic quantum phenomena like superconductivity and magnetism. However, directly probing the fine details of these quantum states has been a challenge. Understanding how electrons behave in these stacked graphene systems is crucial for designing future electronic and quantum devices. But conventional techniques struggle to precisely measure energy gaps and bandwidth—the parameters that dictate how electrons move and interact in these systems. Without a reliable method to extract this data, researchers have been piecing together the puzzle through indirect observations.

SCALE Nanotech, an advanced R&D company based in Estonia, has announced the launch of its spinout Dragon Elements in Spain, aiming to enter into the XR and wearable electronics sector. Dragon Elements is set to commercialize LATIDO® capsules, a graphene-based technology designed to "redefine human interaction with hardware by eliminating the need for traditional audio and video components", as per the Company.

LATIDO® aims to mark a "radical shift in audiovisual hardware". Unlike conventional technology that requires separate components for sound and vision, LATIDO® harnesses millions of graphene membranes to seamlessly control both light and sound within a single monolithic device, removing the need for separate screens or speakers.

Paragraf, the UK-based company pioneering the mass production of graphene-based electronics with standard semiconductor processes, has been awarded a grant of £419,419 (around USD$520,000) from Innovate UK for the purpose of producing a proof-of-concept prototype of a novel semiconductor memory technology using a new class of ferroelectric materials complemented with graphene on a silicon platform.

The joint grant will also see Prof. Judith Driscoll’s research group at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy receive £299,198 to develop processes for depositing ferroelectric materials on top of Paragraf’s transfer-free graphene in order to produce novel memory devices, including a graphene-ferroelectric field effect transistor (G-FeFET). This is expected to lead to power savings of an order of magnitude relative to existing memory device technology, which is key to saving power in data centres and consumer devices to support the AI revolution.

Researchers from AMO, Graphenea and RWTH Aachen University have, as part of the European experimental pilot line for electronic and optoelectronic devices based on graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials, namely the Experimental Pilot Line (2D-EPL) project, reported the results obtained during the first and third multi-project wafer (MPW) runs completed at the end of 2022 (MPW run 1) and 2023 (MPW run 3). 

The Experimental Pilot Line (2D-EPL) project, that aims to advance the widespread commercialization of electronic devices based on graphene, published the new report that summarizes the results of two multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, utilizing electrical and spectroscopic characterization to demonstrate the high quality of production in the 2D-EPL. MPW run 1 was intended mainly for graphene-based sensors, in particular chemical and biosensors, while MPW run 3 focused on graphene electronics. 

The University of Birmingham and Paragraf, a UK-based company focused on graphene electronics, are eorking together to scale graphene production and explore its application in quantum computing. Supported by two awards totaling £3.4 million (approximately $4.2 million)–£1.4 million from Innovate UK and £2m UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship–the partnership intends to address key challenges in graphene manufacturing as well as explore its potential as a material for quantum technologies.

Graphene magnetic sensors, a focal point of this collaboration, operate with high precision at ultra-low temperatures. Such sensors could support quantum computing through precise magnetic shielding and control required for qubit stability and operation. But, the cryogenic behavior of practical graphene devices requires further systematic exploration before such an innovation could exist.

Researchers at Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science have developed a way to control the properties of graphene by combining superconductors and graphene. 

Professor Lee Gil-ho of Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and researchers from the Research Institute, in collaboration with Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan, noted they have successfully improved the junction characteristics between graphene and superconducting electrodes. 

Graphene’ s quantum properties, such as superconductivity and other unique quantum behaviors, are known to arise when graphene atomic layers are stacked and twisted with precision to produce “ABC stacking domains.” Historically, achieving ABC stacking domains required exfoliating graphene and manually twisting and aligning layers with exact orientations—an intricate process that is difficult to scale for industrial applications.

Recently, researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Charles University in Prague, led by Elisa Riedo and Herman F. Mark, uncovered a new phenomenon in graphene research, observing growth-induced self-organized ABA and ABC stacking domains that could promote the development of advanced quantum technologies. The findings of their study demonstrate how specific stacking arrangements in three-layer epitaxial graphene systems emerge naturally — eliminating the need for complex, non-scalable techniques traditionally used in graphene twisting fabrication.