NUS

UK-based planarTECH is launching an equity crowdfunding campaign at on Seedrs, as part of Graphene-Info's Graphene Crowdfunding Arena. planarTECH aims to expand its current business and also initiate new graphene endeavors.

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.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have set out to tackle the issue of a lack of graphene production standards, which leads to many cases of poor quality graphene from suppliers. The team developed a systematic and reliable method for establishing the quality of graphene samples from around the world. They were able to achieve this by using a wide range of analytical techniques and tested samples from many suppliers.

Upon analyzing samples from over 60 different providers from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, the NUS team discovered that the majority contained less than 10% of what can be considered graphene flakes. The bulk of the samples was graphite powder that was not exfoliated properly.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a hybrid magnetic sensor that is reportedly more sensitive than most commercially available sensors. This could encourage the development of smaller and cheaper sensors for areas like consumer electronics, information and communication technology and automotive, as well as applications like thermal switches, hard drives and magnetic field sensors.

The sensor is made of graphene and boron nitride, and includes layers of carrier-moving channels, each of which can be controlled by the magnetic field. The researchers characterized the sensor by testing it at various temperatures, angles of magnetic field, and with a different pairing material. Graphene-based magnetoresistance sensors hold immense promise over existing sensors due to their stable performance over temperature variation and eliminating the necessity for expensive wafers or temperature correction circuitry. Production cost for graphene is also much lower than silicon and indium antimonide.

The 2014 President's Science and Technology Awards (PSTA) have been given to eight top Singaporian scientists, as a high honor for their work.

Among these scientists was Professor Loh Kian Ping from NUS, who won the award for his breakthrough research in graphene chemistry focusing on the growth, processing and applications of diamond and graphene. He led his team to exciting discoveries in controlling the electronic properties of graphene by applying varying degrees of strain and even the use of graphene as a platform for growth of stem cells.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) announced it will open a new research center that will focus on 2D materials. The so-called "2D Materials Center" (2MC?) will receive $40 million USD in funding in the next 10 years from the National Research Foundation.

The NUS Graphene Research Center, which opened in 2010, will become a part of the new 2D Materials Center. The 2MC will have about 50 researchers from multiple disciplines. In addition to graphene, two other materials that will be the focus of initial research will be Phosphorene and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂).

Researchers from the National University of Singapore created the world's first nanosized heat engine, made from nanometre-thick fluorinated graphene. Such a tiny engine may be useful in nanorobotics and nanomachines. It can also be used as a valve for microfluids.

The new nano-engine is made of graphene and weakly chemisorbed ClF₃ molecules. The CIF₃ molecules are used as actuators. The engine uses a laser light beam as the ignition plug - when the CIF₃ molecules are exposed to the laser (532 nm wavelength) they sublimate - which expand the volume at the interface between the graphene and the substrate it is grown on. This generates a high pressure (around 23 MPa) and creates a "dome-like blister". The expansion (and later contraction when the laser is turned off) is equivalent to the motion of a piston in an internal combustion engine. The blister size can be controlled by changing the laser power.

The Graphene Research Centre (GRC) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and BASF announced a new partnership to develop the use of graphene in organic electronics devices - such as OLED devices. The goal of this collaboration is to interface graphene films with organic electronic materials, with an aim to create more efficient and flexible lighting devices.

In this collaboration, the GRC will contribute its graphene knowledge (the synthesis and characterization of the graphene) while BASF is focused on organic materials. Of course BASF is also engaged with graphene research (for several years) and are looking to speed up their device development with this new partnership.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) developed a one-step method to grow and transfer high-quality graphene to silicon or other stiff substrates.

The new method, called "face-to-face transfer" was derived by beetles and tree frogs and how they keep their feet attached to fully submerged leaves. The idea is to grow graphene on copper-coated silicon. The copper is etched away while the graphene is held in place by bubbles that form capillary bridges. This keeps the graphene on the silicon and prevents it from peeling off during the etching process. When the etching is complete the graphene is attached to the silicon.

The National University of Singapore and Fuji Electric (Malaysia) launched a new research project to develop graphene-based magnetic hard disk media. This project will explore how graphene may be used to provide a protective layer to HDD media. This will enable the magnetic heads to approach closer to the hard disks which will in turn enable higher densities.

The Graphene Research Center at NUS will integrate the graphene unto conventional magnetic media, and then Fuji Electric will conduct necessary assessments to ensure the new product is suitable for commercialization, including corrosion, durability and capacity tests. NUS is the sole proprietor of this new technology.

Grafoid and ProScan Rx Pharma announced a new joint-venture partnership to develop MesoGraf graphene-based nanotechnology platform for the precise targeting and thermal eradication of solid cancer tumors. This new platform aims to overcome the side effects and strong limitations of common cancer therapies.

The two companies established a new company called Calevia. Grafoid invested in Calevia and will co-manage the company. The new company will first target prostate cancer using ProScan’s anti-PSMA antibody. The new company will use a partially edge-functionalized MesoGraf derivative called MesoGraf Xide. This nanomaterial instantly transforms near infrared (NIR) light into heat.