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Nanorippled graphene becomes a catalyst

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 10:23:43 +0000

A team of researchers led by Prof. Andre Geim from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have discovered that nanoripples in graphene can make it a strong catalyst, contrary to general expectations that the carbon sheet is as chemically inert as the bulk graphite from which it is obtained.

in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research has shown that graphene with nanoscale corrugations of its surface can accelerate hydrogen splitting as well as the best metallic-based catalysts. This unexpected effect is likely to be present in all two-dimensional materials, which are all inherently non-flat.

The 91ֱ�� team in collaboration with researchers from China and USA conducted a series of experiments to show that non-flatness of graphene makes it a strong catalyst. First, using ultrasensitive gas flow measurements and Raman spectroscopy, they demonstrated that graphene’s nanoscale corrugations were linked to its chemical reactivity with molecular hydrogen (H2) and that the activation energy for its dissociation into atomic hydrogen (H) was relatively small.

The team evaluated whether this reactivity is enough to make the material an efficient catalyst. To this end, the researchers used a mixture of hydrogen and deuterium (D2) gases and found that graphene indeed behaved as a powerful catalyst, converting H2 and D2 into HD. This was in stark contrast to the behaviour of graphite and other carbon-based materials under the same conditions. The gas analyses revealed that the amount of HD generated by monolayer graphene was approximately the same as for the known hydrogen catalysts, such as zirconia, magnesium oxide and copper, but graphene was required only in tiny quantities, less than 100 times of the latter catalysts.

“Our paper shows that freestanding graphene is quite different from both graphite and atomically flat graphene that are chemically extremely inert. We have also proved that nanoscale corrugations are more important for catalysis than the ‘usual suspects’ such as vacancies, edges and other defects on graphene’s surface” said Dr Pengzhan Sun, first author of the paper.

Lead author of the paper Prof. Geim added, “As nanorippling naturally occurs in all atomically thin crystals, because of thermal fluctuations and unavoidable local mechanical strain, other 2D materials may also show similarly enhanced reactivity. As for graphene, we can certainly expect it to be catalytically and chemically active in other reactions, not only those involving hydrogen.”

“2D materials are most often perceived as atomically flat sheets, and effects caused by unavoidable nanoscale corrugations have so far been overlooked. Our work shows that those effects can be dramatic, which has important implications for the use of 2D materials. For example, bulk molybdenum sulphide and other chalcogenides are often employed as 3D catalysts. Now we should wonder if they could be even more active in their 2D form”.

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Scientists develop graphene aerogel particles for efficient water purification

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 15:10:02 +0000

Writing in the , a team led by based in the (NGI) have produced 3-dimensional particles made of graphene, of many interesting shapes, using a variation of the vortex ring effect. The same effect is used to produce smoke rings and is responsible for keeping dandelion seeds flying. These particles have also been shown to be exceptionally efficient in adsorbing contaminants from water, thereby purifying it.

The researchers have shown that the formation of these graphene particles is governed by a complex interplay between different forces such as viscosity, surface tension, inertia and electrostatics. Prof Vijayaraghavan said: “We have undertaken a systematic study to understand and explain the influence of various parameters and forces involved in the particle formation. Then, by tailoring this process, we have developed very efficient particles for adsorptive purification of contaminants from water”.

Graphene oxide (GO), a functionalised form of graphene which forms a stable dispersion in water, has many unique properties, including being a liquid crystal. Individual GO sheets are one atom thin, and as wide as the thickness of human hair. However, to be useful, they need to be assembled into complex 3-dimensional shapes which preserves their high surface area and surface chemistry. Such porous 3-dimensional assemblies of GO are called aerogels, and when filled with water, they are called hydrogels.

The researchers used a second liquid crystal material called CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), to aggregate GO flakes into small particles of graphene oxide hydrogels, without needing to reduce them to graphene. This was achieved by dropping the GO dispersion in water in the form of small droplets into a solution of CTAB in water. When the GO droplets hit the surface of the CTAB solution, they behave very similarly to when a jet of hot smoke hits cold air. The GO drop flows into the CTAB solution in the form of a ring, or toroid, because of differences in the density and surface tension of the two liquids.

By controlling various parameters of this process, the researchers have produced particles in the shape of spheres (balls), toroids (donuts) and intermediate shapes that resemble jellyfish. Dr Yizhen Shao, a recently graduated PhD student and lead author of this paper, said: “we have developed a universal phase diagram for the formation of these shapes, based on four dimensionless numbers – the weber, Reynolds, Onhesorge and Weber numbers, representing the inertial, viscous, surface tension and electrostatic forces respectively. This can be used to accurately control the particle morphology by varying the formation parameters.”

The authors highlight the significance of these particles in water purification. Kaiwen Nie, a PhD student and co-author of the paper, said: “We can tune the surface chemistry of the graphene flakes in these particles to extract positively or negatively charged contaminants from water. We can even extract uncharged contaminants or heavy metal ions by appropriately functionalising the graphene surface.”

Graphene researchers discover long-term memory in 2D nanofluidic channels

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:50:45 +0000

Published in , a collaboration between teams from the (NGI) at The University of Manchester, and the (ENS), Paris, demonstrated the Hebbian learning in artificial nanochannels, where the channels showed short and long term memory. Hebbian learning is a technical term introduced in 1949 by Donald Hebb, describing the process of learning by repetitively doing an action.

Hebbian learning is a well-known learning mechanism, it is the process when we ‘get used’ to doing an action. Similar to what occurs in neural networks, the researchers were able to show the existence of memory in two-dimensional channels which are similar to atomic-scale tunnels with heights varying from several nanometers down to angstroms (10^-10m). This was done using simple salts (including table salt) dissolved in water flowing through nanochannels and by the application of voltage (< 1 V) scans/pulses.

The study spotlights the importance of the recent development of ultrathin nanochannels. Two types of nanochannels were used in this study. The ‘pristine channels’ were from the 91ֱ�� team led by , which are obtained by the assembly of 2D layers of MoS₂. These channels have little surface charge and are atomically smooth. ’s group at ENS developed the ‘activated channels’, these have high surface charge and are obtained by electron beam etching of graphite.

An important difference between solid-state and biological memories is that the former works by electrons, while the latter have ionic flows central to their functioning. While solid-state silicon or metal oxide based ‘memory devices’ that can ‘learn’ have long been developed, this is an important first demonstration of ‘learning’ by simple ionic solutions and low voltages. “The memory effects in nanochannels could have future use in developing nanofluidic computers, logic circuits, and in mimicking biological neuron synapses with artificial nanochannels”, said co-lead author Prof. Lyderic Bocquet.

Co-lead author Prof. Radha Boya, added that “the nanochannels were able to memorise the previous voltage applied to them and their conductance depends on their history of the voltage application.” This means the previous voltage history can increase (potentiate in terms of synaptic activity) or decrease (depress) the conduction of the nanochannel. Dr Abdulghani Ismail from the National Graphene Institute and co-first author of the research said, “We were able to show two types of memory effects behind which there are two different mechanisms. The existence of each memory type would depend on the experimental conditions (channel type, salt type, salt concentration, etc.).”

Paul Robin from ENS and co-first author of the paper added, “the mechanism behind memory in ‘pristine MoS₂ channels’ is the transformation of non-conductive ion couples to a conductive ion polyelectrolyte, whereas for ‘activated channels’ the adsorption/desorption of cations (the positive ions of the salt) on the channel’s wall led to the memory effect.”

Dr Theo Emmerich from ENS and co-first author of the article also commented, “our nanofluidic memristor is more similar to the biological memory when compared to the solid-state memristors”. This discovery could have futuristic applications, from low-power nanofluidic computers to neuromorphic applications.

Graphene scientists explore electronic materials with nanoscale curved geometries

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 13:24:28 +0000

In a recently published paper in , an international research group from Italy, Germany, the UK, and China examined significant development directions in the field of electronic materials with curved geometries at the nanoscale. From microelectronic devices with enhanced functionality to large-scale nanomembranes consisting of networks of electronic sensors that can provide improved performance.

The scientists argue that exciting developments induced by curvature at the nanoscale allow them to define a completely new field – curved nanoelectronics. The paper examines in detail the origin of curvature effects at the nanoscale and illustrates their potential applications in innovative electronic, spintronic and superconducting devices.

Curved solid-state structures also offer many application opportunities. On a microscopic level, shape deformations in electronic nanochannels give rise to complex three-dimensional spin textures with an unbound potential for new concepts in spin-orbitronics, which will help develop energy-efficient electronic devices. Curvature effects can also promote, in a semimetallic nanowire, the generation of topological insulating phases that can be exploited in nanodevices relevant for quantum technologies, like quantum metrology. In the case of magnetism, curvilinear geometry directly forges the magnetic exchange by generating an effective magnetic anisotropy, thus prefiguring a high potential for designing magnetism on demand.

Dr Ivan Vera-Marun from the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester commented: “nanoscale curvature and its associated strain result in remarkable effects in graphene and 2D materials. The development in preparation of high-quality extended thin films, as well as the potential to arbitrarily reshape those architectures after their fabrication, has enabled first experimental insights into how next-generation electronics can be compliant and thus integrable with living matter”.

The paper also describes the methods needed to synthesise and characterise curvilinear nanostructures, including complex 3D nanoarchitectures like semiconductor nanomembranes and rolled up sandwiches of 2D materials, and highlights key areas for the future developments of curved nanoelectronics.

The image above features a sketch of different research topics currently explored in electronic materials with nanoscale curved geometries. From left to right: geometry-controlled quantum spin transport, spin-triplet Cooper pairs in superconductors, magnetic textures in curvilinear structures.

Scientists discover they can pull water molecules apart using graphene electrodes

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 07:00:00 +0100

Writing in , a team led by Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo based at the (NGI) used graphene as an electrode to measure both the electrical force applied on water molecules and the rate at which these break in response to such force. The researchers found that water breaks exponentially faster in response to stronger electrical forces.

The researchers believe that this fundamental understanding of interfacial water could be used to design better catalysts to generate hydrogen fuel from water. This is an important part of the UK’s strategy towards achieving a net zero economy. Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo said: “We hope that the insights from this work will be of use to various communities, including physics, catalysis, and interfacial science and that it can help design better catalysts for green hydrogen production”.

A water molecule consists of a proton and a hydroxide ion. Dissociating it involves pulling these two constituent ions apart with an electrical force. In principle, the stronger one pulls the water molecule apart, the faster it should break. This important point has not been demonstrated quantitatively in experiments.

Electrical forces are well known to break water molecules, but stronger forces do not always lead to faster water dissociation, which has puzzled scientists for a long time. A key difference with graphene electrodes is that these are permeable only to protons. The researchers found that this allows separating the resulting proton from the hydroxide ion across graphene, which is a one-atom-thick barrier that prevents their recombination. This charge separation is essential to observe the electric field acceleration of water dissociation. Another key advantage of graphene is that it allows evaluating the electric field at the graphene-water interface experimentally, which allows for quantitative characterisation of the field effect.

The results can be explained using the classical Onsager theory, which had remained unverified experimentally in the important case of water. Junhao Cai, a PhD student and co-first author of the work said: “We were surprised to find how well the Onsager theory fitted our data. This theory provides insights into interfacial water, including an independent estimate of its dielectric constant, which remains poorly understood”.

The authors are excited about the possibilities offered by their experimental setup. Eoin Griffin, PhD student and co-first author of the work said: “Graphene electrodes combine three properties that, as far as we know, are never found together in a single system: only protons permeate through the crystal, it is one-atom-thick and it can sustain very strong electrical forces. This combination allows us to essentially pull apart the first layer of water molecules on the graphene surface”.

Graphene as 'the philosopher’s stone’: turning waste into gold

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:30:00 +0100

Throughout history, alchemists believed in the existence of the philosopher’s stone: a substance that could turn cheap substances into precious gold. Now scientists from The University of Manchester, Tsinghua University in China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shown that graphene can be a kind of philosopher’s stone, allowing gold extraction from waste containing only trace amounts of gold (down to billionth of a percent).

This new, seemingly magical application of graphene works quite straightforwardly: add graphene into a solution containing traces of gold and, after a few minutes, pure gold appears on graphene sheets, with no other chemicals or energy input involved. After this you can extract your pure gold by simply burning the graphene off.

The research, , shows that 1 gram of graphene can be sufficient for extracting nearly 2 grams of gold. As graphene costs less than $0.1 per gram, this can be very profitable, with gold priced at around $70 per gram.

Dr Yang Su from Tsinghua University, who led the research efforts, commented: “This apparent magic is essentially a simple electrochemical process. Unique interactions between graphene and gold ions drive the process and also yield exceptional selectivity. Only gold is extracted with no other ions or salts.”

Gold is used in many industries including consumer electronics (mobile phones, laptops etc.) and, when the products are eventually discarded, little of the electronic waste is recycled. The graphene-based process with its high extraction capacity and high selectivity can reclaim close to 100% of gold from electronic waste. This offers an enticing solution for addressing the gold sustainability problem and e-waste challenges.

“Graphene turns rubbish into gold, literally,” added Professor Andre Geim from The University of Manchester, another lead author and Nobel laureate responsible for the first isolation of graphene.

“Not only are our findings promising for making this part of the economy more sustainable, but they also emphasise how different atomically-thin materials can be from their parents, well-known bulk materials,” he added. “Graphite, for example, is worthless for extracting gold, while graphene almost makes the philosopher’s stone”.

Professor Hui-ming Cheng, one of the main authors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented: “With the continuing search for revolutionary applications of graphene, our discovery that the material can be used to recycle gold from electronic waste brings additional excitement to the research community and developing graphene industries.”

91ֱ�� researchers make ‘significant advance’ in 2D material science with diversely behaving layers in a single bulk material

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 15:22:22 +0100

Scientists from The University of Manchester have developed a novel yet simple method for producing vertical stacks of alternating superconductor and insulator layers of tantalum disulphide (TaS₂). The findings, from a team led by Professor Rahul Nair, could speed up the process of manufacturing such devices – so-called van der Waals heterostructures – with application in high-mobility transistors, photovoltaics and optoelectronics.

Van der Waals heterostructures are much sought after since they display many unique and useful properties not found in naturally occurring materials. In most cases, they are prepared by manually stacking one layer over the other in a time-consuming and labour-intensive process.

Published last week , the study - led by researchers based at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) - describes synthesis of a bulk van der Waals heterostructure consisting of alternating atomic layers of 1T and 1H TaS₂. 1T and 1H TaS₂ are different polymorphs (materials with the same chemical composition but with a variation in atomic arrangement) of TaS₂ with completely different properties – the former insulating, the latter superconducting at low temperatures.

The new heterostructure was obtained through the synthesis of 6R TaS₂ (a rare type of TaS₂, with alternating 1T and 1H layered structure) via a process known as ‘phase transition’ at high temperature (800˚C). Due to its unusual structure, this material shows the co-existence of superconductivity and charge density waves, a very rare phenomenon.

Dr Amritroop Achari, who led the experiment said: “Our work presents a new concept for designing bulk heterostructures. The novel methodology allows the direct synthesis of bulk heterostructures of 1T‐1H TaS₂ by a phase transition from a readily available 1T TaS₂. We believe our work provides significant advances in both science and technology.”

International collaboration

The work was conducted in collaboration with scientists from the NANOlab Center of Excellence at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Their high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy analysis unambiguously proved the alternating 1T‐1H hetero-layered structure of 6R TaS₂ for the first time and paved the way to interpret the findings.

Professor Milorad Milošević, the lead researcher from the University of Antwerp, commented: “This demonstration of an alternating insulating‐superconducting layered structure in 6R TaS₂ opens a plethora of intriguing questions related to anisotropic behaviour of this material in applied magnetic field and current, emergent Josephson physics, terahertz emission etc., in analogy to bulk cuprates and iron‐based superconductors.”

The findings could therefore have a widespread impact on the understanding of 2D superconductivity, as well as further design of advanced materials for terahertz and Josephson junctions-based devices, a cornerstone of second-generation quantum technology.

Main image (top): Electron microscopy image of the synthesized 6R TaS₂ with an atomic model of the material on the left. The brown spheres represent Ta atoms and the yellow spheres represent sulphur atoms. The atomic positions and arrangement in the microscopic image are an exact match with the model, confirming its structure.

Graphene scientists capture first images of atoms ‘swimming’ in liquid

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0100

Graphene scientists from The University of Manchester have created a novel ‘nano-petri dish’ using two-dimensional (2D) materials to create a new method of observing how atoms move in liquid.

Publishing in the journal, , the team led by researchers based at the (NGI) used stacks of 2D materials including graphene to trap liquid in order to further understand how the presence of liquid changes the behaviour of the solid.

The team were able to capture . The findings could have widespread impact on the future development of green technologies such as hydrogen production.

When a solid surface is in contact with a liquid, both substances change their configuration in response to the proximity of the other. Such atomic scale interactions at solid-liquid interfaces govern the behaviour of batteries and fuel cells for clean electricity generation, as well as determining the efficiency of clean water generation and underpinning many biological processes.

One of the lead researchers, Professor Sarah Haigh, commented: “Given the widespread industrial and scientific importance of such behaviour it is truly surprising how much we still have to learn about the fundamentals of how atoms behave on surfaces in contact with liquids. One of the reasons information is missing is the absence of techniques able to yield experimental data for solid-liquid interfaces.”

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is one of only few techniques that allows individual atoms to be seen and analysed. However, the TEM instrument requires a high vacuum environment, and the structure of materials changes in a vacuum. First author, Dr Nick Clark explained: “In our work we show that misleading information is provided if the atomic behaviour is studied in vacuum instead of using our liquid cells.”

The NGI's Professor Roman Gorbachev has pioneered the stacking of 2D materials for electronics but here his group have used those same techniques to develop a ‘double graphene liquid cell’. A 2D layer of molybdenum disulphide was fully suspended in liquid and encapsulated by graphene windows. This novel design allowed them to provide precisely controlled liquid layers, enabling the unprecedented videos to be captured showing the single atoms ’swimming’ around surrounded by liquid.

By analysing how the atoms moved in the videos and comparing to theoretical insights provided by colleagues at Cambridge University, the researchers were able to understand the effect of the liquid on atomic behaviour. The liquid was found to speed up the motion of the atoms and also change their preferred resting sites with respect to the underlying solid.

The team studied a material that is promising for green hydrogen production but the experimental technology they have developed can be used for many different applications.

Dr Nick Clark said: “This is a milestone achievement and it is only the beginning – we are already looking to use this technique to support development of materials for sustainable chemical processing, needed to achieve the world’s net zero ambitions.”

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National Graphene Institute scientist shortlisted for prestigious £350,000 engineering award

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:13:28 +0100

National Graphene Institute researcher is among six world-leading scientists shortlisted for the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) prestigious A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize, worth £350,000.

The prize is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding achievement in engineering research in the fields of medical, microwave and radar or laser/optoelectronic engineering, with the prize fund awarded to support further research led by the recipient. This year’s theme is lasers and optoelectronics.

Professor Kocabas’ research interests include optoelectronic applications of graphene and other 2D materials. He is nominated for his significant contributions to controlling light with graphene-based devices over a broad spectral range from visible light to microwave.

Outstanding research achievements

Sir John O’Reilly, Chair offor the prize, said: “The A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize recognises the outstanding research achievements of the recipient, from anywhere in the world, who is identified through a search and selection process conducted by a panel of international experts from around the globe.

“We are incredibly proud, through the generous legacy from the late Dr A F Harvey, to be able to recognise and support the furtherance of pioneering engineering research in these fields and thereby their subsequent impact in advancing the world around us," he added. "I’d like to congratulate our six finalists.”

The prize-winner will be chosen from and announced in December 2022. The winning researcher will deliver a keynote lecture on their research in spring 2023.

The IET’s A F Harvey prize is named after Dr A F Harvey, who bequeathed a generous sum of money to the IET for a trust fund to be set up in his name to further research in the specified fields. For more information, visit:

NGI shows rare physics with electrically tunable graphene device

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:09:29 +0100

A research team led by The University of Manchester’s has developed a tunable graphene-based platform that allows for fine control over the interaction between light and matter in the terahertz (THz) spectrum, revealing rare phenomena known as exceptional points. The work - co-authored by researchers from in the US - is (8 April) in Science.

The work could advance optoelectronic technologies to better generate, control and sense light and potentially communications, according to the researchers. They demonstrated a way to control THz waves, which exist at frequencies between those of microwaves and infrared waves. The findings could contribute to the development of beyond-5G wireless technology for high-speed communication networks.

Weak and strong interactions

Light and matter can couple, interacting at different levels: weakly, where they might be correlated but do not change each other’s constituents; or strongly, where their interactions can fundamentally change the system. The ability to control how the coupling shifts from weak to strong and back again has been a major challenge to advancing optoelectronic devices - a challenge researchers have now solved.

“We have demonstrated a new class of optoelectronic devices using concepts of topology - a branch of mathematics studying properties of geometric objects,” said co-corresponding author , Professor of 2D device materials at The University of Manchester (pictured). “Using exceptional point singularities, we show that topological concepts can be used to engineer optoelectronic devices that enable new ways to manipulate terahertz light.”

Exceptional points are spectral singularities — points at which any two spectral values in an open system coalesce. They are, unsurprisingly, exceptionally sensitive and respond to even the smallest changes to the system, revealing curious yet desirable characteristics, according to co-corresponding author , Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State.

“At an exceptional point, the energy landscape of the system is considerably modified, resulting in reduced dimensionality and skewed topology,” said Özdemir, who is also affiliated with the at Penn State. “This, in turn, enhances the system’s response to perturbations, modifies the local density of states leading to the enhancement of spontaneous emission rates and leads to a plethora of phenomena. Control of exceptional points, and the physical processes that occur at them, could lead to applications for better sensors, imaging, lasers and much more.”

Platform composition

The platform the researchers developed consists of a graphene-based tunable THz resonator, with a gold-foil gate electrode forming a bottom reflective mirror. Above it, a graphene layer is book-ended with electrodes, forming a tunable top mirror. A non-volatile ionic liquid electrolyte layer sits between the mirrors, enabling control of the top mirror’s reflectivity by changing the applied voltage. In the middle of the device, between the mirrors, are molecules of alpha lactose, a sugar commonly found in milk.

The system is controlled by two adjusters. One raises the lower mirror to change the length of the cavity - tuning the frequency of resonation to couple the light with the collective vibrational modes of the organic sugar molecules, which serve as a fixed number of oscillators for the system. The other adjuster changes the voltage applied to the top graphene mirror - altering the graphene’s reflective properties to transition the energy loss imbalances to adjust coupling strength. The delicate, fine tuning shifts weakly coupled terahertz light and organic molecules to become strongly coupled and vice versa.

“Exceptional points coincide with the crossover point between the weak and strong coupling regimes of terahertz light with collective molecular vibrations,” Özdemir said.

He noted that these singularity points are typically studied and observed in the coupling of analogous modes or systems, such as two optical modes, electronic modes or acoustic modes.

“This work is one of rare cases where exceptional points are demonstrated to emerge in the coupling of two modes with different physical origins,” Kocabas said. “Due to the topology of the exceptional points, we observed a significant modulation in the magnitude and phase of the terahertz light, which could find applications in next-generation THz communications.”

Unprecedented phase modulation in the THz spectrum

As the researchers apply voltage and adjust the resonance, they drive the system to an exceptional point and beyond. Before, at and beyond the exceptional point, the geometric properties - the topology - of the system change.

One such change is the phase modulation, which describes how a wave changes as it propagates and interacts in the THz field. Controlling the phase and amplitude of THz waves is a technological challenge, the researchers said, but their platform demonstrates unprecedented levels of phase modulation. The researchers moved the system through exceptional points, as well as along loops around exceptional points in different directions, and measured how it responded through the changes. Depending on the system’s topology at the point of measurement, phase modulation could range from zero to four magnitudes larger.

“We can electrically steer the device through an exceptional point, which enables electrical control on reflection topology,” said first author Dr M Said Ergoktas. “Only by controlling the topology of the system electronically could we achieve these huge modulations.”

According to the researchers, the topological control of light-matter interactions around an exceptional point enabled by the graphene-based platform has potential applications ranging from topological optoelectronic and quantum devices to topological control of physical and chemical processes.

Contributors include: Kaiyuan Wang, Gokhan Bakan, Thomas B. Smith, Alessandro Principi and Kostya S. Novoselov, University of Manchester; Sina Soleymani, graduate student in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics; Sinan Balci, Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey; Nurbek Kakenov, who conducted work for this paper while at Bilkent University, Turkey.

The European Research Council, Consolidator Grant (SmartGraphene), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award on Programmable Systems with Non-Hermitian Quantum Dynamics and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Award supported this work.

NGI uses twist to engineer 2D semiconductors with built-in memory functions

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 13:44:03 +0000

A team of researchers at The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has demonstrated that slightly twisted 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) display room-temperature ferroelectricity.

This characteristic, combined with TMDs’ outstanding optical properties, can be used to build multi-functional optoelectronic devices such as transistors and LEDs with built-in memory functions on nanometre length scale.

Ferroelectrics are materials with two or more electrically polarisable states that can be reversibly switched with the application of an external electric field. This material property is ideal for applications such as non-volatile memory, microwave devices, sensors and transistors. Until recently, out-of-plane switchable ferroelectricity at room temperature had been achieved only in films thicker than 3 nanometres.

2D heterostructures

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004, researchers across academia have studied a variety of new 2D materials with a wide range of exciting properties. These atomically thin 2D crystals can be stacked on top of one another to create so-called heterostructures - artificial materials with tailored functions.

More recently, a team of researchers from NGI, in collaboration with NPL, demonstrated that below a twist angle of 2^o, atomic lattices physically reconstruct to form regions (or domains) of perfectly stacked bilayers separated by boundaries of locally accumulated strain. For two monolayers stacked parallel to each other, a tessellated pattern of mirror-reflected triangular domains is created. Most importantly, the two neighbouring domains have an asymmetric crystal symmetry, causing an asymmetry in their electronic properties.

Ferroelectric switching at room temperature

In the work, , the team demonstrated that the domain structure created with low-angle twisting hosts interfacial ferroelectricity in bilayer TMDs. Kelvin probe force microscopy revealed that neighbouring domains are oppositely polarised and electrical transport measurements demonstrated reliable ferroelectric switching at room temperature.

The team went on to develop a scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique with enhanced contrast, using signal from back-scattered electrons. This made it possible to apply an electric field in-situ while imaging changes to the domain structure in a non-invasive manner, providing essential information on how the domain switching mechanism works. The boundaries separating the oppositely polarised domains were found to expand and contract depending on the sign of the applied electric field and led to a significant redistribution of the polarised states.

This work clearly demonstrates that the twist degree of freedom can allow the creation of atomically thin optoelectronics with tailored and multi-functional properties.

Wide scope for tailored 2D materials

Lead author Astrid Weston (pictured right) said: “It’s very exciting that we can demonstrate that this simple tool of twisting can engineer new properties in 2D crystals. With the wide variety of 2D crystals to choose from, it provides us with almost unlimited scope to create perfectly tailored artificial materials.”

Co-author Dr Eli G Castanon added: “Being able to observe the pattern and behaviour of ferroelectric domains in structures that have nanometre thickness with KPFM and SEM was very exciting. The advancement of characterisation techniques together with the extensive possibilities for the formation of novel heterostructures of 2D materials paves the way to achieve new capabilities at the nanoscale for many industries.”

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NGI advances graphene spintronics as 1D contacts improve mobility in nano-scale devices

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 15:10:46 +0000

Researchers at The University of Manchester may have cleared a significant hurdle on the path to quantum computing, demonstrating step-change improvements in the spin transport characteristics of nanoscale graphene-based electronic devices.

The team - comprising researchers from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) led by Dr Ivan Vera Marun, alongside collaborators from Japan and including students internationally funded by Ecuador and Mexico - used monolayer graphene encapsulated by another 2D material (hexagonal boron nitride) in a so-called van der Waals heterostructure with one-dimensional contacts (main picture, above). This architecture was observed to deliver an extremely high-quality graphene channel, reducing the interference or electronic ‘doping’ by traditional 2D tunnel contacts.

‘Spintronic’ devices, as they are known, may offer higher energy efficiency and lower dissipation compared to conventional electronics, which rely on charge currents. In principle, phones and tablets operating with spin-based transistors and memories could be greatly improved in speed and storage capacity, exceeding Moore’s Law.

, the 91ֱ�� team measured electron mobility up to 130,000cm²/Vs at low temperatures (20K or -253^oC). For purposes of comparison, the only previously published efforts to fabricate a device with 1D contacts achieved mobility below 30,000cm²/Vs, and the 130k figure measured at the NGI is higher than recorded for any other previous graphene channel where spin transport was demonstrated.

The researchers also recorded spin diffusion lengths approaching 20μm. Where longer is better, most typical conducting materials (metals and semiconductors) have spin diffusion lengths <1μm. The value of spin diffusion length observed here is comparable to the best graphene spintronic devices demonstrated to date.

Lead author of the study Victor Guarochico said: “Our work is a contribution to the field of graphene spintronics. We have achieved the largest carrier mobility yet regarding spintronic devices based on graphene. Moreover, the spin information is conserved over distances comparable with the best reported in the literature. These aspects open up the possibility to explore logic architectures using lateral spintronic elements where long-distance spin transport is needed.”

Co-author Chris Anderson added: “This research work has provided exciting evidence for a significant and novel approach to controlling spin transport in graphene channels, thereby paving the way towards devices possessing comparable features to advanced contemporary charge-based devices. Building on this work, bilayer graphene devices boasting 1D contacts are now being characterised, where the presence of an electrostatically tuneable bandgap enables an additional dimension to spin transport control.”

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Cosmic physics mimicked on table-top as graphene enables Schwinger effect

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:38:29 +0000

An international research team led by The University of Manchester has succeeded in observing the so-called Schwinger effect, an elusive process that normally occurs only in cosmic events. By applying high currents through specially designed graphene-based devices, the team - based at the National Graphene Institute - succeeded in producing particle-antiparticle pairs from a vacuum.

A vacuum is assumed to be completely empty space, without any matter or elementary particles. However, it was predicted by Nobel laureate Julian Schwinger 70 years ago that intense electric or magnetic fields can break down the vacuum and spontaneously create elementary particles.

This requires truly cosmic-strength fields such as those around or created transitorily during high-energy collisions of charged nuclei. It has been a longstanding goal of particle physics to probe these theoretical predictions experimentally and some are currently planned for high-energy colliders around the world.

Now an international, 91ֱ��-led research team – headed by another Nobel laureate, Prof Andre Geim, in collaboration with colleagues from UK, Spain, US and Japan - has used graphene to mimic the Schwinger production of electron and positron pairs.

Exceptionally strong electric fields

In the , they report specially designed devices such as narrow constrictions and superlattices made from graphene, which allowed the researchers to achieve exceptionally strong electric fields in a simple table-top setup. Spontaneous production of electron and hole pairs was clearly observed (holes are a solid-state analogue of subatomic particles called positrons) and the process's details agreed well with theoretical predictions.

The scientists also observed another unusual high-energy process that so far has no analogies in particle physics and astrophysics. They filled their simulated vacuum with electrons and accelerated them to the maximum velocity allowed by graphene’s vacuum, which is 1/300 of the speed of light. At this point, something seemingly impossible happened: electrons seemed to become superluminous, providing an electric current higher than allowed by general rules of quantum condensed matter physics. The origin of this effect was explained as spontaneous generation of additional charge carriers (holes). Theoretical description of this process provided by the research team is rather different from the Schwinger one for the empty space.

“People usually study electronic properties using tiny electric fields that allows easier analysis and theoretical description. We decided to push the strength of electric fields as much as possible using different experimental tricks not to burn our devices,” said the paper’s first author Dr Alexey Berduygin, a post-doctoral researcher in The University of Manchester's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Co-lead author from the same department Dr Na Xin added: “We just wondered what could happen at this extreme. To our surprise, it was the Schwinger effect rather than smoke coming out of our set-up.”

Another leading contributor, Dr Roshan Krishna Kumar from the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, said: “When we first saw the spectacular characteristics of our superlattice devices, we thought ‘wow … it could be some sort of new superconductivity’. Although the response closely resembles those routinely observed in superconductors, we soon found that the puzzling behaviour was not superconductivity but rather something in the domain of astrophysics and particle physics. It is curious to see such parallels between distant disciplines.”

The research is also important for the development of future electronic devices based on two-dimensional quantum materials and establishes limits on wiring made from graphene that was already known for its remarkable ability to sustain ultra-high electric currents.

Main illustration by Matteo Ceccanti and Simone Cassandra.

Precision sieving of gases through atomic pores in graphene

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 10:08:27 +0000

By crafting atomic-scale holes in atomically thin membranes, it should be possible to create molecular sieves for precise and efficient gas separation, including extraction of carbon dioxide from air, University of Manchester researchers have found.

If a pore size in a membrane is comparable to the size of atoms and molecules, they can either pass through the membrane or be rejected, allowing separation of gases according to their molecular diameters. Industrial gas separation technologies widely use this principle, often relying on polymer membranes with different porosity. There is always a trade-off between the accuracy of separation and its efficiency: the finer you adjust the pore sizes, the less gas flow such sieves allow.

It has long been speculated that, using two-dimensional membranes similar in thickness to graphene, one can reach much better trade-offs than currently achievable because, unlike conventional membranes, atomically thin ones should allow easier gas flows for the same selectivity.

Now a research team led by Professor Sir Andre Geim at The University of Manchester, in collaboration with scientists from Belgium and China, have used low-energy electrons to punch individual atomic-scale holes in suspended graphene. The holes came in sizes down to about two angstroms, smaller than even the smallest atoms such as helium and hydrogen.

In December's issue of Nature Communications, that they achieved practically perfect selectivity (better than 99.9%) for such gases as helium or hydrogen with respect to nitrogen, methane or xenon. Also, air molecules (oxygen and nitrogen) pass through the pores easily relative to carbon dioxide, which is >95% captured.

The scientists point out that to make two-dimensional membranes practical, it is essential to find atomically thin materials with intrinsic pores, that is, pores within the crystal lattice itself.

“Precision sieves for gases are certainly possible and, in fact, they are conceptually not dissimilar to those used to sieve sand and granular materials. However, to make this technology industrially relevant, we need membranes with densely spaced pores, not individual holes created in our study to prove the concept for the first time. Only then are the high flows required for industrial gas separation achievable,” says Dr Pengzhan Sun, a lead author of the paper.

The research team now plans to search for such two-dimensional materials with large intrinsic pores to find those most promising for future gas separation technologies. Such materials do exist. For example, there are various graphynes, which are also atomically thin allotropes of carbon but not yet manufactured at scale. These look like graphene but have larger carbon rings, similar in size to the individual defects created and studied by the 91ֱ�� researchers. The right size may make graphynes perfectly suited for gas separation.

National Graphene Institute shines in list of most-cited scientists

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:06:58 +0000

Researchers from 91ֱ��’s National Graphene Institute (NGI) feature prominently in a new list of the most-frequently-cited academics in science over the past decade, providing more than half of The University of Manchester’s overall contribution to the study.

, compiled by global data analytics firm Clarivate and published on 16 November, features eight researchers based in the NGI, from a total of 15 from UoM who appear in the analysis.

The statistics cover the period from 2010-2020, ranking the top 1% by citations for field and year via online research tool , incorporating natural sciences, engineering, healthcare, business and social science.

The NGI researchers are listed below:

Three of the NGI staff (Geim, Gorbachev and Grigorieva) are among 10 physicists working in the UK who appeared in this year’s list. Only Cambridge (2) also had more than one academic in the UK physics ranking.

In the past decade, with the opening of the £61m in 2015 and £60m in 2018, The University of Manchester has cemented its place as the home of research into graphene and other 2D materials, leading on both fundamental science and translational R&D into products and applications.

Professor Falko, Director of the NGI (pictured, right), said: “World-leading research is a combination of singular whirlpools, generated by outstanding individuals. The NGI is a home for many of those individuals, and we are constantly looking for a new talent, providing them with excellent infrastructure and offering a unique intellectual environment.”

The Clarivate report lists 6,600 researchers from more than 1,300 institutions and draws on statistics from around 12 million articles in 12,000+ journals.

Overall, the UK ranks third with 492 researchers on the global list (7.5%), behind the US (39.7%) and China (14.2%), but the report notes the UK punching above its weight, stating the result “is a particularly high number of researchers at the very top of their fields in terms of citation impact, given that the United Kingdom has a population 1/5 the size of the United States and 1/20 the size of mainland China.”

By institution, Harvard University leads the way with 214 researchers on the list, ahead of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (194). Oxford University is the leading UK institution at 10th on the global list with 51.

You can find out more about on the Clarivate website.

Doppler effect and sonic boom in graphene devices opens new direction in quantum electronics research

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:20:45 +0000

A team including researchers from The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute (NGI) has revealed that sonic boom and Doppler-shifted sound waves can be created in a graphene transistor, giving new insights into this advanced material and its potential for use in nanoscale electronic technologies.

When a police car speeds past you with its siren blaring, you hear a distinct change in the frequency of the siren’s noise. This is the Doppler effect. When a jet aircraft’s speed exceeds the speed of sound (about 760 mph), the pressure it exerts upon the air produces a shock wave which can be heard as a loud supersonic boom or thunderclap. This is the Mach effect.

Scientists from universities in Loughborough, Nottingham, 91ֱ��, Lancaster and Kansas (US) have discovered that a quantum mechanical version of these phenomena occurs in an electronic transistor made from high-purity graphene. Their new publication: “Graphene’s non-equilibrium fermions reveal Doppler-shifted magnetophonon resonances accompanied by Mach supersonic and Landau velocity effects” was .

The research team used strong electric and magnetic fields to accelerate a stream of electrons in an atomically-thin graphene monolayer composed of a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. At a sufficiently high current density, equivalent to around 100 billion amps per square metre passing through the single atomic layer of carbon, the electron stream reaches a speed of 14 kilometers per second (around 30,000mph) and starts to shake the carbon atoms, thus emitting quantised bundles of sound energy called acoustic phonons. This phonon emission is detected as a resonant increase in the electrical resistance of the transistor; a supersonic boom is observed in graphene!

The researchers also observed a quantum mechanical analogue of the Doppler effect at lower currents when energetic electrons jump between quantised cyclotron orbits and emit acoustic phonons with a Doppler-like up-shift or down-shift of their frequencies, depending on the direction of the sound waves relative to that of the speeding electrons. By cooling their graphene transistor to liquid helium temperature, the team detected a third phenomenon in which the electrons interact with each other through their electrical charge and make “phononless” jumps between quantised energy levels at a critical speed, the so-called Landau velocity.

The devices were fabricated at the NGI in 91ֱ�� (see 'a' pictured above, where W=15μm). Dr Piranavan Kumaravadivel (right), who led device design and development, said: “The large size and high quality of our devices are key for observing these phenomena. Our devices are sufficiently large and pure that electrons interact almost exclusively with phonons and other electrons. We expect that these results will inspire similar studies of non-equilibrium phenomena in other 2D materials.

“Our measurements also demonstrate that high-quality graphene layers can carry very high continuous current densities, which approach those achievable in superconductors. High-purity graphene transistors could find future applications in nanoscale power electronic technologies.”

Dr Mark Greenway, from Loughborough University, one of the authors of the paper commented: “It is fantastic to observe of all these effects simultaneously in a graphene monolayer. It is due to graphene’s excellent electronic properties that we can investigate these out-of-equilibrium quantum processes in detail and understand how electrons in graphene, accelerated by a strong electric field, scatter and lose their energy. The Landau velocity is a quantum property of superconductors and superfluid helium. So it was particularly exciting to detect a similar effect in the dissipative resonant magnetoresistance of graphene.”

Main image (top): Non-equilibrium magnetoresistance oscillations at T = 40 K: magnetophonon resonance splitting and the Mach effect.

Graphene 'smart surfaces' now tunable for visible spectrum

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 08:04:33 +0100

Researchers at The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute have created optical devices with a unique range of tunability, covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light.

outlines applications for this ‘smart surface’ technology range from next-generation display devices to dynamic thermal blankets for satellites and multi-spectral adaptive camouflage.

The devices’ tunability is achieved by a process known as electro-intercalation, which in this case involves lithium ions being interposed between sheets of multilayer graphene (MLG), offering control over electrical, thermal and magnetic properties.

The MLG device is laminated and vacuum-sealed in a low-density polyethylene pouch that has over 90% optical transparency from visible light to microwave radiation.

Charge turns grey to gold

During charge (intercalation) or discharge (de-intercalation), the electrical and optical properties of MLG change dramatically. The discharged device appears dark grey owing to the high absorptivity (>80%) of the top graphene layer in the visible regime. When the device is fully charged (at ~3.8V), the graphene layer appears gold in colour. The achievable colour space can be enriched to include a range from red to blue using optical effects such as thin-film interference.

Professor Coskun Kocabas, lead author of the study, said: “We have fabricated a new class of multispectral optical devices with previously unachievable colour-changing ability by merging graphene and battery technology.

“The successful demonstration of graphene-based smart optical surfaces enables potential advances in many scientific and engineering fields.”

For example, a dynamic thermal blanket could selectively reflect visible or infrared light and allow a satellite to reflect radiation from the side facing the sun, while emitting radiation from its shaded faces. Similarly, when in Earth’s shadow, that blanket can insulate the satellite from deep-space cooling [see figure below]. These actions would regulate internal temperatures far more effectively than a static thermal coating.

Previous studies have examined devices at specific wavelength ranges of , , and , using single and multilayer graphene. But it was the challenge of extending coverage to visible light while maintain optical activity at longer wavelength that required innovation in the structure of the device, overcoming established difficulties in the .

“Here we used a graphene-based lithium-ion battery as an optical device,” he added. “By controlling the electron density of the graphene, we are now able control light from visible to microwave wavelengths on the same device.”

Nobel laureate Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov was a co-author on the paper and said: “Few-layer graphene offers unprecedented control over its optical properties through charging. Such devices can find their applications in many areas: from adaptive optics to thermal management.”

is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Mayor praises 91ֱ�� model of innovation as graphene applications gain real pace

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 15:30:41 +0000

Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater 91ֱ��, made a fact-finding tour of facilities that are pioneering graphene innovation at The University of Manchester.

The Mayor toured the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) which is an industry-facing facility specialising in the rapid development and scale up of graphene and other 2D materials applications.

As well as state-of-the art labs and equipment, the Mayor was also shown examples of commercialisation – including the world’s first-ever sports shoes to use graphene which has been produced by specialist sports footwear company inov-8 who are based in the North.

Andy Burnham – a running enthusiast who has previously participated in a number of marathons – has promised to put a pair of graphene trainers to the test and feedback his own experiences to researchers based at The University of Manchester.

By collaborating with graphene experts in 91ֱ��, inov-8 has been able to develop a graphene-enhanced rubber which they now use for outsoles in a new range of running and fitness shoes. In testing, the groundbreaking G-SERIES shoes have outlasted 1,000 miles and are scientifically proven to be 50% stronger, 50% more elastic and 50% harder wearing.

“91ֱ�� is the home of graphene - and when you see the brilliant work and the products now being developed with the help of the Graphene@91ֱ�� team it’s clear why this city-region maintains global leadership in research and innovation around this fantastic advanced material,” said Andy Burnham.

“I have been very impressed with the exciting model of innovation the University has pioneered in our city-region, with the playing a vital role by working with its many business partners to take breakthrough science from the lab and apply it to real world challenges.

“And thanks to world firsts, like the graphene running shoe, the application of graphene is now gaining real pace. In fact, the experts say we are approaching a tipping point for graphene commercialisation – and this is being led right here in Greater 91ֱ��.”

Energy levels in electrons of 2D materials are mapped for the first time

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Researchers based at the at have developed an innovative measurement method that allows, for the first time, the mapping of the energy levels of electrons in the conduction band of semiconducting .

Writing in , a team led by reports the first precise mapping of the conduction band of 2D indium selenide (InSe) using resonant tunnelling spectroscopy, to access the previously unexplored part of the electronic structure. They observed multiple subbands for both electrons and holes and tracked their evolution with the number of atomic layers in InSe.

Many emerging technologies rely on novel semiconductor structures, where the motion of electrons is restricted in one or more directions. Such confinement is in the nature of 2D materials and it is responsible for many of their new and exciting properties.

For instance, the colour of the emitted light shifts towards shorter wavelengths as they get thinner, analogous to quantum dots changing colour when their size is varied. As another consequence, the allowed energy available for the electrons in such materials, called conduction and valence bands, split into multiple subbands.

Optical transitions between such subbands present a large potential for real-life applications as they provide optically active in terahertz and far-infrared ranges, which can be employed for security and communication technologies as light emitters or detectors.

Dr Roman Gorbachev said: “We hope this study will pave the way for exploration of intersubband transitions and lead to development of prototype optoelectronic devices with tuneable emission in the challenging terahertz range.”

Researchers break the geometric limitations of moiré pattern in graphene heterostructures

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 19:00:00 +0000

Researchers at have uncovered interesting phenomena when multiple two-dimensional materials are combined into van der Waals heterostructures (layered ‘sandwiches’ of different materials).

These heterostructures are sometimes compared to Lego bricks – where the individual blocks represent different atomically thin crystals, such as , and stacked on top of each other to form new devices.

Published in , the team focus on how the different crystals begin to alter one another’s fundamental properties when brought into such close proximity.

Of particular interest is when two crystals closely match and a moiré pattern forms. This moiré pattern has been shown to affect a range of properties in an increasing list of 2D materials. However, typically the geometry of the moiré pattern places a restriction on the nature and size of the effect.

A moiré pattern is due to the mismatch and rotation between the layers of each materials which produces a geometric pattern similar to a kaleidoscope.

The team have broken this restriction by combining moiré patterns into composite ‘super-moiré’ in graphene both aligning to substrate and encapsulation hexagonal boron nitride. The researchers demonstrate the nature of these composite super-moiré lattices by showing band structure modifications in graphene in the low-energy regime. Furthermore, they suggest that the results could provide new directions for research and devices fabrication.

Zihao Wang and Colin Woods authors of the paper said: “In recent years moiré pattern have allowed the observation of many exciting physical phenomena, from new long-lived excitonic states, Hofstadter’s Butterfly, and superconductivity.

Our results push through the geometric limitation for these systems and therefore present new opportunities to see more of such science, as well as new avenues for applications.”

Proof of a decades-old theory hides in the thinnest of materials

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:29:44 +0000

By layering two-dimensional (2D) materials, scientists as and have confirmed electrochemical phenomena based on theory established in the 1950s.

The Marcus-Hush theory of electron transfer is one of the pillars of modern chemistry. However, some of the predictions, such as the electrochemical behaviour at very small “ultramicroelectrodes” remained unverified, until now.

Published in , a team of researchers based in the and the , have been able to fabricate a device with a diameter as small as 5 micrometres.

Using hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), sometimes known as white graphene, the study shows that, electrons could pass through the hBN acting as a barrier between a graphite electrode and suitable molecules (“redox couples”) in a liquid solution.

Ultramicroelectrodes are electrodes with characteristic dimensions on the micrometre or sub-micrometre scale. Due to their properties, they have pushed the boundaries of electrochemistry into small length scales.

In this case, the combination of the ultramicroelectrodes and tunnelling through atomically-flat hBN created perfect conditions to reveal peculiar discrepancies in the measured electrochemical properties. These discrepancies turned out to be direct manifestation of the Marcus-Hush theory of electron transfer, in a stunning agreement with unproven theoretical predictions.

Dr Matej Velicky said: “The moment of realisation that our experimental results are in a perfect match with an unverified theoretical prediction was exhilarating, and reminded us of the power and beauty of the scientific method”

Professor Robert Dryfe said:” The key to this experiment lies in the ability of to build up “designer” materials, by layering 2D materials on top of other materials in a highly controlled fashion. Such a unique experiment was only conceived because of the facilities and expertise of the National Graphene Institute.”

In addition, this research provides a novel experimental platform, which could be applied to address a number of scientific problems such as the identification of reaction mechanisms, surface modification, or long-range electron transfer, which are very important processes in chemical catalysis, sensing, and biology.

Link to the paper can be found below:

Graphene Industry Showcase comes to 91ֱ��

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 13:21:06 +0000

This week hosted a jam-packed two-day (10-11 December) event showcasing the hottest topics in the field of graphene.

The event saw over 100 delegates take to for a chance to find out how they can benefit from working with the one-atom-thick material.

Featuring talks from BAC, inov-8 and Lifesaver, delegates were able to witness first hand the practical applications of graphene and 2D materials.

The showcase also featured an exhibition of some of the newest products and prototypes using the revolutionary material such as water filtration devices and hydrogels used for crop production to suitcases and doormats as well as the BAC Mono R- the first production car to use graphene-enhanced carbon fibre in each body panel.

Delegates also had the opportunity to participate in practical hands on workshops in the (GEIC) focusing on subjects such as energy, printed electronics, health and safety and standards and characterisation.

James Baker, CEO Graphene@91ֱ�� said: “We are now seeing rapid developments and an increasing change of pace over the last year, dramatically changing the graphene landscape. More products are entering the market using graphene and we’re starting to see real-world benefits living up to the early excitement of just a few years ago.

With the and GEIC, our infrastructure is designed to work in collaboration with industry partners to create, test and optimise new concepts for delivery to market.”

Tuesday evening also offered a rare chance to hear from Nobel laureate Professor Sir Andre Geim, on his creative approach to scientific research, from levitating frogs to the fascinating phenomena of what happens to discarded graphite after graphene has been made.

The GEIC focuses on industry-led application development in partnership with academics. It will fill a critical gap in the graphene and ecosystem by providing facilities which focus on pilot production, characterisation, together with application development in composites, energy, solution formulations and coatings, electronics and membranes.

Entrepreneur has sustainability challenge covered – with a SpaceMat

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 08:59:19 +0000

An entrepreneurial academic from The University of Manchester has produced a prototype graphene-enhanced product that could help the UK recycle tonnes of unwanted tyres – a waste product that is sometimes shipped overseas for disposal.

It is claimed that Western countries like the UK export waste tyres to developing nations like India where they are .

Dr Vivek Koncherry has launched a company called SpaceBlue Ltd that aims to recycle waste tyres by converting them into attractive and extremely hardwearing floor mats which have been enhanced with tiny amounts of graphene.

The hexagon-shaped SpaceMat™ can interlock to cover any desired floor area. They can be used at the entrances of homes, offices, public and industrial buildings, as well as wider applications such as anti-fatigue or anti-slip coverings in areas like workplaces, gyms, playgrounds and swimming pools.

Prototype mats will be revealed at a Graphene Industry Showcase to be hosted on December 10 and 11 at the ). This two-day event aims to put a spotlight on innovations associated with graphene and two-dimensional materials and will therefore feature a wide range of pioneering products.

“The innovation ecosystem at 91ֱ�� has been really supportive to someone like me who has a new business idea they want to take to market,” explained Dr Koncherry, who is an expert in materials applications and new manufacturing techniques.

“It all began when I first read newspaper reports that several thousand tonnes of waste UK tyres are being shipped abroad each year for disposal. I thought that needs to change and I became determined to find a much more sustainable way of using this end-of-life product.

“The intention of SpaceBlue is to enhance the physical properties of recycled rubber waste that has come from discarded vehicle tyres or footwear - and convert this material into a high-value product,” explained Dr Koncherry.

“SpaceMat™ is made of up to 80 per cent recycled rubber plus 20 per cent of graphene-enhanced natural rubber. Floor mats undergo compression and a fundamental study had shown that by adding graphene into the rubber it can double the compression strength - and this in turn increases durability.”

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@91ֱ��, added: “Vivek’s vision to support a more sustainable society by creating a better performing product through the use of graphene is really exciting and has already generated interest.

“Moreover, we’re looking forward to collaborating with SpaceBlue via our ‘Bridging the Gap’ programme which will further support the development of the mats.”

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) the ‘ initiative has been developed to proactively engage with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Greater 91ֱ�� and allow them to explore and apply graphene and other advanced two-dimensional materials in a wide range of applications and markets.

91ֱ�� researchers develop 2D dielectric inks suitable for print-in-place electronics

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:01:50 +0000

The team at have produced a two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride ink which have been used to fabricate flexible thin-film transistors in collaboration with in North Carolina.

Published in , the team were able to develop insulating dielectric ink that is suitable for the print-in-place fabrication process, developed at Duke University for materials such as silver nanowires and semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Extending this process to include the hexagonal boron nitride ink led to the production of functional transistor devices, using both one and two-dimensional materials.

The use of printing technologies for flexible electronics has rapidly increased in prominence due to its simplicity, low cost and compatibility with a broad range of materials and substrates.

Currently there are a wide variety of printable functional inks, often made from organic-based materials or metal oxides, however, problems such as low carrier mobility, poor air stability, and the requirement for high processing temperatures are often encountered, limiting their application, the choice of printing method and the substrate which can be printed on.

Traditionally, there has been a particular lack of printable insulating materials that are functional without the use of high processing temperatures. Previous work carried out by the team at Duke had used silicon-based insulating materials, which are typically non-printable, rigid and brittle, thereby limiting the usage of devices in flexible electronic applications.

Using the insulating hexagonal boron nitride ink, the team were able to fully fabricate the thin-film transistors with carbon nanotube channel regions via direct-write aerosol jet printing onto flexible paper and plastic substrates in a print-in-place process, with the temperature always below 80°C. This processing temperature is one of the lowest ever reported for printed carbon nanotube-based thin-film transistors, yet the devices still show good electrical performance. The print-in-place aspect also removes the time and cost associated with the typical processing and treatment steps that are required to be performed outside of the printer.

This paper is amongst the first reports on aerosol printing of . Advantages of using aerosol jet printing compared to inkjet printing are the ability to print inks with a wide range of viscosity and surface tensions, in addition to the ability to print on complex surfaces.

Professor Cinzia Casiraghi who led the team at 91ֱ�� said: “We had previously used our hexagonal boron nitride inks to inkjet print a graphene based transistor on paper. However, high performance transistors require a semiconducting channel, so we were pleased to see that our hexagonal boron nitride inks also perform very well in printed carbon nanotubes transistors made with the aerosol printer, showing the versatility of the hexagonal boron nitride inks in printed transistors.”

Dr Aaron Franklin from Duke University said: “Nobody thought the aerosolized ink, especially for boron nitride, would deliver the properties needed to make functional electronics without being baked for at least an hour and a half. But not only did we get it to work, we showed that baking it for two hours after printing doesn’t improve its performance. It was as good as it could get just using our fully print-in-place process.”

The team from Duke University hope to use these inks to devise a fully print-in-place technique for electronics that is gentle enough to work on delicate surfaces including human skin.

The isolation of graphene at 91ֱ�� sparked a revolution in materials science and led to the classification of a host of other similar atomically thin materials such as hexagonal boron nitride, also known as ‘white graphene’.

But far more important is the way that these various types of 2D materials can be used as building blocks to create ‘designer materials’ or heterostructures with truly novel features on demand.

New exhibition unveiled at National Graphene Institute

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:23:04 +0000

Earlier in the year, the (NGI) at opened a call to University staff and students to submit scientific images, which showcased the ground-breaking research conducted at the University.

Entries were shortlisted and the finished gallery has now been unveiled. The gallery aims to reflect that whilst some may see science and art as separate entities, both are used to understand and describe the world around us. The subjects and methods may have different traditions, but the motivations and goals are fundamentally the same.

The gallery which lines the perimeter of the NGI and can be seen from street level also includes a capsule collection of Random Walk- a unique portrait gallery which focuses on the 300 people working on graphene and related 2D materials working across a multitude of disciplines from physics, chemistry, materials science and biomedical science.

In addition the gallery includes pieces from the collection Hyper Realistic Bees, created by 91ֱ�� based artist . This collection of hand drawn bees bring attention to the diverse colours and forms of bees from around the world, serving as a reminder of the impact human actions have on the planet and the way this is affecting our bee populations.

The collection originated from 91ֱ��’s and also draws inspiration from 91ֱ��’s history and association with the bee as well as serving a sombre symbol of unity after the 91ֱ�� Arena Attack in May 2017.

The National Graphene Institute can be found on Booth Street East, building no. 90 on the .

91ֱ�� to shine a spotlight on graphene applications and technology

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 09:03:00 +0100

10-11 December 2019 will open their doors to industry to explore the hottest topics in the field of graphene at the Graphene Industry Showcase 2019.

Since its last showcase event in 2017, graphene is now reaching a key tipping point in its research and commercialisation. This two day event gives the opportunity to hear from leading industry experts on how graphene applications and technology has impacted their industry, and the challenges they have faced along the way.

Hosted in the (NGI) and the (GEIC) the programme will feature industry forums, market overviews, and opportunities to meet with innovators and entrepreneurs and suppliers involved with graphene and 2D materials, as well as University academics, engineers and specialists.

In addition, there will also be an opportunity to attend workshops focusing on polymers and composites, energy, printed electronics and coatings and membranes. A series of support service drop in sessions will also be provided focusing on areas such as: IP, standards and characterisation and health and safety.

The NGI and the GEIC are two world-leading institutes for graphene research and commercialisation based at . Together, the two facilities provide an unrivalled critical mass of graphene expertise and infrastructure.

Admission is free. Spaces are limited, if you are interested in attending, register your interest here:

Travelling light- first environmentally friendly graphene smart- case unveiled

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 07:52:00 +0100

A prototype for a - based smart suitcase made of 100% of recycled plastic has been developed in collaboration with .

400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year in the world with 40% of that single use and only 9% get recycled worldwide.

Furthermore, it is predicted by 2050 that the amount of plastic in the ocean will be greater than the amount of fish.

One of the barriers for using recycled plastic includes degradation and thermal aging of the plastic as well as mixing low-grade materials into the batch, which results in poor performance properties and lower reusability.

However a 91ֱ��-based start- up company, GraphCase has developed a patent pending technology to create a composite polymer using graphene, which is made from 100% recycled plastics. The world first graphene suitcase is 60% stronger, 20% lighter and has a lifetime warranty. The material used can also be recycled multiple times whilst maintaining its performance.

The use of one 20” GraphCase cabin luggage could potentially reduce 6kg CO₂ emissions into the environment.

The graphene-enhanced recycled polycarbonate system imparts smooth-touch, scratch resistant and better impact properties. The case also includes an ejectable battery pack so mobile devices can be charged (on the go) a TSA approved lock as well as being water resistant.

Going forward, GraphCase is working with the to take this concept forward. Funded by the (ERDF) the project has been developed to proactively engage Greater 91ֱ�� (GM) based SMEs and new ventures to allow them to overcome challenges, and explore and apply graphene and other advanced 2D materials in a wide range of applications and markets.

Dr Shaila Afroj, Co-founder of GraphCase and former University of Manchester student said: "Over the last several months we have worked extremely hard with Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC) at The University of Manchester and various partners to develop World first Graphene-enhanced travel case based on 100% recycle plastics.

We are hoping to bring our smart, strong and environmentally sustainable travel case to the market in the new year. By providing high quality, extremely durable and 100% recycled plastics-based suitcase, we would like to provide greatest experiences to the travellers."

Dr Nazmul Karim, the other co-founder of GraphCase said " Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges at the moment. We all have to do our bit to save the environment."

By adding graphene to recycled plastics, it was possible to develop 60% stronger and 20% lighter travel case with 50% less CO₂ emission. We are not stopping there, as the plan is to bring a range of graphene-enhanced environmentally sustainable recycled materials-based products to the market."

Graphene-based materials have shown huge potential for composites due to their excellent mechanical properties. Graphene provides transparency, high mechanical strength and good thermal and dimensional stability in order to successful incorporate it into polymers.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy visits The University of Manchester

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:37:43 +0100

Angela Leadsom visited the (GEIC) at today (Wednesday, 2 October 2019) to tour the facilities and learn more about the advanced materials landscape at the University.

The minister, who was accompanied by Deputy President and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Luke Georghiou, heard from James Baker CEO Graphene@91ֱ�� on how this flagship facility is helping rapidly accelerate the development and commercialisation of new graphene technologies.

During the tour, the minister saw examples of graphene products such as the world’s first graphene sports shoes- a collaboration between the University and British company inov-8, as well as street lighting, water filtration technology and graphene enhanced carbon fibre, concrete and building materials.

After the tour, a series of roundtable discussions were held, of which engagement with SMEs was one of them. Funded by the (ERDF) the project based at the GEIC has been developed to proactively engage Greater 91ֱ�� based SMEs and new ventures to allow them to overcome challenges, and explore and apply graphene and other advanced 2D materials in a wide range of applications and markets.

Professor Luke Georghiou, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome the minister to the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. The facilities at the GEIC have given us an important boost in our ambition to build a world-leading ecosystem in 91ֱ�� for innovation in 2-D materials and to realise the huge economic and social benefits from their application.”

James Baker said: “Graphene has reached a tipping point and we are now seeing real-world benefits living up to the early excitement of just a few years ago. Collaboration is key to realising graphene’s potential, building a community of partners will accelerate the step change in graphene’s commercial prospects.”

Within its first year of operation, the GEIC focuses on creating, testing and optimising new concepts for delivering products to market as well as the processes needed to scale up production and build and maintain a supply chain.

Working with the , the GEIC complements their research with work to act as the cornerstone for Graphene City- an ambitious vision from the University that aims to create a thriving knowledge base economy around 91ֱ��’s revolutionary material.

University and Abu Dhabi collaboration tackles world water shortages

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 09:01:50 +0100

A partnership between and in Abu Dhabi have developed to take salts out of water.

In recent years the depletion rate of fresh water resources, growing global population and climate change have seen a serious need to address not only our water demands for today but also for the future.

Recently published in the , the third paper to be published from the project, the team of researchers are working to tackle one of the world’s biggest challenges - water scarcity.

The most popular method for water desalination currently is a process called reverse osmosis, which requires large quantities of water to be forced through a membrane to remove the salts in the water.

This method is particularly useful when there is a high salt content, however more efficient methods are required for bodies of water that have a lower salt content, known as brackish water.

The team of researchers have developed new ion-selective membranes incorporating oxide, for use in electromembrane desalination processes such as electrodialysis and membrane capacitive deionization.

Using a series of membranes, the ions in the saltwater can be driven out by an electric field, allowing clean water to be achieved.

Incorporating nanomaterials like graphene, the polymers that are used in the systems are significantly improved due to the mechanical strength of the 2D material.

Graphene is the world’s first two-dimensional material, it is more conductive than copper, one million times thinner than a human hair. It is even capable of forming the perfect barrier to liquids and gases including helium - the hardest gas to block.

, Professor of Polymer Chemistry at The University of Manchester, said “This collaboration is enabling us to develop both membranes that like positively charged ions and membranes that like negatively charged ions, and together they offer exciting possibilities for helping achieve the global goal of clean water for all”.

from Khalifa University of Science and Technology said: “We prepared the electrostatically-coupled graphene oxide nanocomposite cation exchange membrane, where all the ion exchange groups are provided by ionic conducting nanomaterials. The collaboration between two teams provided great support to each other in complementary aspects of the research, and led to positive research outcomes, and more to come”.

, from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology said: “The application of graphene-based nanocomposites allowed us to control and improve the properties of ion-exchange membranes. The novel separation materials developed for desalination in this collaboration have the potential to increase the efficiency and therefore to cut the costs of the electromembrane processes producing clean water. Our previous joint publication under the flagship of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre was featured on the front cover of the , which demonstrates the broad scientific interest in this topic.”

A portfolio of collaborative projects has been established between the two institutes including graphene based low-density foams for various applications in engineering, graphene-based membranes, and inkjet printed graphene sensors for multiple applications including for energy applications.

Opened in December 2018, the specialises in the rapid development and scale up of graphene and 2D materials. Along with the the two world leading centres create an innovation ecosystem, which will be capable of taking graphene applications from basic research to finished product.

About Khalifa University of Science and Technology

The Khalifa University of Science and Technology merges the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research and the Petroleum Institute into one world-class, research-intensive institution, producing world leaders and critical thinkers in applied science and engineering. The Khalifa University of Science and Technology endeavors to be a catalyst to the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s rapidly developing knowledge economy as an education destination of choice and a global leader among research intensive universities.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ku.ac.ae/

First Graphene and University to work together to help develop a new graphene-based energy storage material

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 10:58:31 +0100

First Graphene Ltd has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with The University of Manchester to develop graphene-hybrid materials for use in .

The licencing agreement is for patented technology for the manufacture of metal oxide decorated graphene materials, using a proprietary electrochemical process. The graphene-hybrid materials will have the potential to create a new generation of supercapacitors, for use in applications ranging from electric vehicles to elevators and cranes.

Supercapacitors offer high power-density energy storage, with the possibility of multiple charge/discharge cycles and short charging times. The market for supercapacitor devices is forecast to grow at 20% per year to approximately $2.1 billion by 2022. However, growth maybe limited by the availability of suitable materials.

Supercapacitors typically use microporous carbon nanomaterials, which have a gravimetric capacitance between 50 and 150 Farads/g. Research carried out by The University of Manchester shows that high capacitance materials incorporating graphene are capable of reaching up to 500 Farads/g. This will significantly increase the operational performance of supercapacitors in a wide range of applications, as well as increasing the available supply of materials.

Published research by Professsor Robert Dryfe and Professor Ian Kinloch of The University of Manchester reveals how high capacity, microporous materials can be manufactured by the electrochemical processing of graphite raw materials. These use transition metal ions to create metal oxide decorated graphene materials, which have an extremely high gravimetric capacitance, to 500 Farads/g.

Professor Dryfe has secured funding from the UK EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Council) for further optimisation of metal oxide/graphene materials. Following successful completion of this study, First Graphene is planning to build a pilot-scale production unit at its laboratories within the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC). It is anticipated that this will be the first step in volume production in the UK, to enable the introduction of these materials to supercapacitor device manufacturers.

James Baker, Chief Executive of , added: “We are really pleased with this further development of our partnership with First Graphene. The University’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre is playing a key role in supporting the acceleration of graphene products and applications through the development of a critical supply chain of material supply and in the development of applications for industry.

“This latest announcement marks a significant step in our Graphene City developments, which looks to create a unique innovation ecosystem here in the 91ֱ�� city-region, the home of graphene.”

Dr Andy Goodwin, Chief Technology Officer of First Graphene Ltd says: “This investment is a direct result of our presence at the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre. It emphasises the importance of effective external relationships with university research partners. The programme is also aligned with the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy grand challenges and we’ll be pursuing further support for the development of our business within the UK.”

First Graphene is a Tier One partner of the University’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. First Graphene Ltd is known for the manufacture of bulk scale graphene by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite.

Read the full ASX Announcement .

Atomically thin minerals show promise as proton conducting membranes for green technologies

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:00:00 +0100

Researchers at discovered that atomically- thin micas – the name given to a type of common mineral found in soil – are excellent proton conductors. This surprising result is important for the use of 2D materials in applications such as fuel cells and other hydrogen-related technologies.

Previously, the 91ֱ�� researchers led by and found that one-atom thick materials like are highly permeable to protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms. However, they also found that other 2D materials such as molybdenum sulphide (MoS₂), that were just three atoms thick, were completely impermeable to protons. These results suggested that only one-atom thick crystals could be permeable to protons.

Writing in , the team have shown that protons can easily permeate through few-layered micas despite the fact that they are 10 times thicker than graphene. Micas, like graphite, consist of crystal layers stacked on top of each other and can be sliced down to a single layer. The team isolated one of these layers and found that it was 100 times more permeable to protons than graphene.

At first glance, this result seems impossible because micas are too thick for protons to permeate – they are much thicker than monolayer MoS₂ that is completely impermeable to protons. However, micas can be thought of as crystal slabs pierced by tubular channels. These channels aren’t empty but filled with hydroxyl groups that are like the proton-conducting one-dimensional chains in water. Protons jump along these chains, turning the material into an excellent proton conductor.

Lucas Mogg, a PhD student on the project and the first author of the paper said: “We found that proton conductivity in atomically-thin micas is 10 to 100 times higher than in graphene. It is encouraging because graphene is already being considered as a promising proton conducting material. Our results show micas could be even more promising – not least because they are abundant and inexpensive.”

Professor Andre Geim said: “The result also implies that many other 2D materials could be turned into proton conductors. Our strategy is not limited to protons or micas. Many more 2D crystals with atomic-scale channels similar to those in micas could be explored, hopefully bringing unexpected phenomena and new applications in the field of proton and ionic conductors.”

The researchers also found that micas become particularly highly conductive in a temperature range that has been notoriously inaccessible for the related technologies.

Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo said: “There is a lack of proton-conducting materials that can reliably operate between 100°C and 500°C. However, this is the sweet spot temperature range for optimum operation of fuel cells and other hydrogen technologies. Atomically-thin micas work rather well in this temperature range – they merit attention from this perspective.”

Furthermore, the researchers say they are now working on building a mica prototype membrane that is big enough to be tested under industrial conditions. They are also optimistic about the possibilities this research open in terms of fundamental research. The work shows that the field of two-dimensional ionic conductors holds great promise due to the wealth of other crystals that could be turned into ionic and proton conductors.

Next generation synthetic covalent 2D materials unveiled

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 14:24:08 +0100

A team of researchers at the at have developed a new method to synthesize 2D materials that are thought to be impossible or, at least, unobtainable by current technologies.

was the world’s first two-dimensional material, which subsequently opened the gates for the isolation of other two-dimensional materials.

Graphene and other 2D materials usually have a 3D counterpart known as a ‘bulk analogue’. For example graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms derived from graphite.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the fabrication of synthetic 2D materials that have no layered bulk analogue. Researchers have started to look at 2D materials that do not have a 3D counterpart.

Traditionally, 2D materials are isolated by a process called mechanical exfoliation –taking the bulk material and exfoliating the layers from each other until a single layer is achieved.

In contrast to these layered crystals, those materials that have no layered structures are held together by covalent bonds between the atomic planes, which do not allow mechanical exfoliation.

As published in , by using chemical conversion, the team at the University were able to convert layers of existing layered materials into a new covalent two-dimensional material. As an example, mechanically exfoliated 2D indium selenide (InSe) is converted into atomically thin indium fluoride (InF₃), which has a non-layered structure and therefore cannot be possibly obtained by exfoliation, by a fluorination process.

Effectively, the proposed chemical conversion strategy of 2D material is nothing but sewing atomic layers of existing 2D materials together by chemical modification.

The obtained new 2D indium fluoride is a semiconductor, exhibiting high optical transparency across the visible and infrared spectral ranges and could potentially use as a 2D glass.

at the National Graphene Institute and who led the team said: “Chemical modification of materials has proven to be a powerful tool for obtaining novel materials with desired and often unusual properties. There is still further work to be carried out to understand chemical conversion of 2D materials at the atomic scale, including effects of relative orientation and synergy between individual atomic layers on their chemical reactivity. We believe our work provides a significant advance in materials science and is a clear milestone in the development of artificial 2D materials.”

Vishnu Sreepal, who led the experiments and the lead author of this paper said “Our work clearly demonstrates the possibility of creating artificial 2D covalent materials. The process is controllable, easy to execute and very effective. By precisely controlling the thickness of the starting 2D layers the thickness of the new covalent 2D materials can be controlled with an atomic-scale precision. The new covalent 2D material can also be controllably doped with dopants”.

“We also demonstrate the scalability of our approach by chemical conversion of large-area, thin InSe films into InF₃ films.”In addition, the team envisages that such chemical conversion can be extended to van der Waals heterostructures to obtain artificial hetero covalent solids.

By layering atoms in a precisely chosen sequence known as heterostructures, designer materials with certain characteristics can be created that don’t occur naturally and offer specified qualities. Researchers assemble these new materials in sequences relevant to their intended application, in a process similar to stacking Lego bricks. By demonstrating the possibility of 2D covalent solids, researchers now have more ‘legos’ in their playground to create novel materials with custom made properties.

The work was done in collaboration with the , Belgium, , , and , Turkey.

91ֱ�� researchers demonstrate low voltage LEDs

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 09:26:00 +0100

When atomically thin semiconductors are combined together in a Lego style, they emit light at a lower voltage potentially leading to low energy consumption devices.

Whilst this research is in its fundamental state this shows promise for practical applications in optoelectronics and telecommunications.

The voltage of an LED is usually equal to or larger than the bandgap energy per electron charge. A team of researchers based at , , the and the in Japan have been able to demonstrate LEDs that turn on at much lower voltages.

The idea to stack layers of different materials to make so-called goes back to the 1960s, when semiconductor gallium arsenide was researched for making miniature lasers – which are now widely used.

Today, heterostructures are common and are used very broadly in semiconductor industry as a tool to design and control electronic and optical properties in devices.

More recently in the era of atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) crystals, such as graphene, new types of heterostructures have emerged, where atomically thin layers are held together by relatively weak van der Waals forces.

The new structures nicknamed ‘van der Waals heterostructures’ open a huge potential to create numerous designer-materials and novel devices by stacking together any number of atomically thin layers. Hundreds of combinations become possible otherwise inaccessible in traditional three-dimensional materials, potentially giving access to new unexplored optoelectronic device functionality or unusual material properties.

There are a lot of experiments done by various research groups in the world, which focus on light emitting properties of transition metal dichalcogenides. However, often these studies are done purely by optical means. For practical applications, electrically triggered light emission is more desirable.

As published in , the team led by Dr Aleksey Kozikov, Professor Kostya Novoselov and Prof. Marek Potemski were able to do this using electricity. They bound electrons and holes sitting in different transition metal dichalcogenides, so-called interlayer excitons. The researchers created experimental conditions when these excitons recombine non-radiatively, Auger effect. The released energy is transferred to other carriers that can then move to higher energy states. As a result, charge carriers whose energy was originally too low to overcome the material’s bandgap can now easily cross this potential barrier, recombine and emit light. This effect is called upconversion.

Graphene electrodes are used to electrically inject charge carriers through hexagonal boron nitride stacked in a heterostructure into Molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂) and Tungsten diselenide (WSe₂). Changing the distance between these transition metal dichalcogenides by adding boron nitride in between allows tuning the LEDs from a normal operation to a low-voltage operation and observing the effect of upconversion.

From the fundamental point of view the observed effects mark an important step towards the realisation of exciton condensation and superfluidity of van der Waals heterostructures.

Dr. Johannes Binder, the first author of the paper, from the University of Warsaw said: “When we started measuring the first MoS₂/WSe₂ devices we were really surprised to observe emission at such low applied voltages. This upconverted emission impressively shows the importance of Auger processes for interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures. Our findings shed more light on the physics in the largely unexplored high carrier density regime, which is crucial for optoelectronic applications as well as for fundamental phenomena like interlayer exciton condensation.”

Dr. Aleksey Kozikov added: “It is fascinating how adding just one atomically thin material can change properties of a device so dramatically. This is the power of van der Waals heterostructures in action”.

New quantum phenomena helps to understand fundamental limits of graphene electronics

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 10:00:00 +0100

A team of researchers from the Universities of , and have discovered quantum phenomena that helps to understand the fundamental limits of .

As published in , the work describes how electrons in a single atomically-thin sheet of graphene scatter off the vibrating carbon atoms which make up the hexagonal crystal lattice.

By applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of , the current-carrying electrons are forced to move in closed circular “cyclotron” orbits. In pure graphene, the only way in which an electron can escape from this orbit is by bouncing off a “phonon” in a scattering event. These phonons are particle-like bundles of energy and momentum and are the “quanta” of the sound waves associated with the vibrating carbon atom. The phonons are generated in increasing numbers when the graphene crystal is warmed up from very low temperatures.

By passing a small electrical current through the graphene sheet, the team were able to measure precisely the amount of energy and momentum that is transferred between an electron and a phonon during a scattering event.

Their experiment revealed that two types of phonon scatter the electrons: transverse acoustic (TA) phonons in which the carbon atoms vibrate perpendicular to the direction of phonon propagation and wave motion (somewhat analogous to surface waves on water) and longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons in which the carbon atoms vibrate back and forth along the direction of the phonon and the wave motion; (this motion is somewhat analogous to the motion of sound waves through air).

The measurements provide a very accurate measure of the speed of both types of phonons, a measurement which is otherwise difficult to make for the case of a single atomic layer. An important outcome of the experiments is the discovery that TA phonon scattering dominates over LA phonon scattering.

The observed phenomena, commonly referred to as “magnetophonon oscillations”, was measured in many semiconductors years before the discovery of graphene. It is one of the oldest quantum transport phenomena that has been known for more than fifty years, predating the quantum Hall effect. Whereas graphene possesses a number of novel, exotic electronic properties, this rather fundamental phenomenon has remained hidden.

Laurence Eaves & Roshan Krishna Kumar, co-authors of the work said: “We were pleasantly surprised to find such prominent magnetophonon oscillations appearing in graphene. We were also puzzled why people had not seen them before, considering the extensive amount of literature on quantum transport in graphene.”

Their appearance requires two key ingredients. First, the team had to fabricate high quality graphene transistors with large areas at the . If the device dimensions are smaller than a few micrometres the phenomena could not be observed.

Piranavan Kumaravadivel from The University of Manchester, lead author of the paper said: “At the beginning of quantum transport experiments, people used to study macroscopic, millimetre sized crystals. In most of the work on quantum transport on graphene, the studied devices are typically only a few micrometres in size. It seems that making larger graphene devices is not only important for applications but now also for fundamental studies.”

The second ingredient is temperature. Most graphene quantum transport experiments are performed at ultra-cold temperatures in-order to slow down the vibrating carbon atoms and “freeze-out” the phonons that usually break quantum coherence. Therefore, the graphene is warmed up as the phonons need to be active to cause the effect.

Mark Greenaway, from Loughborough University, who worked on the quantum theory of this effect said: “This result is extremely exciting - it opens a new route to probe the properties of phonons in two-dimensional crystals and their heterostructures. This will allow us to better understand electron-phonon interactions in these promising materials, understanding which is vital to develop them for use in new devices and applications.”

University Professor awarded IOM3 Platinum medal

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:05:00 +0100

Professor Robert Young from the and has been awarded the Platinum Medal from the (IOM3).

The medal is one of the Institute’s and aims to acknowledge individuals for their outstanding contributions to materials science, technology and industry, nationally or internationally.

is one of the world’s foremost materials scientists and this has been recognised through his elections as a Fellow of the , and the .

His innovative research has transformed our understanding of the relationships between structure and mechanical properties in polymers and composites.

He has introduced of a number of revolutionary techniques that have given a completely new insight into the micromechanics of deformation in fibres and composites. In particular, he has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of deformation processes that take place in fibres at the molecular level.

Most recently he has demonstrated that this approach can be extended to analysis of the deformation of nanocomposites reinforced by carbon nanotubes or and other 2D materials, and proven that continuum mechanics is still applicable at the nanoscale in these systems.

“I am very pleased to have been awarded the Platinum Medal by the IOM3. I have now been active in research for 50 years and had the privilege of being able to work upon a number of exciting new materials. It has been a particular pleasure to be able to contribute to the research upon graphene in The University of Manchester over recent years.”

Between 2004 and 2009 he was the founding Head of the School of Materials in , which is now the largest university materials department in the UK and the focus of major UK materials research initiatives such as the Henry Royce Institute.

He also chaired the Materials Panel in the 1996 and 2001 Research Assessment Exercises for the HEFCE. Furthermore he is co-author of the highly-successful, best-selling textbook, “Introduction to Polymers”, the third edition of which was published in 2011.

Two alumni from the School of Materials also received awards. Dr Kate Thornton CEng CSci MIMMM received a Silver Medal and Dr Rachael Ambury CEng CSci FIMMM, who won the Robert Perrin Award.

The award was presented to Professor Young at the IOM3 150^th Anniversary Gala dinner at the Science Museum, on 11 July 2019.

GEIC partnership with Highways England could revolutionise road infrastructure in the UK

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 09:00:00 +0100

has become the latest company to partner with the (GEIC).

This new collaboration will look to address some of the many challenges experienced by the road network in England, such as the deterioration of road and pavement surfaces.

Highways England is responsible for the motorways and major A roads in the country, which carry four million journeys over four thousand, three hundred miles of road network; safely and reliably every single day.

The government company is continually seeking to improve the experience of those who use and operate the network. Adding into maintenance and renewals operations has the potential to extend asset life and make the network perform at an industry changing level. Improving the experience of those using the roads, reducing road worker exposure and making journeys more reliable.

This partnership is looking to explore the operational and road user benefit of incorporating graphene into assets such as road surfacing and road markings as well as help to drive the development of a low carbon and digital road network. The potential improvements could result in stronger, long lasting materials reducing roadworks and improving road user journeys.

Isolated at in 2004 by Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov, graphene is the world’s first two-dimensional material, many more times stronger than steel, more conductive than copper and one million times thinner than a human hair.

James Baker, CEO Graphene@91ֱ�� said: “This latest partnership is a brilliant example of how graphene can be used to tackle problems faced by most people everyday.

“This is further enabled by the facilities and capabilities we can provide to our industry partners, that accelerates the many small improvements that ultimately create an optimised product.”

Paul Doney, Innovation Director at Highways England said: “We are really excited about the opportunity to explore leading edge materials and what this might lead to for our road network. GEIC is at the forefront, having made the discovery here in 91ֱ��, and by building a collaboration with our operations teams who understand the challenges, we are looking to deliver improved safety and performance of our roads.”

The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) specialises in the rapid development and scale up of graphene and other 2D materials applications. The GEIC is an industry-led innovation centre, designed to work in collaboration with industry partners to create, test and optimise new concepts for delivery to market, along with the processes required for scale up and supply chain integration.

The two-tier membership model allows the flexibility for industry partners to work on short feasibility projects, through to a long-term strategic partnership with multiple projects in different application areas.

Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre picks up two accolades in the RICS Awards: North West

Tue, 14 May 2019 14:31:45 +0100

The showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. They celebrate the achievements and successes of RICS professionals and their impact on local communities.

The £60million (GEIC) triumphed over close to 30 of the North West's most inspiring property projects to win the Design through Innovation award, before winning the overall 'Project of the Year, North West' title.

This award is presented to the scheme which demonstrates overall outstanding best practice and an exemplary commitment to adding value to its local area.

The GEIC, delivered by , and is the first new building in 40 years on The University of Manchester's North Campus and will act as a regeneration catalyst to promote the area as a future "", with significant economic impact, over the facility's lifetime.

Graphene City is an ambitious vision from , that aims to create a thriving knowledge-based economy around 91ֱ��’s revolutionary 2D material: graphene.

By creating a critical mass of scientists, manufacturers, engineers, innovators and industrialists. The innovation ecosystem will have at its core the and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and will accelerate the commercialisation of graphene and 2D materials applications.

Diana Hampson, Director of Estates said: “We have an ambitious Estates Strategy and a billion pound investment programme that is now bearing fruit in the transformation of our buildings and Campus around Oxford Road.

We are delighted with this award as recognition for the quality of our design and construction projects. The GEIC is one of our signature buildings and houses innovation for the 21^st century using graphene technologies first isolated at The University of Manchester.

Our ambition for developing the campus and adding value to the city was also boosted in March of this year when we launched Innovation District (ID) 91ֱ��, demonstrating our commitment to developments that enhance the buildings, public realm and quality of Manchester’s built environment.

We are very proud to win this award – and to win it for such a unique building as the GEIC.”

James Baker, CEO Graphene@91ֱ�� said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Graphene@91ֱ�� and the wider University as it celebrates our vision to create a flagship facility that aims to support the development of our city and the wider region.

The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) is a key asset of the Graphene City concept – but as the RICS accolade demonstrates that GEIC is more than a building. Working alongside the National Graphene Institute, we are creating an innovation eco-system which will be home to a critical mass of scientists, manufacturers, engineers, innovators and industrialists, all based in 91ֱ�� and working together on graphene innovations - from underpinning research through to commercially-ready products.

Chair of the judging panel for the RICS Awards, North West, Will Rees of Rees Straw Chartered Surveyors said: "Due to the high interest in graphene and its potential as a revolutionary material, the future and long-term prospects of the GEIC are significant. It will provide a place for the world's innovators - across various sectors – to help shape the future of our communities and industries by opening up new markets and improving existing technologies and materials.

"The modular construction approach to the GEIC has also delivered maximum flexibility and enhanced the overall building usability, whilst ensuring minimal reliance on energy for heating, cooling, lighting, and natural ventilation. Overall, it is a stand-out Project of the Year."

The GEIC will now go forward as a contender for the RICS National Awards later this year.

Controlling pressure-driven ionic flow by voltage at molecular scale

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:19:00 +0000

Similar to our computers which handle electrons to perform the calculations and logics, all the circuitry in living beings is based on the transport of ions, such as sodium, chloride, calcium, etc. Nature exploits incredibly subtle transport of these elementary charges and an artillery of ion channels to perform advanced functions by manipulating the - often exotic - behaviour of ion transport at molecular scales. Achieving such features in artificial channels remains a considerable challenge.

As published in , Researchers from the Micromegas team at the Physics Department at in collaboration with the Condensed Matter Physics laboratory and National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester, have been able to highlight mechano-sensitive properties of ion transport in few angstroms thick artificial channels.

Just over two years ago, 91ֱ�� researchers led by and showed that by stacking two-dimensional atomic layers similar to stacking bricks of Lego, it is indeed possible to assemble molecular and smooth channels at the atomic scale in a controlled manner. The atomic layers used for building the channel are held together by so-called van der Waals forces. Using these channels, the new experiments show that considerable ionic current can be generated when a flow is induced by applying a pressure difference. Separating two miniature baths of salt solutions, these angstrom scale channels generate ionic current when water molecules are mechanically pushed through them.

Dr Timothée Mouterde, the first author of this study, said: “Even more surprising, by applying an electric field along with pressure, this flow current can be modulated extremely sensitively”.

Prof Lydéric Bocquet adds: “This novel effect is akin to transistor but here for ion transport and can be understood as gating of mechanical ion flow by voltage”. Furthermore interestingly, the electronic properties of the confining wall materials of the channel seem to influence this ‘voltage gating’. This effect can be understood by differential friction of water and ions on the walls at these molecular scales”.

, who is a co-author said: “Inside our artificial channels which are only couple of water atoms thick, water and ions are organized in a two-dimensional monolayer. The ability to make such precise angstrom scale channels has provided us with tools to explore anomalous properties of water and flows”.

Dr Radha Boya explains: “At the molecular scale, flows induced by pressure and voltage simply do not add up. This coupling between mechanical and electrical forces demonstrated at the ultimate scales shows strong similarities to those observed in mechanically sensitive biological ion channels such as PIEZO1. This new platform will allow exploring the physical mechanisms of these extreme confinement situations at work in living systems, and in the longer term, to mimic elementary calculus functions based on ion transport."

Nobel Prize-winning laureate to create graphene-embedded art

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Celebrating 15 years since his successful isolation of graphene, Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov will produce pieces of art using the innovative material, live at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019.

is best known for his ground-breaking experiments on , stronger than steel, lightweight, flexible and more conductive than copper. The achievement earned Professors and Kostya Novoselov the . Novoselov is also one of the founding principal investigators of the — a €1 billion research project funded by the European Commission.

At MWC 2019, Novoselov will collaborate with British textile artist , a partnership which reflects his regular involvement in art projects. The demonstration will see the pair create a piece of art using materials printed with embedded graphene. The installation will be entitled ‘Everything is Connected”, the motto of the Graphene Flagship and reflective of the themes at

The demonstration is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 26 February at 11:30 CET in the Graphene Pavilion, an area dedicated to demonstrating inventions made possible by funding from the Graphene Flagship. Alongside the art demonstration, exhibitors in the Graphene Pavilion will showcase 26 state-of-the-art graphene-based prototypes and devices that will transform the future of mobile phones, telecommunications, wearables and home technology.

Interactive demonstrations include a selection of health-related wearable technologies, which will be exhibited in the ‘wearables of the future’ area. Prototypes in this zone include graphene-enabled pressure sensing insoles, which have been developed by Graphene Flagship researchers at the University of Cambridge to accurately identify problematic walking patterns in wearers.

Another prototype will demonstrate how graphene can be used to reduce heat in mobile phone batteries, therefore prolong their lifespan. In fact, the material required for this invention is the same that will be used during the art installation demonstration.

Andrea Ferrari, Science and Technology Officer and Chair of the management panel of the Graphene Flagship said: “Graphene and related layered materials have steadily progressed from fundamental to applied research and from the lab to the factory floor. Mobile World Congress is a prime opportunity for the Graphene Flagship to showcase how the European Commission’s investment in research is beginning to create tangible products and advanced prototypes. Outreach is also part of the Graphene Flagship mission and the interplay between graphene, culture and art has been explored by several Flagship initiatives over the years. This unique live exhibition of Kostya is a first for the Flagship and the Mobile World Congress, and I invite everybody to attend."

More information on the Graphene Pavilion, the prototypes on show and the interactive demonstrations at MWC 2019, can be found on the Graphene Flagship . Alternatively, contact the Graphene Flagship directly on press@graphene-flagship.eu.

Scientists develop a new method to revolutionise graphene printed electronics

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:07:12 +0000

Printed electronics offer a breakthrough in the penetration of information technology into everyday life. The possibility of printing electronic circuits will further promote the spread of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The development of printed conductive inks for electronic applications has grown rapidly, widening applications in transistors, sensors, antennas RFID tags and wearable electronics.

Current conductive inks traditionally use metal nanoparticles for their high electrical conductivity. However, these materials can be expensive or easily oxidised, making them far from ideal for low cost IoT applications.

Published in , the team have found that using a material called dihydrolevogucosenone known as Cyrene is not only non-toxic but is environmentally- friendly and sustainable but can also provide higher concentrations and conductivity of graphene ink.

said: “This work demonstrates that printed graphene technology can be low cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly for ubiquitous wireless connectivity in IoT era as well as provide RF energy harvesting for low power electronics”.

said: “Graphene is swiftly moving from research to application domain. Development of production methods relevant to the end-user in terms of their flexibility, cost and compatibility with existing technologies are extremely important. This work will ensure that implementation of graphene into day-to-day products and technologies will be even faster”.

Kewen Pan, the lead author on the paper said: “This perhaps is a significant step towards commercialisation of printed graphene technology. I believe it would be an evolution in printed electronics industry because the material is such low cost, stable and environmental friendly”.

who were involved in measurements for this work, have partnered with the at The University of Manchester to provide a materials characterisation service to provide the missing link for the industrialisation of graphene and 2D materials. They have also published a joint NPL and NGI which aims to tackle the ambiguity surrounding how to measure graphene’s characteristics.

Professor Ling Hao said: “Materials characterisation is crucial to be able to ensure performance reproducibility and scale up for commercial applications of graphene and 2D materials. The results of this collaboration between the University and NPL is mutually beneficial, as well as providing measurement training for PhD students in a metrology institute environment.”

Graphene has the potential to create the next generation of electronics currently limited to science fiction: faster transistors, semiconductors, bendable phones and flexible wearable electronics.

World’s first- ever graphene hiking boots unveiled

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 12:51:52 +0000

Building on the international success of their pioneering use of in trail running and fitness shoes last summer, the brand is now bringing the revolutionary technology to a market recently starved of innovation.

Just one atom thick and stronger than steel, graphene has been infused into the rubber of inov-8’s new ROCLITE hiking boots, with the outsoles scientifically proven to be 50% stronger, 50% more elastic and 50% harder wearing.

Collaborating with graphene experts at , inov-8 is the first brand in the world to use the material in sports shoes and now hiking footwear.

There are two boots with graphene-enhanced rubber outsoles: the ROCLITE 335 and the ROCLITE 345 GTX. The former offers increased warmth on cold days with PrimaLoft insulation in the upper of the shoe, while the latter has waterproof GORE-TEX protection for hiking adventures in wet conditions.

The ROCLITE 335 weighs just 335g and the ROCLITE 345 GTX weighs just 345g. Both are available to buy now.

Michael Price, inov-8 product and marketing director, said: “Working with the at The University of Manchester, we’ve been able to develop rubber outsoles that deliver the world’s toughest grip.

“The hiking and outdoor footwear market has been stagnant for many years and crying out for innovation. We’ve brought a fresh approach and new ideas, launching products that will allow hikers, fast-packers and outdoor adventurers to get more miles out of their boots, no matter how gnarly the terrain.”

, Reader in Nanomaterials at The University of Manchester, said: “Using graphene we have developed outsole rubbers that are scientifically tested to be 50% stronger, 50% more elastic and 50% harder wearing. But this is just the start. Graphene is a such a versatile material and its potential really is limitless.”

Commenting on the continued collaboration with The University of Manchester, inov-8 CEO Ian Bailey said: “Last summer saw a powerhouse forged in Northern England take the world of sports footwear by storm. That same powerhouse is now going to do likewise in the hiking and outdoors industry.

“We won numerous awards across the world for our revolutionary use of graphene in trail running and fitness shoes, and I’m 100% confident we can do the same in hiking and outdoors.

“Mark my words, graphene is the future, and we’re not stopping at just rubber outsoles. This is a four-year innovation project which will see us incorporate graphene into 50% of our range and give us the potential to halve the weight of shoes without compromising on performance or durability.”

Graphene is produced from graphite, which was first mined in the Lake District fells of Northern England more than 450 years ago. inov-8 too was forged in the same fells, albeit much more recently in 2003. The brand now trades in 68 countries worldwide.

The scientists who first isolated graphene from graphite were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. Building on their revolutionary work, a team of over 300 staff at The University of Manchester has pioneered projects into graphene-enhanced prototypes, from sports cars and medical devices to aeroplanes and of course now sports and hiking footwear.

Graphene laminated pipes could reduce corrosion in the oil and gas industry

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:10:49 +0100

Published in , the team have found a way of incorporating graphene into a polymer liner used in pipes that transport crude oil and gas from the sea floor.

The pipes are generally made of internal layers of polymer or composite and external strengthening steel. Within these pipes, fluids may be at very high pressure and elevated temperature.

In situations where carbon dioxide (CO₂), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and water permeate through the protective barrier layer of the pipe, the steel may corrode causing the pipe to lose strength over time, leading to a risk of catastrophic failure.

The researchers found that if the graphene was mechanically mixed with the plastic, or if a single layer of graphene were applied, gases were still able to pass through.

However, by laminating a thin layer of graphene nanoplatelets to polyamide 11 (PA11) - a plastic often used in these liners - the team were able to produce structures that behave as exceptionally good barriers.

The multi-layered laminate structures were tested at 60^oC and at pressures up to 400 times atmospheric pressure, and were shown to reduce CO₂ permeation by over 90% compared to PA11 alone, while permeation of H₂S can be reduced to undetectable levels.

Graphene is the world’s first two-dimensional material, flexible, transparent, more conductive than copper, and is known to block the passage of helium, the hardest gas to block.

. This technology has the potential to extend the life of the underwater pipework and therefore reduce the time between repairs.

, who led the 91ֱ�� team, said: “Graphene has many amazing properties, but it is not always easy to realise them on a large scale. Our work represents an important step in taking graphene out of the laboratory and into the real world.”

, Director of Research, TWI, said: “This research is an example of how TWI can work effectively with world leading universities through its Innovation Network, and draw on our cutting edge testing capability and in house experts, to identify unique and novel solutions to industry’s most challenging problems.

such as these have the potential to open up vast new markets and revolutionise countless industrial processes, such as food packaging, water filtration and gas separation.

Science and art collide to unveil a new piece of graphene artwork

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 10:51:47 +0100

Prospect Planes will be unveiled on Friday, 17 August as part of series of events at the in partnership with the National Graphene Institute and .

The fascinating video art project aims to shed light on graphene’s unique qualities and potential.

Providing a fascinating insight into scientific research into graphene, Prospect Planes began with a graphite drawing by Griffiths, symbolising the chemical element carbon.

This was replicated in graphene by Sir Kostya Novoselov, creating a microscopic 2D graphene version of Griffiths’ drawing just one atom thick and invisible to the naked eye.

They then used Raman spectroscopy to record a molecular fingerprint of the graphene image, using that fingerprint to map a digital visual representation of graphene’s unique qualities.

The six-part Hexagon Experiment series was inspired by the creativity of the Friday evening sessions that led to the isolation of graphene at The University of Manchester by Novoselov and .

Mary Griffiths, has previously worked on other graphene artworks including From Seathwaite- an installation in the National Graphene Institute, which depicts the story of graphite and graphene – its geography, geology and development in the North West of England.

Mary Griffiths, who is also Senior Curator at said: “Having previously worked alongside Kostya on other projects, I was aware of his passion for art. This has been a tremendously exciting and rewarding project, which will help people to better understand the unique qualities of graphene, while bringing 91ֱ��’s passion for collaboration and creativity across the arts, industry and science to life.

“In many ways, the story of the scientific research which led to the creation of Prospect Planes is as exciting as the artwork itself. By taking my pencil drawing and patterning it in 2D with a single layer of graphene atoms, then creating an animated digital work of art from the graphene data, we hope to provoke further conversations about the nature of the first 2D material and the potential benefits and purposes of graphene.”

Sir Kostya Novoselov said: “In this particular collaboration with Mary, we merged two existing concepts to develop a new platform, which can result in multiple art projects. I really hope that we will continue working together to develop this platform even further.”

The Hexagon Experiment is taking place just a few months before the official launch of the £60m , part of a major investment in 2D materials infrastructure across 91ֱ��, cementing its reputation as .

Prospect Planes was commissioned by 91ֱ��-based creative music charity Brighter Sound.

The Hexagon Experiment is part of – a three-year initiative to support, inspire and showcase women in music across the North of England, supported through .