The of Europe's longest running Graphene and 2D Materials conference took place in the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the isolation of Graphene, attendees enjoyed a packed programme of talks, poster presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions and workshops. 

Professor Cinzia Casiraghi and Professor Vladimir Falko, UoM academics, were 2 of the international experts on graphene and 2D materials who delivered talks at the conference. Sarab Alantali, one of the CDT students presented her poster "Recycling of Thermoplastic Polymer Nanocomposites." Sarab says "Graphene Week 2024 took place in Prague, a city celebrated for its historical importance and dynamic culture, offering an exciting setting for the event. The site offered contemporary amenities that accommodated diverse sessions, workshops, and exhibitions, promoting an atmosphere favourable to collaboration and innovation. Participants interacted with the most recent developments in graphene science and technology, gaining insights from a meticulously organised agenda with talks by prominent specialists in the discipline.

During the conference, attendees were afforded the opportunity to engage in many sessions addressing an extensive array of issues pertaining to graphene and its uses. The event facilitated networking, enabling scholars and industry experts to connect, exchange ideas, and investigate prospective collaborations. This knowledge sharing was essential for individuals aiming to remain at the vanguard of graphene research and development.

Alongside the academic emphasis, Graphene Week 2024 provided participants an opportunity to engage with the rich cultural legacy of Prague. The conference included a social program, featuring a dinner cruise on the Vltava River, enabling guests to appreciate the city's breath taking vistas while networking in a casual setting. The integration of innovative science and cultural discovery rendered Graphene Week 2024 a significant and unforgettable event for all attendees." 

Although scientists knew one atom thick, two-dimensional crystal graphene existed, no-one had figured out how to extract it from graphite, until Professor Geim and Professor Novoselov’s groundbreaking work in 91ֱ�� in 2004.

Geim and Novoselov frequently held ‘Friday night experiments’, where they would play around with ideas and experiments that weren’t necessarily linked to their usual research. It was through these experiments that the two first isolated graphene, by using sticky tape to peel off thin flakes of graphite, ushering in a new era of material science.

Their seminal paper ‘, has since been cited over 40,000 times, making it one of the most highly referenced scientific papers of all time.

What Andre and Kostya had achieved was a profound breakthrough, which would not only earn the pair a Nobel Prize in 2010 but would revolutionise the scientific world.

The vast number of products, processes and industries for which graphene could significantly impact all stem from its extraordinary properties. No other material has the breadth of superlatives that graphene boasts:

• It is many times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible
• It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent
• It is the world’s first two-dimensional material and is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

It’s areas for application are endless: transport, medicine, electronics, energy, defence, desalination, are all being transformed by graphene research.

In biomedical technology, graphene’s unique properties allow for groundbreaking biomedical applications, such as targeted drug delivery and DIY health-testing kits. In sport, graphene-enhanced running shoes deliver more grip, durability and 25% greater energy return than standard running trainers – as well as the world’s first .

Speaking at the , hosted by The University of Manchester, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “If you have an electric car, graphene is there. If you are talking about flexible, transparent and wearable electronics, graphene-like materials have a good chance of being there. Graphene is also in lithium ion batteries as it improves these batteries by 1 or 2 per cent.”

The excitement, interest and ambition surrounding the material has created a ‘graphene economy’, which is increasingly driven by the challenge to tackle climate change, and for global economies to achieve zero carbon.

At the heart of this economy is The University of Manchester, which has built a model research and innovation community, with graphene at its core. The enables academics and their industrial partners to work together on new applications of graphene and other 2D materials, while the accelerates lab-market development, supporting more than 50 spin-outs and numerous new technologies.

Professor James Baker,  CEO of Graphene@91ֱ�� said: “As we enter the 20^th anniversary since the first discovery of graphene, we are now seeing a real ‘tipping point’ in the commercialisation of products and applications, with many products now in the market or close to entering. We are also witnessing a whole new eco-system of businesses starting to scale up their products and applications, many of which are based in 91ֱ��."

What about the next 20 years?

The next 20 years promise even greater discoveries and The University of Manchester remains at the forefront of exploring the limitless graphene yields.

Currently, researchers working with INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, with funding from the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship, are developing brain implants from graphene which could enable precision surgery for diseases such as cancer.

Researchers have also developed wearable sensors, based on a 2D material called hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which have the potential to change the way respiratory health is monitored.

As for sustainability, Dr Qian Yang is using nanocapillaries made from graphene that could lead to the development of a brand-new form of , while others are looking into Graphene’s potential in grid applications and storing wind or solar power. Graphene is also being used to reinforce , to reduce cement use – one of the leading causes of global carbon dioxide.

Newly-appointed Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, Professor Rahul Nair, is investigating graphene-based membranes that can be used as water filters and could transform access to clean drinking water.

Speaking at the World Academic Summit, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “Thousands of people are trying to understand how it works. I would not be surprised if graphene gets another Nobel prize or two given there are so many people who believe in this area of research.”

Discover more

To hear Andre’s story, including how he and Kostya discovered the wonder material in a Friday night lab session, visit: 

To find out more about The University of Manchester’s work on graphene, visit: 

To discover our world-leading research centre, or commercial accelerator, visit

To find out how we’re training the next generation of 2D material scientists and engineers, visit:

• .

Giulio said “taking part in the EnterpriseTECH programme has been an extremely rewarding experience, providing me with an understanding of what entrepreneurship is supposed to be. The course itself began with the Launch Night in Cambridge, where I met my team members, the inventors behind our assigned technology, and our project supervisor. Sessions focused on different aspects of entrepreneurship: from market research and intellectual property to commercial feasibility and business philosophy. I believe these were quite useful in bridging the gap between academic research and commercial applications. Moreover, each of these lectures gave us notions that are directly applicable to our project, and which I think will be helpful when working on the next couple of assignments required by this course. 

"On top of the teaching sessions, which were obviously very formative, this course gave me the opportunity to make many useful and valuable connections, which I believe will be very important in the later stages of my career. 

"Overall, EnterpriseTECH has given me both skills and confidence to pursue entrepreneurship further. I now have a much clearer understanding of how to take an idea from concept to a viable business, and I am excited to see where this knowledge will take me next.” 

Will said "Giulio and I recently attended the Enterprise TECH 15 course at the University of Cambridge. This 5-day, lecture-intensive programme was aimed at PhD students and young professionals, focusing on how to commercialise research. Most attendees were from Cambridge, with a few external participants. One of the key features was lectures from patent attorneys, who explained the details of intellectual property and patents. Additionally, speakers shared their experiences in commercialising their own research, giving useful insights. For the next few months, we will be working with our teams to create some deliverables and complete this course. 

"Overall, it was a great chance to learn practical skills, meet interesting people, and experience the Cambridge innovation environment.” 

Hannah Burnett said: “In August I had the pleasure of attending and presenting my research at the ISE 75th Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada. It was great to hear from colleagues in the redox flow battery field but also to see how electrochemistry is being used in other areas of research. It was also an excellent opportunity to network with other early career researchers, gain valuable insights from experienced academics, and to explore a new city. 

Here are some of my highlights and key takeaways from the meeting: 

• Plenary talk by Prof Rudi Marcus about his previous work on electron transfer rates and how this can be applied to other systems, including biological ones. 
• Mary Ryan gave an overview of corrosion electrochemistry, explaining how corrosion science can be applied to many different topic areas, such as investigating nanotoxicity or degradation of battery materials. 
• Talks on the commercialisation of electrochemistry 
  • Ted Roberts discussed his commercialisation journey with Arvia Technology, a waste water treatment company 
  • Geradine Botte talked about the development required to scale up their electrochemical treatment for waste water to become commercially viable and integrated 
• Techniques to be utilised within electrochemistry: 
  • 3D printing (e.g. electrodes and cells) 
  • Chronoamperometry with microelectrodes 
• Novel electrolytes - not just for energy storage but may be suited to other electrochemical applications, such as CO2 reduction” 

Darius Deaconu and Daria Dumitriu-Iovanescu, who are also final year CDT students recently attended the CMD31 conference in Braga, Portugal. This is an international conference covering all aspects of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Physics. They said  “We recently had the privilege of attending the 31st General Conference of the Condensed Matter Division (CMD31), held in the vibrant city of Braga, Portugal. 

"With over 1000 participants, the event featured 4 plenary and 10 semi-plenary lectures, alongside 48 topical mini-colloquia on cutting-edge topics ranging from quantum physics and superconductivity to biophysics and materials science. A standout moment was Andrea Cavalleri's plenary talk on ‘New Physics Driven Quantum Materials,’ following his receipt of the Europhysics Prize 2024. 

"During one of the three poster sessions, we had the opportunity to present our work, engaging in valuable discussions that may lead to future collaborations. Networking with other researchers was one of the most rewarding aspects of the conference, as it allowed us to exchange ideas and explore interdisciplinary approaches. 

"Beyond the science, the conference atmosphere was lively and inspiring. We enjoyed a memorable dinner, highlighted by a performance from an incredible opera singer, finalist of The Voice Portugal. In addition to the conference, Braga, with its deep-rooted history and scenic beauty, offered an unforgettable experience with its excellent cuisine and renowned wines.” 

This year we decided to go somewhere new. The CDT ventured to Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales for a day of hiking and rock climbing. This was hosted by our friends at . As usual we were also joined by our four-legged friends Monty and Max.

Malham Cove is a 70m high curving cliff of white-grey limestone near the village of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Formed by the erosion of limestone by ice and water, this vast cliff has been attracting visitors for hundreds of years. The CDT went on a hiking expedition through the Cove and the surrounding area. Our route was about 6.3 miles in length and took about 4½  hours to complete.

Starting in Malham, we walked down the Pennine Way and then followed Gordale Beck upstream to the beauty spot of Janet’s Foss. This is a waterfall in Gordale beck which forms a wonderfully clear blue natural pool. Named after a Queen of Fairies who supposedly lives in the cave behind the waterfall (Foss being an Old Norse word for waterfall), the spot is popular with wild swimmers. None of the CDT students were up for this as it was a fairly chilly April Day. However, it was a perfect place for exploring and some great photos, and for Max the Labrador to contemplate the marvels of glacial erosion.

We then followed the beck to Gordale Scar. This is an enormous gorge on the same limestone fault as Malham Cove, but here glacial meltwater has eroded a deep gorge over thousands of years. One of the most famous spots in the National Park, like Malham Cove it has been attracting visitors like us for centuries. Although there is a path through Gordale, the phrase boulder-filled-gorge-with-waterfall-running-through-it would be more accurate. It was the task of the CDT students to scale this with the help of the Carnegie climbing experts. Max and Monty didn’t bring their climbing hats and took the long way round with dog handlers Chris and Kasia.

After successfully scaling the gorge and waterfalls (no injuries or soakings to report) and a spot of lunch we walked over the hills along an old Roman road to the Pennine Way again. Joining the path a couple of miles north of Malham, we followed the track south through the hills to Malham Cove clifftop. This provided spectacular views of Malham and the surrounding Dales. We also learned about the limestone pavements the Cove is famous for. Found in few other places in Britain, the pavements were formed during the ice ages when glacial ice sheets exposed the limestone and millennia of freezing and thawing created a maze of crevices. The horizontal slabs of limestone are called clints and the vertical cracks are called grykes and are of scientific interest due to their rich diversity of plant species.

After Malham Cove, we followed the Pennine Way back into Malham and to the Lister Arms Pub for some well-earned pints with stew and chips. Overall, we all had a great day out on a bright day in Yorkshire and would happily visit again!

- Chris Hoole

This annual award aims to help students, postdoctoral researchers, and recent graduates at The University of Manchester establish new companies involving graphene or other 2D materials. The competition is managed by the .

This year the top prize of £50,000 was awarded to Solar Ethos at an awards event which took place at the on 3rd July. Solar Ethos are developing next generation thin-film solar technology to tackle global warming and the energy crisis. 

Wendong Wang said “at Solar Ethos, our mission is to enhance the efficiency of sustainable solar energy and support the government in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Our innovative thin-film solar cells combine cutting-edge perovskite technology with graphene coatings, resulting in flexible, lightweight, semi-transparent, and highly efficient products. With its advanced barrier properties, the graphene coating replaces conventional precious metal electrodes in thin-film solar cells, extending their lifespan and reducing manufacturing costs. 

Our technology has immense potential for portable and alternative markets, including electric vehicles, building-integrated systems, and flexible applications. Even more exciting, our technology can be integrated with silicon solar panels to improve their sunlight absorption and electricity generation, making solar energy more affordable and efficient for consumers.” 

Congratulations to the team on their success! 
 

To discuss semicoductor research, talk about potential collaboration, or to access facilities . 
 

This year's Windermere Science Festival took place at the Windermere Jetty Museum – an award winning museum that enjoys a stunning lakeside position. The programme included talks, demonstrations, events, family friendly activities, boat trips and workshops. There was even a dalek spotted at the event! The CDT Team representing the National Graphene Institute ran a stall demonstrating how graphene is made, and allowing visitors to examine its structure through a microscope.

“We had a great time representing NGI at the Windermere Science Festival, “said 1st Year CDT student Will Talbott. "Our stall was busy teaching visitors of all ages how to make graphene and answering questions about 2D material research. The festival included interesting talks, workshops, and science activities, making it a lively event. The weather was good, so we also enjoyed kayaking on Lake Windermere and exploring the Lake District. The highlight was seeing the Northern Lights, which made our visit even more special.”

Students from the based in 91ֱ�� and Lancaster have come together for their annual . The summer event took place over 4 days at the beautiful De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire. 

A number of guest speakers were invited from across academia and industry, providing opportunities for students to meet peers, network, and discuss cutting-edge research.

The packed programme of events included student talks, guest speakers, poster sessions, workshops, and a question-and-answer panel with some of our alumni. Social events included a pub quiz, a board games tournament and a BBQ night.

Prizes were awarded for the best presentation and best poster. Congratulations to our winners! 

Best Presentation went to Daria Dumitriu for her talk 
“Effect of Electron-Electron Interactions on Thermoelectric Transport Coefficients” 

Best poster went to Varun Shah for his poster 
“An Emergent Quantum-Well Pair-Potential in SrTiO3” 

Thanks have been extended to everyone involved – particularly the committee, who worked extremely hard to make the event a success.

Applications will be evaluated based on the strength of their commercial proposition to establish a new business revolving around graphene-related technologies. Two significant prizes, one of £50,000 and another of £20,000, will be granted to the individuals or cohesive teams who can compellingly demonstrate how their innovative technology, pertaining to graphene or other 2D materials, could be applied to create a viable and profitable commercial opportunity.

This award serves as more than just a recognition; it acts as seed funding, providing the awarded candidate with the necessary financial support to take the first crucial steps towards realizing their ambitious plan. It acknowledges the pivotal role that flexible, early-stage financial backing can play in the successful development and growth of a business, particularly one that aims for the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to ground-breaking research in graphene.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, 23rd May, at 12pm (midday).

We warmly welcome applications from students, postdoctoral researchers, and recent graduates of The University of Manchester.

We encourage you to share this information with any potential candidates who might be interested in this unique opportunity.

• For any further information or queries, please do not hesitate to contact: elibrittharariaward@manchester.ac.uk

Minghao described the project as “Heterostructures are the basic structures of many two-dimensional-materials-based devices. By combining the electrochemical exfoliation (ECE) method and inkjet printing technology, we are able to achieve highly efficient device fabrication to minimize the waste of material and build devices on various substrates. We successfully produced high-quality ReS2 nanosheets via ECE methods and fabricated flexible humidity sensors and photodetector with fully inkjet-printed heterostructures. The highest photoresponsivity is ~500 mA/W, measured at 633 nm. 

"The device also shows a fast response time of ~6 ms. The humidity sensors show fast response (0.4 s) and recovery (0.32 s) time, little hysteresis, and the highest sensitivity of 33.2 pF/%RH in the range of 60-94%. By integrating the RH sensor onto a face mask, we successfully monitored human breathing pattern under different circumstances, confirming the great potential of inkjet printing technology for wearable health monitoring applications.”

Congratulations to Minghao on his award! 

Every year our staff and students are invited to attend the CDT away day which has been held at various locations over the years. We have previously visited the Lake District and the Peak District, and this year will be travelling to beautiful Malham in the Yorkshire Dales. Each year we invite Carnegie Great Outdoors to lead us on a number of activities designed to boost team work and communication. The range of activities are designed to be fun and appeal to all abilities. The aims of the away days are to help participants: 

• Enhance health and wellbeing 
• Participate in team and adventurous activities 
• Work cooperatively and support others in challenging situations 
• Develop improved communication, problem solving and decision making skills 
• Improve confidence, overcome fears and develop greater independence 
• Connect with nature and the environment 
• Have fun! 

Our last trip involved a walking challenge of 5 miles through sections of the Monsal Trail, some of the Peak District’s most spectacular limestone Dales. The Monsal Trail runs along the former Midland Railway line between Blackwell Mill in Chee Dale and Coombs Road at Bakewell, and includes passages through several former railway tunnels. 

There was also an opportunity for those who were feeling brave enough to abseil at Miller’s Dale. This is an 80 foot descent from a former railway bridge, 70 foot of which is free hanging. Not for the faint hearted! 

The Graphene Hackathon recently hosted an inspiring event, challenging student teams to push the boundaries of innovation using graphene. 60 participants across 10 teams went head-to-head to develop graphene-enhanced prototypes of innovative products - from haptic devices for stroke recovery to smart boxing gloves, the creativity was boundless! 

The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre were pleased to source printing screens which the hackers used, while First Graphene prepared and supplied the ink. The collaboration showcased various applications, including chemical sensors, antennas, strain sensors, and heating elements. 

Congratulations to the winning teams: 

• 1st prize: Iron Glove Technologies - smart boxing glove 
• 2nd prize: PythagoRAIN - wind rain and chemical sensors 
• 3rd prize: Digital Wall - early warning system for farmers 
• Best pitch: Plasmonic sensor - 3D printed graphene meta material 
• Sustainability prize: PythagoRAIN - wind rain and chemical sensors 

Kudos to our esteemed judges, Scott Dean, Abdul A., Ian Martin, Professor Irina Grigorieva and Rob Whieldon, and a big thank you to our post-doctoral researchers (alumni of the Graphene NOWNANO CDT based at the National Graphene Institute who shared their expertise! 

Well done to all those involved for turning ideas into tangible prototypes and pitches into potential, showcasing the vast opportunities for graphene. 
 

The CDT first and second year students visited the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL) recently to gain an appreciation of the characterisation techniques that are available at large central facilities. 

We travelled down to the Oxford area the previous evening and stayed at The Cosener's House in Abingdon which is an impressive guest house maintained by the Science and Technology Facilities Research (STFC) council - although they did lose our reservation! Located within the original grounds of Abingdon Abbey, the house takes its name from the Cuisinier or Kitchener, the person at the Abbey who was responsible for the provision of food. 

Arriving at the RAL the group were shown round the Diamond synchrotron X-ray facilities in the morning and the ISIS neutron facility in the afternoon. The basics of a third generation synchrotron were first explained together with the science this enabled and we were able to see a beam line in action and talk to researchers who were running an experiment to probe magnetic ordering. 

Visiting ISIS in the afternoon, the basics of neutron scattering were described in an introductory lecture and this was followed by a tour of the facilities required to produce neutrons and several of the end stations where various instruments - including reflectivity, small angle scattering and refraction - were explained. The visit ended at around 4:00pm and we returned by coach to 91ֱ��. 

Tom Thomson
 

Vicente recently graduated from the CDT programme and is now a Senior Scientist with Vector Homes in 91ֱ��.  It is now almost 20 years since graphene was first isolated and Vicente’s talk focused on  the import role  that government policy, devolution, and public engagement will have in shaping the future of graphene and, more widely, 2D materials research. 

“The pint of science event was a fantastic opportunity to share some of the exciting work from graphene start-ups at The University of Manchester.  Government grants and R&D funding are really important for ambitious new companies, so it was great to show the public what amazing new technologies they are funding!”

The list is in , Europe’s influential media monitor of European tech start-ups.  Backed by the Financial Times, Sifted is the leading media brand for the European start-up community.

Two of the top ten highlighted start-ups – and – have been created and nurtured within the University of Manchester Innovation Factory (UoMIF).

Sifted says: “There’s a new generation of entrepreneurs taking the European tech scene by storm.  From Madrid to Milan, Bucharest to Berlin, startup innovators are rewriting the economy’s rules and making waves across the continent. With some 98 cities producing at least one tech unicorn (so far) — Europe has created a decentralised Silicon Valley.”

Under UoMIF’s CEO Andrew Wilkinson, the technology transfer organisation has created 32 IP-rich spinout companies in the three years.

Sifted’s ‘top ten university spinouts to watch out for’ says: “Watercycle Technologies is a University of Manchester (UoM) climate tech spinout. The company has patented a filtration process that can extract lithium from sub-surface waters — which could be huge for the EV space, which needs lithium in huge quantities for making batteries. It’s also working with Cornish Lithium, which focuses on environmentally responsible lithium extraction.”

 “FOTENIX is another UoM spinout, which uses its IP-protected machine learning and 3D imaging tech to detect diseases and pests and improve harvest quality. Brexit, climate change and the Ukraine war are putting unprecedented pressure on crop yield, and we’re seeing a growing demand for tech in this space.”

Andrew Wilkinson, CEO of The University of Manchester Innovation Factory said: “It’s great that these two innovative University of Manchester spinout companies have been recognised as being among the very best European tech startups. Both these businesses are led by brilliant young entrepreneurs and have the potential to make an enormous environmental, social and economic impact in their target markets, as well as fantastic returns for their investors.”

Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, is a game-changing UK discovery and its properties make it one of the most important breakthroughs in recent memory. Graphene is a wonder material, with incredible electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Prizes of £50,000 and £20,000 will be awarded to the individuals or teams who can best demonstrate how their technology relating to graphene or other 2D materials could be applied to a viable commercial opportunity. We will also be including an additional prize that celebrates the University's position as one of the leading institutions in the world on sustainable development.

Applications will be judged on the strength of their business plan to develop a new graphene-related business. The award then becomes seed funding to allow the candidate to take the first steps towards realising this plan. It recognises the role that high-level, flexible early-stage financial support can play in the successful development of a business targeting the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to research in graphene.

The final deadline for completed competition entries is midday on Friday 16 June 2023.

Eli Harari Graphene Enterprise Award 2023: introduction and overview

Join us on Tuesday 9 May and hear from Tony Walker, Deputy Director of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, who will give an overview of the competition, and share with you hints and tips as to what the judges will be looking for in your application.

You will learn about the support available to support you with your application and how to access this.

We're also pleased to welcome and introduce you to a previous winner of the competition, who can share with you their experience and how they have progressed with their idea since being involved with the Harari programme.

Key Dates*

• Monday 13 February - competition opens for expressions of interest
• Tuesday 9 May - information session for competition entrants
• Week of 29 May - meet with application experts from GEIC
• Week of 5 June - meet with commercialisation experts
• Friday 16 June - entry deadline, 12pm
• Wednesday 21 June – Finalists notified
• Monday, 26 June - Finalists invited to pitch to Mock Panel
• Monday 3 July – Mock Panel pitch
• Tuesday 4 July- Finalists invited to pitch in the Final Judging Panel
• Friday 7 July - Final Judging Panel 1-4pm.
• Friday 14 July - Winners Awards Event 3.30-5pm.

*timings may vary 

Graphene NOWNANO CDT at The University of Manchester offers an interdisciplinary PhD programme built on our world-leading expertise in the science and technology of graphene and two-dimensional (2D) materials. CDT students receive initial state-of-the-art training in fundamentals of nanoscience in general and 2D materials in particular, their applications, and key experimental and modelling techniques. This is followed by a 3½ year research project you will select from up to 30 available projects in top-rated research groups across a broad range of disciplines including Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Device Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanomedicine. 

The open day will include a presentation on the CDT programme and funding opportunities, talks by current CDT students, and a tour of the NGI facilities. Refreshments will be provided. 

Booking is essential; please register at: 
or email graphene-nownano@manchester.ac.uk with the subject “CDT Open Day 2022”, giving your full name, your undergraduate degree (e.g. Physics, etc.) and the University where you are studying your degree. 

In the last couple of months, researchers from the Graphene NOWNANO Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) took part in two large science festivals hosted on campus, namely the (on main campus) and (at Jodrell Bank Observatory).

To celebrate the return of large public events dedicated to science outreach, our team of volunteers created new hands-on activities and demonstrators to showcase the research taking place at the National Graphene Institute. At the revamped stand, visitors could make their own graphene and also take part in an immersive exploration of the small scale of a real microscopic device made of atomically-thin layers. They could discover what it means to work in a clean room, where dust and airborne bugs are kept at bay to protect the research samples.

While most visitors engaged with the activities at the stand, the youngest ones (and their not so young relatives) were busy demonstrating their creative minds and craftmanship with our molecular models, building up the largest graphene lattice or simply any of the related forms that the ‘carbon-carbon’ can create. At the end of the day, we ended up dusting off a lot of graphite, a bit of graphene, and many dinosaurs!     

Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, is a game-changing UK discovery and its properties make it one of the most important breakthroughs in recent memory. Graphene is a wonder material, with incredible electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Prizes of £50,000 and £20,000 will be awarded to the individuals or teams who can best demonstrate how their technology relating to graphene or other 2D materials could be applied to a viable commercial opportunity. This year will also see the inclusion of an additional prize that celebrates the University's position leading the world on sustainable development, more to follow!

Applications will be judged on the strength of their business plan to develop a new graphene-related business. The award then becomes seed funding to allow the candidate to take the first steps towards realising this plan. It recognises the role that high-level, flexible early-stage financial support can play in the successful development of a business targeting the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to research in graphene.

Eli Harari Graphene Enterprise Award 2022: introduction and overview

Join us on Tuesday 10 May and hear from Tony Walker, Deputy Director of the , who will give an overview of the competition, and share with you hints and tips as to what the judges will be looking for in your application.

You will learn about the support available to support you with your application and how to access this

We're also pleased to welcome and introduce you to a previous winner of the competition, who can share with you their experience and how they have progressed with their idea since being involved with the Harari programme.

The final deadline for completed competition entries is midday on Friday, 10 June 2022.

Key Dates*

• Monday, 14 February - competition opens for expressions of interest
• Tuesday, 10 May -
• Week of 23 May - meet with application experts from GEIC
• Week of 30 May - meet with commercialisation experts
• Friday, 10 June - entry deadline, 12pm
• Wednesday, 15 June – Finalists notified
• Monday, 27 June - Finalists invited to pitch to Mock Panel
• Thursday, 30 June - Finalists invited to pitch in the Final Judging Panel
• Monday, 4 July - Final Judging Panel
• Friday, 8 July - Winners Awards Event

*timings may vary 

The CDT hosted the event at the University's for registered attendees simultaneously in person and around the world via Zoom. Attendees in person were greeted by and chatted with existing students over refreshments, before joining online attendees to listen to formal presentations.

CDT Director, gave an overview of the programme, funding schemes and opportunities open to students, and , CDT Co-Director and Director of the NGI, gave an introduction to research opportunities and the NGI facilities available to students.

Current students Astrid Weston and Vicente Orts Mercadillo also spoke of their personal CDT experiences and the nature of their research.

The session was concluded for those attending in person with a tour of the NGI facilities.

The first part of each afternoon will be dedicated to a presentation from one of our keynote speakers. On the first day, we will hear from , Senior Researcher, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nano Science and Technology, who will give a fascinating introduction to the emerging field of ‘Edible Electronics’. We hope that you will find the innovation and creativity of his work inspirational.

On the second day, Imperial College London Department of Materials Research Fellow, will be presenting a talk entitled “Science and storytelling: how we talk about matters.” She will discuss how we talk about matters and how we can make our science classrooms more inclusive spaces. Dr Wade has a vast experience with public engagement and outreach, and we hope that you will be motivated to follow her lead.

During the second part of each day, we will host panel discussions. The first panel is titled ‘What is our 2D future?’ and we will hear from a range of academic and commercial scientists sharing their thoughts on the future of 2D materials and our place as early career scientists within this field. Our final session of the conference will be a CDT Alumni Panel, consisting of alumni from both the 91ֱ�� and Cambridge CDTs who will join us for an informal discussion on their varied career experiences to date after completing their PhDs.

We hope that this event will offer something different and a bit more personal than other online conferences you may have attended in the past year.

For more detailed information including the finalised schedule visit 

Click here to complete registration and confirm your place - details of how to connect to the conference will be sent to all registered delegates.

We look forward to engaging with you virtually on the 15th and 16th of July!

The CDT Conference Committee 

When the university closed due to COVID-19, I couldn’t do much PhD work, so I took the time to attend lots of online seminars hosted by both the university careers service and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) careers service. Attending lots of these, it became easy to see the most important points that would be raised every time, but it was also helpful to see differences in the sector-specific advice. I would highly recommend attending seminars which are specific to the sector you want to go into.

Equipped with the insights the careers service gave me, I started to investigate the job market. The most useful tools I’ve used so far are LinkedIn (for both networking and job search alerts) and websites of professional bodies, such as the RSC or the Graphene Council. If you want to work with graphene in industry for instance, you can just go on the Graphene Council’s website and look through their list of partners to see if there’s a company that would suit you.

Completely out of practice, another valuable experience I had recently was applying for a job. It wasn’t a job I particularly wanted, so going through the application process was like a no-risk practice, and it has greatly calmed my nerves for when I apply to more appealing positions!

Above all though, I would repeat the cliché of stressing the importance of your network! Regardless of all the efforts I’ve made to better understand the job market and application processes, my most promising opportunities have come from people I know. Do your best to meet new people and make a good impression, then keep in contact with them enough so that one day, when they or their boss wants to employ someone, you're one of the people they think to message.

The 2021 event – held from 26-30 April and run by PhD students from The University of Manchester – was hosted virtually due to Covid restrictions but the online platform had the benefit of turning the competition into a truly global affair. 

Thirty-five teams from around the world, including participants from Argentina, India and Indonesia, worked throughout the week on their ideas before pitching to a panel of industry experts.

Alongside the challenge element, the Hackathon team also produced a series of , detailing the uses and deployment of graphene in different fields, from water desalination to computing and space applications.

Attendees also took part in Q&A sessions with experts in graphene research and development, including pioneer and Nobel laureate Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov (below).

The event was hosted at the Bright Building at 91ֱ�� Science Park, generously provided free by Hackathon sponsor Bruntwood SciTech. MC duties were provided by science communicator, comedian and  Dr Luke Chaplin.

In the winners’ circle

First prize in the Healthcare Challenge went to the SENSE team for their smart, chronic wound-monitoring patch. They won £250, plus an additional £100 Innovation Prize, three months’ office space at Alderley Park (also courtesy of Bruntwood SciTech) and an hour’s IP consultancy time with Potter Clarkson.

Winners in the Sustainable Industry Challenege were Honeycomb Ink, with low-cost piezoelectric energy harvesting floor tiles for festivals and public events. They won £250, plus a £65 award from LABMAN Automation.

Other winners included:

• FRAS Sustainable Solutions: retrofitting graphene thermal management for plane wings to prevent ice formation.
• Nanocomb: eTextile muscle movement monitor for elite athletes, dubbed a ‘physio in your pocket’.
• Graphene Prosthetics Ltd: graphene nerve conduction prosthetics to alleviate phantom nerve pain in amputees.
• Hex: mattress topper sleep tracker.

Scott Dean, founder of , was a member of the Hackathon organising team of PhD researchers and said: “Hosting the Graphene Hackathon virtually this year gave us the opportunity to reach further than ever before. 

“We were amazed at the quality of the teams’ ideas, from energy harvesting systems to next-gen wireless chargers and remote health monitoring solutions. Each idea was very different from the next and each enabled by the same material – graphene.

“We are very grateful to our wonderful sponsors for all their support in making this event so successful, and to all the teams for their hard work.”

Scott also thanked the judging panel, featuring senior staff from LABMAN, Bruntwood SciTech, the Henry Royce Institute, Catalyst by Masdar, Nixene Publishing and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre.

You can view the videos produced for this year’s event at the and find out more at .

Nobel Laureate Kostya Novoselov – who first isolated graphene with Andre Geim in 2004 – will be among the many experts and industry leaders who will be sharing some advice with those participating in this year’s virtual Hackathon.

The 2021 virtual hack follows the huge success of the first Graphene Hackathon, which was held in 2019. The inaugural event was led by graphene PhD students and hosted in the , the world-leading advanced materials accelerator based at the University.

Prize-winning innovations from the 2019 Hackathon included:

• Glovene - a set of gloves that used accelerometers and impedance measurements across graphene tracks to interpret sign language in real-time (team pictured below with cheques for their two prizes).
• BackUP - a seat-cover aimed at freight drivers with graphene ink printed strain sensors that could be used to determine and advise on healthy back-posture.
• LiquiDentity - a low-cost, effective graphene ink sensor that could be used to carry-out quick analysis of soil solutions, providing an indication of crop yield and health. This won the GEIC £5,000 investment prize.

“The Graphene Hackathon aims to rethink the traditional product development process and unlock the entrepreneur in everyone by providing a dynamic space for rapid learning, failure and innovation,” said James Baker, CEO Graphene@91ֱ��.

“The graphene community in 91ֱ�� is among the brightest in the world – and the goal is to maximise the impact it can have in real-world applications.”

The 2021 Hackathon sets a three-part virtual challenge:

• develop a world-beating business concept: participating teams have one week to design a hypothetical product using graphene and develop a business plan with help from ‘graphene mentors’.
• learn more about graphene: by engaging in a week-long programme of videos, interviews, demonstrations and Q&A sessions.
• the pitch: from their business plan, competing teams have to make a three-minute elevator-style pitch for a chance to win cash prizes, exclusive event merchandise, ‘cool tech’ and a place at the planned Graphene Hackathon 2.0 to make their idea a reality.

The teams may focus on one of three themes: Sustainable Industries, Health Technology and Gadgets.

Creative challenge

“Essentially, competing teams will be invited to participate in five evenings of pitching, workshops and stakeholder talks,” said Scott Dean, from the Graphene Hackathon’s organising team.

“Challenges will be set by industrial sponsors and participants. Then they have four days to find a solution to the problem using graphene and prepare a business idea. They also have to create a three-minute video and ultimately submit a convincing pitch to deadline. Teams will be judged on creativity, feasibility and impact.

“But we also expect there will be fun and learning along the way," Scott added. "Each evening will include talks from cutting-edge graphene and 2D materials researchers, discussing topics from desalination to energy, from computing to space - all in an accessible format, as well as commercialisation talks from start-ups, IP firms and innovation accelerators.”

Organisations that are supporting this year’s event include Bruntwood SciTech, Catalyst (a Masdar-BP initiative), Dicey Tech, First Graphene, Graphene Trace, Graphene@91ֱ��, Graphene NOWNANO, Henry Royce Institute, Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), Labman, 91ֱ�� Nanomaterials, Nixene Publishing and Potter Clarkson.

 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

After a very successful and engaging programme students scored it 9.2 / 10 overall with one participant describing it as:

"Amazing! I enjoyed every single bit! From the start to the end. I was so impressed by the quality of this course and I loved that everything I learned I can put into practice in my start up."

It was noted by the dragons that all student pitches were particularly strong and it was very hard to decide on the winners:

• Best Pitch - Clara Skuse & Pietro Steiner
• Best Marketing Challenge Vicente Orts Mercadillo
• Best Initial Business Plan Christian Moulsdale
• IP group challenge - Solen Monteil, Alexander Fordham, Vicente Orts Mercadillo & Christian Moulsdale
• Best Final Business Plan - Vicente Orts Mercadillo

Congratulations to all the worthy winners!

And a big thank you to Simon Howell for running the programme despite the pandemic restrictions.

The team achieved this breakthrough by aligning the atomic lattice of a graphene layer to that of an insulating boron nitride sheet, dramatically changing the properties of the graphene sheet.

The study follows years of successive advances in graphene-boron nitride superlattices, which allowed the observation of a fractal pattern known as the Hofstadter’s butterfly – and today (Friday, 13 November) the researchers report highly surprising behaviour of particles in such structures under applied magnetic field.

Changing trajectories

“It is well known that in a zero magnetic field electrons move in straight trajectories and if you apply a magnetic field, they start to bend and move in circles,” explained Julien Barrier (pictured below middle), who carried out the experimental work with Dr Piranavan Kumaravadivel (below right).

“In a graphene layer which has been aligned with the boron nitride, electrons also start to bend - but if you set the magnetic field at specific values, the electrons move in straight line trajectories again, as if there is no magnetic field anymore!”

Dr Kumaravadivel added: “Such behaviour is radically different from textbook physics.”

“We attribute this fascinating behaviour to the formation of novel quasiparticles at high magnetic field,” said Dr Alexey Berdyugin (above left). “Those quasiparticles have their own unique properties and exceptionally high mobility despite the extremely high magnetic field.”

The work describes how electrons behave in an ultra-high-quality superlattice of graphene with a revised framework for the fractal features of the Hofstadter’s butterfly. Fundamental improvements in graphene device fabrication and measurement techniques in the past decade have made this work possible.

New possibilities in superlattices

Professor Geim (right) and co-authors propose ‘Brown-Zak fermions’ to be the family of quasiparticles existing in superlattices under high magnetic field. These Brown-Zak fermions define new metallic states that are generic to any superlattice system, not only graphene, and offer a playground for new condensed matter physics problems in other 2D material-based superlattices.

Julien Barrier added: “The findings are important, of course, for fundamental studies in electron transport, but we believe that understanding quasiparticles in novel superlattice devices under high magnetic fields can lead to the development of new electronic devices.”

Read the full report on , or read the paper, , as published in Nature Communications.

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

Since November last year, I have been working part-time as a technician in the GEIC Energy lab. This is my first experience of working in a non-academic lab, and so I have gained a valuable insight into commercialising research.

I have learnt about the challenges associated with scaling up production of energy storage devices, which has given me a new perspective for my own PhD research.

During my time here, my work has included various steps of cell production, from mixing electrode formulations to assembling and testing cells. I’ve also had the opportunity to assist with scaled-up production of electrodes, including roll-to-roll printing.

I would like to thank the Energy lab team and all the other members of staff who have helped me during my time here.

Katie Lewthwaite.

In 2020 first prize of £50,000 was awarded to CDT student Scott Dean and his team Graphene Trace, for Sleep Mapp - an idea aimed at those who suffer with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), by offering a novel technology for sleep monitoring, diagnostics and therapeutics. Disguised as a mattress protector, Sleep Mapp utilises graphene sensor technology to monitor and respond to every toss and turn. Their Active Sleep Control technology uses machine learning to identify sleep postures that exacerbate OSA and helps correct them - all without masks or sports equipment.

Scott Dean "Since the award date, we have gained a whirlwind of experience and met so many amazing people along the way. Our product now sits, following one or two market-led pivots, as a pressure ulcer detection and prevention medical device; a smart fabric for continuous pressure mapping, powered by AI"

To anyone thinking of applying to the Eli and Britt Harari competition, we cannot emphasise enough the critical importance that the flexible funding from the Eli and Britt Harari Award has played in our progress to date and for a long time yet!

Congratulations to Scott, and his team of fellow CDT students: Vicente Orts Mercadillo, Pietro Steiner and Christopher Castle.

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