The story might be familiar by now: The material in our lowly pencils — graphene, a version of carbon — could change the world. There’s graphene-enhanced eyewear and graphene-inspired condoms, but is this all hype? Beyond the buzzwords, what exactly is graphene, and what are its real possibilities?
Researchers from Cornell University and Honeywell Aerospace have designed a graphene-enhanced transient electronics technology in which the microchip self-destructs by vaporizing – an action that can be remotely triggered – without releasing harmful byproducts. In addition to transient electronics, the technology might find application in environmental sensors that can be remotely vaporized once they’re no longer needed.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, the University of Manchester and Chalmers University of Technology have shown that the human immune system handles graphene oxide in a manner similar to pathogens, possibly leading to safer biomedical applications in the future.
New research by WMG at the University of Warwick has shown a novel approach to replacing graphite in the anodes of lithium-ion batteries using silicon, by reinforcing the anode’s structure with graphene girders. The team expects that this could more than double the life of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by extending the operating lifetime of the electrode, and also increase the capacity delivered by such batteries.
Callaway Golf Company, U.S-based maker of golf equipment, unveiled new graphene-enhanced golf balls called Callaway Chrome Soft golf and Chrome Soft X golf balls. Shipping is supposed to be starting in February 2018, for about $45/dozen.
Researchers at Iowa State University, along with collaborators at Rice University, Ames Laboratory and Lehigh University, have designed a new graphene printing technology that can produce electronic circuits that are low-cost, flexible, highly conductive and water repellent. The scientists explain that this technology could enable self-cleaning wearable/washable electronics that are resistant to stains, or ice and biofilm formation.
A fascinating research out of the University of Arkansas, revealed in November 2017, showed that the internal motion of graphene (and possibly other 2D materials) may be used as a source of clean, limitless energy. Now, NTS Innovations (also known as Nanotube Solutions), a U.S -based nanotechnology company, has licensed this patent-pending technology from the university and plans to use it to fabricate devices and systems that produce energy without consuming fuel or creating pollution.
Researchers at The University of Manchester have discovered another new and unexpected physical effect in graphene – membranes that could be used in devices to artificially mimic photosynthesis. The new findings demonstrated an increase in the rate at which the material conducts protons when it is simply illuminated with sunlight. The ‘photo-proton’ effect, as it has been dubbed, could be exploited to design devices able to directly harvest solar energy to produce hydrogen gas, a promising green fuel. It might also be of interest for other applications, such as light-induced water splitting, photo-catalysis and for making new types of highly efficient photodetectors.
While lithium metal-based batteries are attractive in theory, practical applications have run into problems ranging from rapid degradation to catastrophic failure. Researchers have tried to overcome these problems by creating a ‘scaffold’ on which lithium ions can be deposited. However, as the volume of lithium ions changes during the charging cycle, expansion can destroy the scaffold.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Peking University scientists, have developed what they refer to as the thinnest memory storage device with dense memory capacity, paving the way for faster, smaller and smarter computer chips for everything from consumer electronics to big data to brain-inspired computing.