NANOTECHMay 2018
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R 2 D R E S E A R C H
Issue #53
Hydrophobic
GRAPHENEFILTRATION
IN
coatingsNano
Nanotech Magazine is published by Future Markets, the world’s leading publisher of market
information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.
Companies are now developing commercial filters
for filtration and water harvesting. All the latest nanotech product news.
Market focus on what’s happening in
research, energy, sensors, coatings, medicine,
electronics and graphene.
NANOTECH
LATEST NEWS
PRODUCTS
New products hit the market this
month.
2
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
TABLE OF
THIS MONTH
MARKET FOCUS
CONTENT
Waterproofing electronics. Current
market, products and companies.
Graphene market news, products
and recent developments.
Latest nanotech investments, deals and
rounds of finance. April-May 2018.
Nanotech energy market news,
products and recent developments.
Gra
phen
e fi
lter
pro
duct
dev
elop
ers
and
rese
arch
cen
tre
profi
les.
New multi-million dollar investment
in nanotech batteries.
New nanotech products-nanofibers,
quantum dots and auto coatings.
P.04
P.14
P.04
P.30
P.08
P.19
P.21
P.11
P.12 Protecting smartphones and other electronic
devices with innovative nanocoatings is a
growing market.
Quantum dot transparent
photovoltaic glass.
3
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
MARKET FOCUS
FROM EDITORNOTE
Nanotech biomedical market news,
products and recent developments.
Nanotechnology government,
regulation & policy news, March-
Hot nanotech companies and new
commercial developments.
Filtering with graphene-clean water with
nanomaterials.
P.22
P.24
P.26
P.28
Subscribe to Nanotech Magazine to receive
all the latest monthly news and views on this
fast developing advanced technology market,
for only $250 for 12 issues (electronic). http://
www.nanotechmag.com/
Global challenges such as cleaner energy and
water are being met with what it appears to be
the constant development of new nanotech-
enabled products and processes. This month
sees a host of new innovations in batteries and
ultracapacitors for electric vehicles, coatings for
solar windows and solar cells, and CO2 conversion
technology. There have been multi-million dollar
investments in companies developing nanotech
in these areas recently.
Graphene is seen as a key tech for water filtration
and there have been several recent breakthroughs
reported. We profile the market along with the
burgeoning sector for water resistant electronics.
With explosion of the smartphone and wearables
market in the last few years, there has been an
increasing demand for a waterproof electronics.
Most major handheld electronics manufacturers
have made their devices water resistant in the
last few years and we profile the companies
developing waterproof nanocoatings.
P.29Filter technology drawbacks and market
challenges.
P.30Graphene filter and membtane
companies.
4
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
MARKET
WATERPROOFINGFOCUS
Water is the main cause of lost function in elec-
tronic devices, with mil-lions damaged annually.
ELECTRONICSConsumers are prone to damaging their electronic
devices:
• Unit exposed to outdoor environment – rain,
irrigation, humidity.
• Consumer electronics exposed to splashing water.
• Equipment (industrial and medical) exposed to wet
working.
• Device dropped in pool or even toilet.
A fast growing market is the use of nanocoatings
to provide moisture and corrosion protection for
printed circuit boards and electronic components
and devices, especially smartphones. This represents
the main market at present for hydrophobic
nanocoatings.
With the continued development of
electroluminescent devices, flat panel displays,
organic light emitting diodes (OLEDS), and flexible
electronics, there is even a stronger need to protect
such devices from performance degradation
due to oxidation and moisture corrosion, and
extend component lifetime. Superhydrophobic
functionalities in electrode materials is advantageous
for many new electronics applications, such as
flexible energy storage, wearable electronics and
printable circuitry. At present they are being used to
5
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
WATERPROOFING
corrosion protect or splash-proof handheld devices
such as smartphones and tablets, Bluetooth speakers,
and wearable electronics such as smart watches,
earbuds, or headphones.
Protecting against moisture
Water is the main cause of lost function in electronic
devices. Millions of mobile phones and many other
devices are damaged by water annually. There is
therefore a large opportunity to offer consumers
protection for their electronics against water and
moisture damage. It is estimated that liquid related
accidents or activities are responsible for more than
20% of cellphone damage. Lifestyle electronics are
also sensitive to humidity or contact with any type of
liquids, as these cause corrosion and ultimately result
in a short-circuit and product failure.
Liquid repellent, thermal, conductive, magnetic and
anti-corrosive nanocoatings have been applied inside
and outside electronic devices, but until recently have
mainly been applied in specialist applications in the
military, aerospace and automotive industries. However,
with the explosion of the smartphone market in the
last few years, there has been an increasing demand for
a waterproof electronics.
Permeability and lifetime of devices is of prime
concern to manufacturers. A typical plastic film has
a permeability for water (WVTR) of 1~10 gr/m2/day. In
electronics WVTR is needed for ~10 yr. device lifetime:
• Organic LED: 10-6 gr/m2/day.
• Solar Cells: 10-4 gr/m2/day.
• LCD: 10-3 gr/m2 /day.
• Electroforetic displays: 10-2 gr/m² /day.
• RFID tags: 10-2 gr/m²/day.
The performance of electronic boards, board
interconnects and mounting remain as critical
bottlenecks for product reliability. Surfaces of most
electronic board materials and components are
hydrophilic, which promotes moisture condensation
and wetting. Therefore, device performance and
reliability can be compromised when electronic boards
are exposed to liquids or excessive moisture during
everyday use. Environmental contaminants which
form ionic solutions in a wet environment can result in
leakage or shorts between the device leads. Corrosion
over time can further damage electrical connections
and render devices non-operational. Encapsulation of
the entire electronic board with a moisture protective
coating can prevent such damage.
Most major handheld electronics manufacturers have
made their devices water resistant in the last few years,
ELECTRONICS
6
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
with Apple, Samsung and Sony joining Nokia, Motorola
and Huawei in waterproofing smartphones. Most of these
companies achieve this by making devices physically
impenetrable. However, nanocoatings can perform the
same function for a fraction of the cost.
Nanocoatings
There are several innovative application developers now
producing protective hydrophobic, superhydrophobic
and oleophobic (HSHO) nanocoatings to treat electronic
devices, including: cellular phones, smart phones,
personal digital assistants (PDAs), music players, cameras,
video recorders, computers, tablet computers, batteries,
e-readers, radio devices and gaming devices. Electronics
is the main current market for HSHO nanocoatings at
present and the market will witness increased growth
in the next few years. These coatings provide electronic
components with water protection from humidity to full
water immersion.
As well as providing a direct barrier to moisture, these
coatings can also incorporate anti-icing, anti-corrosion,
anti-fouling, and anti-microbial functionalities. Synthesis
and applications techniques vary between application
developers.
According to P2i CEO Ady Moores “The protection you
can get from nanotechnology enables your phone to
continue to use for it’s entire life and consumers expect,
whatever they pay for the phone, to last at least two years.
So in a normal use case of a mobile phone, for the vast
majority of mobile consumers that is enough protection.”
Main companies
Aculon
USA
http://www.aculon.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Proprietary
Transition Metal Complexate technology (TMC) and
fluorinated acrylic polymers.
The company is producing easy-clean, anti-smudge
coatings for eyeglasses and other optical surfaces such
as flat panel displays, and stainless steel; and coatings
that improve the functionality of electronic devices such
as displays, electrolytic capacitors and printed circuit
boards. Aculon® NanoProof™ 5.1 is a surface treatment
for imparting hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to
electronic devices using a one-step process. NanoProof®
Series provides water protection from humidity to full
water immersion.
Drywired
USA
https://drywired.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Low-pressure
vacuum plasma.
DryWired’s protective nanocoating can be applied at any
point during the manufacturing process of a consumer
electronic device and will not disturb a circuit board’s
functionality. The company has partnered with XPAL
Power to coat their SpareOne Plus Emergency Phone
(www.spareone.com) with DryWired’s technology in
order to make the AA battery operated wireless devices
IPX7 waterproof and corrosion resistant. They are also
coating PowerSkin’s Wet Rated Series (www.power-skin.
com).
Europlasma
Belgium
http://www.europlasma.be/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma.
The company produces Nanofics fluoropolymer coatings
that are hydrophobic, oleophobic, resistant to sweat,
acid and salt and resistant to elevated temperatures
for application in consumer electronics. Europlasma
also designs, builds and sells turnkey vacuum plasma
treatment equipment to apply the coatings. The
company licenses their hydrophobic nanocoating
technology through various partners including Drywired.
7
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
HZO
USA
http://www.hzo.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Proprietary
vacuum application.
The company produces WaterBlockTM technology
for consumer and industrial electronic assemblies.
Customers include Motorola and Dell.
Liquipel
USA
https://www.liquipel.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma.
The company uses proprietary techniques to produce
super-hydrophobic and corrosion resistant Watersafe™
nanocoatings for smartphones and headphones, tablets
and other mobile electronics.
P2i
UK
https://www.p2i.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Pulsed Plasma
Deposition Process.
P2i’s patented pulsed plasma deposition process
produces hydrophobic nano coatings. In January 2018
the company announced that it has coated more than
250 million electronic devices since it started working
with smartphone manufacturers in 2011. P2i had been
working with Motorola since 2011, and when Lenovo
acquired Motorola in 2014, the continued relationship
has seen P2i’s nano coating technology used to protect
both Motorola and Lenovo branded smartphones. Other
clients include Huawei.
Semblant
USA
https://www.semblant.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma.
The patented MobileShield™ technology is used to
waterproof electronics. Semblant has over 1 million
units/day currently in production.
Further information
The Global Market for Nanocoatings
Revised to June 2018
https://futuremarketsinc.com/the-global-market-for-
nanocoatings/
8
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
BusinessFinance&
NuMat Technologies has completed a $12.4 million financing round led by OS Fund, with participation by Osage
University Partners, Tin Shed Ventures (Patagonia’s strategic investment arm), and other existing investors. The
company is developing products based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for application in next-generation
storage, separation, and purification systems. NuMat plans to use the capital to expand the company’s high-
throughput computational and experimentation capabilities and to increase its manufacturing footprint in the
United States, Europe, and East Asia.
The Datong Graphene and Green Technology Industrial Park is nearing completion. With investment of 10
billion yuan ($1.57 billion USD), it includes a graphene production base, a research and development center, an
academic communication and reception center and related companies.
Latest nanotech investments, commercial agreements
and rounds of finance. April-May 2018.
9
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
Directa Plus has entered into a 12-month exclusivity agreement and
9-month development agreement with an existing global luxury
accessories customer, to produce accessories with increased mechanical
properties. The value of the agreement amounts to approximately
€130,000.
Paragraf, a spin out from the University of Cambridge, has closed a
£2.9 million seed round to support the development of its first major
products.
The round has been led by Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation
arm of the University of Cambridge, with the participation of Parkwalk
Advisors, Amadeus Capital Partners, IQ Capital Partners and a number
of angel investors.
Paragraf is focused on graphene for electronic devices. Using a
proprietary, patent protected approach Paragraf has been able to
address the problems of poor uniformity, reproducibility, limited size
and material contamination that have held back current graphene
manufacturing techniques. The company has already produced layers
with electrical characteristics optimised for producing
very sensitive detectors at commercial scale and improved
efficiency contact layers for common technologies such
as LEDs.
Capital Power, a North American power producer
headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, has acquired an
equity interest in C2CNT. Brian Vaasjo, Capital Power
President and CEO, said, “Our investment in C2CNT
supports our pursuit of innovative and leading-edge
technology and approaches that have the potential to
reduce greenhouse gases. Being able to take CO2 and
convert it into a valuable carbon-fibre product could
dramatically change our industry and other industries as
well.” The C2CNT technology was developed by a team
of scientists, led by Professor Stuart Licht, at George Washington University. The technology uses electrolysis, with a
current generated by electrodes to separate the carbon from the oxygen (O2), repurposes the carbon into a strong,
useable carbon fibre (nanotube), and O2 that is available for other uses.
11
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
LABPRODUCTTO
Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread
application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at recent developments and breakthroughs.
Fishing company Sanford has collaborated with New Zealand based
nanofibres producer Revolution Fibres to develop a nanofibre
facepack made from discarded hoki skins. The anti-wrinkle facepack
is made via electrospinning structural protein collagen from the
fish skins using Revolution Fibres proprietary technology. During
the spinning process, various “bioactive” products like fruit extracts
and the moisturising compound hyaluronic acid are bonded to the
collagen fibre. The nanofiber sheets are marketed as actiVLayr and
are now available.
Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd. has developed InP/ZnS quantum
dots and perovskite quantum dots composite materials. These
materials have been incorporated into silicon resins for LED sealants,
and light emission has been maintained. A problem with quantum
dots is their poor lightfastness, as well as poor water and heat
resistance, especially when printed or coated onto a substrate. To solve
this issue the company has prepared silica base inorganic material
coated quantum dots. However, transparency is lost due to its coated
material so that improvement is necessary in some application which
requires transparency of quantum dots.
Tint World® Automotive Styling
Centers™ is partnering with the Canadian
company Alchemy, manufacturers of
windshield-protection nanocoatings.
ExoShield is composed of proprietary
nanomaterials that increase impact
resistance up to six times the industry
standard and block 99.9 percent of
harmful UV rays.
Quantum dots are finding there way to into new elec-tronics products in sealants and solar glass.
12
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
QD SOLAR GLASSTransparent photovoltaic glass will not only provide energy, but will be able to illuminate – providing light in various
colours using quantum dot technology.
ML System S.A Zaczernie, a Polish producer of
building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) for the
construction industry, has secured funding for a
quantum dot glass project. The company plans to start
production of an innovative, transparent photovoltaic
glass, which uses quantum dots. They believe product
will revolutionise not only the BIPV industry but also
the glass industry and intend to invest a total $10.5
million in the project, a large part of which is to come
from EU funds. Find out more at http://mlsystem.pl/
electricity-from-the-glass-energy-revolution-with-the-
use-of-quantum-dots/?lang=en
Nanocoatings producer ShayoNano has appointed Palmer Holland
as its exclusive U.S. distributor for its line of hiding pigments for use in
aqueous roof coatings, paints, industrial coatings, and inks. ShayoNano
has developed a patented technology to precisely synthesize new
nanomaterials in aqueous dispersions for ease of handling, improved
performance, and cost savings. SmartIR Roofallows formulators
to optimize IR reflectance and hiding in aqueous roof coatings.
SmartHide replaces and optimizes the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2)
in various types of systems which results in significant raw material
savings for manufacturers.
“Palmer Holland has the national coverage and market expertise to
promote this new technology in the targeted market segments,” said
John Falsone, VP, sales/marketing at ShayoNano. Further information
at http://shayonano.com/
13
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
QUANTUM DOTS SECURITY
HyperSolar, Inc.’s current stability test of its proprietary fully
integrated hydrogen production device has surpassed 294 hours
without any degradation. The design of the device will serve as the
foundation of the Company’s first generation commercial renewable
hydrogen generator.
Optimizing the science of water electrolysis at the nano-level,
the company’s low cost nanoparticles mimic photosynthesis to
efficiently use sunlight to separate hydrogen from water, to produce
environmentally friendly renewable hydrogen. By utilizing a new
coating technique of the protective polymer layer that encapsulates
the full device, we were able to surpass our April results and are
much closer to our previously announced goals of 365 hours, and
1000 hours, of continuous stable operation,” said Dr. Joun Lee,
HyperSolar’s Chief Technology Officer. Further information at www.
hypersolar.com
IQDEMY Quantum Technology SA, a company of IQDEMY Holdings,
has announced its newest development designed to help brands,
marketers as well as the security market to provide an individualised,
bespoke solution in anti-counterfeiting. The company has been
developing Quantum Dots, based on its unique Quantum Dots
ink. The ink is available for water-based and UV, UV-LED printing
processes whereby each ink set is tamper-evident and contains a
code that cannot be broken. Adaptive custom solutions enable only
the brand owner to reproduce the code.
A Chinese manufacturer is utilizing
graphene nanotubes from OCSiAl to
produce ESD packaging for electronic
products. Just 0.008% of TUBALL nanotubes
in the film enables a surface resistivity of 10^9
Ω/sq to be achieved, while improving the
mechanical properties and preserving 90%
of the light transmittance level. According
to OCSiAl, several other Chinese companies
have also successfully completed industrial
tests of nanotube applications, and are
about to launch their product lines of PE
films containing TUBALL nanotubes.
Use of nanotech in solar prod-ucts is growing fast.
15
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
LABPRODUCTTO
Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread
application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at recent developments and breakthroughs.
Archer Exploration Limited has entered into exclusive negotiations
with The University of Sydney Commercial Development and Industry
Partnerships (CDIP) for exclusive rights to develop and commercialise
graphene for quantum computing technology.
One of the main barriers to the introduction of quantum computers
is that they currently operate at extremely low temperatures, below
zero, to work effectively, and also need to be made of conducting
components in order to integrate into electronic circuitry.
Dr Mohammad Choucair is believed to have solved the materials
dichotomy of operating qubits at room temperature in a conducting
material using graphene. In late October 2017, Archer announced
the acquisition of Australian graphene production innovator Carbon
Allotropes Pty. Limited, and the appointment of its founder, Dr
Choucair, as Chief Executive Officer of Archer Exploration. Commenting
on the opportunity, Dr Choucair said: “Negotiations with CDIP will
allow Archer to leverage our materials assets, and recent acquisitions,
as high value, materials-centric, end-to-end solutions to solve one of
the most challenging problems in our technological age.”
“Archer is in a strong position to develop and commercialise
strategically relevant IP for long-term company success and business
development,” added Dr. Choucair.
The negotiations with the University
will centre on Archer’s exclusive right
to develop and commercialise the IP
described in a patent cooperation treaty
(PCT) application that was filed by the
University in the names of the University
and École Polytechnique Fédérale de
Lausanne (EPFL).
There is a need in quantum computing to develop components that can be integrated into circuitry while
remaining functional at room-temperature.
16
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
MARINE GRAPHENEGraphene is being developed in the marine industry mainly as an additive to anti-corrosion and anti-fouling paints
and coatings. Australian producer First Graphene has recently started to explore applications.
First Graphene Limited has entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding with Engage Marine
for the development of graphene-enhanced coatings
and ropes for the marine industry. The Company and
Engage Marine will work to commercialize the project
outcomes with other global marine organizations.
The terms of the MOU cover collaboration on
graphene enhanced anti-fouling as an additive to
existing coatings or a new formulation; coatings with
fire retardant and noise reduction properties for
ship bulkhead doors and engine rooms that can be
sprayed on; and graphene- enhanced polypropylene
ropes.
Directa Plus has entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement
with Arvind Limited, India’s leading textile-to-retail-and-brands
conglomerate, to incorporate Directa Plus’ G+ graphene-based
products into their denim fabrics. The company’s graphene can
be used in a variety of ways to alter or enhance the properties of
conventional Denim fabrics, and to produce ‘smart’ clothing for
different purposes and environments. By incorporating G+ products
within fabrics and textiles, end-users benefit from the thermal and
electrical conductivity and bacteriostatic properties of G+, such
as thermal regulation, heat dissipation, energy harvesting, data
transmission and no odour effect.
The first of 13 Class 61 high speed trains for services for operation in
Malaysia is nearing completion at CRRC Zhuzhou’s plant in China.
CRRC is the world’s largest train manufacturer and is producing
two of the trains in Zhuzhou before transferring production of the
remaining 11 to a local assembly plant in Malaysia.
The four-car, 1 000 mm gauge DMUs have a design speed of 140
17
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
GRAPHENE SOLAR COATINGS
km/h and are expected to operate at up to 120 km/h. They are
being equipped with CRRC’s own design of graphene-based
supercapacitor for storing braking energy and two MAN powerpacks.
The train maker has produced two types of capacitors, 2.8 Volt/30,000
F and 3 Volt/12,000 F. The former can power trolley buses for up to 10
km after a one-minute charge, compared with 6 km in the previous
generation. The latter one can provide enough electricity to power a
tram for 6 km with only 30 seconds of charging.
Graphene materials producer Applied Graphene Materials has
announced on Tuesday that James Briggs intended to bring a new
range of aerosol paint primers containing Applied’s graphene to
market during the last quarter of 2018. The AIM-traded company said
that, due to the “outstanding results” achieved in coating properties
through the incorporation of its graphene ‘Genable’ dispersion into
their paints, James Briggs anticipated extending the use of graphene
technology into other product lines within its range.
Chinese company Znshine Solar has launched the Znshine Graphene
Series- a12-busbar graphene module, 5-busbar graphene module
and double-glass graphene module.T he application of graphene
film layer not only increases the light transmission performance of
the glass itself, but are also hydrophilic. At present, solar PV utilities
are using regular manual cleaning methods to clean the surface
of photovoltaic panels. This type of cleaning method can to cause
problems such as cracking of the PV cell and residual water stains on
the surface of the module.
Graphene Quantum Dots producers Dotz
Nano has recently received a significant
order of 10kg for it’s Validotz product.
According to Dotz Nano, its most recent
Validotz order totals 10 kilograms of violet
and blue Validotz to be distributed by
Pflaumer Bros. in their official capacity as a
distributor. The planned application for the
order is for pilot productions to a variety of
customers in industrialized sectors, namely
nylon, concrete, floorings, poly-resins and
thermosetting materials. Read more at
https://www.dotznano.com/
Graphene is increasingly used in smart textiles.
18
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
GRAPHENE KAYAKThe lightest* surfski kayak in the world that weighs just 9.3 kg has been developed in a joint ventures between
Graphenest and Sipre, a Portuguese kayak manufacturer.
The lightweight surfski kayak was first revealed at
Techstars Autonomous Technology Acceleration
Demo Day event on the 20th of April at Boston, It was
constructed by substituting the ordinarily used epoxy
resin by Portugal-based Graphenest’s HexaBond
epoxy resin system for fiber reinforced composites.
HexaBond can be applied in any fiber reinforced
composites to improve mechanical strength,
durability and chemical resistance. Hexabond is able
to increase the strength of carbon fiber composites
up to 24%, while simultaneously reducing weight by
10%.
Versarien has reached an agreement with a UK-based polymers
company to develop graphene enhanced plastics at scale. Luxus
manufactures high quality thermoplastics from prime and recycled
polymers and is the largest independently owned plastic manufacturer
in the UK, supplying plastics to the automotive, packaging, and civil
engineering sectors amongst others. The collaboration will involve
incorporating graphene into polymers to enhance mechanical
strength and other properties. Versarien is already working with
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to optimise the performance
of graphene enhanced polymers.
Neill Ricketts, chief executive of Versarien, said: “We are delighted to
have signed this agreement with Luxus. We look forward to working
with Luxus to ensure that a viable UK supply chain is established
for the production of thermoplastics enhanced with Versarien’s high
quality graphene.”
The use of carbon nano-based
ultracapacitors in lithium-ion
batteries can create a dual
energy source for high volume
electric vehicles.
19
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
GREENENERGY
NANOTECH
This month sees new developments in innovative applications for nanomaterials in batteries for electric
vehicles (EV) and construction glass.
FastCAP Systems Corporation is rebranding
to Nanoramic Laboratories. In addition to
ultracapacitors, Nanoramic will specialize
in advanced material solutions based
on nanocarbon technology. Nanoramic’s line of
ultracapacitors will be sold under the name FastCAP
Ultracapacitors. FastCAP Ultracapacitors are the only
ultracapacitors capable of operation in conditions up
to 150ºC. In fact, Nanoramic’s success in advanced
material product development can be attributed
to FastCAP Ultracapacitors’ years of research and
expertise in developing carbon nanotube based
electrodes. The company is a spin-out from MIT and
has a strategic partnership with NGK SPARK PLUG
CO., LTD., a Japan-based company that specializes in
packaging for complex electronic applications.
French nanomaterials company NAWA
Technologies is aiming to bring a new dimension to
the automotive industry’s use of the word “hybrid.”
It is aiming to link high efficiency new technology
carbon nano-based ultracapacitors with lithium-ion
batteries, to create a dual energy source for high
volume electric vehicles.
NAWA claims its Ultra Fast Carbon Battery
from parts of a French state Energy Authority in 2013.
2050 Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Graphene Future, Inc., to produce high-grade
graphene material for the electric vehicle battery market. The MOU includes a 20% ownership in Graphene Future,
Inc., by 2050 Motors and the exclusive rights to utilize and distribute this graphene product for the next generation
electric vehicle battery market worldwide.
20
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
technology now in pilot production, can
deliver between three and five times
higher power and energy density than
existing ultracapacitors.
The result of its R&D work, said CEO Ulrik
Grape, is confidence that high volume
manufacture of a radical energy storage
system will help overcome many of
the frustrations that continue to dog
the wholesale public acceptance of
automotive electric motive power.
The company believes that key markets
for the batteries will include automotive,
industrial, defence, aerospace, power
tool and personal mobility. They could
also play a key role in managing energy
across the smart electricity grid. NAWA
Technologies was created by a spin-off
CLEAR GLASS NANOSOLARClearVue Technologies Ltd has
entered into a deal to provide
its solar window technology to
Mirreco Holdings.
Under the memorandum of
understanding, ClearVue will
become the exclusive supplier of
solar window products, initially
for small-scale housing units, or
micro homes, created by Mirreco.
ClearVue’s smart building material
patented technology comprises a
glass lamination interlayer glass
lamination interlayer doped
with inorganic micro and nano-
particles that converts rays into
energy, while allowing up to 70%
of visible light to pass through. The
company has also recently raised
$5 million in investment. http://
www.clearvuepv.com/
21
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
BP invests $20 million in nanotech companyBP Ventures has invested $20 million in ultra-fast charging battery
developer StoreDot. The company has developed a lithium ion-based
battery technology which enables ultra-fast charging for the mobile and
industrial markets. Using this technology, StoreDot is also developing
a new type of electric-car battery that will aim to achieve a charging
experience that is comparable to the time spent to refuel a traditional
car. StoreDot currently expects first sales of its flash batteries for mobile
devices as early as 2019.
David Gilmour, vice president, business development, BP Ventures, said:
“The technology to support EVs is advancing rapidly and BP Ventures is
committed to identifying and investing in companies that we believe
are at the cutting edge of this industry. StoreDot has shown significant
progress in the development of ultra-fast charging, both in mobile
phone and vehicle applications. BP looks forward to working alongside
them, as an investor and strategic partner, to bring their technology
from the lab to the vehicle.”
Savosolar and Danish Grenaa Varmevaerk A.m.b.a. have
signed a final delivery contract of a large solar thermal
system. The project is the largest in Savosolar's history so
far in both value and size. The final value of the deal is
approximately EUR 3.5 million including a solar field of
nearly 21,000 m2. Savosolar's collectors are equipped
with patented nano-coated direct flow absorbers. jari.
www.savosolar.com
Australian company Nano-Nouvelle has demonstrated
that it’s nanotech-enabled lithium-ion battery is ready for
plug-and-play production. Nano-Nouvelle’s technology is
a three-dimensional nano-structured, porous electrode
aimed at overcoming current battery limitations by
allowing them to charge faster and last longer. Further
information at http://nanonouvelle.com.au/
22
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
NANOTECHNEWSBIOMEDICAL
For the first time, a ligand-
targeted nanoparticle
has been successfully
used to deliver CRISPR
into the nucleus of a T-cell. “From
the start, CRISPR and other genetic
therapies have suffered from the
classic ‘last-mile’ problem,” said
Andre Watson, founder, chairman
and CEO of Ligandal. “For all their
power to heal, genetic therapies
are ineffective at best if they
cannot be delivered to the precise
cellular subtypes and locations
inside cells. “Now they can be,”
Watson said.
Ligandal’s bioinspired
nanomaterials utilize peptide
targeting ligands, which bind to
precise cellular surface profiles
of targeted cell populations, to
target CRISPR and other genetic
materials into T-cells or other cells.
The ligand targeting capacity is an
industry first for these gene therapy
modalities: Ligandal’s technology
can selectively target T-cells with
manifold greater efficiency than
other blood cell populations. “In
part, the flexibility and ease of
this platform is enabled by state-
of-the-art peptide synthesis and
fluid handling robotics, driven
by a back-end machine-learning
approach to rapid ligand and
nanomaterials discovery,” Watson
said. “Of course, none of these
robotics or machine learning
approaches would be meaningful
without our breakthroughs in
23
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
NANO PROBE FUNDINGOncoNano Medicine, a Dallas-based
University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center (UTSWMC) spinout, is developing
nanotechnology enabled fluorescent
probes to help a cancer surgeon excise
tumors. The company has just closed
of a $11.7 million Series A financing.
The funding will be used to support the
company’s continued clinical development
of a new class of pH-activated compounds
that digitalize and exploit the variability of
pH in disease indications such as cancer.
OncoNano is using pH variability, a simple
and robust biomarker, to detect and treat
diseased tissue. By targeting pH, a clear
delineation between diseased and healthy
tissue can be digitalized to develop a
broad range of targeted applications. The
technology and compounds were invented
at the University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center by Dr. Jinming Gao.
The company’s first program with its pH-
activated compound platform is ONM-100,
an injectable imaging agent that targets
the acidic pH within tumors to accurately
distinguish cancer cells from healthy tissue
during surgery. ONM-100 aims to eliminate
the “guesswork” often associated with the
removal of tumors by providing surgeons
with an easier and more effective method
to assess lymph nodes and tumor margins
in real-time during surgery.
Nanocapsules can be absorbed by the body four times faster than
their counter-parts.
bioinspired nanomaterials design and
synthesis.” www.ligandal.com
Cardiol Therapeutics Inc., a
nanotherapeutics company focused
on advancing the treatment of heart
failure by developing proprietary
formulations designed to deliver
cannabinoids and other drugs to
inflamed tissue in the heart, has
rasied CDN$10.5 million in investment
funding.
Cardiol is utilizing nanotechnology
to improve the treatment options
available to this large heart failure
population by developing proprietary
nanoformulations designed to
optimize and maintain blood levels
of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic
drugs and target their action to sites
of inflammation and fibrosis in the
failing heart. https://www.cardiolrx.
com/
Salus Nutraceuticals, a leading
manufacturer and provider of full
spectrum hemp-based CBD oil
products, is now using innovative
nanotechnology to increase the
effectiveness and bioavailability of their
popular dietary supplement product,
PhytoLogica. The softgel capsules can
be absorbed by the body four times
faster than their counterparts. http://
salusnutraceuticals.com/
24
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
The European Commission (EC) Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
Committee voted on April 26, 2018, to amend several
REACH Annexes to clarify the registration requirements
for nanomaterials. The proposed amendments will
clarify REACH registration requirements with regard
to nanomaterials and address the knowledge gap on
which substances registered under REACH are placed
on the market as nanomaterials and in which quantities.
The amendments will enable both companies and
authorities to know more about the characteristics of
nanomaterials, how they are used, how they are handled
safely, what risks they potentially pose to health and the
environment and how these risks are controlled. The
draft Commission Regulation is now subject to scrutiny
by the Parliament and Council for a period of three
months before being adopted by the Commission. ECHA
will already start to assess the need to update existing, or
issue new guidance to support registrants in complying
with the new requirements.
Government, regulation & policy news
EU CLARIFIES REACH NANOMATERIALS
25
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
Nanomaterials scorecard in United StatesNanomaterials have been included in a ‘science scorecard’ initiative
launched in the United States by organisations involved in cosmetics
production. Together with NGO ‘Forum for the Future’, companies such
as Walmart and Target developed a scorecard system to encourage
responsible product development, called “Beauty and personal care
product sustainability rating system’.
32 Key Performance Indictaors (KPIs) were identified for sustainable
products and grouped into areas such as human health impact,
resource use and emissions, ingredient disclosure and impacts of
packaging. Products will be assessed against KPIs, with companies
encouraged to use external auditors for the process. Read more at
https://www.sustainabilityconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/
TSC%C2%AE-BPC-Product-Sustainability-Rating-System.pdf
The French Government amendment No. 2557 was
adopted by the National Assembly om 27th May. The
amendment states the Government shall take regulatory
measures to suspend the placing on the market of
additive E171 (titanium dioxide - TiO2) as well as foods
containing it. This is based on the French Consumer Code,
articles 521-17 and also under Article 54 ‘Other Emergeny
Measures’ in EU Regulatin (EC) 178/2002 (the General
Food Law Regulation).
The Belgian Federal Public Service for Public Health
has released its first report from the implementation of
a nanomaterial register in Belgium. The report covers
substances registered in 2016.
Most of the registrations (45% ) fall under the category of
use: SU3 - Industrial uses: Uses of substances as such or in
preparations at industrial sites. 150 different substances
were registered, for a total 75 000 tons. https://www.health.
belgium.be/fr/nano-executive-summary-fr-2016
26
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
HOTCOMPANIESNANOTECH
C2CNT is a spin-out from George Washington University and
has developed a process for converting carbon dioxide
into carbon nanofibers using molten electrolysis. This
technology will take CO2 from many sources, including
emissions from thermal power generation and other industrial
processes, and convert it into a carbon-based product that can be used
in various industries. C2CNT’s approach is to capture CO2 directly from
the flue stream of a power plant, cement kiln or other industrial facility,
then convert it into pure carbon nanotubes. The process costs less than
traditional carbon nanofiber manufacturing, such as chemical vapor
deposition or polymer pulling.
Dr. Stuart Licht, head of the C2CNT team and professor of
chemistry at George Washington University, said, “C2CNT
is focused on a revolutionary solution to climate change
– one that is ground-breaking, innovative and potentially
disruptive.” He continued, “We’ve found a way to transform CO2 into
a valuable product, worth on the order of a quarter-million dollars
27
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
per ton, at low cost while reducing
CO2 in our atmosphere. That’s earth
changing.” https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/
papers/1710/1710.07246.pdf
Researchers at Vanderbilt
University has developed a method
for turning carbon dioxide into
carbon nanotubes. They have
founded a new company, SkyNano
LLC, to develop the process. “One of
the most exciting things about what
we’ve done is use electrochemistry
to pull apart carbon dioxide into
elemental constituents of carbon
and oxygen and stitch together, with
nanometer precision, those carbon
atoms into new forms of matter,”
Assistant Professor of Mechanical
Engineering Cary Pint said. “That
opens the door to being able to
generate really valuable products
with carbon nanotubes. What we’ve
learned is the science that opens
the door to now build some of
the most valuable materials in our
world, such as diamonds and single-
walled carbon nanotubes, from
carbon dioxide that we capture
from air through our process.” www.
skynanotechnologies.com
Carbon Upcycling Technologies
has developed a process that
combines CO2 with waste products,
such as fly ash left over from burning
coal or petroleum coke, to create
nanoparticles that can be used as
additives for concrete, plastic and
coatings to enhance performance
and increase efficiency.
Using nanoparticles made with
captured CO2 not only keeps
those emissions from entering the
atmosphere, but reduces the need
to consume expensive, carbon-
intensive traditional
materials such as plastics
and concrete. http://www.
co2upcycling.com/
Founded in 2016,
NanoCnet is developing
silver nanoparticles for the
transparent conductive
electrodes, conductive
inks and pastes market.
The company recently
launched SilverStrandTM,
flexible, durable and
stable silver nanomaterials
for application in flexible
electronics and related
industries such as touch
panels, solar cells, displays,
and smart windows..
https://nanocnet.com/
Linney Tuning is using bi-layer
graphene in the development
of brake pads - currently in
the development/testing
stage. The company should
have graphene clutch plates
at testing stage by the end of
June 2018.
Versarien has signed a
collaboration with a FTSE listed
European manufacturer and
supplier of co-manufactured
and private label consumer
products for the household
and personal care markets.
OTHER NEWS
A round-up all the other
important news in
graphene this month.
28
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
MARKET
FILTERING WITHGRAPHENE
FOCUS
Graphene filtration allows for membranes
with holes so small that salt molecules cannot
pass through.
Due to rapid global population growth and the
resulting shortage and contamination of global
drinking water, the importance of water purification
technologies has increased significantly. About
one billion people worldwide do not have access to
safe drinking water. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has estimated that 80 percent of illnesses
in the developing world are the results from
waterborne diseases. Effective and low-cost water
disinfection methods are urgently needed.
Technological solutions for water treatment,
particularly for waste management and filtration
are increasingly important. The lack of cost-effective
water purification technology has exacerbated
the problem of clean and safe water. This issue
is of critical importance and has been posing
a significant threat to global health, economic
growth, sustainability and social progress.
Applications
Applications of water filtration technology include:
• Municipal water facilities.
• Medical facilities.
• Laboratories.
• Distilleries.
• Desalination plants.
• Industrial facilities.
29
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
• Power plants.
• Hydraulic fracturing sites.
• Wastewater treatment facilities.
• Consumer markets.
Current filter technology drawbacks
There has been widespread interest in the filtration and
separation properties of graphene and water filtration
has been identified as one of the key target markets
for graphene. Membranes containing functionalized
or pristine graphene display excellent potential for
selective uptake and transport of molecular or ionic
species. Ionic and molecular sieving membranes that
enable fast solute separations from aqueous solutions
are essential for processes such as water purification
and desalination, sensing, and energy production.
Desirable properties include:
• Over 20,000 x thinner than other membranes.
• Ideal pore size for separation (Improvement of 500x
compared to other membranes).
• Large surface area (Up to areas of 1 mm ^2).
• Resistant to oxidation (for temperatures less than 450
Celsius).
• Very mechanically stable.
• Low frictional water flow.
• Hydrophobicity.
Graphene Oxide (GO) nanosheets show excellent
potential for application in ultrathin, high-flux and
energy-efficient sieving membrane. Graphene oxide
(GO) membranes precisely sieve out ions and molecules
larger than 4.5 Å in diameter. Water molecules
permeate through the interconnected nanochannels
formed between GO nanosheets and follow a tortuous
path primarily over the hydrophobic nonoxidized
surface rather than the hydrophilic oxidized region of
GO.
It has been demonstrated that nanoporous graphene
can filter salt from water at a rate that is 2-3 orders
of magnitude faster than today’s best commercial
desalination technology, reverse osmosis (RO).
Nanostructuring of membranes allows for actual flow of
water (with full salt rejection) via size exclusion, leading
to much higher permeability compared to reverse
osmosis.
Thermally reduced graphene is being developed for
use in oil spill clean-up and wastewater treatment.
Graphene has been demonstrated to be a very efficient
adsorbent for oil-spill clean-up and dye removal from
wastewater. It is chemically inert, non-toxic, non-
inflammable, hydrophobic and insoluble in water.
According to Directa Plus, G+ graphene performs at
least 4 times better than traditional sorbent materials.
Market challenges
Drawbacks of the use of graphene in water filtration that
need to resolved prior to commercialization include:
• Unknown risks to eco-systems.
• Insufficient data quality on long time operation.
• High investment in existing water filtration facilities.
• Stability.
• Scaling up to large membranes.
• Producing defect free membranes.
• Low permeance to fluids.
Recent developments
Researchers from CSIRO in Australia have developed
a filtration membrane that they claim is capable of
making water from Sydney Harbour drinkable.
Made from graphene, one of the world’s strongest
and thinnest materials, the membrane makes water
purification simpler, more effective and quicker, says
CSIRO scientist Dong Han Seo.
“Conventional water filter membranes used in water
purification are made from polymers (plastics) and
cannot handle a diverse mix of contaminants, they
clog or allow contaminants to pass through, so they
have to be separated out before the water is filtered,”
CSIRO scientist Dong Han Seo said. “This technology
can create clean drinking water, regardless of how dirty
30
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
it is, in a single step.”
Figure 1: Graphair.
Image credit: CSIRO.
CSIRO developed the graphene membrane, named
Graphair, and placed it over a normal, commercial
grade water filtering membrane. From tests using water
samples from Sydney Harbour, the team found that
without Graphair the filtration rate halved in 72 hours, as
contaminants clogged the filter’s membrane. After the
Graphair was added however, scientists say the filter did
not clog, more contaminants were filtered and the water
was determined safe to drink.
CSIRO is hoping to begin field trials in a developing-
world community in 2019 after researchers from QUT, the
University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and
Victoria University confirmed Graphair’s water purification
properties.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have
recently developed a graphene oxide membrane for water
desalination. They are working with UK company Icon
Lifesaver to create a portable version of the graphene
filter that can be attached to a drinking bottle or larger
mobile water unit.
Companies and research centres
Arvia Technology
UK
http://www.arviatechnology.com/
The company has developed its own graphene-based
proprietary material – NyexTM – which removes organics,
emerging contaminants and micro-pollutants from
wastewater and is regenerated in-situ in the
novel organics destruction cell (ODC) process. The
technology was spun-out of Manchester University’s
School of Chemical Engineering.
G2O Water
UK
http://g2o.co/
The company is producing graphene membranes.
The process is based on research developed at the
University of South Carolina, USA which is patented
and licensed exclusively by G2O for use worldwide.
Ionic Industries
Australia
http://www.ionicindustries.com.au/
The company is producing graphene oxide based
membranes for water filtration. These technologies
are being commercialized with Clean TeQ (http://
www.cleanteq.com/).
Lockheed Martin
USA
https://lockheedmartin.com
The company is using graphene to coat filters for
desalination technology. The Perforene membrane
is small enough to trap sodium, chlorine and other
ions from seawater, and the holes dramatically
improve the flow-through of water molecules,
reducing clogging and pressure on the membrane.
Top Related