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New options for transparent contact electrodes

Researchers are developing new transparent contact electrodes using materials like graphene and carbon nanostructures, which offer improved conductivity and transparency compared to traditional metal oxides. These new materials have the potential to be combined with conventional solutions or used in entirely new applications.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature Photonics·DateJan 29, 2013

Rice technique points toward 2-D devices

Rice University scientists develop a technique to combine single-atom-thick graphene and hexagonal boron nitride into sheets with controlled patterns. The new method enables the creation of fully functional devices with circuits on the same scale as current semiconductor fabrication.

SourceRice University·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateJan 27, 2013

Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscle

Researchers at Duke University developed a method to control the crumpling and unfolding of large-area graphene films, enabling the creation of artificial muscles with unprecedented properties. The controlled crumpling allows for tunable transparency and opacity, as well as contraction and relaxation on demand.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Materials·DateJan 23, 2013

Graphene plasmonics beats the drug cheats

Researchers have developed a graphene plasmonics device that can detect even trace amounts of substances in minutes, revolutionizing drug testing for athletes and detecting viruses. The breakthrough uses artificial materials with topological darkness to achieve high sensitivity.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalNature Materials·DateJan 13, 2013

Cork the key to unlocking the potential of graphene

Researchers have successfully formed graphene into useful three-dimensional structures by mirroring the structure of cork, enabling record-breaking strength and elasticity. The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, has opened up new avenues for investigations of graphene's potential applications.

SourceMonash University·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 4, 2012

How 'transparent' is graphene?

Recent research at MIT shows that adding a layer of graphene to a surface has little effect on its interaction with liquids, except for extreme cases. The team's findings demonstrate the ability to manipulate wettability while preserving electrical conductivity and optical properties.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 3, 2012

James' bond: A graphene/nanotube hybrid

Researchers successfully grew forests of carbon nanotubes on a sheet of graphene, creating a seamless three-dimensional structure with a massive surface area. This hybrid material offers great potential for electronic components like fast supercapacitors.

SourceRice University·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 27, 2012

Fabrication on patterned silicon carbide produces bandgap to advance graphene electronics

By fabricating graphene structures atop nanometer-scale steps etched into silicon carbide, researchers have created a substantial electronic bandgap suitable for room-temperature electronics. The bandgap allows for the fabrication of transistors and other devices, potentially opening the door for developing all-carbon integrated circuits.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalNature Physics·DateNov 18, 2012

Graphene mini-lab

Physicists create graphene mini-labs to study fast-moving electrons and their relativistic behavior. The experiments mimic the dynamics of cosmic rays, despite traveling at a fraction of the speed of light.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal B·DateOct 31, 2012

Light might prompt graphene devices on demand

Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in doping graphene with light, allowing for the creation of simple, graphene-based diodes and transistors on demand. The discovery uses plasmonics to manipulate light and inject electrons into the material, enabling novel security and cryptography devices.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Nano·DateOct 10, 2012

The graphene-paved roadmap

The graphene-paved roadmap outlines the material's potential for transforming various industries, including electronics and medicine. With its unique properties, graphene is expected to play a crucial role in developing new technologies such as flexible devices, rollable e-paper, and high-speed wireless communications.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalNature·DateOct 10, 2012

Every atom counts in graphene formation

Rice University researchers have developed a nanoreactor theory to predict graphene formation, which can advance the material's quality and electronic properties. The team found that the shape of the graphene edge pattern is dictated by the most efficient use of energy, with skewed edges growing fastest.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 4, 2012

A direct look at graphene

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have made the first direct observations of electron-electron interactions in graphene. The study reveals that these interactions are critical to graphene's extraordinary properties, including its superconductivity and high-speed conductivity.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Physics·DateAug 1, 2012

Cutting the graphene cake

Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a side-view imaging technique to visualize individual graphene layers in devices, finding that structures are remarkably stable even with multiple layers. This achievement has significant implications for the engineering of graphene-based computer chips.

SourceUniversity of Manchester·JournalNature Materials·DateJul 29, 2012

Taming light with graphene

Scientists visualize the trapping and confinement of light on graphene, making it a promising candidate for optical information processing. Graphene plasmons can be used to electrically control light, enabling new optical switches and applications in medicine, bio-detection, solar cells, and quantum information processing.

SourceElhuyar Fundazioa·JournalNature·DateJun 20, 2012

'Nanocable' could be big boon for energy storage

Researchers at Rice University have created a tiny coaxial cable that is about a thousand times smaller than a human hair and has higher capacitance than previously reported microcapacitors. The nanocable, made with carbon and copper, could be used to build next-generation energy-storage systems.

SourceRice University·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 7, 2012

Not your grandma's quilt

A group of researchers at the University of California, Riverside developed a technique to lower hot spots in GaN transistors by introducing graphene multilayers, increasing device lifetime by a factor of 10. The new approach represents a transformative change in thermal management.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 8, 2012

Microprocessors from pencil lead

Researchers found a way to influence electron flow through graphene by mounting it on boron nitride, enabling more controlled electronic properties. The discovery creates hexagonal structures that prevent some electrons from passing through, opening up new possibilities for graphene-based microelectronics.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalNature Physics·DateMar 29, 2012

Simple, cheap way to mass-produce graphene nanosheets

A new method for mass-producing high-quality graphene nanosheets has been developed by researchers, enabling the production of sheets at a lower cost than current methods. The technique uses dry ice and an industrial process to create flakes of graphite with opened-up edges, making them soluble in solvents and allowing for easy separat...

SourceCase Western Reserve University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 26, 2012