The Graphene-Info newsletter (June 6, 2023)

Researchers from Sichuan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a graphene-based wearable textile that can convert body movement into useable electricity and even store that energy. The fabric can potentially be used in a wide range of applications, from medical monitoring to assisting athletes and their coaches in tracking their performance, as well as smart displays on clothing.

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The accuracy of current wearable electronic devices and various available health monitors remains limited due to the handful of locations on or near the body on which they can be placed, and restricted to a small selection of applications. In the future, if advanced fabrics can be developed, wearable electronic devices integrated into shirts, pants, underwear and hats will be able to track indicators of frailty to assess risk of age-related disease, monitor cortisol levels to track stress levels, or even detect pathogens as part of a global pandemic monitoring network. To take wearable electronics to this next level, monitors will have to be integrated into textiles in a way that is lightweight, unobtrusive and less cumbersome.

LayerOne has announced the opening of Norway’s largest production unit for advanced graphene materials at Herøya. The company is scaling up production to meet the increasing demand from industries worldwide seeking to improve the performance and sustainability of their products. LayerOne is backed by Aker ASA.

LayerOne plans to expand the production with several larger units in different locations in the future. The aim is to become a globally leading supplier of advanced graphene materials. 

Avadain recently announced it entered into a memorandum of understanding to explore the use of its graphene in MAGFAST’s family of next generation wireless magnetic chargers, charging accessories and charging-enabled luggage.

MAGFAST is a direct-to-consumer electronics company offering a family of premium charging products that snap together magnetically, charge wirelessly and support any smartphone, tablet or reader. By incorporating Avadain's graphene into its suite of industry-leading products, MAGFAST hopes to achieve enhanced performance, lighter weight and increased durability, resulting in a superior customer experience.

U.S-based Hememics, developer of a rapid handheld bio testing platform based on unique graphene-based sensors, has raised a $2 million seed round to help build its “lab in a hand” tech.

Maryland’s TEDCO led the Seed 2 round, though a company statement said that other existing investors and a strategic investor also took part. Hememics, founded in 2007, developed a handheld, multiplexed sensor platform for simultaneously testing antibodies, antigens and more in a blood test. The nine-person company was founded by CEO John Warden, a fintech and drug development alum, and chief scientific officer David Ho, a blood platelets expert.

Zentek has announced a collaboration with Pattern Energy Group to optimize, test and validate Zentek’s icephobic coating for the wind turbine industry. The partnership is being supported financially by both the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (“NSERC”) and PRIMA Quebec - Advanced Materials Moving Forward.

Pattern Energy develops, constructs, owns, and operates wind turbines and understands the lost efficiency and potential damage to the wind turbine itself and its surroundings that comes from ice accretion on these structures.

Asus has unveiled the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD, a gaming monitor that uses graphene for thermal management. 

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Asus did not yet reveal the price or shipping date of the PG49WCD monitor.