Why graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of graphite; an array of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. Graphene is expected to enable energy storage devices with several new features that do not exist in the current technology. Nanotech Energy is working on converting this dream into a reality.

1 million times thinner than a human hair

200x

200 times stronger than steel

20%

Stretches up to 20 percent of its length

6 times
lighter
than steel

The world's
first 2D
material

Carries electrons at 1 million metres per second

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How we make graphene

To extract graphene from graphite, Nanotech Energy uses simple chemical compounds that insert oxygen atoms between the layers of graphene, converting it to graphite oxide which falls apart in water forming individual graphene oxide sheets. These sheets can be converted back to graphene using proprietary chemical, hydrothermal and photothermal methods.

Graphene inks

Similar to conventional printing, printed electronics applies ink onto paper, plastic or other substrates. Because electrical conductors are essential for printed electronic devices, significant efforts by Nanotech Energy have been devoted to the development of functional conductive materials. Graphene and graphene-based materials have superb electronic structure and therefore can provide excellent properties including high chemical and thermal stability as well as outstanding electrical conductivity.

Graphene & related products

Since it was discovered more than a decade ago, graphene has attracted interest thanks to its unusual electronic, optical, mechanical and electrical properties which opens the door for a wide range of technological applications. However, the production of functional graphene materials on a large scale is still challenging but Nanotech Energy is about to change this game

Nanotech Energy offers graphene oxide and graphene products in different formulations that are designed to be customized for every kind of use. Because of this, Nanotech Energy's graphene products have the potential to revolutionize graphene industry with applications in batteries, transparent conducting electrodes, functional inks, flexible displays, antistatic coatings, RFID antennas to name but a few.

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World's first

Nanotech Energy owns what can arguably be considered the world’s first graphene patent filed in May of 2002. Nobel Prize winning researchers Sir Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov first published their work on graphene two years later. Since 2002, Nanotech Energy has staked its claims on 30 patents in graphene production, processing, applications and much more.

Unprecedented electronic and structural properties

Graphene offers impressive combination of high strength, chemical stability and excellent conductivity. Nanotech Energy is capable of large scale production of graphene via rapid and environmentally friendly methods, which represents a key to low-cost manufacturing. We also offer SUPREME graphene whose electronic conductivity and microstructure have been optimized to meet the needs of our customers. With a measurement of over 1500 m2/g, Nanotech Energy offers graphene with the largest specific surface area of any commercial graphene. As a result, our graphene has potential to transform the industry of printed electronics, energy storage, composite materials, solar cells, desalination membranes and other areas.

What is Reduced Graphene Oxide?

Since the graphene industry is growing very rapidly, it is important to distinguish between different graphene products currently available in the market.

The first pieces of single and few-layer graphene nanosheets were obtained through the exfoliation of bulk graphite using scotch tape. Although this route leads to non-defective pristine graphene, its low yield makes it unpractical for large scale. Mass production of graphene was made possible through chemical exfoliation of graphite. This can be achieved by direct exfoliation of graphite in a liquid, with or without a surfactant or by inserting chemical species between graphite interlayers to weaken the forces holding them together, thus facilitating their exfoliation. While these techniques are widely used for the production of graphene with low defects, the product is usually thick and is often referred to as nanoplatelets. These nanoplatelets are suitable for applications requiring high electrical and thermal conductivity but their low surface area and poor dispersibility in various solvents make their further processing difficult.

Solution-based approaches involve chemical oxidation of graphite to graphite oxide, which can be exfoliated to individual layers of graphene oxide sheets by mild ultrasonication or shear mixing in water. Graphene oxide is electrically insulating but can be converted back to the conductive form by reduction using chemical, thermal, solvothermal or laser techniques. The resulting reduced graphene oxide (often abbreviated as rGO) can be processed from solution, opening up vast opportunities for the use of graphene in many technological applications. The processability of rGO allows its direct incorporation into composites where it can improve mechanical and electrical properties of the host material. More importantly, rGO can achieve high surface areas in excess of 1000 m²/g, much higher than other techniques for exfoliating graphite.

It was discovered that the remaining edge defects on the surface of rGO can be beneficial for rapid electron transfer and higher catalytic activities, making this form of graphene ideal for electrochemical and energy storage applications in batteries and supercapacitors. It also shows promise as an active ingredient in inks and coatings for the growing markets of printed electronics and smart packaging. rGO becomes an obvious solution where the users are looking for large quantities of graphene for industrial applications.

Graphene