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Product Development

Our graphene team has developed a range of advanced graphene and 2D materials, along with their additives and final products, which have diverse applications including composites, protective coatings, sensors, antennas, water purification, hybrid supercapacitors and additive manufacturing. These innovations have reached Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 to 6 and are being developed in collaboration with our industry partners. Additionally, we have pioneered several technologies for graphene manufacturing, including electrochemical processes, graphene ink formulation, and the preparation of functionalized and hybrid graphene materials. These developments are supporting our industry partners and small graphene companies in building the graphene industry and bringing these products to market. By leveraging the outstanding properties of graphene materials, we aim to address global challenges and provide innovative solutions.

Graphene manufacturing process          

  • With our industry partner First Graphene ltd (Perth) we developed
    (2016-2017) electrochemical process for manufacturing  graphene from graphite that is scale-up for
    industrial production with capacity of 100 t/a. The process is environmentally friendly, has low energy footprint and produces a  high quality of pristine graphene materials.
    The company is now one of world leading graphene producer.

Research grade graphene and 2D materials    

  • In our lab we have established many synthetic and preparation processes such as high-shear liquid exfoliation, ball milling, CVD, electrochemical, microwave, thermal and plasma to make broad range of FLG graphene and 2D materials including: pristine graphene, GO, rGO, N-doped graphene, porous graphene, graphene nanodots, functionalized graphene, hBN, MXene, MoS2, antimonene. phosphorene etc. These materials are made for our industry partners and collaborators and used as foundation for research purpose and new products development.

Graphene additives and intermediates

  • We develop a diverse range of additives and intermediates by combining graphene and graphene oxide with various materials, including surfactants, polymers, binders, and activators. Our goal is by tailoring these additives to specific matrices such as construction materials (concrete), rubber, bitumen, polymer composites, protective coatings, battery electrodes  to substantially improve performance and  sustainability of these currently used materials. To date, we have formulated over 20 different additives for these applications, driving product development and innovation for our industry partners.

Graphene and 2D materials inks              

  • We use our home-made graphene and 2D materials to create specialized inks for device fabrication through printing technology. We have developed over 20 distinct ink formulations incorporating graphene, metal nanoparticles, conductive polymers, CNTs, carbon black, carbon quantum dots (CQD), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), MXenes, MoS₂, and other materials. These inks are engineered to achieve high conductivity or specific sensing properties, tailored with the necessary rheological characteristics and printability for various printing methods, including inkjet and extrusion.

Graphene hybrid materials 

  • To harness the novel properties and functionalities of graphene-related materials we developed I range of new hybrid materials by combining graphene with various nanomaterials with 0D,1D, and 2D morphologies and specific properties, such as carbon quantum dots (CQDs), doped CQD,  graphene quantum dots (GQDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), MoS₂, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and metal (Au, Pt) and semiconductive nanoparticles. These combinations create unique hybrid materials with tailored interfacial, photonic, quantum, optical, catalytic, sensing, electrical, and thermal properties which are used for exploring their new properties and development of new products for specific applications. Some  of these hybrid materials are used  to formulate additives or master batches enable their use for making other products.

Graphene aerogels

  • We developed of several different types of graphene and graphene composite aerogels in different forms that have unique porous structures and tailored chemistry. These materials are successfully demonstrated for removal of contaminants form waters (heavy metals, PFAS, oil, organic dyes etc ) CO2 adsorption, sound shielding and thermal management. They can be customised in different shapes to meet practical requirements.

Graphene filaments for 3D printing

  • We have developed a specialized graphene additive designed to enhance the conductivity of polymer filaments used in 3D printing, whether for conductive or nonconductive applications. Our master batch formulation supports a variety of polymers, enabling the production of both rigid and flexible 3D printed products. These filaments are used for several applications such as electromagnetic shielding and thermal management.

Fire retardant protective paints

  • We have developed a range of graphene-enhanced fire protective paints, including both intumescent and non-intumescent types, tailored for various substrates such as cellulosic materials, metals, plastics, and other flammable surfaces. These  innovative formulations based on our patented technology  leverage the unique oxygen and gas barrier properties of graphene to prevent ignition and reduce the release of toxic gases during a fire. These advanced products are currently in the commercialization stage with our industry

Anticorrosive paints

  • Our team demonstrated that hydrophobic graphene coating on model boats can considerably impact on the drag reduction compared with commercial paints.  This experimental study indicate the ability of graphene coating to control drag and potentially provide energy saving   for marine boats. The study is not completed due lack of funding

Adsorbents for environmental contaminants

  • Graphene and graphene oxide, with their high surface area and tunable chemistry, are exceptional materials for designing advanced adsorbents aimed at removing emerging contaminants from waste and drinking water. Over the past few years, we have developed more than 20 different multifunctional adsorbents with tailored surface properties to selectively target and remove heavy metals, PFAS, dyes, and pharmaceuticals from water. These adsorbents have been successfully demonstrated in scalable batch and column studies. Our most recent advancements include integrating these adsorbents with attached nanocatalysts on their surface to enable both adsorption and catalytic destruction of pollutants. Several of these innovative adsorbents are currently undergoing further development in collaboration with our industry partners.

Sensing devices

  • We used graphene in sensor fabrication in two primary ways: first, for creating conductive electrode materials using graphene composite inks, and second, as a platform for developing sensing materials that are applied to these electrodes. To enhance sensitivity, chemically modified graphene with specific functional groups, as well as graphene hybrids combined with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), conductive polymers, or metal nanoparticles, are employed in the development of highly sensitive chemo-resistive sensors.
  • Our research has led to the development of over 30 chemoresistive materials, sensing devices, and sensor arrays. These innovations enable the detection of a wide range of gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) relevant to environmental and industrial monitoring—including hydrocarbons, hydrogen (H2), ammonia, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Additionally, our sensors are used in breath analysis for cancer biomarkers, food safety control, and the detection of chemical warfare agents, contributing to both defence and security applications.

Antenna and RFID for wearable sensing

  • In collaboration and the University Electronic Antenna Group (Prof. Fumeaux) we have developed a series of microwave antennas based on graphene and MXenes materials. These antennas are designed to support wearable sensors by enabling wireless transmission of signals from the sensing devices to a web-based processing and reporting platform. Our work includes exploring various types of antennas and RFID devices to advance the development of wearable chemoresistive systems. These systems aim to monitor external chemical threats in working environments effectively in are under further development.

Acoustic shielding  

  • Graphene and graphene oxide, with their high surface area and tunable chemistry, are exceptional materials for designing advanced adsorbents aimed at removing emerging contaminants from waste and drinking water. Over the past few years, we have developed more than 20 different multifunctional adsorbents with tailored surface properties to selectively target and remove heavy metals, PFAS, dyes, and pharmaceuticals from water. These adsorbents have been successfully demonstrated in scalable batch and column studies. Our most recent advancements include integrating these adsorbents with attached nanocatalysts on their surface to enable both adsorption and catalytic destruction of pollutants. Several of these innovative adsorbents are currently undergoing further development in collaboration with our industry partners.

Hybrid supercapacitors  

  • We have developed high-performance hybrid supercapacitors designed for small and  medium energy storage applications. This innovation involves the creation of novel hybrid nanomaterials for use as anodes and cathodes, along with a unique electrode system that combines the functions of both batteries and supercapacitors. The electrodes feature specific architectures, enhanced porosity, and high surface areas to facilitate rapid lithium-ion intercalation and de-intercalation.
  • The performance of these hybrid supercapacitors has been validated through rigorous testing of coin and pouch cell designs, demonstrating their technical efficacy in practical applications. The technology and associated patents have been licensed to an industry partner, who is advancing the development and commercialization of this technology.