̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Andrea Ferrari

̽��ֱ�� spin-out secures funding to improve AI energy efficiency and bandwidth

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:24:15 +0000

CamGraPhIC - co-founded Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, and Dr Marco Romagnoli of CNIT in Italy - is developing new types of photonic circuits for energy-efficient, high-bandwidth, optical interconnect technology.

̽��ֱ��investment will support continued innovation in graphene photonics transceivers, a technology that could improve energy efficiency, reduce latency, and increase bandwidth for artificial intelligence (AI) and cellular data transmission.

With the investment, CamGraPhIC will enhance its research and development capabilities and establish a pilot manufacturing line. ̽��ֱ��facility will demonstrate a scalable mass production process compatible with commercial semiconductor and photonics foundries.

̽��ֱ��funding round was co-led by CDP Venture Capital, NATO Innovation Fund, Sony Innovation Fund, and Join Capital, with participation from Bosch Ventures, Frontier IP Group plc, and Indaco Ventures.

CamGraPhIC’s graphene-based transceivers provide a viable, stable, and scalable alternative to current silicon-based photonics. These transceivers deliver higher bandwidth density, and exceptional latency performance, while consuming 80% less energy than traditional pluggable data centre optical transceivers.

̽��ֱ��company say their innovation is particularly effective for transferring large volumes of data between graphic processing units (GPUs) and high bandwidth memory (HBM), which are fundamental to generative AI and high-performance computing.

̽��ֱ��transceivers operate efficiently across a broad temperature range, eliminating the need for complex and costly cooling systems. Thanks to a simplified device architecture enabled by the integration of graphene into the photonic structure, these transceivers are also more cost-effective to manufacture.

Thanks to this funding, CamGraPhIC will expand to applications in avionics, automotive advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and space, where rugged, high-performance transceivers offer significant technical and commercial advantages over existing technologies.

“We are thrilled for this new phase in the journey towards commercialisation of CamGraPhIC groundbreaking and energy efficient devices, to speed up development of AI hardware, without impacting global emissions,” said Ferrari. “Having Sony, Bosch and NATO as shareholders and board members will help focus the work towards the most relevant applications, including defence and security.”

“With the backing of renowned investors, we are excited to propel towards commercialisation the Graphene Photonics technology to overcome the interconnection bottleneck of regenerative AI processing systems and driving the next leap in scaling bandwidth and reducing energy consumption for the future of optical data communications, ” said Romagnoli, former Head of Research Sector - Advanced Technologies for Photonic Integration of the Pisa National Inter- ̽��ֱ�� Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT), and now Chief Scientific Officer of CamGraPhIC.

A ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge spin-out company working to improve AI efficiency and bandwidth has raised €25 million in new funding.

CamGraPhIC

Marco Romagnoli (L) and Andrea Ferrari (R)

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Cambridge to trial cutting-edge semiconductor technologies for wider use in major European project

sc604 — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:34:10 +0000

Photonic chips transmit and manipulate light instead of electricity, and offer significantly faster performance with lower power consumption than traditional electronic chips. 

̽��ֱ��Cambridge Graphene Centre and Cornerstone Photonics Innovation Centre at the ̽��ֱ�� of Southampton will partner with members from across Europe to host a pilot line, coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain, combining state-of-the-art equipment and expertise from 20 research organisations.

̽��ֱ��PIXEurope consortium has been selected by the European Commission and Chips Joint Undertaking, a European initiative aiming to bolster the semiconductor industry by fostering collaboration between member states and the private sector. ̽��ֱ��consortium is supported by €380m in total funding.

̽��ֱ��UK participants will be backed by up to £4.2 million in funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), match-funded by Horizon Europe. ̽��ֱ��UK joined the EU’s Chips Joint Undertaking in March 2024, allowing the country to collaborate more closely with European partners on semiconductor innovation.

̽��ֱ��new pilot line will combine state-of-the-art equipment and expertise from research organisations across 11 countries. It aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge photonic technologies across more industries to boost their efficiency.

Photonic chips are already essential across a wide range of applications, from tackling the unprecedented energy demands of datacentres, to enabling high-speed data transmission for mobile and satellite communications. In the future, these chips will become ever more important, unlocking new applications in healthcare, AI and quantum computing. 

Researchers at the Cambridge Graphene Centre will be responsible for the integration of graphene and related materials into photonic circuits for energy efficient, high-speed communications and quantum devices. “This may lead to life-changing products and services, with huge economic benefit for the UK and the world,” said Professor Andrea C. Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

̽��ֱ��global market for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) production is expected to grow by more than 400% in the next 10 years. By the end of the decade, the global photonics market is expected to exceed €1,500bn, a figure comparable to the entire annual gross domestic product of Spain.

This growth is due to the demand from areas such as telecommunications, artificial intelligence, image sensing, automotive and mobility, medicine and healthcare, environmental care, renewable energy, defense and security, and a wide range of consumer applications.

̽��ֱ��combination of microelectronic chips and photonic chips provides the necessary features and specifications for these applications. ̽��ֱ��former are responsible for information processing by manipulating electrons within circuits based on silicon and its variants, while the latter uses photons in the visible and infrared spectrum ranges in various materials.

̽��ֱ��new pilot line aims to offer cutting-edge technological platforms, transforming and transferring innovative and disruptive integrated photonics processes and technologies to accelerate their industrial adoption. ̽��ֱ��objective is the creation of European-owned/made technology in a sector of capital importance for technological sovereignty, and the creation and maintenance of corresponding jobs in the UK and across Europe.

“My congratulations to Cornerstone and the Cambridge Graphene Centre on being selected to pioneer the new pilot line – taking a central role in driving semiconductor innovation to the next level, encouraging adoption of new technologies,” said Science Minister Lord Vallance. “ ̽��ֱ��UK laid the foundations of silicon photonics in the 1990s, and by pooling our expertise with partners across Europe we can address urgent global challenges including energy consumption and efficiency.”

“ ̽��ֱ��UK’s participation in the first Europe-wide photonics pilot line marks the start of the world’s first open access photonics integrated circuits ecosystem, stimulating new technology development with industry and catalyse disruptive innovation across the UK, while strengthening UK collaboration with top European institutions working in the field,” said Ferrari.

“PIXEurope is the first photonics pilot line that unifies the whole supply chain from design and fabrication, to testing and packaging, with technology platforms that will support a broad spectrum of applications,” said CORNERSTONE Coordinator Professor Calum Littlejohns. “I am delighted that CORNERSTONE will form a crucial part of this programme.”

̽��ֱ��Chips JU will also launch new collaborative R&D calls on a range of topics in early 2025. UK companies and researchers are eligible to participate.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is one of two UK participants named as part of the PIXEurope consortium, a collaboration between research organisations from across Europe which will develop and manufacture prototypes of their products based on photonic chips.

Yes

G7 representatives meet in Cambridge to discuss semiconductors

hcf38 — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:35:45 +0000

Representatives of the Semiconductors Point of Contact Group from the G7 group of nations met in Cambridge on 26 September. ̽��ֱ��meeting was held at ARM, which designs over 95% of the processors in the world. Representatives from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, as well as representatives from local semiconductor companies, participated in the events.

Semiconductors underpin nearly every electrical, optical and quantum device, from mobile phones and medical equipment to electric vehicles. They are of global strategic significance due to the integral role they play in net zero, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

̽��ֱ��G7 Semiconductor Points of Contact group is dedicated to facilitating information exchange and sharing best practices among G7 members. ̽��ֱ��PoC Group plans to exchange information on issues impacting the semiconductor industry, including pre-competitive industrial research and development priorities, sustainable manufacturing, the effect of non-market policies and practices, and crisis coordination channels.

Cambridge was chosen for the meeting in part because of its strong innovation ecosystem, which has produced more ‘unicorns’ – privately held startup companies valued at over US$1 billion – than anywhere else in the UK.

A 2023 report found that the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge contributes nearly £30 billion to the UK economy annually and supports more than 86,000 jobs across the UK, including 52,000 in the East of England.

For every £1 the ̽��ֱ�� spends, it creates £11.70 of economic impact, and for every £1 million of publicly-funded research income it receives, it generates £12.65 million in economic impact across the UK.

̽��ֱ��National Quantum Strategy (2023) and the National Semiconductor Strategy (2023) highlight the UK’s national strengths in quantum and photonic technologies and compound semiconductors. These sectors foster growth and create high-skilled jobs, and position the UK as a hub of global innovation.

Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “Semiconductors are a vital technology for the UK’s economic growth, and Cambridge is a leader in semiconductor research and development. Working with our partners in academia, industry and government, we can develop next-generation semiconductor technologies and companies, and train the next generation of semiconductor scientists and engineers.”

Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, hosted, on behalf of the ̽��ֱ��, a formal dinner in Pembroke College for the attendees of the G7 Semiconductors group. He stated that: “Cambridge played a key foundational role in the development of electronics. ̽��ֱ��electron was discovered here in 1897, by JJ Thomson. In 1961, electron beam lithography, a key method for integrated circuit fabrication, was invented in Cambridge. These early achievements were followed by many advances in circuit design, innovative advanced materials, photonic and quantum communications. It is thus fitting that the G7 Semiconductors representatives met at the heart of where all started.”

Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Semiconductors are an unseen but vital component in so many of the technologies we rely on in our lives and backing UK innovators offers a real opportunity to growth these firms into industry leaders, strengthening our £10 billion sector and ensuring it drives economic growth. Hosting the G7 semiconductors Points of Contact group is also a chance to showcase the UK’s competitive and growing sector and make clear our commitment to keeping the UK at the forefront of advancing technology."

Representatives from the G7 have met in Cambridge to discuss the main priorities for the future development of semiconductors and their impact on the global economy.

Yes

Graphene heads to the moon

sc604 — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:35:21 +0000

Cambridge researchers are part of a European project testing graphene’s ability to protect spacecraft against the sticky, sharp dust on the moon’s surface – a challenge for lunar missions since the Apollo era.

Cambridge spin-out receives European Innovation Council grant to develop cancer imaging technologies

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 16:19:52 +0000

̽��ֱ��European Innovation Council (EIC) has awarded the first Transition Grant to Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. ̽��ֱ��project CHARM (chemometric histopathology via coherent Raman imaging for precision medicine) has received over €3.2 million to develop new medical imaging technologies. EIC funding will help the transition to industrial applications of graphene-enabled ultrafast lasers of the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

̽��ֱ��EIC is Europe’s leading innovation programme to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations. ̽��ֱ��Transition scheme is designed to further advance research results generated by other EU-funded initiatives, such as the European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept projects.

CHARM will develop a medical device based on high-speed, low-cost Raman digital imaging and artificial intelligence, to transform cancer diagnosis and treatment. Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive technique used to investigate materials through their vibrational modes. It allows high speed, label-free imaging. ̽��ֱ��CHARM technology will analyse the molecular composition of patient tissue samples to distinguish cancerous from healthy cells, without the need for chemical staining.

CHARM is a European collaboration between the Cambridge Graphene Centre at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, its spin-off Cambridge Raman Imaging, Politecnico Di Milano, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche ans INsociety in Italy, Jena ̽��ֱ�� Hospital in Germany, and Inspiralia in Spain.

CHARM builds on the results of the ERC Proof of Concept grant GYNCOR, led by Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre. Within this ERC project, Cambridge researchers developed and patented a graphene-enabled laser technology that CHARM will transition to a medical device.

̽��ֱ��EIC funding will help mature and validate the technology, as well as build a strong business case to accelerate the way towards commercialisation. On top of funding research and innovation, the EIC offers awardees business advancement services, including coaching, mentoring, and partnering events. CHARM will also have fast-track access to the EIC Accelerator programme, which financially supports later phases, such as commercialisation and scale-up.

“Funding from the European Union is an integral part of the Cambridge Graphene Centre’s success,” said Ferrari. “ ̽��ֱ��European Research Council and the European Innovation Council are two of the most prestigious funding programmes worldwide. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has a very strong track record in receiving ERC funds. I am sure this first EIC transition grant will pave the way for many more to follow. We all need to join the call to ‘stick to science’ and ensure that open and barrier-free collaboration among Europe’s research and innovation actors, who all share the same values, continues without unnecessary delays and interruptions.”

Originally published on the Cambridge Graphene Centre website.

Spin-off company Cambridge Raman Imaging Ltd. and the Cambridge Graphene Centre will lead ‘CHARM’ project, recently awarded with €3.2 million

Funding from the European Union is an integral part of the Cambridge Graphene Centre’s success

Andrea Ferrari

NICHD

Bone cancer cell (nucleus in light blue)

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Cambridge researchers elected Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering

sc604 — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Professors Holger Babinsky, Andrea Ferrari, Rob Miller and Rachel Oliver have been elected in this year’s intake, which consists of 60 Fellows, four International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, with each individual having made exceptional contributions to their sectors in their own way, as innovation leaders, inspiring role models, or through remarkable achievements in business or academia.

Professor Holger Babinsky is Professor of Aerodynamics in the Department of Engineering and a Fellow of Magdalene College. He researches fundamental and applied aerodynamics with application to aeronautics, road vehicles and energy production.

“I am delighted to receive this remarkable honour and feel very lucky to be recognised by my peers for doing something I love,” said Babinsky. “I am also truly grateful to the ̽��ֱ��, the Engineering Department and all my colleagues and students for providing the environment and support that allowed me to grow as a researcher and educator.”

Professor Andrea Ferrari is Professor of Nanotechnology in the Department of Engineering. He is Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre and of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology, and a Fellow of Pembroke College.

“ ̽��ֱ��Cambridge Graphene Centre allows our partners to meet, and effectively establish joint industrial-academic activities to promote innovative and adventurous research with an emphasis on applications,” said Ferrari. “It is often at the interface between academia and industry that new challenges for fundamental research are generated. I am pleased the Royal Academy of Engineering has recognised the translational potential of our work and I see this as a further encouragement to develop state of the art facilities that will lead to world-class research, technology and innovation.”

Professor Rob Miller is Professor of Aerothermal Technology in the Department of Engineering. He is Director of the Whittle Laboratory and a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. Much of the research of the Whittle Laboratory is geared toward solving one of technology’s biggest puzzles: how to achieve zero-carbon flight.

“I am deeply grateful to all the colleagues and students that I have worked with, especially at the Whittle Laboratory and at Rolls-Royce, without whose support this would not have been possible,” said Miller. “Throughout my career I have benefited from working closely with industry. I believe that it is only through these partnerships, between industry and academia, that engineers can meet society’s greatest challenge, climate change.”

Professor Rachel Oliver is Professor of Materials Science in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Director of the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride and a Fellow of Robinson College. When she’s not making atomic-scale changes to create super-efficient light bulbs and cut carbon emissions, she has her sights set on helping to improve equality and diversity in science.

“It’s fantastic that the Academy engages with everything from the nanoscale materials engineering, which is my focus, all the way up to the much grander scale of wind turbines and jet engines,” said Oliver. “All of these varied aspects of engineering are hugely important for sustainability, which is a big current focus for the Academy. I’m also looking forward to having the opportunity to engage with the work the Academy does to increase equity in the engineering profession, since I'm passionate about making fascinating and fulfilling careers in engineering accessible to the widest possible range of talented people.”

This year’s new Fellows are the first to reflect the Academy’s Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026. This initiative will see the Academy strive for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal.

These new Fellows will be admitted to the Academy, which comprises nearly 1,700 distinguished engineers, at its AGM on 22 September. In joining the Fellowship, they will add their capabilities to the Academy’s mission to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “Our Fellows represent the best of the best in the engineering world, and we welcome these 69 excellent and talented professionals to our community of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, innovators and academics.

“This year’s new Fellows are the most diverse group elected in the history of our institution. ̽��ֱ��engineering profession has long suffered from a diversity shortfall and the Academy is committed to changing that, including by ensuring that our own Fellowship community is as inclusive as it can be. It is well established that diverse organisations tend to be more agile and more innovative, and as the UK’s National Academy for engineering and technology, we have a responsibility to reflect the society we serve in addressing the shared challenges of our future.”

Four researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge are among the leading figures in engineering and technology elected as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Left-right: Holger Babinsky, Andrea Ferrari, Rob Miller, Rachel Oliver

Yes

Ultra-high-density hard drives made with graphene store ten times more data

fg375 — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:19:14 +0000

̽��ֱ��study, published in Nature Communications, was carried out in collaboration with teams at the ̽��ֱ�� of Exeter, India, Switzerland, Singapore, and the US.

HDDs first appeared in the 1950s, but their use as storage devices in personal computers only took off from the mid-1980s. They have become ever smaller in size, and denser in terms of the number of stored bytes. While solid state drives are popular for mobile devices, HDDs continue to be used to store files in desktop computers, largely due to their favourable cost to produce and purchase.

HDDs contain two major components: platters and a head. Data are written on the platters using a magnetic head, which moves rapidly above them as they spin. ̽��ֱ��space between head and platter is continually decreasing to enable higher densities.

Currently, carbon-based overcoats (COCs) – layers used to protect platters from mechanical damages and corrosion – occupy a significant part of this spacing. ̽��ֱ��data density of HDDs has quadrupled since 1990, and the COC thickness has reduced from 12.5nm to around 3nm, which corresponds to one terabyte per square inch. Now, graphene has enabled researchers to multiply this by ten.

̽��ֱ��Cambridge researchers have replaced commercial COCs with one to four layers of graphene, and tested friction, wear, corrosion, thermal stability, and lubricant compatibility. Beyond its unbeatable thinness, graphene fulfills all the ideal properties of an HDD overcoat in terms of corrosion protection, low friction, wear resistance, hardness, lubricant compatibility, and surface smoothness.

Graphene enables two-fold reduction in friction and provides better corrosion and wear than state-of-the-art solutions. In fact, one single graphene layer reduces corrosion by 2.5 times.

Cambridge scientists transferred graphene onto hard disks made of iron-platinum as the magnetic recording layer, and tested Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) – a new technology that enables an increase in storage density by heating the recording layer to high temperatures. Current COCs do not perform at these high temperatures, but graphene does. Thus, graphene, coupled with HAMR, can outperform current HDDs, providing an unprecedented data density, higher than 10 terabytes per square inch.

“Demonstrating that graphene can serve as protective coating for conventional hard disk drives and that it is able to withstand HAMR conditions is a very important result. This will further push the development of novel high areal density hard disk drives,” said Dr Anna Ott from the Cambridge Graphene Centre, one of the co-authors of this study.

A jump in HDDs’ data density by a factor of ten and a significant reduction in wear rate are critical to achieving more sustainable and durable magnetic data recording. Graphene based technological developments are progressing along the right track towards a more sustainable world.

Professor Andrea C. Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, added: “This work showcases the excellent mechanical, corrosion and wear resistance properties of graphene for ultra-high storage density magnetic media. Considering that in 2020, around 1 billion terabytes of fresh HDD storage was produced, these results indicate a route for mass application of graphene in cutting-edge technologies.”

Reference
Dwivedi et al. Graphene Overcoats for Ultra-High Storage Density Magnetic Media. Nature Communications 12, 2854 (2021), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22687-y.

Adapted from a release from the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

Graphene can be used for ultra-high density hard disk drives (HDD), with up to a tenfold jump compared to current technologies, researchers at the Cambridge Graphene Centre have shown.

Considering that in 2020, around 1 billion terabytes of fresh HDD storage was produced, these results indicate a route for mass application of graphene in cutting-edge technologies

Andrea Ferrari

bohed

Hard disk drive

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Smog-eating graphene composite reduces atmospheric pollution

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 06:30:00 +0000

Working in collaboration with the Italcementi HeidelbergCement Group and other partners, the Cambridge scientists developed a photocatalyst that degrades up to 70% more atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NO_x) than standard titania nanoparticles in tests on real pollutants.

Atmospheric pollution is a growing problem, particularly in urban areas and in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, one out of every nine deaths worldwide can be attributed to diseases caused by air pollution. Organic pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and volatile compounds, are the main cause of this, and they are mostly emitted by vehicle exhausts and industry.

While researchers are developing new technologies and energy sources that will drastically reduce the volume of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere in the first place, they are also on the hunt for new ways to remove more pollutants from the atmosphere. Photocatalysts such as titania are one way to do this. When titania is exposed to sunlight, it degrades harmful nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds present at the surface, oxidising them into inert or harmless products.

Now, in a study published in the journal Nanoscale, the researchers demonstrated that a composite of titania and graphene – a two-dimensional form of carbon - has significantly more powerful photodegradation properties than bare titania.

Researchers from the Cambridge Graphene Centre prepared and tested the composite, confirming its ability to photocatalytically degrade pollutant molecules, then researchers at Italcementi applied the coating to concrete to investigate its potential for environmental remediation.

“We decided to couple graphene to the most-used photocatalyst, titania, to boost the photocatalytic action,” said co-author Marco Goisis from Italcementi. “Photocatalysis is one of the most powerful ways we have to depollute the environment because the process does not consume the photocatalysts. It is a reaction activated by solar light.”

By performing liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite – a process that creates graphene – in the presence of titania nanoparticles, using only water and atmospheric pressure, the scientists created the new graphene-titania nanocomposite.

They found that it passively removes pollutants from the air when coated on the surface of materials. If applied to concrete on the street or the walls of buildings, the harmless photodegradation products could be washed away by rain or wind, or manually cleaned off.

To measure the photodegradation effects, the team tested the new photocatalyst against NO_x and recorded a 70% improvement in photocatalytic degradation of nitrogen oxides compared to standard titania. They also used rhodamine B as a model for volatile organic pollutants, as its molecular structure closely resembles those of pollutants emitted by vehicles, industry and agriculture. They found that 40% more rhodamine B was degraded by the graphene-titania composite than by titania alone, in water under UV irradiation.

“Coupling graphene to titania gave us excellent results in powder form – and it could be applied to different materials, of which concrete is a good example for the widespread use, helping us to achieve a healthier environment. It is low-maintenance and environmentally friendly, as it just requires the sun’s energy and no other input,” said Goisis.

But there are challenges to be addressed before this can be used on a commercial scale. Cheaper methods to mass-produce graphene are needed. Interactions between the catalyst and the host material need to be deepened as well as studies into the long-term stability of the photocatalyst in the outdoor environment.

Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed an electron transfer process from titania to the graphene flakes, decreasing the charge recombination rate and increasing the efficiency of reactive species photoproduction – meaning more pollutant molecules could be degraded.

Based on this concept, scientists are also working on another product – an electrically conductive graphene concrete composite, which was showcased at Mobile World Congress in February this year. When included as a layer in flooring, it releases heat when an electrical current is passed through it. This could be used to heat buildings or streets without using water from a tank or boiler. It could also be used to create self-sensing concrete, which could detect stress or strain in concrete structures and monitor for structural defects, providing warning signals if the structural integrity is close to failure.

“An ever-increasing number of companies recognise the potential for graphene in new and improved technologies,” said Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre and co-author on the current paper. “This work has demonstrated a clear application of graphene for the degradation of environmental pollutants. This can not only have commercial benefits but, more importantly, a cleaner and healthier environment.”

Reference:
Gloria Guidetti et al. ‘Photocatalytic activity of exfoliated graphite-TiO2 nanocomposites.’ Nanoscale (2019). DOI: 10.1039/c9nr06760d

Adapted from a story by the Cambridge Graphene Centre

An international group of scientists, including from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, have developed a graphene composite that can ‘eat’ common atmospheric pollutants, and could be used as a coating on pavements or buildings.

Italcementi

Left: Photocatalytic panel exposed outdoor. ̽��ֱ��purple section is treated with a pollutant. Right: Three weeks later, pollutant has been degraded by the photcatalyst

Yes