The study, led by scientists at 51福利社, has revealed that a material known as a metal-organic framework (MOF) - an ultra-porous material - can be modified to capture and filter out significantly more benzene from the atmosphere than current materials in use.

Benzene is primarily used as an industrial solvent and in the production of various chemicals, plastics, and synthetic fibres, but can also be released into the atmosphere through petrol stations, exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke. Despite its widespread applications, benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, and exposure can lead to serious health effects, making careful management and regulation essential.

The research, published in the journal today, could lead to significant improvements in air quality both indoors and outdoors.

MOFs are advanced materials that combine metal centres and organic molecules to create porous structures. They have a highly adjustable internal structure, making them particularly promising for filtering out harmful gases from the air.

The researchers modified the MOF structure 鈥� known as MIL-125 鈥� by incorporating single atoms from different elements, including zinc, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper to test which would most effectively capture benzene.

They discovered that adding a single zinc atom to the structure significantly enhanced the material鈥檚 efficiency, enabling it to capture benzene even at ultra-low concentrations 鈥� measured at parts per million (ppm) 鈥� a significant improvement over current materials.

The new material 鈥� now known as MIL-125-Zn 鈥� demonstrates a benzene uptake of 7.63 mmol per gram of material, which is significantly higher than previously reported materials.

It is also highly stable even when exposed to moisture, maintaining its ability to filter benzene for long periods without losing effectiveness. Tests show that it can continue removing benzene from air even under humid conditions.

As the research progresses, the team will look to collaborate with industry partners to develop this and related new materials, with the potential of integrating it into ready-made devices, such as air purification systems in homes, workplaces, and industrial settings.

Plastics play a crucial role in healthcare, but the current linear model of using and then incinerating leads to significant waste and environmental harm. Through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), materials experts at 51福利社 will work in collaboration with Vernacare 鈥� specialist manufacturers of infection prevention solutions 鈥� to investigate how the sustainability of plastics can be improved through the creation of more circular products from waste polypropylene (PP) and polycarbonate (PC).  

A 24-month project, led by an interdisciplinary team from 51福利社 and Vernacare, aims to create new insight into the behaviour of real-world polypropylene and polycarbonate products during mechanical recycling. The team will be led by experts including Dr Tom McDonald, Dr Rosa Cuellar Franca, Professor Mike Shaver, Simon Hogg, and Dr Amir Bolouri. It also will advance knowledge on the selection, characterisation and use of plastic to optimise recyclability, while developing understanding of the complex environmental impacts of product design and supply chain. 

Finally, life cycle assessment will be used to evaluate the sustainability for different approaches to the circularity of these plastics. This project will involve the knowledge transfer of the academic team鈥檚 expertise in plastics recycling, plastics circularity and rigorous life cycle assessment. 

Alex Hodges, CEO of Vernacare, explained: 鈥淭hrough this project we aim to change how plastics are viewed and used in healthcare. Our work with 51福利社 will ensure we鈥檙e at the forefront in sustainable single use healthcare product research. It will enable us to embed product lifecycle, environment assessment capability and materials research and development into our business culture so that we鈥檙e in pole position, able to lead the market in the development and testing of future solutions. It will also help Vernacare economically, by offsetting a portion of our 拢7m annual polypropylene costs while also broadening their appeal to eco-conscious customers.鈥� 

The research will be conducted through the (SMI Hub), a cutting-edge facility dedicated to sustainable plastic solutions. The SMI Hub is part of the Henry Royce Institute at 51福利社 and is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund.                                                                                           

Innovate UK鈥檚 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships  funding support innovation by matching businesses with world-leading research and technology. Projects are focused on delivering a strategic step change in productivity, market share and operating process by embedding new knowledge and capabilities within an organisation. Delivered through the Knowledge Exchange Partnerships team, part of Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange, 51福利社 has collaborated on more than 300 KTPs and in the last five years alone, has supported 42 KTPs with a total research value of 拢11 million. 

By working together, 51福利社 and Vernacare aim to lead the way in sustainable healthcare products, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. 

High performing but costly 
LEAs - unlike traditional electronics, which are typically manufactured on small and rigid substrates like silicon wafers 鈥� are made on much larger, often flexible, substrates. This means electronic components can be integrated into different surfaces and materials. Examples of LEAs include: TV sets; mobile phone and tablet screens that can bend or roll (Samsung's Galaxy Fold and LG's flexible OLED displays are good examples); wearable electronics like smart clothing, fitness trackers, and health monitoring devices; printed solar cells; and interactive displays used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle, which mimic the appearance of ink on paper. 

LAEs are an emerging field. However, their rapid growth brings challenges like the availability of essential materials, energy-efficient manufacturing, device performance, and product end-of-life solutions. One major challenge in producing LAEs is balancing the users鈥� desire for functionality with the need to reduce costs. To address this, LAEs are currently combined with silicon chips. However, while this supports functionality, it increases carbon emissions significantly. 

Rethinking manufacturing 
To tackle this issue, Thomas Anthopoulos with his team at 51福利社 is undertaking fundamental research designed to rethink manufacturing methods. His goal is to look at the fundamental science and develop scalable and energy efficient techniques that can produce LAEs capable of seamlessly integrating with the existing electronics infrastructure, while enabling additional functionalities. 

Addressing manufacturing bottlenecks 
Building on previous research focused on LEAs, Professor Anthopoulos will look to advance LAEs by addressing crucial manufacturing bottlenecks such as the trade-off between high throughput production and high precision patterning. His approach comprises four research thrusts that aim to address these key aspects and include: 

1. Developing new patterning paradigms for scalable and sustainable production of LAEs. 
2. Demonstrating energy-efficient material growth methods. 
3. Exploring eco-friendly materials that are abundant. 
4. Demonstrate advanced LAEs that can interact with the existing electronic infrastructure. 

Maximising impact 
Delivering a paradigm shift in how LAEs with nanometre-size critical features are manufactured, is the core aim of this programme. By addressing the fundamental science, Professor Anthopoulos aims to deliver research that benefit the economy, academia, and society. 

For industry, the outcome of this research has the potential to empower UK companies. For example, the global LAEs market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. This prediction, however, relies on the technology being adopted successfully in various emerging areas. Thus, access to innovative technologies can help UK companies remain frontrunners and capture this market, benefiting everyone involved. 

In the academic world, Professor Anthopoulos鈥檚 approach will create new knowledge about sustainable electronics, encourage collaboration between different fields, advance sustainable electronics, train junior researchers, and attract top talent to the UK. 

The program will also benefit the public. Sustainable production of LAEs will enable new electronic functions with minimal environmental impact, while easing society鈥檚 reliance on polluting silicon chips. These innovative technologies will create new possibilities in personal health, education, entertainment, among other, positively impacting society. 

Professor Anthopoulos explains more about his approach. 鈥淚 am interested in fundamental research that has potential for practical applications. I very much enjoying approaching a problem from a different viewpoint and pursuing cross-disciplinary research is a key element of it. 51福利社 has a rich history, with the isolation of graphene serving as a prime example of how a new perspective can lead to groundbreaking discoveries.鈥� 

鈥淚 am also a firm believer in multidisciplinary collaboration; trying to increase the impact of my work by working with people with different expertise while learning new things. 51福利社 has a strong reputation in large-area electronics, including flexible and printed electronics, advanced functional materials, and manufacturing. Crucially, we are home to unique facilities like the National Graphene Institute (NGI), the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, and the Photon Science Institute, all located on campus, and all unique in the UK. Moreover, the university鈥檚 extensive partnerships with industry leaders offer additional opportunities for further collaborations, networking, and potential commercialization of promising research findings.

鈥淟ast but not least, the university has a global reputation in climate change, sustainability, and energy policy. This makes 51福利社 the ideal place for my research, which at its very heart is aimed at making electronics of the future more sustainable and valuable to our society.鈥� 

About Thomas Anthopoulos 
Thomas Anthopoulos is Professor of Emerging Optoelectronics at 51福利社. He is recognised as a world-leading expert in the science and technology of large-area optoelectronics with ground-breaking contributions to the advancement of soluble organic and inorganic semiconductors. Recent examples include the development of printable Schottky diodes with record operating frequency (Nature Electronics 2020), rapid and scalable manufacturing methods for radio frequency diodes using light (Nature Communications 2022), and the development of record-efficient printed organic photovoltaics featuring self-assembled molecular interlayers (ACS Energy Letters 2020; Advanced Energy Materials 2022). 

Related papers  

The Photon Science Institute (PSI)
The PSI enables and catalyses world-leading science and innovation using the tools of cutting-edge photonics, spectroscopy, and imaging. Its lead pioneering research in photonic, electronic and quantum materials and devices, advanced instrumentation development, and BioPhotonics and bioanalytical spectroscopy.

To discuss this research further, contact Professor Anthopoulos at thomas.anthopoulos@manchester.ac.uk

• Feature-Enhanced Representation with Transformers for Multi-View Stereo 
• High-Frequency Channel Attention and Contrastive Learning for Image Super-Resolution 
• A Divide-and-Conquer Machine Learning Approach for Modelling Turbulent Flows 
•  
• DRLFluent: A distributed co-simulation framework coupling deep reinforcement learning with Ansys-Fluent on high-performance computing systems 
• Manifold-enhanced CycleGAN for facial expression synthesis 

To discuss this research or potential partnerships, contact Professor Yin at hujun.yin@manchester.ac.uk.
 

The defect, found by researchers from the Universities of 51福利社 and Cambridge using a thin material called Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN), demonstrates spin coherence鈥攁 property where an electronic spin can retain quantum information鈥� under ambient conditions. They also found that these spins can be controlled with light.

Up until now, only a few solid-state materials have been able to do this, marking a significant step forward in quantum technologies.

The findings published in , further confirm that the accessible spin coherence at room temperature is longer than the researchers initially imagined it could be.

Carmem M. Gilardoni, co-author of the paper and postdoctoral fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, where the research was carried out, said: 鈥淭he results show that once we write a certain quantum state onto the spin of these electrons, this information is stored for ~1 millionth of a second, making this system a very promising platform for quantum applications.

鈥淭his may seem short, but the interesting thing is that this system does not require special conditions 鈥� it can store the spin quantum state even at room temperature and with no requirement for large magnets.鈥�

Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) is an ultra-thin material made up of stacked one-atom-thick layers, kind of like sheets of paper. These layers are held together by forces between molecules, but sometimes, there are tiny flaws between these layers called 鈥榓tomic defects鈥�, similar to a crystal with molecules trapped inside it. These defects can absorb and emit light that we can see, and they can also act as local traps for electrons. Because of the defects in hBN, scientists can now study how these trapped electrons behave, particularly the spin property, which allows electrons to interact with magnetic fields. They can also control and manipulate the electron spins using light within these defects at room temperature 鈥� something that has never been done before.

Dr Hannah Stern, first author of the paper and Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer at 51福利社, said: 鈥淲orking with this system has highlighted to us the power of the fundamental investigation of new materials. As for the hBN system, as a field we can harness excited state dynamics in other new material platforms for use in future quantum technologies.

鈥淓ach new promising system will broaden the toolkit of available materials, and every new step in this direction will advance the scalable implementation of quantum technologies.鈥�

Prof Richard Curry added: 鈥淩esearch into materials for quantum technologies is critical to support the UK鈥檚 ambitions in this area. This work represents another leading breakthrough from a University of 51福利社 researcher in the area of materials for quantum technologies, further strengthening the international impact of our work in this field.鈥�

Although there is a lot to investigate before it is mature enough for technological applications, the finding paves the way for future technological applications, particularly in sensing technology.

The scientists are still figuring out how to make these defects even better and more reliable and are currently probing how far they can extend the spin storage time. They are also investigating whether they can optimise the system and material parameters that are important for quantum-technological applications, such as defect stability over time and the quality of the light emitted by this defect.

Fast forward to today, and history repeats itself, this time in quantum computing.

Building on the same pioneering method forged by Ernest Rutherford 鈥� "the founder of nuclear physics" 鈥� scientists at the University, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne in Australia, have produced an enhanced, ultra-pure form of silicon that allows construction of high-performance qubit devices 鈥� a fundamental component required to pave the way towards scalable quantum computers.

The finding, published in the journal Communications Materials - Nature, could define and push forward the future of quantum computing.

Richard Curry, Professor of Advanced Electronic Materials at 51福利社, said: 鈥淲hat we鈥檝e been able to do is effectively create a critical 鈥榖rick鈥� needed to construct a silicon-based quantum computer. It鈥檚 a crucial step to making a technology that has the potential to be transformative for humankind - feasible; a technology that could give us the capability to process data at such as scale, that we will be able to find solutions to complex issues such as addressing the impact of climate change and tackling healthcare challenges.  

鈥淚t is fitting that this achievement aligns with the 200th anniversary of our University, where 51福利社 has been at the forefront of science innovation throughout this time, including Rutherford鈥檚 鈥榮plitting the atom鈥� discovery in 1917, then in 1948 with 鈥楾he Baby鈥� - the first ever real-life demonstration of electronic stored-program computing, now with this step towards quantum computing.鈥�

One of the biggest challenges in the development of quantum computers is that qubits 鈥� the building blocks of quantum computing - are highly sensitive and require a stable environment to maintain the information they hold. Even tiny changes in their environment, including temperature fluctuations can cause computer errors.

Another issue is their scale, both their physical size and processing power. Ten qubits have the same processing power as 1,024 bits in a normal computer and can potentially occupy much smaller volume. Scientists believe a fully performing quantum computer needs around one million qubits, which provides the capability unfeasible by any classical computer.

Silicon is the underpinning material in classical computing due to its semiconductor properties and the researchers believe it could be the answer to scalable quantum computers. Scientists have spent the last 60 years learning how to engineer silicon to make it perform to the best of its ability, but in quantum computing, it has its challenges.

Natural silicon is made up of three atoms of different mass (called isotopes) 鈥� silicon 28, 29 and 30. However the Si-29, making up around 5% of silicon, causes a 鈥榥uclear flip flopping鈥� effect causing the qubit to lose information.

In a breakthrough at 51福利社, scientists have come up with a way to engineer silicon to remove the silicon 29 and 30 atoms, making it the perfect material to make quantum computers at scale, and with high accuracy.

The result 鈥� the world鈥檚 purest silicon 鈥� provides a pathway to the creation of one million qubits, which may be fabricated to the size of pin head.

Ravi Acharya, a PhD researcher who performed experimental work in the project, explained: "The great advantage of silicon quantum computing is that the same techniques that are used to manufacture the electronic chips 鈥� currently within an everyday computer that consist of billions of transistors 鈥� can be used to create qubits for silicon-based quantum devices. The ability to create high quality Silicon qubits has in part been limited to date by the purity of the silicon starting material used. The breakthrough purity we show here solves this problem."

The new capability offers a roadmap towards scalable quantum devices with unparalleled performance and capabilities and holds promise of transforming technologies in ways hard to imagine.

Project co-supervisor, Professor David Jamieson, from the University of Melbourne, said: 鈥淥ur technique opens the path to reliable quantum computers that promise step changes across society, including in artificial intelligence, secure data and communications, vaccine and drug design, and energy use, logistics and manufacturing.

鈥淣ow that we can produce extremely pure silicon-28, our next step will be to demonstrate that we can sustain quantum coherence for many qubits simultaneously. A reliable quantum computer with just 30 qubits would exceed the power of today's supercomputers for some applications,鈥�

What is quantum computing and how does it work?

All computers operate using electrons. As well as having a negative charge, electrons have another property known as 鈥榮pin鈥�, which is often compared to a spinning top.

The combined spin of the electrons inside a computer鈥檚 memory can create a magnetic field. The direction of this magnetic field can be used to create a code where one direction is called 鈥�0鈥� and the other direction is called 鈥�1鈥�. This then allows us to use a number system that only uses 0 and 1 to give instructions to the computer. Each 0 or 1 is called a bit.

In a quantum computer, rather than the combined effect of the spin of many millions of electrons, we can use the spin of single electrons, moving from working in the 鈥榗lassical鈥� world to the 鈥榪uantum鈥� world; from using 鈥榖its鈥� to 鈥榪ubits鈥�.

While classical computers do one calculation after another, quantum computers can do all the calculations at the same time allowing them to process vast amounts of information and perform very complex calculations at an unrivalled speed.

While existing TEMs can image atomic scale structure and chemistry, the time-consuming nature of the technique means the typical regions of interest (ROI) - areas of the sample selected for further analysis - are very limited. The AutomaTEM will resolve this, improving the ability to find and analyse, reducing time incurred while increasing the ROI. As a result, it will accelerate innovation in materials applications for quantum computing, low power electronics, and new catalysts to support the energy transition, all which are currently held back by the limitations of current technology.

The AutomaTEM development is funded through a 拢9.5 million project supported by 51福利社, The Henry Royce Institute, bp and EPSRC, in collaboration with manufacturer Thermo Fisher Scientific. The 51福利社 team, led by Professor Sarah Haigh, will merge TEM鈥檚 existing atomic scale elemental and chemical mapping capabilities together with emerging developments in automation and data analysis to create the AutomaTEM; an instrument that can acquire huge data sets of local chemical information in days rather than years.

Prof , Professor of Materials Characterisation at 51福利社 and Director of the Electron Microscopy Centre (EMC), said: "Understanding atomic detail at the micrometer or millimeter scale is crucial for developing materials for various applications, from catalysis and quantum technologies to nuclear energy and pharmaceuticals.

"This system is not simply another TEM instrument. It will provide new opportunities for atomic scale investigation of materials with less human intervention. For the first time we will be able to enable atomic resolution analysis of hundreds of regions of interest in a matter of hours, providing unprecedented insights into sparse defects and heterogeneous materials." 

Designed with artificial intelligence and automated workflows at its core, the AutomaTEM boasts several cutting-edge features, including:

• Computer control to automatically adjust the sample stage and beam to address specific regions of interest, enabling detailed high-resolution imaging and diffraction-based analysis without continuous operator interaction.
• Machine learning integration to segment lower resolution data and build functional relationships between experimental results, enhancing the identification of novel features. 
• A world-leading Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) system with exceptional collection efficiency, providing precise compositional analysis.
• A new high-performance electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS) design for chemical analysis of diverse species in complex systems.

Custom built, it is being developed in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific and will arrive in summer 2025. The global laboratory equipment manufacturer has provided Professor Haigh鈥檚 team access to the necessary API control, and will supply an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) system with a world-leading collection efficiency of 4.5 srad.

The AutomaTEM will be housed in 51福利社's state-of-the-art (EMC), one of the largest in the UK. The EMC already has 6 transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), 13 scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), and 6 focussed ion beam (FIB) instruments. It supports more than 500 internal users, from 12 different University of 51福利社 Departments, and welcomes users from institutes across the world, including Cardiff, Durham, Queen Mary and 51福利社 Metropolitan universities, University of Cape Town (SA), Ceres Power, Nexperia, Nanoco, bp, Johnson Matthey, Oxford Instruments, and UKAEA.

AutomaTEM will be available to external users for free proof of principle academic projects for up to 30 per cent of its total use during the first three years to help foster collaboration and advance research capabilities.

, Royal Society University Research Fellow at 51福利社, who is leading co-investigator on the project, said: "The faster, more accurate analysis capabilities of AutomaTEM represent a significant leap forward in materials science research.

鈥淲ith the potential to impact various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor, the AutomaTEM aims to support the UK鈥檚 position at the forefront of materials science innovation.鈥�

Today鈥檚 announcement consolidates 51福利社鈥檚 reputation at the forefront of advanced materials research. Home to highest concentration of materials scientists in UK academia, it hosts several national centres for Advanced Materials research including the Henry Royce Institute - the UK national institute for Advanced Materials Research; the bp-ICAM, a global partnership to enable the effective application of advanced materials for the transition to net zero; the National Centre for X-ray Computational Tomography; and the National Graphene Institute, the world-leading interdisciplinary centre for graphene and 2D materials research.

Common informal recycling activities for lead-acid batteries used in solar energy systems were recorded to release 3.5-4.7 kg of lead pollution from a typical battery, which is equivalent to more than 100 times the lethal oral dose of lead for an adult.

Off-grid solar technologies are used to provide power to areas lacking traditional grid connections and are crucial for expanding electricity access across sub-Saharan Africa. The private market for off-grid solar electrification technologies is expected to provide electricity access to hundreds of millions of people by 2030, subsidized by global energy companies in the Global North, including the UK. Meanwhile, household scale off-grid solar energy systems in sub-Saharan Africa mostly depend on lead-acid batteries as the most affordable and established energy storage technology.

But the scientists warn that the absence of formal waste management infrastructure presents major human health and environmental risks and urge government intervention immediately.

This research, published today in the journal , was led by Dr Christopher Kinally for his PhD at 51福利社, funded by EPSRC.

Dr Kinally said: 鈥淭he private market for off-grid solar products is a very effective way to increase access to electricity, which is crucial for sustainable development. However, the resulting toxic waste flow is growing rapidly across regions that do not have the infrastructure to safely manage electronic waste.

鈥淲ithout developing infrastructure, legislation and education around these technologies, there are severe public health risks. Significant social, economic and legislative interventions are required for these solar products to be considered as a safe, low-carbon technology in sub-Saharan Africa.鈥�

Toxic informal waste management practices are known to be common for automotive batteries and electronic waste in low- and middle-income countries, but the environmental and health impacts of these practices have been widely overlooked. Now, efforts to promote sustainable development and electricity access are adding to these life-threatening waste streams.

Dr Kinally recorded that within suburban communities in Malawi, lead-acid batteries from solar energy systems are being refurbished openly on busy market streets by self-taught technicians, who are not aware of the toxicity of the materials they are handling.

He found that batteries are broken open with machetes, lead is melted over charcoal cooking stoves, and improvised lead battery cells are made by hand. In the process, approximately half of the lead content from each battery is leaked into the surrounding environment, releasing the equivalent of more than 100 lethal oral lead doses from a single battery into densely populated communities. 

This is the first data to quantify lead pollution from the informal recycling of lead-acid batteries from solar energy systems.  

Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid, primary supervisor of the PhD and Senior Lecturer in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment at 51福利社, added: 鈥淭he problem is not the use a renewable source like solar energy, but the lack of appropriate treatment of the batteries at the end of life. We urgently need further research to reveal the health impacts of the identified flows of toxic pollution from solar batteries.鈥�

Lead is a potent neurotoxin, and very low levels of lead exposure is known to permanently impact a child鈥檚 brain development. UNICEF have estimated that 800 million children across low- and middle-income countries have lead poisoning.

This widespread lead pollution is largely driven by improperly managed automotive battery waste and is expected to have substantial health and economic impacts across the Global South yet continues to be overlooked.  

Prior publications from the research team also highlight that the private off-grid solar market suffers from a general lack of supplier accountability and substandard, short-lived and counterfeit off-grid solar products were found to be common in Malawi, exploiting vulnerable energy-poor populations.

A lack of education about how to build and use these solar energy systems, which are particularly vulnerable to damage from improper use, is also severely limiting the lifetimes of batteries in off-grid solar energy systems.

Batteries in Malawi were recorded to often fail within a year, far shorter than the 3-5 year expected lifetime, accelerating the toxic waste flow. Meanwhile, the environmental impacts (including carbon emissions) from manufacturing and replacing short lived lead-acid batteries is compromising the sustainability and environmental benefits of solar energy systems.

Dr Fernando Anto帽anzas, co-supervisor of the PhD, added: 鈥淭his study brings more light on the maintenance and end-of-life phases of small off-grid solar projects, indeed left unattended in most cooperation projects. While informal lead-acid battery recycling offers a short-term solution for electrification for the poorest, at the same time, represents an enormous public health risk across Sub-Saharan Africa."

The research team has also provided policy recommendations for waste management solutions, including changes to how solar energy companies receive investments from the UK and Global North.

describe a force-controlled release system that harnesses natural forces to trigger targeted release of molecules, which could significantly advance medical treatment and smart materials.

The discovery, published today in the journal , uses a novel technique using a type of interlocked molecule known as rotaxane. Under the influence of mechanical force - such as that observed at an injured or damaged site - this component triggers the release of functional molecules, like medicines or healing agents, to precisely target the area in need. For example, the site of a tumour.

It also holds promise for self-healing materials that can repair themselves in situ when damaged, prolonging the lifespan of these materials. For example, a scratch on a phone screen.

Traditionally, the controlled release of molecules with force has presented challenges in releasing more than one molecule at once, usually operating through a molecular "tug of war" game where two polymers pull at either side to release a single molecule.

The new approach involves two polymer chains attached to a central ring-like structure that slide along an axle supporting the cargo, effectively releasing multiple cargo molecules in response to force application. The scientists demonstrated the release of up to five molecules simultaneously with the possibility of releasing more, overcoming previous limitations.

The breakthrough marks the first time scientists have been able to demonstrate the ability to release more than one component, making it one of the most efficient release systems to date.

The researchers also show versatility of the model by using different types of molecules, including drug compounds, fluorescent markers, catalyst and monomers, revealing the potential for a wealth of future applications.

Looking ahead, the researchers aim to delve deeper into self-healing applications, exploring whether two different types of molecules can be released at the same time. For example, the integration of monomers and catalysts could enable polymerization at the site of damage, creating an integrated self-healing system within materials.

They will also look to expand the sort of molecules that can be released.

said: "We've barely scratched the surface of what this technology can achieve. The possibilities are limitless, and we're excited to explore further."

51福利社 scientists are driving research into the capabilities of inorganic high-entropy materials (HEMs). HEMs diverge away from the traditional picture of a material 鈥� i.e. something stabilised by creating bonds with other atoms 鈥� because their structure, somewhat paradoxically, is stabilised by disorder. It is this disorder makes them a potentially disruptive technology for sustainable energy generation including thermoelectric energy generation, batteries for energy storage, chemical catalysis and electrocatalysis.

Engineering new materials with exciting properties

Led by , Head of the Department of Materials, the team of material scientists is engineering high-entropy materials from the bottom up. By adding a 鈥榗ocktail鈥� of different metal atoms into the lattice, they are devising materials that are that have never been discovered before, and have some very exciting properties.

Through this work, the team have uncovered a range of capabilities in the materials. For example, their aptitude for electrocatalytic water splitting

Because HEMs contain so many different unique sites within the material, the  materials also have great potential as a disruptive technology in chemical catalysis.

Professor David Lewis explains, 鈥�It's almost like combinatorial chemistry at the atomic scale. This can be illustrated with a simple calculation. If one starts to imagine the number of unique sites in a high entropy material which contains six or more different elements, including the three nearest neighbour atoms, you鈥檙e looking at combinations in the order of 10³³. Compare that to the amount of known 鈥榲anilla materials鈥� as I would call them, well there鈥檚 only about 10¹² of those 鈥� so you can really start to produce almost unimaginable combinations of active sites within a catalyst. We have also shown that this approach can activate different structural features in electrocatalysts that lie dormant in the parent materials, and with it, improvements in efficiency鈥�

In addition to this Professor Lewis鈥� team were the first to show how these materials could also exhibit quantum confinement at short (10^-9 m) length scales leading to the .

Looking to the Future

Professor Lewis鈥� team builds high-entropy materials from the atom up, arguing in a recent that this route, in general, presents the best strategy for ensuring entropic stabilisation. This means the team can control the composition of a material, from the composition of the molecular precursors that were put into the pot at the start. Despite the growth of interest in high entropy materials there still remains many challenges in their characterisation and computational simulation of the systems and Professor Lewis鈥� research will address these questions going forward.

Professor Lewis says: 鈥淭here are still a number of outstanding challenges, and the nature of these are very interdisciplinary. I have been lucky enough to be able to collaborate with many other academics all at the same institution that share my interest in these problems. To me, therefore, 51福利社 is the ideal place to conduct this research.鈥�

---

is the Head of the Department of Materials at 51福利社. His other research interests include synthesis of compound semiconductors and inexpensive alternatives to traditional energy generation materials, 2D materials beyond graphene, and quantum dots.

Read recent papers:

To discuss this research or potential partnerships, contact Professor Lewis via david.lewis-4@manchester.ac.uk.

Long-term energy storage 鈥� or energy storage with a duration of at least ten hours 鈥� is key to supporting the low-carbon energy transition and security. It will enable electricity generated by renewables to be stored for longer, increasing the efficiency of these environmentally sustainable technologies and reducing dependency baseload imported gas and coal-fired power plants. It will also help drive the multi-billion global market which is, currently, inadequately served with current market-ready technologies.

HalioGEN Power 鈥� a spin-out founded by 51福利社 Professor and, with Research Associates Dr Lewis Le Fevre, Dr Andinet Aynalem, and Dr Athanasios Stergiou 鈥� has created a technology that has the potential to store energy and efficiently provide power without using critical raw materials.

HalioGEN Power鈥檚 team have achieved this by developing a redox-flow battery technology that does not require the use of membrane. By eliminating the need for a membrane, this technology is one of the world鈥檚 first long-term storage solutions to negate the use of lithium. Instead, by manipulating the halogen chemistry, the team has been able to create a two-phase system, where the interface between the two phases acts as a membrane.

Unlike current market-established technologies that use lithium metal and can only store energy efficiently for up to four hours, HalioGEN鈥檚 redox-flow batteries can store energy for more than ten hours.

In addition, the HalioGEN Power technology requires just one tank and one pump, instead of two for conventional flow batteries. This not only reduces the capital cost of the system, but also reduces the complexity of the battery design.

The new funding is provided by , The German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, following the successful creation of a lab-based protype by the HalioGEN Power team. The prototype phase took place within the labs, using an initial 鈧�1 million investment, also provided by SPRIND.

The 鈧�3 million seed funding will now be used to scale and de-risk this protype over the next 18 months, preparing its route for commercial application.

During this 18-month lab-to-market acceleration period, HalioGEN Power will be based in the (GEIC) at 51福利社. The GEIC specialises in the commercialisation of new technologies using graphene and other 2D materials. As a GEIC partner, HalioGEN Power will be able to access its world-class facilities and resources, supported by a team of application engineers with broad experience in the development of novel products.

Despite its infancy, HalioGEN Power has already received expressions of interest from various organisations from the UK and Europe, including energy suppliers and energy solution providers, keen to apply its technology and invest in future roll out.

The HalioGEN Power project team will be led by the co-founders, who will each take key roles in the business structure. Dr Lewis Le Fevre will operate as Chief Technology Officer, Dr Andinet Aynalem as Principal Scientist, and Dr Athanasios Stergiou as Senior Scientist, with Professor Robert Dryfe overseeing all activity.

Robert Dryfe, Professor of Physical Chemistry at 51福利社 and HalioGEN Power鈥檚 co-founder explained: 鈥淥ur goal is to bring to market a new, disruptive energy innovation that helps address global energy transition and security challenges, while also tackling geo-specific issues that threaten the stability of the grid, such as the so-called 鈥榙ark lulls鈥� in Germany. These lulls see the country go for up to ten days without significant solar and wind energy generation.

鈥淥ur redox-flow battery technology creates long-term storage to navigate issues like this in order to maximise the environmental and economic sustainability of renewable energy systems."

 As part of this development stage, SPRIND will provide financial support and mentorship. SPRIND is part of the German Federal Government and has been set up to support innovators from Germany and neighbouring countries, creating a space where they can take risks. 

In addition, HalioGEN Power will receive ongoing support from the (the Agency), a unique collaboration between eight partners from the public, private and academic sectors in Greater 51福利社 (GM), tasked with accelerating carbon emission reductions and transitioning the GM city-region to a carbon-neutral economy by 2038 by connecting innovative low-carbon products and services to end-users

The Agency will support HalioGEN Power in the further development of the business, business plan, and products, from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 to 7, throughout 2024 and 2025, sourcing and introducing potential end user customers and defining a clear route for the technology from prototype to market-ready.

David Schiele, Director of The Energy Innovation Agency said: 鈥淭he Agency is thrilled to be working with the HalioGEN Power team, and uniquely placed, to help them accelerate development of their innovative battery technology and business throughout 2024 and beyond, by offering access to business development support, and end-users, to support the energy transition with innovative products which make greater use of stored energy from clean renewable energy generation鈥�.

HalioGEN Power is the second spin-out co-created by Professor Robert Dryfe. He also co-founded Molymem, a breakthrough water filtration technology, which has already secured 拢1 million in investment to scale up its technology.   

Today, the and The announced the nine recipients of the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK, including three Laureates and six finalists.

and are named among the three Laureates, who will each receive 拢100,000 in recognition of their work in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences & Engineering, respectively.

Now in its seventh year, the awards are the largest unrestricted prizes available to UK scientists aged 42 or younger. The awards recognise research that is transforming medicine, technology and our understanding of the world.

This year鈥檚 Laureates were selected by an independent jury of expert scientists from across the UK.

Professor Anthony Green, a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry from 51福利社, has been named the Chemical Sciences Laureate for his discoveries in designing and engineering new enzymes, with valuable catalytic functions previously unknown in nature that address societal needs. Recent examples include the development of biocatalysts to produce COVID-19 therapies to break down plastics, and to use visible light to drive chemical reactions. 

Rahul Nair, Professor of Materials Physics at 51福利社, was named Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering for developing novel membranes based on two-dimensional (2D) materials that will enable energy-efficient separation and filtration technologies. Using graphene and other 2D materials, his research aims to study the transport of water, organic molecules, and ions at the nanoscale, exploring its potential applications to address societal challenges, including water filtration and other separation technologies.

Internationally recognised by the scientific community, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists are instrumental in expanding the engagement and recognition of young scientists and provide the support and encouragement needed to drive scientific innovation for the next generation.

, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, said: 鈥淧roviding recognition and funding early in a scientist鈥檚 career can make the difference between discoveries that remain in the lab and those that make transformative scientific breakthroughs.

鈥淲e are proud that the Awards have promoted both UK science and the careers of many brilliant young scientists and we look forward to their additional discoveries in the years ahead.鈥�

, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Awards鈥� Scientific Advisory Council, added: 鈥淔rom studying cancer to identifying water in far-off planets, to laying the groundwork for futuristic quantum communications systems, to making enzymes never seen before in a lab or in nature, this year鈥檚 Laureates and Finalists are pushing the boundaries of science and working to make the world a better place. Thank you to this year鈥檚 jury for sharing their time and expertise in selecting these daring and bold scientists as the winning Laureates and Finalists of the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK.鈥�

The 2024 Blavatnik Awards in the UK Laureates and Finalists will be honoured at a black-tie gala dinner and award ceremony at Banqueting House in Whitehall, London, on 27 February 2024.

The new Centre aims to link up on Advanced Materials with the broader UK innovation eco-system involving multiple universities, catapult centres and the National Health Service. The research programme will get the benefit of participation of leading academics and technologists of the broader eco-system through the partner network of the Henry Royce Institute.

Tata Steel has a growing business in composites, graphene, and medical materials. The research programme at the Centre will not only focus on pushing the knowledge boundaries in these materials, but also explore 2D and second-life materials. Establishing recycling technologies for materials will be an integral part of materials development.

T. V. Narendran, CEO & MD, Tata Steel, said: 鈥淭he establishment of the Centre for Innovation in the UK represents a strategic move for Tata Steel towards harnessing the global technology and innovation ecosystem. The Centre at Royce will enable us to work with world-class scientists and a rich partner network to create sustainable, breakthrough, market-ready applications for the benefit of both the Company and the community. Tata Steel is committed to developing pioneering technologies and solutions for a better tomorrow."

Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Technology and R&D, Tata Steel, said: 鈥淲e have set up Centres for Innovation in India in key areas like Mobility, Mining, Mineral Research, and Advanced Materials. The Centre for Innovation in Advanced Materials at Royce is one of the first of Tata Steel鈥檚 multiple global satellite R&D and Technology centres planned in key strategic areas. I am enthusiastic about this collaboration which aligns seamlessly with Tata Steel's pursuit of technology leadership and building future ready businesses by exploring opportunities in materials beyond steel.鈥�

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of 51福利社, said: 鈥淲e are really pleased that Tata Steel is establishing this Centre for Innovation here in 51福利社, truly leveraging our world-class expertise in advanced materials. Importantly, this excellent Centre will combine the capability of the University of 51福利社鈥檚 leading materials researchers with the commercial expertise of Tata Steel and is set to deliver a very productive innovation-based relationship for both the University and the company.鈥�

Professor David Knowles, Royce CEO, said: 鈥淭his important Royce collaboration with Tata Steel further underscores the opportunities for advanced materials and manufacturing both in the North West and across the UK 鈥� securing the experience and reach of a global player in materials manufacturing to further accelerate the translation of materials-based technologies to address challenges in health, sustainability and net-zero. Critically the Centre leverages on Royce鈥檚 national network of Partners to support a project which has a foot in the North West. We are looking forward to this programme building momentum for the region and feeding into a number of national supply chains supporting regional economic growth around the UK.鈥�

This collaboration aims to strengthen the existing robust relationship between the organisations, capitalising on Tata Steel's extensive expertise in technology translation and commercialisation, complemented by Royce's strengths in science and innovation within advanced materials. Additionally, this initiative will also enable the Royce Hub at 51福利社 to leverage their key Royce Partners which include the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield, and Imperial College London under this MoU.

It was facilitated by both , at 51福利社, in his role as Faculty Head of Internationalisation for India and Dr Laura Cohen, Royal Academy of Engineering鈥檚 (RAEng) Visiting Professor at Royce who is the former CEO of the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC).

Critical metals such as copper, cobalt, gallium, indium, rare earth, and platinum group metals are the raw materials for low-carbon technologies such as wind mill generators, solar panels, batteries, magnets, and EV vehicles, and are critical in the development of low-carbon industries globally.

The Critical Metals Industry includes mining, smelting, processing, and recycling, in which research and innovation plays an important role. UK and India face similar challenges in terms of building supply chain resilience in critical metals as both countries do not have very good sources of critical metals and minerals. They are largely dependent on a few countries for sourcing in their finished forms. There is recognition in both countries on the importance of building supply chain resilience in this area.

Working Party

The workshop saw discussions on future ways forward. There was particular interest identified from the Indian delegation in battery recycling (critical materials for anode cathode, electrolyte); magnets; novel battery technology; using less critical materials; design for end-of-life; photovoltaics; other sustainable materials, and waste streams from mining.

Exploration of materials is a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) 鈥� India priority.

The November workshop follows an earlier  in Spring this year. This earlier meeting had mapped the India landscape to critical minerals strengths, challenges and opportunities for collaboration with the UK.

Mr Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) who led the Indian delegation said, 鈥淐ritical minerals is an important area of collaboration. It can possibly have focus on raising sensitivity through carefully crafted Awareness Programs, skill upgradation, technological collaboration, knowledge exchange and experience sharing and finally exploring Investment opportunities in the area of critical minerals between India and the UK. We sincerely hope this engagement to rise to meaningful and impactful levels. 鈥�

Joshua Bamford, representing the FCOD and Head of Tech and Innovation at the British High Commission New Delhi said, 鈥淭he UK and Indian governments recognise the strategic importance of securing a sustainable supply of critical materials as well as the need for innovation and investment in the recycling of critical materials in order to drive forward technological transformation and the transition to net zero.

鈥淭his workshop has underscored the huge opportunities of continued collaboration between our governments, universities and industry to drive forward new innovations, share expertise and fast track new solutions to market.

鈥淭he UK government looks forward to delivering the next steps of this exciting partnership to deliver tangible benefits to the UK and India.鈥�

Dr. Laura Cohen said, 鈥淭his was a very positive workshop, which demonstrated the huge potential for both countries to work together to translate these priority themes into tangible projects. A good example was the strong interest from a number of Indian battery recycling companies in initial work with Royce/ 51福利社 in exploring titanium recycling for battery casing.  

鈥淏oth the UK and India delegates were also keen to use the learning from the Royce  project, recognising the importance of 鈥榓pplication scientists鈥� in establishing industry needs and connecting this to academic expertise.鈥�

Prof. Aravind Vijayaraghavan added, 鈥淚t was a pleasure to work with FCDO and Royce to host this delegation in 51福利社, where a clear and significant potential was evidenced for both countries to work together to promote the circularity of critical materials. We will look forward to translating these engagement into highly impactful projects and long-term collaborations, as well as to explore joint commercial opportunities in both countries.鈥�

The Workshop included interdisciplinary UK delegates from the Universities of 51福利社, Brunel and Surrey, the Henry Royce Institute, FCDO, key Indian technology Institutes and laboratories, Innovate UK as well as a number of Indian businesses who have activities associated with rare metals.

The prestigious award ceremony, held in London on November 9, recognised and celebrated outstanding British entrepreneurship, firmly establishing GIM as a leader in sustainability and innovation.

The Innovator of the Year Awards, hosted by The Spectator, have become a hallmark in the UK's business and investment communities, attracting a growing number of entries each year. The award was well deserving of GIM's groundbreaking work in harnessing the power of graphene to drive sustainability and economic viability.

Earlier this month, GIM, alongside Economic Innovator of the Year finalists, was featured in . The episode delved into their expertise in manufacturing and engineering, with GIM's contributions highlighted from 27:30.

Graphene Innovations 51福利社 Ltd

GIM design graphene-based compounds and production systems that allow partners to commercialise graphene-enhanced products at scale, unlocking competitive advantage, sustainability, and cost reduction. Notably, GIM's work in developing graphene-enhanced concrete stands out as a game-changer for the construction industry, where concrete production contributes 8% of global CO2 emissions.

GIM Concrete, a pioneering product by the company, is a fusion of graphene, polymers, and additives. What makes it truly innovative is its manufacturing process, which eliminates 88% of CO2 emissions by abstain from the use of cement. Not only does it address environmental concerns, but GIM Concrete also boasts 4 times the compression strength of traditional concrete, is 30% lighter, and cures in a mere 2 to 4 hours, compared to the 28 days required for traditional concrete.

The company has also developed a sustainable waste upcycling platform, utilising graphene as an additive to transform ground waste tires and plastics. This approach allows for the creation of high-quality, durable products through traditional manufacturing processes, optimising both performance and sustainability.

Graphene Innovations 51福利社 Ltd was founded by Dr Vivek Koncherry, an alumnus, with their research and development centre located in 51福利社鈥檚 (GEIC). 

Vivek expressed his delight saying: 鈥淲e are honoured to receive the Excellence in Sustainability award and grateful for the supportive environment in 51福利社's graphene ecosystem and the focus of 51福利社 on this core area of social responsibility. This recognition exemplifies the collaborative efforts and transformative potential of graphene-based solutions. Personally, my time as a senior research fellow at 51福利社, combined with recognising the fundamental role of sustainability in the University鈥檚 ethos, inspired me to working with graphene and the GEIC.

"From first proposing a graphene suitcase idea to recycling car tires into graphene floor mats, the journey has been very transformative with exciting future developments now taking place. With this recognition, GIM eagerly anticipates continuing its innovative journey, contributing to a sustainable future, and inspiring others to leverage the graphene ecosystem for positive impact."

What is graphene, and its link to 51福利社?

If you've ever used a pencil, you've unwittingly engaged with graphene. Discovered in 2004 by 51福利社-based researchers, Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov, graphene is a one-atom-thick, two-dimensional crystal. Their pioneering work in isolating graphene from graphite earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. Today, 51福利社 known as the home of graphene, remains a hub for graphene research and applications, and GIM stands as a shining example of the city's continued contribution to groundbreaking technological advancements.

The centre, led Dr Mauricio A 脕lvarez, will train the next generation of AI researchers to develop AI methods designed to accelerate new scientific discoveries 鈥� specifically in the fields of astronomy, engineering biology and material science.

The University will be working in partnership with The University of Cambridge, and is one of 12 Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) based at 16 universities, announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) today (31 October).

The investment by UKRI aims to ensure that the UK continues to have the skills needed to seize the potential of the AI era, and to nurture the British tech talent that will push the AI revolution forwards. 

拢117 million in total has been awarded to the 12 CDTs and builds on the previous UKRI investment of 拢100 million in 2018.

Doctoral students at 51福利社 will be provided with a foundation in Machine Learning and AI and an in-depth understanding of the implications of its application to solve real-world problems.

The programme will also cover the areas of responsible AI and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Dr Mauricio A 脕lvarez, Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning at 51福利社, said: "We are delighted to be awarded funding for this new AI CDT. 51福利社 is investing heavily in AI research and translation, and the CDT will complement other significant efforts in research through our AI Fundamentals Centre at the University and innovation via the Turing Innovation Catalyst. Our partnership with Cambridge will also enable us to educate experts capable of generalising and translating nationally to stimulate the development and adoption of AI technology in high-potential, lower AI-maturity sectors.

鈥淢odern science depends on a variety of complex systems, both in terms of the facilities that we use and the processes that we model. AI has the potential to help us understand these systems better, as well as to make them more efficient.

鈥�The AI methods we will develop will apply to a wide range of challenges in complex systems, from transport systems to sports teams. We are partnering with a diverse pool of industry collaborators to address these challenges jointly."

Dr Julia Handl, Professor in Decision Sciences at 51福利社, said: 鈥淭his CDT is a fantastic opportunity to bring together researchers from a wide spectrum of disciplines, from across all three of 51福利社鈥檚 Faculties, to ensure we can develop innovative solutions that are appropriate to the complexity and uncertainty of real-world systems. The involvement of the Faculty of Humanities is crucial in ensuring such systems are effective and inclusive in supporting human decision makers, and in delivering the centre鈥檚 cross-cutting theme of increasing business productivity, supported by collaboration with the Productivity Institute, the Masood Enterprise Centre and a range of industry partners.鈥�

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: 鈥淭he UK is in a strong position to harness the power of AI to transform many aspects of our lives for the better. Crucial to this endeavour is nurturing the talented people and teams we need to apply AI to a broad spectrum of challenges, from healthy aging to sustainable agriculture, ensuring its responsible and trustworthy adoption. UKRI is investing 拢117 million in Centres for Doctoral Training to develop the talented researchers and innovators we need for success.鈥�

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director, Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI, said: 鈥淭his 拢117 million investment, will involve multiple business and institutional partners for the Centres of Doctoral Training. These include well-known brands such as IBM, Astra Zeneca, and Google, as well as small to medium sized enterprises that are innovating in the AI field. A further 拢110 million has been leveraged from all partners in the form of cash or in-kind contributions such as use of facilities, resources or expertise.鈥�

The first cohort of UKRI AI CDT students will start in the 2024/2025 academic year, recruitment for which will begin shortly.

In an article published by the University鈥檚 policy engagement unit Policy@51福利社 to coincide with the 20th annual Recycle Week, Lindsay Pressdee, Dr Amy Benstead and Dr Jo Conlon highlight that, of the one million tonnes of textiles disposed of every year in this country, 300,000 tonnes end up in landfill or incineration with figures suggesting 10 per cent of global CO2 emissions may come from the fashion industry. 

And they warn that the damage inflicted by discarded sportswear is often overlooked, 鈥渄espite an over-reliance on polyester garments, which are harmful to the environment as the fabric releases microfibres and takes hundreds of years to fully biodegrade.鈥�

Pressdee, Benstead and Conlon stress the importance of establishing 鈥渟ustainable behaviour throughout the supply chain鈥� and praise the European Commission for proposing an 鈥渆xtended producer responsibility (EPR)鈥� for textiles in the EU which 鈥渁ims to create appropriate incentives to encourage producers to design products that have a reduced environmental impact at the end of their life.鈥�

This contrasts with the UK where, they argue, 鈥渢ackling sustainability in the fashion industry has lost its place on the political agenda.鈥�

51福利社 academics contend that there has been 鈥�disappointing lack of progress from the UK Government鈥� following the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee鈥檚 Fixing Fashion report in 2019.

They continue: 鈥淭his report included a call for the use of EPR as well as other important recommendations such as a ban on incinerating or landfilling unsold stock that can be reused or recycled and a tax system that shifts the balance of incentives in favour of reuse, repair and recycling to support responsible companies. We urge the Government to think again and drive forward the Committee鈥檚 recommendations in order to put sustainable fashion back on the political agenda.鈥�

Pressdee, Benstead and Conlon also criticise Ministers for abolishing the standalone GCSE in textiles which provided many young people with the ability to mend clothing such as football kits instead of throwing them away.

They write: 鈥淲e are therefore calling on the Government to reintroduce textiles as part of the school curriculum to engage young people in sustainable materials and equip them with the basic skills required to repair clothes.鈥�

51福利社 has launched a new project dedicated to tackling the impact of textile waste in the football industry through the provision of workshops tasked with transforming surplus football shirts into unique reusable tote bags, whilst educating local communities on the environmental impacts of textile waste and how to extend the life of garments. The initiative aims to provide a fun, responsible way to keep kits in circulation while shining a light on the problem.

鈥�Game changers, a new approach to tackling sportswear garment waste鈥� by Lindsay Pressdee, Dr Amy Benstead and Dr Jo Conlon is available to read on the . 

51福利社鈥檚 Dr Beatriz Mingo 鈥� RAEng Engineers Trust Young Engineer of the Year 2022 鈥� will collaborate with Dr Isabel Sousa from CICERO-Aveiro Institute of Materials 鈥� the best ranked materials science research unit in Portugal (Portuguese Science Foundation) 鈥� to develop a technology that has the potential to serve as the foundation for the next generation of biomedical implants with enhanced properties. 

Biodegradable materials for orthopaedic implants, such as screws, nails, or staples are of increasing clinical interest due to their ability to dissolve naturally after the bone has healed. This removes the need for additional surgical interventions to remove the implant, and the risk of further complication that this can cause. 

Magnesium, with its bone-like density and biocompatibility, is considered the ideal material. However, its rate of degradation is extremely high and currently does not last the complete bone healing period.  

The new project, funded by the Royal Society and starting this September, Dr Mingo and Dr Sousa aim to create a solution by developing a smart multilayer coating for magnesium substrates, in which each layer offers a specific functionality.  

The ceramic layer increases the implant life, matching the rate of biodegradation to that of the bone healing time; while the organic top-coat loaded with encapsulated antibiotics, simultaneously releases antibiotic molecules in-situ where infections are most likely to occur.  

Dr Beatriz Mingo, Senior Lecturer and Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow at 51福利社, explains: 鈥淥ur proposed technology has the potential to provide a foundation that transforms the future use of biomedical implants, creating an application that both optimises the healing process through the release of antibiotics, while eradicating the need for follow up surgeries 鈥� an additional risk of infection 鈥� to remove the implants. This will positively impact society by providing shorter treatment times for patients while relieving the financial burden of the NHS.鈥� 

The research grant is part of Royal Society initiative to stimulate international collaborations with leading scientists.  As part of the grant, Dr Mingo鈥檚 group members will visit the Univeristy of Aveiro to develop biodegradable gelatine capsules containing antibiotic agents and Dr Sousa will visit 51福利社 to incorporate these particles into coatings formed on magnesium based components. 

Dr Beatriz Mingo is a materials  scientist at 51福利社, whose research focuses on environmentally friendly surface treatments for light alloys.  

In addition to this project announced today, she is also developing high-performance smart materials that can release corrosion inhibitors in response to the change in pH that accompanies the start of the corrosion process. Her research could extend the lifetime of lightweight components used in transport, which will help to create energy-efficient vehicles and support sustainable consumption of resources.  

is one of 51福利社鈥檚 - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons 

Nanofluidics, the study of fluids confined within ultra-small spaces, offers insights into the behaviour of liquids on a nanometer scale. However, exploring the movement of individual molecules in such confined environments has been challenging due to the limitations of conventional microscopy techniques. This obstacle prevented real-time sensing and imaging, leaving significant gaps in our knowledge of molecular properties in confinement.

A team led by Professor Radha Boya in the Department of Physics at 51福利社 makes nanochannels which are only one-atom to few-atom thin using two-dimensional materials as building blocks.

Prof Boya said: 鈥淪eeing is believing, but it is not easy to see confinement effects at this scale. We make these extremely thin slit-like channels, and the current study shows an elegant way to visualise them by super-resolution microscopy.鈥�

The study's findings are published in the journal .

The partnership with the EPFL team allowed for optical probing of these systems, uncovering hints of liquid ordering induced by confinement.

Thanks to an unexpected property of boron nitride, a graphene-like 2D material which possesses a remarkable ability to emit light when in contact with liquids, researchers at EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology (LBEN) have succeeded in directly observing and tracing the paths of individual molecules within nanofluidic structures.

This revelation opens the door to a deeper understanding of the behaviours of ions and molecules in conditions that mimic biological systems.

Professor Aleksandra Radenovic, head of LBEN, explains: "Advancements in fabrication and material science have empowered us to control fluidic and ionic transport on the nanoscale. Yet, our understanding of nanofluidic systems remained limited, as conventional light microscopy couldn't penetrate structures below the diffraction limit. Our research now shines a light on nanofluidics, offering insights into a realm that was largely uncharted until now."

This newfound understanding of molecular properties has exciting applications, including the potential to directly image emerging nanofluidic systems, where liquids exhibit unconventional behaviours under pressure or voltage stimuli.

The research's core lies in the fluorescence originating from single-photon emitters at the hexagonal boron nitride's surface.

Doctoral student Nathan Ronceray, from LBEN, said: 鈥淭his fluorescence activation came unexpected as neither hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nor the liquid exhibit visible-range fluorescence on their own. It most likely arises from molecules interacting with surface defects on the hBN crystal, but we are still not certain of the exact mechanism,鈥�

Dr Yi You, a post-doc from 51福利社 engineered the nanochannels such that the confining liquids mere nanometers from the hBN surface which has some defects.

Surface defects can be missing atoms in the crystalline structure, whose properties differ from the original material, granting them the ability to emit light when they interact with certain molecules.

The researchers further observed that when a defect turns off, one of its neighbours lights up, because the molecule bound to the first site hopped to the second. Step by step, this enables reconstructing entire molecular trajectories.

Using a combination of microscopy techniques, the team monitored colour changes to successfully demonstrate that these light emitters emit photons one at a time, offering pinpoint information about their immediate surroundings within around one nanometer. This breakthrough enables the use of these emitters as nanoscale probes, shedding light on the arrangement of molecules within confined nanometre spaces.

The potential for this discovery is far-reaching. Nathan Ronceray envisions applications beyond passive sensing.

He said: 鈥淲e have primarily been watching the behaviour of molecules with hBN without actively interacting with, but we think it could be used to visualize nanoscale flows caused by pressure or electric fields.

鈥淭his could lead to more dynamic applications in the future for optical imaging and sensing, providing unprecedented insights into the intricate behaviours of molecules within these confined spaces.鈥�

The project received funding from the European Research Council, Royal Society University Research Fellowship, Royal Society International Exchanges Award and EPSRC New Horizons grant.

Bioprinting involves using specialised 3D printers to print living cells creating new skin, bone, tissue or organs for transplantation.

The technique has the potential to revolutionise medicine, and specifically in the realm of space travel, bioprinting could have a significant impact.

Astronauts on extended space missions have an increased health risk due to the absence of gravity and exposure to radiation. This makes them susceptible to diseases such as osteoporosis caused by loss of bone density and can cause injuries, such as fractures, which currently can鈥檛 be treated in space.

By harnessing bioprinting capabilities in space, researchers aim to protect the health of space explorers.

Currently, bioprinting machines rely on Earth鈥檚 gravity to function effectively. The new research by 51福利社, funded by a 拢200,000 grant from the UK Space Agency and supported by the European Space Agency, seeks to understand how to optimise the bioprinting process for conditions experienced in space, such as lack of gravity.

Dr Marco Domingos, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at 51福利社, said: 鈥淭his project marks a significant leap forward in bioprinting technology and by addressing the challenges posed by microgravity, we are paving the way for remarkable advancements in medicine and space exploration.鈥�

Libby Moxon, Exploration Science Officer for Lunar and Microgravity, added: 鈥�51福利社鈥檚 pioneering project investigating a novel approach for bioprinting in space will help strengthen the UK鈥檚 leadership in the areas of fluid mechanics, soft matter physics and biomaterials, and could help protect the health of astronauts exploring space around the Earth, Moon and beyond.

鈥淲e鈥檙e backing technology and capabilities that support ambitious space exploration missions to benefit the global space community, and we look forward to following this bioprinting research as it evolves.鈥�

Eventually, the team, including Dr Domingos, Prof Anne Juel and Dr Igor Chernyavsky, will take their findings to a bioprinting station being developed on board the International Space Station, which will allow researchers to print models in space and study the effects of radiation and microgravity.

Dr Domingos said: 鈥淭he first challenge is figuring out how to print anything where there is no gravity. There are few facilities in the UK that are suitable to study the bioprinting process within an environment that matches that of space 鈥� they are either too small, or the time in which microgravity conditions are applies are too short. Hence, it is important to print in space to advance our knowledge in this field.

鈥淏y combining the principles of physics with bioprinting at 51福利社, we hope to come up with a solution before taking it to the International Space Station for testing.鈥�

The project will take place over two years at the Bioprinting Technology Platform based at the Henry Royce Institute on 51福利社鈥檚 campus.

It hopes to develop beyond the challenge of microgravity to address further challenges of preserving, transporting and processing cells in space.

A decade ago, scientists at 51福利社 demonstrated that graphene is permeable to protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms. The unexpected result started a debate in the community because theory predicted that it would take billions of years for a proton to permeate through graphene鈥檚 dense crystalline structure. This had led to suggestions that protons permeate not through the crystal lattice itself, but through the pinholes in its structure.

Now, writing in , a collaboration between the University of Warwick, led by Prof Patrick Unwin, and 51福利社, led by Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo and Prof Andre Geim, report ultra-high spatial resolution measurements of proton transport through graphene and prove that perfect graphene crystals are permeable to protons. Unexpectedly, protons are strongly accelerated around nanoscale wrinkles and ripples in the crystal.

The discovery has the potential to accelerate the hydrogen economy. Expensive catalysts and membranes, sometimes with significant environmental footprint, currently used to generate and utilise hydrogen could be replaced with more sustainable 2D crystals, reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to Net Zero through the generation of green hydrogen.

The team used a technique known as to measure minute proton currents collected from nanometre-sized areas. This allowed the researchers to visualise the spatial distribution of proton currents through graphene membranes. If proton transport took place through holes as some scientists speculated, the currents would be concentrated in a few isolated spots. No such isolated spots were found, which ruled out the presence of holes in the graphene membranes.

Drs Segun Wahab and Enrico Daviddi, leading authors of the paper, commented: 鈥淲e were surprised to see absolutely no defects in the graphene crystals. Our results provide microscopic proof that graphene is intrinsically permeable to protons.鈥�

Unexpectedly, the proton currents were found to be accelerated around nanometre-sized wrinkles in the crystals. The scientists found that this arises because the wrinkles effectively 鈥榮tretch鈥� the graphene lattice, thus providing a larger space for protons to permeate through the pristine crystal lattice. This observation now reconciles the experiment and theory.

Dr Lozada-Hidalgo said: 鈥淲e are effectively stretching an atomic scale mesh and observing a higher current through the stretched interatomic spaces in this mesh 鈥� mind-boggling.鈥�

Prof Unwin commented: 鈥淭hese results showcase SECCM, developed in our lab, as a powerful technique to obtain microscopic insights into electrochemical interfaces, which opens up exciting possibilities for the design of next-generation membranes and separators involving protons.鈥�

The authors are excited about the potential of this discovery to enable new hydrogen-based technologies.

Dr Lozada-Hidalgo said, "Exploiting the catalytic activity of ripples and wrinkles in 2D crystals is a fundamentally new way to accelerate ion transport and chemical reactions. This could lead to the development of low-cost catalysts for hydrogen-related technologies."

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. 

The UK disposes of one million tonnes of textiles every year, 300,000 tonnes of which end up in landfill or incineration. Some figures suggest 10% of global CO2 emissions come from the fashion industry. 

The football sector is a huge contributor to this - approximately 2.45 million Liverpool and 1.95 million 51福利社 United sports shirts were sold worldwide in 2021 alone. 

The new project, KIT:BAG by R脝BURN, will work with local sportswear suppliers and the local community transform surplus football shirts into unique reusable tote bags, while educating them of the environmental impacts of textile waste and how we can extend the life of our garments. 

It aims to provide a fun, responsible way to keep kits in circulation while shining a light on the large-scale problem in the industry. 

Lindsay Pressdee, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion Marketing & Branding Communication at 51福利社, said: 鈥淒eveloping meaningful sustainable business models and consumer behaviours remains a key issue within the fashion sector and raises serious environmental concerns.  

鈥淭his project focuses on the overlooked area of sportswear; how we can extend the life of these polyester garments and avoid them going into landfill or incineration, through the key principle of community education. 

鈥淭he initiative aligns with 51福利社's objectives of promoting sustainability and social responsibility and by collaborating with Raeburn Design, which follows the REMADE sustainable ethos, we have an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and address this issue.鈥� 

Christopher Raeburn, Creative Director at R脝BURN, added: 鈥淎s our business has evolved, we鈥檝e tried, tested and proven our 鈥淩emade, Reduced, Recycled鈥� motif can be scaled and translated into other industries outside of fashion, such as architecture, furniture design, film and cultural placemaking. 

鈥淜IT:BAG by RAEBURN marks our newest venture: bringing circular design solutions to the sports industry. We鈥檙e excited to have the University of 51福利社 on board as our research partner for this project. Together, we鈥檝e set out a roadmap and a masterplan, now we鈥檙e inviting industry leaders to join us on this journey.鈥� 

While many solutions are emerging to tackle the problem of sustainable fashion, the size of the problem relating to official sportswear remains unknown.  

As research partners, academics from the Department of Materials at 51福利社 will focus on advancing current knowledge and generating new knowledge in this area. The researchers, including Lindsay Pressdee, Dr Amy Benstead,  Dr Jo Conlon and student intern Lena Bartoszewicz, will look at post-consumer waste, diverting it from landfill and repurposing it into a new usable product - a key part of the circular design model. 

Lindsay added: 鈥淭he waste of sportwear is a hidden problem 鈥� we know that football teams can have on average three kits per season, but we do not know how many people have in their homes, shoved in their wardrobes, or put away in their lofts.  

鈥淭he problem requires a multifaceted approach and any change requires collaboration with consumers, sports clubs, garment recycling schemes, sports brands and producers. 

鈥淚t is difficult to distinguish who is responsible, so we must consider both the sustainable production and consumption of products 鈥� a key principle of which is education.鈥� 

KIT:BAG by R脝BURN will launch on Thursday, 27 July with a party at The Lab E20 鈥� Raeburn鈥檚 creative workspace in London. This will be followed by a community event for children and families on Saturday, 29 July.  

The team plan to extend this to 51福利社, where they will invite the local community to various workshops and have a go at making their own reusable bags.

Despite being made entirely of layers of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern, natural graphite is not as simple as one may think. The manner in which these atomic layers stack on top of one another can result in different types of graphite, characterised by different stacking order of consecutive atomic planes.   The majority of naturally appearing graphite has hexagonal stacking, making it one of the most 鈥渙rdinary鈥� materials on Earth. The structure of graphite crystal is a repetitive pattern. This pattern gets disrupted at the surface of the crystal and leads to what's called 'surface states', which are like waves that slowly fade away as you go deeper into the crystal. But how surface states can be tuned in graphite, was not well understood yet.

Van der Waals technology and twistronics (stacking two 2D crystals at a twist angle to tune the properties of the resulting structure to a great extent, because of moir茅 pattern formed at their interface) are the two leading fields in 2D materials research. Now, the team of NGI researchers, led by Prof. Artem Mishchenko, employs moir茅 pattern to tune the surface states of graphite, reminiscent of a kaleidoscope with everchanging pictures as one rotates the lens, revealing the extraordinary new physics behind graphite.

In particular, Prof. Mishchenko expanded twistronics technique to three-dimensional graphite and found that moir茅 potential does not just modify the surface states of graphite, but also affects the electronic spectrum of the entire bulk of graphite crystal. Much like the well-known story of The Princess and The Pea, the princess felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds. In the case of graphite, the moir茅 potential at an aligned interface could penetrate through more than 40 atomic graphitic layers.

This research, published in the latest issue of , studied the effects of moir茅 patterns in bulk hexagonal graphite generated by crystallographic alignment with hexagonal boron nitride. The most fascinating result is the observation of a 2.5-dimensional mixing of the surface and bulk states in graphite, which manifests itself in a new type of fractal quantum Hall effect 鈥� a 2.5D Hofstadter鈥檚 butterfly.

Prof. Artem Mishchenko at 51福利社, who has already discovered the said: 鈥淕raphite gave rise to the celebrated graphene, but people normally are not interested in this 鈥榦ld鈥� material. And now, even with our accumulated knowledge on graphite of different stacking and alignment orders in the past years, we still found graphite a very attractive system 鈥� so much yet to be explored鈥�. Ciaran Mullan, one of the leading authors of the paper, added: 鈥淥ur work opens up new possibilities for controlling electronic properties by twistronics not only in 2D but also in 3D materials鈥�.

Prof. Vladimir Fal鈥檏o, Director of the National Graphene Institute and theoretical physicist at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, added: 鈥淭he unusual 2.5D quantum Hall effect in graphite arises as the interplay between two quantum physics textbook phenomena 鈥� Landau quantisation in strong magnetic fields and quantum confinement, leading to yet another new type of quantum effect鈥�.

The same team is now carrying on with the graphite research to gain a better understanding of this surprisingly interesting material.

Image credit: Prof. Jun Yin (co-author of the paper) 

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Pictured above: Water-graphene quantum friction (Credits: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda / Simons Foundation) 

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Professor Allan Matthews, 51福利社 Professor of Surface Engineering and Tribology in the , and affiliated to the , has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society for his substantial contribution to the advancement of science.

The Royal Society said that Prof Matthews' ground-breaking research into surface engineering has been 鈥渁genda-setting, prolific and pivotal since the 1980s".

He joins eighty outstanding researchers, innovators and communicators from around the world who have been elected as the newest Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK鈥檚 national academy of sciences and the oldest science academy in continuous existence.

Allan join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

Professor Philip Withers, Chief Scientist, Henry Royce Institute said:

"I am delighted that Allan has been elected a Fellow.  His work on the development and fundamental understanding of advanced coatings, particularly for materials and components operating under demanding environments is world leading academically as well as being of great industrial impact.

"Coatings are a key focus area for the Henry Royce Institute and Allan is moving the selection of appropriate coatings from a post-production sticking plaster art-form to a systematic and digitised process that is integral to the whole product design process."

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society said: 

鈥淚 am delighted to welcome our newest cohort of Fellows.

"These individuals have pushed forward the boundaries of their respective fields and had a beneficial influence on the world beyond.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 intake have already achieved incredible things, and I have no doubt that they will continue to do so. I look forward to meeting them and following their contributions in future.鈥�

Professor Allan Matthews is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is Professor of Surface Engineering and Tribology in the Department of Materials and Director of the EPSRC NetworkPlus in Digitalised Surface Manufacturing. Until June 2020, he served a four-year term as Director of the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM). He spent his early career in the UK aerospace industry with Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, then British Aerospace Dynamics Group, before returning to academia and completing a PhD at the University of Salford in advanced plasma-based coating processes for the deposition of ceramic coatings for industrial applications.

, specifically part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), also involves five world-leading industrial partners in the area of engineering for sustainable development: , , , and .

The RECYCLE project (REthinking low Carbon hYdrogen production by Chemical Looping rEforming) will construct and test a fully integrated innovative hydrogen production pilot unit at 51福利社. 

The technology is based on chemical looping reforming using fixed bed reactors which allow modular units and cost-effective solutions for hydrogen production using different feedstocks, with inherent carbon dioxide capture and separation at high purity. 

The final demonstration is planned for the second half of 2024 in the pilot area of the at 51福利社.

The UK is leading the industrial revolution to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In the recently published , the UK government is expecting to have two gigawatts of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity in operation or construction by 2025 and 10 gigawatts in 2030, subject to affordability and value for money. In this context, the RECYCLE project in 51福利社 represents an opportunity to to show continued innovation in the development of resilient and cost effective solutions for a low carbon future.

Dr Vincenzo Spallina, Senior Lecturer at 51福利社 and Principal Investigator of the RECYCLE project, said: 鈥淭he carried out during Phase 1 demonstrated great potential for low carbon hydrogen in the UK market and it has huge implications for several industrial stakeholders. This project will demonstrate its feasibility at a pre-commercial scale to increase awareness of the next steps towards commercial implementation.  

鈥淭he demonstration plant will be installed in the James Chadwick Building where we are currently renovating the existing pilot hall area to establish the for Research and Innovation on sustainable process technologies. Our students will have the fantastic opportunity to see the next-generation hydrogen plant in operation as a unique teaching and learning experience. 鈥�

Professor Alice Larkin, Head of the School of Engineering at 51福利社, added: 鈥淥ur University is committed to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2038 as part of its and supported by activity through our  Advanced Materials and Energy research beacons. This collaborative project will boost the prestige of our academic community to secure clean and sustainable development through Science and Innovation in close partnerships with industries."

Silvian Baltac, Associate Partner and Industrial Decarbonisation lead at Element Energy, an ERM Group company, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to continue supporting the University of 51福利社 and the RECYCLE Consortium with the Phase II of the project. Element Energy, a leading low-carbon consultancy, will help develop the go-to-market strategy for the RECYCLE technology, as well as support the Consortium with strategic communications and engagement, ensuring learnings from the project are disseminated with industry, academia, and the wider energy sector.鈥�

Mark Wickham, CEO of HELICAL ENERGY, commented: 鈥淥ur business is fully committed to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2038, by helping to develop and build neutral and negative carbon emissions technologies. This exciting collaborative project with the University of 51福利社 and industry partners will broaden our knowledge and experience in translational energy and build upon the work we are currently doing with other universities on carbon capture and hydrogen from biogenic fuels. RECYCLE is a fantastic innovative project that will make a significant contribution to carbon neutrality."

Les Newman, Engineering & Consulting Managing Director at Kent, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be part of this cutting-edge project.  It is aligned with Kent鈥檚 purpose to be a catalyst for energy transition and an exciting addition to our blue hydrogen project portfolio.  We look forward to working with the University of 51福利社 and the consortium partners to advance the progress of this novel low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture technology."

Suzanne Ellis, Innovation Director for Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Matthey, said: 鈥淛ohnson Matthey works with partners around the world to apply our expertise in synthesis gas, process technology and catalysis to enable a transition to a net zero future. We are delighted to be part of this consortium led by University of 51福利社, exploring the potential for this promising next generation technology to be moved through to industrial impact, whilst also inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.鈥�

Hugues Foucault, CO₂ Capture R&D manager from TotalEnergies, said: 鈥淭otalEnergies  is supporting R&D in the Chemical Looping Combustion technology and it is involved in the Phase 2 of the RECYCLE project to technically and economically assess this process of blue hydrogen production with inherent carbon dioxide capture."

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said: 鈥淗ydrogen, known as the super fuel of the future, is critical to delivering UK energy security and clean, sustainable growth. 

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that we have awarded funding to 51福利社 so that they can build and test their first-of-a-kind hydrogen technology. This will generate opportunities for UK businesses to export their expertise around the world whilst supporting our ambition to have amongst the cheapest energy in Europe.鈥�

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides dedicated leadership focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries.

The funding from the Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 programme comes from the  department鈥檚  拢1 billion , which provides funding for low-carbon technologies and systems and aims to decrease the costs of decarbonisation helping enable the UK to end its contribution to climate change.

"The history of membrane development spans more than 100 years and has led to a revolution in industrial separation processes," says Professor Rahul Raveendran Nair, Carlsberg/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair and study team leader. "In recent years, there has been some effort towards making membranes that mimic biological structures, particularly their 鈥榠ntelligent鈥� characteristics."

Now, in research published today in , scientists explain how they have developed intelligent membranes that can alter their properties depending on the environment and remember how permeable they were before. This means the membranes can adapt to different conditions in their environment and, more importantly, memorise their state, a feature which can be exploited in many different applications.

 A phenomenon known as hysteresis is the most common expression of memory or intelligence in a material. It refers to the situation where a system's current properties are dependent and related to its previous state. Hysteresis is commonly observed in magnetic materials. For example, a magnet may have more than one possible magnetic moment in each magnetic field depending on the field the magnet was subjected to in the past. Hysteresis is rarely seen, however, in molecular transport through artificial membranes.

"Coming up with simple and effective clean water solutions is one of our greatest global challenges. This study shows that fundamental molecular level insights and nanoscale materials offer great potential for the development of 'smart' membranes for water purification and other applications," said Professor Angelos Michaelides of the University of Cambridge.

In this work, the 51福利社 team in collaboration with scientists from University of Cambridge, Xiamen University, Dalian University of Technology, University of York, and National University of Singapore has developed intelligent membranes based on MoS₂ (a two-dimensional material called molybdenum disulphide) that can remember how permeable they were before. The researchers have shown that the way ions and water infiltrate the membranes can be regulated by controlling the external pH.

The membranes mimic the function of biological cell membranes and display hysteretic ion and water transport behaviour in response to the pH, which means they remember what pH they were exposed to before. 鈥淭he memory effects we have seen are unique to these membranes and have never been observed before in any inorganic membranes,鈥� said co-first author Dr Amritroop Achari of the University of 51福利社.

The researchers demonstrated that the biomimetic effect could be used to improve autonomous wound infection sensing. To do this, they placed the membranes in artificial wound exudate, which simulates the liquid produced by wounds, and subjected them to changes in pH. The membranes only allowed permeation of the wound exudate at pH levels relevant to an infected wound, thus allowing them to be used as sensors for infection detection. The researchers say the new membranes can also be used in a host of other pH-dependent applications, from nanofiltration to mimicking the function of neuronal cells.

Co-author Professor Kostya Novoselov, Langworthy Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of 51福利社 and a professor at the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore said, 鈥淭he uniqueness in this membrane is that its hysteretic pH response can be seen as a memory function, which opens a lot of interesting avenues for the creation of smart membranes and other structures. Research in this direction can play a pivotal role in the design of intelligent technologies for tomorrow.鈥�

Pictured above: Artist's view of intelligent membranes with memory effects, courtesy R.Nair

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Materials that strongly change their resistivity under magnetic fields are highly sought for various applications and, for example, every car and every computer contain many tiny magnetic sensors. Such materials are rare, and most metals and semiconductors change their electrical resistivity only by a tiny fraction of a percent at room temperature and in practically viable magnetic fields (typically, by less than a millionth of 1 %). To observe a strong magnetoresistance response, researchers usually cool materials to liquid-helium temperatures so that electrons inside scatter less and can follow cyclotron trajectories.  

Now a research team led by Professor Sir Andre Geim has found that good old graphene that seemed to be studied in every detail over the last two decade exhibits a remarkably strong response, reaching above 100% in magnetic fields of standard permanent magnets (of about 1,000 Gauss). This is a record magnetoresistivity among all the known materials.

Speaking about this latest graphene discovery, Sir Andre Geim said: 鈥淧eople working on graphene like myself always felt that this gold mine of physics should have been exhausted long ago. The material continuously proves us wrong finding yet another incarnation. Today I have to admit again that graphene is dead, long live graphene.鈥�

To achieve this, the researchers used high-quality graphene and tuned it to its intrinsic, virgin state where there were only charge carriers excited by temperature. This created a plasma of fast-moving 鈥淒irac fermions鈥� that exhibited a surprisingly high mobility despite frequent scattering. Both high mobility and neutrality of this Dirac plasma are crucial components for the reported giant magnetoresistance.

鈥淥ver the last 10 years, electronic quality of graphene devices has improved dramatically, and everyone seems to focus on finding new phenomena at low, liquid-helium temperatures, ignoring what happens under ambient conditions. This is perhaps not so surprising because the cooler your sample the more interesting its behaviour usually becomes. We decided to turn the heat up and unexpectedly a whole wealth of unexpected phenomena turned up鈥�, says Dr Alexey Berdyugin, the corresponding authors of the paper.

In addition to the record magnetoresistivity, the researchers have also found that, at elevated temperatures, neutral graphene becomes a so-called 鈥渟trange metal鈥�. This is the name given to materials where electron scattering becomes ultimately fast, being determined only by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The behaviour of strange metals is poorly understood and remains a mystery currently under investigation worldwide.

The 51福利社 work adds some more mystery to the field by showing that graphene exhibits a giant linear magnetoresistance in fields above a few Tesla, which is weakly temperature dependent. This high-field magnetoresistance is again record-breaking.

The phenomenon of linear magnetoresistance has remained an enigma for more than a century since it was first observed. The current 51福利社 work provides important clues about origins of the strange metal behaviour and of the linear magnetoresistance. Perhaps, the mysteries can now be finally solved thanks to graphene as it represents a clean, well-characterised and relatively simple electronic system.

鈥淯ndoped high-quality graphene at room temperature offers an opportunity to explore an entirely new regime that in principle could be discovered even a decade ago but somehow was overlooked by everyone. We plan to study this strange-metal regime and, surely, more of interesting results, phenomena and applications will follow鈥�, adds Dr Leonid Ponomarenko, from Lancaster University and one of the leading Nature paper authors.

In response to the findings, Helen has called for an overhaul of the full plastic supply chain, as well as for the recycling system to be simplified using knowledge gained from studying consumer practices. 鈥淎s consumers, we may often feel blamed for our excess packaging waste and the dirge of single-use plastic. On the contrary, our research shows that the majority of households want to do the right thing 鈥� indeed, many of the households we interviewed had found alternative routes of recycling for items the local authority would not recycle."

鈥淗owever, consumers are limited by complex and unclear messaging, restrictions regarding what can and cannot be recycled and the huge array of packaging. Our trial shows that a 鈥榦ne bin鈥� approach across the UK would improve recycling by simplifying waste management for consumers, driven by standardisation across the system. It鈥檚 clear that the willingness for change is there 鈥� now the onus is on industry and government to capitalise on this enthusiasm with action.鈥�

As part of the report, the team has developed an interactive tool that helps industry and policy stakeholders to think practically about what greater standardisation and consistency across manufacturing and processing will involve. It provides information and guidance on plastic waste and allows for a clear overview of the currently most sustainable choices for different plastics.

Funding for the project was granted as part of UK Research & Innovation鈥檚 Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund - Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging - this aims to establish a portfolio of academic-led research and development to address known problems and knowledge gaps in relation to plastic packaging.

in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research has shown that graphene with nanoscale corrugations of its surface can accelerate hydrogen splitting as well as the best metallic-based catalysts. This unexpected effect is likely to be present in all two-dimensional materials, which are all inherently non-flat.

The 51福利社 team in collaboration with researchers from China and USA conducted a series of experiments to show that non-flatness of graphene makes it a strong catalyst. First, using ultrasensitive gas flow measurements and Raman spectroscopy, they demonstrated that graphene鈥檚 nanoscale corrugations were linked to its chemical reactivity with molecular hydrogen (H2) and that the activation energy for its dissociation into atomic hydrogen (H) was relatively small.

The team evaluated whether this reactivity is enough to make the material an efficient catalyst. To this end, the researchers used a mixture of hydrogen and deuterium (D2) gases and found that graphene indeed behaved as a powerful catalyst, converting H2 and D2 into HD. This was in stark contrast to the behaviour of graphite and other carbon-based materials under the same conditions. The gas analyses revealed that the amount of HD generated by monolayer graphene was approximately the same as for the known hydrogen catalysts, such as zirconia, magnesium oxide and copper, but graphene was required only in tiny quantities, less than 100 times of the latter catalysts.

鈥淥ur paper shows that freestanding graphene is quite different from both graphite and atomically flat graphene that are chemically extremely inert. We have also proved that nanoscale corrugations are more important for catalysis than the 鈥榰sual suspects鈥� such as vacancies, edges and other defects on graphene鈥檚 surface鈥� said Dr Pengzhan Sun, first author of the paper.

Lead author of the paper Prof. Geim added, 鈥淎s nanorippling naturally occurs in all atomically thin crystals, because of thermal fluctuations and unavoidable local mechanical strain, other 2D materials may also show similarly enhanced reactivity. As for graphene, we can certainly expect it to be catalytically and chemically active in other reactions, not only those involving hydrogen.鈥�

鈥�2D materials are most often perceived as atomically flat sheets, and effects caused by unavoidable nanoscale corrugations have so far been overlooked. Our work shows that those effects can be dramatic, which has important implications for the use of 2D materials. For example, bulk molybdenum sulphide and other chalcogenides are often employed as 3D catalysts. Now we should wonder if they could be even more active in their 2D form鈥�.

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, is a game-changing UK discovery and its properties make it one of the most important breakthroughs in recent memory. Graphene is a wonder material, with incredible electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Prizes of 拢50,000 and 拢20,000 will be awarded to the individuals or teams who can best demonstrate how their technology relating to graphene or other 2D materials could be applied to a viable commercial opportunity. We will also be including an additional prize that celebrates the University's position as one of the leading institutions in the world on sustainable development.

Applications will be judged on the strength of their business plan to develop a new graphene-related business. The award then becomes seed funding to allow the candidate to take the first steps towards realising this plan. It recognises the role that high-level, flexible early-stage financial support can play in the successful development of a business targeting the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to research in graphene.

The final deadline for completed competition entries is midday on Friday 16 June 2023.

Eli Harari Graphene Enterprise Award 2023: introduction and overview

Join us on Tuesday 9 May and hear from Tony Walker, Deputy Director of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, who will give an overview of the competition, and share with you hints and tips as to what the judges will be looking for in your application.

You will learn about the support available to support you with your application and how to access this.

We're also pleased to welcome and introduce you to a previous winner of the competition, who can share with you their experience and how they have progressed with their idea since being involved with the Harari programme.

Key Dates*

• Monday 13 February - competition opens for expressions of interest
• Tuesday 9 May - information session for competition entrants
• Week of 29 May - meet with application experts from GEIC
• Week of 5 June - meet with commercialisation experts
• Friday 16 June - entry deadline, 12pm
• Wednesday 21 June 鈥� Finalists notified
• Monday, 26 June - Finalists invited to pitch to Mock Panel
• Monday 3 July 鈥� Mock Panel pitch
• Tuesday 4 July- Finalists invited to pitch in the Final Judging Panel
• Friday 7 July - Final Judging Panel 1-4pm.
• Friday 14 July - Winners Awards Event 3.30-5pm.

*timings may vary 

The researchers have shown that the formation of these graphene particles is governed by a complex interplay between different forces such as viscosity, surface tension, inertia and electrostatics. Prof Vijayaraghavan said: 鈥淲e have undertaken a systematic study to understand and explain the influence of various parameters and forces involved in the particle formation. Then, by tailoring this process, we have developed very efficient particles for adsorptive purification of contaminants from water鈥�.

Graphene oxide (GO), a functionalised form of graphene which forms a stable dispersion in water, has many unique properties, including being a liquid crystal. Individual GO sheets are one atom thin, and as wide as the thickness of human hair. However, to be useful, they need to be assembled into complex 3-dimensional shapes which preserves their high surface area and surface chemistry. Such porous 3-dimensional assemblies of GO are called aerogels, and when filled with water, they are called hydrogels.

The researchers used a second liquid crystal material called CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), to aggregate GO flakes into small particles of graphene oxide hydrogels, without needing to reduce them to graphene. This was achieved by dropping the GO dispersion in water in the form of small droplets into a solution of CTAB in water. When the GO droplets hit the surface of the CTAB solution, they behave very similarly to when a jet of hot smoke hits cold air. The GO drop flows into the CTAB solution in the form of a ring, or toroid, because of differences in the density and surface tension of the two liquids. 

By controlling various parameters of this process, the researchers have produced particles in the shape of spheres (balls), toroids (donuts) and intermediate shapes that resemble jellyfish. Dr Yizhen Shao, a recently graduated PhD student and lead author of this paper, said: 鈥渨e have developed a universal phase diagram for the formation of these shapes, based on four dimensionless numbers 鈥� the weber, Reynolds, Onhesorge and Weber numbers, representing the inertial, viscous, surface tension and electrostatic forces respectively. This can be used to accurately control the particle morphology by varying the formation parameters.鈥�

The authors highlight the significance of these particles in water purification. Kaiwen Nie, a PhD student and co-author of the paper, said: 鈥淲e can tune the surface chemistry of the graphene flakes in these particles to extract positively or negatively charged contaminants from water. We can even extract uncharged contaminants or heavy metal ions by appropriately functionalising the graphene surface.鈥�

Hebbian learning is a well-known learning mechanism, it is the process when we 鈥榞et used鈥� to doing an action. Similar to what occurs in neural networks, the researchers were able to show the existence of memory in two-dimensional channels which are similar to atomic-scale tunnels with heights varying from several nanometers down to angstroms (10^-10 m). This was done using simple salts (including table salt) dissolved in water flowing through nanochannels and by the application of voltage (< 1 V) scans/pulses.

The study spotlights the importance of the recent development of ultrathin nanochannels. Two types of nanochannels were used in this study. The 鈥榩ristine channels鈥� were from the 51福利社 team led by , which are obtained by the assembly of 2D layers of MoS₂. These channels have little surface charge and are atomically smooth. 鈥檚 group at ENS developed the 鈥榓ctivated channels鈥�, these have high surface charge and are obtained by electron beam etching of graphite.

An important difference between solid-state and biological memories is that the former works by electrons, while the latter have ionic flows central to their functioning. While solid-state silicon or metal oxide based 鈥榤emory devices鈥� that can 鈥榣earn鈥� have long been developed, this is an important first demonstration of 鈥榣earning鈥� by simple ionic solutions and low voltages. 鈥淭he memory effects in nanochannels could have future use in developing nanofluidic computers, logic circuits, and in mimicking biological neuron synapses with artificial nanochannels鈥�, said co-lead author Prof. Lyderic Bocquet.

Co-lead author Prof. Radha Boya, added that 鈥渢he nanochannels were able to memorise the previous voltage applied to them and their conductance depends on their history of the voltage application.鈥� This means the previous voltage history can increase (potentiate in terms of synaptic activity) or decrease (depress) the conduction of the nanochannel. Dr Abdulghani Ismail from the National Graphene Institute and co-first author of the research said, 鈥淲e were able to show two types of memory effects behind which there are two different mechanisms. The existence of each memory type would depend on the experimental conditions (channel type, salt type, salt concentration, etc.).鈥� 

Paul Robin from ENS and co-first author of the paper added, 鈥渢he mechanism behind memory in 鈥榩ristine MoS₂ channels鈥� is the transformation of non-conductive ion couples to a conductive ion polyelectrolyte, whereas for 鈥榓ctivated channels鈥� the adsorption/desorption of cations (the positive ions of the salt) on the channel鈥檚 wall led to the memory effect.鈥� 

Dr Theo Emmerich from ENS and co-first author of the article also commented, 鈥渙ur nanofluidic memristor is more similar to the biological memory when compared to the solid-state memristors鈥�. This discovery could have futuristic applications, from low-power nanofluidic computers to neuromorphic applications.

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President & Vice-Chancellor of 51福利社, and Professor Sir John O鈥橰eilly, President, Khalifa University (pictured above) officially signed a contract between the two institutions during a VIP visit by a 51福利社 delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Senior officials from both universities were present at the signing (pictured below).

This international partnership will further accelerate 51福利社 and Abu Dhabi鈥檚 world-leading research and innovation into graphene and other 2D materials. The Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D), based in Khalifa University, is part of a strategic investment programme supported by the Government of Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Growing international partnership

This partnership will support expediting the development of the RIC-2D at Khalifa University as well as help building capability in graphene and 2D materials in collaboration with Graphene@51福利社, a community that includes the academic鈥搇ed National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the commercially-focused Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), a pioneering facility already backed by the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar.

The historic agreement will bring together the vision of the two universities to tackle some of the globe鈥檚 biggest challenges, such as providing clean drinking water for millions of people and supporting a circular 鈥榞reen economy鈥� in all parts of the world.

Graphene 鈥� originally isolated at 51福利社, the global 鈥榟ome of graphene鈥� 鈥� has the potential to deliver transformational technologies. The focus of the Khalifa鈥�51福利社 partnership will be on key themes, with a priority to meet the most immediate of global challenges, including  climate change and the energy crisis. These flagship areas are:

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Water filtration and desalination 鈥� graphene and 2D materials are being applied to next generation filtration technologies to significantly boost their effectiveness and efficiency to help safeguard the world鈥檚 precious supply of drinking water

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Construction 鈥� graphene is helping to develop building materials that are much more sustainable and when applied at scale can expect to slash global CO2 emissions

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Energy storage 鈥� applications are being developed across the energy storage sector to produce more efficient batteries, with greater capacity and higher performance, and other energy storage systems vital to a circular 鈥榞reen economy鈥�

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Lightweighting of materials 鈥� the use of graphene and 2D materials to take weight out of vehicles, as well as large structures and infrastructure, will also be a key to building a more sustainable future.

The investment is expected to be allocated towards joint projects. The full scope and budgets for projects under this new framework agreement remain to be determined in the months ahead. The proposal will see dedicated space for the Khalifa University鈥檚 RIC-2D within the GEIC, which is based in the Masdar Building at 51福利社, to deliver rapid R&D and breakthrough technologies. Researchers from Khalifa University will have dedicated lab space in the GEIC where they can work alongside 51福利社鈥檚 applications experts and access in-house facilities and equipment.

Knowledge exchange

As well as the research and innovation activity, the RIC-2D programme will support the development of people, including early-career researchers who will benefit from the real-world experience of working on the joint R&D programme. Also, there will be opportunities for post-graduate students, including the exchange of PhD students and researchers (see Fact File below).

Professor Sir John O鈥橰eilly, President, Khalifa University, said: 鈥淭his Khalifa University-University of 51福利社 collaboration is greatly to be welcomed. It has all the hallmarks of a most successful approach to inspiring and nurturing outstanding research, innovation and enterprise in graphene to be taken forward to the benefit of the wider community.鈥�

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President & Vice-Chancellor of 51福利社, said: 鈥淲e look forward to a long and productive partnership with Khalifa University that will realise the potential of graphene to address global challenges including water and energy security and, above all, sustainability.鈥�

Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to enter into this partnership with 51福利社 and encourage innovation in graphene through a pipeline of projects, as well as focus on transferring technology towards commercialization. Through this agreement, we will continue to not only focus our research activities on existing flagship projects in water filtration, construction, energy storage and composites but also expand to new areas. This combination of virtual and in-person collaborations will also include exchange of PhD students and sponsored labs within the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at 51福利社.鈥�

Professor Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of 51福利社, said: 鈥淥ur excellent relationship with our partners in Abu Dhabi, including Khalifa University and Masdar, has been vital in the success of the world-leading graphene research and innovation activities at 51福利社, especially in driving forward the commercialisation of 2D materials in our facilities based in the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. This new investment will deliver a game-changing step change in our lab-to-market ambitions - and will accelerate the translation of graphene in an unprecedented way.鈥�

Professor Hassan Arafat, Senior Director, RIC-2D, said: 鈥淭he overarching goal of RIC-2D is to be a catalyst for economic growth in the UAE, by enabling industrial and public entities within the country to utilize graphene and other 2D materials in new technologies that add economic value and solve pressing societal challenges such as water scarcity and greenhouse emissions. Therefore, the center will support a range of fundamental and translational research projects, in addition to commercialization and technology transfer activities. Graphene@51福利社 has accumulated significant experience doing the same in the UK over the past decade. Hence, they were naturally identified as one of RIC-2D鈥檚 most strategic partners.鈥�

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@51福利社, explained: 鈥淲e have built a unique model of innovation for advanced materials in Greater 51福利社 by successfully attracting regional, national and international investment.

鈥淭he RIC-2D programme will be a significant funding boost for UK-based graphene research and commercialisation. It is set to significantly accelerate the work that is already happening in our ecosystem and help with the application and commercialisation of 2D materials at a rate much faster than you would normally expect for a revolutionary new material like graphene.

鈥淭his provides an opportunity to fast-track technologies that are urgently needed to tackle immediate challenges like climate change or the energy crisis. 51福利社 and Khalifa University will play a key role in connecting our ambitions by synchronising new research with key industry and supply-chain companies across a range of sectors.

鈥淥ur lab-to-market model will link up fundamental research with applied research and ultimately be part of a pipeline delivering new, market-ready technologies.  The programme will also provide industry-standard equipment and capabilities for the rapid scale-up and pilot production of prototypes.鈥�

Graphene@51福利社鈥檚 world-class facilities and resources are supported by internationally renowned academics and industry-experienced engineers and innovation experts, working across a very broad range of novel technologies and applications.

James Baker added: 鈥淭ogether, these experts will focus on industry-led 2D material development and look to help companies design, develop, scale-up and 鈥榙e-risk鈥� the next generation of innovative products and processes,鈥�

Fact File - joint R&D programme

The joint R&D programme between 51福利社 and Khalifa University  will provide a pipeline of projects from the near to long-term to ensure that RIC-2D development activities remain world-leading and are based upon a strong scientific foundation.

Part of the R&D programme will focus on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 1-3 鈥� i.e. early stage research and development - beyond which the research teams will collaborate with applications experts at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) in a bid to transfer the technology for commercialisation.

The shared R&D platforms are designed to support existing flagship projects, including those involved with water filtration, construction, energy storage and composites 鈥� but there will be an expectation to develop new streams. Finally, the R&D programme will produce high quality academic publications that will add to the prestige and international reputation of RIC-2D.

The joint programme will be a combination of virtual and in-person collaborations, through the exchange of PhD students and researchers and having Khalifa University sponsored labs based within the GEIC.

About Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the UAE鈥檚 top-ranked research-intensive institution, focuses on developing world-leading critical thinkers in science, engineering and medicine. The world-class university endeavours to be a catalyst to the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE鈥檚 rapidly developing knowledge economy as an education destination of choice and a global leader among widely acknowledged international universities.

For more information, please visit:

 is one of 51福利社鈥檚  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons.

The scientists argue that exciting developments induced by curvature at the nanoscale allow them to define a completely new field 鈥� curved nanoelectronics. The paper examines in detail the origin of curvature effects at the nanoscale and illustrates their potential applications in innovative electronic, spintronic and superconducting devices.

Curved solid-state structures also offer many application opportunities. On a microscopic level, shape deformations in electronic nanochannels give rise to complex three-dimensional spin textures with an unbound potential for new concepts in spin-orbitronics, which will help develop energy-efficient electronic devices. Curvature effects can also promote, in a semimetallic nanowire, the generation of topological insulating phases that can be exploited in nanodevices relevant for quantum technologies, like quantum metrology. In the case of magnetism, curvilinear geometry directly forges the magnetic exchange by generating an effective magnetic anisotropy, thus prefiguring a high potential for designing magnetism on demand.

Dr Ivan Vera-Marun from the National Graphene Institute at 51福利社 commented: 鈥渘anoscale curvature and its associated strain result in remarkable effects in graphene and 2D materials. The development in preparation of high-quality extended thin films, as well as the potential to arbitrarily reshape those architectures after their fabrication, has enabled first experimental insights into how next-generation electronics can be compliant and thus integrable with living matter鈥�.

The paper also describes the methods needed to synthesise and characterise curvilinear nanostructures, including complex 3D nanoarchitectures like semiconductor nanomembranes and rolled up sandwiches of 2D materials, and highlights key areas for the future developments of curved nanoelectronics.

The image above features a sketch of different research topics currently explored in electronic materials with nanoscale curved geometries. From left to right: geometry-controlled quantum spin transport, spin-triplet Cooper pairs in superconductors, magnetic textures in curvilinear structures.

Awarded via the (EPSRC), it follows an initial 拢258m government investment made over the course of five years to establish key infrastructure required by the advanced materials sector. Royce aims to support the growth of world-recognised excellence in UK materials research, accelerating commercial exploitation and delivering positive economic and societal impact.

The new funding will enable the Institute to accelerate translational research in advanced materials targeting our biggest challenges, providing access to research capabilities, identifying opportunities for collaboration between businesses and researchers and developing the next generation of materials scientists.

During his first official visit in his new role as Business Secretary, Grant Shapps said: 鈥楻&D investment is a critical way to turbocharge Britain鈥檚 growth. Growing an economy fit for the future means harnessing the full potential of advanced materials, making science fiction a reality by supporting projects from regenerative medicine to robots developing new recycling capabilities, right across the country - including here in the heart of 51福利社.

'Today鈥檚 拢95 million investment will do just that, bringing together the brightest minds across our businesses and institutions to help future-proof sectors from healthcare to nuclear energy.鈥�

Professor David Knowles, Royce CEO said: 鈥楻oyce and its partners across the UK, along with the advanced materials community, is very pleased to be able to confirm this Phase ll EPSRC funding. Innovation in advanced materials underpins a wider range of our industrial sectors and is fundamental to our economic growth.

鈥極ur Partnership offers a unique combination of materials science expertise, state-of-the-art laboratories and fantastic collaboration spaces for the advanced materials community. As we enter our Phase ll operations we are focused now, more than ever, on working with the community to identify the key challenges and opportunities ahead of us and supporting the translation of innovative research into the viable products and systems needed to ensure a sustainable future for us all.鈥�

EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Dame Lynn Gladden said: 鈥楢dvanced materials are crucial to driving growth across our key industries, from energy and transport to health, and ensuring they are sustainable for the future. This funding will build on the success of the Henry Royce Institute so far, to unleash the potential of this transformative technology for the benefit of the economy and the environment.鈥�

University of 51福利社 President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: 鈥業 am delighted that the fantastic work of the Royce in this sector has been recognised by this major award from EPSRC, further reinforcing 51福利社鈥檚 place at the epicentre of this revolutionary area of research and development.鈥�

Advanced Materials

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the planet.

Advanced materials and manufacturing were identified in the government鈥檚  as one of seven technology families in which the UK has globally competitive R&D and industrial strength.

The researchers believe that this fundamental understanding of interfacial water could be used to design better catalysts to generate hydrogen fuel from water. This is an important part of the UK鈥檚 strategy towards achieving a net zero economy. Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo said: 鈥淲e hope that the insights from this work will be of use to various communities, including physics, catalysis, and interfacial science and that it can help design better catalysts for green hydrogen production鈥�.

A water molecule consists of a proton and a hydroxide ion. Dissociating it involves pulling these two constituent ions apart with an electrical force. In principle, the stronger one pulls the water molecule apart, the faster it should break. This important point has not been demonstrated quantitatively in experiments.

Electrical forces are well known to break water molecules, but stronger forces do not always lead to faster water dissociation, which has puzzled scientists for a long time. A key difference with graphene electrodes is that these are permeable only to protons. The researchers found that this allows separating the resulting proton from the hydroxide ion across graphene, which is a one-atom-thick barrier that prevents their recombination. This charge separation is essential to observe the electric field acceleration of water dissociation. Another key advantage of graphene is that it allows evaluating the electric field at the graphene-water interface experimentally, which allows for quantitative characterisation of the field effect.

The results can be explained using the classical Onsager theory, which had remained unverified experimentally in the important case of water. Junhao Cai, a PhD student and co-first author of the work said: 鈥淲e were surprised to find how well the Onsager theory fitted our data. This theory provides insights into interfacial water, including an independent estimate of its dielectric constant, which remains poorly understood鈥�.

The authors are excited about the possibilities offered by their experimental setup. Eoin Griffin, PhD student and co-first author of the work said: 鈥淕raphene electrodes combine three properties that, as far as we know, are never found together in a single system: only protons permeate through the crystal, it is one-atom-thick and it can sustain very strong electrical forces. This combination allows us to essentially pull apart the first layer of water molecules on the graphene surface鈥�.

To encourage more recycling, some countries are taxing single-use plastic products containing less than 30% recycled plastic material. But aside from a manufacturer鈥檚 word, there isn鈥檛 an easy way to verify this.

Now, researchers reporting in have developed a simple, fraud-resistant technique to evaluate the recycled content of new plastic products. They added a fluorescent tag to plastic resins, successfully tracking the recycled content in products made with a variety of plastics and colours.

After reducing and reusing, recycling is the last line of defence for keeping plastic out of landfills or the environment. To encourage plastic recycling, some countries have shifted the responsibility to producers for incorporating these 鈥減ost-consumer materials鈥� in new products, such as single-use items and packaging. Whereas the U.K. is taxing plastic products with little recycled content, other countries, such as Italy and Spain, plan to impose taxes soon on products that contain no recycled content.

However, approaches to verify these amounts aren鈥檛 always accurate, potentially leading to fraud and public mistrust. One solution could be to tag recycled plastics with the fluorescent molecule 4,4,-bis(2-benzoxazolyl)stilbene (BBS), and then track the tagged recycled feedstocks into their resulting products. BBS鈥檚 fluorescence intensity and colour vary when different levels are present, and it鈥檚 inexpensive and approved for food contact applications. So, Michael Shaver and colleagues wanted to see how BBS could be used to measure the recycled content of single-use plastic products.

The researchers mixed small amounts of BBS into melted high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and then mixed that with virgin HDPE resin, simulating 0 to 100% recycled content materials. As the amount of BBS tagged-HDPE rose in the samples, the fluorescence intensity shifted toward a greener hue of blue under a UV light.

The marked plastic had a unique fluorescence behaviour, which the researchers suggest would be hard for someone with fraudulent intentions to replicate. Next, the team developed a simple digital image analysis technique that converted the material鈥檚 fluorescence into the percentage of recycled content.

鈥淚n tests, the method could identify the recycled content in other real-world plastics, including recycled milk bottles with additives, coloured HDPE, polypropylene and poly(ethylene terephthalate). The BBS strategy could be applied to a variety of single-use plastic products without impacting their appearance or quality,鈥� says Professor Michael Shaver.

The authors acknowledge support from the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub and the 51福利社 Institute of Biotechnology.

The authors have filed a patent on this technology in the U.K.

This new, seemingly magical application of graphene works quite straightforwardly: add graphene into a solution containing traces of gold and, after a few minutes, pure gold appears on graphene sheets, with no other chemicals or energy input involved. After this you can extract your pure gold by simply burning the graphene off.

The research, , shows that 1 gram of graphene can be sufficient for extracting nearly 2 grams of gold. As graphene costs less than $0.1 per gram, this can be very profitable, with gold priced at around $70 per gram.

Dr Yang Su from Tsinghua University, who led the research efforts, commented: 鈥淭his apparent magic is essentially a simple electrochemical process. Unique interactions between graphene and gold ions drive the process and also yield exceptional selectivity. Only gold is extracted with no other ions or salts.鈥�

Gold is used in many industries including consumer electronics (mobile phones, laptops etc.) and, when the products are eventually discarded, little of the electronic waste is recycled. The graphene-based process with its high extraction capacity and high selectivity can reclaim close to 100% of gold from electronic waste. This offers an enticing solution for addressing the gold sustainability problem and e-waste challenges.

鈥淕raphene turns rubbish into gold, literally,鈥� added Professor Andre Geim from 51福利社, another lead author and Nobel laureate responsible for the first isolation of graphene.

鈥淣ot only are our findings promising for making this part of the economy more sustainable, but they also emphasise how different atomically-thin materials can be from their parents, well-known bulk materials,鈥� he added. 鈥淕raphite, for example, is worthless for extracting gold, while graphene almost makes the philosopher鈥檚 stone鈥�.

Professor Hui-ming Cheng, one of the main authors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented: 鈥淲ith the continuing search for revolutionary applications of graphene, our discovery that the material can be used to recycle gold from electronic waste brings additional excitement to the research community and developing graphene industries.鈥�

Van der Waals heterostructures are much sought after since they display many unique and useful properties not found in naturally occurring materials. In most cases, they are prepared by manually stacking one layer over the other in a time-consuming and labour-intensive process.

Published last week , the study - led by researchers based at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) - describes synthesis of a bulk van der Waals heterostructure consisting of alternating atomic layers of 1T and 1H TaS₂. 1T and 1H TaS₂ are different polymorphs (materials with the same chemical composition but with a variation in atomic arrangement) of TaS₂ with completely different properties 鈥� the former insulating, the latter superconducting at low temperatures.

The new heterostructure was obtained through the synthesis of 6R TaS₂ (a rare type of TaS₂, with alternating 1T and 1H layered structure) via a process known as 鈥榩hase transition鈥� at high temperature (800藲C). Due to its unusual structure, this material shows the co-existence of superconductivity and charge density waves, a very rare phenomenon.

Dr Amritroop Achari, who led the experiment said: 鈥淥ur work presents a new concept for designing bulk heterostructures. The novel methodology allows the direct synthesis of bulk heterostructures of 1T鈥�1H TaS₂ by a phase transition from a readily available 1T TaS₂. We believe our work provides significant advances in both science and technology.鈥�

International collaboration

The work was conducted in collaboration with scientists from the NANOlab Center of Excellence at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Their high鈥恟esolution scanning electron microscopy analysis unambiguously proved the alternating 1T鈥�1H hetero-layered structure of 6R TaS₂ for the first time and paved the way to interpret the findings.

Professor Milorad Milo拧evi膰, the lead researcher from the University of Antwerp, commented: 鈥淭his demonstration of an alternating insulating鈥恠uperconducting layered structure in 6R TaS₂ opens a plethora of intriguing questions related to anisotropic behaviour of this material in applied magnetic field and current, emergent Josephson physics, terahertz emission etc., in analogy to bulk cuprates and iron鈥恇ased superconductors.鈥�

The findings could therefore have a widespread impact on the understanding of 2D superconductivity, as well as further design of advanced materials for terahertz and Josephson junctions-based devices, a cornerstone of second-generation quantum technology.

Main image (top):  Electron microscopy image of the synthesized 6R TaS₂ with an atomic model of the material on the left. The brown spheres represent Ta atoms and the yellow spheres represent sulphur atoms. The atomic positions and arrangement in the microscopic image are an exact match with the model, confirming its structure.

Publishing in the journal, , the team led by researchers based at the (NGI) used stacks of 2D materials including graphene to trap liquid in order to further understand how the presence of liquid changes the behaviour of the solid.

The team were able to capture . The findings could have widespread impact on the future development of green technologies such as hydrogen production.

When a solid surface is in contact with a liquid, both substances change their configuration in response to the proximity of the other. Such atomic scale interactions at solid-liquid interfaces govern the behaviour of batteries and fuel cells for clean electricity generation, as well as determining the efficiency of clean water generation and underpinning many biological processes.

One of the lead researchers, Professor Sarah Haigh, commented: 鈥淕iven the widespread industrial and scientific importance of such behaviour it is truly surprising how much we still have to learn about the fundamentals of how atoms behave on surfaces in contact with liquids. One of the reasons information is missing is the absence of techniques able to yield experimental data for solid-liquid interfaces.鈥�

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is one of only few techniques that allows individual atoms to be seen and analysed. However, the TEM instrument requires a high vacuum environment, and the structure of materials changes in a vacuum. First author, Dr Nick Clark explained: 鈥淚n our work we show that misleading information is provided if the atomic behaviour is studied in vacuum instead of using our liquid cells.鈥�

The NGI's Professor Roman Gorbachev has pioneered the stacking of 2D materials for electronics but here his group have used those same techniques to develop a 鈥榙ouble graphene liquid cell鈥�. A 2D layer of molybdenum disulphide was fully suspended in liquid and encapsulated by graphene windows. This novel design allowed them to provide precisely controlled liquid layers, enabling the unprecedented videos to be captured showing the single atoms 鈥檚wimming鈥� around surrounded by liquid.

By analysing how the atoms moved in the videos and comparing to theoretical insights provided by colleagues at Cambridge University, the researchers were able to understand the effect of the liquid on atomic behaviour. The liquid was found to speed up the motion of the atoms and also change their preferred resting sites with respect to the underlying solid.

The team studied a material that is promising for green hydrogen production but the experimental technology they have developed can be used for many different applications.

Dr Nick Clark said: 鈥淭his is a milestone achievement and it is only the beginning 鈥� we are already looking to use this technique to support development of materials for sustainable chemical processing, needed to achieve the world鈥檚 net zero ambitions.鈥�

is one of 51福利社鈥檚 - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

The prize is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding achievement in engineering research in the fields of medical, microwave and radar or laser/optoelectronic engineering, with the prize fund awarded to support further research led by the recipient. This year鈥檚 theme is lasers and optoelectronics.

Professor Kocabas鈥� research interests include optoelectronic applications of graphene and other 2D materials. He is nominated for his significant contributions to controlling light with graphene-based devices over a broad spectral range from visible light to microwave.

Outstanding research achievements

Sir John O鈥橰eilly, Chair offor the prize, said: 鈥淭he A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize recognises the outstanding research achievements of the recipient, from anywhere in the world, who is identified through a search and selection process conducted by a panel of international experts from around the globe.

鈥淲e are incredibly proud, through the generous legacy from the late Dr A F Harvey, to be able to recognise and support the furtherance of pioneering engineering research in these fields and thereby their subsequent impact in advancing the world around us," he added. "I鈥檇 like to congratulate our six finalists.鈥�

The prize-winner will be chosen from and announced in December 2022. The winning researcher will deliver a keynote lecture on their research in spring 2023.

The IET鈥檚 A F Harvey prize is named after Dr A F Harvey, who bequeathed a generous sum of money to the IET for a trust fund to be set up in his name to further research in the specified fields. For more information, visit:

is one of 51福利社鈥檚 - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Vector Homes, Genvida and Watercycle Technologies have signed new Tier 2 agreements, while Bullitt 鈥� designers of rugged tech for phones 鈥� and aerospace giant Airbus have re-signed, also as Tier 2s.

Our Affiliate Partner scheme is growing as well, with HDH Accountants added to the list.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@51福利社, said: 鈥淭hese partnerships demonstrate some of the range of our application work here at the GEIC: from sustainable construction to DNA sequencing and advanced membrane technology.

鈥淲e look forward to working with our new partners and also with those renewing terms. As much as we like getting new partners, it鈥檚 just as important to ensure our existing partners are seeing success in projects and wanting to take that work forward.鈥�

Vector Homes

51福利社-based uses graphene-enhanced recycled materials to produce the unique standardised components of its houses. The company鈥檚 products will have greatly reduced embodied carbon and will not contribute to deforestation, quarrying and mining.

The housing systems can be extended flexibly and are optimised for rapid maintenance, modification and technology incorporation.

Projects already lined up at the GEIC aim to take advantage of the expertise of the engineering staff and state-of-the-art equipment to push the technology forward alongside the firm鈥檚 supply chain.

Nathan Feddy, CEO and co-founder (pictured), said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be joining the GEIC at the centre of 51福利社's world-leading advanced materials ecosystem. This partnership is a fantastic opportunity to develop the materials and systems that will enable us to achieve our goal of cutting carbon emissions and the costs of construction.鈥�

Genvida

Hong Kong-based combines nanoscience and biotechnology, focusing on fourth-generation DNA sequencing technology. Its globally patented SONAS庐 platform (a solid-state nanopore sensor array-based technology) resolves the bottleneck in DNA sequencing and single-molecule sensing.

SONAS庐 streamlines each step in genome sequencing, from smart sample preparation to rapid and precise sequencing and single-molecule identification in a fully automated 鈥榣ab-on-a-chip鈥�. This enables real-time and on-site diagnostics with a cloud-based bioinformatics suite.

Dr Ka Wai Wong, co-founder and Vice President of R&D at Genvida, (pictured) said: 鈥淥ur partnership with the GEIC seeks to unleash the power of fourth-generation DNA sequencing and single-molecule sensing with graphene and 2D materials integrated solid-state nanopores.鈥�

Watercycle Technologies

Led by UoM alumnus Seb Leaper, Watercycle Technologies is a spin-out company from the University of 51福利社 developing water treatment and mineral recovery systems for a range of industries, including mining, desalination, textiles and others. The company is currently focusing on direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to help reduce the environmental impact of established lithium extraction processes such as mining and chemical conversion.

• Watercycle Technologies in 51福利社 Evening News

HDH Accountants

Salford-based specialise in the technology and manufacturing sector, advising firms on business growth strategy with individually tailored plans. The firm joins our Affiliate Partner scheme, looking to build relationships within the growing innovation community at the GEIC.

Anthony Hurley, Managing Director of HDH, said: 鈥淛oining the GEIC has been an amazing experience 鈥� we鈥檝e met some amazing people and businesses and have been genuinely blown away by the opportunities and innovation happening here. 

"We鈥檝e already worked with several GEIC partners, providing everything from start-up advice, monthly finance and tax support through to supporting grant applications. Joining the GEIC has been great for our business and I鈥檓 looking forward to learning more and working with lots of other talented people in the future!鈥�
 

Graphene@51福利社 offers a range of options for industrial engagement. You can explore the benefits of different membership grades on  or fill in the to get in touch directly. A full list of our partners is available on .

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

• designing control systems with a focus on bio-inspired solutions to mechatronics, eg the use of biomimetic sensors, actuators and robot platforms; 
• developing new software engineering and AI methodologies for verification in autonomous systems, with the aim to design trustworthy autonomous systems; 
• researching human-robot interaction, with a pioneering focus on the use of brain-inspired approaches to robot control, learning and interaction; and 
• research in ethics and human-centred robotics issues, for the understanding of the impact of the use of robots and autonomous systems with individuals and society. 

Angelo Cangelosi, Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at 51福利社, said the University offers a world-leading position in the field of autonomous systems 鈥� a technology that is set to revolutionise our lives and workplaces. 

"51福利社's robotics community has achieved a critical mass of expertise 鈥� however, our approach in the designing of robots and autonomous systems for real world applications is distinctive through our novel use of AI-based knowledge," added Professor Cangelosi. 

"Our robot pioneers therefore find themselves on the interface between robotics, autonomy and AI 鈥� and their knowledge is drawn from across the University's disciplines, including humanities and biological and medical sciences. 

"Our University now has the potential to build on these solid foundations and further establish itself as a world leader in this important and rapidly growing field with the establishment of the new interdisciplinary 51福利社 Centre for Robotics and AI." 

The new centre has hosted an inaugural workshop 鈥� attracting more than 90 delegates 鈥� to bring a strategic focus to the robot and AI community at 51福利社, and looks to share expertise and innovation. 

The work could advance optoelectronic technologies to better generate, control and sense light and potentially communications, according to the researchers. They demonstrated a way to control THz waves, which exist at frequencies between those of microwaves and infrared waves. The findings could contribute to the development of beyond-5G wireless technology for high-speed communication networks.

Weak and strong interactions

Light and matter can couple, interacting at different levels: weakly, where they might be correlated but do not change each other鈥檚 constituents; or strongly, where their interactions can fundamentally change the system. The ability to control how the coupling shifts from weak to strong and back again has been a major challenge to advancing optoelectronic devices - a challenge researchers have now solved.

鈥淲e have demonstrated a new class of optoelectronic devices using concepts of topology - a branch of mathematics studying properties of geometric objects,鈥� said co-corresponding author , Professor of 2D device materials at 51福利社 (pictured). 鈥淯sing exceptional point singularities, we show that topological concepts can be used to engineer optoelectronic devices that enable new ways to manipulate terahertz light.鈥�

Exceptional points are spectral singularities 鈥� points at which any two spectral values in an open system coalesce. They are, unsurprisingly, exceptionally sensitive and respond to even the smallest changes to the system, revealing curious yet desirable characteristics, according to co-corresponding author , Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State.

鈥淎t an exceptional point, the energy landscape of the system is considerably modified, resulting in reduced dimensionality and skewed topology,鈥� said 脰zdemir, who is also affiliated with the at Penn State. 鈥淭his, in turn, enhances the system鈥檚 response to perturbations, modifies the local density of states leading to the enhancement of spontaneous emission rates and leads to a plethora of phenomena. Control of exceptional points, and the physical processes that occur at them, could lead to applications for better sensors, imaging, lasers and much more.鈥�

Platform composition

The platform the researchers developed consists of a graphene-based tunable THz resonator, with a gold-foil gate electrode forming a bottom reflective mirror. Above it, a graphene layer is book-ended with electrodes, forming a tunable top mirror. A non-volatile ionic liquid electrolyte layer sits between the mirrors, enabling control of the top mirror鈥檚 reflectivity by changing the applied voltage. In the middle of the device, between the mirrors, are molecules of alpha lactose, a sugar commonly found in milk.  

The system is controlled by two adjusters. One raises the lower mirror to change the length of the cavity - tuning the frequency of resonation to couple the light with the collective vibrational modes of the organic sugar molecules, which serve as a fixed number of oscillators for the system. The other adjuster changes the voltage applied to the top graphene mirror - altering the graphene鈥檚 reflective properties to transition the energy loss imbalances to adjust coupling strength. The delicate, fine tuning shifts weakly coupled terahertz light and organic molecules to become strongly coupled and vice versa.

鈥淓xceptional points coincide with the crossover point between the weak and strong coupling regimes of terahertz light with collective molecular vibrations,鈥� 脰zdemir said.

He noted that these singularity points are typically studied and observed in the coupling of analogous modes or systems, such as two optical modes, electronic modes or acoustic modes.

鈥淭his work is one of rare cases where exceptional points are demonstrated to emerge in the coupling of two modes with different physical origins,鈥� Kocabas said. 鈥淒ue to the topology of the exceptional points, we observed a significant modulation in the magnitude and phase of the terahertz light, which could find applications in next-generation THz communications.鈥�

Unprecedented phase modulation in the THz spectrum

As the researchers apply voltage and adjust the resonance, they drive the system to an exceptional point and beyond. Before, at and beyond the exceptional point, the geometric properties - the topology - of the system change.

One such change is the phase modulation, which describes how a wave changes as it propagates and interacts in the THz field. Controlling the phase and amplitude of THz waves is a technological challenge, the researchers said, but their platform demonstrates unprecedented levels of phase modulation. The researchers moved the system through exceptional points, as well as along loops around exceptional points in different directions, and measured how it responded through the changes. Depending on the system鈥檚 topology at the point of measurement, phase modulation could range from zero to four magnitudes larger.

鈥淲e can electrically steer the device through an exceptional point, which enables electrical control on reflection topology,鈥� said first author Dr M Said Ergoktas. 鈥淥nly by controlling the topology of the system electronically could we achieve these huge modulations.鈥� 

According to the researchers, the topological control of light-matter interactions around an exceptional point enabled by the graphene-based platform has potential applications ranging from topological optoelectronic and quantum devices to topological control of physical and chemical processes.

Contributors include: Kaiyuan Wang, Gokhan Bakan, Thomas B. Smith, Alessandro Principi and Kostya S. Novoselov, University of 51福利社; Sina Soleymani, graduate student in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics; Sinan Balci, Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey; Nurbek Kakenov, who conducted work for this paper while at Bilkent University, Turkey.

The European Research Council, Consolidator Grant (SmartGraphene), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award on Programmable Systems with Non-Hermitian Quantum Dynamics and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Award supported this work.

This characteristic, combined with TMDs鈥� outstanding optical properties, can be used to build multi-functional optoelectronic devices such as transistors and LEDs with built-in memory functions on nanometre length scale.

Ferroelectrics are materials with two or more electrically polarisable states that can be reversibly switched with the application of an external electric field. This material property is ideal for applications such as non-volatile memory, microwave devices, sensors and transistors. Until recently, out-of-plane switchable ferroelectricity at room temperature had been achieved only in films thicker than 3 nanometres.

2D heterostructures

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004, researchers across academia have studied a variety of new 2D materials with a wide range of exciting properties. These atomically thin 2D crystals can be stacked on top of one another to create so-called heterostructures - artificial materials with tailored functions.

More recently, a team of researchers from NGI, in collaboration with NPL, demonstrated that below a twist angle of 2^o, atomic lattices physically reconstruct to form regions (or domains) of perfectly stacked bilayers separated by boundaries of locally accumulated strain.  For two monolayers stacked parallel to each other, a tessellated pattern of mirror-reflected triangular domains is created. Most importantly, the two neighbouring domains have an asymmetric crystal symmetry, causing an asymmetry in their electronic properties.

Ferroelectric switching at room temperature

In the work, , the team demonstrated that the domain structure created with low-angle twisting hosts interfacial ferroelectricity in bilayer TMDs. Kelvin probe force microscopy revealed that neighbouring domains are oppositely polarised and electrical transport measurements demonstrated reliable ferroelectric switching at room temperature.

The team went on to develop a scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique with enhanced contrast, using signal from back-scattered electrons. This made it possible to apply an electric field in-situ while imaging changes to the domain structure in a non-invasive manner, providing essential information on how the domain switching mechanism works. The boundaries separating the oppositely polarised domains were found to expand and contract depending on the sign of the applied electric field and led to a significant redistribution of the polarised states.

This work clearly demonstrates that the twist degree of freedom can allow the creation of atomically thin optoelectronics with tailored and multi-functional properties.

Wide scope for tailored 2D materials

Lead author Astrid Weston (pictured right) said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting that we can demonstrate that this simple tool of twisting can engineer new properties in 2D crystals. With the wide variety of 2D crystals to choose from, it provides us with almost unlimited scope to create perfectly tailored artificial materials.鈥�

Co-author Dr Eli G Castanon added: 鈥淏eing able to observe the pattern and behaviour of ferroelectric domains in structures that have nanometre thickness with KPFM and SEM was very exciting. The advancement of characterisation techniques together with the extensive possibilities for the formation of novel heterostructures of 2D materials paves the way to achieve new capabilities at the nanoscale for many industries.鈥�

Advanced materials is one of 51福利社鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, is a game-changing UK discovery and its properties make it one of the most important breakthroughs in recent memory. Graphene is a wonder material, with incredible electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Prizes of 拢50,000 and 拢20,000 will be awarded to the individuals or teams who can best demonstrate how their technology relating to graphene or other 2D materials could be applied to a viable commercial opportunity. This year will also see the inclusion of an additional prize that celebrates the University's position leading the world on sustainable development, more to follow!

Applications will be judged on the strength of their business plan to develop a new graphene-related business. The award then becomes seed funding to allow the candidate to take the first steps towards realising this plan. It recognises the role that high-level, flexible early-stage financial support can play in the successful development of a business targeting the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to research in graphene.

Eli Harari Graphene Enterprise Award 2022: introduction and overview

Join us on Tuesday 10 May and hear from Tony Walker, Deputy Director of the , who will give an overview of the competition, and share with you hints and tips as to what the judges will be looking for in your application.

You will learn about the support available to support you with your application and how to access this

We're also pleased to welcome and introduce you to a previous winner of the competition, who can share with you their experience and how they have progressed with their idea since being involved with the Harari programme.

The final deadline for completed competition entries is midday on Friday, 10 June 2022.

Key Dates*

• Monday, 14 February - competition opens for expressions of interest
• Tuesday, 10 May -
• Week of 23 May - meet with application experts from GEIC
• Week of 30 May - meet with commercialisation experts
• Friday, 10 June - entry deadline, 12pm
• Wednesday, 15 June 鈥� Finalists notified
• Monday, 27 June - Finalists invited to pitch to Mock Panel
• Thursday, 30 June - Finalists invited to pitch in the Final Judging Panel
• Monday, 4 July - Final Judging Panel
• Friday, 8 July - Winners Awards Event

*timings may vary