Issue 53.compressed

NANOTECH
T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R 2 D R E S E A R C H
May 2018 Issue #53
Hydrophobic
Nano
coatings NANOTECH
PRODUCTS
Companies are now developing commercial filters
for filtration and water harvesting.

All the latest nanotech product news.
GRAPHENE
IN
FILTRATION
New products hit the market this
month.
LATEST NEWS
Market focus on what’s happening in
research, energy, sensors, coatings, medicine,

electronics and graphene.
Nanotech Magazine is published by Future Markets, the world’s leading publisher of market
information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.

2
NANOTECH MAGAZINE 2018
TABLE OF
CONTENT
THIS MONTH
P.04
Waterproofing electronics. Current
market, products and companies.
P.08
Latest nanotech investments, deals and
rounds of finance. April-May 2018.
P.11
New nanotech products-nanofibers,
quantum dots and auto coatings.
P.04
P.12 Protecting smartphones and other electronic
Quantum dot transparent
devices with innovative nanocoatings is a
photovoltaic glass.
growing market.
MARKET FOCUS
P.30
P.14
Graphene filter product developers
Graphene market news, products

and research centre profiles.
and recent developments.
P.19
Nanotech energy market news,
products and recent developments.
P.21
New multi-million dollar investment
in nanotech batteries.
3
MARKET FOCUS
P.22
Nanotech biomedical market news,
products and recent developments.
P.24
Nanotechnology government,
regulation & policy news, March-
P.26
Hot nanotech companies and new
commercial developments.
P.28
NOTE
FROM EDITOR
Filtering with graphene-clean water with
nanomaterials.
P.29 Global challenges such as cleaner energy and
water are being met with what it appears to be

Filter technology drawbacks and market
the constant development of new nanotech-
challenges.
enabled products and processes. This month
P.30 sees a host of new innovations in batteries and
Graphene filter and membtane ultracapacitors for electric vehicles, coatings for
companies. solar windows and solar cells, and CO2 conversion
technology. There have been multi-million dollar
investments in companies developing nanotech
in these areas recently.
Graphene is seen as a key tech for water filtration
and there have been several recent breakthroughs
reported. We profile the market along with the
burgeoning sector for water resistant electronics.
With explosion of the smartphone and wearables

Subscribe to Nanotech Magazine to receive
market in the last few years, there has been an
all the latest monthly news and views on this
increasing demand for a waterproof electronics.
fast developing advanced technology market,
Most major handheld electronics manufacturers
for only $250 for 12 issues (electronic). http://
have made their devices water resistant in the
www.nanotechmag.com/
last few years and we profile the companies
developing waterproof nanocoatings.

4
MARKET
FOCUS
WATERPROOFING
ELECTRONICS
Consumers are prone to damaging their electronic
devices:
• Unit exposed to outdoor environment – rain,
irrigation, humidity.
• Consumer electronics exposed to splashing water.
• Equipment (industrial and medical) exposed to wet
working.
• Device dropped in pool or even toilet.
A fast growing market is the use of nanocoatings
to provide moisture and corrosion protection for
printed circuit boards and electronic components
and devices, especially smartphones. This represents
the main market at present for hydrophobic
nanocoatings.
With the continued development of
electroluminescent devices, flat panel displays,

Water is the main cause organic light emitting diodes (OLEDS), and flexible
of lost function in elec- electronics, there is even a stronger need to protect
such devices from performance degradation
tronic devices, with mil- due to oxidation and moisture corrosion, and
extend component lifetime. Superhydrophobic

lions damaged annually. functionalities in electrode materials is advantageous
for many new electronics applications, such as
flexible energy storage, wearable electronics and
printable circuitry. At present they are being used to

5
corrosion protect or splash-proof handheld devices with the explosion of the smartphone market in the
such as smartphones and tablets, Bluetooth speakers, last few years, there has been an increasing demand for
and wearable electronics such as smart watches, a waterproof electronics.
earbuds, or headphones. Permeability and lifetime of devices is of prime
concern to manufacturers. A typical plastic film has
a permeability for water (WVTR) of 1~10 gr/m2/day. In
electronics WVTR is needed for ~10 yr. device lifetime:
• Organic LED: 10-6 gr/m2/day.
• Solar Cells: 10-4 gr/m2/day.
• LCD: 10-3 gr/m2 /day.
• Electroforetic displays: 10-2 gr/m² /day.
• RFID tags: 10-2 gr/m²/day.
Protecting against moisture The performance of electronic boards, board
Water is the main cause of lost function in electronic interconnects and mounting remain as critical
devices. Millions of mobile phones and many other bottlenecks for product reliability. Surfaces of most
devices are damaged by water annually. There is electronic board materials and components are
therefore a large opportunity to offer consumers hydrophilic, which promotes moisture condensation
protection for their electronics against water and and wetting. Therefore, device performance and
moisture damage. It is estimated that liquid related reliability can be compromised when electronic boards
accidents or activities are responsible for more than are exposed to liquids or excessive moisture during
20% of cellphone damage. Lifestyle electronics are everyday use. Environmental contaminants which
also sensitive to humidity or contact with any type of form ionic solutions in a wet environment can result in
liquids, as these cause corrosion and ultimately result leakage or shorts between the device leads. Corrosion
in a short-circuit and product failure. over time can further damage electrical connections
and render devices non-operational. Encapsulation of
the entire electronic board with a moisture protective
coating can prevent such damage.
Liquid repellent, thermal, conductive, magnetic and
anti-corrosive nanocoatings have been applied inside
and outside electronic devices, but until recently have
mainly been applied in specialist applications in the Most major handheld electronics manufacturers have
military, aerospace and automotive industries. However, made their devices water resistant in the last few years,
6
with Apple, Samsung and Sony joining Nokia, Motorola coatings for eyeglasses and other optical surfaces such
and Huawei in waterproofing smartphones. Most of these as flat panel displays, and stainless steel; and coatings
companies achieve this by making devices physically that improve the functionality of electronic devices such
impenetrable. However, nanocoatings can perform the as displays, electrolytic capacitors and printed circuit
same function for a fraction of the cost. boards. Aculon® NanoProof™ 5.1 is a surface treatment
for imparting hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to
Nanocoatings electronic devices using a one-step process. NanoProof®
There are several innovative application developers now Series provides water protection from humidity to full
producing protective hydrophobic, superhydrophobic water immersion.
and oleophobic (HSHO) nanocoatings to treat electronic
devices, including: cellular phones, smart phones, Drywired
personal digital assistants (PDAs), music players, cameras, USA
video recorders, computers, tablet computers, batteries, https://drywired.com/
e-readers, radio devices and gaming devices. Electronics Synthesis method/coatings technique: Low-pressure
is the main current market for HSHO nanocoatings at vacuum plasma.
present and the market will witness increased growth
in the next few years. These coatings provide electronic DryWired’s protective nanocoating can be applied at any
components with water protection from humidity to full point during the manufacturing process of a consumer
water immersion. electronic device and will not disturb a circuit board’s
As well as providing a direct barrier to moisture, these functionality. The company has partnered with XPAL
coatings can also incorporate anti-icing, anti-corrosion, Power to coat their SpareOne Plus Emergency Phone
anti-fouling, and anti-microbial functionalities. Synthesis (www.spareone.com) with DryWired’s technology in
and applications techniques vary between application order to make the AA battery operated wireless devices
developers. IPX7 waterproof and corrosion resistant. They are also
According to P2i CEO Ady Moores “The protection you coating PowerSkin’s Wet Rated Series (www.power-skin.
can get from nanotechnology enables your phone to com).
continue to use for it’s entire life and consumers expect,
whatever they pay for the phone, to last at least two years. Europlasma
So in a normal use case of a mobile phone, for the vast Belgium
majority of mobile consumers that is enough protection.” http://www.europlasma.be/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma.
Main companies
Aculon The company produces Nanofics fluoropolymer coatings
USA that are hydrophobic, oleophobic, resistant to sweat,
http://www.aculon.com/ acid and salt and resistant to elevated temperatures
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Proprietary for application in consumer electronics. Europlasma
Transition Metal Complexate technology (TMC) and also designs, builds and sells turnkey vacuum plasma
fluorinated acrylic polymers. treatment equipment to apply the coatings. The
company licenses their hydrophobic nanocoating
The company is producing easy-clean, anti-smudge technology through various partners including Drywired.
7
super-hydrophobic and corrosion resistant Watersafe™
nanocoatings for smartphones and headphones, tablets
and other mobile electronics.
P2i
UK
https://www.p2i.com/
HZO Synthesis method/coatings technique: Pulsed Plasma
USA Deposition Process.
http://www.hzo.com/
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Proprietary P2i’s patented pulsed plasma deposition process
vacuum application. produces hydrophobic nano coatings. In January 2018
the company announced that it has coated more than
The company produces WaterBlockTM technology 250 million electronic devices since it started working
for consumer and industrial electronic assemblies. with smartphone manufacturers in 2011. P2i had been
Customers include Motorola and Dell. working with Motorola since 2011, and when Lenovo
acquired Motorola in 2014, the continued relationship
has seen P2i’s nano coating technology used to protect
both Motorola and Lenovo branded smartphones. Other
clients include Huawei.
Semblant
USA
https://www.semblant.com/
Liquipel Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma.
USA The patented MobileShield™ technology is used to
https://www.liquipel.com/ waterproof electronics. Semblant has over 1 million
Synthesis method/coatings technique: Plasma. units/day currently in production.
Further information
The Global Market for Nanocoatings
Revised to June 2018
https://futuremarketsinc.com/the-global-market-for-
nanocoatings/
The company uses proprietary techniques to produce

8
& Business
Finance Latest nanotech investments, commercial agreements
and rounds of finance. April-May 2018.
NuMat Technologies has completed a $12.4 million financing round led by OS Fund, with participation by Osage
University Partners, Tin Shed Ventures (Patagonia’s strategic investment arm), and other existing investors. The
company is developing products based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for application in next-generation
storage, separation, and purification systems. NuMat plans to use the capital to expand the company’s high-
throughput computational and experimentation capabilities and to increase its manufacturing footprint in the
United States, Europe, and East Asia.
The Datong Graphene and Green Technology Industrial Park is nearing completion. With investment of 10
billion yuan ($1.57 billion USD), it includes a graphene production base, a research and development center, an
academic communication and reception center and related companies.

9
Directa Plus has entered into a 12-month exclusivity agreement and
9-month development agreement with an existing global luxury
accessories customer, to produce accessories with increased mechanical
properties. The value of the agreement amounts to approximately
€130,000.
Paragraf, a spin out from the University of Cambridge, has closed a
£2.9 million seed round to support the development of its first major
products.
The round has been led by Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation
arm of the University of Cambridge, with the participation of Parkwalk
Advisors, Amadeus Capital Partners, IQ Capital Partners and a number
of angel investors.
Paragraf is focused on graphene for electronic devices. Using a
proprietary, patent protected approach Paragraf has been able to
address the problems of poor uniformity, reproducibility, limited size
and material contamination that have held back current graphene
manufacturing techniques. The company has already produced layers
with electrical characteristics optimised for producing
very sensitive detectors at commercial scale and improved
efficiency contact layers for common technologies such
as LEDs.
Capital Power, a North American power producer
headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, has acquired an
equity interest in C2CNT. Brian Vaasjo, Capital Power
President and CEO, said, “Our investment in C2CNT
supports our pursuit of innovative and leading-edge
technology and approaches that have the potential to
reduce greenhouse gases. Being able to take CO2 and
convert it into a valuable carbon-fibre product could
dramatically change our industry and other industries as
well.” The C2CNT technology was developed by a team
of scientists, led by Professor Stuart Licht, at George Washington University. The technology uses electrolysis, with a
current generated by electrodes to separate the carbon from the oxygen (O2), repurposes the carbon into a strong,
useable carbon fibre (nanotube), and O2 that is available for other uses.
10
NANOTECH
PRODUCT
NEWS
April-May 2018
11
Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread
application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at recent developments and breakthroughs.
LAB
TO PRODUCT
Fishing company Sanford has collaborated with New Zealand based
nanofibres producer Revolution Fibres to develop a nanofibre
facepack made from discarded hoki skins. The anti-wrinkle facepack
is made via electrospinning structural protein collagen from the
fish skins using Revolution Fibres proprietary technology. During
the spinning process, various “bioactive” products like fruit extracts
and the moisturising compound hyaluronic acid are bonded to the
collagen fibre. The nanofiber sheets are marketed as actiVLayr and
are now available.
Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd. has developed InP/ZnS quantum
dots and perovskite quantum dots composite materials. These

Tint World® Automotive Styling
materials have been incorporated into silicon resins for LED sealants,
Centers™ is partnering with the Canadian
and light emission has been maintained. A problem with quantum
company Alchemy, manufacturers of
dots is their poor lightfastness, as well as poor water and heat
windshield-protection nanocoatings.
resistance, especially when printed or coated onto a substrate. To solve
ExoShield is composed of proprietary
this issue the company has prepared silica base inorganic material
nanomaterials that increase impact
coated quantum dots. However, transparency is lost due to its coated
resistance up to six times the industry
material so that improvement is necessary in some application which
standard and block 99.9 percent of
requires transparency of quantum dots.
harmful UV rays.
Quantum dots are finding there way to into new elec-

tronics products in sealants and solar glass.
12
Nanocoatings producer ShayoNano has appointed Palmer Holland
as its exclusive U.S. distributor for its line of hiding pigments for use in
aqueous roof coatings, paints, industrial coatings, and inks. ShayoNano
has developed a patented technology to precisely synthesize new
nanomaterials in aqueous dispersions for ease of handling, improved
performance, and cost savings. SmartIR Roofallows formulators
to optimize IR reflectance and hiding in aqueous roof coatings.
SmartHide replaces and optimizes the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2)
in various types of systems which results in significant raw material
savings for manufacturers.
“Palmer Holland has the national coverage and market expertise to
promote this new technology in the targeted market segments,” said
John Falsone, VP, sales/marketing at ShayoNano. Further information
at http://shayonano.com/
QD SOLAR GLASS
Transparent photovoltaic glass will not only provide energy, but will be able to illuminate – providing light in various
colours using quantum dot technology.
ML System S.A Zaczernie, a Polish producer of
building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) for the
construction industry, has secured funding for a
quantum dot glass project. The company plans to start
production of an innovative, transparent photovoltaic
glass, which uses quantum dots. They believe product
will revolutionise not only the BIPV industry but also
the glass industry and intend to invest a total $10.5
million in the project, a large part of which is to come
from EU funds. Find out more at http://mlsystem.pl/
electricity-from-the-glass-energy-revolution-with-the-
use-of-quantum-dots/?lang=en
13
HyperSolar, Inc.’s current stability test of its proprietary fully
integrated hydrogen production device has surpassed 294 hours
without any degradation. The design of the device will serve as the
foundation of the Company’s first generation commercial renewable
hydrogen generator.
Optimizing the science of water electrolysis at the nano-level,
the company’s low cost nanoparticles mimic photosynthesis to
efficiently use sunlight to separate hydrogen from water, to produce
environmentally friendly renewable hydrogen. By utilizing a new
coating technique of the protective polymer layer that encapsulates
the full device, we were able to surpass our April results and are
much closer to our previously announced goals of 365 hours, and
1000 hours, of continuous stable operation,” said Dr. Joun Lee,
HyperSolar’s Chief Technology Officer. Further information at www.
hypersolar.com
QUANTUM DOTS SECURITY
IQDEMY Quantum Technology SA, a company of IQDEMY Holdings, A Chinese manufacturer is utilizing
has announced its newest development designed to help brands, graphene nanotubes from OCSiAl to
marketers as well as the security market to provide an individualised, produce ESD packaging for electronic
bespoke solution in anti-counterfeiting. The company has been products. Just 0.008% of TUBALL nanotubes
developing Quantum Dots, based on its unique Quantum Dots in the film enables a surface resistivity of 10^9
ink. The ink is available for water-based and UV, UV-LED printing Ω/sq to be achieved, while improving the
processes whereby each ink set is tamper-evident and contains a mechanical properties and preserving 90%
code that cannot be broken. Adaptive custom solutions enable only of the light transmittance level. According
the brand owner to reproduce the code. to OCSiAl, several other Chinese companies
have also successfully completed industrial
Use of nanotech in solar prod-

tests of nanotube applications, and are
about to launch their product lines of PE
ucts is growing fast. films containing TUBALL nanotubes.

14
GRAPHENE
PRODUCT
NEWS
April - May 2018
15
Low-cost, high volume production and ease of integration is crucial for the development of widespread
application of graphene-enabled products. This month we look at recent developments and breakthroughs.
LAB
TO PRODUCT
Archer Exploration Limited has entered into exclusive negotiations
with The University of Sydney Commercial Development and Industry
Partnerships (CDIP) for exclusive rights to develop and commercialise
graphene for quantum computing technology.
One of the main barriers to the introduction of quantum computers
is that they currently operate at extremely low temperatures, below
zero, to work effectively, and also need to be made of conducting
components in order to integrate into electronic circuitry.
Dr Mohammad Choucair is believed to have solved the materials
dichotomy of operating qubits at room temperature in a conducting
material using graphene. In late October 2017, Archer announced

development,” added Dr. Choucair.
the acquisition of Australian graphene production innovator Carbon
The negotiations with the University
Allotropes Pty. Limited, and the appointment of its founder, Dr
will centre on Archer’s exclusive right
Choucair, as Chief Executive Officer of Archer Exploration. Commenting
to develop and commercialise the IP
on the opportunity, Dr Choucair said: “Negotiations with CDIP will
described in a patent cooperation treaty
allow Archer to leverage our materials assets, and recent acquisitions,
(PCT) application that was filed by the
as high value, materials-centric, end-to-end solutions to solve one of
University in the names of the University
the most challenging problems in our technological age.”
and École Polytechnique Fédérale de
“Archer is in a strong position to develop and commercialise
Lausanne (EPFL).
strategically relevant IP for long-term company success and business
There is a need in quantum computing to develop

components that can be integrated into circuitry while
remaining functional at room-temperature.
16
Directa Plus has entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement
with Arvind Limited, India’s leading textile-to-retail-and-brands
conglomerate, to incorporate Directa Plus’ G+ graphene-based
products into their denim fabrics. The company’s graphene can
be used in a variety of ways to alter or enhance the properties of
conventional Denim fabrics, and to produce ‘smart’ clothing for
different purposes and environments. By incorporating G+ products
within fabrics and textiles, end-users benefit from the thermal and
electrical conductivity and bacteriostatic properties of G+, such
as thermal regulation, heat dissipation, energy harvesting, data
transmission and no odour effect.
The first of 13 Class 61 high speed trains for services for operation in
Malaysia is nearing completion at CRRC Zhuzhou’s plant in China.
CRRC is the world’s largest train manufacturer and is producing
two of the trains in Zhuzhou before transferring production of the
remaining 11 to a local assembly plant in Malaysia.
The four-car, 1 000 mm gauge DMUs have a design speed of 140
MARINE GRAPHENE
Graphene is being developed in the marine industry mainly as an additive to anti-corrosion and anti-fouling paints
and coatings. Australian producer First Graphene has recently started to explore applications.
First Graphene Limited has entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding with Engage Marine
for the development of graphene-enhanced coatings
and ropes for the marine industry. The Company and
Engage Marine will work to commercialize the project
outcomes with other global marine organizations.
The terms of the MOU cover collaboration on
graphene enhanced anti-fouling as an additive to
existing coatings or a new formulation; coatings with
fire retardant and noise reduction properties for
ship bulkhead doors and engine rooms that can be
sprayed on; and graphene- enhanced polypropylene

ropes.
17
km/h and are expected to operate at up to 120 km/h. They are
being equipped with CRRC’s own design of graphene-based
supercapacitor for storing braking energy and two MAN powerpacks.
The train maker has produced two types of capacitors, 2.8 Volt/30,000
F and 3 Volt/12,000 F. The former can power trolley buses for up to 10
km after a one-minute charge, compared with 6 km in the previous
generation. The latter one can provide enough electricity to power a
tram for 6 km with only 30 seconds of charging.
Graphene materials producer Applied Graphene Materials has
announced on Tuesday that James Briggs intended to bring a new
range of aerosol paint primers containing Applied’s graphene to
market during the last quarter of 2018. The AIM-traded company said
that, due to the “outstanding results” achieved in coating properties
through the incorporation of its graphene ‘Genable’ dispersion into
their paints, James Briggs anticipated extending the use of graphene
technology into other product lines within its range.
GRAPHENE SOLAR COATINGS
Graphene Quantum Dots producers Dotz

Chinese company Znshine Solar has launched the Znshine Graphene
Nano has recently received a significant
Series- a12-busbar graphene module, 5-busbar graphene module
order of 10kg for it’s Validotz product.
and double-glass graphene module.T he application of graphene
According to Dotz Nano, its most recent
film layer not only increases the light transmission performance of
Validotz order totals 10 kilograms of violet
the glass itself, but are also hydrophilic. At present, solar PV utilities
and blue Validotz to be distributed by
are using regular manual cleaning methods to clean the surface
Pflaumer Bros. in their official capacity as a
of photovoltaic panels. This type of cleaning method can to cause
distributor. The planned application for the
problems such as cracking of the PV cell and residual water stains on
order is for pilot productions to a variety of
the surface of the module.
customers in industrialized sectors, namely
Graphene is increasingly used

nylon, concrete, floorings, poly-resins and
thermosetting materials. Read more at
in smart textiles. https://www.dotznano.com/

18
Versarien has reached an agreement with a UK-based polymers
company to develop graphene enhanced plastics at scale. Luxus
manufactures high quality thermoplastics from prime and recycled
polymers and is the largest independently owned plastic manufacturer
in the UK, supplying plastics to the automotive, packaging, and civil
engineering sectors amongst others. The collaboration will involve
incorporating graphene into polymers to enhance mechanical
strength and other properties. Versarien is already working with
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to optimise the performance
of graphene enhanced polymers.
Neill Ricketts, chief executive of Versarien, said: “We are delighted to
have signed this agreement with Luxus. We look forward to working
with Luxus to ensure that a viable UK supply chain is established
for the production of thermoplastics enhanced with Versarien’s high
quality graphene.”
GRAPHENE KAYAK
The lightest* surfski kayak in the world that weighs just 9.3 kg has been developed in a joint ventures between
Graphenest and Sipre, a Portuguese kayak manufacturer.
The lightweight surfski kayak was first revealed at
Techstars Autonomous Technology Acceleration
Demo Day event on the 20th of April at Boston, It was
constructed by substituting the ordinarily used epoxy
resin by Portugal-based Graphenest’s HexaBond
epoxy resin system for fiber reinforced composites.
HexaBond can be applied in any fiber reinforced
composites to improve mechanical strength,
durability and chemical resistance. Hexabond is able
to increase the strength of carbon fiber composites
up to 24%, while simultaneously reducing weight by
10%.
19
NANOTECH
GREEN
The use of carbon nano-based
ultracapacitors in lithium-ion
batteries can create a dual
energy source for high volume
ENERGY
electric vehicles.
This month sees new developments in innovative applications for nanomaterials in batteries for electric
F
vehicles (EV) and construction glass.
astCAP Systems Corporation is rebranding
to Nanoramic Laboratories. In addition to
ultracapacitors, Nanoramic will specialize
in advanced material solutions based
on nanocarbon technology. Nanoramic’s line of
ultracapacitors will be sold under the name FastCAP
Ultracapacitors. FastCAP Ultracapacitors are the only
ultracapacitors capable of operation in conditions up
to 150ºC. In fact, Nanoramic’s success in advanced

material product development can be attributed
to FastCAP Ultracapacitors’ years of research and
expertise in developing carbon nanotube based
electrodes. The company is a spin-out from MIT and
has a strategic partnership with NGK SPARK PLUG
CO., LTD., a Japan-based company that specializes in
packaging for complex electronic applications.
French nanomaterials company NAWA
Technologies is aiming to bring a new dimension to
the automotive industry’s use of the word “hybrid.”
It is aiming to link high efficiency new technology

carbon nano-based ultracapacitors with lithium-ion
batteries, to create a dual energy source for high
volume electric vehicles.
NAWA claims its Ultra Fast Carbon Battery

20
technology now in pilot production, can
deliver between three and five times
higher power and energy density than
existing ultracapacitors.
The result of its R&D work, said CEO Ulrik
Grape, is confidence that high volume
manufacture of a radical energy storage
system will help overcome many of
the frustrations that continue to dog
the wholesale public acceptance of
automotive electric motive power.
The company believes that key markets
for the batteries will include automotive,
industrial, defence, aerospace, power
tool and personal mobility. They could
also play a key role in managing energy
across the smart electricity grid. NAWA
Technologies was created by a spin-off
from parts of a French state Energy Authority in 2013.
2050 Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Graphene Future, Inc., to produce high-grade
graphene material for the electric vehicle battery market. The MOU includes a 20% ownership in Graphene Future,
Inc., by 2050 Motors and the exclusive rights to utilize and distribute this graphene product for the next generation
electric vehicle battery market worldwide.
CLEAR GLASS NANOSOLAR

ClearVue Technologies Ltd has patented technology comprises a
entered into a deal to provide glass lamination interlayer glass
its solar window technology to lamination interlayer doped
Mirreco Holdings. with inorganic micro and nano-
Under the memorandum of particles that converts rays into
understanding, ClearVue will energy, while allowing up to 70%
become the exclusive supplier of of visible light to pass through. The
solar window products, initially company has also recently raised
for small-scale housing units, or $5 million in investment. http://
micro homes, created by Mirreco. www.clearvuepv.com/
ClearVue’s smart building material

21
BP invests $20 million in

nanotech company
BP Ventures has invested $20 million in ultra-fast charging battery
developer StoreDot. The company has developed a lithium ion-based
battery technology which enables ultra-fast charging for the mobile and
industrial markets. Using this technology, StoreDot is also developing
a new type of electric-car battery that will aim to achieve a charging
experience that is comparable to the time spent to refuel a traditional
car. StoreDot currently expects first sales of its flash batteries for mobile
devices as early as 2019.
David Gilmour, vice president, business development, BP Ventures, said:
“The technology to support EVs is advancing rapidly and BP Ventures is

committed to identifying and investing in companies that we believe
are at the cutting edge of this industry. StoreDot has shown significant
progress in the development of ultra-fast charging, both in mobile
phone and vehicle applications. BP looks forward to working alongside
them, as an investor and strategic partner, to bring their technology
from the lab to the vehicle.”
Australian company Nano-Nouvelle has demonstrated
that it’s nanotech-enabled lithium-ion battery is ready for
plug-and-play production. Nano-Nouvelle’s technology is
a three-dimensional nano-structured, porous electrode
aimed at overcoming current battery limitations by
allowing them to charge faster and last longer. Further
information at http://nanonouvelle.com.au/
Savosolar and Danish Grenaa Varmevaerk A.m.b.a. have
signed a final delivery contract of a large solar thermal
system. The project is the largest in Savosolar's history so
far in both value and size. The final value of the deal is
approximately EUR 3.5 million including a solar field of
nearly 21,000 m2. Savosolar's collectors are equipped
with patented nano-coated direct flow absorbers. jari.

www.savosolar.com
22
NANOTECH
BIOMEDICAL
NEWS
F
or the first time, a ligand- of targeted cell populations, to
targeted nanoparticle target CRISPR and other genetic
has been successfully materials into T-cells or other cells.
used to deliver CRISPR The ligand targeting capacity is an
into the nucleus of a T-cell. “From industry first for these gene therapy
the start, CRISPR and other genetic modalities: Ligandal’s technology
therapies have suffered from the can selectively target T-cells with
classic ‘last-mile’ problem,” said manifold greater efficiency than
Andre Watson, founder, chairman other blood cell populations. “In
and CEO of Ligandal. “For all their part, the flexibility and ease of
power to heal, genetic therapies this platform is enabled by state-
are ineffective at best if they of-the-art peptide synthesis and
cannot be delivered to the precise fluid handling robotics, driven
cellular subtypes and locations by a back-end machine-learning
inside cells. “Now they can be,” approach to rapid ligand and
Watson said. nanomaterials discovery,” Watson
Ligandal’s bioinspired said. “Of course, none of these

nanomaterials utilize peptide robotics or machine learning
targeting ligands, which bind to approaches would be meaningful
precise cellular surface profiles without our breakthroughs in

23
bioinspired nanomaterials design and of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic
Vertical synthesis.” www.ligandal.com drugs and target their action to sites
Cardiol Therapeutics Inc., a of inflammation and fibrosis in the
graphene flakes nanotherapeutics company focused failing heart. https://www.cardiolrx.
on advancing the treatment of heart com/

forms a protec- failure by developing proprietary Salus Nutraceuticals, a leading
tive surface that formulations designed to deliver manufacturer and provider of full
cannabinoids and other drugs to spectrum hemp-based CBD oil
makes it impos- inflamed tissue in the heart, has products, is now using innovative
rasied CDN$10.5 million in investment nanotechnology to increase the

sible for bacteria funding. effectiveness and bioavailability of their
to attach. Cardiol is utilizing nanotechnology popular dietary supplement product,
to improve the treatment options PhytoLogica. The softgel capsules can
available to this large heart failure be absorbed by the body four times
population by developing proprietary faster than their counterparts. http://
nanoformulations designed to salusnutraceuticals.com/
optimize and maintain blood levels
NANO PROBE FUNDING

OncoNano Medicine, a Dallas-based broad range of targeted applications. The
University of Texas Southwestern Medical technology and compounds were invented
Center (UTSWMC) spinout, is developing at the University of Texas Southwestern
nanotechnology enabled fluorescent Medical Center by Dr. Jinming Gao.
probes to help a cancer surgeon excise The company’s first program with its pH-
tumors. The company has just closed activated compound platform is ONM-100,
of a $11.7 million Series A financing. an injectable imaging agent that targets
The funding will be used to support the the acidic pH within tumors to accurately
company’s continued clinical development distinguish cancer cells from healthy tissue
of a new class of pH-activated compounds during surgery. ONM-100 aims to eliminate
that digitalize and exploit the variability of the “guesswork” often associated with the
pH in disease indications such as cancer. removal of tumors by providing surgeons
OncoNano is using pH variability, a simple with an easier and more effective method
and robust biomarker, to detect and treat to assess lymph nodes and tumor margins
diseased tissue. By targeting pH, a clear in real-time during surgery.
delineation between diseased and healthy
tissue can be digitalized to develop a

24
Government, regulation & policy news
EU CLARIFIES REACH
NANOMATERIALS
The European Commission (EC) Registration, Evaluation, nanomaterials, how they are used, how they are handled
Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) safely, what risks they potentially pose to health and the
Committee voted on April 26, 2018, to amend several environment and how these risks are controlled. The
REACH Annexes to clarify the registration requirements draft Commission Regulation is now subject to scrutiny
for nanomaterials. The proposed amendments will by the Parliament and Council for a period of three
clarify REACH registration requirements with regard months before being adopted by the Commission. ECHA
to nanomaterials and address the knowledge gap on will already start to assess the need to update existing, or
which substances registered under REACH are placed issue new guidance to support registrants in complying
on the market as nanomaterials and in which quantities. with the new requirements.
The amendments will enable both companies and
authorities to know more about the characteristics of

25
Nanomaterials scorecard
in United States
Nanomaterials have been included in a ‘science scorecard’ initiative
launched in the United States by organisations involved in cosmetics
production. Together with NGO ‘Forum for the Future’, companies such
as Walmart and Target developed a scorecard system to encourage
responsible product development, called “Beauty and personal care
product sustainability rating system’.
32 Key Performance Indictaors (KPIs) were identified for sustainable
products and grouped into areas such as human health impact,
resource use and emissions, ingredient disclosure and impacts of

packaging. Products will be assessed against KPIs, with companies
encouraged to use external auditors for the process. Read more at
https://www.sustainabilityconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/
TSC%C2%AE-BPC-Product-Sustainability-Rating-System.pdf
The Belgian Federal Public Service for Public Health
has released its first report from the implementation of
a nanomaterial register in Belgium. The report covers
substances registered in 2016.
Most of the registrations (45% ) fall under the category of
use: SU3 - Industrial uses: Uses of substances as such or in
preparations at industrial sites. 150 different substances
were registered, for a total 75 000 tons. https://www.health.
belgium.be/fr/nano-executive-summary-fr-2016
The French Government amendment No. 2557 was
adopted by the National Assembly om 27th May. The
amendment states the Government shall take regulatory
measures to suspend the placing on the market of
additive E171 (titanium dioxide - TiO2) as well as foods
containing it. This is based on the French Consumer Code,
articles 521‑17 and also under Article 54 ‘Other Emergeny
Measures’ in EU Regulatin (EC) 178/2002 (the General
Food Law Regulation).

26
HOT
NANOTECH
COMPANIES
C
2CNT is a spin-out from George Washington University and
has developed a process for converting carbon dioxide
into carbon nanofibers using molten electrolysis. This
technology will take CO2 from many sources, including
emissions from thermal power generation and other industrial
processes, and convert it into a carbon-based product that can be used
in various industries. C2CNT’s approach is to capture CO2 directly from
the flue stream of a power plant, cement kiln or other industrial facility,
then convert it into pure carbon nanotubes. The process costs less than
traditional carbon nanofiber manufacturing, such as chemical vapor
D
deposition or polymer pulling.
r. Stuart Licht, head of the C2CNT team and professor of
chemistry at George Washington University, said, “C2CNT
is focused on a revolutionary solution to climate change
– one that is ground-breaking, innovative and potentially
disruptive.” He continued, “We’ve found a way to transform CO2 into
a valuable product, worth on the order of a quarter-million dollars

27
per ton, at low cost while reducing learned is the science that opens
CO2 in our atmosphere. That’s earth the door to now build some of
changing.” https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/ the most valuable materials in our
papers/1710/1710.07246.pdf
Researchers at Vanderbilt
world, such as diamonds and single-
walled carbon nanotubes, from

OTHER
University has developed a method
for turning carbon dioxide into

carbon dioxide that we capture
from air through our process.” www.

NEWS
A round-up all the other
carbon nanotubes. They have skynanotechnologies.com
important news in
founded a new company, SkyNano Carbon Upcycling Technologies
graphene this month.
LLC, to develop the process. “One of has developed a process that
the most exciting things about what combines CO2 with waste products,
we’ve done is use electrochemistry such as fly ash left over from burning
to pull apart carbon dioxide into coal or petroleum coke, to create
elemental constituents of carbon nanoparticles that can be used as
and oxygen and stitch together, with additives for concrete, plastic and
nanometer precision, those carbon coatings to enhance performance
atoms into new forms of matter,” and increase efficiency.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Using nanoparticles made with Linney Tuning is using bi-layer
Engineering Cary Pint said. “That captured CO2 not only keeps graphene in the development
opens the door to being able to those emissions from entering the of brake pads - currently in
generate really valuable products atmosphere, but reduces the need the development/testing
with carbon nanotubes. What we’ve to consume expensive, carbon- stage. The company should
have graphene clutch plates
intensive traditional industries such as touch at testing stage by the end of
materials such as plastics panels, solar cells, displays, June 2018.
and concrete. http://www. and smart windows..
co2upcycling.com/ https://nanocnet.com/
Founded in 2016,
NanoCnet is developing
silver nanoparticles for the
transparent conductive
electrodes, conductive
inks and pastes market. Versarien has signed a

The company recently collaboration with a FTSE listed
launched SilverStrandTM, European manufacturer and
flexible, durable and supplier of co‑manufactured
stable silver nanomaterials and private label consumer
for application in flexible products for the household
electronics and related and personal care markets.
28
MARKET
FOCUS
FILTERING WITH
GRAPHENE
Due to rapid global population growth and the
resulting shortage and contamination of global

drinking water, the importance of water purification
technologies has increased significantly. About
one billion people worldwide do not have access to
safe drinking water. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has estimated that 80 percent of illnesses
in the developing world are the results from
waterborne diseases. Effective and low-cost water
disinfection methods are urgently needed.
Technological solutions for water treatment,
particularly for waste management and filtration

are increasingly important. The lack of cost-effective
water purification technology has exacerbated
the problem of clean and safe water. This issue
is of critical importance and has been posing
a significant threat to global health, economic
Graphene filtration
growth, sustainability and social progress.
allows for membranes Applications
Applications of water filtration technology include:

with holes so small that • Municipal water facilities.
salt molecules cannot

• Medical facilities.
• Laboratories.
pass through. • Distilleries.

• Desalination plants.
• Industrial facilities.
29
• Power plants. desalination technology, reverse osmosis (RO).
• Hydraulic fracturing sites. Nanostructuring of membranes allows for actual flow of
• Wastewater treatment facilities. water (with full salt rejection) via size exclusion, leading
• Consumer markets. to much higher permeability compared to reverse
osmosis.
Current filter technology drawbacks Thermally reduced graphene is being developed for
There has been widespread interest in the filtration and use in oil spill clean-up and wastewater treatment.
separation properties of graphene and water filtration Graphene has been demonstrated to be a very efficient
has been identified as one of the key target markets adsorbent for oil-spill clean-up and dye removal from
for graphene. Membranes containing functionalized wastewater. It is chemically inert, non-toxic, non-
or pristine graphene display excellent potential for inflammable, hydrophobic and insoluble in water.
selective uptake and transport of molecular or ionic According to Directa Plus, G+ graphene performs at
species. Ionic and molecular sieving membranes that least 4 times better than traditional sorbent materials.
enable fast solute separations from aqueous solutions
are essential for processes such as water purification Market challenges
and desalination, sensing, and energy production. Drawbacks of the use of graphene in water filtration that
Desirable properties include: need to resolved prior to commercialization include:
• Over 20,000 x thinner than other membranes. • Unknown risks to eco-systems.
• Ideal pore size for separation (Improvement of 500x • Insufficient data quality on long time operation.
compared to other membranes). • High investment in existing water filtration facilities.
• Large surface area (Up to areas of 1 mm ^2). • Stability.
• Resistant to oxidation (for temperatures less than 450 • Scaling up to large membranes.
Celsius). • Producing defect free membranes.
• Very mechanically stable. • Low permeance to fluids.
• Low frictional water flow.
• Hydrophobicity. Recent developments
Researchers from CSIRO in Australia have developed
Graphene Oxide (GO) nanosheets show excellent a filtration membrane that they claim is capable of
potential for application in ultrathin, high-flux and making water from Sydney Harbour drinkable.
energy-efficient sieving membrane. Graphene oxide Made from graphene, one of the world’s strongest
(GO) membranes precisely sieve out ions and molecules and thinnest materials, the membrane makes water
larger than 4.5 Å in diameter. Water molecules purification simpler, more effective and quicker, says
permeate through the interconnected nanochannels CSIRO scientist Dong Han Seo.
formed between GO nanosheets and follow a tortuous “Conventional water filter membranes used in water
path primarily over the hydrophobic nonoxidized purification are made from polymers (plastics) and
surface rather than the hydrophilic oxidized region of cannot handle a diverse mix of contaminants, they
GO. clog or allow contaminants to pass through, so they

It has been demonstrated that nanoporous graphene have to be separated out before the water is filtered,”
can filter salt from water at a rate that is 2-3 orders CSIRO scientist Dong Han Seo said. “This technology
of magnitude faster than today’s best commercial can create clean drinking water, regardless of how dirty
30
it is, in a single step.” wastewater and is regenerated in-situ in the
novel organics destruction cell (ODC) process. The
technology was spun-out of Manchester University’s
School of Chemical Engineering.
G2O Water
UK
http://g2o.co/
Figure 1: Graphair.
Image credit: CSIRO. The company is producing graphene membranes.
The process is based on research developed at the
CSIRO developed the graphene membrane, named University of South Carolina, USA which is patented
Graphair, and placed it over a normal, commercial and licensed exclusively by G2O for use worldwide.
grade water filtering membrane. From tests using water
samples from Sydney Harbour, the team found that
without Graphair the filtration rate halved in 72 hours, as
contaminants clogged the filter’s membrane. After the
Graphair was added however, scientists say the filter did
not clog, more contaminants were filtered and the water
was determined safe to drink.
CSIRO is hoping to begin field trials in a developing-
world community in 2019 after researchers from QUT, the
University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and Ionic Industries
Victoria University confirmed Graphair’s water purification Australia
properties. http://www.ionicindustries.com.au/
Researchers at the University of Manchester have The company is producing graphene oxide based
recently developed a graphene oxide membrane for water membranes for water filtration. These technologies
desalination. They are working with UK company Icon are being commercialized with Clean TeQ (http://
Lifesaver to create a portable version of the graphene www.cleanteq.com/).

filter that can be attached to a drinking bottle or larger
mobile water unit. Lockheed Martin
USA
Companies and research centres https://lockheedmartin.com
Arvia Technology The company is using graphene to coat filters for
UK desalination technology. The Perforene membrane
http://www.arviatechnology.com/ is small enough to trap sodium, chlorine and other

ions from seawater, and the holes dramatically
The company has developed its own graphene-based improve the flow-through of water molecules,
proprietary material – NyexTM – which removes organics, reducing clogging and pressure on the membrane.
emerging contaminants and micro-pollutants from

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NANOTECH

May 2018 Issue #53

for filtration and water harvesting.

research, energy, sensors, coatings, medicine,

information on advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Graphene market news, products

and recent developments.

P.29 Global challenges such as cleaner energy and

water are being met with what it appears to be

P.30 sees a host of new innovations in batteries and

companies. solar windows and solar cells, and CO2 conversion

technology. There have been multi-million dollar

investments in companies developing nanotech

in these areas recently.

Graphene is seen as a key tech for water filtration

and there have been several recent breakthroughs

reported. We profile the market along with the

burgeoning sector for water resistant electronics.

With explosion of the smartphone and wearables

developing waterproof nanocoatings.

• Unit exposed to outdoor environment – rain,

• Consumer electronics exposed to splashing water.

• Equipment (industrial and medical) exposed to wet

• Device dropped in pool or even toilet.

A fast growing market is the use of nanocoatings

to provide moisture and corrosion protection for

printed circuit boards and electronic components

and devices, especially smartphones. This represents

the main market at present for hydrophobic

With the continued development of

electroluminescent devices, flat panel displays,

of lost function in elec- electronics, there is even a stronger need to protect

such devices from performance degradation

extend component lifetime. Superhydrophobic

for many new electronics applications, such as

flexible energy storage, wearable electronics and

printable circuitry. At present they are being used to

and wearable electronics such as smart watches, a waterproof electronics.

earbuds, or headphones. Permeability and lifetime of devices is of prime

concern to manufacturers. A typical plastic film has

a permeability for water (WVTR) of 1~10 gr/m2/day. In

electronics WVTR is needed for ~10 yr. device lifetime:

• Organic LED: 10-6 gr/m2/day.

• Solar Cells: 10-4 gr/m2/day.

• LCD: 10-3 gr/m2 /day.

• Electroforetic displays: 10-2 gr/m² /day.

• RFID tags: 10-2 gr/m²/day.

Protecting against moisture The performance of electronic boards, board

the entire electronic board with a moisture protective

coating can prevent such damage.

Liquid repellent, thermal, conductive, magnetic and

anti-corrosive nanocoatings have been applied inside

and outside electronic devices, but until recently have

for imparting hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to

Nanocoatings electronic devices using a one-step process. NanoProof®

producing protective hydrophobic, superhydrophobic water immersion.

and oleophobic (HSHO) nanocoatings to treat electronic

devices, including: cellular phones, smart phones, Drywired

personal digital assistants (PDAs), music players, cameras, USA

video recorders, computers, tablet computers, batteries, https://drywired.com/

is the main current market for HSHO nanocoatings at vacuum plasma.

present and the market will witness increased growth

anti-fouling, and anti-microbial functionalities. Synthesis (www.spareone.com) with DryWired’s technology in