Researchers have developed a new method to significantly enhance the quality control of Graphene Oxide (GO), an emerging technology recognized for its potential in various applications. This groundbreaking approach is used to utilize complementary molecular probes to rapidly and thoroughly characterize GO samples. This allows researchers and materials producers to run tests in a matter of hours, rather than weeks. This significant development overcomes persistent challenges related to the reliability and cost-effectiveness of graphene testing services.
Graphene Oxide has garnered considerable attention since the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Manchester-based researchers in 2010 for their groundbreaking work on graphene. This was a major challenge with graphene that was commercially available, as exposed in an article by the Journal of 2018. The supply was inconsistent due to variable test conditions. In this freewheeling market, producers are mislabeling black powders as graphene. This sleight of hand lets them market these items at significantly higher price points.
Challenges in Graphene Supply
The unpredictability in the graphene market comes from many different directions, and one of the biggest contributors is the absence of consistent or reliable testing methods. Commercial services approving these new batches of Graphene Oxide typically sell for exorbitant costs. Moreover, they can take weeks to get results back. This unexpected complication has acted as a major barrier for researchers. They require quick, reliable evaluations of their products, and manufacturers are in the same boat.
A 2018 article published in Nature pointed out that “producers are labeling black powders as graphene and selling for top dollar.” This illegal scheme erodes public confidence in the market. More than that, it stymies innovation in all of the industries that rely on advanced graphene materials.
Introducing a New Testing Method
Their innovative new approach addresses each of these hurdles directly. This is made possible through a molecular probing device that penetrates directly to the surface of Graphene Oxide. Scientists combine small samples of GO, which are suspended in water. They then introduce a suite of molecular probes that are nonfluorescent until they interact with the material of interest. This interaction makes it possible to characterize very quickly, helping to speed and simplify the quality control process.
Dr. Andrew Surman, one of the researchers who worked on this project, underscored the importance of this new approach. He stressed that it is a test that researchers and producers of materials can do in a few hours. Now, they can use low-cost tools they likely already have at their disposal to perform rapid quality control on their samples directly in their facilities. By providing guidance on how to troubleshoot variations in their supply, you’re helping teams to provide the best possible materials. This support helps free them up to do what’s most important—that’s innovating and developing next-generation technology.
This pioneering approach significantly reduces the time needed for testing. In the process, it reduces costs, democratizing quality control and placing it within the reach of more producers and researchers.
Implications for Research and Industry
The consequences of this important turn of events go beyond the shorter time to test. With improved reliability in characterizing Graphene Oxide, researchers can ensure that they are working with genuine materials, fostering trust in the supply chain. This advancement may stimulate further research into graphene-based technologies, potentially leading to groundbreaking applications in electronics, energy storage, and more.
The algorithm has recently been described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, DOI 10.1021/jacs.5c05355. This release provides a very scientific basis for its scientific credibility. Commercially, it is another big step towards addressing quality control issues currently puzzling the graphene industry.