Graphene modified to become non-conducting - tipped to be "the new silicon"

Materials Science Pick of the Day from my RSS feed.

Graphene and a new dimension

A growing number of scientists recognises how graphene, an allotrope of carbon, is the next silicon. But they also know graphene is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now a research team from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom may have found a way to address this problem. Presented in the journal Science, the study demonstrates how a transistor could indeed be the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon. Their discovery opens a third dimension in graphene research.

Ref:
1. Non conducting Graphene modification

Note

Graphene is a wonder material with many superlatives to its name. It is the thinnest known material in the universe and the strongest ever measured. Its charge carriers exhibit giant intrinsic mobility, have zero effective mass, and can travel for micrometers without scattering at room temperature. Graphene can sustain current densities six orders of magnitude higher than that of copper, shows record thermal conductivity and stiffness, is impermeable to gases, and reconciles such conflicting qualities as brittleness and ductility. Electron transport in graphene is described by a Dirac-like equation, which allows the investigation of relativistic quantum phenomena in a benchtop experiment. This review analyzes recent trends in graphene research and applications, and attempts to identify future directions in which the field is likely to develop. 


Graphene: Status and Prospects by A. K. Geim in Science.

Sixteen Research Roadmaps for Materials from the Directorate-General for Research Unit G3 Added- value Materials

It is widely recognized that, Materials Science and Technology are advancing fast.  Materials create added value in most products as so are of particular relevance for industry and society.

At the same time, costs must be minimised, sustainability improved, and products rendered more attractive, portable, or usable by making them smaller and lighter, improving functionality etc.

Due to their importance the EU Commission’s  Directorate-General for Research- G3 for Added- value Materials has published a guide-Research Roadmaps for Materials, in order  to focus attention of all interested parties on: the efforts engaged, to encourage further engagement and on the potential rewards for success.   

 -16 Research Road Maps 

 -10 Key Thematic Programmes (Framework programme7. FP7)

-RRM PURPOSE

-Three Key Overview Themes

-Strategies outline (Open and closed)

-Layered approach (4 layer example)

-WHY INVEST?

-11 Supporting chapters

   16 Research Road Maps, each with its specially dedicated web site has been drawn up as follows:

   1     CMA- Complex metallic alloys

   2     DISC-REGENERATION-Novel biofunctional highly porous polymer scaffolds and techniques

controlling angiogenesis for the regeneration and repair of the degenerated intervertebral disc

 3     POLYSACCHARIDES -The European polysaccharide network

 4     EXCELL-Thin Fims Network of Excellence: to overcome the fragmentation of European

research in multifunctional thin films

 5     EXPERTISSUES-Novel therapeutic strategies for tissue engineering of bone

and cartilage using second generation biomimetic scaffolds LINK2 expertissues

 6     FAME & EMMI -Functionalised advanced materials and engineering of hybrids

and ceramics

 7     IDECAT-ERIC ERIC- the European Research Institute of Catalysis 

Integrated design of catalytic nanomaterials for a sustainable production ( IDECAT logo has been corrupted!) Use ERIC Link here

 8     KMM-NoE_ Knowledge-based multicomponent materials for durable

and safe performance

 9       MAGISTER and EIMM-Magnetic scaffolds for in vivo engineering and biomimetic materials

 10     MAGMANet -Molecular approach to nanomagnets and multifunctional materials

 11     METAMORPHOSE-Metamaterials organized for radio, millimeter wave, and photonic

superlattice engineering

 12     MIND-Multi-functional and integrated piezoelectric devices

 13     NANOFUN-POLY _Nanostructured and functional polymer-based materials and

nanocomposites

 14    NANOMEMPRO-Expanding membrane macroscale applications by exploring

nanoscale material properties LINK 2

 15     ONE-P_Organic nanomaterials for electronics and photonics: design,

synthesis, characterization, processing, fabrication and applications

 16     SOFTCOMP-Soft matter composites – an approach to nanoscale functional

material

Key Thematic Programmes (FP7):

•  Theme 1      Health

•   Theme 2       Food, agriculture and fisheries, and  biotechnology

•   Theme 3       Information and communications  technologies (ICT)

•   Theme 4       Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production  technologies (NMP)

•   Theme 5       Energy

•   Theme 6       Environment (including climate change)

•   Theme 7      Transport (including aeronautics)

•   Theme 8       Socio-economic sciences and the humanities

•   Theme 9       Space

•   Theme 10    Security

NMP underpins progress in virtually all other above mentioned Themes. The materials research

done tries to find answers to questions such as:

•   How can products and processes be improved?

•   Are there better alternative materials and process?

•   How can new materials reduce the number of components and production steps?

•   What is the impact of materials on cost, quality, safety, consumer experience and regulatory

compliance?

•   How can maximum added value be derived from materials? Can we use fewer or local materials and suppliers?

•   Which is the most sustainable material in terms of energy and primary resource consumption?

New materials can make crucial differences in many products. Multi-application materials form

a generic, horizontal, cross-cutting field with actors in many different industrial sectors.

The Nano Materials Production (NMP) theme develops both multi-application materials, and materials for targeted applications in all FP7 Thematic Areas, notably Energy, Environment, Health, ICT and Transport.

RRM PURPOSE

Risking repletion, Research Road Maps (RRM) arise from the dialogue between scientists and industrialists.

Research Road Maps (RRM) have the potential to offer great added value in guiding the activities undertaken by all stakeholders: scientists, industries, venture capitalists, research managers, etc.

In addition, if based on economic and societal needs, they can be of great value in priority-setting interactions with public administrations at national and European level.

Research road mapping involves identifying scientific and technological challenges related to the socio-economic and industrial trends expected for the coming decade(s). An analysis of existing RRMs shows that they are generally organised around three ’parameters’:

Three Key Overview Themes

•   Thematic areas/economic and societal challenges, from which common drivers for materials innovation can be derived and which have cross-sector relevance such as the FP7 Themes: Energy, Environment,…

•   Horizontal and vertical classes: horizontal classes are cross-cutting technologies e.g. modelling, metrology and standards, process technologies, manufacturing. Examples of vertical classes are structural, functional, multi-functional and bio-materials.

•   Market industry sectors e.g. aerospace, transport, healthcare, packaging, textiles, construction.

Strategies outline.

The strategies followed by roadmap producers vary from closed to open.

In closed strategies, the desired end-result is chosen and means are defined to reach this goal.

Such RRMs can easily be up-dated at regular intervals. Closed roadmaps tend to be highly

predictive constructions that are adapted to the needs of markets and activities.

Open Strategies start from a good knowledge of the state-of-the-art in a specific field of activity,

then extrapolate the developments of this activity over time. Open roadmaps may be fragile

constructions, low on prediction and usually involving accompanying blue-sky research.

A RRM could consist of 4 layers and 11 supporting chapters

First layer 

FP Theme (Health, Energy, Environment, ICT,…) supported by the NMP Programme

Second layer

Applications/systems supporting the Theme and enabled by new materials

Third layer

Materials and/or processes enabling the applications/systems

Fourth layer 

Research necessary to create the materials.

WHY INVEST?

Supporting chapters justify why scientists, industry or funding agencies should invest in these research areas.

11 Supporting chapters are listed as follows:

•   Potential application domains/lead market sector for new material scientific and technological results.

•   Context, including current bottlenecks.

•   Motivation.

•   Key performance figures (targets).

•   Activity in- and dynamics of- the field, including the patent landscape.

•   References.

•   Time-line (for Research & Development and applications).

•   Dependencies/conditions to be addressed (regulations, standardisation).

•   Prioritisation for different (regional, national, European) funding schemes.

•   Technology transfer possibilities and necessary education.

•  Conclusions and recommendations.

REFERENCES

Research Roadmaps for Materials, Ed. Anne de Baas

Directorate-General for Research

Directorate G — Industrial Technologies

Unit G.3 — Value-added Materials

Ed. Anne de Baas

European Commission

EUR 24210 — Research Road Mapping in Materials 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

2010 — 24 pp. — 17.6 x 25 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-14485-1

doi: 10.2777/87000

Selection Criteria for Research Project Funding

Summary of  UK, Selection Criteria for Research Project Funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

TWO MAJOR MOTIVATORS.

1. Search for Excellence

2. Impact of research results, ie.  the demonstrable  contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. To maximise impact goal achievement, routes to success must be envisaged and planned from the project outset.  Potential of Results in the Long Term are evaluated after 4 years.

Excellence will be measured at an International Level and reviewed by peers.

THREE WIDE FOCUS THEMES TO IMPACT UPON.

Impact embraces all the extremely diverse ways research-related knowledge and skills benefit individuals, organisations and nations by –

1. Fostering global economic performance, and specifically national economic competitiveness.

2. Increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy.

3. Enhancing quality of life, health and creative output.

EVALUATION 

Four-year delivery plan sets out priorities and strategies to 2013

EPSRC published a four-year delivery plan setting out our priorities and strategies to 2013.

THREE STRATEGIC GOALS –

1. Shaping capability.

2. Delivering impact.

3. Developing leaders. 

SIX GLOBAL RESEARCH CHALLENGES to be ADDRESSED:

1.Energy

2.Digital economy,

3. Manufacturing the future,

4. Healthcare technologies,

5. Living with environmental change

6. Global uncertainties.

EXAMPLE OF A PARTICULARILY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT.

Full impact may be years away, but the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics 2010 to EPSRC researcher Professor Andre Geim and fellow Russian-born scientist Konstantin Novoselov for their groundbreaking work on the two dimensional material graphene.

REFERENCES.

1. MATERIALS WORLD Aug 2011 "Leading the way" (access limited to members only)

2. EPSRC
3. IMPACT WORLD

Creativity in Materials Science, Invention, Innovation - Innovation Sells.

This series of posts arise from a pointer from my latest September 2010 Issue of Materials World, Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3) house journal, Materials World (MW). Our professional development p.19, reported on (improving) "Connecting research with creativity" the article title. The work is supported by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) who first brought together together 15 senior academics in order to get strategic input on what was required to free creativity in research. (cf. ref1.)


Currently I manage 7 interconnected blogs,(cf table above) mostly based on Metallurgy, Materials Science, Technology and Engineering. The numbers reflect the interdisciplinarity of a practician from an interdisciplinary science based education such as Metallurgy, Materials Science, Technology,Engineering though to Science and Engineering based (Technical) Management. From my own experience in industrially oriented R and D, I give Creativity, Invention and Innovation in these interdisciplinary fields.

The first news item from EPSRC on these "getting our act together" is dated

30 July 2010. (ref 2.) relating pretended progress already achieved. Both references 1 and 2 are important starting points for both individual professionals and companies to delve further into these topics foundations of the Added Value Proposition (but I surmise the major companies have a head start in this since the Added Value Proposition is their bread and butter.

A Materials Engineering Creativity and Innovation eBook from the academic world .
Thanks to my blogging activity, and preceding this post my AdSense brought to light the following Materials Engineering Creativity and Innovation eBook from the academic world of materials science, technology and engineering and related which I am sure will inspire the UK materials community (ref 3. from which my illustrations have been taken).

REFERENCES.

1. Connecting research with creativity

2.Creative thinking in research

3. Innovation Cells [pdf] or Getting one's act together.