Photo Fraunhofer FEP
Orange luminous OLED on a graphene electrode. The two-euro coin serves as a comparison of sizes.
For the first time, it has been possible to produce functional OLED electrodes from graphene. The process was developed by Fraunhofer researchers together with partners from industry and research. The OLEDs can, for example, be integrated into touch displays, and the miracle material graphene promises many other applications for the future.
- Flexible OLED electrodes from graphene
- The perfect material: transparent, stable, flexible, conductive
- Ideal for touch screens, photovoltaic, wearables and much more
The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP from Dresden, together with partners, has succeeded for the first time in producing OLED electrodes from graphene. The electrodes have an area of 2 × 1 square centimeters. “This was a real breakthrough in research and integration of extremely demanding materials,” says FEP’s project leader Dr. Beatrice Beyer. The process was developed and optimized in the EU-funded project “Gladiator” (Graphene Layers: Production, Characterization and Integration) together with partners from industry and research.
Graphene is considered a new miracle material. The advantages of the carbon compound are impressive: graphene is light, transparent and extremely hard and has more tensile strength than steel. Moreover, it is flexible and extremely conductive for heat or electricity. Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms which are assembled in a kind of honeycomb pattern. It is only 0.3 nanometers thick, which is about one hundred thousandth of a human hair. Graphene has a variety of applications – for example, as a touchscreen in smartphones.
Chemical reaction of copper, methane and hydrogen
The production of the OLED electrodes takes place in a vacuum. In a steel chamber, a wafer plate of high-purity copper is heated to about 800 degrees. The research team then supplies a mixture of methane and hydrogen and initiates a chemical reaction. The methane dissolves in the copper and forms carbon atoms, which spread on the surface. This process only takes a few minutes. After a cooling phase, a carrier polymer is placed on the graphene and the copper plate is etched away.
Gladiator project was launched in November 2013. The Fraunhofer team is working on the next steps until the conclusion in April 2017. During the remainder of the project, impurities and defects which occur during the transfer of the wafer-thin graphene to another carrier material are to be minimized. The project is supported by the EU Commission with a total of 12.4 million euros. The Fraunhofer Institute’s important industrial partners are the Spanish company Graphenea S.A., which is responsible for the production of the graphene electrodes, as well as the British Aixtron Ltd., which is responsible for the construction of the production CVD reactors.
Applications from photovoltaics to medicine
“The first products could already be launched in two to three years”, says Beyer with confidence. Due to their flexibility, the graphene electrodes are ideal for touch screens. They do not break when the device drops to the ground. Instead of glass, one would use a transparent polymer film. Many other applications are also conceivable: in windows, the transparent graphene could regulate the light transmission or serve as an electrode in polarization filters. Graphene can also be used in photovoltaics, high-tech textiles and even in medicine.
Learn more: Milestone in graphene production
[osd_subscribe categories=’graphene’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “GRAPHENE”‘]
Receive an email update when we add a new GRAPHENE article.
The Latest on: Graphene production
via Google News
The Latest on: Graphene production
- NA Proactive news snapshot: Graphene Manufacturing Group, American Resources Corporation, Arrow Exploration, Group Eleven Resources, DGTL Holdings...on May 18, 2022 at 10:59 am
Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd announced that it has signed a non-binding agreement with Rio Tinto Group to collaborate on energy-saving and storage solutions. Under the agreeme ...
- The wonder material graphene may have found its killer appon May 18, 2022 at 8:20 am
At the time, amid much hype, graphene was said to offer astonishing possibilities. It certainly has many interesting properties. For a start, it is 200 times stronger than steel. Yet it is extremely ...
- Graphene Battery Technology Market Growth Drivers, Trends, Analysis and Global Profit by 2028on May 18, 2022 at 3:39 am
A report was released recently that sheds lots of light on the Graphene Battery Technology Market. The report covers an ove ...
- Graphene Manufacturing Group to collaborate with Rio Tinto on energy saving and storage solutionson May 18, 2022 at 3:26 am
GMG’s partnership with Rio Tinto is an important step towards GMG's goal of becoming a major global supplier of energy saving products ...
- GMG and Rio Tinto to Explore the Use and Development of GMG's Energy Saving Products and Graphene Aluminium-Ion Batteryon May 18, 2022 at 2:15 am
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2022 - Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) ("GMG" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that GMG and Rio Tinto Group ("Rio Tinto ...
- Understanding the Health Risks of Grapheneon May 16, 2022 at 6:38 am
Unlike CNTs, minimal research is available regarding the safety of graphene. This is partly due to the initial difficulties associated with enhancing its production. Another reason for the limited ...
- Mason Graphite Provides Corporate Update on Black Swan Grapheneon May 16, 2022 at 6:09 am
Simon Marcotte, President and Chief Executive Officer of Black Swan Graphene, stated: “We couldn’t be more excited to see Black Swan Graphene progress so rapidly since its inception ...
- Graphene Coating Market 2022 Global Industry Analysis by Trends, Size, Share, Company Overview, Growth and Forecast by 2028 Latest Research Reporton May 16, 2022 at 12:05 am
Global “Graphene Coating Market” (2022-2028) Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state ...
- Could Graphene by the Answer to the Semiconductor Shortage?on May 12, 2022 at 5:48 am
Put simply, the initiative's aim is to establish a European ecosystem that will integrate graphene, and other 2D materials, into the production of silicon electronic devices. The 2D-EPL not only aims ...
via Bing News