Internationale Partnersuche

Innovation & Technologie Angebot

Italian technology for the manufacturing of 3D graphene oxide based materials is offered for licence agreement

Country of Origin: Italy
Reference Number: TOIT20170713002
Publication Date: 13 July 2017

Summary

A team of researchers from an Italian University engaged in the field of biotech and physics is looking for industrial partners, operating in the field of chemical and non-ferrous metals production, for license agreement. Technology offer relates to a process for production of 3D hydrogel or aerogel structure made of graphene comprising  at least two layers substantially constituted by graphene oxide (GO) spaced apart by one protein intermediate layer.

Description

Established in 1952, the University has been constantly engaged in developing innovatiove solutions easily trasnferrible on the market, for the benefit of the whole community. The proposed  innovative technology is the result of a multi-disciplinary collaboration between a research group focused in condensed matter physics and another one in biotech.

The graphene oxide (GO), showing properties such as the possibility of varying  the electro-optical  and chemical  features of the graphene  itself, has been added to further contribute to the graphene applicative potential.

At the state of the art the  formation  of 3D materials made of graphene and graphene oxide is based upon treatments of these materials   with chemical and/or physical  methods,   such   as   exposure   to   high temperatures  and  high  pressures  (ex.  autoclave),  exposure  to reducing  agents  (ex. hydrazine or ascorbic acid), exposure to chemical reticulating agents (ex. polyacrylamide).  Generally,  with the methods described in the known state of art the GO initial suspension has a critical concentration  of 3-5 mg/ml and the experimental  conditions are very drastic either due to  the  use  of  high  pressures  and  temperatures  or as one has recourse to toxic materials (ex. hydrazine, polyacrylamide).

The object of the present  invention  is to provide  a process  for manufacturing three-dimensional  structures  made of graphene  allowing  to overcome  the drawbacks present in the known state of art.

The potential partner of the license agreement can be SMEs or MNEs operating in different fields because the applications of this technology are various. Some example of these applications are as catalysis of chemical reactions using the trapped metal, like biosensors construction deriving from electrons exchange through catalysed surface reactions, for the water filtration for the recovery of metal pollution or in super-capacitors construction (e.g. batteries).

Advantages and Innovations

The process of the invention is characterized by a series of advantages with respect to known processes having the same purposes (manufacturing of 3D structures made of graphene) which can be summarized as follows: the application of drastic experimental conditions (temperature  and pressure) or the recourse  to the use of toxic substances  or cross-linking  agents is not requested; the initial concentrations  of graphene  oxide are about 10 times lower  than those normally used with known chemical/physical  methods; the formation of the 3D structure takes place contemporary  to the reduction of GO (graphene  oxide) which is brought to a state of partial reduction then suitable to manufacture conductive materials; the possibility of functionalizing  the 3D structures, by inserting on the proteins which  form the rings  or the nanotubes,  by means,  for example,  genetic engineering, binding sites for various materials/molecules such as, for example,  metal ions or metal nanoparticles.

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Requested partner

Type of partner sought:

SME, MNE



Specific area of activity of the partner:

Producers and/or dealers of nano materials based on Graphene Oxide



Task to be performed by the partner sought:

- Acquiring a licence