{"id":547728,"date":"2025-06-09T16:36:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T19:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/?p=547728"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:36:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T19:36:20","slug":"graphene-hits-the-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/graphene-hits-the-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Graphene hits the market"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Graphene has reached a commercial tipping point. Two decades after its first isolation, the carbon-based nanomaterial is now present in a range of consumer goods available locally and in innovations at advanced stages of testing. Although the market remains incipient, importers and some local manufacturers are now offering graphene in Brazil either as a raw material or embedded in solutions for a variety of products, including additives for paints, plastic packaging, and lubricants. Innovation ecosystems are also forming around science and technology institutions, fueling graphene production and new applications. Leading Brazilian companies in the oil, gas, and mining industries are field-testing devices containing graphene to integrate them into their production processes.<\/p>\n<p>The Mackenzie Graphene and Nanotechnology Research Institute (MackGraphe) in S\u00e3o Paulo has become a key local hub for market-oriented graphene research and development. The institute was created in 2013 on Mackenzie Presbyterian University\u2019s S\u00e3o Paulo campus with funding from FAPESP. One of MackGraphe\u2019s founders, physicist Eunezio Antonio Thoroh de Souza, launched a startup of his own in 2018, called DreamTech Nanotechnology, to translate graphene research into real-world applications. He partnered with Chinese multinational DT Nanotech to source commercial graphene (<em>see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP <em>issues 284 and 291<\/em>). Working with local distributor MCassab, DreamTec is introducing graphene and other two-dimensional materials to the Brazilian market. Now, it plans to produce graphene domestically.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are currently setting up a production facility in Araras, S\u00e3o Paulo, with an annual production capacity of 200 metric tons of graphene,\u201d says Thoroh. \u201cGiven the projected rise in graphene demand, establishing a local plant makes strategic sense, especially with DT Nanotech executives as co-owners. We expect production to begin by late 2025.\u201d DreamTech plans to use the liquid-phase mechanical exfoliation method and will focus on products such as anticorrosive paints, composites, asphalt coatings, lubricants, and construction materials.<\/p>\n<p>Also in S\u00e3o Paulo, Gerdau Graphene\u2014a startup under Gerdau Next, the new business division of steel producer Gerdau\u2014has already brought seven graphene-based products to market and plans to launch at least three more by year\u2019s end. Established in 2021, the company markets graphene-based additives for polymer films, cementitious matrices, paints, and coatings.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547773\" style=\"max-width: 1150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547773 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-metodos-producao-2024-11-1140.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-metodos-producao-2024-11-1140.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-metodos-producao-2024-11-1140-250x85.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-metodos-producao-2024-11-1140-700x239.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-metodos-producao-2024-11-1140-120x41.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP | B\u00e1rbara Cal<\/span>Graphite exfoliation using adhesive tape (<em>left<\/em>) and a UFMG researcher handling a graphene solution<span class=\"media-credits\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP | B\u00e1rbara Cal<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cGraphene is now a commercial reality,\u201d says chemist Valdirene Peressinotto, CEO and Innovation Director at Gerdau Graphene. \u201cIt imparts enhanced properties to its host materials, making them stronger and more durable,\u201d she explains. \u201cOur additives are now being manufactured on an industrial scale, in tons or thousands of liters. Graphene is no longer an experimental material confined to the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Nobel Prize-winning material<\/strong><br \/>\nThe first theoretical study on graphene\u2019s electrical properties dates back to 1947, but its history in experimental physics is much more recent. It began in 2004 when physicists Andre Geim\u2014now a partner at DreamTech Nanotechnology and DT Nanotech\u2014and Konstantin Novoselov isolated a single sheet of carbon atoms at the University of Manchester. They achieved this by using adhesive tape to exfoliate a specimen of graphite, a mineral mined from natural deposits.<\/p>\n<p>They then placed the ultra-thin, flat layer of atoms on a substrate to make it visible under an optical microscope, built a small device, and measured the electrical and magnetic properties of the two-dimensional material. Although scientists had predicted the existence of graphene decades earlier, they generally believed it would be too unstable to exist as a single-layer crystal. Geim and Novoselov\u2019s groundbreaking work earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>With its atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice\u2014like a honeycomb\u2014all in a single plane, graphene is extremely lightweight, transparent, flexible, and impermeable (<em>see infographic below<\/em>). It also has exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength. Graphene\u2019s distinctive electronic and magnetic properties have led to entirely new areas of physics, such as valleytronics, which studies changes in electron behavior within graphene, and twistronics, which explores the effects of rotating one of the layers in systems made of two or more layers of graphene or other two-dimensional materials.<\/p>\n<picture data-tablet=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info1-ING-DESK.jpg\" data-tablet_size=\"670x500\" alt=\"\">\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info1-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1920px)\" \/>\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info1-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1140px)\" \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-img\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info1-ING-MOBILE.jpg\" \/>\n  <\/picture><span class=\"embed media-credits-inline\">Alexandre Affonso\u2009\/ Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span>\n<p>Graphene has also opened new research avenues in the physics of two-dimensional systems and other atomic-layered materials, such as graphite. Geim and Novoselov\u2019s discovery has thus had a profound impact on fundamental research in materials science.<\/p>\n<p><strong>An expanding market<\/strong><br \/>\nGraphene and materials derived from it offer unique properties that hold promise for a host of technological applications in different industries. Market consultancy Fortune Business Insights estimates that the global graphene market was valued at US$432.7 million last year. By 2032, it is projected to reach US$5.2 billion\u2014an extraordinary growth in under a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Globally, applications for graphene and its derivatives are expanding rapidly, ranging from electronics manufacturing to composite materials and batteries. The graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) segment led in market share in 2023, according to the Fortune Business Insights report\u2014GNPs are two-dimensional nanomaterials consisting of multiple layers of graphene. The electronics, aerospace, automotive, defense, and energy sectors are among the largest consumers. Regionally, Asia Pacific dominates the graphene market with a share of 34.43%.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGraphene\u2019s properties make it suitable for a broad range of applications. My research center has already produced six spin-offs, and we have five more in the pipeline,\u201d says Brazilian theoretical physicist Antonio H\u00e9lio de Castro Neto, director of the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and the Graphene Research Center at the National University of Singapore (NUS), one of the world\u2019s leading graphene research hubs\u2014Nobel laureate Konstantin Novoselov is also a researcher at NUS.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547777\" style=\"max-width: 1150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547777 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-tipos-2024-11-1140.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"695\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-tipos-2024-11-1140.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-tipos-2024-11-1140-250x152.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-tipos-2024-11-1140-700x427.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-tipos-2024-11-1140-120x73.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">Eug\u00eanio S\u00e1vio<\/span>Containers with different types of graphite and graphene<span class=\"media-credits\">Eug\u00eanio S\u00e1vio<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Among the university\u2019s spin-offs are NanoMolar, which develops medical sensors, and UrbaX, focused on construction materials. Castro Neto, who completed his physics degree at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and has been abroad for over 30 years, notes that NUS now boasts over 200 patents related to graphene and its applications.<\/p>\n<p>Although demand is rising in multiple sectors, graphene has yet to become fully commercial at scale. A recent article by German researchers in <em>2D Materials<\/em> found that many graphene manufacturers remain in early commercial stages, facing the dual challenge of building a customer base and securing funding to scale production. There are also niche markets developing under confidentiality agreements, as customers often prefer to keep graphene experiments private to avoid attracting competitors\u2019 attention and to protect their proprietary production formulas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe [market\u2019s] relatively small size [&#8230;] goes along with strong growth in upcoming years with forecasted growth rates ranging between 20% and 50% per annum. [&#8230;] Graphene cannot immediately convert all its initial promises to overwhelming market success. The diffusion of this novel class of two-dimensional materials takes time,\u201d the authors wrote. The study was part of the Graphene Flagship, a European initiative bringing together 118 industrial and academic partners.<\/p>\n<p>According to Peressinotto, the market is still developing and consolidating, not only in Brazil but globally. Peressinotto has been researching carbon nanomaterials, including graphene, since 2004, when she was a staff researcher at the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN) in Belo Horizonte, working with a team from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547741\" style=\"max-width: 1150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547741 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-compostos-2024-11-1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-compostos-2024-11-1200.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-compostos-2024-11-1200-250x129.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-compostos-2024-11-1200-700x361.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-compostos-2024-11-1200-120x62.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span>Cement paste being prepared with graphene-containing material; on the left, powdered graphene (<em>in the background<\/em>) and an additive compound based on a thermoplastic material and graphene<span class=\"media-credits\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The startup\u2019s first major success was a project on behalf of Gerdau\u2014an industrial trial with the supplier of polymer films used to package nails. \u201cWe successfully reduced packaging thickness by 25%, increased puncture and tear resistance by 30%, and reduced process losses by more than 40%,\u201d says Peressinotto. By incorporating the additive into the nail packaging line, Gerdau saved roughly 72 metric tons of plastic over one year.<\/p>\n<p>Gerdau Graphene, which develops its products in collaboration with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC) at the University of Manchester, sources its graphene from producers in Brazil, Canada, the United States, England, Spain, Australia, and other countries. Importing is necessary, Peressinotto explains, because Brazil currently lacks suppliers with the capabilities to produce graphene in the formats, quantities, and at the competitive prices the company requires.<\/p>\n<p>In Brazil, graphene is mainly used in applications that exploit its mechanical properties. \u201cThe primary uses for graphene in Brazil are still in paints, elastomers [polymers with elastic properties], composites, packaging, and cement. These applications are linked to heavier materials, such as those in the construction and automotive sectors,\u201d says Luiz Gustavo Can\u00e7ado, a physicist at UFMG. After previously heading the MGgrafeno Project in 2016, Can\u00e7ado and his team developed a pilot process for large-scale production of graphene and tested over 20 applications for the material.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGraphene is incredibly strong. It takes a great deal of force to break it. When blended into polymers, rubber, cement, or ceramics, it enhances the overall mechanical properties of the resulting material,\u201d says Marcos Pimenta, also a physics professor at UFMG. \u201cBut developing and producing these materials is no easy task.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547761\" style=\"max-width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright vertical\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547761 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-gerdau-construcao-civil-2024-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-gerdau-construcao-civil-2024-11.jpg 800w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-gerdau-construcao-civil-2024-11-250x225.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-gerdau-construcao-civil-2024-11-700x629.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-gerdau-construcao-civil-2024-11-120x108.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span>A Gerdau Graphene laboratory created to develop graphene-based solutions for construction<span class=\"media-credits\">L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>A pioneer in carbon nanomaterials research in Brazil, Pimenta founded and directed UFMG\u2019s Center for Nanomaterials and Graphene Technology (CTNano) for 10 years, where today, in a 3,000-square-meter facility, around 100 researchers work across 10 laboratories to develop custom solutions and technologies. \u201cAt first, our projects were primarily for two companies. Today, we have several initiatives in the pipeline for companies from different industries,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>According to physicist Rodrigo Gribel Lacerda, current general coordinator at CTNano, now a unit within the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation (EMBRAPII), the center has partnered with 15 companies to date. Among its most advanced projects is a nanosensor made with carbon nanotubes (layers of graphene rolled into a cylinder) to monitor carbon dioxide levels in natural gas extracted from Brazil\u2019s offshore pre-salt oil reserves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are currently bench-testing the device, developed in collaboration with Brazilian oil giant Petrobras. The remaining step is real-world testing before commercial launch,\u201d says Lacerda. Another project at the same development stage is developing a strain sensor for mining machinery. A third project is using graphene to make water filters.<\/p>\n<p>One of Brazil\u2019s first graphene production facilities, UCSGraphene, in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, was developed by the University of Caxias do Sul (UCS) and has been operational since March 2020. Affiliated with EMBRAPII, UCSGraphene uses liquid-phase exfoliation to develop and produce graphene and other carbon-rich materials, with a production capacity exceeding one metric ton per year.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547737\" style=\"max-width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright vertical\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547737 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-chip-producao-2024-11-800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-chip-producao-2024-11-800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-chip-producao-2024-11-800-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-chip-producao-2024-11-800-700x701.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-chip-producao-2024-11-800-120x120.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">B\u00e1rbara Cal<\/span>A chip with a gas-detecting graphene nanosensor developed at UFMG<span class=\"media-credits\">B\u00e1rbara Cal<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cBesides making graphene from graphite and other carbon sources, we are creating a range of solutions that incorporate graphene and its derivatives, as well as production routes for other carbon-based nanostructures like graphene oxide and modified graphenes,\u201d says UCSGraphene Coordinator Diego Piazza, a materials engineer. Piazza, who also teaches at UCS, has collaborated with various companies and science and technology institutes on graphene research projects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur team\u2019s technological developments and research into graphene and its derivatives include applications in composite materials [polymers, ceramics, and metals], protective equipment, lubricants, paints and coatings, filtration systems, regenerative medicine, and technical components,\u201d he says. \u201cSeveral of our solutions are already being marketed across sectors such as fashion, mobility, and logistics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Belo Horizonte, another facility with industrial production capabilities is preparing to bring its technologies to market. Co-located at CDTN, the plant was built as part of UFMG\u2019s MGgrafeno Program in collaboration with the state-owned Minas Gerais Development Company (CODEMGE), with a capacity of about one metric ton of graphene per year. \u201cWe plan to transfer the technology we develop in this project to parties looking to produce graphene for commercial and industrial applications,\u201d says Can\u00e7ado from UFMG. The plan is for private partners to utilize CDTN\u2019s facilities for development.<\/p>\n<p>UFMG and CDTN co-own the intellectual property generated as part of the project, including the liquid-phase exfoliation method for producing graphene from graphite. Can\u00e7ado explains that a major challenge in scaling up commercial applications for graphene lies in achieving reproducible large-scale production.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547733\" style=\"max-width: 1150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547733 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"653\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140-250x143.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140-700x401.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140-290x166.jpg 290w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-biossensor-2024-11-1140-120x69.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">NanoMolar<\/span>A biosensor made with graphene for glucose testing, created by NanoMolar<span class=\"media-credits\">NanoMolar<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another hurdle is establishing standards for production, quality control, and material safety. Finally, having reliable information to confirm the material\u2019s authenticity as graphene\u2014and not another allotrope of carbon, like graphite\u2014is crucial. Allotropes are simple substances made of the same chemical element, differing in the number of atoms or their crystalline structure.<\/p>\n<p>The Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology (INMETRO) recognizes the need for quality control of graphene sold in Brazil, whether domestically produced or imported. Since last year, the institute has been working to develop a graphene certification mark and program, informally called the Graphene PAC (Growth Acceleration Program). Both are set to launch around mid-2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen graphene transitioned from the lab to commercial production, INMETRO saw the need to develop measurement methods [to verify the number of graphene layers and the purity of graphene contained in products] and create a reference standard to guide conformity testing of the material. In collaboration with ABNT [the Brazilian Standardization Organization], we developed standards on identifying and classifying this nanomaterial,\u201d says chemist Joyce Rodrigues de Ara\u00fajo, head of the Laboratory for Surface Physics and Thin Films (LAFES) at INMETRO\u2019s Division of Materials and Surface Metrology. In 2024, she was awarded 3M\u2019s \u201c25 Women in Science\u201d prize for her work developing bio-graphene, created from processing biomass such as rice husks and sugarcane bagasse.<\/p>\n<p>Ara\u00fajo notes that commercial graphene products rarely contain single-layer graphene like that produced at the University of Manchester in 2004. \u201cGraphene is a family of compounds that vary by the number of layers and physical form,\u201d she explains. It includes original single-layer graphene, multi-layer graphene, and graphene nanoplatelets (<em>see infographic<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/div><div class='overflow-responsive-img' style='text-align:center'><picture data-tablet=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info2-ING-DESK.jpg\" data-tablet_size=\"1140x490\" alt=\"\">\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info2-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1920px)\" \/>\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info2-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1140px)\" \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-img\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info2-ING-MOBILE.jpg\" \/>\n  <\/picture><span class=\"embed media-credits-inline\">Alexandre Affonso\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/div><div class=\"post-content sequence\">\n<p>\u201cWhat we do at INMETRO is define the family, model, and whether it\u2019s powdered graphene or a liquid suspension. We also design testing techniques for the laboratories that will be accredited to certify graphene materials,\u201d Ara\u00fajo adds.<\/p>\n<p>With ongoing questions about what qualifies as graphene, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued a series of related standards, now available in Portuguese. These standards define graphene as a carbon-based material with up to 10 atomic layers\u2014that is, up to 10 sheets of carbon atoms stacked together. When there are two layers, it is called bilayer graphene; between three and 10 layers, it is termed few-layer graphene. \u201cBeyond 10 layers, there is still no consensus on terminology. Currently, we use the term graphene nanoplatelets as long as the material has at least one dimension in the nanoscale, up to 100 nm [nanometers],\u201d explains Ara\u00fajo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is still considerable debate over what can be considered graphene. Shifting from one to two layers and from two to three significantly changes the material\u2019s electronic structure. With more than 10 layers, it starts to resemble graphite. However, original, single-layer graphene is not always the most suitable for a particular application,\u201d adds Can\u00e7ado. \u201cSometimes, more layered forms of graphene are better suited for purpose. For most current uses, it\u2019s safe to say that graphene with very few layers\u2014between one and three\u2014is often not the most appropriate choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The production method affects the type of graphene produced, explains Can\u00e7ado, with each form having different properties suited to various applications. Other two-dimensional materials are also sometimes included in the family of graphene-related materials. Mechanical exfoliation was the original method used to isolate graphene, but it can also be produced through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or liquid-phase exfoliation (<em>see infographic<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/div><div class='overflow-responsive-img' style='text-align:center'><picture data-tablet=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info3-ING-DESK.jpg\" data-tablet_size=\"1140x610\" alt=\"\">\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info3-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1920px)\" \/>\n    <source srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info3-ING-DESK.jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 1140px)\" \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-img\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-2024-10-info3-ING-MOBILE.jpg\" \/>\n  <\/picture><span class=\"embed media-credits-inline\">Alexandre Affonso\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/div><div class=\"post-content sequence\">\n<p>According to experts, the price of graphene varies significantly on the global market. Thoroh, from DreamTech Nanotechnology, notes that one kilogram of high-purity single-layer graphene can cost as much as US$2,000. \u201cMeanwhile, the few-layer graphene we sell costs around US$300 to US$350 per kilogram,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Brazil has a strong track record and has made significant contributions to the characterization of graphene, with Brazilian researchers advancing the field of carbon nanomaterials since the 1990s. In a 2019 article in the <em>Brazilian Journal of Physics<\/em>, Pimenta and colleagues discuss how collaboration between Brazilian research groups and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has played a key role in establishing this field in Brazil.<\/p>\n<p>American physicist Mildred Dresselhaus (1930\u20132017), an MIT professor emerita who has been nicknamed \u201cqueen of carbon science,\u201d visited Brazil 12 times between 2001 and 2013. \u201cEven before the pioneering graphene study by Novoselov and Geim in 2004, Brazilian researchers had made significant contributions to graphite and graphitic systems science,\u201d the authors state in the article.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have been working in this field since 1999, before my former compatriots isolated graphene,\u201d says Russian experimental physicist Yakov Kopelevich of UNICAMP\u2019s Institute of Physics. Kopelevich has authored numerous highly cited papers in the field, including one published in <em>Physical Review Letters<\/em> in April 2003 on graphite behavior at the quantum limit.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_547765\" style=\"max-width: 1150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-547765 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-materiais-2024-1140.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-materiais-2024-1140.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-materiais-2024-1140-250x147.jpg 250w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-materiais-2024-1140-700x411.jpg 700w, https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/RPF-grafeno-materiais-2024-1140-120x71.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"media-credits-inline\">Jing Li (School of Chemistry, Beihang University, China)<\/span>The illustration shows different two-dimensional materials, including graphene, in a stack<span class=\"media-credits\">Jing Li (School of Chemistry, Beihang University, China)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Castro Neto from NUS recalls that his first paper on graphene was rejected by every journal he submitted it to, with reviewers saying, \u201cthere\u2019s no such thing as graphene.\u201d \u201cFor a long time, no one believed two-dimensional materials could exist, as they weren\u2019t thought to be stable enough to hold up,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n<p>In 99% of materials, explains Castro Neto, electrons move through the material like free particles, carrying mass and inertia. \u201cIn graphene, due to its hexagonal crystal lattice, electrons move at a speed as if they were massless. From a theoretical perspective, this was intriguing\u2014a new type of particle moving within the material.\u201d In 2009, Castro Neto published a study in <em>Reviews of Modern Physics<\/em> describing the electronic properties of graphene.<\/p>\n<p>The discovery of graphene not only opened new frontiers in the field of two-dimensional materials but also gave rise to an entirely new field known as \u201ctwistronics.\u201d In 2018, MIT researchers discovered a \u201cmagic angle\u201d by twisting two sheets of graphene by precisely 1.1 degrees (<a href=\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/twisted-graphene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP <em>issue n\u00b0 302<\/em><\/a>). This turns graphene into a superconductor, although this effect only occurs at extremely low temperatures, limiting its practical application. At UFMG, researchers are investigating other offset angles, up to 30 degrees. A paper reporting on their research was featured on the cover of <em>Nature<\/em> in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, the same team, led by Can\u00e7ado and physicist Ado J\u00f3rio, also from UFMG, published a cover article in <em>Carbon<\/em> on approaches to analyzing graphene defects using Raman spectroscopy. The paper, a review of past research to improve metrology methods for nanomaterials, highlights Brazil\u2019s recognized leadership in the field, according to a report by the Brazilian Physical Society. In their conclusion, the authors note that precise control over graphene properties is especially crucial in device manufacturing and data-processing applications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bibliografia separador-bibliografia\">The story above was published with the title &#8220;<strong>Graphene goes commercial<\/strong>&#8221; in issue 345 of November\/2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bibliografia\"><strong>Project<\/strong><br \/>\nGraphene: Photonics and optoelectronics: UPM-NUS Collaboration (<a href=\"https:\/\/bv.fapesp.br\/pt\/auxilios\/56684\/grafeno-fotonica-e-opto-eletronica-colaboracao-upm-nus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">n\u00b0 12\/50259-8<\/a>); <strong>Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Spec Program; <strong>Supervisor<\/strong> Antonio H\u00e9lio de Castro Neto (NUS);<strong> Beneficiaries<\/strong> Christiano Jos\u00e9 Santiago de Matos, Eunezio Antonio de Souza, Hugo Luis Fragnito; <strong>Investment <\/strong>R$15,206,096.75.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bibliografia\"><strong>Scientific articles<\/strong><br \/>\nSCHMALTZ, T. <em>et al. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2053-1583\/ad1e78\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graphene roadmap briefs (no. 3): Meta-market analysis 2023<\/a>. <strong>2D Materials<\/strong>. Vol. 11, no. 2. Jan. 31, 2024.<br \/>\nPIMENTA, M. A. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s13538-018-0618-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">History and national initiatives of carbon nanotube and graphene research in Brazil<\/a>. <strong>Brazilian Journal of Physics<\/strong>. Vol. 48, no. 2. Jan. 2019.<br \/>\nKOPELEVICH, Y. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/link.aps.org\/doi\/10.1103\/PhysRevLett.90.156402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reentrant metallic behavior of graphite in the quantum limit<\/a>. <strong>Physical Review Letters<\/strong>. Vol. 90, no. 15. Apr. 18, 2003.<br \/>\nCASTRO NEVES, A. H. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/link.aps.org\/doi\/10.1103\/RevModPhys.81.109\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The electronic properties of graphene<\/a>. <strong>Reviews of Modern Physics<\/strong>. Vol. 81, no. 109. Jan. 14, 2009.<br \/>\nGADELHA, A. C. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-021-03252-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Localization of lattice dynamics in low-angle twisted bilayer graphene<\/a>. <strong>Nature<\/strong>. Vol. 590. Feb. 17, 2021.<br \/>\nTHOROH DE SOUZA, E. A. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/opg.optica.org\/josab\/abstract.cfm?uri=josab-40-4-C148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ultrashort pulse generation in erbium-doped fiber lasers in South America: A historical review<\/a>. <strong>Journal of the Optical Society of America B<\/strong>. Vol. 30, no. 4. Mar. 31, 2023.<br \/>\nCAN\u00c7ADO, L. G. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/br\/en\/home\/global\/forms\/industrial\/mcs-marqmetrix-aio-refined-fuel-properties-using-process-raman-appnote-form.html?C_Campaign_Element=7014z000000zbV1AAI&amp;ef_id=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcwx2uWKShC_94hK8a41gPeH6W-32bFYXEE7ejZ_J1Poe3rvIGLzs96BoCF2IQAvD_BwE:G:s&amp;s_kwcid=AL!3652!3!692346366174!b!!g!!raman%20spectroscopy&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADxi_GQgrsiPyNhm5Gmp8z-BTSfFU&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcwx2uWKShC_94hK8a41gPeH6W-32bFYXEE7ejZ_J1Poe3rvIGLzs96BoCF2IQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science and metrology of defects in graphene using raman spectroscopy<\/a>. <strong>Carbon<\/strong>. Vol. 220. Feb. 2024.<br \/>\nDINIZ, F. L. J. <em>et al<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scielo.br\/j\/mr\/a\/sGQR66NXr95MKGzsppnLXyr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graphene-based flexible and eco-friendly wearable electronics and humidity sensors<\/a>.<strong> Materials Research<\/strong>. Vol. 27. Mar. 12, 2024.<br \/>\nRABY, X. &amp; SILVA, R. D. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/379618297_Exploring_the_Potential_of_Graphene_in_Real-Life_Industrial_Anticorrosive_Coatings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploring the potential of graphene in real-fife industrial anticorrosive coatings<\/a>. <strong>Materials Research<\/strong>. Vol. 27. Apr. 5, 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two decades after it was first created, the unique two-dimensional nanomaterial is beginning to be incorporated into technological innovations on a commercial scale","protected":false},"author":468,"featured_media":547749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[156,169],"tags":[228,2413],"coauthors":[778],"class_list":["post-547728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover","category-technology","tag-engineering","tag-technology","position_at_home-sumario"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547728"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":547817,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547728\/revisions\/547817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547728"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=547728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}