Emerging Nano Carbons

Smoltek has joined the MAXBATT consortium, which includes Scania and Volvo, to enhance sustainable battery production using carbon nanofiber technology.

Researchers examined how proteins bind to charged graphene quantum dots, assessing the impact on toxicity, cellular uptake, and light emission.

Researchers at Kyushu University developed a pumpkin peel-based nanomaterial that surpasses plastic in blocking UV light, reducing microbial growth, and preserving antioxidants, offering a sustainable packaging alternative.

Researchers at Carbonsphere have detailed the functionalization of C60 using Bingel, Prato, and Diels–Alder reaction routes. These methods allow for the creation of diverse fullerene derivatives, which can significantly alter the properties of C60, such as solubility and electronic behavior, making them valuable for advanced applications in carbon materials like composites and electronic devices.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have achieved a 20.5% power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells by recycling spin-triplet excitons. This advancement in efficiency could enhance the performance of carbon-based materials in photovoltaic applications.

Researchers at ACS Publications have demonstrated the use of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as nanoadditives to improve the hydration process in cement. This advancement could enhance the mechanical properties and durability of cement composites, potentially leading to more resilient construction materials.

Researchers have identified several uses for Fullerene C70 in organic photovoltaics, organic electronics, and advanced nanomaterials, noting its unique elongated carbon cage structure and electron-accepting behavior. This matters because C70's distinct optical and electronic properties, compared to C60, make it a valuable material for studying and optimizing charge transport and light absorption in these advanced carbon-based applications.

Researchers at Gannan Medical University and Shanghai University developed a gold nanoparticle–graphene oxide quantum dot (AuNPs/GOQDs) Schottky junction nanocomposite that achieved over 97% bacterial eradication in vitro and approximately 99% wound closure in mice within 9 days under 460 nm LED irradiation. The work advances graphene quantum dot applications by demonstrating that pairing GOQDs with AuNPs suppresses charge recombination to boost reactive oxygen species output while simultaneously enhancing photothermal conversion, offering a drug-free pathway to address multidrug-resistant infections.

Fullerene C60, a cage-like carbon nanomaterial discovered in 1985, is under active research for applications in organic electronics, photovoltaics, lubricants, coatings, biomedical systems, and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Within the advanced carbon materials sector, C60 occupies a distinct niche from fiber- or graphene-based materials, with its electron-accepting properties and molecular tunability driving continued interest in energy and specialty coating applications.