News & Intelligence

Researchers in the US and UK observed flexoelectricity in graphene, finding that extremely sharp bends create significant electrical polarization. This discovery aligns with theoretical predictions from 2008.

Researchers have integrated ultra-thin transparent electrodes made from reduced graphene oxide into a soft, electrically driven lens to enable focus adjustment without moving parts.

Nova Pangaea Technologies finished testing its biomass process, handling up to three tonnes of softwood residues daily. The company plans to establish its first commercial plant.

Young entrepreneurs in Ecuador, Senegal, Nigeria, and Bangladesh are transforming land restoration into economic opportunities, supported by the Youth Ecopreneur Programme. Their projects integrate technology and sustainable practices to boost productivity and market viability.

CarbonScape produces high-quality synthetic graphite by recycling materials, reducing reliance on fossil fuels for green energy components.

Researchers achieved biochar yields of up to 41.3% from almond shells using fixed-bed pyrolysis at temperatures between 400 and 500 degrees Celsius.

Researchers at TU Wien have developed a material combining MXene and gold that uses sunlight and electricity to produce ammonia from nitrate.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed aerogels from aircraft composite waste, which may be used for insulation, noise reduction, and cleaning up oil spills.

Recycled supercapacitors with carbon-fiber cathodes maintained performance comparable to original devices through initial fabrication and two recycling cycles.

Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. has launched G FLUID, a graphene-based water coolant additive for data centres. Preliminary tests show a 20% increase in heat transfer when used at 1% concentration.

Kamalia University has initiated the SAFER PLUS project to convert agricultural residues into biochar, electricity, and surplus heat using an integrated system.

Researchers and industry leaders in Jakarta urge converting Palm Oil Mill Effluent into biogas. Indonesia's vast effluent pool remains largely untapped due to a lack of binding regulations.

Aviva is repurposing its gasification facility to produce biochar, generating 12 MW of electricity and around 47,000 carbon-removal units.

A review indicates that adding biochar to anammox reactors could enhance their efficiency by acting as a conductive interface.

Researchers have used machine learning to predict the concentration of persistent free radicals and g-Factor in lignocellulose-derived biochar based on its elemental composition.

Researchers at Gachon University review printed graphene interconnects and vias made from reduced graphene oxide, a route to wiring flexible hybrid electronics without conventional metal deposition.

Researchers have developed a new carbon nanotube strategy that could significantly extend the lifespan of wearable strain sensors, potentially lasting for years.

CO2 Sync has opened an emissions-free energy plant in Price, Utah, producing biochar to enhance soil nutrient retention.

The IMMENSE team created a conductive photopolymer resin with multi-walled carbon nanotubes for advanced additive manufacturing applications.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a graphene-based soft lens that can electronically change focus without bulky parts, potentially advancing medical devices and cameras.

MIT researchers have developed a method to grow large, air-stable niobium diselenide films using graphene encapsulation. This advance could lead to more compact superconducting quantum devices.

Researchers at the University of Maryland developed infrared torsional force microscopy, enabling near-nanometer precision imaging of material surfaces responding to infrared light.

Researchers at Zhejiang University developed a new synthesis method to create rare earth MXenes, yielding semiconducting and magnetic properties valuable for future electronics.

Researchers in South Korea have created a self-healing waterborne polyurethane coating that shields electronics from electromagnetic interference. The coating repairs damage with heat or near-infrared light.

Researchers developed a conductive e-skin patch using aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and dopamine integrated into carboxymethyl starch.

Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a graphene oxide membrane that efficiently separates water from isopropanol, reducing energy use in solvent purification.

China has introduced a technology to convert regular coal into advanced carbon materials like carbon fibers and graphene.

Researchers incorporated thermally exfoliated graphene oxide into PVDF, enhancing both piezoelectric and triboelectric responses. This nanocomposite could advance self-powered wearables and flexible sensors.

NIT Rourkela has patented a 3D-reinforced composite technology that boosts Fibre-Reinforced Polymer strength and durability, with potential applications in aerospace and automotive industries.

The Ellington anaerobic digestion facility will use 115 tons of Arigna biochar for ground stabilization, aiding carbon offset in construction. Completion is expected in approximately 18 months.

Researchers found that the gas environment during biomass heating significantly impacts biochar quality, alongside temperature.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality awarded $1 million for mobile biochar equipment to convert Hurricane Helene debris into a soil amendment for flood-damaged farmland in Haywood County.

A company led by Cambridge PhD Liu Zhenyu is advancing carbon nanotube materials for lightweight applications.

Researchers at Concordia University have created carbon-fiber composite wind turbine blades that are approximately 80% lighter than standard blades.

Graphene Manufacturing Group has partnered with Blackwoods to distribute its graphene-based lubricant additive, G® LUBRICANT, across Australia.

Researchers at Fudan University developed a memory device that uses a single electron to store data, achieving a 0.5-volt signal shift at room temperature.

Drexel and Penn State researchers created a new hydrogel for biosensors that maintains skin contact through sweat and hair, enhancing durability and comfort during physical activity.

Bioengineers at UC San Diego integrated an insect olfactory receptor into graphene chips, creating a sensor that detects diverse organic compounds. This could lead to scalable, nature-inspired chemical sensors.

Penn State researchers are assessing the sustainability of Woodland Biomass Innovations' plan to convert 1,000 tons of wood residues daily into gasoline and biochar in Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Himachal Pradesh has launched India's first indigenous biochar plant, processing 1.5 tonnes of pine needles daily to combat forest fires and climate change.

CCI BioEnergy has secured a contract to supply equipment for the Disco Road Organics Processing Facility in Toronto.

A new Biochar Research and Training Facility with a 1.5-ton daily processing capacity opened at Y.S. Parmar University in Himachal Pradesh to address forest fire hazards.

Researchers incorporated carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes into a chitosan hydrogel to enhance red blood cell membrane stability for use in environmental sensors.

Researchers at Fudan University developed a 2D flash memory chip using graphene that stores data with a single electron at room temperature, significantly reducing energy consumption.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Universität Potsdam, and Empa developed a solar cell with 27.3% efficiency using a graphene oxide and self-assembled monolayer bilayer, targeting 30% efficiency.

Vietnamese researchers are producing biochar and charcoal pellets from durian peels to reduce waste and increase the value of agricultural byproducts.

Vink Chemicals and pyropower GmbH celebrated the topping-out of a new biochar power plant in Schwerin, Germany, designed to supply energy to Vink's production site.

A review in Nano Research highlights how terminal groups (Tₓ) on MXenes influence their properties and applications, emphasizing their potential for tailored electronic, optical, and mechanical functionalities.

Researchers at Punjab Agricultural University review biochar's production routes and its use across environmental remediation, energy and catalysis, mapping how its physicochemical properties drive each application.

Weiwa Machinery shipped a continuous carbonization furnace to Pakistan, designed for high-capacity biochar production from local agricultural residues like coconut shells and rice husks.

Researchers at QUT developed a molecular strategy to prevent carbon nanotube clumping, enhancing thermal power efficiency for wearable devices that convert body heat into electricity.

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology used a small molecule to stop single-walled carbon nanotubes clumping, achieving record heat-to-electricity conversion in a problem that had stalled the field for two decades.

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have developed carbon nanotubes from distilled grain residues to enhance potassium-ion battery performance.

Researchers created a flexible memristor using perovskite quantum dots and graphene oxide, improving low-light image recognition by over 10% and doubling the signal-to-noise ratio.

Researchers at the University of Arizona demonstrated that graphene nanoribbons can withstand gamma radiation, suggesting their potential use as radiation sensors in fusion reactors and deep space applications.

Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd signed an exclusive MOU with Alstom to develop graphene products for rail HVAC systems.

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

Operators can boost profits from tire pyrolysis by refining oil and carbon black into higher-value products. Upgraded materials meet industrial standards, attracting stable buyers and better margins.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a process to convert methane into graphene oxide using a nonthermal plasma-water interface, potentially reducing production costs.

Researchers have shown that graphene nanoribbons may enhance semiconductor technologies, benefiting applications in fusion energy and space environments.

Bacterial cellulose converted into biomass-derived carbon gives supercapacitor electrodes that charge rapidly and survive millions of cycles, offering a renewable feedstock for high-power energy storage.

Researchers at Concordia University have developed a method to shape carbon fiber wind blades without molds by curing flat carbon-fiber plies that curve upon cooling.

Eramet and the Gabonese Republic signed a memorandum to develop a biochar production sector using forestry by-products. An industrial seed fund "Made in Gabon" will also be launched.

Researchers at the World Resources Institute report that current global CO₂ removal capacity is insufficient to meet the 2030 target of one billion tonnes, with technologies like Direct Air Capture and biochar facing high costs and scalability challenges. This shortfall impacts the advanced carbon materials sector, as these technologies are crucial for achieving net-negative emissions and supporting the sustainable use of biochar and other carbon-based solutions.

Researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have developed a room-temperature infrared phototransistor using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and lithium niobate (LiNbO3), achieving specific detectivities of up to 10^10 cm·Hz^1/2/W. This advancement in SWCNT-based pyroelectric phototransistors could lead to more affordable and portable IR sensing technologies, potentially transforming applications such as thermal imaging, environmental monitoring, and optical communications.

NanoMalaysia (NMB) is set to begin small-scale production of a graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery for electric vehicles at its 15,000-square-foot facility in Sepang, Malaysia. By incorporating graphene instead of graphite, the battery aims to triple energy storage capacity, which could significantly enhance the performance of carbon-based materials in EV applications.

Researchers at Penn State have developed a battery-free solar computing chip that integrates silicon photovoltaics, MoS₂/WSe₂ complementary logic, and graphene chemical sensors. This innovation highlights the potential of graphene in enhancing the efficiency and functionality of solar-powered computing devices.

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have developed a new perovskite solar cell by incorporating graphene, enhancing its durability and efficiency. This advancement in perovskite technology could significantly reduce production costs and improve the performance of solar cells, potentially increasing the adoption of lightweight, flexible solar solutions over traditional silicon-based panels.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a scalable process to produce graphene oxide from methane, a component of natural gas. This advancement could lower the cost of graphene oxide production, enhancing its availability for use in batteries, coatings, and electronics.

HydroGraph Clean Power has launched Fractal Graphene Paste, a pre-dispersed aqueous concentrate containing 20% graphene by weight, designed to simplify the incorporation of graphene into water-based industrial formulations. This development is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as it addresses the dispersion challenges associated with graphene, potentially accelerating its adoption in applications such as construction materials, coatings, and thermal management systems.

A report on biochar plants in Rajasthan indicates that UV treatment effectively maintains faecal coliform levels within permissible limits in treated liquids at most sites. This is significant for the biochar sector as it highlights the potential of biochar to be used in wastewater management while addressing environmental safety concerns.

Nex Cap Energy has identified key industries that benefit most from graphene supercapacitors, highlighting sectors such as telecommunications, electric vehicle fleets, solar, and marine applications. This development underscores the potential of graphene in enhancing energy storage solutions across diverse fields.

The Government of Québec has announced its Plan de gestion intégrée des ressources énergétiques (PGIRE), committing $87 billion over 25 years to boost renewable energy, including forest bioenergy. This investment could significantly advance the production of renewable natural gas and biocarbon, both critical for decarbonizing industries reliant on carbon-based fuels.

Hina Battery is establishing a 2 GWh sodium-ion battery production line in Wuhan to support commercial transport and cargo operations along the Yangtze River. This development is significant as it leverages local carbon resources to reduce reliance on imported lithium, ensuring stable battery supply for heavy-duty vehicles.

Valency International has opened Africa's first large-scale biochar plant using cashew nut shells in Côte d'Ivoire. This development could enhance the production of biochar, a carbon-rich material, from agricultural waste, promoting sustainable practices in the region.

Researchers from Brazil's Federal University of Pelotas and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul have developed a laser-induced graphene sensor capable of detecting dopamine in tear fluid with high sensitivity. This advancement could lead to noninvasive monitoring of neurological disorders, utilizing the electroactive properties of graphene to provide a compact and scalable alternative to traditional methods that often require blood or implanted devices.

Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, along with collaborators, have developed a perovskite solar cell with a graphene-oxide interface that achieves 27.3% power conversion efficiency and maintains over 90% of this efficiency after 770 hours of operation. This advancement addresses the stability issues in all-perovskite triple-junction cells, potentially paving the way for more durable and efficient solar technologies using carbon-based materials like graphene.

Researchers at the National Research and Innovation Agency have developed biobriquettes from ginger rhizome waste, offering an alternative energy source. This innovation not only reduces environmental pollution from ginger waste but also supports the clean energy transition by utilizing biochar derived from lignocellulose-rich materials.

Researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China have developed a CNT@Ag-MXene sensor that resists corrosion even under high strain conditions. This advancement in carbon nanotube composites could enhance the durability and lifespan of sensors used in harsh environments.

Avadain has developed a new graphene type called Large, Thin, Defect-Free (LTDF) graphene, which features flakes in the 25-100+ µm² range and averages under 5 atomic layers, aiming to enhance applications in critical minerals, rare-earth-free magnets, and high-power electronics. This advancement is significant because it addresses key limitations of commercial graphene, such as flake size, layer count, and defect density, potentially improving the performance of carbon-based materials in demanding applications.

Avanco Composites has introduced a Type 4.5 pressure vessel that uses thermoplastic composites to match the polymer in the plastic liner with the matrix system in the overwrap. This fusion allows for enhanced storage solutions, particularly benefiting applications that require lightweight and efficient carbon fiber-reinforced structures.

Turquoise Group has achieved Verified Graphene Producer® status, confirming its capability to produce 30 tonnes of high-purity few-layer graphene annually at its Brisbane facility. This certification enhances the company's credibility in delivering high-quality graphene, a material crucial for applications in coatings, composites, and energy storage.

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin built a perovskite triple-junction solar cell reaching 27.3% efficiency with no measurable degradation over 770 hours of operation.

Researchers have optimized reduced Ti3C2 MXene to achieve a photothermal conversion efficiency of 91.66% under an 808-nanometer laser. This enhancement in free electron concentration can significantly improve MXene's performance in photothermal applications, potentially impacting fields like energy conversion and thermal management.

Researchers at the Institute of Environment under the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center have developed a technology for large-scale biochar production from agricultural and forestry biomass, capable of producing over 50,000 tonnes annually. This advancement in biochar technology supports environmental sustainability by transforming agricultural waste into a high-value carbon-rich material, with applications in soil enhancement, energy storage, and more.

Researchers from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have developed a new infrared sensor using single-walled carbon nanotubes, which shows a conductivity change 10,000 to 100,000 times more pronounced than graphene. This advancement could lead to more sensitive and compact thermal cameras and medical sensors, leveraging the unique properties of carbon nanotubes for enhanced infrared detection without the need for cooling.

BrandName has introduced a continuous bamboo pyrolysis machine designed to convert waste bamboo materials into biochar. This development is significant for the biochar sector as it offers a sustainable method to recycle flue gas as heating fuel, enhancing the efficiency and environmental impact of biochar production.

Researchers at City University of Hong Kong reached 20.5% power conversion efficiency in an organic solar cell by recovering normally non-emissive triplet excitons as extractable charge carriers.

Researchers at Peking University have developed the first all-carbon nanotube CFET digital logic circuits, achieving highly balanced electrical performance between p-type and n-type transistors. This advancement is significant for the future of carbon nanotube technology, as it introduces a new path for high-density computing architectures in artificial intelligence and edge computing applications.

Green Development plans to establish a large battery storage facility at its biochar plant in Quonset. The project could enhance the integration of biochar production with renewable energy storage, potentially increasing efficiency and sustainability in the sector.

The Government of Himachal Pradesh, in collaboration with Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry and ProClime Services Private Limited, has launched India's first indigenous biochar project in Hamirpur district, aiming to convert forest biomass into biochar to reduce fire risks and generate carbon credits. This initiative is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as it transforms waste biomass into biochar, a stable carbon-rich material, thereby contributing to carbon sequestration and offering a sustainable model for forest management and rural livelihoods.

Physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg have demonstrated that carbon nanotori, specifically C₁₂₀, C₁₄₄, and C₁₆₈, can generate and control toroidal dipole moments, offering a third control channel for quantum computers with zero crosstalk. This discovery is significant for quantum computing as it introduces a new method for qubit control that is orthogonal to existing electric and magnetic control methods, potentially reducing errors caused by crosstalk in superconducting quantum processors.

Innofibre is collaborating with PyroGenesis to convert biomass into syngas, focusing on the development and commercialization of bio-based products. This collaboration is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as it enhances the production and application of biochar, a valuable carbon material.

The International Virtual Institute of Global Changes and COMLURB have converted approximately one ton of urban tree trimmings in Rio de Janeiro into 300 kilograms of biochar and pyrolytic oil using pyrolysis. This initiative transforms municipal green waste into valuable resources for soil improvement and energy research, highlighting a sustainable approach to waste management in the carbon materials sector.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a covalent organic framework (COF)-graphene interlayer that significantly reduces polysulfide shuttling in lithium-sulfur batteries, achieving a high reversible capacity of 1455.7 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹. This advancement is crucial for the practical deployment of lithium-sulfur batteries, as it addresses the long-standing challenge of polysulfide migration, potentially leading to more efficient and durable energy storage solutions.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a graphene-based interlayer for lithium-sulfur batteries that maintains capacity over 1,000 charge-discharge cycles. This advancement addresses the polysulfide shuttle effect, enhancing the lifespan and efficiency of lithium-sulfur batteries, which are seen as a promising alternative to lithium-ion technology due to their higher energy storage potential.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a new method to produce graphene oxide from methane using a plasma-based reactor, which simultaneously generates hydrogen as a byproduct. This scalable approach could reduce reliance on graphite for graphene oxide production, offering a cost-effective alternative for applications in batteries, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.

Researchers at MIT have discovered that rhombohedral graphene can host multiple superconducting states simultaneously, with some states becoming stronger under magnetic fields. This finding is significant for advanced carbon materials as it reveals new possibilities for manipulating graphene's superconducting properties, which could impact quantum computing and other technologies relying on superconductivity.

Researchers at Concordia University have developed a 4D-printing method to create curved blades for vertical-axis wind turbines from flat carbon-fibre composite panels, resulting in blades that weigh 80% less than commercial aluminum blades. This advancement could significantly reduce manufacturing costs and promote the use of lightweight carbon-fibre composites in renewable energy systems.

Researchers at Concordia University have developed a 4D-printing method for carbon-fibre composite panels that makes small vertical-axis wind turbine blades lighter, cheaper and easier to produce.

Researchers chemically restructured terpene molecules from pine resin rosin to make high-quality bulk graphite, overcoming a longstanding limitation of biomass-derived carbon precursors.

Coffee!Up in the Czech Republic is transforming used coffee grounds into products like natural soap, coffee oil, biomass, and biochar, as highlighted by the European Commission. This initiative is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector because it demonstrates the potential for waste coffee grounds to be converted into valuable materials such as biochar, which can improve soil health and contribute to carbon sequestration efforts.

Biomass-derived carbon nanoparticles deliver high-rate sodium storage, offering a route to sodium-ion battery anodes made from renewable feedstock rather than graphite.

W&nergy and Enerfip in France have launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance the conversion of local biomass into renewable syngas and high-stability biochar. This initiative could enhance biochar production, which is valued for its potential to improve soil health and sequester carbon.

CCIC and UNNC have introduced a recycled carbon fiber manufacturing platform at the SAMPE China 2026 Conference, addressing four major industry challenges including extreme energy use. This innovation is significant for the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sector as it promises to reduce costs and carbon emissions associated with production.

Researchers at the International Virtual Institute of Global Changes, COPPE/UFRJ, in partnership with COMLURB, have converted one ton of urban pruning waste in Rio de Janeiro into approximately 300 kilos of biochar and pyrolytic oil. This initiative demonstrates the potential of using urban plant waste as a raw material for producing carbon-rich biochar, which can be used as a soil conditioner and for carbon storage, contributing to sustainable waste management and decarbonization efforts.

Researchers at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have developed a sensor electrode using a composite material of graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and gold nanoparticles that can detect pesticide residues at concentrations as low as parts per billion (ppb). This advancement is significant for the field of advanced carbon materials as it enhances the sensitivity and functionality of sensors, contributing to improved agricultural product monitoring and food safety.

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.

Ant Studio in Noida has designed a sustainable home for Kamran Haider using green cement and biochar to offset carbon emissions. This approach highlights the potential for advanced carbon materials like biochar to enhance sustainability in building design by reducing embodied carbon and improving energy efficiency.

Bakkafrost Scotland showcased its Applecross recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility during a visit by Scotland’s marine minister, highlighting its strategy of rearing salmon longer in freshwater conditions. The facility plans to install pyrolysis technology to convert hatchery waste into biochar, aligning with efforts to reduce environmental impact and enhance sustainability in aquaculture.

Avadain has increased its crowdfunding cap to $3.75 million to support its graphene production initiatives. This funding boost is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as Avadain's graphene has the potential to replace silver in printed electronics and mined graphite in battery anodes.

A hybrid electrode pairing VS2 nanosheets with porous graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes speeds charge transport, improving the rate performance of solid-state supercapacitors.

Integrals Power has been selected as the LMFP supplier for the EU-funded OLiMPUS battery project, which aims for mass production in Europe by 2032. This development is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as it involves synthetic graphite anodes, which are crucial for reducing the carbon footprint and enhancing the sustainability of battery production.

Researchers from China and Russia have developed stretchable metasurfaces using single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film, achieving dynamic terahertz wavefront manipulation at 0.35 THz. This advancement is significant for the development of smart, wearable THz components in 6G communication and intelligent sensing applications.

A review published in the journal Biochar highlights the potential of biochar-based porous materials for sustainable uranium capture. This is significant for advanced carbon materials as it suggests a new application for biochar in environmental remediation and resource recovery.

A biochar-enhanced three-dimensional conductive network improves the kinetics of thick electrodes, addressing a bottleneck in the efficiency of lithium extraction.

Researchers developed a biochar-based catalyst to convert microalgae into cleaner fuels, as reported on June 30, 2026. This advances biochar's role beyond soil amendment into catalytic applications, expanding its relevance within the advanced carbon materials sector.

Graphene-based energy storage systems have been reported to reach energy densities up to 650 Wh/kg, compared to 150–250 Wh/kg for conventional lithium-ion batteries, according to a report focused on Italy's renewable energy storage needs. This performance gap highlights graphene's potential role in grid-scale storage applications, a key growth area for the advanced carbon materials sector.

Canada's graphene sector has developed across production, construction, filtration, printed electronics, and energy storage, with companies such as NanoXplore operating a 4,000-metric-ton-per-year facility in Montréal and firms like Zentek and Graphene Leaders Canada advancing application-specific products toward commercial deployment. The ecosystem signals a shift from materials science demonstration toward repeatable industrial use cases in carbon-based composites, conductive additives, and separation technologies, though commercial viability still depends on product qualification, standardization, and cost competitiveness against incumbent materials.

Researchers and engineers are evaluating graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide as adsorbents, antifouling coatings, catalytic supports, and modified membrane layers within industrial water treatment systems targeting COD removal, biofouling control, and reverse osmosis feed protection. The graphene sector faces a clear scaling challenge, as industrial adoption of these carbon nanomaterials depends on demonstrating mechanical stability, resistance to chemical cleaning cycles, controlled delamination, and validated cost-per-cubic-meter performance in pilot tests using real effluent matrices.

Researchers at POSTECH in South Korea engineered hollow silicon nanotube structures that reduced thermal conductivity by 70% compared to solid silicon nanowires by trapping phonons at near-room temperature. The approach uses abundant silicon compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing, offering a potential alternative to rare-material-dependent thermoelectric devices for waste heat recovery in data centers, EV batteries, and industrial facilities.

Penn State researchers converted waste PET plastic bottles into synthetic graphite by blending shredded PET with 2.5% graphene oxide by weight and applying heat treatment, producing crystallite dimensions that exceeded those of natural graphite without metal catalysts. The metal-free process reduces post-processing steps needed to achieve battery-grade purity and could supply graphitic carbon for lithium-ion anodes and hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries from a single plastic waste feedstock.

Researchers from Cambridge, Harvard, Caltech, and the Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research used machine-learning simulations to study water confined between graphene and hexagonal boron nitride sheets, finding that confinement alone does not alter water's reactivity but that pressure and surface chemistry of the confining material are the controlling factors. For the carbon materials sector, the study establishes that graphene's chemically inert surface does not enhance water dissociation, while reactive surfaces like hBN do, offering a design principle for selecting 2D carbon and non-carbon materials in membranes, fuel cells, and electrochemical systems.

TNB Research has operated an anaerobic digestion and torrefaction pilot facility in Kajang since 2018, processing up to 350kg of food waste daily to produce biogas with 60–65% methane content and 10–30kg of biochar per torrefaction cycle. The biochar output is being evaluated for carbon material applications, soil improvement, and solid fuel enhancement, with data from the pilot intended to inform future scale-up decisions.

BRIN's Molecular Chemistry Research Center used slow pyrolysis to convert empty oil palm fruit bunch waste into bio-oil, liquid smoke, and biochar, with processing times of two to four hours. The process yields biochar as a value-added carbon material and bio-oil containing phenolic compounds usable as industrial boiler fuel or potential fuel additives.

The Advanced Carbons Council published a position paper in May 2026 arguing that carbon credit financing should be redirected from geological carbon capture and sequestration toward conversion of captured carbon into advanced materials such as graphene, carbon fiber, biochar, and carbon nanotubes. The paper contends that carbon-to-materials conversion projects are commercially self-sustaining without ongoing subsidies, unlike CCS, and deliver compounding lifecycle emissions reductions across sectors including construction, aerospace, agriculture, and energy storage.

Nanospan commercially launched GalvaShield-G, a graphene-enhanced corrosion inhibitor coating for offshore wind turbine towers and monopile foundations, priced at EUR 18 per litre and produced at its Hyderabad facility at 1,200 tonnes per annum capacity. The product demonstrates a commercial application of graphene in protective coatings for harsh marine environments, with third-party-validated maintenance interval extension from 5 to 12 years supporting the case for graphene's functional value in infrastructure composites.

Researchers at EMPA demonstrated a graphene-composite leading-edge skin that reduces aircraft de-icing energy consumption by 60%, achieving ice shedding at 5 W/cm² in panels tested at -25°C and 240 km/h after 1,200 cycles without delamination. The result advances graphene's case as a functional heating element within carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer structures for aerospace applications, with EMPA now scaling production toward trial integration in a commercial trainer aircraft.

NeoGraf commissioned a new production line at its Lakewood, Ohio facility, adding 2,000 tonnes per annum of flexible graphite sheet capacity funded by a $38 million investment, bringing its total to 11,000 tonnes per annum. The expansion increases domestic supply of high-purity exfoliated graphite sheets for EV battery thermal management, where the material's in-plane thermal conductivity above 600 W/m·K at low density addresses a critical requirement for North American automotive manufacturers.

GraphEnergyTech, the University of Cambridge, Taiwan Perovskite Solar Corporation, and ITRI launched the GETPSC project to develop graphene-based electrodes as a replacement for silver electrodes in perovskite solar cells. The project targets a known barrier to commercial-scale perovskite adoption, with potential secondary applications for GraphEnergyTech's conductive carbon technology in batteries, supercapacitors, and electronics.

Levidian and Zentek have signed an agreement to explore building a graphene-integrated manufacturing facility in the Middle East, combining Levidian's methane-derived graphene production with Zentek's graphene-enhanced air filters. The deal signals growing regional demand for graphene-enhanced products and positions the Middle East as an emerging hub for graphene manufacturing and deployment across multiple industries.

First Graphene and Halocell Energy, in collaboration with Queensland University of Technology, reported that adding First Graphene's PureGraph graphene product to Halocell's perovskite solar cells raised efficiency to 30.6% and cut production costs by up to 80% by replacing gold and silver conductors via roll-to-roll processing. The result demonstrates a commercial application for graphene as a functional coating material in photovoltaics, with cost and efficiency metrics that could accelerate perovskite cell adoption over conventional silicon.

Researchers developed a 3D porous solar evaporator using recycled carbon fiber combined with a CuO/reduced graphene oxide photothermal layer to improve solar-driven water evaporation performance and salt resistance. The work demonstrates a pathway for valorizing recycled carbon fiber as a functional substrate in graphene-based photothermal composites, linking carbon fiber recycling with emerging solar evaporation applications.