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Cambridge Graphene Centre

Research Centre on Graphene, Layered Crystals and Hybrid Nanomaterials

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The mission of the Cambridge Graphene Centre is to investigate the science and technology of graphene, carbon allotropes, layered crystals and hybrid nanomaterials. This engineering innovation centre allows our partners to meet, and effectively establish joint industrial-academic activities to promote innovative and adventurous research with an emphasis on applications.

The facilities and equipment have been selected to promote alignment with industry, by filling two main vacuums. The first is the lack of intermediate scale printing and processing systems where the industrial upscale and optimization of inks based on graphene, related carbon nanomaterials, and novel two dimensional crystals can be tested and optimized. The second vacuum stems from the challenge posed by the unique properties of graphene: the centre facilities aim to fully cover those properties necessary to achieve the goal of "graphene-augmented" smart integrated devices on flexible/transparent substrates, with the necessary energy storage capability to work autonomously and wireless connected. We investigate the science and technology of graphene, carbon allotropes, layered crystals and hybrid nanomaterials. This engineering innovation centre allows our partners to meet, and effectively establish joint industrial-academic activities to promote innovative and adventurous research with an emphasis on applications.

The strategic focus are activities built around the central challenge of flexible and energy efficient (opto)electronics, for which graphene and related materials are a unique enabling platform. This will be achieved through four main themes. T1: growth, transfer and printing; T2: energy; T3: connectivity; T4: detectors.

The core funding to establish the Centre comes from two programme grants and one equipment grant under the "EPSRC Graphene Engineering" call, from the Graphene Flagship, the Quantum Flagship, and the ERC Synergy Grant Hetero2D. Within the ERC framework, the Cambridge Graphene Centre is part of a Synergy group with the Graphene National Institute in Manchester, and the University of Lancaster, targeting heterostructures and superstructures based on two-dimensional atomic crystals and their hybrids with metallic and semiconducting quantum dots. This new concept of "materials on demand" will enable a large number of different artificial three-dimensional materials, with tailored properties, to be used in new multifunctional devices.

 

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During the recent visit by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the Cambridge Graphene Centre played a central role in showcasing the cutting-edge collaboration between Cambridge and Manchester in the field of advanced materials. Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Centre, hosted discussions with colleagues from Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, focusing on the commercialization of groundbreaking graphene research. The session underscored the strength of the partnership, highlighting opportunities for scaling innovations and driving economic growth in both regions. Spinout companies such as Paragraf and Versarien further illustrated how this collaboration is unlocking new avenues for investment, talent exchange, and technological advancements.

 

Latest news

A University of Cambridge spin-out company working to improve AI efficiency and bandwidth has raised €25 million in new funding.

26 March 2025

CamGraPhIC - co-founded Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre , and Dr Marco Romagnoli of CNIT in Italy - is developing new types of photonic circuits for energy-efficient, high-bandwidth, optical interconnect technology. The investment will support continued innovation in graphene photonics...

Cambridge Graphene Centre Successfully Installs Park NX20 AFM for LMRF, Advancing Nanoscale Research

7 March 2025

On 7 March 2025 , the Cambridge Graphene Centre (CGC) celebrated the successful sign-off of the Park NX20 Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) , a major milestone for the Layered Materials Research Foundry (LMRF) . This state-of-the-art system will significantly enhance CGC’s capabilities in nanoscale material characterization ...

Cambridge Graphene Centre Receives Cutting-Edge AFM Equipment from Park Systems for LMRF Project

31 January 2025

The Cambridge Graphene Centre (CGC) has received a state-of-the-art Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) from Park Systems as part of the Layered Materials Research Foundry (LMRF) project. This advanced AFM system, the NX20 model, is set to enhance research capabilities in the exploration of layered materials, providing critical...