Biological ion channels, which have angstrom-scale constrictions, can respond to multiple signals from their surroundings and regulate the movement of ions across cell membranes. Inspired by this principle, researchers investigated whether naturally occurring angstrom-scale channels in vermiculite could also exhibit responsive ion transport when exposed to different external stimuli, e.g., mechanical, electrical and chemical signals.

Depending on the conditions applied, the channels altered both the amount and direction of ion flow, showing behaviours similar to the ion gating behaviour in biological channels.

The clay channels naturally favour positively charged ions. The team found that by changing the acidity of the surrounding solution, they were able to influence this selectivity. Pressure and electrical voltage also altered how ions travelled through the channels, revealing a complex interplay between the different stimuli.

Dr Raj Kumar Gogoi, first author of the study added, “We observed that applying pressure and voltage together could change the behaviour of the flowing ions in ways not seen when either stimulus was applied alone. Under certain conditions, the direction of the pressure-driven current could even reverse, highlighting the sensitivity of the system to multiple environmental inputs.”

To understand these observations, the researchers combined laboratory experiments with computational modelling. Prof Narayana R Aluru, from University of Texas-Austin, said "The experimental observations could not be fully explained using conventional models. We introduce a modified surface-charge regulation model, where pressure, voltage and ion concentration influence the distribution of ions inside the channels and modify the charge at the channel surface, which in turn affects ion transport.”

Unlike conventional models, which typically consider surface charge as a function of ion concentration alone, the new approach incorporates the combined effects of voltage, pressure and concentration, to describe how these coupled factors influence ion transport in highly confined channels The findings suggest that naturally layered materials could offer a versatile platform for studying and controlling ionic transport at extremely small scales. The authors say future applications could include adaptive nanofluidic systems, energy conversion devices and bioelectronic platforms, though these applications were not explored in the present study.

The research was conducted by scientists from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Graphene Institute and Photon Science Institute at The University of Manchester; the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.

In the new study, published in Physical Review X, researchers developed a graphene device that allowed them to test this question directly. The device consisted of two twisted graphene bilayers separated by less than a nanometre but kept electronically separate. This design enabled the team to weaken interactions between electrons in the magic-angle graphene layer and observe how superconductivity responded. The international collaboration involved researchers from the National Graphene Institute, the Henry Royce Institute, Washington University in St Louis, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Antwerp, Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science and the National University of Singapore.

Magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, created by stacking two sheets of graphene with a rotational offset of approximately 1.1 degrees, has become one of the most intensely studied quantum materials over the past decade. However, researchers have continued to debate what causes its superconductivity. While some theories propose that electrons themselves drive the pairing responsible for superconductivity, others suggest a more conventional mechanism involving vibrations of the atomic lattice.

Dr Julien Barrier, the lead author of the study, explained: “To make a difference, we had to solve two issues. First, to build a device in which the screening layer sits extremely close, a fraction of a nanometre, to the superconducting graphene while remaining electronically separate. Second, we had to make that screening layer tuneable. To this effect, we used a twisted graphene bilayer in atomic contact to the magic-angle graphene”.

Professor Alexey Berdyugin from the National University of Singapore, the corresponding author of this study, added: “When we switched on the screening, we were surprised to find that superconductivity was completely suppressed. This provides clear experimental evidence that superconductivity in this system originates from strong electron-electron interactions. This behaviour offers a new opportunity to better understand the mechanisms underlying superconductivity in other materials with strong electronic interactions, including high-temperature superconductors.”

Professor Sir Andre Geim, the corresponding author of this work, said: "Personally, I am interested only in high-temperature superconductivity – preferably at room temperature or above. This study was done at temperatures so low that even helium turns liquid. But unless we understand what makes superconductivity work, we are unlikely ever to reach room-temperature superconductivity, let alone make this remarkable phenomenon commercially useful. Our study takes only a tiny step - but still a step - in that direction, helping to nail down the mechanism of exotic superconductivity in graphene. Rome was not built in a day.”

The team found that increasing the carrier density in the neighbouring graphene bilayer progressively weakened superconductivity in the adjacent magic-angle graphene. At sufficiently high carrier densities, superconductivity was completely suppressed.

The researchers also observed that correlated insulating states, another characteristic feature of magic-angle graphene, disappeared under the same conditions. Measurements showed that the superconducting critical temperature could be reduced by more than an order of magnitude through screening.

The effect was substantially stronger than reported in earlier screening experiments. According to the researchers, the enhanced response resulted from the exceptionally small separation between the superconducting layer and the screening layer, allowing Coulomb interactions to be modified much more effectively.

To understand the observations, the team compared the experimental results with theoretical modelling. Conventional phonon-mediated superconductivity would be expected to remain largely unchanged or increase slightly when Coulomb interactions are screened. Instead, the researchers observed the opposite behaviour, indicating that conventional phonon pairing does not explain the superconductivity in this class of materials.

While the authors emphasise that the work does not identify a single definitive pairing mechanism, several unconventional theories remain consistent with the results, including mechanisms based on collective electronic interactions. However, the findings place much tighter constraints on future theories seeking to explain superconductivity in magic-angle graphene.

Professor Berdyugin concludes: “In this study, we introduced a method for screening electron-electron interactions over scales as short as 0.3 nm, which turned out to be crucial for controlling superconductivity in magic-angle graphene. We anticipate that this unprecedented level of short-range screening could also help clarify many other debated phenomena.”

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new computational approach to help identify two-dimensional materials that may host unusual quantum behaviour. The work, published in Science Advances focuses on materials with “flat bands”, electronic states where electrons have very little kinetic energy. In these materials, interactions between electrons can become much more important, creating conditions linked to phenomena such as magnetism, unconventional superconductivity and topological electronic behaviour.  

Finding real materials with flat bands from large dataset is difficult. Conventional searches often rely on density functional theory calculations, which can reveal a material’s electronic structure but are time-consuming when applied across thousands of possible candidates. The Manchester team took a different route. They developed a physics-informed scoring system that captures two signatures of flat-band behaviour, low band dispersion and a strong peak in the density of states, then trained a model to estimate that score directly from atomic structure. 

“Flat bands are not only a feature we see in electronic calculations. They are often connected to the geometry of atoms in a material.” said Dr Xiangwen Wang, leading author of the study. “Our approach learns from that structure, which means we can search much larger materials spaces in a more targeted and interpretable way.” 

The framework was trained using known two-dimensional materials and then applied to more than 10,000 unlabelled 2D materials. Among high-scoring candidates with kagome-like structural motifs, follow-up quantum calculations confirmed flat-band behaviour with 98.2% accuracy. The study also identified several materials predicted to host fragile topological flat bands, a form of electronic topology associated with strongly correlated quantum phases. These results suggest that the method can do more than sort large datasets, it can help reveal which structural features make certain materials promising for further study. 

Dr Qian Yang, Senior Research Fellow in the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester, said: “The exciting part is not only that we found new candidate materials, but that the method changes how we search. Rather than calculating everything first and looking afterwards, we can now use physical intuition and structural learning to guide the search from the beginning. That makes discovery more scalable and more interpretable.” 

The approach remains computational, so experimental work will be needed to test the most promising candidates in the laboratory. However, the researchers say the same strategy could be adapted to search for other classes of quantum materials, provided the target property can be expressed as a meaningful physics-based score. By connecting physical insight with structure-based learning, the study offers a more efficient way to move from large materials databases to shortlists of candidates for detailed quantum calculations and experimental validation. 

Researchers from Professor Radha Boya’s team in The University of Manchester’s Department of Physics and the National Graphene Institute, working with Diamond Light Source and Freie Universität Berlin, found that water reorganises in surprising ways at the smallest molecular scales. Hydrogen bonds give water many of its familiar properties, but until now it has been extremely difficult to test what happens when water is forced into a flat, single-layer arrangement because the amount of material is so small. 

By combining atomically precise nanochannels with the ultra-bright synchrotron infrared microbeam at Diamond Light Source’s MIRIAM beamline B22, the team was able to measure the vibrational modes of water confined down to a single molecular layer. 

Professor Radha Boya from The University of Manchester said: “You can think of bulk water as a three-dimensional network where each molecule is constantly forming and breaking hydrogen bonds in all directions. When you squash water into a single layer, that network simply cannot hold together in the same way. For the first time, we were able to directly see how those bonds rearrange in this extreme limit.” 

The researchers created angstrom-scale slit channels using stacks of two-dimensional materials, including graphite and hexagonal boron nitride. These materials acted as both atomically smooth confining walls and optical amplifiers, boosting the weak infrared absorption signal from just a single layer of water. 

Infrared spectroscopy is highly sensitive to the stretching vibrations of O-H bonds within water molecules. By comparing water in channels of different heights with water in bulk regions of the same device, the researchers tracked how those vibrational frequencies changed as the water layer became thinner, down to a monolayer. 

The team found that when water is confined to a true monolayer, its infrared absorption spectrum shifts to higher frequencies. Dr Gianfelice Cinque of Diamond Light Source said: “My first excitement was being able to measure, at beamline B22, the vibrational fingerprint of a single monolayer of water. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the transition from 3D to 2D water has been directly detected with an infrared microprobe. The blue shift is a clear sign that the hydrogen-bonding network is disrupted compared with bulk water.” 

“Our measurements show that monolayer water does not resemble a flat version of ordinary liquid water,” added Professor Boya. “Instead, it forms a fragmented, mosaic-like structure made up of small hydrogen-bonded clusters surrounded by poorly bound or free molecules.” 

The study also showed that this behaviour is specific to the monolayer limit. Once the channels exceeded around one nanometre in height, equivalent to roughly three molecular layers of water, the vibrational signatures began to move back towards those of bulk water, indicating recovery of a more conventional hydrogen-bond network.

To understand the origin of these spectral changes, the experiments were supported by atomistic simulations. Professor Roland Netz of Freie Universität Berlin said: “Despite the disrupted bonding, monolayer water is unexpectedly dense and structurally distinct from both bulk water and simple interfacial water at surfaces.” 

The findings provide direct experimental evidence for long-standing theoretical predictions about two-dimensional water and offer a benchmark for future studies of confined fluids. 

Dr Marcos Martins, first author of the study at The University of Manchester, said: “Water confined at this scale plays a role in everything from nanofluidic devices to biological channels and energy technologies. Having a direct experimental picture of how its structure changes at the single-layer limit helps us understand the physical rules that govern these systems.” 

The ability to directly measure how water reorganises at the single-layer limit could help researchers design better angstrom-scale technologies, including nanofluidic circuits, selective membranes, and electrochemical and energy devices where confined water shapes interfacial behaviour. The same platform could also be used to study other ultrathin liquids and solvated ions, expanding experimental access to extreme confinement in materials science and biology. 

Professor Roman Gorbachev, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Graphene Institute (NGI), will lead the five-year project “Future van der Waals Nanotechnologies”. The programme focuses on establishing new capabilities for producing high-quality 2D material heterostructures at wafer scale, supporting applications in electronics, quantum technologies and telecommunications. 

While van der Waals heterostructures can be engineered with high precision, most work to date has been limited to micrometre-scale samples. The project will address this by developing fabrication methods that operate at millimetre and wafer scales, enabling more consistent device performance and compatibility with industrial processes. 

Central to the programme is the development of a new ultra-high vacuum (UHV) fabrication platform designed to eliminate contamination between layers during assembly. This builds on recent advances from Professor Gorbachev’s group, including the creation of ultra-clean heterostructures using bespoke instrumentation. 

The fellowship will also establish a UK-based “2D Material Electronics” hub, providing access to advanced fabrication capabilities for academic and industrial users. By linking materials growth with device development, the initiative aims to accelerate progress in areas such as low-power electronics, neuromorphic computing and quantum technologies. 

This project builds on sustained research in this space. Some recent papers from the group include studies published in journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Electronics, reflecting ongoing work on nanofabrication, electronic and optical properties of 2D materials, and their integration into device architectures. 

Professor Gorbachev has 20 years experience in graphene and 2D materials research, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and a track record of developing new experimental approaches for nanofabrication and characterisation. His work has contributed to instrumentation and techniques now used by research groups internationally.  

The project will support a multidisciplinary team of researchers and technical specialists, alongside collaborations with partners across the UK and internationally. By developing scalable fabrication methods and strengthening links between fundamental research and application, the programme aims to support the next phase of 2D materials development and their translation into emerging technologies.

Professor Roman Gorbachev, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Graphene Institute (NGI), will lead the £3m five-year project Van der Waals Nanomachines (ATOMSTEP). The ERC Advanced Grant scheme is among the most competitive in Europe, supporting established researchers to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven science.

Professor Gorbachev said: "This project aims to establish a new approach to controlling motion at the nanoscale using two-dimensional materials. By developing electrically driven nanomachines, we will be able to study and assemble atomic-scale systems in ways that are not currently possible."

The project will combine atomically thin materials into engineered structures, van der Waals heterostructures, whose electronic and mechanical properties can be precisely controlled. From these, the team will build a new class of on-chip nanomachines that move in controlled, atomic-scale steps, able to move and position atomic-scale objects with high precision. The work brings together the fundamental behaviour of layered materials, the design and construction of the nanomachines themselves, and their use in emerging technologies, including quantum devices.

The research will be carried out at the NGI, which provides specialist facilities for nanofabrication and advanced characterisation. It builds on the group's recent work on ultra-clean fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures and atomic-scale imaging, published in journals including Nature Nanotechnology, Science and Nature Electronics, and further strengthens Manchester's position as a centre for advanced materials science.

The work focuses on tellurium, a semiconductor of interest for electronic, thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications, where performance depends strongly on the size and shape of the nanostructures produced. Although liquid-phase synthesis is a scalable and relatively low-cost way to make these materials, it has been difficult to observe exactly how anisotropic tellurium structures begin to form and evolve during growth.

Using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, the researchers tracked the early stages of tellurium formation at the nanoscale. They found that tellurium first appears as spherical seed particles, which then give rise to multiple nanowires. During growth, nearby wires compete for available material, affecting local growth speed and branching. Across the experiments, local nanowire growth rates were measured in the range of 1 to 15 nm per second, depending on electron flux and the presence of neighbouring structures.

Professor Sarah Haigh, corresponding author at The University of Manchester and the National Graphene Institute, said: “This study lets us see, in real time, how tellurium nanowires emerge and evolve in liquid. By directly observing nucleation, growth and branching at the nanoscale, we can begin to understand how to control these processes much more precisely. That matters because the performance of tellurium-based materials depends strongly on their size and shape.”

A second key finding was that bismuth seed nanoparticles dramatically change how tellurium grows. In the microscopy experiments, bismuth increased the number of nucleation sites and promoted more highly branched, fern-like structures. Follow-up electrodeposition experiments confirmed that bismuth also lowers the reducing potential needed for tellurium deposition and can substantially increase the amount of tellurium deposited under the same conditions. Together, these results show how insights from real-time microscopy can guide more effective materials synthesis outside the microscope.

Dr Yi-Chao Zou, co-corresponding author, said: “One of the most exciting aspects of this work is that the behaviour we observed in the liquid cell translated into conventional electrodeposition experiments. We found that bismuth seeding not only promotes tellurium nucleation but also makes deposition easier and more productive at a fixed potential. That opens up new possibilities for designing tellurium nanostructures with tailored morphologies for future device applications.”

The study, a collaboration between Sun Yat-sen University, The University of Manchester, the National Graphene Institute and Beijing Institute of Technology, suggests that real-time microscopy can do more than describe nanostructure growth. In this case, it identified a specific way to alter nucleation behaviour and improve deposition under defined experimental conditions. That could help researchers refine how tellurium nanostructures are produced for device-relevant studies, while keeping claims closely tied to the systems tested here.  The team report the findings could help accelerate the optimisation of low-dimensional nanostructures for electronics, energy conversion and sensing applications.

The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates how placing graphene close to a magnetic material can influence the spin of electrons without permanently altering graphene itself. By combining this magnetic proximity effect with graphene superlattices and operating at very low charge densities, the researchers were able to strongly tune how spins move through the material. 

“This work shows that by combining graphene with nearby magnetic materials, we can gain a high level of control over electron spin using electrical signals alone,” said Dr Daniel Burrow, from The University of Manchester. “In simple terms, we are learning how to pass information through graphene using the spin of electrons rather than their electrical charge.” 

Electron spin is a quantum property that can act like a tiny magnetic compass needle. While conventional electronics rely on the movement of charge, spin-based approaches aim to use this magnetic degree of freedom to process and carry information, potentially reducing energy losses. 

In the study, the team used cobalt contacts to induce magnetism in graphene through proximity, meaning the graphene itself does not become magnetic. They then injected and detected pure spin currents, allowing them to probe how spin transport changes across different electronic regimes. 

Near the charge neutrality point, where graphene has very few mobile charge carriers, the researchers observed a clear reversal of the spin signal. This behaviour indicates that the magnetic proximity effect creates a spin dependent energy splitting in graphene, which governs how spins travel through the material. 

Importantly, the same effect was also observed at additional neutrality points that appear when graphene is precisely aligned with hexagonal boron nitride. These so called superlattice features show that proximity induced spin control applies not only to graphene’s original electronic bands but also to those reconstructed by the superlattice structure. 

“Our measurements show that the same underlying mechanism controls spin transport across all these regimes,” said Dr Burrow. “That tells us we are seeing a robust physical effect rather than something specific to a single device setting.”

The strongest signals were observed in a bilayer graphene superlattice device designed to open an energy gap in the electronic structure. In this specific system, the researchers measured spin polarisations approaching 50 per cent and nonlocal spin resistances exceeding 300 ohms. These values are nearly two orders of magnitude larger than those measured away from charge neutrality in the same experimental platform. 

The study shows that low carrier density, combined with magnetic proximity effects and engineered band structure, can greatly enhance spin filtering and detection. While the work focuses on demonstrating the physics, the authors note that electrical control of spin at low power could be relevant for future spin based electronic technologies. 

“This research shows that we can engineer graphene systems where spin signals become both large and electrically tunable,” said Dr Jesus Toscano Figueroa, a co-author of the study. “That opens up new ways to explore spin transport in two-dimensional materials and brings us closer to using these effects in practical devices.” 

The team, Industrially Viable Solid State Lithium Metal Batteries, received the Stephanie L Kwolek Prize for developing a scalable solid-state lithium metal battery architecture that integrates nanocarbon-enhanced cathodes with solid electrolytes.

The award recognises a collaboration between researchers at PETRONAS, The University of Manchester, and Deakin University in Melbourne. Their work focuses on overcoming key barriers to the commercialisation of solid-state lithium metal batteries, including improving energy density, safety and manufacturability. 

Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a solid alternative, offering potential advantages in stability and performance. However, challenges remain in ensuring reliable operation at scale. The team’s approach combines nanocarbon-enhanced cathodes with solid electrolytes to deliver a design that can be manufactured using processes compatible with industry. 

The RSC Horizon Prizes, introduced in 2020, recognise teams working on innovative projects at the frontiers of the chemical sciences. The prizes highlight collaborative research that addresses global challenges and demonstrates significant progress towards practical applications.

Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “The purpose of the Horizon Prizes is to recognise those who are pioneering new techniques, technologies and discoveries. Our winners demonstrate how expertise from across chemistry and related disciplines can be brought together to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges.” 

The Manchester researchers contributed expertise in nanomaterials and their integration into functional devices, building on the University’s strengths in advanced materials and energy research. Their involvement in the project reflects ongoing collaborations with international partners and industry to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies. 

The prize is one of a number of Horizon Prizes awarded this year by the RSC, which form part of a wider programme recognising excellence in research, innovation and education across the chemical sciences. 

In a new study published in Physical Review X, the team demonstrates how electrons can travel ballistically, i.e. without experiencing any scattering or resistance, over micrometre distances in graphene at low temperature and maintain spin coherence all the way up to room temperature. By using a technique known as transverse magnetic focusing (TMF), they were able to bend electron trajectories like light rays traversing a lens and show that these curved paths carry a clear spin signature.

Manchester-based Co-author Dr Daniel Burrow said, “What’s exciting here is that we can shape the path of electrons in graphene and, at the same time, tune how their spins behave. It’s a bit like using a set of lenses and mirrors, but for spin-polarised electrons. This opens a practical way to control spin without needing strong spin–orbit interaction in the material.”

Electron paths reveal spin behaviour

The team’s graphene device uses ferromagnetic cobalt contacts to inject and detect spin-polarised electrons at the edge of an encapsulated graphene channel. When a small out-of-plane magnetic field is applied, electrons paths curve into so-called cyclotron orbits. If those orbits are the right size, they land directly on the detector contact producing distinct peaks in signal at specific magnetic fields. These TMF peaks provide a direct fingerprint of ballistic electron motion. Three such peaks were resolved in the study.

Crucially, the height and sign of these TMF peaks changed depending on the alignment of the magnetic contacts, showing that the focused signal carried spin information. This confirms that ballistic trajectories, rather than diffusive scattering processes, were responsible for transporting spin across the device.

Control at the flick of a gate voltage

By varying the voltage applied to the back gate, which tunes the density of electrons in graphene, the researchers could modulate the spin signal dramatically. In some conditions, they enhanced the signal relative to standard nonlocal spin-valve measurements. In others, they could reverse its polarity altogether.

This tunability arises from a coupling between the electrons’ orbital motion and their spin, which occurs because the ferromagnetic contacts induce local charge-transfer doping as well as  proximity-exchange effect at the graphene edge. So the graphene next to the contact behaves like a magnetic material, and the ballistic movement of electrons from this region into the rest of the non-magnetic graphene channel leads to the spin-dependent electron optics. The result is a transistor-like behaviour for spin, achieved without introducing spin–orbit coupling into the graphene channel.

A route toward practical spin-based devices

The team observed clear ballistic behaviour at low temperature (25 K), with quasi-ballistic transport still present at room temperature. Because the TMF peaks remained sensitive to spin at these higher temperatures, the researchers demonstrate that spin-coherent ballistic transport can survive under conditions suitable for real world devices.

This approach provides a new operational principle for spintronic components: devices that rely on controlling the spin of electrons rather than their charge. The mechanism echoes the idea behind the Datta–Das spin field-effect transistor but achieves spin modulation through electron optics effects rather than spin–orbit interactions.

Co-author Dr Ivan Vera Marun added, “We have shown that electron optics in graphene can do more than guide electrons, it can actively shape their paths in a spin-dependent manner. Being able to control spin in this way, using low-power and scalable materials, moves us closer to practical spin-based technologies and future quantum systems.”

Published in Science, the team demonstrated the first atomic‑resolution imaging of atomic behaviour at solid–liquid interfaces in a broad range of non‑aqueous (organic) solvents. Previous high‑resolution liquid imaging techniques were largely limited to water, but the new technique works with a wide range of liquids beyond water, dramatically expanding the range of chemical processes that can be studied at the atomic scale, including key enabling technologies for the green energy transition.

Transmission Electron Microscopy is one of the only techniques that can image individual atoms, using a highly focused electron beam to probe inside structures, but it requires a high vacuum – making it impossible to study liquid processes. The Manchester team overcame this long‑standing challenge by building “nano‑aquariums”: nanoscale liquid cells made by sealing tiny pockets of test liquids, each just 100 attolitres, a billion times smaller than a raindrop, between ultra‑thin graphene windows just a few atoms thick. The graphene is strong enough to protect the liquid from the vacuum, yet almost completely transparent, allowing the electron beam to pass through.

Using an advanced electron microscope at the electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) national facility, the team captured videos of gold atoms at the graphene–liquid interface to compare five industrial solvents. The resulting videos show individual atoms hopping between sites, pairing up into groups of two and three, and clustering into larger nanoparticles with the measured behaviour sensitive to the choice of liquid. An AI‑enabled automated analysis workflow allowed the researchers to individually “track” more than a million gold atoms across the five solvents, enabling extraction of truly statistically significant information – a far cry from most atomic‑resolution imaging papers, which typically draw conclusions by observing only tens or hundreds of atoms.

“Watching individual atoms move in liquids is incredibly exciting, like having a front‑row seat to chemistry in action,” said Sam Sullivan‑Allsop, postdoctoral researcher at Manchester and first author. “By tracking more than a million atoms, we can move beyond isolated snapshots and finally see how liquids shape atomic behaviour.”

Our images are clear enough to resolve both the gold atoms and the graphene lattice beneath them,” he added. “That lets us understand not just where the atoms move, but why: how they interact with the surface and why they tend to “pair up” into small clusters during their random motion.”

A key innovation was sealing the cells while fully submerged in liquid using a thin ceramic cantilever to manipulate the graphene crystals. Previous approaches suffered from significant evaporation during the sealing step, causing huge fluctuations in the concentrations of test liquids. The new technique enables precise control of what goes inside – essential for making fair comparisons between liquids.

Professor Roman Gorbachev, who developed the fabrication process, explained, “The trick is sealing the cells while they are submerged within the liquid itself. Doing it this way means you know exactly what sample you are looking at – and it works for nearly every solvent, not just water.”

Individual gold atoms are a promising catalyst for green chemistry but preventing them “clustering” into bigger particles has always been challenging. Using their new platform, the team investigated how both the choice of solvent (which controls dispersion in the liquid) and the drying kinetics (which lock in the final structure) together determine whether the final catalyst contains the individually separated gold atoms required for high performance. In particular, acetone – a common solvent – combined low polarity with a low boiling point and surface tension, helping gold atoms remain separated during both the liquid phase and drying, whereas higher‑boiling solvents (e.g., cyclohexanone) and water tended to yield larger particles. The structural findings were confirmed by catalyst testing by collaborators at the University of Cardiff’s Catalysis Institute.

However, the new technique has potential for significant impact in fields outside catalysis. Many crucial processes, from fuel cells and batteries to filtration and precious‑metal recovery from e‑waste, happen at solid–liquid interfaces. Until now, scientists mostly relied on ensemble measurements that can obscure atomic‑scale complexity; watching individual atoms in liquids changes that.

Professor Sarah Haigh, who led the research, commented, "It's remarkable how much we still don't understand about how atoms behave at solid‑liquid interfaces, given how fundamental these processes are to modern technology. Now we can watch what's actually happening, understand why, and use that insight to design better materials and processes."

The research involved collaboration between The University of Manchester, Cardiff University, Sheffield University, and the ePSIC national microscopy facility at Diamond, combining expertise in electron microscopy, 2D materials fabrication, catalysis, and computational modelling. With the platform now established, the team is already applying it to questions in clean energy technologies and recovery of metals from e‑waste.

This research was published in the journal Science.

Full title: Atomic-resolution imaging of gold species at organic liquid-solid interfaces.

DOI: doi.org/10.1126/science.adw2469

The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra‑thin MoS₂ alters the film’s internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two‑dimensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently.

Crucially, the work uses large‑area, manufacturing‑compatible MoS₂, showing that these effects are not confined to laboratory‑scale samples but are relevant for real, scalable spintronic technologies.

The study, published in Physical Review Applied, demonstrates that transition‑metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can alter the fundamental properties of magnetic films. The results highlight the importance of careful comparison with control materials when assessing the impact of 2D layers on magnetic behaviour.

Spintronics is an alternative to conventional electronics that uses not only the charge of electrons, but also their spin, to store and process information. This approach underpins emerging technologies for magnetic memory and has potential applications in energy‑efficient, high‑speed computing. A major challenge in spintronics, however, is energy loss: as magnetic spins move, some energy is inevitably dissipated as heat, limiting device speed and efficiency.

In this work, the researchers studied thin films of permalloy grown on top of large‑area MoS₂ produced using industry‑compatible chemical vapour deposition. They found that the ultra‑clean interface between permalloy and MoS₂ reduces energy loss at the surface of the magnetic film. At the same time, subtle changes within the film’s crystal structure slightly increase internal energy loss.

By clearly separating these two effects, the team was able to explain why previous studies of 2D materials and magnetism have sometimes produced conflicting results.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers used ferromagnetic resonance, a technique in which a high‑frequency magnetic field causes spins inside a magnetic material to wobble, similar to a spinning top slowing down due to friction. By measuring how quickly this wobble fades, the team could determine how and where energy is dissipated. Varying the thickness of the magnetic layer allowed them to distinguish losses occurring at the surface from those within the bulk of the film.

The results point to new routes for designing lower‑power, faster spintronic memory, where material interfaces are engineered to minimise unwanted energy loss without sacrificing performance.

“This work is exciting because the fundamental effects a two‑dimensional material can have on magnetic thin films are still largely unexplored,” said Dr Henry De Libero, lead author of the study and Research Associate in THz Spintronics at the University of Manchester. “We’ve shown how these changes affect energy loss, which is a crucial property for next‑generation memory technologies.”

The study shows that 2D materials do not always increase energy loss and that, with the right interface, they can reduce it.

This research was published in the journal Physical Review Applied.

Full title: Separation of bulk and surface contributions to the damping of permalloy on large-area chemical-vapor-deposited Mo⁢S₂.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/wfsl-4mhb

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Professor Boya placed as a finalist due to her world-leading work in a sub-field of advanced materials called nanocapillaries. This field is focused on atomically thin channels (capillaries) in which water and gas behave in surprising ways, flowing faster and separating differently. Her discoveries offer new models for brain signalling and enable advances in brain-inspired computing and molecular filtration.

Now in their ninth year in the UK, the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists received 91 nominations from 46 academic and research institutions across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A distinguished jury of leading senior scientists and engineers from throughout the UK selects the Laureates and finalists.

Despite their young age, Blavatnik scholars are driving global economic growth by pursuing high-risk, high-reward research. To date, Blavatnik Awards honourees have founded over 50 companies after receiving the award, six of which are publicly traded and collectively valued at over $10 billion.

Internationally recognised by the scientific community, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists are instrumental in expanding engagement and recognition for young scientists and in providing the support and encouragement needed to drive scientific innovation for the next generation.

The Blavatnik Awards in the UK sit alongside their global counterparts, the Blavatnik National Awards and the Blavatnik Regional Awards in the United States, and the Blavatnik Awards in Israel, all of which honour and support exceptional early-career scientists. By the close of 2026, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totalling over $20 million to over 500 scientists and engineers worldwide.

“The Awards were created to honour outstanding, early-career scientists, accelerate their research, and ensure that discoveries with the potential to dramatically improve society are recognized, supported, and implemented,” said Sir Leonard Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Members of the public interested in learning more about this year’s honourees' research may register to attend a free public symposium titled “Leading with Discovery: UK Scientists Shaping Global Science” at the Royal Society of Medicine on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, from 10:00 to 15:00 GMT. To attend this FREE public symposium, register here.

To find out more about the awards, Laureates and finalists, please visit the Blavatnik Awards website.

Researchers at The University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute have now achieved the first atomic‑resolution imaging of monolayer transition metal diiodides, made possible by creating graphene‑sealed TEM samples that prevent these highly reactive materials from degrading on contact with air. The study, published in ACS Nano, demonstrates that fully encapsulating the crystals in graphene preserves atomically clean interfaces and extends their usable lifetime from seconds to months. This capability arises from refinements to an inorganic stamp transfer approach the team previously developed and reported in Nature Electronics, which provided the basis for producing stable, hermetically sealed samples.

“Working with these materials felt impossible at first as they are completely destroyed after a few seconds air exposure, preventing traditional fabrication approaches.” explained Dr Wendong Wang who has worked on developing the transfer technique and fabricated the samples in question. “Our approach protects samples r without any unnecessary transfer stages. Being able to make samples that can survive not just hours but months, and for international transfer between facilities, solves a major bottleneck in 2D materials research.“

“Once we were able to make stable samples, we were able to make several interesting observations about these materials, including identifying extensive local structural variations for the thinnest samples, atomic defect dynamics and edge structure evolution”, states Dr Gareth Tainton who conducted the TEM imaging and analysis as part of this work. “The structures of 2D materials are closely linked to their properties, and so being able to directly observe not only the structures of the different crystals, from monolayers up to bulk thicknesses, but also defect behaviour will hopefully inform further work on these materials to unlock their potential in technology”

“What excites me most is how this opens up previously inaccessible scientific territory. We've known theoretically that many reactive 2D materials have exceptional properties for electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum applications, but we couldn't get stable samples into the lab to test those predictions", commented Prof Roman Gorbachev of the National Graphene Institute, who led the investigation. 

This research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

Full title: Atomic Imaging of 2D Transition Metal Diiodides

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c19196

Professor Roman Gorbachev is available for interview on request.

The visit formed a key component of the WRC 2026 programme, an initiative established by SWA to strengthen partnerships with leading international universities and to accelerate innovation in water technologies. During the visit, His Excellency and the SWA delegation toured the NGI and GEIC facilities, engaging directly with researchers, engineers, and University of Manchester (UoM) spinouts and startups including Watercycle Technologies, Molymem, and Hollowgraf, all of which are developing advanced materials and water-related technologies.

His Excellency was formally welcomed to the University by Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice-President, who hosted a formal meeting to discuss strategic collaboration priorities and opportunities for deeper engagement between SWA and The University of Manchester.

In his opening address at WRC 2026, His Excellency Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkarim stated: “We rely on science, innovation and technology as the catalyst for our future. Science alone will not be enough to serve the globe. We share a responsibility to connect scientific progress with applied knowledge, applied technology and strong systems that improve lives. Water is life, and water is economy.”

At NGI, discussions focused on fundamental and translational research in advanced materials for water applications. The SWA delegation expressed strong interest in developing structured training and capacity-building programmes, particularly joint PhD training and researcher development initiatives, to help nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers working at the intersection of advanced materials and water technologies.

At GEIC, discussions focused on applied research and the translation of validated ideas towards scalable solutions addressing real-world water and water-infrastructure challenges. The SWA team highlighted opportunities to collaborate on near-to-market technologies, pilot-scale demonstrations, and industry-facing innovation programmes capable of delivering tangible impact.

Prof Rahul R. Nair, Chair of WRC 2026 and Professor of Materials Physics at The University of Manchester, said:

“We were pleased to welcome His Excellency and the Saudi Water Authority delegation to Manchester. The visit reflects a strong alignment between our research capabilities and SWA’s strategic priorities, and we look forward to establishing impactful collaborations in advanced materials and water technologies.”

The delegation also expressed interest in partnering with the Rabigh Water Oasis facilities as a platform for testing, validation, and demonstration of innovative technologies emerging from NGI, GEIC, and UoM spinouts. Such a partnership would support the translation of UK-developed innovations into operational environments and help accelerate pathways to deployment at scale.

The visit further enabled SWA leadership to engage with Watercycle Technologies, Molymem, and Hollowgraf, showcasing innovation across membranes, sensing, advanced materials, and circular water technologies. This interaction reinforced a shared ambition to translate research excellence into deployable solutions for global water challenges. As part of the visit, SWA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hollowgraf to advance future collaboration in water technologies.

The Water Research Community Meeting 2026 brought together over 200 participants, including senior leaders, policymakers, researchers, and innovators from Saudi Arabia, the UK, and other countries, to align strategic priorities and explore new partnership pathways across sustainability, the circular economy, clean and renewable energy, and process innovation.

This high-level visit marks an important step towards strengthening long-term collaboration between SWA and The University of Manchester, combining the UK’s leadership in advanced materials and innovation infrastructure with Saudi Arabia’s capabilities, investment, and testbed facilities in water technologies.

Researchers at The University of Manchester, working with the UK’s National Physical Laboratory and 15 international partners, have developed a robust protocol using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results, published in 2D Materials, will underpin a new ISO technical specification for graphene.

“To incorporate graphene and other 2D materials into industrial applications, from light-weight vehicles to sports equipment, touch screens, sensors and electronics, you need to know you’re working with the right material. This study sets a global benchmark that industry can trust,” said Dr William Thornley, who worked on the research during his PhD.

“Electron diffraction has long been used to distinguish monolayer from few‑layer graphene, but it’s often applied without a full treatment of uncertainties. By collaborating across 15 leading labs. including the original pioneers, we’ve mapped the pitfalls and shown how to get reliable results” added Dr Evan Tillotson.

“We’ve designed this protocol so it works in real labs, not just in specialist centres. And for organisations without TEM capability, we can provide measurements commercially through our partnership with the Royce Institute,” said Professor Sarah Haigh, Professor of Materials.

The findings are used directly within the ISO/TS 21356-2 international standard, currently in press and expected to be published in 2026. “This work builds on the NPL Good Practice Guide 145 'Characterisation of the Structure of Graphene’ developed in partnership with the University of Manchester, and one of NPL's most downloaded guides.", notes Dr Andrew Pollard, Principal Scientist of the Surface Technology Group and Advanced Materials Strategy Lead at NPL.

This research was published in the journal 2D Materials.

Full title: A large interlaboratory electron diffraction study of monolayer graphene.

DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/ae2ca1

Professor Sarah Haigh is available for interview on request.

The GPIW is an international initiative that recognises pioneering contributions to water desalination and celebrates innovators driving progress towards sustainable global water solutions. Winning this award places Hollowgraf Ltd among the most influential emerging innovators in the global water sector. 

Hollowgraf originates from the graphene membrane research group led by Professor Rahul Raveendran Nair, internationally recognised for its work on graphene-based membranes for separation and filtration. Building on this foundation, the team has filed a patent for an innovative desalination and value-recovery process powered by atmospheric CO₂ or flue gas. To accelerate real-world deployment, the team established Hollowgraf Ltd to commercialise the technology. 

With water scarcity affecting billions worldwide, Hollowgraf’s technology offers a radical new approach: turning seawater into drinking water using carbon dioxide and advanced graphene membranes. This innovation could transform desalination into a near-zero-waste process.  

Hollowgraf stood out among 2,570 entries from 119 countries, securing $50,000 in prize money and $250,000 in prototype and piloting support, fuelling the next stage of development and scale-up. 

“This recognition is a huge step toward turning cutting-edge graphene research into real-world solutions for water scarcity. With this support, we can move from the lab to large-scale pilot projects in partnership with the Saudi Water Authority,” said Dr. Premlal Pillai, Research Fellow at the National Graphene Institute and CEO of Hollowgraf Ltd. 

Prof. Rahul Raveendran Nair, Professor and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair at The University of Manchester and CTO of Hollowgraf Ltd, said: 

“This award highlights our commitment to turning world-class research into solutions for global challenges. Hollowgraf’s breakthrough could redefine sustainable desalination, and we’re proud to see Manchester innovation recognised worldwide.” 

The patent-pending process, developed at The University of Manchester, uses graphene membranes and carbon dioxide to produce clean water and valuable by-products, all at ambient pressure thus making it more sustainable and cost-effective than traditional methods. 

This achievement reinforces The University of Manchester’s position as a global leader in graphene innovation and sustainability, making a tangible impact on one of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

This surprising finding also contradicts what scientists previously knew about strongly confined water. Earlier work showed that confined water loses its ability to respond to an electric field, becoming "electrically dead" when measured in the direction perpendicular to surfaces. The new study reveals the complete opposite in the parallel direction – water’s electrical response rises dramatically, by an order of magnitude.

The study, published in Nature by a team led by Dr Laura Fumagalli in collaboration with Prof Andre Geim, used an advanced technique called scanning dielectric microscopy to peer into water's electrical secrets at the true nanoscale. They trapped water in channels so narrow they held only a handful of molecular layers.

The results are striking: bulk water has a dielectric constant around 80, but when thinned to just 1-2 nanometres, its in-plane dielectric constant reaches values close to 1,000 – on par with ferroelectrics used in advanced electronics. At the same time, water's conductivity increases to values approaching those of superionic liquids, materials considered highly promising for next-generation batteries.

"Think of it as if water has a split personality," explains Dr Fumagalli. "In one direction it is electrically dead, but look at it in profile and suddenly it becomes electrically super-active. Nobody expected such dramatic behaviour."

The discovery required the team to develop ultrasensitive measurement techniques capable of probing water layers much thinner than the skin of a virus and track their electrical response across frequencies from kilohertz to gigahertz – spanning six orders of magnitude.

The research also reveals that confined water exists in two distinct electrical regimes. For channels larger than several nanometres, water behaves like its bulk form, albeit with much higher conductivity. But once squeezed to atomic dimensions, it undergoes a sharp transition into a new "superionic-like" state.

This transformation occurs because extreme confinement disrupts water's hydrogen-bond network, which in bulk is a dynamic but rather ordered structure. At the molecular scale this network becomes disordered, allowing dipoles to align more easily with electric fields and enabling rapid proton transport.

"Just as graphene revealed unexpected physics when graphite was thinned down to a single atomic layer, this research shows that even water – the most studied liquid on Earth – can still surprise us when squeezed to its absolute thinnest”, notes Prof Geim, who previously won the Nobel Prize for graphene research.

The implications extend far beyond fundamental science. Insights into water’s electrical properties at the nanoscale are crucial not only for physics and chemistry but also for technologies ranging from advanced batteries and microfluidics to nanoscale electronics and biology.

“Our study changes how we should think about water," adds Dr Fumagalli. "The most ordinary substance on Earth has extraordinary talents that were hidden until now."

This research was published in the journal Nature.

Full title: In-plane dielectric constant and conductivity of confined water.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09558-y

Drs Laura Fumagalli and Andre Geim are available for interview on request.

Images and more information about water research can be found at www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The breakthrough, reported in Nature by a team led by Professor Andre Geim, was achieved by placing a sheet of graphene just three atoms below cleaner bulk graphite. This “proximity mirror” cancels out unwanted electric fields, reducing disorder in graphene by a factor of 100.

"Think of it like creating the ultimate clean room, but for electrons," explains first author Dr Daniil Domaretskiy. "We’ve removed almost all the ‘dirt’ that disrupts smooth flow of electric current. You can suddenly see effects that were hidden, like wiping clean a fogged-up window."

In quantum materials, disorder hides delicate effects and can prevent new physics from emerging. Researchers normally go to great lengths to remove impurities and minimise interference, but in graphene the team has now pushed this to an extreme: just one uncontrolled electron per 100 million carbon atoms remains across an entire device.

This record-low disorder means that electrons travel faster and further than ever before. Key benchmarks of material quality, such as Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations, are now visible at fields below 10 Gauss. The celebrated quantum Hall effect appears below 50 Gauss, far weaker than a fridge magnet.

The concept is straightforward: the nearby graphite acts like an electrical mirror, cancelling random electric fields in the graphene layer. The challenge was engineering the mirror close enough, three atoms apart, without damaging the graphene.

“Now that we know how to make things this clean, it opens the door to exploring phenomena that were out of reach,” said co-author Dr Zefei Wu. “This is just the beginning.” 

The team expects their ‘proximity-mirror’ technique to become standard for probing quantum phenomena in two-dimensional materials, enabling new discoveries in superconductivity, magnetism and exotic quantum phases, which would all benefit from the ultraclean electronic conditions to clearly emerge.

The work involved collaborators from Lancaster University, the National University of Singapore, and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan.

This research was published in the journal Nature.

Full title: Proximity screening greatly enhances electronic quality of graphene

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09386-0

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Researchers at The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute have developed a new class of programmable nanofluidic memristors that mimic the memory functions of the human brain, paving the way for next-generation neuromorphic computing.

In a ground-breaking study published in Nature Communications, scientists from the National Graphene Institute, Photon Science Institute and the Department of Physics and Astronomy have demonstrated how two-dimensional (2D) nanochannels can be tuned to exhibit all four theoretically predicted types of memristive behaviour, something never before achieved in a single device. This study not only reveals new insights into ionic memory mechanisms but also has the potential to enable emerging applications in low-power ionic logic, neuromorphic components, and adaptive chemical sensing.

Memristors, or memory resistors, are components that adjust their resistance based on past electrical activity, effectively storing a memory of it. While most existing memristors are solid-state devices that rely on electron movement, the team, led by Prof Radha Boya, used confined liquid electrolytes within thin nanochannels made from 2D materials like MoS₂ and hBN. This nanofluidic approach allows for ultra-low energy operation and the ability to emulate biological learning processes.

Four memory modes, one device

The study reveals that by tuning experimental parameters such as electrolyte composition, pH, voltage frequency, and channel geometry, the same nanofluidic device can switch between four distinct memory loop styles, two “crossing” and two “non-crossing” types. These loop styles correspond to different memory mechanisms, including ion-ion interaction, ion-surface charge adsorption/desorption, surface charge inversion, and ion concentration polarisation.

“This is the first time all four memristor types have been observed in a single device,” said Professor Radha Boya, senior author of the study. “It shows the remarkable tunability of nanofluidic systems and their potential to replicate complex brain-like behaviour.”

Mimicking the brain’s synapses

Beyond demonstrating multiple memory modes, the devices also exhibit both short-term and long-term memory, akin to biological synapses. This dynamic control over memory duration is crucial for developing neuromorphic systems that can adapt and learn from their environment.

For instance, the devices could “forget” information over time or retain it for days, depending on the applied voltage and electrolyte conditions, e.g., like how one might quickly forget where they left their keys, yet remember their home address for life.

Imagine you're working in a café. At first, the clatter of cups and chatter is noticeable, but soon your brain filters it out so you can focus. This everyday phenomenon is called sensory adaptation, and short-term synaptic depression is one of the cellular mechanisms contributing to them. The team mimicked short-term synaptic depression, a process where consecutive neural signals reduce the strength of a response unless sufficient time is allowed for recovery. In neurons, this is caused by temporary depletion of neurotransmitter vesicles. In the nanochannels, a similar effect emerges due to the ionic interactions, which requires time to relax back to its initial state.

A minimal model and a major leap

To explain the observed behaviours, the team developed a minimal theoretical model that incorporates ion–ion interactions, surface adsorption, and channel entrance effects. The model successfully reproduces all four memristive loop types, offering a unified framework for understanding and designing future nanofluidic memory systems.

“This work represents a major leap in our understanding of ionic memory,” said Dr Abdulghani Ismail, lead author of the study. “It opens up exciting possibilities for low-power, adaptive computing systems that operate more like the human brain.”

Towards brain-inspired computing

By harnessing the unique properties of 2D materials and fluidic ion transport, the researchers envision a new class of reconfigurable, energy-efficient computing devices capable of real-time learning and decision-making, with broad implications for artificial intelligence, robotics, and bioelectronics.

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Programmable memristors with two-dimensional nanofluidic channels

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61649-6

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The team introduced a new type of thermal switch utilising high thermal conductivity graphite films. When a voltage is applied, ions insert between graphite layers. These ions disrupt phonon motion, cutting thermal conductivity by up to 1,300%. Removing the voltage expels the ions and restores the original heat-carrying capacity. This powerful modulation allows the device to actively turn heat conduction "on" and "off" at will, mirroring the functionality of electronic transistors, but for heat instead of electricity.

 “What makes our device truly transformative is its ability to operate reliably in extreme environments such as space,” said Dr Pietro Steiner, lead author and current technology lead for graphene-based thermal technologies at SmartIR Ltd., a spinout from the University of Manchester. "The solid-state nature and absence of mechanical parts make it particularly attractive for aerospace applications, where reliability, weight, and efficiency are critical."

Beyond basic switching, the team demonstrated that their device could actively steer heat flow in desired directions. By configuring voltages across patterned electrodes, they created anisotropic thermal conduction pathways, opening possibilities for programmable thermal management systems.

Lead author Professor Coskun Kocabas added, "This thermal switching technology could revolutionise spacecraft thermal regulation, offering dynamic and reconfigurable solutions to manage excess heat without complex moving mechanisms or bulky radiators."

Spacecraft often rely on radiators or mechanical valves to dump excess heat. These systems add weight and risk mechanical failure under vibration. A thin, solid-state switch removes those constraints. It can operate in ultra-high vacuum and tolerate radiation levels found in orbit.

Next, the group will test switching speed under high thermal load. They plan to integrate the switch with prototype electronics. Faster ion motion and alternative intercalants could boost performance further. By directly linking electrical signals to heat transport, this work lays the groundwork for programmable thermal management in aerospace, electronics cooling and adaptive insulation.

This research was published in the journal Science Advances.

Full title: Electrically controlled heat transport in graphite films via reversible ionic liquid intercalation

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw8588

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Silver has long been used to combat bacteria, particularly in wound care, due to its ability to release ions that disrupt bacterial cells. However, current approaches have limitations; silver can be released too rapidly or unevenly, potentially harming surrounding healthy tissue and resulting in short-lived or inconsistent antibacterial protection.

The Manchester team tackled these issues by designing a graphene oxide-based membrane that can release silver ions slowly and precisely over time. The key lies in the structure of the membrane itself, its nanoscale channels act like filters, regulating how much silver is released.

"Our research represents a paradigm shift in antimicrobial coating technology," states lead author Prof Rahul R Nair. "By harnessing the potential of graphene oxide membranes, we've unlocked a method for controlled silver ion release, paving the way for sustained antimicrobial efficacy in various applications.”

The team also created a testing model that better reflects real biological conditions. By using foetal bovine serum in lab trials, they could simulate the environment the coating would encounter in the body, offering a clearer view of how it performs over time.

“This approach allows us to deliver just the right amount of silver for extended protection,” first author Dr Swathi Suran adds. “It has potential in many areas, including wound care dressings and antimicrobial coatings for implants, and could bring long-term benefits for both patients and healthcare providers.”

As the team looks ahead, they're focused on exploring how this coating could be integrated into a range of everyday and medical products, making bacterial resistance less of a hidden threat and more of a manageable challenge.

This research was published in the journal Small.

Full title: Tunable Release of Ions from Graphene Oxide Laminates for Sustained Antibacterial Activity in a Biomimetic Environment

DOI: 10.1002/smll.202570220

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The team uncovered a rare type of wave, known as a shear phonon polariton, in a two-dimensional form of the material. Phonon polaritons are light-matter hybrid waves that emerge when light interacts with atomic vibrations in certain crystals. They can travel through materials in unusual ways and concentrate light into extremely small volumes.

In this study, the researchers found that in  thin films of gypsum, these waves undergo a topological transition, shifting from hyperbolic to elliptical behaviour, passing through a unique canalized state.

This transition allows scientists to tune how light propagates through the material.

“The studies of shear phonon polaritons in previous studies were limited to bulk crystals in the hyperbolic regime. In our study we aimed to complement those initial findings with shear polaritons in a 2-dimentional material,” said Dr Pablo Díaz Núñez, who co-led the study. “And remarkably, we discovered that shear phonon polaritons in gypsum support a topological transition from hyperbolic to elliptical propagation, with canalization in between.”

Dr Díaz Núñez added, “Moreover, we were able to confine light to a space twenty-five times smaller than its wavelength and slow it down to just a fraction of its speed in vacuum, this opens up new possibilities for manipulating light at the nanoscale.”

The research also highlights the role of crystal symmetry. Gypsum belongs to a class of materials with low symmetry, specifically to the monoclinic crystal system, which gives rise to asymmetric light propagation and energy loss, the central characteristic of shear polaritons.

These findings extend beyond fundamental research of phonon polariton propagation and could support future developments in areas that rely on precise control of light, such as thermal management, sensing, and imaging beyond the limits of conventional optics. Moreover, the study introduces gypsum as a new platform for exploring advanced photonic concepts in emerging areas like non-Hermitian photonics.

This research was published in the journal Science Advances.

Full title: Visualization of topological shear polaritons in gypsum thin films

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw3452

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Desalination of seawater and brackish water is one of the essential solutions to the increasing global challenge of water scarcity. Yet, widespread deployment of desalination technologies remains limited due to high upfront costs and intensive energy requirements. Moreover, current desalination systems use fossil fuels contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

To address these challenges, the EU-funded project AQUASOL brings together a multidisciplinary team of seven partners from six countries to explore and develop innovative solutions to facilitate green transition in desalination processes. To achieve this, the consortium will develop a technological platform that will enable the integration of renewable energy sources into desalination technologies and provide disruptive solutions for seawater and wastewater treatment.

Professor Rahul Nair, a researcher at Manchester, will develop graphene-based membranes designed to treat seawater and brackish water more efficiently. The goal is to increase membrane durability and reduce energy demands, offering practical improvements over current desalination systems.

The partners, comprising of research institutions, universities and small and medium businesses, met in Barcelona to officially launch the project, which started earlier this month.

AQUASOL, which stands for Advanced Quality Renewable Energy-Powered Solutions For Water Desalination In Agriculture And Wastewater Recycling, has a total budget of over €3.6M and will run for 3 years. The University of Manchester joins six other partners: Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias (Spain), Strane Innovation (France), Ferr-Tech B.V. (Netherlands), farmB (Greece), and Aarhus University (Denmark).

Acknowledgements

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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The team designed a two-dimensional (2D) manganese-oxide/graphene superlattice that triggers a unique lattice-wide strain mechanism. This approach significantly boosts the structural stability of the battery’s cathode material, enabling it to operate reliably over 5,000 charge-discharge cycles. That’s around 50% longer than current zinc-ion batteries.

The research, published in Nature Communications, offers a practical route to scalable, water-based energy storage technologies.

Atomic-level control over battery durability

The breakthrough centres on a phenomenon called the Cooperative Jahn-Teller Effect (CJTE). A coordinated lattice distortion caused by a specific 1:1 ratio of manganese ions (Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺). When built into a layered 2D structure on graphene, this ratio produces long-range, uniform strain across the material.

That strain helps the cathode resist breakdown during repeated cycling.

The result is a low-cost, aqueous zinc-ion battery that performs with greater durability, and without the safety risks linked to lithium-ion cells.

“This work demonstrates how 2D material heterostructures can be engineered for scalable applications,” said Prof Guoxiu Wang, lead and corresponding author from University of Technology Sydney and a Royal Society Wolfson visiting Fellow at The University of Manchester. “Our approach shows that superlattice design is not just a lab-scale novelty, but a viable route to improving real-world devices such as rechargeable batteries. It highlights how 2D material innovation can be translated into practical technologies.”

Towards better grid-scale storage

Zinc-ion batteries are widely viewed as a promising candidate for stationary storage, storing renewable energy for homes, businesses or the power grid. But until now, their limited lifespan has restricted real-world use.

This study shows how chemical control at the atomic level can overcome that barrier.

Co-corresponding author Prof Rahul Nair from The University of Manchester said, “Our research opens a new frontier in strain engineering for 2D materials. By inducing the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect, we’ve shown that it’s possible to fine-tune the magnetic, mechanical, and optical properties of materials in ways that were previously not feasible.”

The team also demonstrated that their synthesis process works at scale using water-based methods, without toxic solvents or extreme temperatures - a step forward in making zinc-ion batteries more practical for manufacturing.

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Cooperative Jahn-Teller effect and engineered long-range strain in manganese oxide/graphene superlattice for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60558-y

We’re home to 700 materials experts, revolutionising industries by developing advanced materials that unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Supported by the £885m campus investment over the last 10 years, our researchers are at the forefront of materials innovation, creating game-changing solutions. From healthcare to manufacturing, we’re tackling global challenges and ensuring the UK's reputation as a technology ‘super power'. Find out more about our advanced materials research.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Organised by Tony Lujia Chen, Constantinos Onoufriou, Chloe Loveless and Emily Burkett, the workshop provided a platform for exploring the latest developments in transportation electrification. Topics included sustainability, innovation, career development, technological challenges and regulatory frameworks. The event encouraged knowledge exchange and collaboration between academic researchers, industry experts and young professionals.

The diverse attendee list included representatives from The University of Leicester, The University of Calgary, The University of Bologna, The University of Bristol, Glasgow Caledonian University, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Sheffield, The University of Lincoln, The University of Greater Manchester, Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Northumbria University.

Industry experts also attended from Siemens Gamesa, Preformed Windings Ltd., Monitra Ltd., MITIE and Siemens Energy Wind Power Denmark. The audience included professionals from a wide range of sectors from data analysis and software engineering to scientific operations and electronics.

78 attendees benefited from multiple networking opportunities throughout the event, including a technical tour of the High Voltage Laboratory—the largest electrical infrastructure test and research facility in UK academia.

This workshop not only showcased emerging innovations but also strengthened global partnerships and underscored the pivotal role of collaboration in advancing the electrification of transportation.

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a ground-breaking method to precisely measure the strength of hydrogen bonds in confined water systems, an advance that could transform our understanding of water’s role in biology, materials science, and technology. The work, published in Nature Communications, introduces a fundamentally new way to think about one of nature’s most important but difficult-to-quantify interactions.

Hydrogen bonds are the invisible forces that hold water molecules together, giving water its unique properties, from high boiling point to surface tension, and enabling critical biological functions such as protein folding and DNA structure. Yet despite their significance, quantifying hydrogen bonds in complex or confined environments has long been a challenge.

“For decades, scientists have struggled to measure hydrogen bond strength with precision,” said Professor Artem Mishchenko, who led the study with Dr Qian Yang and Dr Ziwei Wang. “Our approach reframes hydrogen bonds as electrostatic interactions between dipoles and an electric field, which allows us to calculate their strength directly from spectroscopic data.”

The team used gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O), a naturally occurring mineral that contains two-dimensional layers of crystalline water, as their model system. By applying external electric fields to water molecules trapped between the mineral’s layers, and tracking their vibrational response using high-resolution spectroscopy, the researchers were able to quantify hydrogen bonding with unprecedented accuracy.

“What’s most exciting is the predictive power of this technique,” said Dr Yang. “With a simple spectroscopic measurement, we can predict how water behaves in confined environments that were previously difficult to probe, something that normally requires complex simulations or remains entirely inaccessible.”

The implications are broad and compelling. In water purification, this method could help engineers fine-tune membrane materials to optimise hydrogen bonding, improving water flow and selectivity while reducing energy costs. In drug development, it offers a way to predict how water binds to molecules and their targets, potentially accelerating the design of more soluble and effective drugs. It could enhance climate models by enabling more accurate simulations of water’s phase transitions in clouds and the atmosphere. In energy storage, the discovery lays the foundation for “hydrogen bond heterostructures”, engineered materials with tailored hydrogen bonding that could dramatically boost battery performance. And in biomedicine, the findings could help create implantable sensors with better compatibility and longer lifespans by precisely controlling water-surface interactions.

“Our work provides a framework to understand and manipulate hydrogen bonding in ways that weren’t possible before,” said Dr Wang, first author of the paper. “It opens the door to designing new materials and technologies, from better catalysts to smarter membranes, based on the hidden physics of water.”

This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Full title: Quantifying hydrogen bonding using electrically tunable nanoconfined water

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58608-6 [doi.org]

The research was supported by the European Research Council and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The breakthrough centres around an active spatial light modulator, a surface with more than 300,000 sub-wavelength pixels capable of manipulating THz light in both transmission and reflection. Unlike previous modulators, which were limited to small-scale demonstrations, the Manchester team integrated graphene-based THz modulators with large-area thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays, enabling high-speed, programmable control over the amplitude and phase of THz light across expansive areas.

Professor Coskun Kocabas, Professor of 2D Device Materials at The University of Manchester, commented, “We have developed a new method to dynamically control THz waves at an unprecedented scale and speed. By integrating graphene optoelectronics with advanced TFT display technologies, we can now reconfigure complex THz wavefronts in real time.”

The research demonstrates various capabilities, including programmable THz transmission patterns, beam steering, greyscale holography, and a proof-of-concept single-pixel THz camera. These functionalities are made possible through fine-tuned electrostatic gating of graphene, a material known for its unique electrical and optical properties at THz frequencies.

Co-author Dr M. Said Ergoktas, now a lecturer at the University of Bath, added, “Our devices operate by adjusting local charge densities on a continuous graphene sheet, allowing for pixel-level control without the need for graphene patterning. This architecture allows for scalable fabrication using commercial display backplanes.”

The team’s device architecture also supports dynamic beam steering and the generation of structured THz beams carrying orbital angular momentum, key features for advanced THz communication systems. One striking demonstration showed how a binary “fork” diffraction pattern generated donut-shaped beams with tunable vortex order, useful in multiplexed data transmission and beam shaping.

Beyond communications, the researchers showcased a single-pixel THz camera capable of imaging concealed metallic objects, representing a significant advance for non-invasive inspection in security, industrial monitoring, and medical diagnostics. This approach uses compressive sensing algorithms to reconstruct images from modulated THz patterns, highlighting the flexibility of their programmable platform.

“Until now, THz modulators have struggled with scale and speed,” Kocabas noted. “By leveraging display technology, we demonstrate that it's possible to bring this field from lab-scale demonstrations to real-world applications.”

Future directions

The authors indicate that the next steps involve enhancing modulation speeds and extending these systems to operate in reflection mode for full spectroscopic imaging. Future work may also focus on integrating this platform with advanced beamforming systems and next-generation 6G wireless technologies.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The NGI opened in 2015 and became the home of research into the world’s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material. Since then, the institute has established itself as a global leader in the research and development of graphene and other advanced 2D materials.  

Through the translation of graphene science into tangible, real world applications, the NGI has provided the opportunity for researchers and industry to work together on a variety of potential applications. The institute has been at the forefront of numerous pioneering projects that have reshaped industries and set new benchmarks for innovation. 

The NGI’s community of leading academics has played a pivotal role in advancing 2D material research, producing some of the most influential and highly cited studies in the field. Their pioneering work has accelerated the transition of graphene from the laboratory to real-world applications, driving innovation at an unprecedented pace. This collective expertise has cemented Manchester’s position as the global home of graphene, ensuring it remains at the forefront of discovery and innovation. 

One of the many groundbreaking innovations from the NGI is the recent advancement of graphene-based neural technologies, now entering the first phase of human trials. INBRAIN Neuroelectronics is using graphene-based brain-computer interface therapeutics to improve precision surgery for diseases such as cancer. 

The NGI has also seen the establishment of many high-profile collaborations and spinouts founded by its academics, or as a result of NGI-based research: 

• A collaboration between Inov-8 and the University led to the development of the world’s first graphene-enhanced running shoes, proven to be 50% stronger and more durable than other running shoes. This demonstrates the potential of graphene to revolutionise performance sportswear. 
• Molymem seeks to increase accessibility to clean water and air through 2D-enhanced membranes.  
• SmartIR is using breakthrough technology to control infrared thermal radiation, which could have applications in aerospace engineering. 
• Watercycle Technologies are designing and building mineral recovery systems from various sources, such as brines, industrial wastewater, and used batteries. 

At the heart of the National Graphene Institute’s pioneering research is its state-of-the-art 1,500m² nanofabrication facility, featuring ISO Class 5 and 6 cleanrooms spread across two floors. This advanced facility is dedicated to the fundamental research of graphene and 2D materials, and the development of cutting-edge devices that harness their exceptional properties. By providing such unique environment for precision research and innovation, the NGI continues to drive breakthroughs that push the boundaries of material science. 

Reflecting on the anniversary, Professor Vladimir Fal’ko, Director of the National Graphene Institute said: “This 10-year milestone is a testament to the NGI’s relentless pursuit of excellence and the collaborative spirit that has defined our journey. 

“We are immensely proud of the tangible impact our research has had across multiple sciences and industries and remain excited about harnessing 2D materials’ potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”  

Looking ahead, the NGI is committed to furthering its legacy of groundbreaking research and sustaining the pipeline of innovation together with its sister institute, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), and the nurturing of the next generation of 2D materials scientists with the 2D Materials of Tomorrow (2DMoT) PhD programme. 

Innovative research remains at the forefront of the NGI’s mission, with the Institute currently exploring green hydrogen technologies, next-generation batteries and supercapacitors for faster AI and machine learning, advanced quantum electronics, and the continued development of research into nanofluidics, nanocomposites, and van der Waals materials.  

Innovative approach to spintronics

Spin transport electronics, or spintronics, represents a revolutionary alternative to traditional electronics by utilising the spin of electrons rather than their charge to transfer and store information. This method promises energy-efficient and high-speed solutions that exceed the limitations of classical computation, for next generation classical and quantum computation.

The Manchester team, led by Dr Ivan Vera-Marun, has fully encapsulated monolayer graphene in hexagonal boron nitride, an insulating and atomically flat 2D material, to protect its high quality. By engineering the 2D material stack to expose only the edges of graphene, and laying magnetic nanowire electrodes over the stack, they successfully form one-dimensional (1D) contacts.

Quantum behaviour and ballistic transport

The study explores the injection process via these 1D contacts at low temperatures (20 K), revealing that electron transport across the interface is quantum in nature. The contacts act as quantum point contacts (QPCs), commonly used in quantum nanotechnology and metrology.

First author of the paper, Dr Daniel Burrow, said “this quantum behaviour is evidenced by the measurement of quantised conductance through the contacts, indicating that the energy spectrum of electrons transforms into discrete energy subbands upon injection. By adjusting the electron density in the graphene and applying a magnetic field, we visualised these subbands and explored their connection with spin transport.”  

These QPCs, formed by using magnetic nanowires, avoid the need to engineer a physical constriction within the graphene channel, which makes their implementation more practical than previous approaches.

Implications for quantum nanotechnology

The state-of-the-art device architecture developed by the Manchester team offers a straightforward method for creating tuneable QPCs in graphene, overcoming fabrication challenges associated with other methods. The magnetic nature of the nanoscale contacts enables quantised spin injection, paving the way for energy-efficient devices in spin-based quantum nanotechnology.

Furthermore, the demonstration of ballistic spin injection presents an encouraging step towards the development of low-power ballistic spintronics. Future research efforts will focus on enhancing spin transport in graphene by leveraging the quantum nature of injection via the QPCs.

This research is part of the Horizon Europe Project "2D Heterostructure Non-volatile Spin Memory Technology" (2DSPIN-TECH), supported by a UKRI grant.

We’re home to 700 materials experts, revolutionising industries by developing advanced materials that unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Supported by the £885m campus investment over the last 10 years, our researchers are at the forefront of materials innovation, creating game-changing solutions. From healthcare to manufacturing, we’re tackling global challenges and ensuring the UK's reputation as a technology ‘super power'. Find out more about our advanced materials research.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

If you are interested in applying for the Eli & Britt Harari Award 2025, here are the details:

• Applications open: Monday 11th November 2024
• Applicant Support Session: Tuesday 28th January 2025
• Applications close: Monday 10th February 2025
• Find out more information, head to the Award's page on the MEC website here.
• Any questions: Contact harari@manchester.ac.uk

Although scientists knew one atom thick, two-dimensional crystal graphene existed, no-one had figured out how to extract it from graphite, until Professor Geim and Professor Novoselov’s groundbreaking work in Manchester in 2004.

Geim and Novoselov frequently held ‘Friday night experiments’, where they would play around with ideas and experiments that weren’t necessarily linked to their usual research. It was through these experiments that the two first isolated graphene, by using sticky tape to peel off thin flakes of graphite, ushering in a new era of material science.

Their seminal paper ‘Electric Field Effect in Anatomically Thin Carbon Films’, has since been cited over 40,000 times, making it one of the most highly referenced scientific papers of all time.

What Andre and Kostya had achieved was a profound breakthrough, which would not only earn the pair a Nobel Prize in 2010 but would revolutionise the scientific world.

The vast number of products, processes and industries for which graphene could significantly impact all stem from its extraordinary properties. No other material has the breadth of superlatives that graphene boasts:

• It is many times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible
• It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent
• It is the world’s first two-dimensional material and is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

It’s areas for application are endless: transport, medicine, electronics, energy, defence, desalination, are all being transformed by graphene research.

In biomedical technology, graphene’s unique properties allow for groundbreaking biomedical applications, such as targeted drug delivery and DIY health-testing kits. In sport, graphene-enhanced running shoes deliver more grip, durability and 25% greater energy return than standard running trainers – as well as the world’s first graphene car.

Speaking at the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2024, hosted by The University of Manchester, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “If you have an electric car, graphene is there. If you are talking about flexible, transparent and wearable electronics, graphene-like materials have a good chance of being there. Graphene is also in lithium ion batteries as it improves these batteries by 1 or 2 per cent.”

The excitement, interest and ambition surrounding the material has created a ‘graphene economy’, which is increasingly driven by the challenge to tackle climate change, and for global economies to achieve zero carbon.

At the heart of this economy is The University of Manchester, which has built a model research and innovation community, with graphene at its core. The National Graphene Institute enables academics and their industrial partners to work together on new applications of graphene and other 2D materials, while the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre accelerates lab-market development, supporting more than 50 spin-outs and numerous new technologies.

Professor James Baker,  CEO of Graphene@Manchester said: “As we enter the 20^th anniversary since the first discovery of graphene, we are now seeing a real ‘tipping point’ in the commercialisation of products and applications, with many products now in the market or close to entering. We are also witnessing a whole new eco-system of businesses starting to scale up their products and applications, many of which are based in Manchester."

What about the next 20 years?

The next 20 years promise even greater discoveries and The University of Manchester remains at the forefront of exploring the limitless possibilities graphene yields.

Currently, researchers working with INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, with funding from the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship, are developing brain implants from graphene which could enable precision surgery for diseases such as cancer.

Researchers have also developed wearable sensors, based on a 2D material called hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which have the potential to change the way respiratory health is monitored.

As for sustainability, Dr Qian Yang is using nanocapillaries made from graphene that could lead to the development of a brand-new form of renewable energy, harnessed from raindrops, while others are looking into Graphene’s potential in grid applications and storing wind or solar power. Graphene is also being used to reinforce concrete, to reduce cement use – one of the leading causes of global carbon dioxide.

Newly-appointed Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, Professor Rahul Nair, is investigating graphene-based membranes that can be used as water filters and could transform access to clean drinking water.

Speaking at the World Academic Summit, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “Thousands of people are trying to understand how it works. I would not be surprised if graphene gets another Nobel prize or two given there are so many people who believe in this area of research.”

Discover more

To hear Andre’s story, including how he and Kostya discovered the wonder material in a Friday night lab session, visit: 

• BBC Radio 4 The Life Scientific: Andre Geim 

To find out more about The University of Manchester’s work on graphene, visit: 

• Graphene@Manchester 

To discover our world-leading research centre, or commercial accelerator, visit

• National Graphene Institute 
• Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre

To find out how we’re training the next generation of 2D material scientists and engineers, visit:

• 2DMot CDT.

Lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles, store energy through a process known as ion intercalation. This involves lithium ions slipping between layers of graphite - a material traditionally used in battery anodes, when a battery is charged. The more lithium ions that can be inserted and later extracted, the more energy the battery can store and release. While this process is well-known, the microscopic details have remained unclear. The Manchester team’s discovery sheds new light on these details by focusing on bilayer graphene, the smallest possible battery anode material, consisting of just two atomic layers of carbon.

In their experiments, the researchers replaced the typical graphite anode with bilayer graphene and observed the behaviour of lithium ions during the intercalation process. Surprisingly, they found that lithium ions do not intercalate between the two layers all at once or in a random fashion. Instead, the process unfolds in four distinct stages, with lithium ions arranging themselves in an orderly manner at each stage. Each stage involves the formation of increasingly dense hexagonal lattices of lithium ions.

Professor Irina Grigorieva, who led the research team, commented, "the discovery of 'in-plane staging' was completely unexpected. It revealed a much greater level of cooperation between the lattice of lithium ions and the crystal lattice of graphene than previously thought. This understanding of the intercalation process at the atomic level opens up new avenues for optimising lithium-ion batteries and possibly exploring new materials for enhanced energy storage."

The study also revealed that bilayer graphene, while offering new insights, has a lower lithium storage capacity compared to traditional graphite. This is due to a less effective screening of interactions between positively charged lithium ions, leading to stronger repulsion and causing the ions to remain further apart. While this suggests that bilayer graphene may not offer higher storage capacity than bulk graphite, the discovery of its unique intercalation process is a key step forward. It also hints at the potential use of atomically thin metals to enhance the screening effect and possibly improve storage capacity in the future.

This pioneering research not only deepens our understanding of lithium-ion intercalation but also lays the groundwork for the development of more efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions. As the demand for better batteries continues to grow, the findings in this research could play a key role in shaping the next generation of energy storage technologies.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Upon his visit to India, Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both governments committed to developing collaboration between The University of Manchester National Graphene Institute, the University of Cambridge Graphene Centre and the Indian Institute for Science Bengaluru Centre for Nano Science & Engineering on advanced (two-dimensional) 2D and atomically thin materials and nanotechnology.

The TSI will focus on boosting economic growth in both countries and tackling issues such as telecoms security and semiconductor supply chain resilience. For the University specifically, the collaboration will scope joint research ventures, facilitate student and start-up exchanges, and open access to world-leading laboratories and prototyping facilities.

The University of Manchester is already collaborating with a number of established partners in India, which has resulted in joint PhD programmes with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which include a number of projects on 2D materials. The University is already immersed in the fields of Critical Minerals and Artificial Intelligence highlighted in the TSI, and hosted a UK-India Critical Minerals workshop in November 2023.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said: “The UK-India Technology Security Initiative will help shape the significant science and technology capabilities of both countries to deliver greater security, growth and wellbeing for our citizens. We are delighted to have The University of Manchester play a key part in this, particularly in our collaboration on advanced materials and critical minerals.”

This year The University of Manchester is celebrating its bicentenary and it recently hosted a gala celebration in India at the Taj Lands End hotel Mumbai, attended by over 200 Indian alumni and representatives from our current and prospective partner organisations in the country. The University has also awarded honorary degrees to eminent Indian academic and industrial leaders including Professor C.N.R Rao and Mr Ratan Tata.

Advanced Materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons, and the institution has a long history of innovation in this space. In 2004, the extraction of graphene from graphite was achieved by two University of Manchester researchers, Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov, with their pioneering work recognised with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

To discuss semicoductor research, talk about potential collaboration, or to access facilities contact us here. 
 

Electrochemical processes are essential in renewable energy technologies like batteries, fuel cells, and electrolysers. However, their efficiency is often hindered by slow reactions and unwanted side effects. Traditional approaches have focused on new materials, yet significant challenges remain.

The Manchester team, led by Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo, has taken a novel approach. They have successfully decoupled the inseparable link between charge and electric field within graphene electrodes, enabling unprecedented control over electrochemical processes in this material. The breakthrough challenges previous assumptions and opens new avenues for energy technologies.

Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo sees this discovery as transformative, “We’ve managed to open up a previously inaccessible parameter space. A way to visualise this is to imagine a field in the countryside with hills and valleys. Classically, for a given system and a given catalyst, an electrochemical process would run through a set path through this field. If the path goes through a high hill or a deep valley – bad luck. Our work shows that, at least for the processes we investigated here, we have access to the whole field. If there is a hill or valley we do not want to go to, we can avoid it.”

The study focuses on proton-related processes fundamental for hydrogen catalysts and electronic devices. Specifically, the team examined two proton processes in graphene:

Proton Transmission: This process is important for developing new hydrogen catalysts and fuel cell membranes.

Proton Adsorption (Hydrogenation): Important for electronic devices like transistors, this process switches graphene’s conductivity on and off.

Traditionally, these processes were coupled in graphene devices, making it challenging to control one without impacting the other. The researchers managed to decouple these processes, finding that electric field effects could significantly accelerate proton transmission while independently driving hydrogenation. This selective acceleration was unexpected and presents a new method to drive electrochemical processes.

Highlighting the broader implication in energy applications, Dr Jincheng Tong, first author of the paper, said “We demonstrate that electric field effects can disentangle and accelerate electrochemical processes in 2D crystals. This could be combined with state-of-the-art catalysts to efficiently drive complex processes like CO2 reduction, which remain enormous societal challenges.”

Dr Yangming Fu, co-first author, pointed to potential applications in computing: “Control of these process gives our graphene devices dual functionality as both memory and logic gate. This paves the way for new computing networks that operate with protons.  This could enable compact, low-energy analogue computing devices.”

Since publication, a review of the paper was included in Nature’s News & Views section, which summarises high-impact research and provides a forum where scientific news is shared with a wide audience spanning a range of disciplines: Graphene combines computer logic and memory in a single device.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

The international team, which also included Penn State College of Engineering, Koc University in Turkey and Vienna University of Technology in Austria, has developed a unique interface that localises thermal emissions from two surfaces with different geometric properties, creating a “perfect” thermal emitter. This platform can emit thermal light from specific, contained emission areas with unit emissivity.

Professor Coskun Kocabas, professor of 2D device materials at The University of Manchester, explains, “We have demonstrated a new class of thermal devices using concepts from topology — a branch of mathematics studying properties of geometric objects — and from non-Hermitian photonics, which is a flourishing area of research studying light and its interaction with matter in the presence of losses, optical gain and certain symmetries.”

The team said the work could advance thermal photonic applications to better generate, control and detect thermal emission. One application of this work could be in satellites, said co-author Prof Sahin Ozdemir, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State. Faced with significant exposure to heat and light, satellites equipped with the interface could emit the absorbed radiation with unit emissivity along a specifically designated area designed by researchers to be incredibly narrow and in whatever shape is deemed necessary.   

Getting to this point, though, was not straight forward, according to Ozdemir. He explained part of the issue is to create a perfect thermal absorber-emitter only at the interface while the rest of the structures forming the interface remains ‘cold’, meaning no absorption and no emission.

“Building a perfect absorber-emitter—a black body that flawlessly absorbs all incoming radiation—proved to be a formidable task,” Ozdemir said. However, the team discovered that one can be built at a desired frequency by trapping the light inside an optical cavity, formed by a partially reflecting first mirror and a completely reflecting second mirror: the incoming light partially reflected from the first mirror and the light which gets reflected only after being trapped between the two mirrors exactly cancel each other. With the reflection thus being completely suppressed, the light beam is trapped in the system, gets perfectly absorbed, and emitted in the form of thermal radiation.

To achieve such an interface, the researchers developed a cavity stacked with a thick gold layer that perfectly reflects incoming light and a thin platinum layer that can partially reflect incoming light. The platinum layer also acts as a broadband thermal absorber-emitter. Between the two mirrors is a transparent dielectric called parylene-C.

The researchers can adjust the thickness of the platinum layer as needed to induce the critical coupling condition where the incoming light is trapped in the system and perfectly absorbed, or to move the system away from the critical coupling to sub- or super-critical coupling where perfect absorption and emission cannot take place.

“Only by stitching two platinum layers with thicknesses smaller and larger than the critical thickness over the same dielectric layer, we create a topological interface of two cavities where perfect absorption and emission are confined. Crucial here is that the cavities forming the interface are not at critical coupling condition,” said first author M. Said Ergoktas, a research associate at The University of Manchester 

The development challenges conventional understanding of thermal emission in the field, according to co-author Stefan Rotter, professor of theoretical physics at the Vienna University of Technology, “Traditionally, it has been believed that thermal radiation cannot have topological properties because of its incoherent nature.”

According to Kocabas, their approach to building topological systems for controlling radiation is easily accessible to scientists and engineers.  

“This can be as simple as creating a film divided into two regions with different thicknesses such that one side satisfies sub-critical coupling, and the other is in the super-critical coupling regime, dividing the system into two different topological classes,” Kocabas said.

The realised interface exhibits perfect thermal emissivity, which is protected by the reflection topology and “exhibits robustness against local perturbations and defects,” according to co-author Ali Kecebas, a postdoctoral scholar at Penn State. The team confirmed the system’s topological features and its connection to the well-known non-Hermitian physics and its spectral degeneracies known as exceptional points through experimental and numerical simulations.

“This is just a glimpse of what one can do in thermal domain using topology of non-Hermiticity. One thing that needs further exploration is the observation of the two counterpropagating modes at the interface that our theory and numerical simulations predict,” Kocabas said.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Superconductivity, the ability of certain materials to conduct electricity with zero resistance, holds profound potential for advancements of quantum technologies. However, achieving superconductivity in the quantum Hall regime, characterised by quantised electrical conductance, has proven to be a mighty challenge.

The research, published this week (24 April 2024) in Nature, details extensive work of the Manchester team led by Professor Andre Geim, Dr Julien Barrier and Dr Na Xin to achieve superconductivity in the quantum Hall regime. Their initial efforts followed the conventional route where counterpropagating edge states were brought into close proximity of each other. However, this approach proved to be limited.

"Our initial experiments were primarily motivated by the strong persistent interest in proximity superconductivity induced along quantum Hall edge states," explains Dr Barrier, the paper's lead author. "This possibility has led to numerous theoretical predictions regarding the emergence of new particles known as non-abelian anyons."

The team then explored a new strategy inspired by their earlier work demonstrating that boundaries between domains in graphene could be highly conductive. By placing such domain walls between two superconductors, they achieved the desired ultimate proximity between counterpropagating edge states while minimising effects of disorder.

"We were encouraged to observe large supercurrents at relatively ‘balmy’ temperatures up to one Kelvin in every device we fabricated," Dr Barrier recalls.

Further investigation revealed that the proximity superconductivity originated not from the quantum Hall edge states propagating along domain walls, but rather from strictly 1D electronic states existing within the domain walls themselves. These 1D states, proven to exist by the theory group of Professor Vladimir Falko’s at the National Graphene Institute, exhibited a greater ability to hybridise with superconductivity as compared to quantum Hall edge states. The inherent one-dimensional nature of the interior states is believed to be responsible for the observed robust supercurrents at high magnetic fields.

This discovery of single-mode 1D superconductivity shows exciting avenues for further research. “In our devices, electrons propagate in two opposite directions within the same nanoscale space and without scattering", Dr Barrier elaborates. "Such 1D systems are exceptionally rare and hold promise for addressing a wide range of problems in fundamental physics."

The team has already demonstrated the ability to manipulate these electronic states using gate voltage and observe standing electron waves that modulated the superconducting properties.

“It is fascinating to think what this novel system can bring us in the future. The 1D superconductivity presents an alternative path towards realising topological quasiparticles combining the quantum Hall effect and superconductivity,” concludes Dr Xin. "This is just one example of the vast potential our findings holds."

20 years after the advent of the first 2D material graphene, this research by The University of Manchester represents another step forward in the field of superconductivity. The development of this novel 1D superconductor is expected to open doors for advancements in quantum technologies and pave the way for further exploration of new physics, attracting interest from various scientific communities.

The National Graphene Institute (NGI) is a world-leading graphene and 2D material centre, focussed on fundamental research. Based at The University of Manchester, where graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov, it is home to leaders in their field – a community of research specialists delivering transformative discovery. This expertise is matched by £13m leading-edge facilities, such as the largest class 5 and 6 cleanrooms in global academia, which gives the NGI the capabilities to advance underpinning industrial applications in key areas including: composites, functional membranes, energy, membranes for green hydrogen, ultra-high vacuum 2D materials, nanomedicine, 2D based printed electronics, and characterisation.

Described by the ERC as among the EU’s most prestigious and competitive grants, today’s funding has been awarded to the following senior research leaders:

• Thomas Anthopoulos, Professor of Emerging Optoelectronics, based in the Photon Science Institute and Henry Royce Institute, to investigate scalable nanomanufacturing paradigms for emerging electronics (SNAP). The program aims to develop sustainable large-area electronics, a potential game-changer in emerging semiconductor markets, that will help reduce society's reliance on current polluting technologies while enabling radically new applications.
• Michael Brockhurst, Chair in Evolutionary Biology, in the School of Biological Sciences, to investigate how genomic complexity shapes long-term bacterial evolution and adaptation.
• Kieran Flanagan, Professor of Nuclear Physics, in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Director of the Photon Science Institute to develop a table-top nuclear facility to produce cold actinide molecules that will enable novel searches for new physics beyond the standard model of particle physics.
• Professor Sir Andre Geim, who isolated graphene in 2004 with Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, to explore 2D materials and their van der Waals assemblies.
• David Leigh, Sir Samuel Hall Professor of Chemistry, to lead work into chemically fuelled molecular ratchets. Ratcheting underpins the mechanisms of molecular machinery, gives chemical processes direction, and helps explain how chemistry becomes biology.
• Jason Micklefield, Professor of Chemical Biology, in the Department of Chemistry and  Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, to develop enzymatic methods for peptide synthesis (EZYPEP). Peptides are fundamental in life and are widely used as therapeutic agents, vaccines, biomaterials and in many other applications. Currently peptides are produced by chemical synthesis, which is inefficient, expensive, difficult to scale-up and creates a huge amount of harmful waste that is damaging to the environment. EZYPEP will address this problem by developing enzymatic methods for the more sustainable, cleaner and scalable synthesis of peptides, including essential medicines to combat infectious diseases, cancer and diabetes.
•  Yvonne Peters, Professor of Particle Physics, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, to explore Top and Higgs Couplings and extended Higgs Sectors with rare multi-Top multi-Higgs Events with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. This project aims at deeper insight into the most fundamental properties of nature beyond our current understanding.

The University of Manchester received seven of the 42 grants awarded to UK institutions.

The grant recipients will join a community of just 255 awarded ERC advanced grants, from a total of 1,829 submissions.

As a result of today’s announcement, the ERC will be investing nearly €652 million across the 255 projects.

Professor Chris Parkes, Head of Department for Physics and Astronomy, which received three of the seven grants, said: “Today’s triple award reflects our department’s continued leadership in pioneering research. We’re home to Jodrell Bank, host of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory – set to be the largest radio telescope in the world; the National Graphene Institute – a world-leading centre for 2D material research with the largest clean rooms in European academia; we lead experiments at CERN and Fermilab; and – crucially – we host a world-leading community of vibrant and collaborative researchers like Professors Flanagan, Geim and Peters who lead the way. Today’s announcement recognises their role as outstanding research leaders who will drive the next generation to deliver transformative breakthroughs.”

Professor Richard Curry, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester, added: “Our University’s history of scientific and engineering research is internationally recognised but it does not constrain us. Instead, it’s the work of our researchers – like the seven leaders celebrated today – and what they decide to do next, that will define us.  We are proud to have a culture where responsible risk-taking is nurtured and transformative outcomes delivered, and we look forward to these colleagues using this environment to deliver world-leading and world-changing research.”

Professor Andy Trafford, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, said: "These awards are welcome recognition of the world-leading and transformative frontier science that The University of Manchester researchers are delivering. The compelling and innovative research supported by these ERC awards builds on the excellent local environment at Manchester and are cornerstones of the University’s strategy for excellence and leadership in research and innovation. The positive and real-world global impact from these research awards could deliver are genuinely tangible.

"As we enter our third century, the awards made in a highly competitive environment, are evidence that we do so with a continued pioneering approach to discovery and the pursuit of knowledge that our research community was built on."

Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth at the ERC, said: “This investment nurtures the next generation of brilliant minds. I look forward to seeing the resulting breakthroughs and fresh advancements in the years ahead.”

The ERC grants are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

Carefully controlled inhalation of a specific type of graphene – the world’s thinnest, super strong and super flexible material – has no short-term adverse effects on lung or cardiovascular function, the study shows.

The first controlled exposure clinical trial in people was carried out using thin, ultra-pure graphene oxide – a water-compatible form of the material.

Researchers say further work is needed to find out whether higher doses of this graphene oxide material or other forms of graphene would have a different effect.

The team is also keen to establish whether longer exposure to the material, which is thousands of times thinner than a human hair, would carry additional health risks.

There has been a surge of interest in developing graphene – a material first isolated by scientists at The University of Manchester in 2004 and which has been hailed as a ‘wonder’ material. Possible applications include electronics, phone screens, clothing, paints and water purification.

Graphene is actively being explored around the world to assist with targeted therapeutics against cancer and other health conditions, and also in the form of implantable devices and sensors. Before medical use, however, all nanomaterials need to be tested for any potential adverse effects.

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester recruited 14 volunteers to take part in the study under carefully controlled exposure and clinical monitoring conditions.

The volunteers breathed the material through a face mask for two hours while cycling in a purpose-designed mobile exposure chamber brought to Edinburgh from the National Public Health Institute in the Netherlands.

Effects on lung function, blood pressure, blood clotting and inflammation in the blood were measured – before the exposure and at two-hour intervals. A few weeks later, the volunteers were asked to return to the clinic for repeated controlled exposures to a different size of graphene oxide, or clean air for comparison.

There were no adverse effects on lung function, blood pressure or the majority of other biological parameters looked at.

Researchers noticed a slight suggestion that inhalation of the material may influence the way the blood clots, but they stress this effect was very small.

Dr Mark Miller, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, said: “Nanomaterials such as graphene hold such great promise, but we must ensure they are manufactured in a way that is safe before they can be used more widely in our lives.

“Being able to explore the safety of this unique material in human volunteers is a huge step forward in our understanding of how graphene could affect the body. With careful design we can safely make the most of nanotechnology.”

Professor Kostas Kostarelos, of The University of Manchester and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona, said: “This is the first-ever controlled study involving healthy people to demonstrate that very pure forms of graphene oxide – of a specific size distribution and surface character – can be further developed in a way that would minimise the risk to human health.

“It has taken us more than 10 years to develop the knowledge to carry out this research, from a materials and biological science point of view, but also from the clinical capacity to carry out such controlled studies safely by assembling some of the world’s leading experts in this field.”

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The discovery that this type of graphene can be developed safely, with minimal short term side effects, could open the door to the development of new devices, treatment innovations and monitoring techniques.

“We look forward to seeing larger studies over a longer timeframe to better understand how we can safely use nanomaterials like graphene to make leaps in delivering lifesaving drugs to patients.”

The study is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-023-01572-3.It was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the UKRI EPSRC.

• Tiny channels of nanometer scale (1 nanometer = 1/billionth of a meter) are found in nature that allow substances to pass through and filter out impurities. These are present in human cell linings and in the neurons in brain. Scientists have only recently begun to understand the importance of these channels. Creating these structures artificially could be useful for many things, such as testing medicines, delivering drugs, and filtering water.
• Nanofluidics is the study of the transport of fluids that are confined to structures of nanometer length scale. Manchester’s Professor Radha Boya investigates nanocapillaries’ design and fabrication. The first paper that described the fabrication of the angstrom scale 2D channels was co-led by Prof Sir Andre Geim and Prof Radha Boya.
• The brain uses ions, chemicals and water to make its calculations and store 'memory' whereas artificial computers use electrons in their operation.  The emerging field of nanofluidic computing, also called ionic computing, raises the possibility of devices that operate similarly to the human brain.
   

The link between nanofluidics and computing

Imagine a computer that runs like our brains, consuming minimal energy and seamlessly processing information. That's the promise of nanofluidic computing, a radical departure from conventional computing architectures. Instead of relying on rigid binary systems, nanofluidics harness the flow of ions in fluids, mimicking the brain's efficiency and adaptability. This innovative approach could lead to computers that are not only more energy-efficient but also capable of handling complex tasks with ease.

Manchester researcher, Professor Radha Boya, is trying to mimic the behaviour of neuronal learning mechanisms using ions in water. Her research investigates utilising Ångstrom-scale (that is, one ten-billionth, or 0.1 nanometre) designer capillaries for molecular transport, ion sieving and sensing, energy harvesting and neuromorphic ion memory applications.

Building nanocapillaries

The team’s latest research involves the design and fabrication of capillary devices with atomically thin 2D materials assembled as 2D heterostructures. The capillaries are layer-by-layer structures of 2D materials such as graphene, with cavities running through the middle of the stack. To put it simply – this is the fabrication of atomic-scale channels with atomically smooth walls.

The 2D channel is created by the absence of 2D material, hence is a 2D-empty space. They can be fabricated on any relatively flat substrate and with the flexibility to choose any combination of 2D material walls ranging from hydrophilic to hydrophobic or insulating to conducting. Such customisation allows to exploration of anomalous or quantum properties of ultra-confined flows at ambient conditions and validates century-old theories.

This novel architecture of capillaries provides atomic scale tunability of dimensions and atomically smooth walls. Despite the Ångstrom (Å) scale, this is essentially a top-down lithographic technique which ensures its high reproducibility and flexibility.

The future of nanocapillaries and nanofluidic computing

Professor Boya’s team of physics and chemistry researchers investigates novel properties of materials in confinements, the aforementioned capillaries, at the limits of molecular sizes for unravelling their emergent physical and chemical properties. The group is exploring new perspectives in nanofluidics by pushing the boundaries of nanofabrication with angstrom-scale two-dimensional channels.

These devices are now a step closer to ‘nanofluidic computing’. Memory achieved using simple salt solutions in water is an exciting prospect hinting at the possibility of devices that operate similarly to the human brain.

Making  a difference: the impact of research

Membrane-based applications with nanoscale channels, such as osmotic power generation, desalination, and molecular separation would benefit from understanding the mechanisms of sieving, ways to decrease fluidic friction, and increasing the overall efficiency of the process.

However, mechanisms that allow fast flows are not fully understood yet. Professor Radha’s work on angstrom-capillaries that are only few atoms thick, opens an avenue to investigate fundamental sieving mechanisms behind important applications such as filtration, separation of ions, molecules and gases, desalination, and fuel gas separation from refinery off-gases.

About Professor Radha Boya

Professor Radha Boya is Royal Society University Research and Kathleen Ollerenshaw fellow at the University of Manchester (UoM), where she is exploring the fundamentals and applications of atomic scale nanocapillaries. She has been funded through a series of highly competitive and prestigious international fellowships, including Indo-US pre- and postdoctoral, as well as European Union's Marie Sklodowska-Curie and Leverhulme early career fellowships. Radha was named as UNESCO L’Oréal-women in science fellow, and was recognized as an inventor of MIT Technology Review's "Innovators under 35" list, RSC Marlow award, Philip Leverhulme Prize, and Analytical Chemistry Young Innovator Award and is an ERC starting grant awardee.

Recent relevant papers :

• Long-term memory and synapse-like dynamics of ionic carriers in two-dimensional nanofluidic channels
• Liquid-activated quantum emission from pristine hexagonal boron nitride for nanofluidic sensing
• Beyond steric selectivity of ions using ångström-scale capillaries

To discuss this research further contact Professor Radha Boya.

Discover how to access our world-leading research and state-of-the-art equipment. Visit our Tomorrow Labs to find out about the National Graphene Institute and our other world-leading facilities. 
 

• Water is everywhere. It’s essential to all life forms, so is ubiquitous.
• It also carries enormous energy. 70% of solar radiation that reaches the surface of earth gets absorbed by water. This energy circulates with water around the globe and transfers into other forms of energy.
• But most of the energy – for example, osmotic energy, stored in water is not exploited yet. Imagine if we could harness energy stored in water?
• In Manchester – a city known for its rain – research led by Dr Qian Yang explores the fundamental questions around the structure and behaviour of water at the molecular level.
• Using nanocapillaries made from graphene she is progressing underpinning research that could lead to the development of a brand-new form of renewable energy that could revolutionise sustainable living. 

The potential of water as a source of energy is vast. Hydroelectric power plants, for example, have been explored in large scale to harvest the kinetic energy of water, yet this technology causes significant changes to the local ecosystem. Which means, we still can’t harness the enormous amount of energy stored in water. As a result, this endless energy resource is largely untapped. 

The water-solid interface is the key to harnessing energy toward more efficient water-energy nexus. This requires better understanding of the interfacial water structures and their interactive properties. So far, this progress has been hampered largely because lack of understanding of water at the nanoscale. As a general rule of thumb, structure determines properties and therefore the best applications. Therefore, our first priority is to figure out the structure of nanoscale water. But how do we do it? 

Nanocapillary confinement: analysing water molecules at atomic level 
The answer is using nanocapillary confinement, a tool first identified by Sir Professor Andre Geim in 2016, and now the focus of Dr Qian Yang’s research. 

Using a 2D material capillary, Dr Yang is able to confine a single layer of water molecules. This enables Dr Yang’s team to start to detect the structure of water, and determine its properties, advancing our understanding of key fundamental questions such as how water molecules arrange themselves and transport, and how it responds to light and behaves under electric fields. This will further enable single molecular detection which is essential for many chemical and biological applications. 

Understanding the unique interaction between water and graphene 
In parallel, she is also exploring the unique interactions between water and graphene at the water-graphene interface. Graphene carries charges; and the charges interact with the ions in water solutions at the interfacial area. This means if you pour water through graphene surface, and attach electrodes alongside, you can generate electricity. Through her research, Dr Yang is determining how to make this process work more efficiently, in order to design the materials that best harvest flow induced electricity – either from rain droplets or water flow in a river. 

Leveraging the Manchester’s expertise, equipment and connections 
While researchers across the world are undertaking similar fundamental analysis, Dr Yang’s research has an advantage. The nanocapillary devices conceptualized by Professor Geim and housed in Manchester is extremely sophisticated, enabling atomic confinement that’s proving difficult for other institutions to replicate. Alongside, to accelerate discovery Dr Yang has access to: the National Graphene Institute, the biggest academic cleanroom facility in Europe; the expertise of Manchester’s graphene community, the highest-density research and innovation community in the world; and a network of international collaborations. 

Leading discovery 
As a result of this capabilities, her team’s discoveries include capillary condensation under atomic scale confinement. For example, using a van der Waals assembly of two-dimensional crystals to create atomic-scale capillaries – less than four ångströms in height and can accommodate just a monolayer of water – Dr Yang has proven that the century-old Kelvin equation stands, rather than breaks down as expected. Dr Yang shows that this can be attributed to elastic deformation of capillary walls, which suppresses the giant oscillatory behaviour expected from the commensurability between the atomic-scale capillaries and water molecules. This finding provides a basis for an improved understanding of capillary effects at the smallest scale possible, which is important in many real world situations. For instance, for estimating the oil reserve worldwide. Her work also helps us to have better understanding of sandcastles, which are also hold tightly together by capillary force. 

Further to this, she has also explored ionic transport inside two-dimensional nanocapillaries to understand the mass transport and charge transfer process, for potential deionization and water purification applications. Overall, using combined nanocapillary devices with microfluidics system, together with precise electrical measurements, she examines: (i) capillary condensation inside nanocavities and modulated ionic transport; (ii) electricity generation induced by liquid flow through graphene surface; (iii) nanoconfined water structure and their properties. 

The future of energy harvesting 
Dr Yang’s work explores new physics and phenomena arise inside nanocapillaries, aiming at both better fundamental understanding of water at the atomic scale and working principles for designing more efficient energy harvesting devices at scale. 

By taking the research down to the atomic scale, she is progressing global understanding, and often confounding expectations – as in the case with the Kelvin equation. 

Her research will enable technologies in a wide range of fields, including single molecular sensing, medical diagnostics and energy harvesting. 
 

Dr Qian Yang 
Dr Qian Yang is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Her research explores the mass transport in 2D nanocapillaries enabled by van der Waals technology, molecular properties under spatial confinement, nanofluidics and electrokinetic phenomena at the water-graphene interface. She is also the recipient of the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in 2019, Royal Society University Research Fellowship and the European Research Council Starting Grant. 

Recent relevant papers 

• Capillary condensation under atomic-scale confinement
• Exploring the Nanoconfinement Effect Using 2D Capillaries
• Disentangling 1/f noise from confined ion dynamics 

To discuss this research further contact Dr Qian Yang.

Discover how to access our world-leading research and state-of-the-art equipment. Visit our Tomorrow Labs to find out about the National Graphene Institute and our other world-leading facilities. 
 

Despite being made entirely of layers of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern, natural graphite is not as simple as one may think. The manner in which these atomic layers stack on top of one another can result in different types of graphite, characterised by different stacking order of consecutive atomic planes.   The majority of naturally appearing graphite has hexagonal stacking, making it one of the most “ordinary” materials on Earth. The structure of graphite crystal is a repetitive pattern. This pattern gets disrupted at the surface of the crystal and leads to what's called 'surface states', which are like waves that slowly fade away as you go deeper into the crystal. But how surface states can be tuned in graphite, was not well understood yet.

Van der Waals technology and twistronics (stacking two 2D crystals at a twist angle to tune the properties of the resulting structure to a great extent, because of moiré pattern formed at their interface) are the two leading fields in 2D materials research. Now, the team of NGI researchers, led by Prof. Artem Mishchenko, employs moiré pattern to tune the surface states of graphite, reminiscent of a kaleidoscope with everchanging pictures as one rotates the lens, revealing the extraordinary new physics behind graphite.

In particular, Prof. Mishchenko expanded twistronics technique to three-dimensional graphite and found that moiré potential does not just modify the surface states of graphite, but also affects the electronic spectrum of the entire bulk of graphite crystal. Much like the well-known story of The Princess and The Pea, the princess felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds. In the case of graphite, the moiré potential at an aligned interface could penetrate through more than 40 atomic graphitic layers.

This research, published in the latest issue of Nature, studied the effects of moiré patterns in bulk hexagonal graphite generated by crystallographic alignment with hexagonal boron nitride. The most fascinating result is the observation of a 2.5-dimensional mixing of the surface and bulk states in graphite, which manifests itself in a new type of fractal quantum Hall effect – a 2.5D Hofstadter’s butterfly.

Prof. Artem Mishchenko at The University of Manchester, who has already discovered the 2.5-dimensional quantum Hall effect in graphite said: “Graphite gave rise to the celebrated graphene, but people normally are not interested in this ‘old’ material. And now, even with our accumulated knowledge on graphite of different stacking and alignment orders in the past years, we still found graphite a very attractive system – so much yet to be explored”. Ciaran Mullan, one of the leading authors of the paper, added: “Our work opens up new possibilities for controlling electronic properties by twistronics not only in 2D but also in 3D materials”.

Prof. Vladimir Fal’ko, Director of the National Graphene Institute and theoretical physicist at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, added: “The unusual 2.5D quantum Hall effect in graphite arises as the interplay between two quantum physics textbook phenomena – Landau quantisation in strong magnetic fields and quantum confinement, leading to yet another new type of quantum effect”.

The same team is now carrying on with the graphite research to gain a better understanding of this surprisingly interesting material.

Image credit: Prof. Jun Yin (co-author of the paper) 

Advanced materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Pictured above: Water-graphene quantum friction (Credits: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda / Simons Foundation) 

Advanced materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Watercycle Technologies Ltd, founded by University of Manchester alumnus, Dr Sebastian (Seb) Leaper, has recovered commercial grade lithium carbonate and graphite from black mass; a solid black powder containing a complex mixture of metals and impurities recovered from the recycling of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.

Conducted in partnership with globally renowned precious metal recovery specialists, RSBruce, and with access to Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre's (GEIC) world-leading capabilities and the support of its expert facilities team, the test work on 1 kg of black mass validates the Watercycle’s ground-breaking technology. It underpins the major contribution that deep tech university spin outs are playing in championing the UK’s ambitions for the energy transition and the attainment of a circular economy.

WaterCycle Technologies Ltd. are a Tier 2 partner of the GEIC, the University’s world-class, multi-million-pound engineering centre which provides industry-led development in graphene applications, bringing real-world products to market.

Watercycle CEO Dr Seb Leaper said, “To most people it is not obvious that one of the main barriers to achieving Net Zero is the availability of critical minerals like lithium. But we must ensure that the means of accessing these minerals is environmentally responsible. This requires sustainable primary production and efficient recycling technology, which is what we are creating at Watercycle. We are proud to be a University of Manchester spinout and are proud to be working with two fantastic northern companies in RSBruce and Weardale Lithium who are making the UK’s domestic lithium supply chain possible.” 

This breakthrough marks the first step forward in commercialising Watercycle’s technology.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, said: “The Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre provides partners within the rapid development and scale-up of R&D, the support to bring real world products to market. In particular, the Tier 2 partnership gives companies like Watercycle Technologies the opportunity to bring innovation and research into the tough world of commercialisation, and to amplify prototypes through the conduction of leading edge benchtop experiments.

“By supporting partners in this way, we can also support Manchester’s regional and national competitiveness, in turn attracting world-class businesses and high-quality jobs to the companies we’re helping to commercialise.”

A Feasibility Study was undertaken followed by test work in collaboration with RSBruce, demonstrating the significant opportunity to recover value-added products from Black Mass processing using Watercycle’s system and both companies are now in the process of finalising a developed pilot plan.

Corresponding to this phenomenal achievement, the team have found success in producing lithium carbonate from another source, establishing a step further to supporting UK’s ambitions to produce a domestic supply of lithium to power the domestic energy transition, and the UK Government’s goals of achieving net zero.

At its laboratory in the GEIC, the company applied its proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction & Crystallisation process (DLEC™) to successfully produce lithium carbonate crystals from brines, extracted from Weardale Lithium Limited’s existing geothermal boreholes at Eastgate, in County Durham. 

Watch Dr Seb and Dr Ahmed’s visit to the North East of England and learn more about the method of extracting lithium from brines.

"The history of membrane development spans more than 100 years and has led to a revolution in industrial separation processes," says Professor Rahul Raveendran Nair, Carlsberg/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair and study team leader. "In recent years, there has been some effort towards making membranes that mimic biological structures, particularly their ‘intelligent’ characteristics."

Now, in research published today in Nature, scientists explain how they have developed intelligent membranes that can alter their properties depending on the environment and remember how permeable they were before. This means the membranes can adapt to different conditions in their environment and, more importantly, memorise their state, a feature which can be exploited in many different applications.

 A phenomenon known as hysteresis is the most common expression of memory or intelligence in a material. It refers to the situation where a system's current properties are dependent and related to its previous state. Hysteresis is commonly observed in magnetic materials. For example, a magnet may have more than one possible magnetic moment in each magnetic field depending on the field the magnet was subjected to in the past. Hysteresis is rarely seen, however, in molecular transport through artificial membranes.

"Coming up with simple and effective clean water solutions is one of our greatest global challenges. This study shows that fundamental molecular level insights and nanoscale materials offer great potential for the development of 'smart' membranes for water purification and other applications," said Professor Angelos Michaelides of the University of Cambridge.

In this work, the Manchester team in collaboration with scientists from University of Cambridge, Xiamen University, Dalian University of Technology, University of York, and National University of Singapore has developed intelligent membranes based on MoS₂ (a two-dimensional material called molybdenum disulphide) that can remember how permeable they were before. The researchers have shown that the way ions and water infiltrate the membranes can be regulated by controlling the external pH.

The membranes mimic the function of biological cell membranes and display hysteretic ion and water transport behaviour in response to the pH, which means they remember what pH they were exposed to before. “The memory effects we have seen are unique to these membranes and have never been observed before in any inorganic membranes,” said co-first author Dr Amritroop Achari of the University of Manchester.

The researchers demonstrated that the biomimetic effect could be used to improve autonomous wound infection sensing. To do this, they placed the membranes in artificial wound exudate, which simulates the liquid produced by wounds, and subjected them to changes in pH. The membranes only allowed permeation of the wound exudate at pH levels relevant to an infected wound, thus allowing them to be used as sensors for infection detection. The researchers say the new membranes can also be used in a host of other pH-dependent applications, from nanofiltration to mimicking the function of neuronal cells.

Co-author Professor Kostya Novoselov, Langworthy Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester and a professor at the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore said, “The uniqueness in this membrane is that its hysteretic pH response can be seen as a memory function, which opens a lot of interesting avenues for the creation of smart membranes and other structures. Research in this direction can play a pivotal role in the design of intelligent technologies for tomorrow.”

Pictured above: Artist's view of intelligent membranes with memory effects, courtesy R.Nair

Advanced materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

Materials that strongly change their resistivity under magnetic fields are highly sought for various applications and, for example, every car and every computer contain many tiny magnetic sensors. Such materials are rare, and most metals and semiconductors change their electrical resistivity only by a tiny fraction of a percent at room temperature and in practically viable magnetic fields (typically, by less than a millionth of 1 %). To observe a strong magnetoresistance response, researchers usually cool materials to liquid-helium temperatures so that electrons inside scatter less and can follow cyclotron trajectories.  

Now a research team led by Professor Sir Andre Geim has found that good old graphene that seemed to be studied in every detail over the last two decade exhibits a remarkably strong response, reaching above 100% in magnetic fields of standard permanent magnets (of about 1,000 Gauss). This is a record magnetoresistivity among all the known materials.

Speaking about this latest graphene discovery, Sir Andre Geim said: “People working on graphene like myself always felt that this gold mine of physics should have been exhausted long ago. The material continuously proves us wrong finding yet another incarnation. Today I have to admit again that graphene is dead, long live graphene.”

To achieve this, the researchers used high-quality graphene and tuned it to its intrinsic, virgin state where there were only charge carriers excited by temperature. This created a plasma of fast-moving “Dirac fermions” that exhibited a surprisingly high mobility despite frequent scattering. Both high mobility and neutrality of this Dirac plasma are crucial components for the reported giant magnetoresistance.

“Over the last 10 years, electronic quality of graphene devices has improved dramatically, and everyone seems to focus on finding new phenomena at low, liquid-helium temperatures, ignoring what happens under ambient conditions. This is perhaps not so surprising because the cooler your sample the more interesting its behaviour usually becomes. We decided to turn the heat up and unexpectedly a whole wealth of unexpected phenomena turned up”, says Dr Alexey Berdyugin, the corresponding authors of the paper.

In addition to the record magnetoresistivity, the researchers have also found that, at elevated temperatures, neutral graphene becomes a so-called “strange metal”. This is the name given to materials where electron scattering becomes ultimately fast, being determined only by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The behaviour of strange metals is poorly understood and remains a mystery currently under investigation worldwide.

The Manchester work adds some more mystery to the field by showing that graphene exhibits a giant linear magnetoresistance in fields above a few Tesla, which is weakly temperature dependent. This high-field magnetoresistance is again record-breaking.

The phenomenon of linear magnetoresistance has remained an enigma for more than a century since it was first observed. The current Manchester work provides important clues about origins of the strange metal behaviour and of the linear magnetoresistance. Perhaps, the mysteries can now be finally solved thanks to graphene as it represents a clean, well-characterised and relatively simple electronic system.

“Undoped high-quality graphene at room temperature offers an opportunity to explore an entirely new regime that in principle could be discovered even a decade ago but somehow was overlooked by everyone. We plan to study this strange-metal regime and, surely, more of interesting results, phenomena and applications will follow”, adds Dr Leonid Ponomarenko, from Lancaster University and one of the leading Nature paper authors.

UK-based Graphene Innovations Manchester Ltd (GIM), founded by University graduate Dr Vivek Koncherry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quazar Investment Company to create a new company in the UAE.

This exciting UK-UAE partnership - which highlights potential opportunity for UK innovators to access global investment and international markets and supply chains - will be one of the most ambitious projects to date to commercialise graphene as it fast-tracks cutting-edge R&D into large-scale manufacture – an investment vision worth a total of $1billion.

This new venture will develop and produce premium, environmentally-friendly products using advanced 2D materials, including breakthrough graphene-enhanced concrete that does not need cement or water and can be made using recycled materials.

Dr Vivek Koncherry, CEO of Graphene Innovations Manchester, based in Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), said: "We are proud to be associated with Quazar so that we can assemble a powerful world-class team to provide us the opportunity to massively deploy our graphene-based technologies.”

Waleed Al Ali, CEO of Quazar, who will be active in helping bring the new company to successful, large-scale commercialisation, said: "The new graphene company will take a global lead in making environmentally friendly concrete and other products. We are glad that Quazar can play an active role in helping fulfil the UAE's His Highness Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamdan Bin Mohamed Al Nahyan's support for the UAE Vision 2030”.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, added: “This agreement with our GEIC partner Graphene Innovations Manchester and Quazar is a seminal moment for the commercialisation of graphene as it demonstrates huge confidence in the potential for this advanced material to help lead our transition into a net zero world.

“It is also a very proud moment for the Graphene@Manchester community as it confirms that our innovation ecosystem is providing exactly the right platform to nurture pioneering R&D into graphene and other 2D materials that is world-class.

“Manchester is known as the ‘home of graphene’ – but increasingly, it’s also being recognised as the home to its commercialisation potential. We are therefore able to form international partnerships, such as those in the UAE, based on this reputation; and from this position of strength we can place our city-region and the UK more generally into graphene’s global economy.

“As Greater Manchester further develops its innovation and manufacturing potential – all underpinned with the University’s leadership in advanced materials - this city-regional will have great opportunities with access to international supply chains, foreign investment and global markets.”       

As part of this ambition a new ‘Sustainable Materials Translational Research Centre’ is set to be created by the multi-million pound Greater Manchester Innovation Accelerator programme. The new centre is a partnership with the University’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, the Henry Royce Institute, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and Rochdale Development Agency, and aims to connect local businesses to national opportunities, all underpinned with outstanding materials research.

The scheme is linked  to the Atom Valley Mayoral Development zone and a special report by Sky News said “… The University of Manchester's expertise in material science” could potentially support a northern economic powerhouse.

Furthermore, the graphene innovation ecosystem at The University of Manchester has recently been cited as an exemplar in attracting inward investment into the local regional economy – and therefore helping to boost the UK’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. The spotlight comes in a report entitled, The role of universities in driving overseas investment into UK Research and Development  published by universities think-tank the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI).

A strategic partnerships that is highlighted is the ambitious agreement between the University and Abu Dhabi-based Khalifa University of Science and Technology which aims to deliver a funding boost for graphene innovation to develop new sustainable technologies. Attracting international funding to the North-West is also helping the UK government level-up R&D spending across the nation.

This prestigious five-year position is part of the Academy's Research Chair scheme, which promotes collaboration between academia and businesses to tackle engineering challenges. Prof. Nair is one of seven U. K. researchers awarded this position.

Professor Nair, of the Department of Chemical Engineering and the National Graphene Institute, will partner with Carlsberg Group to develop next-generation membranes for filtration and separation technology specifically for the food and beverage sector. The project will explore how graphene and other 2D materials-based membranes can be used for more healthy, sustainable, and responsible plant-based food production.

Graphene and other two-dimensional materials offer unique advantages in separation and purification technology due to their ability to fabricate membranes with tunable pore sizes, controllable surface wetting functionalities, and fast water and solvent transport. Professor Nair's group is already collaborating with several leading industries to develop graphene-based membranes for water desalination, filtration, and oil separation. This partnership with Carlsberg aims to further expand this research direction into the food and beverage industries. 

Professor Nair said: “Adopting a more plant-based lifestyle can lower the impact of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. By investigating and applying novel membrane technology, the project will target the selective removal of sugars, alcohol and acids to obtain a more balanced plant-based diet. It will strengthen the general food sector by providing better plant-based food and beverage products.” 

“Carlsberg has a tradition of supporting creative ideas through collaborations and helping to overcome engineering challenges”, said Professor Nair. “The National Graphene Institute (NGI) at the University of Manchester is the world's largest academic space of its kind, solely dedicated to 2D materials research and covers the full scale of research from fundamentals to prototypes.” 

Dr. Birgitte Skadhauge, Vice President at Carlsberg Research Laboratory, said “this new partnership, enabled by a substantial donation from Carlsberg Foundation, will contribute to Carlsberg’s vision and commitment to sustainability, a healthier future, and zero carbon emission in all breweries by 2030 and in the value chain by 2040 via Carlsberg’s Together Towards ZERO and Beyond program.”

Dr. Arvid Garde, Director of Brewing Technology at Carlsberg Research Laboratory added “this research direction has the potential to significantly impact the food and beverage industry, as well as other industries that require advanced separation and purification technologies.

More information on each can be found on the Academy website.