NANOTECHMAGBUSINESS NEWSLATEST NEWS ON COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN NANOTECH

POLICY NEWSGOVERNMENT REGULATION & POLICY IN NANOMATERIALS

NEW PRODUCTSNANOTECH PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET THIS MONTH

www.futuremarketsinc.com | www.nanotechmag.com | ISSUE 37 AUGUST 2015

All the latest nanotech product, policy and research news.FOCUS

ANTI-REFLECTIVE NANOCOATINGSNanomaterials are playing a key role in anti-reflection surfaces on dis-

plays, sensors and solar modules.

BEATING THE FREEZECurrent de-icing solutions are inadequate, not least environmentally,

opening the door for the use of multi-functional nanocoatings.

GRAPHENE IN SOUTH KOREAAnalysis of government policy, funding and research from one of the

leading countries in graphene product development.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHENTechnology briefs on new nanotech start-ups and spin-outs.

03 EDITORIAL Nanocoatings technology is continu-ing to impact industries were surface protection and multi-functionality is becoming crucial.

04 ANTI-REFLECTIVE NANOCOATINGSNanocoatings are playing a key role in minimizing the light reflection on the surface of devices such as displays, sen-sors, photodetectors and solar cells.

09 NANOTECH IN ANTI-COUNTERFEITINGTraditionanl de-icing technology has significant drawbacks, not least envi-ronmental, that have opened the door for the development of nanocoatings.

13 GRAPHENE FUNDING AND POLICY IN SOUTH KOREA

04

The South Korean government has funded nano- tech to the tune of $3 billion since 2001. With another $300 million plus allocated for graphene they are expecting to see products by 2017.

15 NANOTECH BUSINESS NEWSLatest industry developments in nanotech in August 2015.

17 WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHENTech briefs on significant nanotech spin-outs and start ups and their progress with product development and commercial-ization.

Cover StoryDe-icing nanocoatings are now being applied in avia-tion and aerospace applica-tions, including Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Arctic operations.

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contentsNANOTECH MAGAZINE AUGUST 2015

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Welcome to Nano-tech Magazine, now in it’s fourth year and con-tinuing to bring you the latest products and in-novations from electronics to medicine.

The nanocoatings market is a key sec-tor for nanomateri-als product develop-mentFuture Markets, Inc. will shortly publish a 700 page plus market re-search study on the nano-coatings market, and how it is impacting a wide range of industries glob-ally. Nanocoatings are key to product development in high value sectors such as electronics, photovol-taics and automotive, as customers demand more from their products. They are also important for meeting increasingly stringent regulatory and environmental challenges in the traditional coatings

industry. In this month’s Nanotech Magazine we look at two rarely covered but important future growth areas, Anti-reflec-tion nanocoatings and Anti-icing nanocoatings. Continuing on from our country focus, this month we look at graphene funding and policy in South Korea. For addi-tional information on the global graphene sector check out our website and sister publication 2D Materials Magazine (www.2dmaterialsmag.com).In the next issue of Nanotech Magazine we will feature a number of guest articles from lead-ing nanotech product developers.

NANOTECHMAG

Issue 37 Nanotech

byANDREW GARLANDChief Editor

ABOUT NANOTECHMAGNanotech Magazine (www.nanotechmag.com) is pub-lished by Future Markets (www.futuremarketsinc.com), the world’s leading provider of nanotechnology and nanomaterials market information. Future Mar-kets provides leading-edge market research reports on advanced materials.

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CONTACTt. +44 (0) 207 112 7500e. info@futuremarketsinc.comw. www.nanotechmag.comwww.futuremarketsinc.com

© Future Markets, Inc. 2015

EDITORIAL

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Anti-reflective nanocoatingsNanocoatings are playing a key role in minimiz-ing the light reflection on the surface of devices such as displays, sensors, photodetectors and so-lar cells.

M inimizing the light reflection on the surface of devices such as sensors, photodetectors and solar cells-and thereby increasing the

light transmission into the device-is a key element for increasing device performance.

MARKET DRIVERS AND TRENDS IN ANTI-REFLECTIVE (AR) COATINGS

Growth in the optical and optoelectronics devices marketsAnti-reflection (AR) coatings on transparent substrates (e.g., glass) are important components in optical and optoelectronic devices, such as displays (tablet PCs, large screen TV and large-screen mobile phones), opti-cal lenses (e.g. camera), and photovoltaic panels.1

All applications of display technology would benefit from an anti-reflective coating. However, they are not commonly applied in TV, PC, tablet and smartphone markets at present. Uncoated glass reflects 8% of incoming light, making

viewing extremely difficult in high ambient light condi-tions and severely affecting display colour contrast-therefore there is a clear market need for enhanced coatings. Also the AR coatings that are currently applied in these market have limitations and there is a need to develop more optimal anti-reflective coatings which superior optical properties that are mechanically robust for widespread market penetration.

Improved performance and cost over traditional AR coatingsTraditional quarter-wavelength AR coatings consist of compact layers of low-refractive index transparent ma-terials that are vacuum deposited. These coatings suffer from a range of drawbacks including: • High operating and equipment costs making them relatively expensive. Cost-effective only for small sur-faces such as eye-glasses and certain optical elements.• Limited material selection.• Low throughput.

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• Not optimal in optical performance (compromise on balancing optical vs. mechanical performance).• Small coating areas.

A number of solution processing techniques based on porous thin layers have been developed to reduce the cost of manufacturing and improve production throughput. However, these techniques generally involve multiple steps, they are limited to single-sided coatings on planar substrates, are not reproducible over large areas and there are problems with scalability. Use of polymers results in good optical performance but mechanical fragility, and porous inorganic materials offer good mechanical performance but are not optimal in optically performance as they can become marred easily. The limitations of existing deposition techniques and their challenging environmental and durability speci-fications has limited their widespread application in displays. Therefore there is an opportunity for multi-functional, low-cost, easily deposited nanocoatings.

Growth in the solar energy marketOver the last few years there has been a significant drop in the module price of solar cells, and as energy costs have risen, solar energy solutions have become economically attractive, especially in high isolation and high energy cost locations. 2

However there remains a significant need to reduce the cost of solar generated electricity by increasing the efficiency of panels and reducing cleaning and main-tenance costs. The use of AR coatings that increase the

durability and performance of a solar glass coating is therefore desirable. Approximately 4% of light is reflected from the glass of solar modules, resulting in loss of energy production. AR coatings allow for improvement in the conversion efficiency and minimizing reflection losses by increas-ing the light transmission and suppressing the Fresnel refraction over a broad range of wavelengths.3 4 5Higher electricity output results in reduced costs per Wp, in-creasing the attractiveness of using solar energy. Nanoporous thin films with anti-reflection proper-ties have been manufactured, but their suitability for outdoor applications is limited by the lack of robustness and cleanability. Therefore product developers have de-veloped AR coatings with self-cleaning functionalities.

BENEFITS OF USING ANTI-REFLECTIVE (AR) NANO-COATINGS Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Nano-TiO2) have been incorporated into AR coatings. Nano-TiO2 acts as a cata-lyst to break down dirt on the surface, and raises the refractive index of the coating to give the desired level of anti-reflectivity.Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are also used to fabri-cate AR coatings on glass substrates. The combination of mesoporous silica nanoparticles in conjunction with a suitable binder material allows mechanically robust single layer coatings with a reflectance of less than 0.1% Graphene has also recently demonstrated excellent anti-reflection characteristics in conjunction with zinc oxide. 6

Figure 1: Schematic of AR coating utilizing nanoporous coating (Image credit: Sony).

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NANOCOATINGS

MARKETS AND APPLICATIONS OF ANTI-REFLECTIVE (AR) NANOCOATINGS

Current anti-reflective coated glass has yet to gain widespread penetration in sectors other than solar, although they have made some inroads into other ap-plications. Therefore there are opportunities for devel-oping cheap, high-throughput nanocoatings. Main demand is in the photovoltaics sector for solar cover glass, where over 60% of wafer based PV modules employ AR glass covers.7 However, there is still a huge market for covering currently uncoated solar panels with AR coatings (over 300 million uncoated solar panels globally according to CSD Nano, Inc.) Market estimates for the global AR coatings market in 2014 is approximately $2.5 billion-$3 billion according to industry sources.

Table 1: Anti-reflective nanocoatings-Markets and applications

Market Applications

Optoelectronics • Photovoltaics. AR coatings applied to reduce surface reflection and maximize cell efficiency in solar glass and silicon solar cell manufacturing• Consumer electronics (dis-plays for cell phones, tablets etc.).• Automotive displays.• Photodetectors. • Precision optical instruments• Camera lenses.

Consumer prod-ucts

• Eyeglasses.

Construction • Windows.

Sensors • Ultraviolet (UV), visible, near infrared (NIR), mid-wavelengthinfrared (MWIR), and long-wavelength infrared(LWIR) sensors.

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN ANTI-REFLECTIVE (AR) NANOCOATINGS

There are a number of companies, mainly start-ups, developing AR nanocoatings. Main companies in the market are listed below.

CORNING INCORPORATEDUSAwww.corning.comThe company has developed, with the Optoelectronics research group at ICFO (http://www.icfo.eu/newsroom/news2.php?id_news=2382), AR nanocoatings with superhydrophobic properties.8 A demonstration video of the glass is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05UFlwnbtfE.

CSD NANO, INC.USAwww.moresun.us/technology.htmlhttp://csdnano.com/http://opic.oregonstate.edu/The company is a spin-out from Oregon State Univer-sity’s Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing (OPIC), and has developed MoresunTM AR coatings for application in solar modules, windows and glass . The coating can be applied directly to solar panels already in the field using solution depo-sition techniques. According to the company the Mo-reSun anti-reflective coating can create 3.2 gigawatts of new solar capacity, thus reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels by 3.6 million tons per year.

Figure 2: Demo solar panels coated with MoresunTM AR coatings (Image credit: CSD Nano, Inc.).

DSM ADVANCED SURFACESUSAwww.dsm.com/corporate/about/business-entities/dsm-

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advanced-surfaces.htmlThe company produces a single layer AR coating mar-keted under the brand name MP Coat AR (formerly known as KhepriCoat®) for solar cover glass. The coat-ing incorporates silica nanoparticles. According to the company, in contrast to traditional AR coatings, MP Coat AR has a closed nano silica-based structure with a high internal nano-porosity. The coatings can be applied 1 and 2 sided, applied by various coating technologies (e.g. dip, roll, spray or slot-die coatings) and can be ap-plied on both (ultra white) float glass and structured/patterned glass.

Figure 3: Schematic of MP Coat AR (Image credit: DSM).

JENOPTIKGermanywww.jenoptik.com/en-antireflection-coatings-for-poly-mer-opticsThe company produces AR coatings using a patented AR-plas® nano-motheye structure. These coatings were developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer IOF Jena.

The inspiration for “moth-eye” nanocoatings is based on the concept that the eye of the night moth reflects very little light, due to the graded index nature of the moth’s

cornea. Moth eye replicas demonstrate that reflectance for normally incident light is almost completely elimi-nated for these structures.

Figure 4: Contact lenses coated with anti-reflective films (Source: Jenoptik).

LG SOLARUSAwww.lg-solar.comThe company’s MonoX™ NeON High Power N-type Solar Module uses AR nanocoatings. 9

MAGNOLIA SOLAR USAwww.magnoliasolar.comThe company produces anti-reflection nanowire/nanord based coatings for photovoltaic devices. Their AR coat-ings employ porous nanostructured silicon dioxide with tunable refractive index. The coating enables the forma-tion of multiple layers of anti-reflective structures. Flexible and lightweight solar cells are manufactured using a reel-to-reel process and according to the com-pany offer ultrahigh transmittance for broadband and omnidirectional light. The company has demonstrated reflection loss to less than 1% over the solar spectrum. The AR coatings also yield approximately 5% -20% more short circuit current. The company are currently work-ing to develop flexible CIGS solar cells with high specific power and efficiencies greater than 20%.

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Figure 5: Prototype flexible, thin-film solar cell with AR coating (Image credit: Magnolia Solar).

OPTITUNE Singaporewww.optitune.comThe company produces anti-reflection nanocoatings for window films and solar modules.

ROLITH, INC.Germanywww.rolith.comThe company is developing a scalable process for “moth eye” surface manufacturing on glass for anti-reflective applications.

Figure 6: Moth eye (nanocone array surface) fabricated in fused silica glass using RML patterning and plasma etch (Image credit: Rolith).

SMART NANOTECHUKwww.swanseainnovations.com/companies/smart-nano-tech.htmlThe company is a spin-out from Swansea University, founded in 2013. They are working with Dongfang Elec-tric (Yixing) MAGI Solar Power Technology Co. Ltd, on an anti-reflective nanocoating for solar cells.

SONO-TEKUSAwww.sono-tek.comThe company’s ultrasonic spray systems are used to ap-ply thin film nanocoatings of anti-reflection coating of Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), and have been shown to increase cell efficiencies by 3-4%.

References1. http://www.evaporatedcoatings.com/anti-reflection-coatings-for-glass/84-coatings/transparent-conductive-coatings/106-plastic-and-temperature-sensitive-sub-strates2. Retail Price Summary. (NPD Solar Buzz), http://www.solarbuzz.com/facts-and-figures/retail-price-environ-ment/module-prices3. C.-J. Ting, F.-Y. Chang, C.-F. Chen, and C. P. Chou, “Fab-rication of an antireflective polymer optical film with subwavelength structures using a roll-to-roll micro-repli-cation process,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microen-gineering, vol. 18, no. 7, Article ID 075001, 2008. 4. Z. N. Adamian, A. P. Hakhoyan, V. M. Aroutiounian, R. S. Barseghian, and K. Touryan, “Investigations of solar cells with porous silicon as antireflection layer,” Solar En-ergy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 64, no. 4, pp. 347–351, 2000. 5. Z. Z. Wu, J. Walish, A. Nolte, L. Zhai, R. E. Cohen, and M. F. Rubner, “Deformable antireflection coatings from poly-mer and nanoparticle multilayers,” Advanced Materials, vol. 18, no. 20, pp. 2699–2702, 2006. 6. Graphene-Tapered ZnO Nanorods Array as a Flexible Antireflection Layer, http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/aa/925863/7. Anti-Reflective Coating on PV Cover Glass, http://www.pvtaiwanforum.org/zh/sites/pvtaiwanforum.org/files/data14/docs/1.updated_Anti-Reflective%20Coat-ing%20on%20PV%20Cover%20Glass,%20DSM%20Slides%20for%20PV%20Taiwan.pdf8. Monolithically Integrated Micro- and Nanostruc-tured Glass Surface with Antiglare, Antireflection, and Superhydrophobic Properties, http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/am50130629. http://www.arendstechniek.nl/Content/files/upload-ed/Advantages-LG-Solar-NeoN-Technology.pdf

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The efficiency of currently utilized methods for reduc-ing ice accumulation under atmospheric icing condi-tions are insufficient in terms of performance and cost. These methods also require the permanent utilization of personnel and the use of energy inefficient methods and chemical reagents that in some instances are envi-ronmentally harmful. Therefore icing reduction via the use of passive icephobic surfaces is of great research interest nowadays.1

MARKET DRIVERS FOR ANTI-ICING NANOCOATINGS

The icing of surfaces is a major problem, which impairs the function of those surfaces and incurs significant costs. For example, the ice storm of 2008 caused serious damage to power systems in Southern China, with more than 100 billion yuan ($16 billion) in direct economic losses. Ice and wet-snow adhesion and excessive accumulation on exposed structures and equipment is well known as a source of numerous types of failures and malfunctions

in cold-climate regions. Industries affected include ma-chine building, aviation, power transmission, maritime, trains, automotive, refrigeration, construction and wind turbines. The effects of icing include increased weight, impaired function of equipment, longer maintenance time and downtimes and human safety issues. Also in numerous other machine construction and structural technology applications, surface freezing can cause malfunctions, such as in antennas and wind turbine wings.

Table 1: Anti-icing nanocoatings-Markets and applications

Market Applications

Aviation • Aerodynamic Surfaces• Engines• Unmanned aerial vehicles• Leading edges of wings.

MARKET

Beating the freezeTraditionanl de-icing technology has significant drawbacks, not least environmental, that have opened the door for the development of nano-coatings.

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Table 1: Anti-icing nanocoatings-Markets and applications

Market Applications

Construction • Bridges (Cables, Railings)• Communication Towers• Antennas• Guy Wires• Wind Mills• Elevated Walkways• Roof Edges• Heavy Equipment Exposed To Ice/Snow.

Transportation • Ships• Train Cars• High speed trains• Automotive windshields• Marine Vessels.

Energy • Wind turbines• Hydroelectric Intakes.

Power transmis-sion

• Cables• Satellite Dishes• Microwave Domes• Communication and power lines.

BENEFITS OF USING ANTI-ICING NANOCOATINGS

It has been demonstrated that there is a strong correla-tion between anti-icing properties and surface hydro-phobicity. Ice-phobic nanocoatings that have been developed typically utilize superhydrophobic surfaces to minimize the accumulation of water.2

Highly sophisticated nano-based surface morpholo-gies have been designed and applied, that demonstrate

high contact angle, and ensuring low liquid-solid con-tact surface. These surfaces are employed by a variety of methods.3 4

Superhydrophobic surfaces Superhydrophobic surfaces are characterized by their extreme water-repellent properties (water contact angle larger than 150° and low contact angle hyster-esis). Under a frost-free environment (e.g., low humidity conditions), superhydrophobic surfaces show promising behaviour in preventing ice formation and adhesion, at temperatures as low as -25 to -30°C. Low adhesion properties results in the spontaneous removal of snow, ice or freezing drizzle under their own weight or due to wind force.

Figure 1: Nanomyte’s SuperAi coatings for the reduction in ice adhesion (Image credit: Nanomyte).

However, a number of researchers have stated that these surfaces fail in high humidity conditions due to water condensation and frost formation and can result in increased ice adhesion due to the large surface area. Also, with regular exposure to weather such as freez-ing rain, the icephobicity of the coatings decreases to a significant extent after a few thawing freezing/thawing cycles.5 6 7 However, other researchers have since dem-onstrated that superhydrophobic nanocoatings display high stability against periodic crystallisation of water

Figure 2: Carbon nanotube based anti-icing/de-icing device developed at the Battelle Memorial Institute The coating can be deployed as panels (shown) or spray painted on as a coating.

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contacting the coatings.

Figure 3: GE nanocoated surface in comparison to exist-ing surfaces (Image credit: GE Global Research).

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN ANTI-ICING NANOCOAT-INGS

BATTELLEwww.battelle.orgThe company produces carbon nanotube anti-icing coatings that can be sprayed onto aircraft structures. The HeatCoat™ Anti-Icing Technology has been applied to military drones. The coating creates a heated area when power is applied. An intelligent controller moni-tors the heater performance and applies only the power levels required for the flight conditions. The company has applied the coating to representative wing and engine inlet test samples and subjected them to temperatures as low as -22° F (-30° C) and air speeds of up to 182 knots (337 km/h, 209 mph) in a research aero-icing tunnel. According to the company, the coat-ings exhibited anti-icing and de-icing functions over a four-day demonstration and testing period.8 9

Figure 4: Schematic of HeatCoat™ Anti-Icing Technol-ogy.

GE GLOBAL RESEARCH www.geglobalresearch.comThe company is developing superhydrophobic anti-icing nanocoatings for application in the aviation and wind power industries.10

LUNA INNOVATIONS http://lunainc.comThe company, in collaboration with Massachusetts In-stitute of Technology (MIT), has developed microstruc-tured surface treatment compatible with ship coatings that can provide a barrier to ice adhesion for applica-tion as anti-icing coatings on ship structures.

NANOSONICwww.nanosonic.comThe company is developing hydrophobic, antifouling, environmentally durable coatings with a wide service temperature range and inherent anti-icing functionality. The HybridSil anti-icing and icephobic coating is specifi-cally engineered for extreme environmental durability, ease of application, and low-cost ship structures.

Figure 5: HybridShield Icephobic coatings (Image credit: Nanosonic).

NBD NANOwww.nbdnano.comThe company’s coatings have been used to prevent Ice buildup on aircraft wings. The company is a spin-out from Boston College.

NEI CORPORATIONwww.neicorporation.comNANOMYTE® SuperAi is a nanocomposite coating that imparts anti-icing properties to the underlying substrate. According to the company, SuperAi can be applied to a variety of substrates, including plastics, metals, glass, and ceramics. In some instances, a suit-able primer may be required for maximum adhesion of the anti-ice coating.

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SLIPS TECHNOLOGYwww.slipstechnologies.comSLIPS (Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces) Is a self-healing super-slippery surface that is highly repellent to most substances including ice.

STATOIL ASAwww.statoil.comThe company and the Nanomechanics Lab at the Nor-wegian University of Science and Technology are devel-oping anti-icing coatings based on carbon nanotubes.

References1. Schutzius TM, et al. (2014) Langmuir.2. Davis A, Yeong YH, Steele A, Bayer IS, & Loth E (2014) ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces3. Vourdas N, Tserepi A, & Gogolides E (2007) Nanotech-nology 18(12):125304. 4. Milionis A, et al. (2013) Colloid and Polymer Science 291(2):401-4075. S. Farhadi, M. Farzaneh and S. A. Kulinich, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2011, 257, 6264. 6. S. A. Kulinich and M. Farzaneh, Cold Reg. Sci. Tech-nol., 2011, 65, 60. 7. S. A. Kulinich, S. Farhadi, K. Nose and X. W. Du, Lang-muir, 2011, 27, 25.8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlEp1PZKjA9. Nanotubes keep UAVs warm, http://www.c4isrnet.com/story/military-tech/uas/2015/03/10/battelle-heat-coat-arctic-uav/24698545/10. GE Scientists Demonstrate Promising Anti-icing Nano Surfaces , 8http://www.geglobalresearch.com/innovation/ge-scientists-demonstrate-promising-anti-icing-nano-surfaces

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South Korea has been a major funder of nanotechnolo-gy and nanomaterials for over a decade, with more than $3 billion invested since 2001. They have extended this policy to graphene, with a major emphasis on commer-cialization of graphene-based materials and devices. Focus for commericial products is mainly centred on electronics and energy storage & production devices (and biological and medical applications to a lesser extent) to drive future industrial growth and create new industries in South Korea.

Nanotechnology funding in South KoreaIn 2001, the Korean Government established the Inte-gral Development Plan for Nanotechnology. This has involved a series of five year plans for industrial and research development of nanotechnology. The govern-ment has invested approimatley $ 3.138 billion to dates:• $ 2.485 billion (79.2%) for research and development, • $ 493 billion (15.7%) to build infrastructure

• $ 160 billion (5.1%) to foster manpower.

Graphene funding The dynamic of the South Korean government’s fund-ing and policy for graphene has changed significantly over the past few years (the national nanotechnology plan was also intentionally fluid). In 2011, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced a plan to launch Korea into the “league of top 5 international technology powerhouses” by 2020. The main thrust of the plan was promotion of six “convergence technologies”, including graphene. In 2012, the government approved a roadmap for gra-phene commercialization with a $200 million budget over 6 years. They also sough to establish a research hub that they would fund with $200-300 million per year. The commercialization plan included the inten-tion to commercialize technology in the following areas:

COUNTRY PROFILE

Graphene in South KoreaThe South Korean government has funded nano-tech to the tune of $3 billion since 2001. With another $300 million plus allocated for graphene they are expecting to see products by 2017.

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• Graphene-based touch panels• Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)• Electro-chromic smart windows• Secondary batteries for electronic vehicles• High-voltage high-power supercapacitors• Ultra-light and strong composites• High-performance gas barrier films• Electro-magnetic interference shielding• Environmentally friendly anti-oxidation steel plates.

In 2013, the Korean Graphene Project was initiated with funding of $44 million over 5 years. There are a number of graphene companies participating in government initiatives include Graphene Square and IDT Interna-tional. Funding for SMEs comprises more than half of the Graphene Project budget. Projects include:• Graphene project for Large-Scale Production• Development of multi-functional graphene coating and steel sheetIn 2014, the government reiterated their plans to support research and development of graphene and related technologies that would enable mass produc-tion of the material by 2020. The government stated it expected to see the first product, for electromagnetic shielding (EMI) coatings and composites by 2017. Ac-cording to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE-previously the Ministry of Knowledge Econo-my), the goal of the government with graphene is to create 52,000 new jobs while generating over 19 trillion won (US$17.46 billion) in sales by 2025.

Government research centre activities in grapheneVirtually all government research centres and universi-ties have extensive activity in graphene and the devel-opment of electronics and energy storage devices.

Table 1: Government research centres with gra-phene activities in South Korea

Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI)

Electronic Ma-terials & Device Research Center

Focus areas: Graphene synthe-sis & applications, graphene transistorshttp://www.keti.re.kr/e-keti/sub3_1.html

Table 1: Government research centres with gra-phene activities in South Korea

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)

Graphene Elec-tronics Creative Research Center

Focus areas: Graphene-based electronic and optoelectronic deviceshttps://www.etri.re.kr/eng/sub6/sub6_01020101.etri?departCode=44&departInfoCode=97%22

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technol-ogy (KAIST)

Graphene Re-search Center

Focus areas: Novel Synthesis Methods and Controlling Mate-rials Properties of Graphene.Device Applications of Gra-phenehttp://nanocentury.kaist.ac.kr/content.php?db=m2_6

Nanoelectron-ics and Energy Devices Lab

Focus areas: Graphene-based electronics https://nit.kaist.ac.kr/index.php?mid=Research01

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)

Advanced Materi-als Division

Focus areas: Graphene-based electronic deviceshttp://english.krict.re.kr/eng/advanced

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Latest nanotech busi-ness news, August 2015Cima Nanotech to develop large format touch screens; nanofiber sensors; Nanopool buys Buhler nanotech division; graphene producers secures investment; graphene ultraca-pacitor product on market; quantum dots producers develop display applications.

Cima Nanotech an-nounce joint ven-ture with FoxConnUS-based company Cima Nanotech, a developer and manufacturer of sil-ver nanowire transparent conductive films (TCFs), has announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Foxconn to produce films for large format touch screens. The companies will sell SANTE® ProTouch™ mod-ules through Cima Touch, the company formed under this joint venture. “Cima NanoTech has a cutting-edge, disruptive technology which puts them at the forefront of high performance in-novations.” said Kevin Chen, Director of Foxconn Technology Group. “Our partnership with Cima NanoTech enables us to break new ground and ad-dress the rapidly growing large format touch mar-ket.” Read more: http://www.cimananotech.com/products/touch

Merck and Nano-C launch new fullerene products for photo-voltaicsMerck KGaA and Nano-C have announced the development and launch of new fullerene deriva-tive products for organic photovoltaics (OPV) ap-plications.According to the company the new chemistries dis-

play significant improvement in lifetime and thermal stability while increasing open circuit voltage using environmen-tally friendly non-halogenated solvent systems. These new C60 based fullerene derivatives could solve critical thermal degradation issues. Using the fullerene derivatives the Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, team developed active layer formulations ready for deposition, using

a range of industrial coating techniques. “The results of our collaborative develop-ment program point the way to a cost effective C60 based acceptor for use with low band-gap systems, offering com-parable stability to C70 based fullerene derivatives in OPV,” added Viktor Vejins, President and CEO of Nano-C. Read more: http://www.nano-c.com

BUSINESS NEWS

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Nanopool buys Buhler’s nano divi-sionGerman nanocoatings company Nanopool GmbH has acquired the nano-tech division of the Swiss company Bühler AG“The Bühler technology is successfully established in the USA and Asia for years,” Sascha Schwindt stated. “Due to the Nanorepel product line, developed by Bühler, we can now offer our partners and new customers even more diverse, suitable solutions, especially for the end consumer as well as for the private-label market.”Read more: http://www.nanopool.eu/en/

Nanocoatings com-pany HZO partners with major consumer electronics produc-ersNanocoatings company HZO, a producer of liquid protection technology for printed circuit board assemblies and elec-tronics, has announced partnerships with Dell and Motorola.The company and Dell have partnered to protect Dell’s Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet.HZO and Motorola have partnered to integrate both water and sweat protection into the new Moto Surround wireless earbuds.

“These two recent partnerships, in combination with other unannounced partnerships that HZO has established over the past year, demonstrate the progress HZO is currently making in the marketplace,” says Douglas W. Jamison, CEO of Harris & Harris Group, of which HZO is a portfolio company. “As more electronic devices become mobile and as the internet of things (IoT) gains traction, HZO’s technology solutions are being adopted rapidly. HZO permits the protec-tion of electronics from liquid and cor-rosive environments.” Read more: http://www.hzo.com

Brazilian Agri-giant use nanoparticles in milk packaging to double shelf-lifeAgrindus, a Brailizan agribusiness has in-creased the shelf life of grade A pasteur-ized fresh whole milk from seven to 15 days using silver nanoparticles with bac-tericidal, antimicrobial and self-sterilizing properties. These were incorporated into the rigid plastic bottles used as packag-ing for the milk.The technology was developed by Nanox, a spinoff from the Center for Research and Development of Functional Materials (CDFM), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) sup-ported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).“We already knew use of our antimicro-bial and bactericidal material in rigid or flexible plastic food packaging improves conservation and extends shelf life. So we decided to test it in the polyethyl-ene used to bottle grade A fresh milk in Brazil. The result was that we more than doubled the product’s shelf life solely by adding the material to the packaging, without mixing any additives with the milk”, said the Nanox CEO, Luiz Pagotto Simões. Read more: www.nanox.com.br/site/en_empresa.html

StoreDot continues work on re-chargeable batteriesIsraeli startup StoreDot has announced work on an Electric Vehicle (EV) battery that they claim can fully recharge in five minutes. The company has al-ready developed a smartphone battery product, FlashBattery, that recharges in under one minute (http://store-dot.com/Technology.html). The company raised $18 million this month in fund-ing to further develop the technology. Read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQTQMNojy3Q

University of Manchester start-up to develop graphene inks Daryl McManus, a PhD student at the University of Manchester has received a £50,000 prize is to support the early stage implementation of a commercially-viable business proposal for a graphene start-up. The company will produce graphene inks for application in areas such as RFID tags. According to Mr McManus “Our en-vironmentally friendly 2D material inks provide a cheap, scalable solution to the production of next generation flexible and transparent electronics. Read more: http://www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk/explore/graphene-city/graphene-nown-ano-cdt/

Skeleton Technologies announc-es graphene ultracapacitor bat-tery for trucksGraphene product developer Skeleton Technologies has brought to market a new 24V Engine Start Module (SkelStart ESM), high-performance graphene-based ultracapacitor technology. According to the company, the SkelStart ESM is the only unit of its kind to be designed in a form factor that fits with European vehicles and can easily be fitted in to the D02 box types commonly used by bat-tery manufacturers. Read more: http://skeletontech.com/products/engine-

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start-module/

Angstron Materials secures investment to increase manufac-turing capacityGraphene producer Angstron Materials Inc., has secured $5 million in capital to increase manufacturing capacity for its single and few-layer graphene materials and for product development. The company began seek-ing Pre-Series A funding in late 2014. “The capital will allow us to expand our business and product develop-ment teams to fast track commercialization of critical products such as our thermal management materials,” says Ian Fuller, Angstron’s vice president for business development and engineering. “We are also actively engaged in securing Series A fund-ing which we expect to close by the end of the year. These two rounds of financing will boost our global reach for a wide range of our graphene technologies and materi-als.”. Read more: http://www.angstronmaterials.com

Leon Nanodrugs GmbH secures 18.5 million euros invest-mentLeon Nanodrugs GmbH, a nanotechnology-based drug development com-pany has secured EUR 18.5

million (around $20.5 million) in financ-ing. The company develops oral and parenteral reformulations of generic ac-tive pharmaceutical ingredients using its patented MJR nanotechnology platform. Leon’s MJR PharmJet nanotechnology and manufacturing platform consists of a jet reactor that mixes water and organi-cally dissolved active pharmaceutical ingredients together to form nanopar-ticles in less than a millisecond . Read more: http://www.leon-nanodrugs.com/Home.html

Nanoco announces significant progress in quantum dot dis-playsNanoco Group PLC has announced it has made “very significant progress” in marketing its quantum dots for the display industry, and its partner Dow Chemical Co. is currently commissioning a production plant in South Korea. ”In total, Nanoco is actively working with 11 display OEMs, ranging from major multi-national companies, such as LG Electron-ics, to emerging consumer electronics brands,” the company said.“The work is focused on the incorpora-tion of Nanoco’s cadmium-free quantum dots into the OEM customers’ display products, predominantly large screen televisions but also tablets and other de-vices,” it added. Read more: http://www.nanocotechnologies.com/

Quantum dots manufacturer partners with display panel manufacturerQuantum Materials has announced it has partnered with a display panel maker to develop next-generation display technol-ogies. The joint development agreement will see the research and development teams of both organisations working closely to address display application challenges and generate solutions. Read more: http://www.qmcdots.com

All the latest nanotech business news is available at www.nanotechmag.com/cat-egory/business-news/.

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The National Institute for Health and Environment in the Netherlands has launched

a tool to allow companies and researchers to evaluate potential consumer exposure to nanomateri-als in consumer spray products. . To investigate the exposure of the consumer to nanomaterials in these products, RIVM developed a new software model: ConsExpo nano. This model was adapted from the ConsExpo model for the estimation of exposure to regular substances in spray products. It has been devel-oped in the context of the NanoN-extNl project: “Predictive modeling of human exposure”. The developers

invite users to provide feedback on first version of the tool at consex-po@rivm.nl by 1 November 2015.

View the tool at https://www.con-sexponano.nl/

UK body publish report on workplace exposure to nanomaterials The United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have published a report to assess workplace exposure and control measures during the manufacture and handling of engineered nano-materials

The aim of the research is to devel-op an improved understanding of the UK nanomaterial industry and of worker exposure to engineered nanomaterials, through visits to companies manufacturing or using these materials. The visits were un-dertaken to assess exposure to air-borne nanomaterials and to assess the effectiveness of the controls used to reduce exposure.Read more at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr1068.pdf (Full report)

The Canadian Ministry of the Environment has published a notice requested information for the purpose of assessing whether the substances described in the notice are toxic or are capable of becoming toxic, or for the purpose of assessing whether to control, or the manner in which to control the listed substances,. They are requessting information from any person described in the notice who possesses or who may reasonably be expected to have access to the information required to provide that information. Read more at http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/

p1/2015/2015-07-25/html/notice-avis-eng.php

JRC Publishes Nanomateri-al Risk Assessment Recom-mendationsThe European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published risk assessment test recommendations for nanomate-rials. This is based on the results of in-vitor testing of six oxide nanomaterials including titanium oxide and silicon oxide. Read more at: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/jour-nal.pone.0127174

Canada makes nanomaterials request

Dutch launch Nanoexposure tool

POLICY NEWS

USDA published guid-ance on use of nanoma-terials in feedThe United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued final guidance on nanomaterial applications in animal feed. The report, “Use of Nanomaterials in Food for Animals” is intended to help industry and other stakeholders identify potential issues related to the safety or regulatorystatus of food for animals con-taining nanomaterials. Read more at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforce-ment/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM401508.pdf

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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has an-nounced appeals of its March

11, 2015, decision on substance evaluation for silicon dioxide. Case A-015-2015 was filed by Evonik Degussa GmbH and 34 others, while Case A-014-2015 was filed by Grace GmbH & Co. KG and Advanced Refining Technologies GmbH. The appellants in Case A-015-2015 chal-lenge ECHA’s decision to include silicon dioxide on the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) “due to initial grounds for concern relat-ing to ‘the substance characterisa-tion, nanoparticles and toxicity of different forms of the substance.’”

The appellants argue that none of the alleged grounds for concern are criteria for inclusion of a sub-stance on the CoRAP, and as a result, ECHA’s decision to include silicon dioxide on the CoRAP was ad-opted in breach of Article 44 of the Registration, Evaluation, Authoriza-tion and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation and must be set aside. In addition, the appellants claim further that, since the deci-sion to include the substance on the CoRAP was illegal and must be set aside, the March 11, 2015, decision lacks legal basis as only substances appearing on the CoRAP can be evaluated. In Case A-014-2015, the

appellants’ arguments include: “The Agency has based its decision very largely on its own classification of [synthetic amporphous silica] as a nanomaterial, a classification that the Agency is not empowered to make and that in any event is ir-relevant to the toxicity of [synthetic amporphous silica].” In the March 11, 2015, decision, ECHA requires silicon dioxide registrants to provide specified data by March 20, 20. Read more at http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/a94c8df7-81c5-4946-80ae-dfa9275897e1

Companies appeal Nano-SiO2 decision

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“ Who, what where, when” fea-tures new nanotech applied research and product devel-

opment, with technology briefs on significant research developments and how they will translate into future products. The majority of the applications are at the applied research stage/lab test stage and originate in academia. Due to the proliferation of nanotech compa-nies that have been spun-out from universities and research centres it would be remiss to exclude the work being conducted at the expense of nanotech product de-velopment and applications solely originating in industry.

WhoResearchers and companies devel-

oping nanotech based applications, generally at the applied research/prototype stage.

WhatResearch and tech description in-cluding links to relevant researchers, patent, journal or publication.

WhereTarget markets for the technology that it has been specifically devel-oped for, or other potential applica-tions.

WhenLikely commercialization time-frames relevant to similar products and the target overall market.

Nanotech applica-tion news

Who, what, where, when

“ Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known - Carl Sagan.

APPLICATIONS

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WhoN12 Technologies, Inc.

WhatNanoStitch™ Vertically Aligned Carbon Nano Tube (VACNT) en-hanced fibre/resin systems.

WhereComposite materials featuring increased conductivity for sens-ing, heating and thermal man-agement.

WhenThe company has over 100 OEMs testing the technology for integration into prepreg carbon fibre and resin films. Read more at http://n12.co/

WhoNorth Carolina State University Chemical & Biomolecular Engi-neering Department

WhatAn effective and environmen-tally benign method to combat bacteria using silver nanoparticles added to a core of lignin. Proof-of-concept studies at NC State University in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demonstrated that the company’s nanoparticles clearly outperformed other silver nanoparticle products.

WhereAgricultural treatment products, disinfectants and personal hy-giene items.

WhenThe technology is being devel-oped by Benanova Inc. Read more at http://www.benanova.com/

WhoChromaNanoTech, a spin-out from Binghamton University

WhatA new process to bind organic dyes to metal oxides which enhances the properties and durability of synthetic dyes active in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared spectrum.

WhereUV and near IR absorbing dye that can be incorporated into master-batch polymer pellets. Applica-tions include invisible labeling and heat reduction.

WhenThe researchers have used a prototype of this process to make polymer pellets infused with a light-controlling dye. The com-pany is currently focused on scale up of manufacturing capability with initial product shipments. ChromaNanoTech has an office in the Center for Excellence at Binghamton University and is looking to establish its manufac-turing facility in wet space in the incubator in 2015. Read more at http://www.chromananotech.com/#!product/c1uuu

Who, what, where, when

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WhoGlauconix, Inc., a spin-out from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany.

WhatGlauconix’s proprietary 3D tissue engineering and testing technol-ogy is used to screen potential glaucoma drugs.

WhereMore effective drug screening to help prevent and treat glaucoma.

WhenThe company’s Human Tissue Meshwork is ready for integration into pharmaceutical processes. Read more at http://glauconix.com

Image Source: University of Houston.

WhoCarnegie Mellon University, Envi-ronmental Engineering Depart-ment

WhatFilter paper treated with silver nanoparticles, The Drinkable BookTM. Read more at http://page-drinkingpaper.com/

WhereWater filtration.

WhenThe Drinkable BookTM is still cur-rently at the test stage. To view a video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYTif9F188E

Image Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

WhoLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

WhatMiniaturized sensor based on Raman spectroscopy that can quickly and accurately detect or diagnose substances at a molecu-lar level using “nanoplasmonic resonators”.

WhereChemical and biological sensing food safety, environmental moni-toring (of both liquids and gases), medical diagnosis, and chemical analysis.

WhenThe research his being commer-cialized by Optokey. Read more at http://optokey.com

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WhoXerion Healthcare, an Oxford Uni-versity Department of Engineer-ing Sciences spin-out.

WhatTitania nanoparticles that are ca-pable of generating cancer-killing free oxygen radicals in combina-tion with radiotherapy. Modified titania nanoparticles developed by researchers generated reactive oxygen species in response to X-ray energy which could penetrate into a tumour deep in the body and kill the cancerous cells.

WhereTreatment of patients with malig-nant tumours.

WhenThe company has raised £1.5 million from London’s New Wave Ventures and Parkwalk Advisors to continue development and pre-clinical testing of its thera-pies. Read more at http://www.xerionhealthcare.co.uk.

Image Source: University of Houston.

WhoDouxMatok

WhatThe company has developed a proprietary technology to en-hance the sweetness of sucrose, glucose, maltitol, xylatol, erythri-tol and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) with no aftertast and with lower calorie values. The company coat food-safe nanoparticles of cellulose or silica with sugar.

WhereDepending on the food, the tech-nology cuts sugar by 25% to 55%

WhenThe company has started testing the technology with manufactur-ers and has a version that can be used in cake or soda. They plan to license it soon.

WhoValentis Nanotech

WhatThe company’s technology com-bines nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) with additional nanopar-ticles to produce enhanced poly-meric films.

WhereApplications are in thermoplas-tics.

WhenThe company has developed a coating integrated in a polymeric laminate, which eliminates the use of aluminum foil in high barrier flexible packaging for foodstuffs to create improved packaging material with a smaller environmental footprint.