Editor’s note: This is Part Three in a series on the research and development work of a team of scientists led by Dr. James Tour of Rice University. This episode looks at a handful of promising product applications for graphene made by the Flash Joule Heating process. We suggest you first read Part One and Part Two in the series if you have not yet done so.

Getting a read on new products coming to market is an inexact science, as the companies behind the new offerings must balance guarding their proprietary secrets with their need to promote them. This means that some product details are not always publicly available. That’s especially true prior to a full product rollout. 

Factor breakthroughs in materials science into the mix and the crystal ball regarding a product’s path to market becomes even more cloudy.

Nevertheless, when it comes to product applications for the wonder material known as flash graphene, we have quite a bit of information, thanks to the revelations of the visionary scientist driving research into the new technology, Dr. James Tour of Rice University. 

So without further ado, here is a sampling of these extraordinary new applications and the companies behind them.

Graphene nanomachines destroy super bacteria & cancer cells

Nanorobotics is a company headquartered in Israel that, according to its website, is “focused on revolutionizing cancer therapy through a new modality” that “utilizes a patented platform of light-activated molecular nanomachines.” 

These microscopic machines “mechanically drill through cell membranes, offering a novel method to kill cancer cells by necrosis within 5-10 minutes,” the website explains.  Nanorobotics is targeting 2025 for the first human clinical trials of the technology.

Here’s how Dr. Tour explained this extraordinary technology: “We made nano cars, little vehicles that could drive. They were single molecule cars. You can park 50,000 of them across the diameter of human hair…We associate them with cell surfaces,” then shine a light on them to activate them and they “drill through cell surfaces and kill the cell.”

In addition to killing cancer cells, “we’re using this [mechanical process] to kill super bacteria.” 

Tour predicts that unless new methods are discovered to fight super bacteria, these deadly bugs “will kill 10 million people a year by the year 2050.” This is simply because they are “resistant to everything that we throw at them.”

“There have been no new antibacterial agents, new classes of them, in the last 40 years,” he said. “You ask, well why not. Because there’s no money in it. These bugs evolve so quickly you don’t get your invested money back” because “the bug-resistant permutations are faster than the drug development cycle.”

This new discovery is not an antibiotic that bacteria can grow resistance to over time. Rather, it’s a mechanical action at the molecular level that utilizes turbostratic graphene, Tour said. “It’s like trying to build a resistance to a scalpel,” adding that the process also can kill fungi and multicellular organisms. 

“The take-home message is there’s different ways to treat ailments: surgery, radiation and others [such as] chemotherapy, immunotherapy and genetic therapy. But now there’s a mechanical effect at the nanometer scale.”

Graphene nanoribbons for spinal cord repair

Neurocords is focused on manufacturing graphene nanoribbons for spinal cord repair, a potentially revolutionary advancement in spinal cord medicine. The company’s work is based on the promising graphene-related discoveries of Dr. James Tour’s research group at Rice University. Neurocords has locations in Canada and Israel.

Its technology involves mixing graphene nanoribbons with a water-soluble polymer, which creates a material known as Texas-PEG. This composite material has been shown to repair severed spinal cords in rodents, showcasing the potential for future applications in humans. 

Recall that graphene produced from the Flash Joule Heating process comes in sheets one atom thick. It is stretchable, stronger than steel, and as electrically conductive as copper. The nano-sized sheets can be combined, wrapped, and formed to suit various application requirements. 

In the promising spinal cord repair technology that Neurocords is pursuing, the graphene nanoribbons provide a conductive scaffold that helps bridge a damaged gap in a spinal cord. This bridging allows for neuronal growth and the restoration of function. 

The success of Texas-PEG in restoring motor and sensory signals across the damaged spinal cords highlights the groundbreaking possibilities of graphene-based materials in medical treatments for spinal cord injuries​​​.

Moreover, researchers at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid in Spain are exploring the use of graphene-based foams as an innovative approach to spinal cord repair. These foams could act as scaffolds that support the regeneration of neurological tissue around the injury site. 

The unique mechanical and electrical properties of graphene make it an ideal material for fostering the growth of neural tissue and assisting in the repair process​.

Zeta Energy’s lithium battery with graphene

Zeta Energy is developing and commercializing a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery that aims to surpass the performance, cost efficiency, and safety of existing lithium-ion batteries. 

“Its first-generation battery will be at least 1.5x what any [current] lithium-ion battery can do,” Dr. Tour stated. “I know they’re targeting probably the drone market as probably their first market.”

The company’s innovative approach includes a complete redesign of both the anode and cathode components of the battery. Zeta Energy’s technology is particularly notable for its use of lithium, carbon, and sulfur. These materials eliminate the need for more expensive materials such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese.

The anode in Zeta Energy’s battery is constructed from carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes, which are made of graphene, create a high-capacity, dendrite-free battery environment. Dendrites are tiny structures that can grow inside and degrade lithium batteries. 

Imagine carbon nanotubes as incredibly tiny, yet super strong and flexible straws. In reality, they are cylindrical molecules that consist of rolled-up sheets of single-layer carbon atoms (graphene). 

Known for their extraordinary strength, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity, these unique structures pave the way for highly efficient battery charging and superior mechanical performance. 

Zeta’s anode architecture provides significantly higher gravimetric density compared to the latest anode technologies. Gravimetric density refers to how much energy a battery material can store in relation to its weight. This is especially important for applications where keeping weight low is essential, such as in electric vehicles, drones, and portable electronics.

The battery’s cathode is based on a sulfurized carbon material that offers high stability and sulfur content, outperforming conventional metal-based cathode materials in terms of cost-effectiveness and energy density​. 

By leveraging the unique properties of graphene in the form of carbon nanotubes, Zeta Energy’s technology addresses some key challenges in battery development. These include energy density, safety, and longevity. 

This approach allows them to push the boundaries of what’s possible with lithium-sulfur batteries, thus offering a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion technology​.

New companies working on graphene products

This visual is a sampling of new companies that are working on various new graphene-related product solutions. As previously noted, other companies are doing the same, and more are expected to follow. 

Lastly, these companies are part of a much larger global effort to incorporate graphene into products that could outperform existing products in a range of markets. At least that is the hope of the firms that are investing significantly in graphene-related research and development. 

Some of those companies are mentioned in this Undecided with Matt Ferrell video. Though a bit dated (2020), it does a good job of featuring several companies that are working on promising product applications using graphene.