Manchester: Graphene-based liquid crystal displays

Partnership opportunity

Kostya Novoselov from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, UK, is looking for industrial partners to co-develop graphene-based films for use in electro-optical devices.

In 2004, Kostya Novoselov and Andre Geim discovered graphene by separating it as a single sheet from graphite. It is a flat, one-atom-thick transparent gauze of carbon atoms that has low resistivity, high conductivity and potential to be used to develop electrodes in liquid crystal devices.

Novoselov says: “We believe graphene should improve the durability and simplify the technology of potential electronic devices that interact with light.” Geim adds: “Transparent conducting films are an essential part of many gadgets including common LCDs for computers, TVs and mobile phones.”

Conventional electronic devices use a technology based on indium, which, as Geim says, “is becoming an increasingly expensive commodity”. The Manchester research team is seeking to develop a technology to generate large quantities of continuous graphene films cost-effectively. Novoselov says: “Recently we demonstrated a prototype graphene-based liquid crystal device and found a technology which would allow their mass production.”

The method consists in dissolving chunks of graphite into graphene and spraying it onto a glass surface. The resulting film acts as a transparent conductive coat, which Novoselov says can also be used in solar cells.

“We are interested in finding an industrial partner with its own research quarters and scientists who would be capable of exploiting our current knowhow and expertise, which is second to none. We are looking for an industrial partner to help us take this work from the current proof-of-concept stage all the way to the market within the next two or three years. However, we are not looking for venture capital at this stage,” says Novoselov.