Chance graphene discovery leads to tech company pushing forward next generation of K-State research.

In a similar serendipitous fashion that enabled the original discovery of graphene, scientists from Kansas State University were astounded when an experiment predicted to create aerosol gel failed, leaving their material in a smoldering pile. Instead, the researchers were left with a sooty black substance that would result in an explosive new way to produce the wonder material.

After spending several years developing and patenting aerosol gels, one day, a professor from Kansas State University, upon testing a method of synthesizing this substance, found that the explosive method transformed the hydrocarbon gas into something rather unique.

"We discovered graphene serendipitously in the lab when we were using controlled explosions to make an aerosol gel," said Kansas State Professor Emeritus Chris Sorensen. "I wasn't expecting to make graphene."

Seeing the potential of this production technique, Harold Davidson and Barry Hemsworth, entrepreneurs from Canada, reached out nearly seven years ago to start a collaboration with the professor and begin work toward graphene production at industrial scale.

Initially starting out as Carbon-2D Graphene Inc., the duo worked to procure capital for the company and fund Sorensen's mass production research.

Their efforts paid off – the research not only led to a pilot-scale graphene production device but another discovery: an environmentally-benign, inexpensive method to make hydrogen.

Understanding the potential of simultaneously producing two elements critical to high-technology and clean energy, Carbon-2D Graphene evolved into HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. in 2017, and the partnership expanded to involve other Kansas State researchers and tech industry experts in the growing clean energy and clean materials company.

Gas in, graphene and hydrogen out

The K-State detonation method is as simple as its name suggests: put acetylene (hydrocarbon gas) and oxygen in a small chamber, ignite, and then scoop out the residual charred mass that is, oddly enough, graphene.

Seeking a way to maintain the integrity of the graphene after its abrupt inception into the world, Sorensen sought the expertise of Kansas State Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Stefan Bossmann to assist in the chemical side of this growing collaboration.

Applying a mild oxidation method transformed the raw graphene into a high-quality graphene oxide, creating a new material with untold possibilities.

"Our process is completely novel and our surface modification methods are ultraprecise," said Bossman. "We use the explosion graphene and we modify only the outer layer, which means we maintain all other layers and their properties. That's enough to connect this outer layer to virtually any other matrix through well-established organic and inorganic chemistry."

Bounty of Kansas

The initial endeavor to expand graphene and hydrogen production quickly involved other Kansas State researchers and tech industry veterans.

"We believe in partnerships and the partnership we have with K-State has been very productive," said Davidson. "The world of nanomaterials is going to open up to us and the process we have. We're using digital methods with our precisely controlled detonation technology, in order to create what we feel are going to be the nanomaterials required for the fourth industrial revolution."

As the company grew, work resulted in new inventions and intellectual property. Some of the recent patents from the collaborative research team include:

• A method to create hydrogen-rich syngas in a provisional patent titled "Process for synthesis of syngas components."

• A device for upscaling graphene production in a patent application titled "Device and process for mass production of particulate materials."

• A process for developing turbostratic graphene oxide in a patent application titled "Graphene/graphene oxide core/shell particulates and methods."

As it stands, HydroGraph continues to support the team and recently established a $1.4 million research partnership for future projects that involve other Kansas State researchers.

Other collaborators on the work include the University of Kansas Medical Center, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, and the Kansas State College of Arts and Sciences. This funding was also aimed at training nine new graduate students.

"This research and commercialization partnership with HydroGraph is an excellent example of how K-State is actively working with companies to bring new businesses and jobs into the state of Kansas," said David Rosowsky, Kansas State vice president for research.

The multi-institutional research team continues to further expand on the detonation method to create graphene and hydrogen-rich syngas. They are also developing devices for more efficiently producing the unique graphene and graphene oxide, which Sorensen believes is a collaboration with big plans for future growth and development.

"All of this started as curiosity-based research," Sorensen said. "Land-grant universities were founded on the idea that research and creative ideas formulated at the state university would yield useful technologies. That is exactly what happened here. Moreover, this type of intellectual property collaboration could be the future for K-State."

Curiosity-based leads to EMI shielding

Most recently, HydroGraph announced the successful testing of its flagship product, FGA-1, fractal graphene, in electromagnetic interference shielding.

EMI shielding is used to protect electronics from unwanted signals. For example, it is a critical technology for the accuracy of self-driving vehicles, GPS, and other electric vehicle technologies. Shielding is accomplished by insulating sensitive electronics with conductive enclosures, which, in turn, reduce signal errors and abnormalities.

Graphene, a nanomaterial, does not compete with the current standards of conductive materials used for these enclosures but further improves performance by enhancing them. This shielding effect is used in electronics, medical equipment, various industries, including automotive and aerospace, and military equipment.

Due to the pristine nature of HydroGraph's graphene, combined with an epoxy resin, research led to substantial EMI shielding properties that reached as high as 80-decibel attenuation (essentially a reduction in signal strength) in shielded enclosures of less than one millimeter thick.

For context, minimum ratings for consumer protections in electronics typically reach 30 dB and range from 60 to 80 dB for automotive and aerospace applications.

"Our work in EMI shielding started with our partnership with EPM Shielding after they announced their plan to build a US$1.9 billion semiconductor facility on Feb. 20, 2023. These results in EMI shielding have exceeded our expectations," said Sorensen, who also holds a position as HydroGraph's vice president of research and development. "We believe we have a path to reach military applications that require 100 dB to 120 dB, which would open an enormous market for HydroGraph."