2D Materials

Graphene and other novel two-dimensional (2D) materials have sustained strong interest from academia and industry owing to their unique combination of material properties. These properties, which include strength, thermal and electrical conductivity, are found to be superior to those exhibited by other advanced materials.

Moreover, for some applications, these 2D materials can potentially be cheaper than their incumbents (e.g. copper, silicon), as they are obtained from coal or other inexpensive carbon sources. Due to their extraordinary properties, graphene and related 2D materials have the potential to generate truly disruptive technologies and products.

Since graphene was first isolated in 2004 at the University of Manchester, the UK has led major breakthroughs in 2D materials processing and applications. The market for these applications can potentially be large and see rapid growth. However, developments are still in their early stages with the successful ones mainly focused on incremental substitution rather than unique application routes.

Early successes with graphene processing have encouraged increased research activity into non-carbon 2D materials (e.g. molybdenum disulfide and hexagonal boron nitride), as these exhibit other outstanding properties, such as band gaps which make them attractive for semiconductor applications. One of the major attractive properties of these 2D materials and graphene is that they can be easily stacked together, creating different heterostructures (Van der Waals heterostructures) and thus allowing unique properties to be designed. Due to similarities in physical phenomena and processing methods, research into non-carbon 2D materials continue to benefit greatly from learnings and resources invested in graphene research and infrastructure. For this reason, the commercialisation of non-carbon 2D materials is expected to be propelled by graphene successes.

Stephen Morris

Our Expert

Stephen Morris

Read full profile

Related Opportunities

Innovate UK Smart grants: January 2023

Opens: 19/01/2023 Closes: 14/06/2023

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovations that can significantly impact the UK economy. The dates for this round of Smart have been extended to maximise funding opportunities for applicants.

More Information

Innovate UK Transformative Technologies

Opens: 20/02/2023 Closes: 29/03/2023

UK registered small and micro businesses who have not been funded by Innovate UK in the past can apply for a share of up to £20 million for affordable, adoptable and investable innovations in transformative technologies.

More Information

Sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture: CR&D

Opens: 07/03/2023 Closes: 03/05/2023

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £12 million for collaborative research and development. This is to develop step-change improvements to sustainable biomanufacturing in the UK.

More Information
BSGN Advanced Materials Accelerator: deep-dive into microgravity-enabled opportunities for advanced materials
Recorded: 17th October 2022

BSGN Advanced Materials Accelerator: deep-dive into microgravity-enabled opportunities for advanced materials

Following the launch event of the BSGN Accelerator on 20th September (recording available here), Innovate UK KTN are hosting a virtual deep-dive workshop on the 17th October to provide a forum for experts from the materials community, space community and service providers to come together to discuss the opportunities developed in Phase One.

Read More

Related News

Future of advanced materials showcased at Materials Research Exchange 2022

13/10/2022

Future of advanced materials showcased at Materials Research Exchange 2022

Materials Research Exchange, the UK’s flagship materials event, showcasing the future of advanced materials, saw 650 delegates, 163 speakers and 73 exhibitors come together at the Business Design Centre in London on the 3-5th of October 2022, for the first time in over two years.

Read more
Investor Showcase at Materials Research Exchange 2022

21/10/2022

Investor Showcase at Materials Research Exchange 2022

The MRE Investor Showcase event offers a gateway to some of the UK’s leading innovators who are bringing ground-breaking ideas to fruition, directly into the advanced materials sector. Participating in this year’s Investor Showcase were 23 exciting companies across the materials value chain, including metamaterials, materials for space, graphene, bio-based materials, energy and construction materials.

Read more
More News
Close

Connect with Innovate UK KTN

Join Innovate UK KTN's mailing list to receive updates on funding opportunities, events and to access IUK KTN’s deep expertise. Please check your email to confirm your subscription and select your area(s) of interest.