Nanoco, a nanomaterials spinout from University of Manchester, expects its new subsidiary can solve the problem of producing 2D materials at commercial scale.
Nanoco, a UK-based nanomaterials spinout of University of Manchester, has launched a wholly-owned subsidiary called Nanoco 2D Materials with £400,000 ($540,000) in convertible seed financing from the university.
Nanoco 2D Materials will seek a cost-effective process for the commercial manufacture of 2D materials – substances one or two atoms thick that can enhance electronic and industrial products such as LEDs or photovoltaics.
It will ensure enough funding is attained to advance what Nanoco regards as strong progress developing the production process.
The division formalises collaborative work between Nanoco and Kostya Novoselov, a professor in Manchester’s School of Physics and Astronomy and the recipient of a Nobel prize for research into the 2D material graphene.
Nanoco floated on Aim in 2009. The company manufactures metal-free nanomaterials on an industrial scale for applications including displays, lighting, bio-imaging and solar energy.
Nigel Pickett, chief technology officer and co-founder of Nanoco, said: “By combining Nanoco’s expertise with the knowledge base from Prof Novoselov’s lab we have been able to push the boundaries of material science to come up with a new generation of versatile 2D nanoparticles and are now utilising Nanoco’s 15 years of scale-up expertise on methods to produce them at commercial scale.”
