University of Ecuador synthesized graphene for the first time

The Private Technical University of Loja (UTPL) reported this Sunday that, as part of its commitment to innovation and scientific development, it is promoting the production of graphene in the laboratories of its Science and Technology Park, being the first university in Ecuador where this material has been synthesized.

The UTPL has managed to produce this material and distribute samples to other study centers throughout the country, for their use for research purposes, he said in a statement in which he pointed out that graphene is a material that still under investigation in various fields.

“It is made of pure carbon and its composition is similar to that of graphite, the component from which your pencils are made. Around the world, graphene has been shown to have useful properties for construction, medicine, technology, among others ”, he stressed.

And he recalled that his discovery is due to physicists Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim in 2004, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for their revolutionary discoveries about this material.

“Graphene is suitable for almost all uses and it is stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper and more flexible than rubber”, Reads the writing.

Thanks to an agreement with the company GrapheneTech, the UTPL has managed to produce this material and distribute samples to other study centers and, in the long term, the University aspires to become a local production center, which distributes graphene to different companies nationwide in various production areas.

Talía Tene Fernández, professor and member of the Materials Science and Technology Research Group of the UTPL, comments that graphene is quite new and its application allows improving the qualities of other materials.

To cite an example, its use on cardboard would allow generating the resistance of this material to water, he indicated.

“The efforts of the UTPL are aimed at strengthening the production of nanomaterials in the country, that is, components that make it possible to improve the quality of other materials and thus develop innovative solutions. With the production of graphene, the aim is to expand cooperation between the university and the industry ”, he added.

According to Ximena Jaramill, professor and participant of the UTPL Research Group, the acquisition costs of graphene are still high, as it is still a research material, and therefore, highlights the benefits of having a laboratory in the country, that is the pioneer in producing and realizing applications.

“The UTPL provides a great contribution to the country by producing graphene and making it available to other universities for evaluation, characterization and study, because this boosts the ability to propose innovative applications,” said Jaramillo.

The researchers report that the project is applying for a call from the Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and the Academy, with the aim of using its properties to absorb cadmium from the soil and thus improve the quality standards of the crops. cocoa, one of the main export products.

In addition, they anticipate that in the future it is expected to extend the applications of graphene to research in biomedicine, applications related to the treatment of diseases and aspects related to health. (I)