YEREVAN. - Armenian physicist Gagik Shmavonyan, Doctor of Engineering Science, has developed and patented a new technology of getting grapheme and other two-dimensional atomic materials.    

The scientist told Armenian News – NEWS.am that the new method, unlike the existing one, is much cheaper and faster, actually requiring neither reagents nor heating, and not even complex nanotechnology-based equipment. Therefore, it is not only cost-effective but also ecologically clean.

Several years ago, Shmavonyan, who heads the Group of Nanotechnology Study in the State Polytechnic University of Armenia, visited the laboratories of Nobel laureates from Russian Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov (under the leadership of doctor Casiraghi), who became famous for the opening and studying of grapheme.

Grapheme is the thinnest and the most mechanically strong material (crystal lattice of carbon as thick as one atom), which has the greatest electrical and thermal conduction.

The study group of Geim and Novoselov continues to study the properties of the new material, being ready to share some of their discoveries with their colleagues.  “They presented to me how they got the grapheme and which properties they discovered. After this I continued working already on my own, carrying out nanotechnology experiments in Germany, Ireland and Spain,” Shmavonyan said.

A month ago, the new nanotechnology, which he had been working on for three years, was patented in Spain (University of Santiago de Compostela), being then internationalized in 200 countries. Now the scientist is going to come up with publications on that topic in international scientific magazines and nanotechnology conferences.

By the end of November 2015, Shmavonyan and his group were awarded CleanTech Oscar and reward in the Silicon Valley, U.S.

“The researchers all over the world continue opening new properties of this material – from nanodevices in electronics to tissue engineering in medicine. I won’t exaggerate if I say that we are at the threshold of grapheme era in science and technology.  Therefore, attempts to establish industrial production are more often made in the entire world. And for this, apparently, cheaper and ecologically clean methods are sought.

Our country has a chance to appear ahead of the game. But thousands of study groups are working on this issue all over the world. Today, tomorrow or in a month someone having nothing to do with me and the rest may find their own method and get ahead of us. Thus, we need to attract investors,” he stressed.