AMD Announces $966K Funding for Nano Research

Sensor developer Advanced Material Development (AMD) has raised a total of £750,000 ($875,000) in funding as the company launches its plan to take advantage of the commercial potential of applications for graphene and other 2D nanomaterials.

The company will contribute £600,000 ($700,000) to fund several distinct research projects conducted by the Materials Physics Group at the University of Sussex. AMD was founded in 2017 after a board of business professionals partnered with Alan Dalton, professor at the University of Sussex and now lead researcher in the Materials Physics Group. The business is hosted on campus by Sussex Innovation, the university's business incubation network, with Dalton as its chief scientific advisor.

"We're delighted to be able to offer this financial boost to the Material Physics Group," said John Lee, CEO of Advanced Material Development. "Alan is one of the most respected academics researching applied 2D nanomaterials in the world today, and we're looking forward to sharing the products of his group's research with the world. Already we have lined up an extensive list of well-known consumer brands and industrial partners who are eager to get involved with emerging nanomaterials technology."

"We expect this partnership with Advanced Material Development to help deliver enormous impact on behalf of the Material Physics Group," said Professor Michael Davies, pro vice-chancellor of research at the University of Sussex. "Commercial partnerships such as these help to drive our research forward, as well as realize its potential to deliver economic growth, jobs, and benefits to society."

Graphene, a two-dimensional material, is made from a sheet of carbon that is a single atom thick, creating a surface that is strong, flexible, and conductive.

"While graphene is the most well-known, there are many other 2D nanomaterials that our research group is looking at," Dalton said. "All of them have their own distinct properties, and there is great value to be found in exploring them further. We are interested in applied research – developments that could become a commercial reality within the next few years –and hence we are very excited about working with AMD.