Carbon Nanomembranes - Two-Dimensional Carbon Beyond Graphene (Graphene LIVE! Europe 2013)

• Carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) are two-dimensional, 1 nanometer thin carbon-based objects consisting of a single layer of densely packed, cross-linked aromatic molecules.

• In contrast to graphene, CNMs are more elastic and their surface can be easily chemically or biologically functionalized (even differently on the two sides).

• CNMs are available on a variety of surfaces, micro structures, and holey substrates. Free-standing membranes can span over openings of up to several 100 micrometers.

• Upon annealing, CNMs can be converted into graphene. This transformation opens an original and flexible molecular route towards the large-scale synthesis of graphene sheets with tunable electrical and mechanical properties.

Dr. Albert Schnieders is co-founder and managing director of CNM Technologies, a high-tech company, which produces extremely thin, functionalized carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) and develops together with its customers innovative applications of CNMs in a diverse field of industries. Albert earned his degree in physics at the University of Münster, Germany. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Universities of Utah and Delaware, he joined the US subsidiary of the scientific instrument manufacturer ION-TOF as an application scientist. In 2005 he became general manager of Tascon USA, a contract laboratory specializing in chemical surface analysis. Albert left both companies and the USA end of 2011 to start CNM Technologies.

CNM Technologies' core competence is in the development and production of molecular thin functionalized carbon nanomembranes (CNMs). CNMs are carbon-based 2D-sheet materials like graphene. However, their properties are more comparable to extremely thin plastic films (less brittle, easily functionalizable, dieclectric, various method of scaling, production, and integration ...). CNM Technologies develops together with its customers innovative applications of CNMs in a diverse field of industries. Current focus technologies are water nanofiltration membranes (several orders of magnitude higher permeance than conventional membranes combined with high selectivity), and semiconductor processes.