Special Feature: Interview with Dr. Aphrodite Tomou, Volume 5 Issue 3 March 2021 - (Technical Manager, Goodfellow)
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Special Feature:
Interview with Dr. Aphrodite Tomou,
(Technical Manager, Goodfellow)
Volume 5 Issue 3
March 2021
© Nixene Publishing Ltd 2021 | www.nixenepublishing.com
Copyright © 2021 Nixene Publishing Limited
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© Nixene Publishing Ltd 2021 | www.nixenepublishing.com
Special Feature:
Bridging the Gap with Green Graphene: Dr. Aphrodite Tomou
By Debbie Nelson
In 2017, Nixene Publishing began providing analysis of emerging graphene research and graphene-enhanced
products. At the same time, Goodfellow, a global supplier of research materials for science and industry, began
selling “green” graphene.
One of our Advisory Board members met their Technical Manager, Dr. Aphrodite
Tomou, when both took part in an Innovate UK trip to the United States in
December of 2019. He kindly made the introduction for this interview.
An impressively eloquent scientist and researcher, Dr. Tomou hails from Greece.
She completed her education there, earning her Masters and Doctor of Philosophy
(PhD) degrees in Materials Science and Engineering. Before joining Goodfellow,
she worked for a start-up company affiliated with the University of Cambridge
developing nanocarbon-based paints.
With the goal of bridging the gap between research lab and commercialization –
the dreaded “valley of death” – Dr. Tomou introduced green graphene to
Goodfellow. She described the process of “breaking methane” in a plasma reactor to produce ultra-pure green
graphene in less than one second. It is highly scalable with the potential to be mass produced, and it is free of
metals. This makes green graphene useful for metal-sensitive sensors for use in, for example, EV batteries and is
ideal for medical use.
Some of Goodfellow’s 6000 customers come to her knowing exactly what they want, and others are unsure of what
might meet their needs. She provides expertise and suggestions on what to explore among Goodfellow’s thousands
of products, which include metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, and more, all underpinned by ISO 9001
quality accreditation.
Dr. Tomou mentioned several companies who successfully use graphene, like Ford for lightweighting foams and
noise reduction; inov-8 for shoes with 50% greater wear resistance; Ora for improved headphone sound quality; and
Huawei for smartphone thermal management. Regarding current aerospace applications, she said metals,
composites and ceramics are typically used, but graphene can be used in products for de-icing wings of
aircraft. These applications did not use Goodfellow graphene as far as we know.
Though not at liberty to name clients, Dr. Tomou shared a valuable tip for companies producing graphene products.
If of interest to Goodfellow, the product will be evaluated, tested, and if they believe in the product, they will
provide marketing and bring it to customers. Goodfellow offers an impressive bridge between lab and market.
When asked her opinion on the impact of graphene in the coming years, Dr. Tomou said, “I think it will explode,
particularly in biomedical applications, in drug-delivery systems, composites and sensors.”
Wrapping up a lively discussion, she said every day is full of variety. She is delighted by innovation and emphasized
again her focus to bridge the gap from lab to commercialization. Overall, seeing her future at Goodfellow continuing
for many years, Dr. Tomou summed it up with one word: “Fulfilling!”
© Nixene Publishing Ltd 2021 | www.nixenepublishing.com
About
The Nixene Journal came about through the
research and analysis of Adrian Nixon, Editor in
Chief. As well as an experienced, qualified
scientist (Chartered Chemist and Member of the
Royal Society of Chemistry) he is a board member
of the International Space Elevator Consortium
(ISEC).
The Journal began as a private research project
that was needed to create information and
understanding about the emerging world of
graphene and other 2D materials. This quickly
became a significant regular undertaking as the
amount of development activity grew. At the
time of writing there are some 129,000 academic
papers published each year and as much again reported business and market activity.
We are Associates of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, University of Manchester, and Industry Partners
industry partners with the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) , Society for the Advancement of Material
and Process Engineering (SAMPE), Innovare Advancement Center and The Graphene Hackathon.
Committed to the principles of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)[1], Nixene Publishing offers high quality,
independent and impartial information in the constantly evolving world of graphene and 2D materials.
Our team is ready to develop packages specific to your needs, with options which include:
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single copy, bringing the world’s The Nixene Journal is dedicated to graphene and 2D materials
We operate a subscription model and do not take advertising
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once per month. Each issue explains the technology and commercial activity taking place
Special Edition Nixene Journal
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