Invited

Yunqiao Fu

Founder/CEO

Atomface Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

China

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Report Topic

Scalable Fabrication and Application of Monolayer Graphene Cryo-EM Grids

Graphene electron microscopy grids bridge two-dimensional materials research and high-resolution imaging. Conventional support films present challenges in background scattering and ice-thickness control, while graphene oxide poses difficulties in controlling layer number and coverage uniformity. With atomic-scale thickness, low background scattering, and excellent electrical conductivity, monolayer graphene provides an advanced support for materials characterization and protein structure determination.
This presentation reviews advances in graphene grids by Professor Hailin Peng’s group at Peking University and its collaborators. Wafer-based, face-to-face polymer-free transfer reduces residual contamination associated with conventional PMMA-assisted methods and enables ultraflat support membranes. Small-molecule self-assembly-assisted transfer improves suspended membrane integrity, while surface functionalization regulates protein adsorption and orientation, expanding applications in cryo-electron microscopy.
Building on early user validation, AtomFace Tech, incubated through Peking University and the Beijing Graphene Institute (BGI), focuses on translating technical feasibility into consistent batch production. To address raw-material variability and transfer-induced damage, the company combines collaborative optimization of graphene growth with improvements in transfer processes and quality control, achieving stable production in batches on the order of 10,000 grids.

Biography

Yunqiao Fu is the founder and general manager of AtomFace Tech. He is pursuing a Doctor of Engineering degree in Materials and Chemical Engineering at Peking University under the supervision of Professor Hailin Peng and holds a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Stony Brook University, SUNY. With 13 years of experience in graphene research, technology transfer, and commercialization, he previously served as Director of the International Cooperation Center of the CGIA and led graphene transfer and cryo-EM grid commercialization at Beijing Graphene Institute. He has directed the development of approximately 10 standardized graphene transfer products, and has advanced the industrialization of graphene cryo-EM grids in Lianyungang. He currently serves on the International Industrial and Scientific Committee of Graphene Conference and the Application Technology Committee of the Grapchina Conference.