From graphene to next-generation composites to 3D printing, advanced materials and processes are helping sportswear manufacturers, sporting goods companies, and sports medicine practitioners take their game to the next level. This special report reviews some of the most innovative technologies making an impact on today’s sports and recreation industry. Technologies addressed include graphene used in sportswear, new production methods for carbon fiber composites, and 3D printed implants to address knee injuries.

Harnessing graphene's potential for commercial use requires attaining homogeneous dispersion and strong chemical bonding with the matrix of a target material. This can be achieved by effective surface modification. This article discusses approaches to graphene surface modification and includes a case study for using graphene as a filler to improve the mechanical properties of polymer composites.

Optimizing the integrity and performance of highly engineered surfaces and structures requires the ability to visualize and understand material behavior over multiple length and time scales from a three-dimensional perspective. The Electron Microscopy Centre at the University of Manchester is equipped for such work as demonstrated in problem-solving scenarios involving multiscale imaging and analysis of the progression of intergranular corrosion in Al alloy 2024, the catalytic effect of silver nanoparticles in seawater, recrystallization in a volume element of a bronze alloy, and defect progression on graphene surfaces.

Raman spectroscopy is an indispensable tool in laboratories conducting research in the nascent field of carbon nanomaterials. It provides comprehensive information about the structure and layer thickness of graphene samples with high levels of sensitivity, stability, and control.