New wonder material, one-atom thick, has scientists abuzz
Posted by: Chris Williamson in Nanotechnology, Scientific Research, Accelerating Change
“It is the thinnest known material in the universe, and the strongest ever measured,” Andre Geim, a physicist at the University of Manchester, England, wrote in the June 19 issue of the journal Science.
“A few grams could cover a football field,” said Rod Ruoff, a graphene researcher at the University of Texas, Austin, in an e-mail. A gram is about 1/30th of an ounce.
Like diamond, graphene is pure carbon. It forms a six-sided mesh of atoms that, through an electron microscope, looks like a honeycomb or piece of chicken wire. Despite its strength, it’s as flexible as plastic wrap and can be bent, folded or rolled up like a scroll.
Graphite, the lead in a pencil, is made of stacks of graphene layers. Although each individual layer is tough, the bonds between them are weak, so they slip off easily and leave a dark mark when you write.
Potential graphene applications include touch screens, solar cells, energy storage devices, cell phones and, eventually, high-speed computer chips. more>>>
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