what is graphene ?

what is graphene ?

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Graphene is made of a single layer of carbon atoms that are bonded together in a repeating pattern of hexagons. Graphene is one million times thinner than paper, so thin that it is actually considered two dimensional. 

In 2002, University of Manchester researcher Andre Geim became interested in graphene and challenged a PhD student to polish a hunk of graphite to as few layers as possible. The student was able to reach 1,000 layers, but could not hit Geim’s goal of 10 to 100 layers. Geim tried a different approach: tape. He applied it to graphite and peeled it away to create flakes of layered graphene. More tape peels created thinner and thinner layers, until he had a piece of graphene 10 layers thick. 

What makes Graphene so special?.

Graphene is one of the strongest materials known. It conducts heat better than diamond, and may conduct electricity better than silver. As it’s two-dimensional.

Graphene conducts so much electricity in so small a space that it may be used to develop miniaturized super fast computers and transistors. These devices should require a minuscule amount of power to support them.

Graphene is flexible, strong and transparent, too.