Graphene
For over a decade scientist have been looking for Graphene, a single layer of carbon, using complex experiments. However, it was first isolated by Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov in the University of Manchester in 2004 using a simple and effective method, which consisted mostly on ordinary tape. Geim published a paper on October 2004 announcing the achievement of Graphene sheet in Science magazine, entitled “Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films.” The duo were later awarded with the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for their simple yet groundbreaking experiment. Due to this simple experiment, hundreds of laboratories around the world were created in order to study the different aspects of Graphene.
Graphene, a single layer of Graphite, has several unique properties due to it having a single, tightly packed layer of carbon atoms that are bonded together in a hexagonal lattice which is two dimensional. For example, it is the thinnest object ever obtained and the lightest one. Graphene is also the world’s strongest material being harder than diamond and about three hundred times stronger than steel. In addition, Graphene is transparent, able to conduct electricity, and is very bendable. These properties of Graphene give it almost limitless potential and can be used in several different area of science, such as in Biology and Engineering. In the biological field, Graphene can be used for DNA sequencing at a nanoscopic level and it can also be programmed to attach itself to specific cells, which can potentially be the solution to cancer. Furthermore, Graphene can be a breakthrough in medical science as doctors can better monitor your body and also potentially help diagnose and adjust your biological systems for optimal health through graphene gadgets that can read your nervous system and interact with your cells. In engineering, Graphene can be used as a fundamental way to store and transport fuel due to it being able to prevent water from passing through. Also, because it is very flexible, transparent, and a good conductor of electricity, it can be used for technological purposes, such as making digital devices have different shapes that will suit people better. Graphene can also conduct electricity more effectively due to it only being one layer thick, which can make devices such as phones and computers much faster than ever before replacing silicon. In addition, Graphene can provide better armor for the future, such as bulletproof vests because of its lightness, flexibility, and sturdiness.