Graphene. Will it change the world?
Graphene. Will it change the world?
With such incredible properties; scientists, inventors and designers around the world are getting really excited about how graphene may revolutionise the future!
What's the story?
If you have ever seen a pencil, then you have probably seen graphene! Graphite (the middle pointy bit of a pencil) is made up of millions of thin layers of graphene. Scientists have known about the potential of graphene for a while now, but it wasn't until 2004, that two professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov were able to effectively extract graphene from graphite. This remarkable step in science earned them the Nobel Prize for Physics!
Endless Possibilities With such astounding properties, graphene is predicted to be the material that changes the world. Scientists are hoping to develop stronger more powerful batteries that are so small they could be sewn into your clothes, or even your skin! Imagine fully charging your phone in seconds, or an electric car in just minutes! Graphene has a unique molecular composition which could make it one of the smallest and most useful filters! Researchers are hoping to develop a way of using graphene to filter sea water into drinking water. This could potentially provide drinking water to millions around the wold and even save lives.
Still Far to Go Despite there being so many exciting possible uses for graphene, it's currently too expensive to precisely extract it in large quantities. This means its probably still going to be a while for graphene to be used in daily life.
All molecular graphics by James Hedberg (cc)
What can I do?
Graphite (millions of layers of graphene found in pencils) has been studied as early as 1947. The first theories around graphene were developed over 30 years ago in 1984.
A project by Marta Giralt
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