In the meantime, engineers worldwide are striving to exploit the highly desirable physical and electronic properties unique to graphene. Its high surface-to-volume ratio, for instance, should make it handy in manufacturing tough composite materials. The extreme thinness of graphene could also lead to more efficient field emitters—needlelike devices that release electrons in the presence of strong electric fields.

The properties of graphene can be finely tuned by applying electric fields, which could make it possible to build improved superconducting and so-called spin-valve transistors, as well as ultrasensitive chemical detectors. Finally, thin films fabricated from overlapping patches of graphene show great promise in serving as transparent and conducting coatings for liquid-crystal displays and solar cells. The list is far from exhaustive, but we expect that some niche applications could reach the market in only a few years.

This article was originally published with the title Carbon Wonderland.

8 Comments

1. 1. hubris 12:46 AM 3/26/08

   I have a question. Dont know how apt it may be but: If you can somehow use a device to roll out a one atom thickness of graphene then would it not be possible to simplify the process of making a circuit board by simply "drawing" the circuit as you would with a pencil. Then run the current through it?

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2. 2. Gord Davison 01:13 AM 3/26/08

   I used to design circuit boards for a living. The biggest problem that I could see trying to implement this technique would be to keep the connection constant, micro-fractures would be difficulat to keep out. Also carbon is not ver conductive compared to copper.
   
   The carbon molecules would not be bonded together as in a solid metal but basically held together by the pressure when the material was applied to the paper or whatever you are drawing on.

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3. 3. paul woodhouse 11:25 AM 4/3/08

   how do I find the diy graphene slide show mentioned in the paper article?
   thnak you
   Paul Woodhouse

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4. 4. clmilton 03:31 PM 4/22/08

   I am a subscriber and I echo the question as to how one views the slide show on making graphene. I see the question, but not an answer.

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5. 5. K Van de Rostyne 05:35 PM 5/27/08

   I am working within the (automotive) wiper industry, and from that viewpoint the following idea/question came up to me.
   
   On a conventional wiper rubber, a layer of graphite powder is applied (for reducing friction with glass). During wiping, the graphite (having bad adhesion with rubber) is being deposited onto the car windshield.
   
   The tip of the wiper lip has a very high contact pressure with the windscreen in order to achieve a sealing function. Maybe this pressure is high enough to peel the graphite during wiping, resulting in a graphene layer on the windscreen? Would that be a possibility?

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6. 6. bebas146 in reply to K Van de Rostyne 02:19 PM 4/6/09

   i think the idea about the wiper blade is a good analysis but seeing as how graphene is apparently the strongest material found so far, i doubt rocks would chip the windshield if there were a layer of graphene on there. another thing to consider is that while a single layer of graphene is internally strong. the bond between the layers is actually quite weak. this is why you are able to write with a pencil, the layers seperate easily, leaving a trail behind.

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7. 7. dorisgocs 05:37 AM 8/10/10

   Yes, graphene is an excellent new star material.
   http://www.sinocarbon-cas.com/PinDao_104812_cn.html

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8. 8. jtdwyer 06:39 PM 10/5/10

   Just to keep things as simple as possible, isn't it likely that the high speed of electrons flowing through pure carbon most likely the product of carbon's very low atomic weight and therefor the low electrical charge of its nucleus?
   
   Charge carrying electrons flowing between atoms must break their charge bond with the nucleus of the atom they are 'leaving' to bond with the next atom's nucleus. It seems natural that the charge bond being broken would detract from the electron's momentum much less if there were fewer protons and thus a lower charge applied to the passing electron.
   
   I admit that I may not explain in the most appropriately applicable context, but I suspect this is essentially the fundamental effects producing the observed speed of charge traversal.
   
   This would infer a relationship between the atomic weight of all atoms and their speed of charge transfer. If this relationship is somehow unknown in it should be very easily testable...

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