World of knowledge

Graphene
GRAPHENE
is synthesized from
graphite, a form
of pure carbon,
commonly found in
pencil lead
lead.

The honeycomb
arrangement of CARBON
ATOMS in graphene are
what make the material
so STRONG and also
FLEXIBLE whilst being
only a single atom thick.

e
e
N

Other forms of pure

carbon similar to
graphene include

FACTS

COAL &
DIAMOND.

The bonds
between graphene layers
e
in graphite can now be
broken thanks to
e
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
ANDRE GEIM & KONSTANTIN
NOVOSELOV
Thus releasing
who developed a technique
the THINNEST,
to separate the graphene
STRONGEST &
layers akin to peeling them
MOST CONDUCTIVE
apart with sticky tape.
material currently
known.

CONDUCTIVE:
Graphene is more
conductive than copper:
it can conduct 10x as much
heat and 1000x the density
of electrical current
than copper.

TRANSPARENT

FLEXIBLE:

PROPERTIES

Can be flexed
up to 20% without
any damage.

TWO DIMENSIONAL:
STRONG:

200x stronger than

structural steel.

Each layer of graphene

is a single atom thick.
((3 million sheets of graphene
stacked together would be
only 1mm thick)

COMPUTING

MATERIALS

A possible
replacement for
silicon as a
semiconductor in
computer chips.

Just 1% of graphene
seeded into plastics can
make them conductive
without losing
transparency.

Stronger and
lighter composite
materials can be created
by adding small amounts
of graphene to metals
and plastics.

It could remove
the need for cooling
fans as graphene
functions at room
temperature.

APPLICATIONS
OPTICS

The conductive and

transparent properties
of graphene could
be developed into far
better touchscreens,
LCDs and LEDs.
It can make smaller
optical modulators
making the transfer
of data more than
10x faster.

Visit scitechconnect.elsevier.com to learn more

ENERGY

Could replace indium

in making solar cells
that are flexible, cheaper
and more suitable for
mass production.

Could be used
in the creation of ultra
capacitors for lighter
and stronger batteries
with longer life
and more energy
storage.