Graphene: The future of Science?

Scientists over the centuries have been looking for discoveries, unveiling the mysteries of the Nature. The scientific methodology is based on hypotheses, leading to theories, turning into laws and finally well-defined facts. Graphene, is one such discovery, thought of by the scientists over the centuries and finally accomplished in 2003, by Prof. Andre Geim and Prof. Kostya Novoselov, which for no surprise led to the award of the Physics Nobel prize.

What is Graphene? The answer is simple. Graphene is a 2-dimensional single sheet of sp2-hybridized carbons, simply an allotrope of carbon just like diamond or graphite. What makes it so special, apart from its other interesting properties, is its size. It has a thickness of the 1 millionth of the human hair, the thinnest material ever, yet much stronger and harder than diamond and steel, with a tensile strength of more than 1Tpa. It is optically transparent, highly conductive, and very elastic. You may probably hang an elephant with a single strand of graphene.

Since its discovery, graphene has found many applications. Graphene nanoribbons have been prepared which could revolutionize the field of electronics. Spectroscopy and biomedical science has already found the use of graphene in production of ultrafast laser pulses, with duration of just a few wavelengths of the light used. It has been used a drug carrier, based on its ability to transform into liquid crystals and change shape under the influence of magnetic field. Biorobotics, nano-electronics, tissue engineering, fuel cells, sensors, water filtration, and superconductors are some of the areas where graphene has proved its worth.

Money seems to be the major obstacle in the flourish of this super-material. The production of large scale graphene is quite expensive. Secondly, handling something this thin on the industrial floor, is another restraint. Preparing small sheets on the laboratory bench is no doubt a great feat, but the actual challenge is to bring it out to the market, to be available to the public with all its whimsical properties and be cheaper. A large funding has been put in a joint venture, spread over 17 countries, involving hundereds of scientists, probably the largest number of people working on one single project, “The Graphene Flagship Project”. Still waiting for the outcome, the world welcomes this super-carbon.

With the limitations overcome, the steeplechases cleared, the production made cheaper, and the handling made easier, graphene undoubtedly is the “Chemistry Wonder” and the “Future of Science”.