Graphene: Are We About to Enter the Carbon Age?

[rodsky]

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Graphene Just Won Two Guys the Nobel. So What the Hell Is It?

(from Gizmondo.com, thanks to personalmgt)

Today, two professors won the Nobel prize for physics "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene." The Nobel is the Olympic gold of science. But what is graphene, and why did it earn these guys over a million bucks?

Some Nobels in physics are (relatively) straightforward. In 1935, James Chadwick discovered the neutron. A huge deal, of course, but something you can understand by 11th grade. But today's award—presented to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov—is for a two-dimensional material. A what? Not exactly high school stuff. So let's break it down.

Graphene is, put most simply, carbon atoms—the same stuff in your pencil—arranged in linked hexagons. (Fun fact: the pair started their work with graphene by peeling off layers of actual pencil lead with scotch tape). This doesn't sound like anything special, except for the fact that, as Geim himself explains, "Everything in our three-dimensional world has a width, length and height. That was what we thought, at least." Geim and Novoselov's work expands our understanding of materials that don't have any of these dimensional properties, because they are only one atom thick. They are lacking an entire dimension.

It's hard to imagine—but that's sort of the point. The duo's work is on the frontier of an entire class of stuff that we're only just now starting to be able to conceive of. Geim himself says he has no idea the extent to which a material such as graphene could be useful. But we do know that it is super cool. Despite (or rather, because of) its measly two-dimensionality, graphene is the strongest and thinnest substance in the known universe, can be stretched like rubber, and is impregnable by liquid or gas. It also conducts electricity, allowing it to (someday) beat the pants off the copper and silicon we use in, well, pretty much everything. Still unimpressed? A layer of graphene could hold up a truck atop a pencil. You don't look so great now, do you, neutron.

So what's next? "Optimists say we are entering a carbon age. Even pessimists argue only that the impact will be somewhat less," says Geim, who is, naturally, excited: "I hope that graphene and other two-dimensional crystals will change everyday life as plastics did for humanity." So we'll have to wait and see, but still—job well done, gents.

-RODION

[fritzd]

Cool! Great share. I was going to post this when I saw it but didn't find the time. hehehe! Here it is from physicsworld.
Graphene pioneers bag Nobel prize - physicsworld.com

On the bottom part of the article, there is a section on further reading. The articles are free! Download while it lasts. hehehe
http://images.iop.org/dl/physicsweb/...wv22i08a33.pdf
http://physicsworld.com/dl/2010/phwv19i2a15.pdf

This one in particular, I really find interesting. It is written very simply such that anyone with general knowledge on science can understand.
http://images.iop.org/dl/physicsweb/...wv19i11a34.pdf

I studied graphene extensively in my Nanophysics and Nanoscience courses that I took just last year. I really fell in love with this material that I decided to choose it as a literature study as a requirement of on the courses I took. Interestingly, many of my references especially the first one are from both Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. hehehe! In case if anyone is intersted, this is the short literature study I wrote.
Graphene_FritzDiorico_Final.pdf

Graphene indeed is very very very interesting and provides interesting possibilities in nano-electronics and material science. For physicists, the quantum properties especially the massless electrons or dirac fermions provide a interesting possibilities in nano-electronics while Carbon nanotubes which are just rolled graphene layers are potential candidates for the material to be used in the so called space elevator.

[unregistered]

Are these synonymous to "extreme diamonds"?

[fritzd]

Are these synonymous to "extreme diamonds"?

Not exactly. The bonding structure of graphene is sp2 hybridization. As consequence, each Carbon atom is surrounded by 3 other Carbon atoms. This basically means that there is an electron that can free move around like a metal or as a semiconductor or a semimetal. This is why graphene has very interesting electronic properties.

Diamond has sp3 hybridaztion. This means that each Carbon is surrounded by 4 Carbon atoms. Each of its lone pair electron is really bonded into another Carbon via Orbital Hybridization. For those who took Chemistry 101 course, this is one of the basic topics in chemical bonding. hehe! Anyway, what it means is that diamond is a pure insulator is insanely strong due to nature of the bonds of all four surrounding Carbon atoms. These bonds are called sigma bond is very very strong.

Graphene on the other hand as I mention has sp2 hybridazation and only 3 Carbon atoms surrounding one Carbon atoms. These bonds are composed of 3 sigma bonds and 1 pi bond. Pi bonds are significantly weaker than sigma bonds. For this reason, Diamond is much stronger than Graphene. However, with just 3 sigma bonds and 1 pi bonds, Graphene can still be rolled into Carbon nanotubes that have incredible tensile strength. The bonding between Carbon atoms in Graphene is really strong compare to other materials.

[cromagnon]

imba ... OT:hehe

[potterboy]

Not exactly. The bonding structure of graphene is sp2 hybridization. As consequence, each Carbon atom is surrounded by 3 other Carbon atoms. This basically means that there is an electron that can free move around like a metal or as a semiconductor or a semimetal. This is why graphene has very interesting electronic properties.

Diamond has sp3 hybridaztion. This means that each Carbon is surrounded by 4 Carbon atoms. Each of its lone pair electron is really bonded into another Carbon via Orbital Hybridization. For those who took Chemistry 101 course, this is one of the basic topics in chemical bonding. hehe! Anyway, what it means is that diamond is a pure insulator is insanely strong due to nature of the bonds of all four surrounding Carbon atoms. These bonds are called sigma bond is very very strong.

Graphene on the other hand as I mention has sp2 hybridazation and only 3 Carbon atoms surrounding one Carbon atoms. These bonds are composed of 3 sigma bonds and 1 pi bond. Pi bonds are significantly weaker than sigma bonds. For this reason, Diamond is much stronger than Graphene. However, with just 3 sigma bonds and 1 pi bonds, Graphene can still be rolled into Carbon nanotubes that have incredible tensile strength. The bonding between Carbon atoms in Graphene is really strong compare to other materials.

ahhhhh mao diay *nagsakit ang ulo*

[TRIOMATIC]

nindota ihimo og Space Elevator ani

[fritzd]

nindota ihimo og Space Elevator ani

Indeed. But we are still far away from the fabrication technology that will allow us to make pure and continuous lengths of multiwalled Carbon nanatubes. hehehe

[jangska]

good post... maka abot pa kaha ta ana..ahaha!

[gaevwa]

A layer of graphene could hold up a truck atop a pencil. [/i]

-RODION

the impact of this new study would be staggering.. think about our cars, planes, rockets, buildings, armory, transmission lines..maybe even the keyboards that we're used to type now.. everything would be very strong yet so light...