Graphene

Not to be confused with Graphite or Grapheme.
Graphene
Graphene is an atomic-scale honeycomb structure made of carbon atoms
Material typeAllotrope of carbon
Chemical properties
Chemical formulaC
Mechanical properties
Young's modulus (E)≈1 TPa
Tensile strength (σt)130 GPa
Thermal properties
Thermal conductivity (k)5300 W⋅m−1⋅K−1

Graphene (/ˈɡræfiːn/)[1] is a carbon allotrope consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a honeycomb planar nanostructure.[2][3] The name "graphene" is derived from "graphite" and the suffix -ene, indicating the presence of double bonds within the carbon structure.

Graphene is known for its exceptionally high tensile strength, electrical conductivity, transparency, and being the thinnest two-dimensional material in the world.[4] Despite the nearly transparent nature of a single graphene sheet, graphite (formed from stacked layers of graphene) appears black because it absorbs all visible light wavelengths.[5][6] On a microscopic scale, graphene is the strongest material ever measured.[7][8]

Photograph of a suspended graphene membrane in transmitted light. This one-atom-thick material can be seen with the naked eye because it absorbs approximately 2.3% of light.[6][5]

The existence of graphene was first theorized in 1947 by Philip R. Wallace during his research on graphite's electronic properties.[9] In 2004, the material was isolated and characterized by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester[10][11] using a piece of graphite and adhesive tape.[12] In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their "groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene".[13] While small amounts of graphene are easy to produce using the method by which it was originally isolated, attempts to scale and automate the manufacturing process for mass production have had limited success due to cost-effectiveness and quality control concerns.[14][15] The global graphene market was $9 million in 2012,[16] with most of the demand from research and development in semiconductors, electronics, electric batteries,[17] and composites.

The IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) advises using the term "graphite" for the three-dimensional material and reserving "graphene" for discussions about the properties or reactions of single-atom layers.[18] A narrower definition, of "isolated or free-standing graphene", requires that the layer be sufficiently isolated from its environment,[19] but would include layers suspended or transferred to silicon dioxide or silicon carbide.[20]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference camdic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference geim2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference peres2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Pike, Jared (2023). "Is graphene the best heat conductor ever? Purdue researchers investigate with four-phonon scattering". Purdue University Mechanical Engineering News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nair2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference zhu2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference lee2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference cao2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Graphene: A Complete Chemical History". ACS Material. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2024. In 1947, the existence of graphene was theorized by Philip R Wallace as an attempt to understand electronic properties of 3D graphite. He did not use the term "graphene", but instead referred to it as a "single hexagonal layer."
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference novo2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference aps2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Discovery of graphene - Graphene - The University of Manchester". www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  13. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Mass-Producing Graphene". American Scientist. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  15. ^ Joshi, Rita (8 April 2024). "Can Graphene Be Mass Produced?". AZoNano. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
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  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference mrmak2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference IUPAC2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference geim2009a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference ried2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).