Atom-wide material defies science and heralds advances
Virgil:
March 2nd, 2007
Carbon is truly one of the most fantastic elements. Not only is it the base for all life, it is also incredibly versatile and unique. Among the elements it is one of the few semi-conductors and half-metals, and it can be arranged into all sorts of structures: from ultra-strong diamonds to the graphite used in pencils.
Now scientists have managed to create a new structure, graphene, which is a flat layer of carbons just one atom thick. Up until now, anything close to being that thin fell apart instantly. But with graphene, nano-circuits could vastly increase the speed of computers, and protein analysis could be made exceptionally clear by using it as a balancing membrane. To give you an idea of how thin graphene is, a grain of salt contains about a quintillion atoms. It’s so thin that it appears to have defied the laws of physics. At that level of slimness, the sheet should be destroyed instantly by heat. Scientists believe the new material is stable because it undulates ever so slightly, giving it the third dimension required to hold together.
I find it incredible that one of the strongest materials theorised, Buckminster Fullerene, and the thinnest material ever made, Graphene, are both composed entirely of just one element: carbon.