Graphene

Do you know, which is the thinnest and strongest material on earth? The material is unknown to many. Yes, the material is graphene.

Details about graphene:

The inventors made their discovery using graphite and carbon nanotubes in a pencil. Graphite contains carbon, which is joined with 5 other carbon atoms in a hexagonal pattern to form a carbon layer. Graphite contains countless such carbon layers. If we put the graphite of a pencil in a carbon nanotube, then when we fold it, only one layer of it will be found at a time. This one layer is graphene.

Graphene Structure:

A hexagonal cell of graphene contains two carbon atoms, with an area of ​​0.052 square nanometers.

Graphene's wonderful properties:

If 3,000 layers of graphene could be stacked together, its thickness would be the same as a sheet of paper. The electrons in it move at almost the speed of light, so this material is a good conductor of electricity. Since it has only one layer, it is literally a 2D material. It is so much stronger than steel that you can't imagine how much pressure it can withstand. If a computer microprocessor were made from it, it would generate 500 times more charge than silicon and 1000 times more active than copper. One of its surprising features is that it shrinks when heated and expands when cooled, which is completely opposite to other materials. A wonderful feature of graphene is that it can purify salty water and make it suitable for drinking. By creating a membrane through a layer of graphene, a form of “Graphaier” can purify any water, no matter how much dirt is added. And if we talk about resistance, its resistance is about 33 percent less than copper. However, despite all these advantages of graphene, its widespread use is not that much.

Conclusion:

This unprecedented discovery of graphene gives an idea of ​​how powerful and useful future electronic technologies can be. If this material can be used in future industries, it seems to bring great progress. Also, the extraordinary properties of graphene indicate that it is the most wonderful discovery of the 21st century.

For more details:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/graphene

https://youtu.be/XGUYZZoae5k?si=poexyplCtKJ49__0

https://youtu.be/n1ebO5xdgsw?si=L4yAcUAyooTBygc-

-Article by Alif Khandaker (OS-25)