The Next Big Thing

[Wolferz]

The most remarkable substance ever discovered.

Andre Geim, a Russian physicist, has discovered a way to produce Graphene a single atomic layer thick.

Move over Copper and Gold.

Geim enlisted the help of a Ph.D. student named Konstantin Novoselov, and they began working fourteen-hour days studying graphene. In the next two years, they designed a series of experiments that uncovered startling properties of the material. Because of its unique structure, electrons could flow across the lattice unimpeded by other layers, moving with extraordinary speed and freedom. It can carry a thousand times more electricity than copper. In what Geim later called “the first eureka moment,” they demonstrated that graphene had a pronounced “field effect,” the response that some materials show when placed near an electric field, which allows scientists to control the conductivity. A field effect is one of the defining characteristics of silicon, used in computer chips, which suggested that graphene could serve as a replacement—something that computer makers had been seeking for years.

Not bad for a fellow who won the Ignobel Prize for levitating a frog.

[Buddahaid]

Nice. Next we'll all start forgetting where we set our computers down and so on. One atom thick knife blades.

[Eichhörnchen]

Hang on, I thought this was a British discovery?

Just done my own research: they discovered it at Manchester University...

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen

Hang on, I thought this was a British discovery?

Just done my own research: they discovered it at Manchester University...

Wolferz was just a tad late in posting

When graphene was first reliably produced in the lab in 2004 by Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov at the University of Manchester

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen

Hang on, I thought this was a British discovery?

Just done my own research: they discovered it at Manchester University...

Please comrade do not be embarrassed you are only slightly mistaken. It was glorious discovery at Manchester by modest Russian exchange student sent to assist mediocre bourgeois western science.

[vienna]

Reminds me of an old joke from the 60s: the Americans invent something, the Russians claim they invented it first, and the Japanese make it smaller and cheaper...


<O>

[Wolferz]

My bad. I forgot to post the link. The article explained all of the particulars. Particularly, that Geim was working on this at Manchester University.

Keep filling in my research papers, folks.

[Aktungbby]

One atom electric conductive membranes & magnetic levitating frogs???...........Commies at Cambridge?....the plot thicken$!

[Platapus]

Geim enlisted the help of a Ph.D. student named Konstantin Novoselov, and they began working fourteen-hour days studying graphene. In the next two years, they designed a series of experiments that uncovered startling properties of the material. Because of its unique structure, electrons could flow across the lattice unimpeded by other layers, moving with extraordinary speed and freedom. It can carry a thousand times more electricity than copper. In what Geim later called “the first eureka moment,” they demonstrated that graphene had a pronounced “field effect,” the response that some materials show when placed near an electric field, which allows scientists to control the conductivity. A field effect is one of the defining characteristics of silicon, used in computer chips, which suggested that graphene could serve as a replacement—something that computer makers had been seeking for years.

I have to confess that I don't understand most of what was written, but it does sound like a great discovery.

How to make your own graphene - using only powdered graphite and adhesive film: http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/arch...r-own-graphene

What this doesn't explain is how you remove the graphene from the film once you've made it...

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Nice. Next we'll all start forgetting where we set our computers down and so on. One atom thick knife blades.

Mine will be a razor.

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen

Just done my own research: they discovered it at Manchester University...

Sorry, guys, I just didn't write that very well: I did realise it was the two Russians' achievement at the University...

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Please comrade do not be embarrassed you are only slightly mistaken. It was glorious discovery at Manchester by modest Russian exchange student sent to assist mediocre bourgeois western science.

[mapuc]

Graphene is this our new wonder material.

Since I heard about it some years ago I have followed the development in where this material is being used in more and more areas


Here's a homepage about this Graphene

http://www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk/

and here about the latest in using Graphene

http://www.iflscience.com/technology...graphene-light

While researchers have managed to fit many different devices onto tiny computer chips, it has been an ongoing struggle to achieve the same feat for the light bulb. However, it seems they've finally managed it. The reason light bulbs never previously featured on computer chips is because they need to reach thousands of degrees Celsius to emit light. These temperatures, while producing light, damage the surrounding chip.

I my self are amazed about this material.

Markus

[Wolferz]

I mentioned this amazing material awhile back...
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=217509

Looks like it's getting a major push to the forefront of current technology.