There is plenty of room at the bottom
Nanoscience is the future of technology. The distinguishing factor pertaining to nanomaterials is that classical mechanics fails to explain many of their properties. Instead quantum mechanics and its effects come into play at the atomic scale. Miniaturizing materials will not only conserve space, but will help harness the remarkable powers of nature. The fields of nanoelectronics and 2 Dimensional materials are niche and evolving fields in this era of computers.
Graphene is one such material. Touted as the “wonder material”, it holds great promise for applications in the near future. It is a monolayer of carbon atoms, bonded in a honeycomb like fashion. At first sight, this may look unappealing to most, but this sheet of atoms has properties far beyond the imagination of most! Graphene is about 200 times stronger than steel! If a graphene hammock is made, it can support the weight of a fully grown house cat!
When graphene layers are stacked over one another, multilayer graphene is formed. In a bilayer graphene stack, when the layers are at an angle of 1.1 degree to each other, a Moire pattern is formed. This pattern is desirable as it makes graphene superconducting!
Graphene has charge mobilities that surpass even the best metallic conductors like copper! Therefore, attempts to use it transistor applications for ultra fast transmission have been made. However, graphene lacks the presence of a natural band gap. Inducing an artificial band gap by substrate engineering or external energy reduces its charge mobility properties, thus defeating its purpose. Also, since its a monolayer, even slightly vigorous attempts to exfoliate it result in tears or wrinkles. Graphene has a high tendency to fold and rupture. Controlled CVD processes followed by bubble transfer or etching are used to exfoliate it. Besides, graphene is also very expensive. So, industrialization of this material is a tedious tasks. Conditions in the laboratory and the industry are extremely different. So, research in other 2 D materials that resemble the properties of graphene, while overcoming its problems, is being conducted. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that 2 D materials will revolutionize the world we live in.
