Graphene, The Next Big Step at the Tip of Our Pencils
We’ve all written that dreaded essay with our #2 pencils, but have you ever put more thought into that gray, shiny medium you use to write?
All pencils are made with graphite, a gray crystalline form of carbon, despite being marked as “lead” pencils. Graphite is used as a dry lubricant in pencils. It’s also an amazing conductor of electricity. So what does any of that have to do with the so-called, “next big step?”
What is graphene?
Graphene is fundamentally a single layer of graphite, only one atom thick. It’s one million times thinner than paper, so thin that it’s actually considered two-dimensional. To scale, one atom is a million times smaller than the thickest human hair.
Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were two students at the University of Manchester who were the first to discover and isolate a single atomic layer of carbon. It has been sporadically researched as early as 1859, but in 2004, an explosion of research was released.
What makes graphene so revolutionary?
Graphene has a vast array of superlatives, meaning it’s the best of the best in several categories. For starters, it’s the thinnest material in existence, and that’s already an amazing feat. As well as being the strongest material known to man, it’s the most flexible material out there.
Graphene is able to conduct electricity shockingly fast (pun not intended) and is one of the best thermal conductors, next to diamond of course. So far there aren’t any images of single layers of graphene, due to the fact that it’s transparent because of how thin it is. Even writing all of these incredible properties I’m astonished how innovative graphene could be and currently is.
“The attributes of graphene — transparency, density, electric and thermal conductivity, elasticity, flexibility, hardness resistance and capacity to generate chemical reactions with other substances — harbour the potential to unleash a new technological revolution of more magnificent proportions than that ushered in by electricity in the 19th century and the rise of the internet in the 1990s.”
— LarrainVial
Is graphene all that perfect?
Graphene is such an extraordinary electrical conductor, however it doesn’t have a band gap, meaning it cannot be switched off. Research has also proven that graphene exhibits some toxic qualities. Graphene has jagged edges that can very easily puncture cell membranes for example. This allows graphene to enter the cell and disrupt ordinary functions of the cell. The largest and most troubling disadvantage of graphene is because it’s a catalyst, it has a susceptibility to oxidative environments.
Graphene is currently listed as a potential irritant to the skin and eyes, and has the potential to be harmful if inhaled or ingested. So far, no information is available on whether it has carcinogenic effects or potential developmental toxicity. As well as these issues, graphene is not easy to produce in large quantities while maintaining quality.
The relatively low fracture toughness means that it takes only a small crack in a piece of graphene to weaken it, despite the fact that it’s 200 times stronger than steel. Small cracks are a natural consequence of making graphene, but still, perfectly manufactured graphene can take about 100 gigapascals (14 million pounds per square inch) of force before it shatters.
How graphene can be applied in the future
A humongous problem we face is our concerningly low content of drinkable water on our planet. Graphene could make seawater drinkable. Saltwater can flow through a graphene filter, but the salt molecules are too thick to pass through, though the water is just small enough to pass through. This desalination method cuts energy usage by almost 20%, and isn’t nearly as expensive as other methods.
Due to graphene’s constantly discussed electrical capabilities, it’s amazing for inventing more efficient and longer lasting rechargeable batteries and filament in the standard light bulb. Graphene could one day replace the lithium-based batteries in smartphones, tablets and even electric cars. Not only that but graphene can decrease corrosion, and be used to implement lighter and faster tires.
Why is it taking so long?
To start, it is already possible to buy products that contain graphene. Products using graphene for sale include the Xiaomi Mi Pro HD earphones, which contain a graphene diaphragm ‘for faster sound transmission’, and to retain 100% of the circuit’s original signal for higher quality audio.
“It’s amazing people say it’s taking a long time because if you look back in history it’s taken a lot longer for new tech to get to market than graphene has,” says Frank Koppens from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona, and the Scientific Chair of the Graphene Pavilion at MWC 2018. “If you look at your smartphone, the technology inside it was invented 30–40 years ago — there are about 25 Nobel Prizes for Physics inside in there,” he says. “All those inventions were made in the 1960s, and it wasn’t until much later on that they found their way into consumer products.”
A luxury brand in Italy, Momodesign sells a graphene motorcycle helmet and Vittoria Corsa G+ produces graphene-infused tires that don’t wear out as quickly as standard tires.
To conclude, when learned more about, graphene is definitely the next big step towards a cleaner and more efficient future, aiding in environmental issues to electric cars all with a cheap and easily attainable resource. So the next time you pick up a pencil, think twice about the upcoming graphene revolution.
