Technology and Research: Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg to be granted 1 billion euros in developing Graphene

The European Commission announced on Monday that researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg would be granted 1 billion euros for their work in developing Graphene.

Graphine consists of a hexagonal array of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, just like those found in bulk graphite. 2D materials display very interesting properties, and are fundamentally different from the 3D materials we encounter everyday. The discovery of 2D materials means that scientists now have access to materials of all dimensionalities, including 0D (quantum dots, atoms) and 1D (nanowires, carbon nanotubes).

Graphene can be used for many different purposes including: Transistors. It is so thin we can easily control whether or not it conducts by applying an electric field.
Gas Sensors: Gas molecules that land on graphene affect its electronic properties in a measurable way - in fact, we have measured the effect of a single molecule associating with a graphene.

This means that we can create gas sensors which are sensitive to a single atom or molecule.Support Membranes for Transmission Electron Microscopy Graphene is effectively the thinnest material that we can make out of atoms. Suprizingly it is also very strong, thanks to a lack of crystal boundaries to break along and very strong bonds between carbon atoms (Carbon nanotubes are made from rolled up graphene, and it has been suggested that cabling made from nanotubes would be strong enough to create an elevator into space!). As a result we can use it to hold micro- and nanoscopic objects we wish to look at in an electron microscope (e.g. DNA, nanoparticles) in a similar way we use glass slides in an optical microscope. Graphene is the perfect material for this job as it is made only of carbon, it is very thin so will not interfere with the pictures taken as much as other materials, and has a very simple crystal structure so can easily be eliminated from diffraction patterns.

Inert Coating: Graphene is resistant to attack by many powerful acids and alkalis such as hydrofluoric acid and ammonia, so one day could be used to give objects an atomically thin protective coating which would provide protection against these agents.

Although it will likely be many years before we see any of these applications fully realised, the discovery of graphene has provided an unparalleled opportunity for scientists to investigate these possibilities.

EU-Digest