1.3 Graphene

GRAPHENE

The main pillar of Nano dust to exist is the right material from which it will be made, and after thorough research, nothing fits the decription more than Graphene. It is also called as ‘Wonder Material’ for its properties and the easiness of making it, not to forget very very cheap as well. You can make graphene right from yoiur desk and chair right now with just an normal pencil.

WHAT IS GRAPHENE? A one-atom thick film of graphite is referred to as graphene. Other allotropes, such as graphite, charcoal, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes, have it as a structural ingredient. Graphene is the world’s strongest and thinnest material. Graphene is a carbon-based honeycomb lattice at the atomic scale. It’s a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms organised in a two-dimensional crystal. Each carbon atom is sp2 hybridised and bonded to three other carbon atoms. Chemically, graphene is the most reactive form of carbon. It’s a zero-overlap semimetal with extremely high electrical conductivity (holes and electrons serve as charge carriers). Electrons can pass through graphene far more easily than they can through copper.

An electron attached to an atom in an insulator or semiconductor may only break free if it receives enough energy from heat or a passing photon to cross the ‘band gap.’ The gap in graphene, on the other hand, is tiny. This is the primary reason for graphene’s electron’s ability to travel freely and quickly. The increased electron mobility and thermal conductivity of the material might result in processors that are not only quicker but also better at dispersing heat.

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Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon atom network. Strong bonds hold these carbon atoms together in a honeycomb arrangement of six-membered rings within the plane. The well-known 3-dimensional graphite crystal is made by stacking these layers on top of each other. It is a fundamental component of graphitic materials in all other dimensions. It can be rolled into 1D nanotubes, wrapped into 0D fullerenes, or stacked into 3D graphite. As a result, graphen is only a single graphite layer. It can be rolled and shapped into any form we want to, and due to its hexagon shape it is very well strong bonded. The hexagon is the strongest shape known. ... In a hexagonal grid each line is as short as it can possibly be if a large area is to be filled with the fewest number of hexagons

Figure 31: Graphite bonds

HOW DO WE MAKE GRAPHENE? Take a pencil and some tape with you. Stick the tape to the graphite, then peel it away to reveal a graphite layer made up of many layers of carbon atoms. Repeat the process several times, and you should (ideally) end up with carbon that is so thin that it just has one layer of atoms. That’s graphene for you! Mechanical exfoliation is the formal name for this very primitive process. Another approach includes placing a piece of graphite into a super-precise atomic force microscope and rubbing it against something so that single layers of graphene flake off, similar to how graphite from a pencil lead is removed one layer at a time.

Is graphene on its way to become the world’s most powerful material? Perhaps—or perhaps not. It’s vital not to get carried away by the hype: much of the intriguing graphene research has so far been carried out on a relatively tiny scale in chemistry and physics labs. The majority of the research is still “blue sky,” meaning it will take years, if not decades, to develop practically, let alone cost-effectively. On the other hand, basic scientific study into graphene is still in its infancy. Forget about the incredible applications for a time; there’s bound to be a lot more intriguing science to come. We don’t yet know if graphene is the only substance with a two-dimensional crystal structure, or if there are other, even more amazing compounds out there waiting to be discovered. One thing we do know is that materials science is in a really interesting period right now!

GRAPHENE IN USE Several businesses are developing graphene batteries and supercapacitors for portable devices, despite the fact that adoption of graphene into advanced technology is slower than in other industries (due to greater entry hurdles and increased safety standards). Graphene is presently employed as part of the cooling system of the Huawei X10 phone, and there are allegations that graphene is also used in some of China’s military helicopters. However, graphene is finding use in specialised electrical areas, such as sensors, where the electronic characteristics and enormous surface area of graphene make the sensors extremely sensitive. Concrete is responsible for about 8% of worldwide CO2 emissions, but adding 0.03 weight percent graphene to the cement (the glue that keeps the concrete together) reduces the amount of material required by up to a third. For the concrete sector, this amounts to a 2% reduction in carbon emissions. Many firms are engaged in this area, including Global Graphene Group, one of the oldest graphene enterprises (GGG).

Though being such and wonder material as no other, Graphene still hasnt come in market fully yet for various reason, the main problem arises to manufacture graphene or a large industrial scale. In theory, it should be as easy to produce graphene but the results havent been likewise. But there is progress and in past few years, great lenghts have been achieved over the production. We would be soon seeing graphene products used everywhere.