Science has been theorizing for years about “wonderful things” in the future. You have already found it

Many potential applications and the range of possibilities you open have earned graphene What is probably the most curious nickname in modern science: the name “cool stuff” Or even a “miracle”. Baza definitely has. Graphene can help us Road improvement even sensitive robotic tissue. However, he is not the only one who chooses the title.

Scientists have known for some time that there is another form of carbon, graphene, with some similarities to graphene. Of course, they knew thanks to computer simulations and at a theoretical level because Synthesizing is not easy All efforts have been made so far ‘limited success’. Despite work and studies, we have achieved only a few parts.

Until now. A team of researchers from University of Colorado Boulder He has just successfully synthesized it, which opens a horizon of possibilities for research in electronics, optics and semiconductor materials thanks to its interesting conductive properties. “The entire audience, the entire field, is excited about this ancient problem or imaginative material being realized,” Explains Yiminghulead author of the study, Posted in Nature synthesis.

New solutions to old challenges

Scientists have always been interested in developing new allotropes of carbon for them industrial level applications and versatility. The most famous of these is graphite, which we use in pencils, batteries, and diamonds. With the help of traditional chemical methods, scientists have created, for example, fullerene or graphene, which is so important that they actually did it many of award winning. From other materials that were manufactured not so long ago and have interesting potential borophene.

They’ve been less fortunate with graphene, which scientists have been theorizing about for some time and from which they expect unique optical, mechanical and electronic properties.

How did the University of Colorado Boulder team uncover this situation? Use of innovative technologies. “We brought the problem and we used new tool To solve an old problem that was really important,” Wei Chang says, Chemistry teacher. Specifically, they used a process called the double-exchange chemical alkene reaction. I have worked with them.

University explains in Official statement. Zhang points out that between graphene and graphene “there is a very big difference in a good way”, and warns: “This can be the wonder material for the next generation.”

Although your success is important, it does not mean that there is no business ahead of us. The team has yet to analyze the material in detail and how to handle it and Manufactured on a large scale.

We hope that in the future we will be able to reduce costs and simplify interaction procedures. And then we hope that people will actually benefit from our research.” scores is. His goal is to discover how the optical and electronic conduction properties of graphene can be used, for example, in the industry that makes lithium-ion batteries.

cover photo | University of Colorado Boulder