Concrete may have found it's killer app in graphene Graphene looks like a miracle material: it is superstrong, yet superlight, and conducts electricity and heat more efficiently than copper and much more efficiently than most metals. This makes it ideal for applications such as computer chips and as wear-resistant coatings for drill bits. This miraculous material could be the answer to reducing the weight of our electronics, or perhaps to help make solar cells even more efficient. What is graphene? Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms. The atoms are bound together in a honeycomb-like structure that is only one atom thick. This thin layer of carbon atoms would not be strong enough to support itself in isolation, but when stacked into a multi-layer sheet of many layers, it is incredibly strong and tough. Its strength makes it ideal for a range of uses. It can be rolled up into a tube that can be used as the spring or axle in a wheel. It can be turned into a membrane that can filter bacteria and viruses from water, and yet it is only a few nanometres thick. It could even be used as a super-flexible display. But graphene’s properties are unique and could lead to an array of technological applications. What are the uses? Graphene has already been shown to be a superb conductor. So it is the ideal material for creating electrodes that switch electrons quickly and efficiently, for use in next-generation high-frequency radio circuits. We are also very interested in making the next generation of computer memory chips. Graphene also has a wide band gap that would be ideal for a solar cell. It is so strong and transparent, yet its strength means it could also find uses as a lightweight strong material for use in making everything from buildings to car bonnets. If it’s such a miracle material, why haven’t I heard of graphene before? Carbon nanotubes were discovered first and are already part of many applications, so in principle graphene could not be much different. What has brought about the recent explosion of interest in graphene? The big breakthrough came in 2004 when Novoselov and Geim were able to create large sheets of graphene by peeling the layers away from sheets of graphite. This paved the way for the technology to be manufactured on a large scale. Graphene is strong enough to be used in everyday things, it can be processed using the technology already used to make computer chips, and it can be stored and transported easily. It’s ready to be adopted for use in electronics that we can see in everyday use within a few years. Who is working on graphene? There are around a dozen companies and research institutions in different countries that are developing ways to make graphene. Two of the most successful have been Manchester University (where I work) and the University of Manchester, and we are excited that the team at the University of Texas in Austin has recently discovered how to make large graphene sheets in the laboratory. It will be interesting to see how they compare with the other techniques. Another research group, led by Professor Sir Andre Geim, of the University of Manchester, has taken the discovery of graphene further and discovered new properties of this material. Could the Manchester team create a commercial graphene product? We are in the process of developing the technology for making large sheets of graphene. We have just completed a paper and we are discussing a commercialisation deal with a chemical company who want to produce graphene sheets for use in its products. I believe the Manchester graphene paper will be the first industrial process for making graphene sheets. What are the financial implications of graphene? It has been said that the biggest costs are the R&D, but we are now seeing how cheap graphene could be to produce. It is likely to cost only a few pennies a gram to produce graphene, which could allow its widespread use in everyday items. Andre Geim is professor of physics at the University of Manchester and director of Graphene Engineering, a research centre investigating the properties of graphene and other nanomaterials, while Peter Bonnington is a professor of materials and manufacturing engineering at the University of Manchester. This article has been edited for style. This article is part of New Scientist‘s Science in the media series. You can get full access to the All Chemical Tables archive, and to download the associated data and app. To help New Scientist continue with the latest science, we have an offer for one lucky reader of our new iOS and Android app. Get your code, and learn more and try it free for 30 days. To get the offer, and for information on the new app, visit our iPad app page. See also: This story was first published on the New Scientist website