We had already talked about it, but it's been a long time... (additional information).
Update 05.12.2014 : Thanks to graphene, cars will run on air and release water...
Last April, journalist Nick Bilton explained that plastic was no longer the material of the future but now it was graphene.
Not only is it the strongest and thinnest material in the world, but it is also the best conductor of electricity and heat, considering that it is a form of carbon. Moreover, it is only one atom thick, and it is both the hardest material in the world, and the most malleable.
This 'super-material' is likely to make future technologies fascinating, writes Business Insider. The most common image of graphene on the internet is that of a molecular network that resembles a honeycomb. “This representation of graphene is certainly the best way to understand its fantastic properties: its two-dimensional structure is remarkably strong and efficient, even when self-repairing. In addition, it is the most chemically reactive form of carbon, which makes the material highly conductive and flexible.
Its commercialization is not yet for tomorrow but the probable applications of this unusual form of carbon are incredible. Here is a list of 5 of them.
1. Batteries. The limited charging time of batteries is certainly the biggest problem of mobile devices because they constantly need to be recharged. In 2011, engineers from Northwestern University found that graphene anodes retained energy much better than graphite anodes with up to ten times faster charging time. Last May, Rice University researchers found that graphene mixed with vanadium oxide (a relatively inexpensive solution) can be used to create battery cathodes that recharge in 20 seconds and retain 90% of their capacity, even after a thousand cycles of use .
2. Computer circuits. Last year, engineers from MIT and Harvard succeeded in using DNA templates to model nano-scale graphene structures that could subsequently be replicated in electronic circuits. Researchers still need to improve the overall accuracy of the process before they can replace silicon with graphene in computer chips. The methods employed are still experimental and remain expensive, but the potential of graphene-based electronics is simply too good to ignore.
3. Smartphones. It is likely that graphene will also become the main material for the future manufacture of smartphones. It could thus be used for the creation of unbreakable mobile devices. Users will be able to twist and bend their phone at will. Graphene will make it possible to create rigid cases for the smartphone but may also allow its flexibility as well as that touch screen.
4. Energy cells. Graphene can help us harness energy like never before. solar energy and electric power could benefit enormously from this material. In 2013, researchers from Michigan Technological University found that graphene could power solar cells and replace platinum, a key element in them but which is very expensive. Thanks to its molecular structure, graphene has the conductivity and the catalytic activity necessary to exploit and transform solar energy without losing its performance.
5. Living tissues. A March 2012 issue of Nature magazine predicted that Graphene could be used to create bionic implants, but more recently, Aravind Vijaraghavan from the University of Manchester said that graphene could interact with an individual's biological system – or talk with its cells – on its own terms, which could ultimately allow the Internet of Things to take on new ambitions. Graphene is not the material that communicates as such; a layer of graphene is simply placed between the layers of phospholipids synthetics that do all the work, but it shows the versatility of this super-material and its ability to blend in with our own biological system.
Besides its many properties for consumer electronics, the applications of graphene are virtually endless, Business Insider concludes. It has so far only been exploited in combination with other elements such as gas, metals or other sources of carbon. But since then, researchers have been testing graphene to create antennas, seawater filters, windows, paint, airplane wings, tennis rackets, systems DNA sequencing, tires, ink and more.
Source (s): Business Insider via Express.be
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