Last year, we published an article about the invention of super-thin graphene paper that is 10 times stronger than steel and a mere one atom in thickness. Now the two professors behind the groundbreaking research have not only received Nobel Prizes for their work, but also knighthoods in the UK’s New Year Honour’s List.
Professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, from the University of Manchester, won the physics Nobel Prize in 2010 for the new technology, and will now be made Knights of the Realm for their discovery.
By reshaping the structure of raw graphite into a honeycomb structure, the duo were able to press it into ultra thin sheets which then showed excellent thermal, electrical and mechanical properties — not to mention super strength.
The green advantages are numerous. Instead of mining finite ores to create steel, graphene is harder, six times lighter and ten times higher in tensile strength. This could lead to ultra light aircraft and automobiles that would be able to carry less fuel and thus create less pollution.
As it conducts electricity better than copper, and has amazing properties at the molecular level, graphene holds the promise of ultra-fast transistors for electronics. It is theorized that it could replace silicon and lead to the creation of stronger, more flexible solar cells and touch screens.
In 2010, the team’s work on graphene was recognized by the Nobel committee “for ground-breaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”. Now, professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov will now be known as Sir Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for their ground-breaking research.
Via The BBC