From Graphene To Graphane, Now The Possibilities Are Endless
Monday, August 3, 2009 - 01:21
in Physics & Chemistry
Ever since graphene was discovered in 2004, this one-atom thick, super strong, carbon-based electrical conductor has been billed as a “wonder material” that some physicists think could one day replace silicon in computer chips. But graphene, which consists of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, has a major drawback when it comes to applications in electronics – it conducts electricity almost too well, making it hard to create graphene-based transistors that are suitable for integrated circuits. Now a condensed-matter physicist explains how the discovery of graphane, an insulating equivalent of graphene, may prove more versatile still.