Welcome to the wonderful world of graphene, the thinnest substance known
to science.
In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a
way to produce graphene - the thinnest substance in the world - by using
sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite.
Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the
applications of graphene and other 'two-dimensional' substances form a
worldwide industry. Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better
conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify
water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction the size
of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making
it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to
fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor
your health.
Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the
transistor revolutionised electronics. Get ready for the graphene
revolution.