What is Graphene?
What is Graphene?
Graphene, a two-dimensional allotrope of carbon, was first isolated and characterized in 2004. It consists of single or a few layers of carbon atoms arranged within a sp2 network. This network forms a hexagonal array of carbon atoms that can stack together to create a strong covalent lattice. When multiple layers (typically more than ten) are stacked, the material is considered graphite rather than graphene.
Graphene exists in two primary forms: as a single-atom-thick 2D film or as graphene platelets. Kuat Research has been at the forefront of pioneering the production of high-purity and high-performance graphene nanoplatelets in commercially viable quantities.
Graphene
Comparison between Graphene and Graphite
Graphene
Graphene is a remarkable material composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice (similar to a honeycomb structure). It is essentially a two-dimensional substance.
Thinnest: Graphene is the thinnest material known to humanity. It consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Imagine a sheet of graphene as thin as a single atom
Strength: Graphene is the strongest material ever studied, exhibiting tremendous tensile strength at the atomic scale.
Conductivity: It boasts exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity due to the presence of free pi-electrons in its structure.
Flexibility: Graphene is extremely flexible. Despite its atomic thinness, it can bend, twist, and conform to various shapes without breaking. This property makes it an ideal candidate for flexible electronics, wearable devices, and even futuristic clothing.
Impermeable: Graphene acts as an impermeable barrier for most gases and liquids. Even helium atoms struggle to pass through its tightly packed carbon lattice. This impermeability has implications for applications like water filtration and protective coatings.
Graphite
Graphite
Thickness: Graphite is thicker since it comprises several/ many layers of carbon, whereas graphene is a single or few layers not uniformly stacked together.
Flexibility: Graphite is less flexible compared to graphene. Its layered arrangement makes it more rigid, and it tends to break along the layers.