Scientists unveil atom-thick graphene patchwork ‘quilts’
By ANIThursday, January 6, 2011
LONDON - Scientists at the Cornell University have revealed atomic-resolution details of what graphene ‘quilts’ look like.
They found that graphene develops in pieces that resemble patchwork quilts. These patches meet at grain boundaries - a property that led them to uncover key insights into graphene’s electrical and mechanical properties.
The results will enable scientists to dig up better ways to grow and use graphene.
“You don’t want to look at the whole quilt by counting each thread. You want to stand back and see what it looks like on the bed. And so we developed a method that filters out the crystal information in a way that you don’t have to count every atom,” said David Muller.
The study also dispelled earlier notions that growing larger grains (bigger patches) improved the electrical conductivity of the graphene.
Instead, it is impurities that sneak into the sheets that make the electrical properties fluctuate.
The study appears in Nature. (ANI)
