The Graphene Revolution

In 2003, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov kickstarted the next big technological revolution with one of their 'Friday night experiments' Using a roll of sticky tape and a block of graphite, they produced graphene, the thinnest substance in the world, just one atom thick. The Russian physicists' efforts would win them the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other two-dimensional substances form a worldwide industry. Graphene is the strongest substance ever discovered, 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. Ultrathin materials will transform technology even more than the transistor.