Why Our Future Lies with Graphene

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Sophia Kaisermann

 Imagine a world where there is no water scarcety. No one dies from cancer. A world where space is an elevator trip away. This amazing world could be Earth one day thanks to an incredible material called graphene. Graphene is a Carbon allotrope found in graphite. Allotropes are different forms that an element may exist as, for example diamond and graphite are two other allotropes of Carbon. Graphene was first discovered in 2004 by Professor Andre Geim and Dr. Konstantin Novoselov when they were studying graphite. When they stuck a piece of tape on the graphite and peeled it off, they found a layer of graphene.
According to Graphenea, "[graphine is]
tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice"

There are many things that set graphene apart from other Carbon allotropes. One example is its thickness. Graphene is the thinnest and lightest material known of because it is only one atom thick. In fact, in 0.03 inches of graphite there are around 3 million layers of graphene.  Graphene is also a great electricity conductor. It can carry and conduct large amounts of electricity faster and more efficiently than any other material known to humans. As explained by Graphenea, "Carbon atoms have a total of 6 electrons; 2 in the inner shell and 4 in the outer shell. The 4 outer shell electrons in an individual carbon atom are available for chemical bonding, but in graphene, each atom is connected to 3 other carbon atoms on the two dimensional plane, leaving 1 electron freely available in the third dimension for electronic conduction."
Space Elevator
Scientists and researchers have many ideas and plans for how graphene will be used in the future. One popular example is the space elevator. The idea of a space elevator has been around for a long time, however, before the discovery of graphene there was no material strong enough for its structure. Another great idea is the use of graphene in water desalination. Although there are already many functioning water desalination plants all over the world, graphene would be the perfect material for the membrane that the sea water goes through. Graphene could also help in health care. Researchers say that graphene could both help find cancer cells and cure it. According to Med Gadget, "University of Manchester scientists found that graphene oxide may act as an anti-cancer agent that selectively targets cancer stem cells. Combined with existing treatments, this could lead to tumor shrinkage as well as preventing the spread of cancer and its recurrence after treatment." Additionally, there are other ideas such as using graphene in long lasting batteries. Graphene batteries would be very efficient and strong. In fact, a graphene battery could be charged around 3,500 times and it would be able to fully charge a phone battery in just 15 minutes.


 Graphene truly is an incredible discovery that will definitely impact the future of  humanity. I believe the best uses of graphene are the space elevator, water desalination, and cancer research. The space elevator will allow space exploration to be easier and cheaper. The water desalination plants are already helping people all over the world, nevertheless, a graphene membrane will make the water cleaner and safer to drink. Graphene's assistance to cancer research may save thousands of patients that would otherwise have less of a chance of survival. With these already known applications and all potential uses yet to be discovered, it is just a matter of time before graphene takes over the world.


 External Links:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQCJpYR0og8

 https://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene

 https://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene-uses-applications

https://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene-properties 

https://www.medgadget.com/2015/05/graphene-next-medical-revolution.html 

To learn more about the water desalination process:

https://gateways19.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-present-and-future-of-water.html 

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