Graphene: history, controversy and the Nobel prize

Graphene, the much-hyped 2D matrix of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, is the lightest, strongest, thinnest material known to man, as well as the best heat and electricity conductor ever discovered – and the list does not end there. Graphene is the subject of relentless research and is thought to be able to revolutionize entire industries, as researchers hypothesize many potential kinds of graphene-based materials and applications.

The excitement surrounding graphene soared since Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, “for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”. Geim and Novoselov extracted graphene from graphite, using the “scotch tape” method, to obtain a piece of graphene (or carbon) one atom thick.