Graphene is frequently in the news recently. What is its importance?
- It is a two-dimensional material and has good electrical conductivity.
- It is one of the thinnest but strongest materials tested so far.
- It is entirely made of silicon and has high optical transparency.
- It can be used as ‘conducting electrodes’ required for touch screens, LCDs and organic LEDs.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation
Statement 1, 2 and 4 are correct and statement 3 is incorrect
- Graphene is a single layer (monolayer) of pure carbon, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.
- It is an allotrope of carbon.
- It is extracted from graphite. Graphite is arranged in a 3D crystalline manner, whereas, graphene is a 2D crystal, only an atom thick.
- Properties:
- Graphene is the thinnest (one atom thick) compound known.
- It is the lightest material known and the strongest compound discovered (between 100-300 times stronger than steel, and harder than diamond).
- It is an excellent conductor of electricity and has high thermal conductivity.
- It is flexible, transparent, and has a large surface area.
- Applications:
- Electronics industry: Due to its high electrical conductivity, optical transparency and flexibility, graphene is an ideal for conducting electrodes in touch screens, LCDs, and organic LEDs (OLEDs).
- Biomedical industry: It can be used for targeted drug delivery, ‘smart’ implants, etc.
- Automobile industry: Graphene is highly inert and so can act as a corrosion barrier between oxygen and water diffusion.
- Potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries: It can be used to develop smaller, slimmer batteries with higher capacity, faster charging, and increased longevity than traditional batteries.
