Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: Graphene

Abstract

Graphene is, in many ways, a simple substance. Made of a single atomic layer of graphite, graphene has emerged as a material providing many surprises and having immense scientific and industrial potential. In 2010, scientists Andre K. Geim and Konstantin S. Novoselov received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their isolation of graphene and for their research pertaining to the ultrathin material. In his presentation speech, Professor Per Delsing described how we all have made graphene each time we write with a pencil: microscopic bits of graphite and graphene flake away as the pencil moves across the paper (Delsing 2010). It was Geim and Novoselov's ability to point and say “there,” however, that has gained them fame. Since graphene's isolation, scientists have been discovering its surprising properties including its strength, flexibility, and high mobility of its charge carriers, properties that will undoubtedly lead to many industrial applications. This article will give an introduction to the importance of graphene and an analysis of when and where graphene has appeared in scholarly literature.

Keywords:

• carbon
• Andre K. Geim
• graphene
• graphite
• monoatomic material
• Nobel Prize in Physics
• Konstantin S. Novoselov