why did the grapheme get Nobel Prize in physics in 2010?

In addition to diamond and graphite both carbon exists in nature's most famous "element with different crystal". The end of the 20th century, humans discovered the exciting new carbon element with different crystal!

New and different carbon crystal including only one atom thick grapheme, known as grapheme. As well as the various forms of fullerenes. Fullerenes are carbon atoms of all kinds of large molecules, including hollow ball, oval ball and tubes. All of these materials has a magical performance -- they are better than copper, the conductivity of the strength is higher than steel, and the proportion of smaller than aluminum.

grapheme

Graphite is one of the most soft mineral was found when the 15th century. British people will be made from graphite powder mixed with clay into woodwind "pencil", and in use today.

It was not until 1779 that scientists know that graphite is one kind of elemental carbon.

Graphite is a layered structure, carbon atoms are arranged in the slice layer into six square lattice. Each carbon atom in three covalent bonds with other carbon atoms (figure 1), thus each carbon atom of the four outer electrons have an electronic surplus, become free electrons, can be in the peer activities. At a relatively weak molecular reaction between lamella combined, can slide relatively. Therefore the graphite good electrical conductivity and hardness is very low

Grapheme is a graphite layer, it is a perfect plane, thickness is the size of a carbon atom. On this plane six carbon atoms are arranged in square lattice (figure 1), two adjacent carbon atoms core distance of 0.14 nm.

2010 the Nobel Prize for physics: what is a grapheme?

Because each carbon atom of the four outer electrons of three fixed by covalent bond, the remaining a become free electrons, so the grapheme in its plane two-dimensional direction of electrical conductivity.

Grapheme is the strength of the highest material known to man, its tensile strength of steel more than 200 times.

fullerene

A fullerene is the hollow ball, carbon atoms oval ball, or tubes.

The most common carbon fullerenes is 60 (C60), also known as bucky balls, it consists of 60 carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal and pentagon, constitute, looks is a "football" (figure 2).Carbon 60 was originally found in the space, also recently found in soot.

2010 the Nobel Prize for physics: what is a grapheme?

Fullerene C60, not only it has a lot of much larger versions as C70, C84 even C540!

People found fullerene molecules globular or cage structure has opened to the outside surface, and inside is empty, it is possible to introduce other substances within the sphere, this can significantly change the physical and chemical properties of fullerene molecules.

Such as certain drugs in C60, inside a sphere cavity become a slow-release drug into all parts of the body.C60 tospecial HIV/AIDS brought a ray of dawn, C60 football-shaped chemical bonding structure, can rapidly combine with the HIV virus, reducing toxin and stop the spread of the HIV virus, which will promote biotech pharmaceutical companies to develop new carbon 60 drugs. Chemists have tried to these insulating material in all kinds of metal, make have superconductivity, scientists predict C540 possible superconductivity at room temperature. Fullerenes in single molecular nano electronic devices have extensive application prospect

Carbon nano tubes

Carbon nano tubes are tubular form of fullerenes, can also be seen as a piece of grapheme rolled seamless tube (figure 3).

2010 the Nobel Prize for physics: what is a grapheme?

A single carbon nano tubes are known to man of one of the strength and stiffness of the highest.

Only one dimensional conductive carbon nano tubes, thus known as molecular wires.

Generally composed of several actual produced carbon nano tubes to dozens of single-walled carbon nanotubes coaxial, diameter of zero a few nanometers to tens of nanometers, length of several millimeters (figure 4).

Both single layer and multilayer carbon nano tubes, front and back end are similar hemispherical, structure is basically similar to half of C60, make whole tubes become a closed structure. Therefore, carbon nano tubes and carbon element with different crystal family member.

2010 the Nobel Prize for physics: what is a grapheme?

Only a third of the steel, the proportion of carbon nano tubes and the tensile strength of steel can be achieved more than 100 times, copper conductive ability is more than 1000 times, and the properties of both the nature of the metal and semiconductor is a wide range of application.

Using carbon nano tubes can be made into high strength carbon fiber material and composite material, its strength for the steel 100 times, the weight is only 1/6 of the steel, known to scientists as the future of super fiber;

In space, the use of carbon nano tubes madespecial towline, can not only supply power for thespecial can also resistant to high temperature and not be burned;

Using metal filling of carbon nano tubes, and then dropped the carbon layer corrosion, can be conductive performance is very good the nano scale wires;

Using carbon nano tubes is as Lithium ion batteries. The positive and negative material can be extended. The battery Life, improve the battery charge and discharge performance;

Using carbon nano tubes as excellent shine, fever, launch the electronic on time the light source, and made such as flat panel display, made it possible to hanging television;

In the electronics industry, with carbon nano tube transistors, the volume is only about 1/10 of the semiconductor, carbon-based molecular electronic device to replace a computer chip, will trigger a new revolution of computers, 20-30 years for operational speed and storage capacity could be developed hundreds of thousands of times higher than that of the existing computer quantum computers;

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