129: Sheets and Giggles

In which we learn of the history of graphite, its molecular structure, and electrical properties. Then we discuss the isolation of thinner and thinner layers of graphite through the mid-to-late 20th century. The first isolation of a single atomic layer of graphite, called graphene, was accomplished in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, which set off a new flurry of chemical research, much like the discovery of buckminsterfullerene two decades earlier. Then we discuss the special properties of graphene, and what practical applications graphene has.

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