Graphene

I used to wonder, what can we even use graphene for? A sheet of carbon only an atom thick, what use is it if it's so small? But actually I'm starting to realise it's possible applications. I watched a video on carbon nanotubes and just when I thought there were no more surprises, I find that rolling carbon nanotubes up in different ways gives you different electrical conductivities! Just by changing the rolling a little bit, you can create a semiconductor, a metal or a half metal!

This makes me super excited!!!

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!

Hehe. Back to my point, this is very exciting! This means that from 1 element we can make conductors, semiconductors, and half metals!

Wait, what on earth is a half metal?

Now this is something that's super cool. A half-metal is any substance that acts as a conductor to electrons of one spin orientation, but as an insulator or semiconductor to those of the opposite orientation.

Just one problem, Graphene isn't magnetic :(

But maybe we can make it magnetic? Well here's where I get super excited again! If you add hydrogen to the graphene lattice it makes it magnetic! Here, just watch the video!

makes me wonder, Maybe in 50 years we won't be complaining about limited oil resources, we'll be worrying over limited carbon resources. Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes are pretty promising

Over and out :)