In scientific circles, the invention of graphene has been talked about for some time. For most of us, however, this term doesn't seem to be very relevant to our daily lives. Well, that's about to change.
The name graphene first came into use around 1962, when scientist Hanns-Peter Boehm coined the term to descibe a single sheet of interlocking carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb formation.
Graphene is gaining in popularity lately due to the multitude of uses that scientists are now finding for the substance. In 2010, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work with the material.
Since then, graphene has rapidly grown in popularity, especially in the biotech industry, due in large part to its superior conduction of heat and electricity along with its flexibility and strength.
The uses for this material are as endless as the imagination. It has already proven to be successful in its application towards batteries, earphones, computer chips and a host of other functions. Most recently, it has been found to be an effective scaffolding for neural stem cells as well, which could have a large impact on brain treatments of the future.
As exciting as the current graphene-inspired innovations are, however, the real buzz surrounding it is centered around where people think this "wonder material" could take us in the matter of a few years.
Professor Andrea Ferrari of Cambridge University is a big proponent of graphene, and thinks that the importance of it will be immense as our technology continues to advance.
"Your phone will be able to sense if you're touching it, will sense the environment around - you won't have to press a button to turn it on or off, it will recognise if you're using it or not," she notes.
Ferrari also believes that one day we will not even need to carry around GPS devices like we do with our smart phones, for instance, because the technology can be woven into our clothing with graphene. That's not the only application for graphene in clothing though:
"Besides GPS, you could have something that will monitor your heart rate for instance - and it'll be integrated into the fabric," explains Professor Ferrari.
The scientific community has already been buzzing about graphene for some time, and it's easy to see why. It's applications appear limitless and its strength and functionality have already been confirmed. When we look back, one day we may be wondering how we ever lived without graphene.
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