Ever since I read about graphene in an article over here, I was fascinated by it and wanted to find out if there actually was graphene for sale anywhere.

Discovery by chance

What's funny about graphene is that it was discovered by chance. Two scientists, Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, were fooling around with graphite on a Friday night. It was their hobby of doing experiments for fun which weren't necessarily connected to their actual field of research.

Graphite essentially means millions of perfectly hexagonal carbon "sheets" stacked on top of one another. Geim and Novoselov conducted an experiment where they were removing top layers of graphite. They noticed some parts were thinner than others, and repeated the procedure on them. Step-by-step, they had separated just one layer, one atom-thick sheet, and so graphene was discovered.

Having found out it's history, I was amazed how such a fascinating material could be a product of genius applied to serendipity and happenstance. 

A different perspective

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From conductivity to strength

The fact it's one atom-thick gives it marvelous properties (it's essentially 2D). Graphene is transparent, resistant, strong, flexible, and conducts electricity as well as heat better than iron.

I was dizzy from all the possible applications. What came to my mind right away were membranes. The properties of graphene were perfect for water filtration and sieve technology in textiles. In water, graphene can remove organic solvents as well as separate gasses from water.

The next logical step, seems to me, is coating everything with graphene. Why not? It could prevent contact with water and air, hence prevent rust, and act as a waterproof surface. By the way, there's a good article about applications on good old, simple Wikipedia.

Just imagine the possibilities of composite materials made from graphene!

Don't get me started on electricity. Batteries with graphene charge faster, hold more power and are flexible. This means I can realistically have clothing with batteries to charge my phone, or with inbuilt functionalities like LED lights for walking at night.

In worker safety, imagine graphene be capable of detecting just one particle of a hazardous substance. I imagine this property could find great use in defense, agriculture, and industry. Imagine working with dangerous gasses and having a system that warns you when the first molecule of the gas is released. It means much more time to get out or find personal protection. Difficult situations are often a matter of seconds and graphene equipment could make the difference...

Finding graphene for sale

Actually finding graphene for sale, in a pure form, is not possible. Graphene is sold on substrates such as SiC. Various types of films and conductive coatings are also available.

If you're a member of the industry, I feel for you because what surprised me as well were the prices at which it is sold. Perhaps it is because it's not yet mass-produced effectively.

Meaning, no buying just to have it for me... I'll let the industry sort out the production process first. But I can realistically envision a big pharma company coating some expensive pills to protect them from the environment! The future really is here.

In the realm of science fiction

I kept the most fascinating application of graphene for last. Whether graphene is or isn't sold at sensible prices, it makes for a perfect cosmic material.

The low density, flexibility, and strength (modulus) of the material make it the best candidate for the now almost proverbial solar sail. This possibility is currently being explored by a group of PhD students; and I wish them all the best.

Maybe the almost accidental discovery of Geim and Novoselov will one one day let us realize the ultimate dream of accessible space travel.