Made of Sterner Stuff (ODTmag)
Graphene—the two-dimensional allotrope of carbon taking the form of a two-dimensional, atomic scale hexagonal lattice in which one atom forms each vertex—was discovered by University of Manchester scientists in 2004. Or, rather, one should say it was rediscovered, as it had unintentionally been produced in small amounts with pencils or other graphite uses for centuries. The University of Manchester researchers were the first to create and document graphene flakes one atom thick, and because of this, graphene was awarded its 2D status. Two hundred times stronger t...