Think of a material that is one atom thick and stronger than steel. Dense and impermeable, but also transparent, flexible, resistant, and an excellent electrical and thermal conductor. Graphene, “discovered” 20 years ago, sounds like something out of science fiction. It is no coincidence that it is made of carbon atoms, a chemical element essential for life on Earth due to its ability to form stable associations with each other and with other elements.
The way graphene was discovered may also sound like a work of fiction. Graphite is composed of nanoscopic sheets of carbon atoms. For decades, scientists attempted to achieve a single film, called graphene, which they predicted would have remarkable properties. Over the years, the attempts involved various mechanical and chemical approaches and sophisticated equipment, but in the end, the solution came from sticky tape.
Scientists were already using adhesive tape to prepare graphite samples for experiments by stripping off the top layer to expose the clean mineral underneath. The lightbulb moment came to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, two scientists from the University of Manchester, UK, when the pair got together on a Friday night to do experiments unrelated to their research. They used sticky tape to take shavings off a piece of graphite, noticing that they had different thicknesses. By successively repeating the stripping procedure, they isolated the two-dimensional crystal known as graphene.
Twenty years and a Nobel Prize later, graphene has opened up a new field of research into single-layer materials. It is used as an additive, providing advantages such as increased durability and resistance in various products, including paint, construction materials, and plastic packaging. It is also used in the production of electronic components, composite materials, and batteries, although it is yet to fulfill its expected potential. This issue’s cover story looks into this area of research and development in Brazil. One of the challenges to expanding the use of graphene in commercial products is producing it on an industrial scale.
October is Nobel month, and many of this year’s awards focused on artificial intelligence, a choice that some see as on trend, but others have argued is not in line with the kind of research traditionally honored by the prize. Science driven by curiosity is also touched on in our report on the Mpemba effect, a paradox identified by a Tanzanian student in the 1960s.
There is no limit to the variety of accounts published in our Research Itineraries section. The unique nature of every person’s journey and how it always intertwines with science, whether as a starting point, an end point, or in parallel, means that every story has an element of novelty, but at the same time a sense of familiarity. This month’s profile is William Coelho, a conductor who has a degree in biology and now studies musicology.
In celebration of our 25th anniversary, we have made some changes to the graphic design of Pesquisa FAPESP. This includes a more compact typography for the logo and article titles, and a new font for the main text, with the aim of making it more readable while also saving space. Designed by art editor Claudia Warrak, the mini-renovation serves to reinforce the magazine’s graphic identity.
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