What is Graphene?

[Postie218]

My Son is a chemist and is doing work with graphene. He explained in some detail what he's doing, but I got lost just after he said, "hey Dad, look at what we're working on at the lab".

[Przemulala]

Nice video, although you should practice with narration. You start speaking very loudly, then gets quieter and quieter ;)

[bloodtursty1]

hmmmm Graphene vs carbon nano tube.... which one will be more useful in the future :3

[id104335409]

@717kingrob

True, True!

[sk8ross]

I only see 3 bonds to every carbon. Shouldn't there be 4 bonds to create an octet?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@sk8ross Yes that's right - the carbon atom uses three of its bonding electrons

to form 3 strong bonds, each with one of its neighbours, and its

fourth electron forms a distributed bond (a delocalised pi-bond for

the specialists!) that spreads out over the surface of the graphene

sheet and gives it its semi-metallic character.

[sk8ross]

@VegaScienceTrust I see now. So the carbons have the three strong bonds and partial double bond to give the octet. The double bond character creates conjugation so the electrons can spread throughout the molecule. This allows graphene to be such a great conductor? Did I get that right?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@sk8ross bingo! :-)



[Gumpa2]

dont think that i is not that conductive. 1 cm on a piece of paper has lie...2300 kOhms!

[zurizurizu]

you're a good teacher ! liked it

[littledragon1024]

Your talking with high dynamic range is hard to listen to. One moment you're whispering, the next you're shouting.

[luixito2007]

if u talk with ur loud voice keep it loud dont talk loud and talk low my sounds dont play but thanx

[athspk]

Nice video but... i had to control my speakers volume all the time. Seriously, you must learn to control the volume levels of your voice!

[ThereIsNobodyInHere]

well i dont even know what primitive means

[AgrivatedKillah]

@pecfree .... People like you are why the education systems of the world says.

This man takes the time out of his day to educate you, and all you do is complain.

Smh...

[thecapone45]

@ammarshadiq You too? I like it when he whispers... THEN ALL THE SUDDEN HE RAISES HIS VOICE!

[stainsr]

You talk too quietly and then you talk too loudly! :(

[shadowC10ne]

Constant vocal strength variations are a bit annoying. Sorry.

[feuchster]

I've heard that you can't build a computer based on graphene because the heat coming off the chip would be way to much.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@feuchster I don't know where you heard this? If anything the reverse should be

true, graphene conducts heat much better than copper, and _far_ better

than silicon, so potentially could have uses as a way to extract heat

out of future chipsets..

[feuchster]

@VegaScienceTrust Eh, thought i read an article by IBM or MIT. But i can't find anything about it producing more heat than it should. Oh well, my bad.

[Uaxis]

@VegaScienceTrust He probably thought of graphene circuits. A good way of explaining the principle is looking at why a graphene circuit wouldn't really work.

[feuchster]

@VegaScienceTrust Unfortunately, those transistors cannot be packed densely in a computer chip because they leak too much current, even in the most insulating state of graphene. This electric current would cause chips to melt within a fraction of a second.

This problem has been around since 2004 when the Manchester researchers reported their Nobel-winning graphene findings and, despite a huge worldwide effort to solve it since then, no real solution has so far been offered. "

manchester UNI

[VegaScienceTrust]

@feuchster There's an article from the Manchester group about this in the February

edition of Science, using individual layers of graphene sandwiching

layers of other materials such as boron nitride or molybedenum

disulphide. If you google 'vertical graphene transistor avoids leakage'

you can read a physics world press release about it (some of your

comment appears similar to the intro there!)

[feuchster]

@VegaScienceTrust Yeah, I've read that there are work-arounds, but, I was just posting that to prove i wasn't crazy and that i wasn't making stuff up in my head from before. =p

[Spandex08]

@VegaScienceTrust Its obvious he quotes them - (notice the ' " ' )

[Baronstone]

@feuchster No that's not true, because graphene does conduct electricity so fast it doesn't heat up as much as silicon.

[oyas11]

is graphene harder than diamond?

[mar504]

@oyas11 Yes, graphene is harder than diamond

[scolton4life15]

a rubber..lol...thats a word for condoms in america

[2m11christian]

my school exploded with this material this will help me graduate from middle chool ;D

[THE16THPHANTOM]

vampire eyes

[cvrebelcv]

@LinksOcarina64 My Geography teacher back in school talks like this it only show that they are passionate with their work im used to it

[cecilcooperrocks]

Hello my friends. I only have a recreational interest (at the moment) in physics and quantum mechanics, etc.

I heard Dr. Hare state that graphene is only 2 dimensional at about the 4:10 mark. I do not understand this statement at all.

Which of the 3 dimensions, that we are accustomed to, is missing in graphene?

[ODaemienE]

@cecilcooperrocks Dimensions are relative. They don't have specific names. But he was saying that it has no height, only width and length. You could say it had no length, or no width, but it would still only have 2 dimensions. This sounds strange to me, as well, since atoms are 3D objects (according to what I have to read), but in this case, I will trust that the doctor knows what he is talking about.

[cecilcooperrocks]

@ODaemienE Relativity was the only explanation I could come up with as well. :D It's not technically correct, but it works for most purposes including classical physics. I agree also that you cannot specify particular dimensions for an atom due to the fact that we cannot say confidently what the x/y/z axis would be at any given time. it just struck me as odd when he mentioned the 2D of graphene. lol

Thanks for your help my friend and have a great life!

[TheHatr3d]

actually belive it or not spider web is the strongest material on earth it may not seem though but it is ...

[AirTrio]

@KumaLu I agree, some UK people are like that. Christopher Hitchens is a bit like that too. What the audio technician should do is compress the sound before uploading the video for public viewing.

[1spiders1]

so is graphite stronger than carbon fiber?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@1spiders1 Graphene is yes - but please be careful with the word 'stronger', it

depends what you do with it - stretch or squeeze it, in what direction

etc... The internal structure of a carbon fibre can be quite similar to

graphite anyway. For comparison of strength one thing to try is

googling 'youngs modulus' and the materials you want to compare.

[Harudath]

When he says antiparticles can form... Surely that's a bit too dangerous to put in consumer electronics? :p I hear annihilations are murder on warranties...

[VegaScienceTrust]

@Harudath I think its basically a mistake on my part.

I think I was assuming that if a particle would form due to the

'uncertainties' and relativelistic effects then to balance the momentum and

energy both a particle(s) and anitparticl(s)e need to form together ...

but at the time of writing I am no longer sure if this is true. I need to

brush up on the Physics World article ...

[VegaScienceTrust]

@Harudath In electron-positron pair formation large particles need to be present (to

balance the momentum etc) and I am not sure how this equates to the solid

carbon / graphene sheet.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@Harudath its probably more like the case of Cooper pairs in superconductivity etc.

rather than electron-positron pairs.

To be 'safe' it would be much better if I didnt say 'antiparticle'

[Baronstone]

@Harudath The effect is predictable and thus can be avoided

[IHARTDUBSTEP]

i want a graphene ballistic vest

[outerpol]

Nice video

[F35Pilots]

carbon micro transistors!!

[95Kearney]

Graphite isn't strong because the graphene layers are held together with very weak Van der Waals forces so the bonds between the layers are broken easily, therefore the graphene layers just slide off.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@95Kearney Exactly, graphite is only strong in the planes,

not between them.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@mHassaankhalid See previous replies I think? In a graphite pencil the layers can slide

over each other very easily, like sliding a stack of papers - doesn't

really matter how strong each sheet of paper is when they slide over

each other... (graphite is also used as a lubricant for this same property)

[ThaiL6]

hexigen :)

[fastsg23]

if graphene is a single layer of graphite, wouldn't stacked layers of graphene be graphite?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@fastsg23 Genius :-)

[VegaScienceTrust]

@fastsg23 For a more technical answer, it slightly depends *how* you stack them.

If the layers are stacked randomly then that's called 'turbostratic

graphite', but if the layers are nicely arranged (called 'AB stacking',

where half the atoms in one layer are above carbon atoms in the layer

below, the other half are above the centre of hexagons) then that's

proper graphite ('Bernal graphite' after the guy who first sorted out

the crystal structure).

[TheGubernot]

@mHassaankhalid In the 80's Steinberger guitars were moulded from carbon graphite they were temperature resistant,super strong and super tough. The PR party trick was to balance a guitar on a brick and get two fat guys to jump on either end at the same time,the guitar would be unharmed and still in tune. Why didn't they catch on? The manufacturing was really expensive so unless you were fairly well off they were impossible to afford.

[hailemecael1]

I will never look at my pencil in the same way again. ( does that sound rude I wonder)

[Skeluz]

@KumaLu

Yeah, it's frustrating. Radio talkers do the same.

[hunterhp]

@Skeluz Yeah I listen to Matty in the Morning (Boston) and he's always doing the same thing. I can't turn up the volume cause I'm driving so I miss some of what he says :(

[thec00k]

@KumaLu Because he looks down everytime he starts a sentence, then looks up, When he does the soundwaves of hes voice are closer to the microphone so the sound recorded gets more clearer, and louder.

(Microphone beein located on hes shirt)

[mywaycarpet]

TedCHall- which companies would you recommend to invest in? You said this product will be used in personal computers.. Are there companies working on this technology? If so, which ones should I keep my eyes on? Thanks in advance!

[squagglenater]

so the stuff in pencils is the strongest thing known to man?

[TedCHall]

@squagglenater Little pieces of it anyway... takes a LOT of work to get a graphene sheet large enough to see with the naked eye...

[squagglenater]

@TedCHall but what is the difference between a graphene shit visible to the naked eye and a chunk off my pencil?

[VegaScienceTrust]

So the stuff in pencils is the strongest thing known to man?@squagglenater In principle, yes :-) Isn't that cool? (with conditions - only

strongest in the plane of the graphene sheets, and only if the sheets 

are single crystal - most normal pencils this won't be the case).

Happy new year from the Vega grapheneys!

[GrayFoxGrayFox]

Very educational.

[linkuei83]

this is better than porn.

[FeebleNosemanny]

Its impossible to have a 2-dimensional abject in a 3-dimensional world. Very flat, but still a small height

[FeebleNosemanny]

@FeebleNosemanny Object*

[tenaciousj95]

Hexagin haha

[hifatpeople]

i have two big bricks of graphite in my dads back yard, how do i make myself a batman suit out of it?

[bulwine]

@hifatpeople u need sticky tape, a bit of luck, a batman logo, a torch(for utility belt, a baton, handcuffs, customised with sticky tape and card to make 'bat-cuffs',a compass, a pair of underpants,a robin, ) and a pair of cowboy boots customised with stickytape and card to make 'bat-manboy boots. let me know when youv'e got all that and i'll tell u what to do next. godspeed.'

[surajsheikh]

From where did i come here? I was listening music.

[helslayer11]

Everybody quit trollin bout the damn audio.

[nyehnyi]

about the pencil. i know this trick when i was 10.

[daNielmaN247]

this guy is smart, and he doesnt talk to you like you are a dumbass

[elchafa]

@stretavkaBB lolol

[KangaWk]

You're incredibly smart!

I understand all of this information, as well as other stuff from advanced Quantum Mechanics, but I still failed English in school >.>

[mostinho9]

im sorry but i still dont get why graphite isnt the strongest if they're the same but graphite is several layers of graphene

[kunschner]

What's the density of graphene? I want to make an external roll cage for an SUV, if it is light and strong enough.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@kunschner IT would be light and strong enough but it won't be possible at the

moment because can't make sheets large enough - people are working on

mixing it into composites but again it's a bit early days, worth a try

in a year or two?

[Baronstone]

@VegaScienceTrust Give it 4 or 5 years and that problem will be solved. Trust me, Intel is spending billions on this research

[983988]

IF it is 2D layer (Lamina), that means 0 thickness right? that means no matter now many layer you got, you would still have 0 thickness yea? Therefore it's not 2D

[tjeddy44]

@983988 youre saying 2D dosent exist? everything has a thickness.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@tjeddy44 Please read the earlier comments further down, we've discussed this a

bit. It's a 2D crystal structure but the atoms themselves have a finite

thickness, which means that when you put the layers on top of each other

they're about 0.335 nanometres apart (that's graphite)

[xMOWERYx]

I don't know why anyone would take the time to dislike this video....this guy took his time to try and explain to us how future electronics will work and that we could in turn have advances in the medical field...if you are against that, then you shouldn't even own a computer to watch this. Denying advances in science and medical fields is denying 3/4's of our daily lives

[RikudouChannel]

What about bedrock?.....

[983988]

@RikudouChannel destroyed with bare hand in creative mode within a second. not even strong..

[ShotsOfJagar]

so exactly how strong is this? compare it to... say carbide? and sense this is no longer a 3d object does that mean it is a fictionless surface?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@ShotsOfJagar Not frictionless but nearly - the cloud of electrons above it mean that

many things slide over graphene a bit like a puck slides over the

surface of an air hockey table (many molecules for example). That's

assuming there are no defects in the graphene. Strength also depends on

how it's measured - if you're putting the material under tension

(stretching it) then it's got a higher modulus than say silicon

carbide.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@VegaScienceTrust But for example under compression - pretty rubbish (it'll

crumple up).

[VegaScienceTrust]

@VegaScienceTrust You can find a table of comparisons of moduli:

at mechanicalengineeringblog look at graphene-youngs-modulus.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@VegaScienceTrust thats... well incredible. thank you for sharing my friend.

> how well does it take impact? if its that strong a 1mm thick sheet should be able to withstand any impact.

Good question, I'm not sure about that. The problem is grain boundaries

still - the way large sheets of graphene are grown they're made up of

little patches of graphene 'stitched together' like a quilt, so at the

moment the large sheets don't have their predicted strength.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@VegaScienceTrust We need to

work out new ways to grow large sheets of graphene that are one single

crystal, if you have any good ideas, it's a hot area of research at the

moment!

[DaniRockandFire]

Who else thought about redstone dust?

[boulaajaj]

Thank you! But I have a feeling somebody already discovered a stronger material after this video was posted! :)

[VegaScienceTrust]

@boulaajaj Not that I know of!

[BopZ61191]

@VegaScienceTrust dude I love ur ids but please, please try to maintain a constant volume when speaking, it gets extremely irritating... I'm not the first one to tell u this, aren't I? other than that, great vids man :)

[shinmopi]

@stretavkaBB

You're so right !!

It's like he got my attention at the beginning of his first sentence, then got me to fall asleep ... and woke me up by surprise. Still very interesting video.

[Bassotronics]

@stretavkaBB I was gonna say the same thing. lol

[jmhorner100]

if benzene is a poly-aromatic hydrocarbon of C6H6 why has he used the red molymod which is oxygen

[letsgetverydrunk]

how nice someone who tries to explain science as if we are not retards... thumbs up to you sir :)

[elflordbob1]

time to test the theory

snap pencil

[herofromthedark]

You had said that when you run an electrical current through graphene that particles and anti-particles can form spontaneously, right?

If that's the case, then what and how would these particles form? Would they form bonds with the graphene, or would they exist outside of any typical bond, separate from the graphene?

I'm trying to wrap my mind around that and from what I can understand, is that this could cause elements to be synthesized, or would this cause graphene to be an accreting material?

[1y9b9b]

why carbon though???

[VegaScienceTrust]

@1y9b9b Because of the number and arrangement of its electrons, it's got four

electrons that it can use to form chemical bonds, three it uses to form

direct links with its neighbours (that's why the hexagonal pattern), and

the fourth forms this extended bond above and below the sheet, a layer

of electronic charge, where most of the fun science happens!

[morganblair095]

I heard it was 1 million to a mm, now it's three? :( I 'm confused and writing a paper

[VegaScienceTrust]

@morganblair095 Depends on the degree of precision you're using! The spacing between

layers of graphene is 3.35 x 10-10 metres (this can increase ever so

slightly depending on how you stack them). So the number of layers in 1

mm (10-3 m) is 10-3 / (3.35 x 10-10).

[morganblair095]

@VegaScienceTrust you sir, are a hero :) I finished my paper and just left that out, but you still deserve a medal or something

[TheFunkSyndicate]

Its funny how he seems to be messing with the volume if you only listen to the video

[MrPivot12x12]

stop playing with the volume nob!!!

[Kip779]

I was expecting a What is love, but no.

[2583060]

I love me them hexaguns

[1acroyear1]

Yeah yeah yeah. Graphene. Awesome. How would it work as a form of radiation shielding?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@1acroyear1 Interesting question - if you mean microwave radiation or radiowaves

it could be pretty good - if you mean nuclear radiation then not so

good (too thin). However its big brother graphite is used in the

older design nuclear reactors in the UK to slow down the fast neutrons

(as a moderator).

[1acroyear1]

@VegaScienceTrust I was actually thinking more along the lines of multiple layers- possibly in conjunction with another element- for radioactive waste containment.

If you had a container with graphene tape wrapped around it would that block anything?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@1acroyear1 Sorry but I think it probably wouldn't be very good - the huge blocks

used in nuclear reactors, the carbon atoms get knocked around all over

the place. Heavy elements are better for blocking radiation, things

like lead.

[1acroyear1]

@lazyorc You really can't think of a way to test that claim, huh (assuming you had a sheet of graphene)?

[xTSxALLDAY]

I just want to take that rock and rub it against white paper sooo bad.

[alvinzC90]

Kant Touch this



[incognito217]

Volume modulation! Seriously...it's a roller coaster of decibels.

[cat777fromkong]

you sound like the guy from man vs. wild *best compliment ever in the world*

[San000013]

brilliantly simple.. thankyou.

[TheXRealXBrapp]

Hexagin?

[tehmiff]

@TheXRealXBrapp Hexicans* I think he is referencing it to the Great Hexicans, a group of 6 Mexican leaders that dominate the Navajo region of America some time ago

[dumbo800]

@TheXRealXBrapp It's called a dialect. Get out more.

[candied88dj]

can you create energy by this ?

[reformedman]

UGH! the volume is like stadium and library every 3 seconds alternating. So annoying.

[Michaelnj123]

Chuck Norris can break a graphene sheet

[ianjohnsonnz]

What a great clip. Such a clear explanation for a lay person like me. Thanks very much.

Ignore all the fluff about volume etc. Most of us are reasonable souls who just appreciate you making the video, and don't expect you to go the expense of professional audio blah blah.

[onawintersnight]

ace presentation, simultaneous demonstration of the science of graphene and sound waves

[iammicodavid]

You MUST improve your Voice skills, one moment its loud and the next can't be heard

[prence1725]

gold i the best conductor

[manikgun]

Experience the Doppler effect :)

[shotgunpr]

wtf with the roller-coaster volume?

[YamiPoyo]

You forgot they can blast photons at a ball of c-60 to make graphene.

[kwaczyn]

in its natural state, crystals of graphite contains impurities. today we got the technology to manually assemble atoms by atoms together and create a really thin membrane of it, which appears to be the strongest, lightest and most conductive atomic formation. carbon sheet literally. its gonna to be fun! ;) technological revolution (clothes, cars, space ship!)

[Hodgestic]

Why are you whispering?!!! 

[nightdevil6666]

how is this the worlds strongest material

[gezmark]

nice voice amplitude mate

[MrEngineerNasa]

yes and those layers is eventually the dust lol

[shapein]

Nice video. HE TALKS LIKE HES SCREAMING and then he talks in a veeery .. low.. voice.. AND THEN HE SCREAMS AGAIN :)

[AlchemistxBankai]

I want to walk around naked in a full graphene body suite

[sketch2k]

@AlchemistxBankai Perhaps you already are. Just take off your clothes.

[zergapollo]

@AlchemistxBankai You probably could, and then you'd be invincible. Almost literally.

[TheNaz01]

A 2 dimensional plane is one atom thick, so he is correct. the atoms look 3 dimensional but there being orbited by electrons witch are theoretically is zero point particle. they are orbited by electrons so fast they simulate a solid object.(kinda like how the blades of a fan block your hands from going through, most generic analogy.)

[Michaelnj123]

@TheNaz01 If a graphene sheet were 2 dimensional, we wouldn't be able to observe it. A 2 dimensional plane is not "one atom thick", it doesn't have any thickness a all, that's the point of 2 dimensions, length and width ... neither can you describe atoms as "looking" 3 dimensional. Atoms are compositions of different energies that oppose eachother, you can't percieve it in a physical way we can understand. All scientific drawings of atoms are theoretical illustrations.

[TheNaz01]

@Michaelnj123 you just proved my point, an atom is not really physical. i said that an atom looks solid because of an electon shell, and you can see a 2 dimensional object from above it, there is a principle explaining it. there is also a movie that explains it called flatland :)

[Michaelnj123]

@TheNaz01 No not really ;) atoms move and behave within all dimensions. Like the superstring theory talks about small strings operating in much higher dimensions than the 3rd. I know Flatland, the original book, and unfortunately it is a misconception of the whole idea, and no wonder. It was written long before Einstein and other revolutionary scientists presented their decisive theories. if you should imagine and atom in any way, it would most likely be a ball of light.

[komanoise]

dude, that was awsome!

[Michaelnj123]

don't like you claiming a graphene sheet is 2 dimensional, but anyways, great video!

[VegaScienceTrust]

@Michaelnj123 Fair enough- we've said in the questions and comments below in

response to others that we agree it's a two dimensional crystal

lattice, not strictly a two dimensional material (not to mention that

it also flexes out of plane at finite temperatures) - something for

the directors cut!!

[sketch2k]

@Michaelnj123 Thank you for this comment!

[OtagoMark]

@Michaelnj123 You're being pedantic , and at the same time showing your ignorance...its commonly known even by non scientists what 2 dimensional is in this case, you're putting the term out of context

[Michaelnj123]

@OtagoMark Yes i know it was out of context, but since several people in the comments thought he meant it for real, i just had to state it somehow. And if you wanna take some advice, try n aim for a positive dialogue. Calling people ignorant for no obvious reason is a little insulting i think..

[OtagoMark]

@Michaelnj123 Actually I had a very obvious reason....heheh saying that you don't like a 2 dimension substance being called 2 dimensional is silly, then blaming what you said on other people who also said similar is doubly stupid

[Michaelnj123]

@OtagoMark yeah well, i think your admirable style of rhetorical brilliance is a little above my league, let's just leave it here before you get all confrontational with me, eh ;)

and why do I even bother answering

[OtagoMark]

@Michaelnj123 I'll leave the knit picking to you in future shall I?? double standards ....Rhetorical? hehhehe

[ebutemetube]

placing your buckyballs between two sheets of electrified graphene, is no way to conduct yourself.

[keo0147]

he's like seducting his wife while doing this vid

[leerevill]

interesting........but speak up!!!!

[TheBing0]

Lol,"and what you've got, is a thin layer of graphite, aND IF I BEND THIS OVER you get...." That amused me. Very interesting stuff though!