Graphene has many unusual ...

Graphene has many unusual properties. It is about 200 times stronger than the strongest steel.Graphene is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a two-dimensional, atomic-scale, hexagonal lattice in which one atom forms each vertex. Graphene, which results from slicing off an atom-thick layer of graphite, is increasingly emerging as something of a wonder material. The Grossman Group, for example, is also looking into using it as a cheaper alternative to silicon for making solar cells. It is the basic structural element of other allotropes, including graphite charcoal carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. It can be considered as an indefinitely largearomatic molecule, the ultimate case of the family of flat polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

By creating nanoscale pores in a layer of graphene, it could be used as an effective separation membrane due to its chemical and mechanical stability, its flexibility and, most importantly, its one-atom thickness. Theoretical studies have indicated that the performance of such membranes should be superior to state-of-the-art polymer-based filtration membrane. perforated graphene filters can handle the water pressures of desalination plants while offering hundreds of times better permeability,” says Grossman. “The process of pumping seawater through filters represents about half the operating costs of a desalination plant. With graphene, we could use 15 percent less energy for seawater and up to 50 percent less energy for brackish water.”

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