Applications of Graphene

Graphene, the two-dimensional sp2-hybridized carbon, is currently, without any doubt, the most
intensively studied material. This single-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arrayed in a honeycomb
pattern is the world’s thinnest, strongest, and stiffest material, as well as being an excellent
conductor of both heat and electricity. It is no wonder that this two-dimensional material is
considered, from the application viewpoint, to be even more promising than other nanostructured
carbon allotropes, that is, 1-dimensional nanotubes and 0-dimensional fullerenes.
Since the first experimental evidence of the electronic properties of graphene in 2004, a major
focus of experimental research has been concentrated on the development of new synthetic routes
enabling an effective production of well-defined sheets. The commonly applied methods include
the micromechanical1 or chemical exfoliation of graphite, chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
growth, and chemical, electrochemical, thermal, or photocatalytic reduction of graphene oxide
(GO; in this review, GO represents graphene oxide, whereas graphite oxide is written in full) and
fluorographene. The specific approaches involve, for example, reduction of other graphene
derivatives like graphene fluoride toward single graphene nanoplatelets. The developed methods
of graphene preparation allowed observation of unique properties including a half-integer quantum
Hall effect for both electrons and holes even at room temperature, extraordinarily high carrier
mobility, and single-molecule detection. Graphene also exhibits other superior characteristics of
electronic, mechanical, optical, and transport nature. These include ambipolar field effect,
superlative mechanical strength, large specific surface area, high transparency, and high thermal
conductivity.
 Unique properties and applications

 Graphene is a material with outstanding properties that make it an excellent candidate for
advanced applications in future electronics and photonics. The potential of graphene in
high-speed analog electronics is currently being explored extensively because of its high
carrier mobility, its high carrier saturation velocity, and the insensitivity of its electrical
transport behavior to temperature variations.
 Medical devices: Graphene’s highly configurable and modifiable traits make it an excellent
candidate for usage in medical devices including bio-sensors, diagnosis devices, microbial
detectors, DNA sequencing tools, and a host of other medical devices. Much of the most
exciting research in medicine right now revolves around the unique traits of graphene.
 Bioimaging: Properly applied, graphene can be utilized in solutions to produce a contrast
agent for photoaucustic and thermoacustic imaging. More promisingly, certain
morphologies of graphene nanoparticles appear to be safe enough in low concentrations to
allow for advanced biomedical applications.
 Tissue engineering: Graphene works as a safe and effective reinforcement agent in various
composites for bone tissue applications, with the potential for additional applications as
research progresses.
 Biomicrorobotics: Though still in the early days of experimenting, researchers have
showed promising results with biomicrorobotics utilizing graphene in extremely tiny
particles, producing a living humidity sensor.
 Drug delivery: The interaction of graphene nanoparticles with cancerous cells has
suggested a number of potential avenues for cancer drug delivery to be explored.