A roadmap for graphene

Abstract

Graphene’s numerous highly desirable properties mean that it has many possible applications in various technologies and devices; these are reviewed and analysed here. Graphene, the one-atom-thick, two-dimensional form of carbon, boasts a range of properties with potential practical applications. Now that economic means for its mass production have been developed, some of those applications may soon become realities. Time, therefore, for a review of progress in graphene research and production, and a critical look at probable applications. Among the first applications to reach the market, the authors speculate, will be technologies such as printable and flexible electronics, flexible solar cells and supercapacitors. Recent years have witnessed many breakthroughs in research on graphene (the first two-dimensional atomic crystal) as well as a significant advance in the mass production of this material. This one-atom-thick fabric of carbon uniquely combines extreme mechanical strength, exceptionally high electronic and thermal conductivities, impermeability to gases, as well as many other supreme properties, all of which make it highly attractive for numerous applications. Here we review recent progress in graphene research and in the development of production methods, and critically analyse the feasibility of various graphene applications.