The 20th century and before were filled with more discoveries, that is, we discovered existing things. The post-20th century literally became an age of inventions because we created new things using the things we discovered. Graphene is one of these inventions. Studies have been carried out for many years for the invention of graphene, which is actually a type of carbon product, but its full emergence is quite recent.
The reason why graphene is so important is that it is thinner and more durable than almost any material we know. For this reason, the fact that graphene, which is also known as the wonder material, is almost transparent has raised some doubts because this substance can enter us and do whatever we want. Let’s look at it from the perspective of science and look for answers to questions such as what is graphene, what is it used for, and what are its harms?
First, let’s get to know this material; What is graphene?
In its most basic definition, graphene is a two-dimensional and hexagonal form of crystalline carbon atom. These hexagonal structures can stand alone or combine to form a honeycomb appearance, thus expanding the material. We can remember the carbon atom from the graphite and diamond substance in the pencil. Here, graphene is a similarly synthesized form of the carbon atom.
Is graphene a newly invented material?
In fact, Phillip Russel Wallace, a Canadian theoretical physicist, developed a single-atomic carbon structure in the 1940s. However, this idea, which remained theoretical, did not seem applicable to many scientists. Two physicists named Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov managed to synthesize this substance in 2004 and were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. The duo managed to isolate graphene by transferring carbon atoms to a type of silicon dioxide layer.
Graphene has many properties that make it unique:
First of all, graphene is a two-dimensional form of carbon, so it is extremely useful. It is almost completely transparent and extremely flexible, plus it is conductive. The most striking feature of graphene, which is a very, very light material, is that it is 200 times stronger than steel. All these features are more than enough to make it an indispensable wonder material, especially in the world of technology.
Where is graphene used? Here are the areas of graphene usage that we expect to see frequently in the coming years:
- High performance batteries in solar energy
- In wearable technology batteries
- As a coolant in nuclear power plants
- For energy saving in thermoelectric power plants
- For rapid distillation in the alcohol distillation process
- As a performance enhancer in fuel cells
- To carry chemotherapy drugs into cells
- To detect cancerous cells
- In DNA improvements
- Abnormal cell detection and treatment
- In the diabetes monitoring process
- Reducing the time spent on dialysis
- In bone and tooth implantation
- in tissue engineering
- In detecting UV levels
- In recognizing the electrical activities of the brain
- In HIV diagnosis
- As a biosensor for different detections
- As a bactericidal agent
- As a form of birth control
- Bio-integrated devices for those with speech and hearing disabilities
- In body scans
- In LED-like light production
- Transistor in computer acceleration
- In waterproof products
- In wearable electronic products
- On touch screens
- On advanced flexible displays
- To expand memory on hard disk and similar storage areas
- In elastic robot parts
- As a superconductor
- In optical communication materials
- In optical sensors
- In security sensors
- For the hygiene of food packaging
- In water treatment systems
- In desalination systems
- In plant sensors
- Food safety measures
- In much more durable shoes, helmets, clothing, sports equipment and similar products
- For more durable construction materials
- For the purpose of strengthening all electronic products
- To make all transportation vehicles, especially automotive, flexible and powerful
- In military products
Wait, don’t get excited just yet. Yes, graphene is already being used in some areas on this list, but many are still only in the design phase. It is known that graphene usage patents have been obtained in some fields, but it will be necessary to wait for many more years for its use, especially in the medical field.
Since the damages of graphene are extremely scary, there are many different conspiracy theories about it:
Since all we have explained up to this point are scientific facts or supported theories about graphene, we do not find it appropriate to talk about conspiracy theories that do not have any evidence on the subject. No, they put it in ice cream, no, they injected us with a vaccine, no, they were going to turn us all into monkeys. Dear reader, there is not even a shred of evidence for such claims right now.
Does graphene have any harms? Of course there are! Moreover, some of its damages can actually be lethal. After all, we are talking about a carbon atom, a chemical substance. When you constantly inhale this type of material, the risk of lung cancer is inevitable. If it constantly touches your skin, your skin cells will die. If it is released from the factory where it is produced, the surrounding nature will be completely destroyed. So yes, graphene can indeed turn into a harmful substance.
If you think that okay, it is harmful, let’s go and destroy the graphene factories, please calm down. Rest assured, most of the substances used in the device you are reading this article on may have similar effects. However, these effects are subjected to numerous processes to disappear. The only problem is, not that many processes have been developed for graphene yet. This is exactly why the widespread use of graphene will only be possible in the future.
Conclusion: Is graphene the devil or the angel?
First of all, let’s face it, graphene is an amazing invention. It’s very thin, almost transparent, conductive and, on top of that, incredibly strong. Rest assured, in a future that we will probably witness live, we will see that items produced using graphene will literally save lives, let alone make our lives easier.
Graphene is a wonderful material, but is it a miracle? Of course not. In addition to the things we have listed above, there may be countless harms that we have not yet discovered. But everything already has some harm if it is not taken under control. The important thing is that these can be controlled. But rest assured, smoking, eating fast food, being sedentary, and looking at the screen for twenty hours a day do more harm than eating a handful of graphene every day.
We answered frequently asked questions such as what is graphene, which is called the wonder material in the scientific world, what is it used for, and what are its harms. All we have explained are the scientific facts known about graphene today. Maybe all this will change tomorrow, but isn’t that the beauty of science?
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