Researchers at the University of Arkansas discovered a property in graphene that could provide a 'clean and limitless' source of energy.
Graphene was first discovered in 2004 and is composed of one layer of carbon atoms. Scientists often refer to it as the 'miracle material'.
Since graphene is basically two-dimensional, it cannot exist in the way other more common materials do. But due to a loophole found in the way graphene's carbon atoms are fluctuating, the material can indeed exist in more common forms. This fluctuation in the carbon atoms is called a 'Brownian motion'.
In a paper published in the Physical Review Letters, Paul Thibado and his students from the University of Arkansas, observed how graphene moves using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). What they found is that, at very small scales, the atoms of the graphene sheet exhibited not only Brownian motion, but also larger-scale movements.
Thibado reports:
"This is the key to using the motion of 2D materials as a source of harvestable energy."
The researchers found that just 10 microns of a graphene sheet, can produce approximately 10 microwatts of power, thus enhancing the probability of a limitless and clean source of energy.
Thibado released a video in which he explains how energy generated from graphene can replace batteries.
He says:
"If you had this powering your watch for example, you would never have to replace the batteries. If you could have a battery alternative that you didn't have to go and replace, imagine all the things you could do."
Furthermore, the technology has the potential to enable the acquisition and storage of information. Apart from replacing batteries, graphene can also be used in the development of advanced solar cells, thinner TV screens and more.
[Based on reporting by: IFL science]
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