Graphene was first isolated in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov , earning them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 . Since then, he has not stopped researching to find possible commercial applications for graphene. Currently we can find it on roads, batteries, headphones, medicine, lighting, etc. However, what future products or applications could we have thanks to graphene?
Filter water anywhere
It is estimated that around 2.2 billion people in the world do not have safe and constant access to safe drinking water , and 884 million do not have basic water services. Therefore, being able to filter all types of water anywhere is vital for humanity, and membranes made of graphene could achieve this.
Membranes made of graphene are large enough to let water through, but not salt . With this, desalination systems could be created or that allow filtering all types of water. All you need is heat, graphene, a membrane, and a small water pump. Currently there are systems under development with this technique.
electronics
Silicon is the key element used today for semiconductors . In it are inserted all the circuits and chips that make today’s computers and mobiles possible. However, silicon is reaching its physical limit to reduce its size, and graphene could be the solution.
Graphene is a better conductor, but it has the problem that it cannot be “turned off”, so it cannot act as a transistor as in today’s chips, which turn on or off when they receive electrical currents. Some solutions are being worked on, such as using a bilayer graphene that allows for an intermediate band, but for now nothing that reaches the commercial world .
Termic vision
There is research that seeks to create lenses with graphene that allow us to see frequency ranges that we cannot see with the eye normally. Among them is the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum, being able to have thermal vision in the dark.
Safer bulletproof vests
Kevlar is the material used in today’s bulletproof vests. It is light, and thanks to its framework, it is capable of stopping bullets even at short distances. However, graphene could be even better, as a vest made of graphene has been shown to absorb an impact twice as strong as a kevlar vest, while making vests much lighter.
Goodbye to rust
Rust is the enemy of many of today’s electronic components. Graphene has the advantage that it is practically waterproof if used in paint, so it can be used to create anti-rust layers , ideal for metals that are in contact with the sea or in coastal areas.
Mosquito protection
Just as a graphene paint is waterproof , with layers of graphene it is possible to prevent mosquitoes from detecting chemicals from the skin and sweat that attract them to bite us. In addition, they serve as physical protection to avoid the mosquito bite. In Spain, mosquitoes are not great transmitters of diseases, but in Africa a protection based on graphene could save hundreds of thousands of lives if it is integrated, for example, in clothing .