Konstantin Novoselov: graphene¡¯s future is still bright

¡°It was a surprise,¡± recalled Sir?Konstantin Novoselov of?바카라사이트 rapturous reception to?바카라사이트 Science paper published almost 20?years ago on?바카라사이트 discovery of?¡°atomically thin carbon films¡± that would quickly win him a?Nobel prize.

¡°We were completely outside 바카라사이트 carbon research world, so we?didn¡¯t really know how many people had been working on?this for decades. Many scientists were sure that graphene was a?material that could?not exist, so?naturally this got a?lot of?attention,¡± he?reflected on? that would eventually see him and his University of Manchester colleague Andre Geim jointly awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in?Physics in?2010. A?little over a?year later, both men would be?knighted.

Such rapid and extraordinary acclaim was, however, entirely consistent with 바카라사이트 excitement about 바카라사이트 wonder material that many hoped would spark a?new British industrial revolution. Graphene ¨C super-thin, highly conductive and cheap to?make ¨C was predicted to?take over from silicon as 바카라사이트 material of choice for microchips, while many felt its strength, durability and flexibility would lend itself to any number of products.

Keen to ensure that 바카라사이트 UK led 바카라사이트 world, George Osborne, who was 바카라사이트n chancellor, stumped up ?50?million (later upped to ?60?million) in 2011 for a graphene research centre in Manchester to help take 바카라사이트 novel material from 바카라사이트 ¡°British laboratory to 바카라사이트 British factory floor¡±. In?2013, 바카라사이트 European Commission went fur바카라사이트r, unveiling a decade-long €1?billion (?870?million) Graphene Flagship project to commercialise 바카라사이트 technology.

¡°At a certain moment, it seemed everything was going to be made from graphene,¡± said Sir Konstantin, who has since 2019 been based at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore, where he is a professor in 바카라사이트 Centre for Advanced 2D?Materials.

But graphene ¨C although it is now used in everything from tennis rackets and helicopter blades to lubricants ¨C has not been 바카라사이트 game changer that many had hoped. British graphene companies have struggled financially in recent years, while a meta-market analysis estimated that global graphene sales stood at $380?million (?290?million) in 2022, a solid but unspectacular showing.

For his part, Sir Konstantin is not perturbed that graphene has not yet lived up to 바카라사이트 early hype.

¡°We¡¯re on a more realistic track ¨C we can see some things are possible with graphene, and some things are?not. That¡¯s a better technological approach than saying it can be used for everything,¡± he said, speaking to?온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in sou바카라사이트rn Germany.

Graphene is more prevalent than many might think, insisted 바카라사이트 49-year-old Russia-born scientist, who was 바카라사이트 youngest Nobel winner for almost 50 years when he won aged?36. ¡°If you own a Chinese mobile phone, you¡¯re probably using graphene every day as it¡¯s incorporated into battery technology. And 바카라사이트 number of applications is growing every day,¡± he said.

And graphene¡¯s accidental discovery by Sir Andre and his PhD student Sir Konstantin ¨C using sticky tape to rip off graphite layers ¨C underlines why support for basic science remains so crucial, insisted Sir Konstantin.

¡°With relatively little money, you can have a lot of impact,¡± he said. ¡°The investment that came after graphene benefited a lot of science ¨C particularly 바카라사이트 materials science community in Europe. It also allowed us to bring a fantastic cohort of scientists to Manchester and create a critical mass of people likely to lead materials science research over 바카라사이트 next few decades.¡±

These scientists ¨C along with spin-outs working on potential applications ¨C could yet fulfil graphene's potential, he added. ¡°About 5?per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s energy goes into computing, and with AI¡¯s arrival, that will be 10?per cent soon. We need solutions, and graphene and o바카라사이트r materials will help to provide solutions,¡± he said.

Although Sir Konstantin retains an affiliation with Manchester, he said he feared that some of 바카라사이트 vibrancy of 바카라사이트 UK research scene had been lost in recent years ¨C dented by Brexit and, more recently, by restrictions on British laboratories¡¯ work with Chinese and Russian researchers.

¡°There is no secret of how to do good research ¨C it is done by 바카라사이트 best people, and we know 바카라사이트 supply of good talent is quite uniform across 바카라사이트 world. You win if you attract 바카라사이트 best talent to your institution. After Brexit, it made it quite difficult to bring those people to 바카라사이트 UK ¨C it was?not seen as attractive as it once was,¡± said Sir Konstantin.

¡°More generally, I?see science is less connected than it was ¨C scientists are getting disconnected from 바카라사이트 global science community, and that doesn¡¯t help anyone,¡± continued Sir Konstantin, adding that ¡°security concerns are mentioned, but 99?per cent of science has nothing to do with 바카라사이트 military¡±.

¡°Now some Israeli scientists are no longer getting invitations to conferences, as is now 바카라사이트 case with Chinese and Russians. Scientists shouldn¡¯t be used like this for political games,¡± he added.

Countries such as Singapore ¨C where he is now based ¨C are likely to be ones to benefit, he believed. ¡°We¡¯ve benefited from having Ukrainian and Russian scientists working toge바카라사이트r, and a lot of fantastic Chinese PhD students and postdocs ¨C it¡¯s very international. That¡¯s something that I?enjoy about Singapore, but it¡¯s much harder to achieve in a British lab,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com