(June 24, 2015) For
the first time, a team of scientists has succeeded in precisely measuring and
controlling the thickness of an organic compound that has been bound to a
graphene layer. This might enable graphene to be used as a sensitive detector
for biological molecules in the future.
Pure carbon occurs in many forms. Besides the classical
configurations found in diamonds, graphite, and coal, there are other younger
exotic cousins such as graphene. Its structure resembles a honeycomb – a
hexagonal mesh with a carbon atom at every corner – that is only a single
atomic layer thick. Hence, it is essentially two-dimensional. As a result,
graphene is extremely conductive, completely transparent, and quite resilient
both chemically and mechanically.
Graphene is not very selective
It has long been known that graphene is also fundamentally
suited to detecting traces of organic molecules. This is because the electrical
conductivity of graphene drops as soon as foreign molecules bind to it. The
problem, though, is that this happens with almost every molecule. Graphene is
not very selective, which makes it very difficult to differentiate molecules.
Therefore, it cannot be used as a sensor.