Graphene is a Nobel Prize-winning “wonder material.” Graphyne might replace it.

Freethink ^ | May 23, 2023 | Sachin Rawat

[upchuck]

Since its synthesis in 2009, graphene has been dubbed a wonder material with applications in electronics, medicine, and energy, among other industries. On the other hand, graphyne — a similar material with subtle differences — has long evaded synthesis by chemists and chemical engineers. However, these tiny differences, researchers have hypothesized, would make graphyne a better choice for designing faster electronics.

In research published in Nature Synthesis, scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder and Qingdao University of Science and Technology have reported the synthesis of bulk amounts of graphyne. Like graphene, it exists as a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a symmetric lattice. Unlike graphene, whose atoms are tethered by single and double bonds, the carbon atoms in graphyne are bound to each other in single, double, and triple bonds.

[upchuck]

Credit Red Badger for this.

This is the graphene ping list.

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Interesting: 10 Uses for Graphene.

[I want the USA back]

So inert substances win nobel prizes? That explains how obama won in 2008.

Any article that compares two substances with similar names has an obligation to tell us how to pronounce the words. Not that I really give a rat’s ear wax about how the words are pronounced or where the carbon is on the ring. But it beats hearing about biden’s latest assault on civilization.

[Delta 21]

[from occupied ga]

A wonder material that’s so far not been synthesized in quantities sufficient for economical practical applications. In short it costs too much for what you get.

[ckilmer]

the real game changer is in water desalination but they don’t seem to be able to produce durable graphene at scale.

Why a game changer? Because graphene would make it possible to desalinate sea water at room temperature and pressure.

That would cut the cost of desalinated seawater roughly in half.

That in turn would make desalinated seawater cheap enough to pipe inland 100-500 miles from any sea coast to grow crops. That would vastly increase the size of habitable earth.

[Bayard]

You can tell its better because it replaces the icky “e” in Graphene with a noble “y.”

[ChessExpert]

Thanks for the good info. Couldn’t help but notice:

“#9: Graphene as a drug delivery material.”

[dangus]

Here’s the ultimate gamechanger:

A susbtance which would enable you to make a 35,000 km long cable of itself. If you do that, you have a space elevator. Transportation to orbit becomes extraordinarily inexpensive.

I figure 35,000 km = 35 million m^3 of a material 1 m wide, or 35 m^3 of a material 1 mm wide. 1 mm cable of Steel supposedly can bear 84 kg, at least at standard temperatures. (Squared off, 107 kg).

Since 1 m^3 of steel weighs 7580 kg, and we need 35 m^3, that’s a total weight of 274,750 kg, or 2,560 times more weight than the steel cable can hold.

If graphene is 1,000 times stronger per unit of weight than steel, we still need something about 3 times stronger...

Is graphyne 3 times stronger?

[steve in DC]

You know, nuclear power plants that use seawater as a cooling agent are pretty good basic infrastructure for commercial desalination of any type.

Almost that perfect two birds with one stone situation.

[from occupied ga]

Only problem is that your cooling water from which you're distilling fresh water has tritium in it.

[ckilmer]

agree. too bad california won’t use them.

but even these do not get the price of desalinated seawater cheap enough for agriculture.

[upchuck]

Agree 100% with your screen name.

[sauropod]

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