The University of Manchester is marking two decades since the discovery of graphene: the Nobel Prize-winning ‘wonder material’, which was first isolated by Professor Sir Andre Geim and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov on this day in 2004.
Although scientists knew one atom thick, two-dimensional crystal graphene existed, no-one had figured out how to extract it from graphite, until Professor Geim and Professor Novoselov’s groundbreaking work in Manchester in 2004.
Geim and Novoselov frequently held ‘Friday night experiments’, where they would play around with ideas and experiments that weren’t necessarily linked to their usual research. It was through these experiments that the two first isolated graphene, by using sticky tape to peel off thin flakes of graphite, ushering in a new era of material science.
Their seminal paper ‘Electric Field Effect in Anatomically Thin Carbon Films’, has since been cited over 40,000 times, making it one of the most highly referenced scientific papers of all time.
What Andre and Kostya had achieved was a profound breakthrough, which would not only earn the pair a Nobel Prize in 2010 but would revolutionise the scientific world.
The vast number of products, processes and industries for which graphene could significantly impact all stem from its extraordinary properties. No other material has the breadth of superlatives that graphene boasts:
- It is many times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible
- It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent
- It is the world’s first two-dimensional material and is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
It’s areas for application are endless: transport, medicine, electronics, energy, defence, desalination, are all being transformed by graphene research.
In biomedical technology, graphene’s unique properties allow for groundbreaking biomedical applications, such as targeted drug delivery and DIY health-testing kits. In sport, graphene-enhanced running shoes deliver more grip, durability and 25% greater energy return than standard running trainers – as well as the world’s first graphene car.
Speaking at the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2024, hosted by The University of Manchester, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “If you have an electric car, graphene is there. If you are talking about flexible, transparent and wearable electronics, graphene-like materials have a good chance of being there. Graphene is also in lithium ion batteries as it improves these batteries by 1 or 2 per cent.”
The excitement, interest and ambition surrounding the material has created a ‘graphene economy’, which is increasingly driven by the challenge to tackle climate change, and for global economies to achieve zero carbon.
At the heart of this economy is The University of Manchester, which has built a model research and innovation community, with graphene at its core. The National Graphene Institute enables academics and their industrial partners to work together on new applications of graphene and other 2D materials, while the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre accelerates lab-market development, supporting more than 50 spin-outs and numerous new technologies.
Professor James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester said: “As we enter the 20th anniversary since the first discovery of graphene, we are now seeing a real ‘tipping point’ in the commercialisation of products and applications, with many products now in the market or close to entering. We are also witnessing a whole new eco-system of businesses starting to scale up their products and applications, many of which are based in Manchester.”
What about the next 20 years?
The next 20 years promise even greater discoveries and The University of Manchester remains at the forefront of exploring the limitless possibilities graphene yields.
Currently, researchers working with INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, with funding from the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship, are developing brain implants from graphene which could enable precision surgery for diseases such as cancer.
Researchers have also developed wearable sensors, based on a 2D material called hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which have the potential to change the way respiratory health is monitored.
As for sustainability, Dr Qian Yang is using nanocapillaries made from graphene that could lead to the development of a brand-new form of renewable energy, harnessed from raindrops, while others are looking into Graphene’s potential in grid applications and storing wind or solar power. Graphene is also being used to reinforce concrete, to reduce cement use – one of the leading causes of global carbon dioxide.
Newly-appointed Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, Professor Rahul Nair, is investigating graphene-based membranes that can be used as water filters and could transform access to clean drinking water.
Speaking at the World Academic Summit, Professor Sir Andre Geim said: “Thousands of people are trying to understand how it works. I would not be surprised if graphene gets another Nobel prize or two given there are so many people who believe in this area of research.”
Discover more
To hear Andre’s story, including how he and Kostya discovered the wonder material in a Friday night lab session, visit:
- BBC Radio 4 The Life Scientific: Andre Geim
To find out more about The University of Manchester’s work on graphene, visit:
- Graphene@Manchester
To discover our world-leading research centre, or commercial accelerator, visit
- National Graphene Institute
- Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
To find out how we’re training the next generation of 2D material scientists and engineers, visit:
- 2DMot CDT.
