Carbon unfurled

Graphene is a form of carbon with a crystal lattice that resembles a rolled out sheet of hexagonal chicken wire, with a single carbon atom at each vertex of the hexagons. With its unique two dimensional structure and electronic properties chemists believe graphene could be the next big thing in molecular electronics. Now scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies by US scientists have revealed some surprises in the electronic behaviour of this material.¹ The findings could help explain graphene's unique behaviour and lead to new ways to build components from this material.