What is graphene?

The 21st century seems set to become the age of graphene, a recently discovered material made from honeycomb sheets of carbon just one atom thick. It is a two-dimensional form (allotrope) of carbon that consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Graphene has been described as wondrous stuff — of being the strongest material ever tested, almost 300 times stronger than steel. It is also the best heat- and electricity-conducting material to be discovered. It could also become a valuable aid in filtering water. Researchers from Australia announced recently that they used a graphene-based product to make a water filter that can make highly-polluted sea water drinkable after just one pass.