Graphene has dazzled scientists for years with its extreme strength, thinness, and ability to carry electrical current with almost no resistance. However, outside the laboratory, this miracle material has remained stubbornly difficult to use.
The main reason is not cost or performance, but chemistry. Graphene clumps together instead of spreading evenly through liquids or plastics, making it hard to turn into coatings, inks, or composites.
By using mechanical force and a common amino acid, researchers have demonstrated a way to make graphene both electrically active and easy to process, and that too without toxic chemicals, extreme heat, or high environmental costs.
Our “method could achieve a high yield (∼80%) under ambient temperature and pressure, with significantly lower energy demand than conventional approaches,” the researchers note.
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