{"id":1582,"date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/01-06-2023\/graphene-to-shape-future\/"},"modified":"2023-06-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T00:00:00","slug":"graphene-to-shape-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/01-06-2023\/graphene-to-shape-future","title":{"rendered":"Graphene to shape future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

In Context<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The 21st century seems to become the age of graphene.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About Graphene\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
It is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>two-dimensional form<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (<\/span><\/span><\/span>allotrope<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>) of carbon that consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Properties: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>It is the world\u2019s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material of both electricity and heat.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
\n
It conducts electricity better than copper.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
It is <\/span><\/span><\/span>200 times stronger<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> than steel but six times lighter. It is almost perfectly transparent as it absorbs only 2% of light.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Applications and Potential<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
Graphene composites are used in<\/span><\/span><\/span> automotive, sports equipment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and construction.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
It is used for<\/span><\/span><\/span> high-performance batteries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>super-capacitors,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> touchscreens, and conductive inks.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene-based sensors are used for <\/span><\/span><\/span>environmental monitoring<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, healthcare and wearable devices.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene oxide membranes are used for <\/span><\/span><\/span>water purification and desalination<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene-based <\/span><\/span><\/span>masks<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> were made during COVID.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene is important for <\/span><\/span><\/span>defence and aerospace<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> as well. Its exceptional strength makes it a promising material for armour and ballistic protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene has the potential to absorb and dissipate <\/span><\/span><\/span>electromagnetic waves<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, making it valuable for developing <\/span><\/span><\/span>stealth coatings<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and materials that reduce radar signatures and electromagnetic interference.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Graphene is highly sensitive to environmental changes, which makes it an excellent candidate for sensing <\/span><\/span><\/span>chemical and biological agents<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, explosives, radiation, and other hazardous substances.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Besides, graphene-based materials can also protect us against <\/span><\/span><\/span>chemical and biological attack<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>s.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Global Leaders\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Among the leading countries in graphene research are China, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
China and Brazil are global leaders in the commercial production of graphene.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
In 2018, China filed 218 patents while the other leading countries together filed 79.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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\u00a0India had eight filings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Indian Scenario<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
India\u2019s niche is going to be innovation using graphene. It figured out how graphene oxide-based wrappers loaded with preservatives can increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
India produces about one-twentieth compared to China and one-third compared to Brazil.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
India\u2019s progress has been better than many nations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Developments\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Centre for Nano Science and Engineering<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> at IISc Bangalore along with KAS Tech produced a g<\/span><\/span><\/span>raphene-based system<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> several years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Some <\/span><\/span><\/span>start-ups and foreign subsidiaries<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> have started graphene or graphene derivatives in India.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Tata Steel has succeeded in <\/span><\/span><\/span>growing graphene (about 50 micrometres large domains) <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>using annealing and extracting atomic carbon from steel surfaces.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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It has also mixed graphene with used plastic products to recycle them as new.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
The IIT Roorkee-incubated Log 9 has patented a technology for graphene-based ultracapacitors, and the IIT Kanpur-incubated RF Nanocomposites has developed EMI shielding and stealth technology using graphene-based nanotubes. But this trickle needs to be converted into a torrent.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
A laudable step in this direction was the setting up of the<\/span><\/span><\/span> India Innovation Centre for Graphene in Kerala.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Issues and Challenges<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
Given the high cost-to-volume ratio for high-grade graphene, its production may get concentrated in a few locations in the world, as in the case of semiconductors.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
Although graphene was discovered in 2004, it was difficult to produce high-grade large-scale graphene.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Way Ahead\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
India needs to catch up in the research and production of graphene, which is the defining material of this age<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
The Centre needs to become the nodal point to spur large-scale innovation activity around graphene.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
\n
A nodal Ministry needs to be entrusted with this responsibility; else the subject will fall through the cracks. India needs to be among the leaders in graphene because we may experience the \u2018winner takes the most\u2019 situation here.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
India missed the semiconductor bus in the mid-1990s. The time to step on the graphene pedal is now.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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Governments have a crucial role to play.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Source: <\/span><\/span><\/span>TH<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mains Practice Question\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
[Q]<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> What are the properties and potential of Graphene which make it interesting for both fundamental studies and future applications?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
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In Context The 21st century seems to become the age of graphene. About Graphene\u00a0 It is a two-dimensional form (allotrope) of carbon that consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.\u00a0 Properties: It is the world\u2019s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material of both electricity and heat.\u00a0 It conducts electricity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[26,33],"class_list":["post-1582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis","tag-gs-3","tag-science-technology"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/7879722Screenshot_2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}