GRAPHENE

Recently, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched India Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (IGEIC) under the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047

India Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (IGEIC) : 

• It is the not-for-profit company About: (registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013).
• Purpose: It is exclusively incorporated to create a hub of excellence in Graphene technology commercialization.
• Focus: On a range of applications such as electronics, energy storage, healthcare, material coating, conveyance systems, and sustainable material development.

What is Graphene?

• Discovered in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics for this in 2010, it is an allotrope of Carbon and building-block of Graphite (which is used in pencil tips).
• It is a single layer (2D-dimensional) of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.
• Methods for the synthesis of Graphene sheets: Chemical vapour deposition (CVD), cleavage of natural graphite, mechanical exfoliation, hydrogen arc discharge, etc.
• It is often referred to as a wonder material for its extraordinary electrical and electronic properties.

Properties of Graphene

• Mechanical Strength: It is 200 times stronger than steel, yet 6 times lighter.
• Optical Transparency: In the optical region it absorbs only 2.3% of the light. Making it suitable for transparent touchscreens, solar cells, and display technologies.
• High Thermal Conductivity: Graphene has a thermal conductivity of up to 5000 W/m/K at room temperature, which is much higher than most other materials.
• Impermeability: It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.
• Quantum Properties: Quantum Hall effect in Graphene could also possibly contribute to standard in metrology,quantum computing and advanced electronics.

Potential Applications of Graphene

1. Electronics Industry
2. Energy Storage
3. Water filtration technology
4. Environmental
5. Biomedical
6. Defence and Security

Global Scenario

• Leading countries in Graphene research are China, U.S., U.K., Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore.
• China and Brazil are global leaders in the commercial production of Graphene.
• India produces only about one-twentieth Graphene as compared to China.