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Graphene: The Superstrong, Superthin, and Superversatile Material That Will Revolutionize the World
Two scientists give an enthusiastic, layperson's overview of a new supermaterial now in development that could transform many features of daily life, from creating new conveniences to improving health and safety.
What if you discovered an infinitesimally thin material capable of conducting electricity, able to suspend millions of times its own weight, and yet porous enough to filter the murkiest water? And what if this incredible substance is created from the same element that fills the common pencil? That's graphene--a flat, two-dimensional, carbon-based molecule with a single sheet measuring only one atom thick.
In this layperson's introduction to this revolutionary substance, a physicist and a chemist explain how graphene was developed, discuss the problems in scaling up production for large-scale commercial use, and forecast the potentially transformative effects of incorporating graphene into everyday life. Recent research developments include adding graphene to Silly Putty to make extremely sensitive and malleable medical sensors and compressing and fusing flakes of graphene to create a three-dimensional material that's ten times stronger than steel.
This widely adaptable substance promises to change the way we interact with smartphones, laptops, information storage, and even condoms. It may also enable significant improvements to air purification, water filtration technologies, and drug delivery.
This entertaining and widely accessible book offers a fascinating look into one of the most exciting developments in materials science in recent decades.
What if you discovered an infinitesimally thin material capable of conducting electricity, able to suspend millions of times its own weight, and yet porous enough to filter the murkiest water? And what if this incredible substance is created from the same element that fills the common pencil? That's graphene--a flat, two-dimensional, carbon-based molecule with a single sheet measuring only one atom thick.
In this layperson's introduction to this revolutionary substance, a physicist and a chemist explain how graphene was developed, discuss the problems in scaling up production for large-scale commercial use, and forecast the potentially transformative effects of incorporating graphene into everyday life. Recent research developments include adding graphene to Silly Putty to make extremely sensitive and malleable medical sensors and compressing and fusing flakes of graphene to create a three-dimensional material that's ten times stronger than steel.
This widely adaptable substance promises to change the way we interact with smartphones, laptops, information storage, and even condoms. It may also enable significant improvements to air purification, water filtration technologies, and drug delivery.
This entertaining and widely accessible book offers a fascinating look into one of the most exciting developments in materials science in recent decades.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2018
68 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Les Johnson
16 books70 followersLes is the author or co-author of both popular science and science fiction. His latest science fiction novel, "Mission to Methone," was released by Baen Books on February 6, 2018. Coincidentally, his latest non-fiction book, "Graphene: The Superstrong, Superthin, and Superversatile Material That Will Revolutionize the World," with co-author Joe Meany, was published the same day (from a different publisher - Prometheus Books)!
By day, Les is Principal Investigator (lead scientist) for NASA's first interplanetary solar sail mission, The Near Earth Asteroid Scout, at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. In the early 2000's, Les was NASA's Manager for Interstellar Propulsion Research and later managed the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project. He has worked for NASA since 1990 and has served in various technical and management roles.
Les was the featured "Interstellar Explorer" in the January 2013 issue of National Geographic Magazine. He was technical consultant for the movie, Lost in Space. NPR, CNN, Fox News, The Science Channel and The Discovery Channel have all interviewed him. He appeared on the Discovery Science Channel in their Exodus Earth series and the "How to Build A Starship" episode of Michio Kaku's 2010 Discovery Science Channel Series "Physics of the Impossible.
He was the Chief Scientist for the ProSEDS space experiment, twice received NASAs Exceptional Achievement Medal, and holds 3 space technology patents. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and was published in Analog."
By day, Les is Principal Investigator (lead scientist) for NASA's first interplanetary solar sail mission, The Near Earth Asteroid Scout, at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. In the early 2000's, Les was NASA's Manager for Interstellar Propulsion Research and later managed the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project. He has worked for NASA since 1990 and has served in various technical and management roles.
Les was the featured "Interstellar Explorer" in the January 2013 issue of National Geographic Magazine. He was technical consultant for the movie, Lost in Space. NPR, CNN, Fox News, The Science Channel and The Discovery Channel have all interviewed him. He appeared on the Discovery Science Channel in their Exodus Earth series and the "How to Build A Starship" episode of Michio Kaku's 2010 Discovery Science Channel Series "Physics of the Impossible.
He was the Chief Scientist for the ProSEDS space experiment, twice received NASAs Exceptional Achievement Medal, and holds 3 space technology patents. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and was published in Analog."
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 13, 2018
There is a lot of information in this book that attempts to make the science behind the discovery of graphene, a newly discovered form of carbon, accessible to the layperson. I started out trying to understand it all, but I eventually gave up and just skimmed some of the technical stuff. It forced me to remember some of my rusty university chemistry and physics, which is probably a good thing, but I just didn't have the time or focus to get as much out of this book as I probably could have. The later chapters that deal with the potential uses of graphene and the potential process for developing it as a usable product were more interesting, but a lot of it was highly theoretical and improbable. It is an interesting look at how scientific discoveries are made, and the huge obstacles that stand in the way of developing a new discovery into a usable product. I will be looking for news articles on graphene over the next few years to see if any progress is made.
December 26, 2018
I was happy with the review of different parallel potential applications of graphene, and how the new material can disrupt them. But I was unhappy that very little general knowledge is established with this book. It is a sistematic top level review of industrial and material physics research areas for graphene, but not much more.
May 7, 2018
There is quite a bit of interesting information and insight in this book. Unfortunately, those interesting snippets are obscured by endless repetitions and useless hypothetical scenarios.
One or two more rounds of editing would not have done any bad to this book.
One or two more rounds of editing would not have done any bad to this book.
March 28, 2019
Stopped reading 20% in because this was so difficult to read. Constantly felt like the author was trying to flex his intelligence, which is unfortunate given the topic seems very interesting
March 26, 2018
Graphene by Johnson and Meany provides an extensive, and interesting, overview of a potential new material that could revolutionise daily life. This substance is graphene: a flat, two-dimensional, carbon-based molecule with a single sheet measuring only one atom thick.
This book is divided into sections that cover the history of graphene discovery/development; its unique physical and electrical properties; the problems in large-scale manufacture of the substance for commerical use; its variety of potential uses that would transform everyday life; and the unknown potential health risks of graphene. The potential uses of graphene include enhancing and increasing the efficiency of solar panels, batteries, electrical conduction, computers, medical equipment and other electronic items; additions to paint and concrete to provide additional strength and waterproofing; its uses in "smart" clothing etc.
This book is particularly dense in science, with a bit of history, economics and humour thrown in. The science however is nothing more complicated than what one would come across in a highschool science class i.e. electrons and atoms are mentioned. The book is written in an accessible style that was a joy to read.
This book is divided into sections that cover the history of graphene discovery/development; its unique physical and electrical properties; the problems in large-scale manufacture of the substance for commerical use; its variety of potential uses that would transform everyday life; and the unknown potential health risks of graphene. The potential uses of graphene include enhancing and increasing the efficiency of solar panels, batteries, electrical conduction, computers, medical equipment and other electronic items; additions to paint and concrete to provide additional strength and waterproofing; its uses in "smart" clothing etc.
This book is particularly dense in science, with a bit of history, economics and humour thrown in. The science however is nothing more complicated than what one would come across in a highschool science class i.e. electrons and atoms are mentioned. The book is written in an accessible style that was a joy to read.
August 1, 2022
A fascinating subject, utterly butchered. The writing style is quite off-putting, overly familiar for a technical subject, like when you meet someone for the first time at a cocktail party and they put their arm around you and stand uncomfortably close as they talk about their medical issues for an hour, with rambling tangents about 80's TV shows and 17th century literature.
At best 50% of the content is actually about graphene, the rest is a mishmash of observations and anecdotes about vaguely related subjects, ranging from a rant against the author's employer to a fever-dream about a fishing trip with a futuristic flexible fishing rod. The stories of the commercialization of aluminum and ammonia appear three times each, when a single brief mention of each would have sufficed.
And even when they do manage to discuss the actual topic of the book, the poor writing and awkward phrasing makes it difficult to follow the more technical sections, with garbled syntax that betrays the absence of an editor. Example: "They attached on each side of it a small bit of graphene and attached electrodes to the bits."
At best 50% of the content is actually about graphene, the rest is a mishmash of observations and anecdotes about vaguely related subjects, ranging from a rant against the author's employer to a fever-dream about a fishing trip with a futuristic flexible fishing rod. The stories of the commercialization of aluminum and ammonia appear three times each, when a single brief mention of each would have sufficed.
And even when they do manage to discuss the actual topic of the book, the poor writing and awkward phrasing makes it difficult to follow the more technical sections, with garbled syntax that betrays the absence of an editor. Example: "They attached on each side of it a small bit of graphene and attached electrodes to the bits."
October 1, 2021
Excellent livre d'introduction pour entrer dans l'univers des métamatériaux, de "molecular electronics" et de géométrie atomique. Grâce à la chimie, à la physique et la science des matériaux du 21e siècle, nous avons découvert que la forme donnée en 0-1-2-3 dimensions à un "système d'atomes et de molécules" aura un impact sur les propriétés physiques et chimiques de la construction. Cette révolution commence avec le graphène et culminera d'ici 50 ans avec les quasi-cristaux. Cette révolution est DÉJÀ en marche dans les industries, l'électronique, la santé, l'espace, l'armée, l'énergie, etc. Partout nous utiliserons cette révolution dans notre transition de l'économie pétro-chimique vers l'économie des métamatériaux et de l'industrie additive.
Ça sent le progrès, contrairement à ce que disent les apôtres de la fin du monde écologiste.
Ça sent le progrès, contrairement à ce que disent les apôtres de la fin du monde écologiste.
June 27, 2019
I liked the book for it’s approachability by regular people. My half year of high school chemistry was enough to be able to track with what was being explained.
It all sounded practical until it came to military applications, when it became cartoonishly outlandish. It challenged my trust on the rest of the book until I realized that... of course the military is more interested in graphene applications than anyone else. Of course no one can talk about what they’re really doing behind the scenes. Why not throw out sci-fi examples to throw folks off the track...
My guess is that all of the obstacles in patents and market issues will be overcome by governments Co opting the process in the name of security.
It all sounded practical until it came to military applications, when it became cartoonishly outlandish. It challenged my trust on the rest of the book until I realized that... of course the military is more interested in graphene applications than anyone else. Of course no one can talk about what they’re really doing behind the scenes. Why not throw out sci-fi examples to throw folks off the track...
My guess is that all of the obstacles in patents and market issues will be overcome by governments Co opting the process in the name of security.
April 19, 2019
This book gives a good overview of the history of graphene, but is a bit thin on the current state-of-the-art when it comes to graphene applications. IN the case of the latter, it tends to be more speculative than reporting actual advances. Still I would have given it five stars except for some editing problems (misspelled/misused words) in the final chapters, most notably during the discussion on potential medical applications. For those wanting an overview of what's currently known about graphene, this is a good read.
May 2, 2024
"Johnson and Meany's 'Graphene' offers a thorough exploration of a promising new material poised to revolutionize daily life. Divided into sections covering graphene's discovery, properties, manufacturing challenges, potential applications, and associated risks, the book delves into its potential to enhance solar panels, batteries, electronics, and more. Despite its scientific depth, the book remains accessible, sprinkled with history, economics, and humor, making it both informative and engaging."
January 28, 2019
I read this in an atmosphere where everything I was reading (in the news and literature) was striking me as pessimistic or regressive. This book provided a welcome change by discussing a potential technology that can address many of the challenges of the modern world. Such solutions are not without challenges though, and the authors provide a good grounding in these issues. Overall, this is a very approachable description of an extraordinary branch of materials science.
June 3, 2019
A good intro into graphene, it’s promise and peril. And why it’s so difficult to make. So far there are only a few products available, but there could be many more. Don’t hold your breath. Check back in five years and see how things look.
November 8, 2021
Not as engaging as I had hoped. Lots of anecdotal stories, so if you’re not knowledgeable about sci-fi, you may not get as much out of this read. Also…editing is terrible! Numerous typos.
Good read for someone being introduced to the topic.
Good read for someone being introduced to the topic.
April 27, 2018
Well written and included the right amount of technical details.
February 20, 2019
The book covers what its title suggests, though it swung between great detail and overly high level, exuberant descriptions of the promise of graphene.
August 14, 2019
It will be interesting to see what happens with this in the future
September 8, 2019
通过这本书能对石墨烯的发现、制备、应用乃至相关目前难以接受的问题有个大致印象。两位作者的致谢词同他们对Graphene的未来展望都让人鼓舞。
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April 11, 2020Didn't finish.
July 31, 2022
Pretty bold and ambitious ideas proposed here
June 21, 2019
Very informative!
I learned a lot about a substance that I will be using in a product that I'm selling. Good read
I learned a lot about a substance that I will be using in a product that I'm selling. Good read
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews