‘Wonder material’ graphene made in kitchen blender with detergent

Kids, do not try this at home: scientists have found that they can create high-quality sheets of super-strong graphene using a kitchen blender and ordinary dishwasher detergent.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Materials, outline a fresh way to create large amounts of this remarkable material, which could speed up the process towards putting it into future computers, smart coatings and solar cells.

Graphene is a two-dimensional lattice of hexagons made up of graphite, the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. The carbon atoms join to create single-layer, crystalline sheets with extraordinary properties.

It is strong but light, conducts both heat and electricity extremely well and is nearly transparent in its purest form. It is a "wonder material", according to the American Physical Society, "a million times thinner than paper, stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper".

Graphene does occur naturally; the lead in a typical graphite pencil is made up of slippery layers of flat graphene sheets. But making the ultra-pure graphene necessary for future applications has previously been very difficult, particularly if you are trying to suspend the graphene flakes in a liquid - which would be useful to develop spray-on smart coatings.

Essentially, researchers were limited to creating high-quality graphene in small amounts, or lower-quality graphene in larger amounts, but not large amounts of high-quality material.