Context: Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing and graphene, these three emerging technologies are poised to revolutionize the human-machine interface in the coming decades. While India holds a leading position in AI and shows promise in quantum computing, it must strive to bridge the gap in research and production of graphene, the revolutionary material that defines the current era.
More about the news
- According to Grand View Research, the global graphene market size reached $175.9 million in 2022, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.6% from 2023 to 2030.
- Leading countries in graphene research include China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore.
- After 2017, China surged ahead, filing 218 patents in 2018.
- China and Brazil are at the forefront of commercial graphene production, with the Beijing Graphene Institute, established in 2018, hosting several companies that produce industrial-grade graphene products.
- India, on the other hand, had only eight filings. India's production of graphene is approximately one-twentieth of China's and one-third of Brazil's output.
Graphene, the revolutionary material transforming industries
- Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. As the building block of graphite, graphene possesses remarkable characteristics that make it a potential game-changer in various industries.
- In 2004, Russian scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, along with others, published the first electronic measurements proving they had isolated graphene. They had removed carbon flakes from graphite using bits of sticky tape – which ultimately led to them winning a Nobel prize for physics in 2010.
Properties
- It surpasses copper in electrical conductivity, being 200 times stronger than steel yet six times lighter.
- With an exceptional transparency of absorbing only 2% of light, it also exhibits im-permeability to gases, including hydrogen and helium.
- The high surface-area-to-volume ratio of graphene, stemming from its thinness, makes it a promising candidate for energy storage.
Applications and Potentials
- One of its ground breaking applications lies in the potential to replace indium, a scarce and expensive resource, in the production of OLED screens for smartphones. Studies have shown that integrating graphene into these screens could significantly reduce costs without compromising quality.
Application of Graphene composites:
- It has been proven that even a minuscule amount of graphene added to plastics, metals, or other materials can significantly enhance their strength.
- These graphene composites find applications in aerospace, automotive, sports equipment, construction, high-performance batteries, conductive inks, water purification, desalination, and even in the production of graphene-based masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Its capability to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic waves positions it as a valuable component for stealth coatings and materials that reduce radar signatures and electromagnetic interference.
- Graphene's sensitivity to environmental changes makes it an excellent candidate for sensing chemical and biological agents, explosives, radiation, and other hazardous substances.
- It also holds promise in numerous applications: efficient and precise sensors, faster and more efficient electronics, efficient solar panels, accelerated DNA sequencing, and drug delivery systems.
India’s progress
- Centre for Nano Science and Engineering at IISc Bangalore, in collaboration with KAS Tech, developed a graphene-based system, known as ‘Ocean’. The system is a chemical vapour depositor that can produce various two-dimensional materials including graphene.
- India's specialization lies in leveraging graphene for innovation. For instance, it has discovered that graphene oxide-based wrappers loaded with preservatives can enhance the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
- However, the current trickle of such initiatives needs to transform into a torrent.
- A commendable step in this direction is the establishment of the India Innovation Centre for Graphene in Kerala, implemented by the Digital University Kerala in collaboration with Tata Steel and C-MET, Thrissur.
- It is essential to entrust a nodal Ministry with this responsibility, otherwise, the subject may be neglected.
- Given the high cost-to-volume ratio for high-grade graphene, its production may become concentrated in a few global locations, akin to the semiconductor industry.
- India missed the semiconductor bus in the mid-1990s, and now is the opportune time to prioritize graphene.