Scientists find a way to ‘tune’ graphene By By Tim Sandle Jul 8, 2014 in Science Researchers continue to work on the wonder material of the age: graphene. Part of this involves ‘fine tuning’ the material in preparation to make a new generation of ‘superconductors’. Using graphene ribbons of very small widths (just several atoms across: roughly equal to the diameter of a strand of human DNA), a research team based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has found a novel way to “tune” graphene. This causes the extremely efficient conductor of electricity to act as a semiconductor. Therefore, a narrow enough ribbon will transform a conductor into a semiconductor. The require ribbons need to very thin because researchers found that To The researchers are now experimenting with saturating the edges with oxygen, rather than hydrogen, to investigate whether this changes the electrical behavior of the graphene to that of a metal. Graphene , a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms, is touted for its high potential to yield devices at nanoscale and deliver computing at quantum speed. Graphene is remarkably strong for its very low weight (100 times stronger than steel and it conducts heat and electricity with great efficiency.Using graphene ribbons of very small widths (just several atoms across: roughly equal to the diameter of a strand of human DNA), a research team based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has found a novel way to “tune” graphene. This causes the extremely efficient conductor of electricity to act as a semiconductor. Therefore, a narrow enough ribbon will transform a conductor into a semiconductor.The require ribbons need to very thin because researchers found that best electrical transition happens at a width of just three nanometers across. One nanometer is equal to one billionth of a metre. Here the two edges of such a narrow ribbon are able to strongly interact, essentially transforming the ribbon into a semiconductor with tunable qualities similar to that of silicon.To produce such narrow strips of graphene, the researchers used iron nanoparticles on top of the graphene in a hydrogen environment. Iron is a catalyst that causes hydrogen and carbon atoms to react, creating a gas that etches a trench into the graphene. The cutting is accomplished by precisely controlling the hydrogen pressure. The iron nanoparticle then moves randomly across the graphene, producing ribbons of the required width.The researchers are now experimenting with saturating the edges with oxygen, rather than hydrogen, to investigate whether this changes the electrical behavior of the graphene to that of a metal. More about Graphene, Material, Semiconductors, Electricity, Nanotechnology More news from Graphene Material Semiconductors Electricity Nanotechnology