Chemistry
The one-atom-thick layer of carbon known as graphene can split hydrogen 100 times more efficiently than an equivalent mass of the best catalysts because of its strange nanoripples
By Alex Wilkins
Graphene can split hydrogen 100 times better than any known chemical catalyst thanks to tiny ripples on its surface. It could potentially be used to develop more effective hydrogen fuel cells and make many industrial processes more efficient.
A one-atom-thick layer of carbon, graphene is essentially a slice of graphite. The latter is an extremely unreactive compound because of its strong carbon bonds.
However, Andre Geim at the University of Manchester, UK, and …
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