Researchers have created a new 2D carbon material that is actually stronger than graphene. The material was created by researchers at Rice University, and they say that it is strong enough to prevent cracks from forming easily, and that it can absorb more energy before breaking.
Graphene is often considered a “miracle” material because of its strength. In fact, it’s so strong that many consider it the strongest material to be tested so far, and it has even acted as the foundation of some groundbreaking new materials from MIT and others.
But this new two-dimensional material could be even better, the researchers claim in their paper, which is published in the journal Matter. The researchers behind the material call it MAC, which is short for monolayer amorphous carbon. They claim MAC is able to withstand more pressure before it cracks thanks to its unique design that combines crystalline and disordered regions.
This allows the material to utilize a different composite structure than other materials like it. When testing the new 2D material, the researchers say it actually showed that cracks slowed and even branched before eventually leading the material to break. The thinness of the material is also a high point for researchers, as its unique thinness could prove extremely useful in applications, especially for smaller electronics and devices.
The goal with a material like this is to expand upon our already useful pool of materials and find thinner, stronger options for areas where brittleness needs to be ruled out. The forced branching is a form of stalling, which causes the crack to take longer to actually break the material thoroughly. This results in a longer lasting material that can take more pressure before it eventually reaches the end of its life.
The new 2D material is created similarly to how graphene is created, which means the process can be scaled up exponentially to make the material ready for use in a variety of industries and areas. This new material is one of the first clear demonstrations that a combination of internal structures like this can make new materials worth exploring.
The strength showcased by MAC, as well as its scalability, make it an optimal alternative to graphene in places where more strength is needed.
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