Liu Zhongfan

The thinnest substance in the world is more than 100 times stronger than steel. If a graphene with a thickness equal to one hundred thousandth of the diameter of a person’s hair is to be folded into thick plastic wrap, an elephant needs to stand on it. The pressure on the pencil can pierce it.

This material, which is currently known to be the thinnest, hardest, and the most conductive and conductive material, has been discovered in a short span of ten years and has become a hot new material for science in various countries. At present, many coastal areas in China are ambitious to prepare their own graphene industrialization projects.

As one of China’s most authoritative researchers in the field, Liu Zhongfan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Peking University, received an exclusive interview with “Oriental Weekly” on the progress of graphene research and industry in China.

He believes that although graphene is still in the basic research stage, it may indeed have broad space for development in key areas such as energy, environment, aerospace, and military, and graphene research has taken the lead in the world as a major carbon material research country in China.

However, Liu Zhongfan said that the current understanding of the prospect of graphene is not yet clear.

Lightweight body armor

"Oriental Watch": What is graphene?

Liu Zhongfan: Graphene is the first two-dimensional atom crystal found by humans. First of all, it is one of the thinnest substances in the world. It is equivalent to only one hundred thousandth of the diameter of human hair. Even so, graphene is the most solid substance in the world, and is more than 100 times stronger than steel.

In other respects, graphene has very good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. It can be said that its emergence has refreshed the human understanding of the material world and the microcosm, and it has also opened up a vast new world for researchers.

So after the graphene was discovered for only six years, that is, in 2010, its discoverer won the Nobel Prize in physics, which is also rare in the history of the Nobel Prize.

"Oriental Weekly": Graphene can be used specifically to do?

Liu Zhongfan: As an emerging nanomaterial, the application prospect of graphene is not very clear. At present, most of the research on graphene is still in the basic research stage of the laboratory, but some applications have begun to emerge, such as the distance not far behind in the daily use of electronic devices.

Nowadays, concepts such as flexible electronics and wearable devices are very popular, but the fragile screens of mobile phones and iPads are short boards. Graphene has good flexibility and can be bent without breaking performance. Graphene can also be used as an electrode for flexible batteries. If this idea is achieved, then our mobile phone will be as thin as a piece of paper and have a screen as large as an iPad. When not in use, it can be folded into the pocket. The curvature of the wearable device can also be adjusted to fit the body perfectly.

On the other hand, graphene has a very high chemical inertness and can therefore be used as a coating for certain military materials or equipment, making them resistant to corrosion. The graphene density is extremely small and extremely rugged, which can greatly reduce the weight of the material and at the same time achieve extremely high mechanical strength. For example, body armor can be made as thin as imaging paper.

If graphene is used in aerospace equipment, the load can be greatly reduced. The use of graphene as a metal material additive, such as an olefinic alloy, greatly improves the yield and tensile strength of the alloy material, and has a great potential for application in the aerospace field.

Graphene can also absorb microwave radiation, which can be used to make stealth aircraft. NASA is developing micro-sensors for graphene and plans to use it for accurate monitoring of oxygen content in the aerospace process.

In short, hope and believe that the infinite creativity of scientists will make these slowly become a reality.

We are moving from basic research to industrialization

"Oriental Weekly": What is your estimate of the time for the large-scale application of graphene?

Liu Zhongfan: It takes at least 5 to 10 years. Although there may be some graphene-related products entering the public's field of vision in the next few years, there is still some way to go from large-scale applications.

We are delighted that graphene is undergoing a transition from basic research to industrialization. For example, Changzhou, Wuxi, and other places have invested in the establishment of China's first research institute on graphene research and industry incubators, and issued the "Outline of Wuxi Graphene Industry Development Program."

If you ask graphene in which industry may be the earliest industrialization? More promising may be touch screens, flexible electronic devices, and other fields. This requires a comprehensive consideration of the difficulties involved in the implementation of related technologies, manufacturing costs, market demand, and the maturity and shortcomings of existing technologies.

In addition, if the manufacturing cost of bulk graphene can be reduced to a sufficiently low level and the graphene quality can be further improved, it is expected that the graphene-added mechanically-enhanced composite material will soon enter the market.

Industrialization is a complex issue that involves multiple layers. Of course, the core is still the product quality and cost. From a qualitative point of view, for example, for the application of a large-area graphene film, the conductivity of the graphene, the breakage and contamination in the transfer process, and the like restrict the application thereof.

For graphene powder materials, the size and crystallinity of the graphene sheets need to be improved. In terms of cost, the prices of these two raw materials are currently high. In recent years, although manufacturing costs have dropped, there is still room for cost reduction, depending on whether or not a more economical and efficient graphene production method can be developed.

Market "virtual fire too prosperous"

"Oriental Weekly": What is the current state of research on graphene in China?

Liu Zhongfan: China has always been a major research country in carbon materials. In the past ten years, our basic research and applied research on graphene have ranked among the top in the world. In recent years, the number of published papers and the number of patent applications in graphene are ranked first in the world.

We have great advantages in human and material resources. Second, our country has been involved in the field of graphene research earlier. However, it must also be noted that at present our research mainly follows the pace of foreign high-level research institutions, and there is less progress in genuine originality and breakthroughs. Although the total number of thesis is the world's first, the number of citations still lags far behind that of the United States.

"Oriental Weekly": Some people say that the market performance of graphene at present is "virtual fire is too prosperous," causing false prosperity in the market. How do you think?

Liu Zhongfan: At present, it seems that there is indeed such a phenomenon. The main reason is that the understanding of the foreground of graphene is not clear enough, and the graphene products are mainly based on the concept. In a short period of time, a large amount of funds are injected.

When a revolutionary new material enters the market, it will face such problems more or less. In the long run, however, the graphenes with excellent performances of all parties can be undeniable in the future. It is believed that with the popularization of knowledge related to graphene, market perception will be more objective, and the graphene market will usher in a new phase of healthy development.

"Oriental Weekly": What are your suggestions for accelerating the research and industrialization of graphene?

Liu Zhongfan: First of all, scientific research institutes should set their research goals as original work, instead of blindly following the trend. They can't be quick and immediate, and they should not be heavyweight.

Secondly, the central and local governments give more guidance and support for the research and industrialization of graphene, plan and long-term plans for the graphene industry, optimize the layout of the graphene industry, avoid overcapacity, and create technologies for the production and application of graphene. In intensive industries, we will increase the proportion of high-tech and high-value-added products to maintain the healthy and orderly development of the industry.

Third, science is borderless, but scientists have a motherland. On the one hand, the exchanges between different regions and countries should be strengthened. On the other hand, we must focus on the development of products and technologies with independent intellectual property rights. This is conducive to self-reliance, not excessive dependence on foreign products and technologies.

The thinnest substance in the world is more than 100 times stronger than steel. If a graphene with a thickness equal to one hundred thousandth of the diameter of a person’s hair is to be folded into thick plastic wrap, an elephant needs to stand on it. The pressure on the pencil can pierce it.

This material, which is currently known to be the thinnest, hardest, and the most conductive and conductive material, has been discovered in a short span of ten years and has become a hot new material for science in various countries. At present, many coastal areas in China are ambitious to prepare their own graphene industrialization projects.

As one of China’s most authoritative researchers in the field, Liu Zhongfan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Peking University, received an exclusive interview with “Oriental Weekly” on the progress of graphene research and industry in China.

He believes that although graphene is still in the basic research stage, it may indeed have broad space for development in key areas such as energy, environment, aerospace, and military, and graphene research has taken the lead in the world as a major carbon material research country in China.

However, Liu Zhongfan said that the current understanding of the prospect of graphene is not yet clear.