Graphene is the most widely discussed material in science and technology circles. This is due to its remarkable properties and the future it heralds for next-generation electronic devices. The carbon-based material is light, strong (200 times stronger than steel), flexible, transparent, act as a perfect barrier and is highly conductive. Graphene is just one atom thick, with the atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern.
To explore the conductive features further, scientists have explored how rod-shape bacteria can be precisely aligned in an electric field, and then vacuum shrunk, in order to alter the path of electrons through graphene and along perpendicular directions.
The modified material can be added to a silicon chip and it could further enhance the properties of graphene and strengthen further its application in the world of electronic devices.
The idea of using bacteria to create ripples on the surface of graphene came because the resultant ripples open up a ‘V’ in the electron cloud around each carbon atom. This forms what is known as a dipole moment. This leads to the opening up of an electronic band gap, providing a conductive property that flat graphene does not possess.
In an attempt to create the ripples, the research group first tried bending and stretching graphene but this proved ineffective and often the material fell back into shape. Through a eureka moment, the researchers had the idea of using bacteria of the genera Bacillus to help to create the ripples.
To achieve this, the science group positioned bacteria in an electric field. This caused the organisms to line up in repeating rows. Once positioned, a sheet of graphene was then applied over the top. Variations with the vacuum and the position of the organisms affects how the current flows. The position of the bacteria was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.
Intrigued by the news, TC_papers (@TC_papers) tweeted: “Confined, Oriented and Electrically Anisotropic Graphene Wrinkles on Bacteria.”
The research, carried out at the University of Illinois, has been published in the journal ACS Nano. The research paper is titled “Confined, Oriented and Electrically Anisotropic Graphene Wrinkles on Bacteria.”
