Supercomputer model reveals how sticky tape makes graphene

Scientists at UCL have explained for the first time the mystery of why adhesive tape is so useful for graphene production. The study, published in Advanced Materials , used supercomputers to model the process through which graphene sheets are exfoliated from graphite, the material in pencils. Graphene is known for being the strongest material in the world, lightweight and with extraordinary electrical, thermal and optical properties. Unsurprisingly, it offers many benefits for commercial application. There are various methods for exfoliating graphene, including the famous adhesive tape method developed by Nobel Prize winner Andre Geim. However little has been known until now about how the process of exfoliating graphene using sticky tape works. Academics at UCL are now able to demonstrate how individual flakes of graphite can be exfoliated to make one atom thick layers.