Graphene opens up to new applications

The explosion of research interest in two-dimensional materials such as graphene and molybdenum disulphide has, to a large extent, been dominated by their physics, and in turn the exploitation of their electronic and optical properties. Researchers have, of course, also explored the chemical and mechanical properties of these materials — and sought applications that principally utilize these attributes — but the results have, arguably, received less attention. One intriguing line of research in this regard is the use of graphene as a nanoporous separation membrane. Here, through a combination of sophisticated fabrication and characterization techniques, unique membranes could be developed for use in critical applications such as gas separation, water purification, and desalination.