Graphene's potential in materials science and engineering

Abstract

Materials serve as the basis of societal development and the material of choice of a given era is often a defining point. Everything we see and use in our daily life is made from materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors and composites. Materials science involves the study of the structure, properties and behavior of all materials, aiming to establish the basis and fundamentals for every modern technology. Things that were considered impossible have been made possible through the integrated approach of “needs driven” and “discovery driven” research. One such approach resulted in a breakthrough with the discovery of graphene, which was considered practically impossible. Graphene is the simplest and the strongest material ever found, and it has demonstrated its potential in multifarious fields; moreover, graphene has consolidated itself as an invaluable material that can enhance or overhaul the existing paradigm in so many applications. This work is a consolidated review about exotic properties, various fabrication approaches, characterization techniques and promising applications of graphene.