Graphene's new structure is shaped like a sponge harder than iron

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created one of the lightest and most robust materials to date by pressing and melting fossil ink sheets, a porous 3D graphene structure shaped like a sponge, with a density of only 5% iron but more than 10 times stronger than iron, The Independent reported Wednesday.graphene is considered the strongest material in two-dimensional form, but researchers have struggled to convert its solid strength in two-dimensional form into useful three-dimensional materials. In the latest study, the team created a complex and stable structure that resembles coral and diatoms by pressing small sheets of graphene together by applying heat and pressure. The new structure, called the Helix 24-sided body, has a relatively large surface area but is very robust.Marcus Beal, head of theresearch team and head of MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, explains: "Graphene, a two-dimensional material that is only one atom thick, has unique robustness and electrical properties, but is too thin to make a three-dimensional material. However, our latest research does just that. " geometry, which is naturally formed by graphene under heat and pressure, is so complex that it is not possible to make it by conventional methods, " says Mr. Biele. "In the experiment, the researchers used a 3D printer to create a structure that expanded thousands of times and tested it, and the results were obtained.new study, published recently in the journal Science Advances, suggests that the new structure's superior performance is greater because of this unique structure than by the material itself. This means that scientists can make other materials into the same geometry to obtain lightweight materials of the same strength.believe that the same geometry can even be applied to larger structural materials. For example, the cement that makes bridges can be made into the same porous geometry, reducing weight while gaining the same degree of robustness. In addition, because the shape is filled with small pores, it is expected to be used to filter water or chemicals.
。