Graphene nerve sensors control the movement of a robotic hand. (Photo provided to China Daily)
In graphene, carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice formation, similar to the pattern of chicken wire.
Strong covalent bonds between the atoms give graphene a tensile strength 325 times greater than steel, while maintaining flexibility and elasticity. Graphene is also an efficient conductor of heat and electricity, and is ultra-lightweight.
The discovery instigated a whirlwind of speculation into how the new material could change the world.
"But graphene is just a teenager," said Baker. "Right now, we are in the 'trough of disillusionment', and we are starting to climb out of it."
Part of the journey through a hype cycle requires an adjustment of expectations, said Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, a director at Cambridge consultancy IDTechEx who has been conducting market research into graphene since 2006.
"There is a difference between ideal graphene, the wonder material, and commercial graphene, which is more down-to-earth," said Ghaffarzadeh.
He explains that there are numerous varieties of graphene－sheets, flakes, and powders made of multi-layered or few-layered graphene to name but a few－and most are currently used as an additive to improve the performance of other materials.
There is even debate over whether certain additives can be classed as graphene. Last year, China and the UK formed a graphene standardization working group aimed at ensuring quality control in the market.
On the nano level, single-layer graphene has fantastic properties. On a larger scale, some forms of graphene act like graphite, while others behave like an oxide.
This makes it challenging to convince industry to turn to graphene, where the material would compete with other additives that are cheaper and only marginally poorer performers.
But several products enhanced by graphene are already on the market in China. Beijing Carbon Century Technology produces an energy-saving graphene modifier for engine oil. Wuxi-based GMCC Electronic Technology makes a graphene-enhanced supercapacitor that is an alternative to electrochemical batteries and has a shorter charge time. Beijing-based Xiaomi and Guangzhou-based FiiO have incorporated graphene into headphone drivers. And other Chinese companies sell optical displays, LED light bulbs, and tires that are all enhanced with graphene.
Huawei has been tipped to release a smartphone with graphene-assisted batteries in the near future. The batteries are said to be able to charge fully in a matter of minutes and have an increased capacity.
Huawei has been one of the fastest adopters of graphene in its industry. The company's founder, Ren Zhengfei, is optimistic about the material's ability to dramatically change the electronics technology.
In 2016, Huawei developed a graphene-enhanced lithiumion battery for mobile network-base stations that remains functional at extreme temperatures.
Huawei is currently three years into a joint research program at the NGI that is exploring how graphene could be used in next-generation communications technologies.
"The University of Manchester has enormous expertise and the best facilities for working with the material," said Chen Lifang, a corporate senior vice-president at Huawei.
Elsewhere within the NGI's labyrinth of laboratories, Xiao Ping is leading a project for the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, or BIAM, which is a subsidiary of the Aero Engine Corporation of China.
