Graphene Was Discovered with Sticky Tape

People claim that graphene is the "wonder material of the future" and that it has the potential to fundamentally alter society. The strength and electrical characteristics of this single layer of carbon atoms have the potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries. And to think that a man tinkering with tape led to the accidental discovery of this wonder material.

In order to separate graphene from graphite, often known as pencil lead, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who shared the physics Nobel Prize, tore off a layer with some tape. They did it several times, removing layers of carbon until they were down to a very thin layer that allowed them to isolate that graphene layer made of a single atom.