Graphene exhibits special physical and chemical properties. The preparation, functionalization and application of grapheme have been reported widely.

In their initial work, in 2004, they not only demonstrated that they had made graphene, but also elucidated its electrical properties by patterning it and connecting it to electrodes.

In the intervening years, researchers have developed methods for making larger quantities of the material, and now they're learning how to use it to make devices.