Material Empire

In the history of science, graphene was discovered by the Geim research group of the University of Manchester in 2004. Its characteristic is, as Qin Hai said, a graphite crystal film with a single atomic layer. At that time, Geim et al. used a "tear tape method" to obtain graphene. They first cut the graphite into thin slices, and then stuck the two sides of the slices with a special adhesive tape. After tearing them in reverse, the thin slices were divided into two and stuck to the tapes on both sides. By repeating this process, thinner and thinner graphite flakes can be obtained, until eventually one atom-thick flakes are obtained, that is, graphene.

After the discovery of graphene, it quickly attracted the attention of the material science and condensed matter physics community. The research on the properties of graphene became the most popular topic for a while, and the research on the corresponding preparation methods also made breakthroughs one after another, making the application of graphene become possible.

Graphene has excellent mechanical properties, electrical properties, thermal properties and optical properties, and can be used to construct various high-performance nanodevices. Due to its single-layer structure, graphene can also be used to prepare carbon-based materials with unique chemical and electrochemical properties, such as various thin film materials, aerogels, carbon foams, and so on.

Businessmen have the keenest vision. Once graphene came out, it has attracted widespread attention in the economic field and has been hailed as a "universal material". Many countries have invested in the development of the graphene industry, vying for this technological peak that may generate huge benefits.

As a traveler, how could Qin Hai not know the value of graphene? It's just that he was restricted by technology and his own economic strength a few years ago, and he didn't have time to take care of this material with great potential. This time, inspired by a joke from Tranquility, he suddenly realized that the time to conduct graphene research should be ripe.

Seeing Qin Hai's seriousness, Tranquility put away her teasing expression and said, "Qin Hai, are you sure there is such a material? In my impression, several professors from the University of Tokyo tried to They tried to manufacture single-layer graphite flakes, but they were unsuccessful. The single-layer graphite flakes they produced could not exist independently at all, and soon decomposed. There was a thesis in the field of condensed matter physics, which believed that 'the perfect two-dimensional crystal structure cannot be obtained in a non-absolute Stable existence below zero', do you want to break this law?"

Qin Hai smiled and said: "All conclusions are meant to be broken, and the law you mentioned is no exception. But, don't worry about this matter, you should study your iron-based superconductor steadily. That's good. You can't do two things at once, so don't waste your time on other things."

"Talk about me, tell me how much you have used your own single-mindedness?" Tranquility scolded.

"No, no, I have all my heart on you, and it is absolutely useless." Qin Hai confessed with a smile.

"Bah, who knew you..." Tranquility was very disapproving of Qin Hai's intentional confusion of concepts, and then retorted. But in the middle of the conversation, she didn't say any more. The topic of Qin Hai's single-minded use seems a little sensitive, so she should try to avoid it as much as possible.

After some encounters in the jewelry store, the two of them lost the intention to continue shopping. Tranquility was thinking about her keynote speech tomorrow, and hurried back to the hotel to discuss with her mentor Chen Zongze again. As for Qin Hai, because he suddenly thought of the problem of graphene, he felt itchy and wanted to go back to the hotel to discuss with his subordinates.

The two took a taxi back to the hotel, went upstairs together, and then went to their own affairs separately. Tranquility went back to the room to get the manuscript, and went to Chen Zongze's room to make the final touches with the tutor. Qin Hai didn't even go back to the room, and went straight to the room of Nie Sen, an expert from the School of Materials Science and Technology.

Nie Sen is an expert recruited by Qin Hai from Pujiang. He has made some achievements in the research of nanomaterial properties and preparation methods. This time, he came to Paris to participate in the annual meeting of materials with a research paper on "Preparation of TiN/Si3N4 Ceramic Nanocomposites by Chemical Vapor Deposition". Several ceramic nanocomposites he researched have been put into production in Quwu Ceramics Group, and are widely used in automobile engines, electronic components, etc., and have achieved good economic benefits. It is precisely because of this that he is very popular with Qin Hai. valued.

When Qin Hai came to Nie Sen's room, Nie Sen was at his desk flipping through a few academic books he had just bought on the street. He was a little surprised when he saw Qin Hai coming, so he quickly got up to give up his seat and asked with a smile, "Qin Hai Boss, why are you here... Just now everyone was saying that you and Xiao Ning must have a candlelight dinner outside."

"Haha, I'm not that romantic." Qin Hai sat down on the sofa and said with a smile, "By the way, Professor Nie didn't say anything, I really ignored it. Next time we come to a meeting, we should encourage everyone to bring their family members , so that you big professors who have drunk foreign ink can take your wife to romance."

Nie Sen had studied abroad in his early years, so he was one of the people who had drunk foreign ink. Hearing what Qin Hai said, he smiled and said, "My wife and I are old couples, so what's the point of being romantic? But you and Xiao Ning are still young, so you should be so romantic. We all say that Mr. Qin and Xiao Ning are really romantic. A golden boy and a jade girl, a natural couple. Xiao Ning is so talented and has made such great achievements in superconductivity research at a young age, and Mr. Qin has ideas and financial strength. When you two are together, no matter what Whether it’s life or career, it’s a perfect match.”

Qin Hai waved his hands again and again and smiled: "Forget it, I found that our School of Materials Science is really a place to train people. A university student like you, Professor Nie, who is rigorous in his studies and unsmiling, becomes eloquent when he arrives in the School of Materials Science and Technology, and he will even criticize me. It's really unexpected that such a junior is joking."

"Haha, I also found that I became younger after I came to the School of Materials Science and Technology." Nie Sen said, "The last time I went back to Pujiang, my old colleagues said that I was very different from the past. Not only did I gain weight, The mentality is also young, which is all influenced by the ethos of our School of Materials."

"It's better to be younger. Only when you have a young mind can you have vitality." Qin Hai said.

The two chatted and laughed, and Nie Sen asked, "By the way, Mr. Qin, you haven't mentioned what's going on here with me. You don't just come here to drop by, do you?"

"It's okay to drop by. Doesn't Professor Nie welcome me to drop by?" Qin Hai asked.

Nie Sen said: "That's not true, Mr. Qin is willing to come to visit, I can't ask for it. Go to the School of Materials and ask, is there anyone who does not welcome Mr. Qin to visit? However, Mr. Qin is so busy, there is nothing to worry about. Will you drop by casually, is there something related to tomorrow's meeting that you want to tell us?"

Qin Haidao: "I don't dare to obey orders, but there is indeed something I want to discuss with Professor Nie. I don't know if Professor Nie has time."

"I have time, Mr. Qin, just talk about it if you have anything to do." Nie Sen closed all the books on the table, and said while facing Qin Hai while sitting upright.

"Professor Nie, your previous research on ceramic nanocomposites has achieved some results. I would like to discuss with you whether you can hand over the follow-up research to your assistant and open up a new research field. .” Qin Hai asked with a serious expression.

"It's absolutely fine." Nie Sen said without hesitation. The things he is researching are actually quite valuable. If done well, he can produce several very good papers and some profitable patents. However, when Qin Hai asked him to give up, he agreed without saying a word. Based on his experience, he knew that since Qin Hai made such a request, there must be more important tasks to be entrusted to him, and this task It must be able to achieve greater achievements.

"Boss Qin, if you have anything to do, just say it, as long as it's something I can do," Nie Sen said.

Qin Haidao: "I have an idea, and I'm not sure if it can be realized. I want to find an expert with solid theoretical and practical skills to try it out. I don't know if Professor Nie is interested. This idea is like this..."

As he spoke, he introduced his ideas about graphene to Nie Sen in detail. Of course, he didn't make his words very certain, he just said that he had such a conjecture, and based on previous experience, it should be possible to make it. In terms of specific graphene preparation methods, he also put forward some ideas, including not only the tape tearing method used by Geim et al., but also the crystal surface epitaxial growth method and chemical vapor deposition method invented by later scientists. etc.

During Qin Hai's narration, Nie Sen didn't say a word, and buried himself in his notebook, writing down some questions that came to his mind in a flash of inspiration from time to time. Nie Sen is very familiar with the preparation methods Qin Hai mentioned, but he never thought of applying them to the preparation of graphite materials. Qin Hai explained the problem very clearly, and Nie Sen could hear it very clearly. He faintly felt that Qin Hai's idea was very reasonable. Following this line of thought, the graphene material with a single layer of atoms that Qin Hai mentioned Most likely it can be manufactured.

As for the properties of this material, Nie Sen couldn't guess it for a while, but he knew that as long as there were samples of graphene, performing performance tests was nothing more than a routine operation.

Stable two-dimensional crystal material, this is Qin Hai's definition of graphene, and Nie Sen certainly knows what it means. If this material can be prepared, it means that a law of condensed matter physics will be overturned, which is an epoch-making discovery. Such a discovery can occupy a place in top international academic journals such as Science or Nature, and even winning a Nobel Prize for it is not an extravagant hope.

Such a big pie, Qin Hai put it in front of him, how could this not make Nie Sen feel excited.