Graphene (Ms. G, as I call it QUEEN of 2D materials :-) ) , since 2004, has demonstrated her acrobatism with number of applications in various fields viz. transparent and flexible electronics, touch screens etc. Now, graphene has been demonstrated as a infrared photodetector which can convert light signals to electrical signals. This makes graphene the leading material so far which can be used for electrical as well as optical applications.
http://www.nature.com/news/graphene-makes-light-work-of-optical-signals-1.13744
Good news for mechanical applications of graphene -
Researchers have measured the intrinsic strength of single crystal and bicrystal graphene grown using chemical vapor deposition. They have found that polycrystalline graphene with high angle grain boundaries are as strong as single crystal graphene. The high strength is attributed to the atomic-scale strain fields, determined by a transmission electron microscope, in the carbon-carbon bonds at the boundary.
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/131119/ncomms3811/full/ncomms3811.html?WT.ec_id=NCOMMS-20131120
Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are very promising material for electronic applications as quantum confinement opens a band gap in gapless graphene. Now researchers have used PMMA, a polymer used as a support to transfer graphene, to grow GNRs on epitaxial Ni thin films. The study paves for controlling the orientation of GNRs.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn405122r
We all get confused by the name "graphene" as it has now become a routine to use the word for many 2D carbon materials which actually are not real "graphene". One can have a look at the following article which provides a recommended nomenclature for 2D carbon materials. Its a must read for newcomers and a guide for those who are already in the field.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622313008002
Researchers from India have demonstrated control on the number of Dirac points in graphene by using a superlattice structure. The work is promising in controlling not only the electronic but magnetic and thermo-electric properties of graphene as well.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl4006029
Graphene is seen as a potential candidate for photodetection applications. Now, the researchers have studied dual gated bilayer graphene to observe the gating effect on its photothermal response. They have found a significant role of hot electron thermal relaxation in defining the photovoltaic response of graphene.
http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v110/i24/e247402
