Graphene self-repairs

This has some amazing implications for bendable circuits, wearable electronics, etc.

RESEARCHERS at the University of Manchester and the SuperSTEM facility at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory have found that graphene can self-repair its holes. Graphene is composed of one-atom-thick carbon sheets and has electronic and physical properties that promise a number of exciting applications in the future. The team, led by Professor Kostya Novoselov was originally looking to gain a deeper understanding into how metals interact with graphene. However, in the course of their study, they found that while metals can cause holes in the graphene sheet, some of these holes mended themselves using nearby loose carbon atoms to re-knit the graphene structure. According to the researchers, not only can they use metals to controllably sculpt the graphene at an atomic level, they can also grow it back in new shapes, making for an increased degree of flexibility.

Source: http://www.electronicsnews.com.au/news/graphene-self-repairs