2024-04-19 17:18:12
Linköping University researchers’ latest development, ‘goldene’, is an atom-thick gold foil that might revolutionize report use in the future. The result of the meeting of an ancient Japanese forging technique and the most modern synthesis technologies created it is a new material with semiconductor properties.
Creating two-dimensional gold is harder than you think
A research team from Linköping University, led by Shun Kashiwaya and Lars Hultman, has long been working to create a gold foil no thicker than an atom. The project achieved a major breakthrough when researchers exposed a silicon-titanium carbide material to high temperatures, which they planned to coat with gold. In this experiment, gold, not silicon, was incorporated into the structure of the base material through a chemical process called intercalation. This surprising result encouraged the team to continue the experiments.
For the next step, the researchers chose Murakami reagent, a traditional Japanese technique used by blacksmiths to remove residual carbon and change the color of steel. Although this method cannot be directly applied to the combination of titanium carbide and gold, Kashiwaya tested different concentrations and etching times before finding the right settings. After months of experimentation, they finally succeeded in producing atomic-thick sheets of gold, opening up new possibilities for nanotechnology and other fields.
Possible Uses of Goldene
Goldene’s importance comes from its unique two-dimensional structure, which gives it semiconductor properties, making the material extremely versatile. Thanks to this, it can be used in many areas, for example in the conversion of carbon dioxide, in the catalytic production of hydrogen and other valuable compounds, in water purification and in telecommunications technologies . Additionally, the use of gold can reduce the need for gold in traditional applications, which can result in economic and environmental benefits.
Was his discovery simply a matter of chance?
The discovery of Goldene is exciting not only because of the promising possibilities of this new material, but also because it provides valuable insights into how scientific research works. Innovations often arise from the intersection of unexpected connections and experiences from different scientific fields, or even from the application of ancient techniques to modern problems. This happy discovery, often accidental, requires that researchers demonstrate a certain open-mindedness and humility to recognize and exploit the potential of new ideas and methods. That’s exactly what happened to the research group at Linköping University, who solved a modern materials science problem using an ancient Japanese forging technique.
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