Two - dimensional graphene may be poise torevolutionize much of materials skill , but a recent discipline has shown that this one - atom - thick stuff could present some serious health risks inside the human body . The problem ? It ’s so thin that it can slice directly into our cells .
This video shows why two - dimensional wonder material graphene is about to change everything
Graphene was discovered about a ten ago . It ’s improbably strong , flexible , stretchable , conductive , andself - chill . Eventually , it ’ll be used in small electronic devices , solar electric cell , batteries , and medical gadget . But not much is known about what consequence these fabric might have if they get inside the human torso .
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And indeed , these material could be ingested during the manufacturing process , during a product ’s lifecycle , or through other environmental channel . Graphene could be inhaled accidentally , or by choice injected or implanted as components of young biomedical technologies .
And troublingly , as thenew studyfrom Brown University researchers intimate , graphene does indeed seem to demo toxic qualities .
The scientist discovered that graphene feature erose edges that can well thrust cell membrane , reserve it to enter into the cellular phone and disrupt normal function . Previous computer models had brush off the possibility — but the model assumed absolutely straight piece of black lead . But in reality , after the exfoliation process , they come off in funnily shaped flakes with jaggy jut called grimness .
To prove it through an experiment , the researchers placed human lung , cutis , and resistant cell in petri dishes along with graphene microsheets . Then , after looking at the interactions with an electron microscope , they could see the graphene piercing into the cell with its rocky edges and nook . weather sheet of up to 10 micrometer could be gobbled up by a cell .
This is not in force news , obviously . But now materials scientists can set about the task of finding a way to create cleaner cold shoulder of graphite .
Read the entire study at PNAS : “ Graphene microsheets put down cells through spontaneous membrane penetration at edge rigour and niche sites . ”
NanotechnologyScience
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