Imagine a mobile phone that can be charged in seconds, or an electric car in minutes. Imagine a battery so light and flexible that it can be folded up or tucked into a pocket. How useful would a membrane be that could filter (separate) salt from seawater?

These are some of the possibilities that graphene could offer us. This material was first created (synthesized) in 2004 in Manchester. Two scientists later won the Nobel Prize for it.

Graphene, often referred to as a two-dimensional material, is created as a material just one carbon atom "thick". It is expected that its further development and application could be as significant as plastic was for the post-war generation.
Photo Colin McPherson / Corbis