Graphene produced from nanotubes. Artwork showing how graphene ribbons (top and background) can be produced by unzipping multi-walled carbon nanotubes (bottom and middle). Graphene is composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb crystal lattice. It is both flexible and very strong and conducts electrons faster than silicon. It could one day replace silicon in applications such as nanometre (billionths of a metre) sized electronics, cheap and efficient solar panels, transparent display coatings and miniature sensors. Graphene was discovered by Andre Geim in 2004.