Smart Wallpaper

Scientists have developed new moth-inspired, ultra-thin graphene sheets which can be used in smart wallpaper that can generate electricity from light or heat, and power a host of applications at home. Using a technique known as nano-texturing, which involves growing graphene around a metallic surface, researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK took inspiration from nature to create ultra-thin graphene sheets designed to more effectively capture light. Just one atom thick, graphene is very strong but traditionally in efficient at light/heat absorption. To combat this, the researchers used the nano patterning to localize light into narrow spaces between the textured surfaces, enhancing the amount of light absorbed by the material by about 90%.