Just as Zhou Linlei expected, once Nie Sen's short paper submitted to Private En was published, it caused an uproar in the global materials science community.
In 1985, before the advent of graphene, the scientific community had discovered a spherical molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms, resulting in a fullerene known as a zero-dimensional crystal structure; by 1991, a kind of graphite sheet curled up
The one-dimensional tubular structure formed was discovered, called carbon nanotube. After that, many scientists were speculating and trying to discover materials with two-dimensional structure, and the advent of graphene just filled this gap.
Although two-dimensional materials have only remained theoretical before, materials scientists have imagined countless application plans for two-dimensional materials, waiting to test the feasibility of these plans through empirical methods. Nie Sen's paper
The writing is very simple. In addition to introducing the laboratory preparation method and some basic properties of graphene, it also inadvertently mentioned that the small-scale industrial preparation technology of graphene has made a breakthrough, and the Anhe Institute of Materials can provide small quantities to global peers.
Graphene samples were used for further research.
This last sentence is the most critical. In less than 24 hours after this article was published, the phone lines in the entire Anhe Province were completely blocked, making the Provincial Public Security Department think it had been attacked by some kind of hacker.
"Mr. Qin, you have made me miserable." With a smile on his face, Nie Sen complained to Qin Hai, who was staying in his laboratory and watching the fun. During this day, he personally answered more than 100 calls.
Hundreds of them, some of them were scholars he knew in the past, and some of them found his contact information in a roundabout way and called the laboratory. All these calls were basically a routine, first to congratulate him,
Then he proposed cooperation. To put it bluntly, he wanted to get samples of graphene so that he could complete various researches before his peers.
Graphene has many characteristics that traditional materials do not have, which can revolutionize many traditional products. For example, graphene is a transparent material with good electrical conductivity, which breaks the traditional electrical conductivity of opaque and transparent materials.
Therefore, it can be used in solar cells, displays, sensors, antistatic coatings and other fields. A mobile phone screen made of graphene can be rolled into a paper tube without affecting its display effect at all. For another example,
Scientists have discovered that graphene has a special energy band structure. It has weak spin-orbit coupling, low hyperfine interaction, etc., so it can be used in the manufacture of quantum effect devices and is of great value to the development of future quantum computers.
From Qin Hai's ideal point of view, he hopes that all these applications can be included in his pocket, but he also knows that with China's current scientific research level and equipment level, it is unrealistic to complete all these researches. If he chooses to do it behind closed doors,
You may be able to seize some opportunities with this method, but as long as the concept of graphene spreads, it will be a matter of time for the foreign materials science community to find its preparation method. When the time comes, if you want to play with others, they may not necessarily take you with them.
Realizing this, Qin Hai changed his original intention. He decided to adopt an open policy and welcome materials scientists and companies from all over the world to cooperate with Anhe Institute of Materials to maximize the potential of graphene as a new material. Of course,
Since it is a cooperation, there are always some conditions. For example, the other party needs to recruit researchers from Anhe School of Materials to work together, teach some research methods, and ultimately share development results, etc.
At present, the industrial preparation patent of graphene is in the hands of Daqin Group. Unless foreign manufacturers can find other preparation methods, all users can only purchase graphene from Daqin Group. The wider the application range of graphene, the The greater the market demand, the greater the Daqin Group's profits. In a few years, when new preparation methods come out, the price of graphene on the market will inevitably plummet, and it will be meaningless to sell it by then.
With this idea in mind, Qin Hai asked Nie Sen to explain in the published paper that he could provide graphene samples, with the purpose of attracting experts from around the world to seek cooperation. Facts have shown that the effect of this signal is very significant.
Although Nie Sen is the nominal discoverer of graphene, he also knows that without Qin Hai's direction and subsequent investment regardless of cost, he would not have been able to complete this discovery. Qin Hai has promised that Daqin The group will give Nie Sen a generous reward for the application of graphene. The amount is enough to prevent Nie Sen from worrying about money in his life. In exchange, Nie Sen must also fully cooperate with the group's management of graphene.
In fact, it didn't take any commitment from Qin Hai, and Nie Sen would not be so arrogant as to treat graphene as his own private technology. According to Qin Hai's instructions, he welcomed every scientist who proposed cooperation, and Repeated the conditions of the Daqin Group. What reassured him was that all the scientists had no objections to these conditions, because they knew that if they were unwilling to accept these conditions, Anhe Institute of Materials Science and Technology could naturally find other scholars. Do this.
After a material is discovered, its application is nothing more than a layer of window paper. Anyone can pierce it. The key lies in who has the opportunity. Excellent scientists all have IQs above 180. How can they not understand this truth?
"Mr. Nie, please take the time to organize these contacts, classify them into categories, list their abilities and expected research directions, and then we will discuss together to see who we should cooperate with and what method of cooperation should be adopted. I estimate that the fastest We may arrive in Anhe within this week, and we won't know what to say then." Qin Hai explained to Nie Sen with a smile.
"Mr. Qin, don't worry, I will sort out all this information tonight." Nie Sen said excitedly. People are in high spirits when happy events happen. Nie Sen never thought that he would have such a glorious day. A little fatigue is nothing. On what.
"Also, your research team needs to be split up and your most capable assistants should be assigned to work with other teams. The most important inventions should be reserved for our own college. Now professors from all the colleges are staring at your laboratory. I want to dig out some gold in this gold mine." Qin Hai said jokingly for a long time.
"How can I not care about the affairs of this college?" Nie Sen said, "As an assistant in the laboratory, I will hand it over to you immediately if Mr. Qin likes it. I have absolutely no sense of self-centeredness. Without the School of Materials, It’s up to me, Nie Sen, to be the first to discover graphene. To be honest, this achievement has made my life worth it.”
"Haha, that's not possible." Qin Hai said with a smile, "There are still many things to do later. The industrial preparation of graphene needs further research, and the cost must be reduced to the price of cabbage. Also, graphene Modification research, oxidation, hydrogenation and other chemical doping issues are all waiting for you to solve."
"Speaking of these studies, I would like to report something to Mr. Qin." Nie Sen changed his expression to a serious one and said to Mr. Qin.
"Teacher Nie, please speak." Qin Hai nodded. He was not afraid that Nie Sen would make any excessive demands.
Nie Sendao: "My major is in nanostructures, and my chemistry skills are not very good. To conduct research on the modification of graphene, one or two chemistry experts are needed to cooperate, so...
"
"I'll recruit three postdocs for you, two in chemistry and one in materials preparation. What do you think?" Qin Hai added the words for Nie Sen before he could finish.
"Really!" Nie Sen was overjoyed, "Mr. Qin, how did you know what I meant?"
"Haha, I have thought of this for a long time." Qin Hai laughed, "Half a year ago, we submitted an application to the Postdoctoral Management Committee to establish a postdoctoral mobile station, and it has been approved. There are several chemical engineering departments at Huaqing University
There are several Ph.D. graduates this year from the Academy of Sciences and the General Institute of Iron and Steel. I have arranged for people to contact them, and they have all expressed interest in doing research here. Now I am waiting for you to take the time to meet with them and see who is suitable.
.”
Nie Sen looked at Qin Hai, and it took him a long time to say: "Mr. Qin, although others have already said some things, I have to say it again. Without your care, Mr. Qin, we would not be where we are today.
Achieved."
"That's all, Teacher Nie, please don't say that." Qin Hai waved his hands repeatedly, "All the achievements are made with your hard work. I don't dare to be greedy for God's credit. The college has created a good scientific research environment for you. This is
It’s something that should be done, but I still feel it’s not done enough.”
"With such good conditions, if anyone still says they are not enough, their conscience will be eaten by dogs," Nie Sen said.
While leaders and scholars at the Anhe School of Materials were busy arranging follow-up research work on graphene, a group of people in a company thousands of miles away in Japan were discussing this topic seriously.
This is a large chemical company named Nitsuka. Its scale ranks among the top three in Japan's chemical industry. It is also a major global producer of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and other carbon materials. As early as Nie Sen began to study graphite
Before ene, Nitsuka Chemical had already invested a lot of money in this field, trying to develop this theoretically existing two-dimensional carbon material. It was also a trick of fate. Just when they saw a glimmer of light, an article
The paper chilled their hearts: the Chinese discovered graphene first and mastered two methods of industrial preparation of graphene.
As soon as technical director Gen Yoshida saw this paper, he found chairman Saburo Hanatani and reported the terrible news to him. (To be continued.)