Wafer-thin, stretchy and strong as steel: could ‘miracle’ material graphene finally transform our world?

The material, discovered in 2004, was meant to be revolutionary. But only now is the technology coming of age

Twenty years ago, scientists announced they had created a new miracle material that was going to transform our lives. They called it graphene.

Consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, it is one of the strongest materials ever made and, for good measure, it is a better conductor of electricity and heat than copper.