Ever since its discovery in 2004, graphene has become one of the leading stars in the electronics and nanotechnology field. Graphene has been called the miracle material of the 21st century and it had been predicted that it would eventually replace silicon as the main material in electronic devices. There have been countless research papers written about the material and now another paper demonstrates how electrons move in graphene.

A review article, published in The European Physical Journal B by 2010 Nobel Prize laureates for physics Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, explores how electrons tunnel through energy barriers in graphene.

Graphene is a very dense and strong material with about 200 times the strength of structural steel and almost completely transparent. A possible explanation for graphene's unique properties is the way electron travel inside the material. Electrons in graphene behave as if they were massless. These electrons can tunnel through energy barriers regardless of width and energy height. This phenomenon is called Klein tunneling, described by the Swedish physicist Oskar Klein in 1929.

The massless way electrons zip across a graphene layer is one of the main reasons why graphene is perfectly suited for many electronic device applications. It is one of the most conducive materials known to man. In computer chips it could offer faster processor chips that would operate at terahertz speeds.

High frequency transistors can also be made with graphene because of the higher speed at which electrons move in graphene in comparison to silicon. Companies like IBM and Nokia have also invested in research in graphene. IBM has already created a 150-gigahertz transistor, the quickest transistor using silicon runs at only 40 GHz.

Graphene could provide thinner and flexible electronic devices. Imagine having your smartphone as thin as a credit card and completely flexible. Samsung has already invested in this new material and has even presented a 25-inch flexible touchscreen made of graphene.

Beyond the digital applications, graphene could also be added to epoxy composites to make them stronger. Graphene powder added to tire would make it stronger than the tires manufactured today. Researchers are also looking in building graphene layers in fuel tanks to increase the amount of hydrogen storage. This could result in lighter fuel tanks and a practical hydrogen-fueled car.