Not a fact anymore
A stable material only one atom thick cannot exist on its own.
What we know now
Graphene—a sheet of carbon only one atom thick—and many other two-dimensional materials can exist as stable, free-standing or supported layers only one atomic layer thick.
Why it changed
Thermal fluctuations were expected to destabilize perfectly two-dimensional crystals. In 2004, researchers isolated graphene from graphite and measured its unusual electronic properties; later microscopy showed that slight rippling helps stabilize real sheets.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Materials Science
- Accepted for
- ≈54 years
- Accepted approximately
- Mid-20th century–2004
- Changed approximately
- 2004–2010