These photos show how some scientific applications and processes can convey stark beauty.
- Philip Guildford
Graphene is a sheet form of carbon that is a single atom thick, which can be produced by successively peeling thin layers off graphite using tape until an individual atomic layer is left. In the ink produced here, powdered graphite is mixed with alcohol then forced at high pressure through micrometre-scale capillaries made of diamond.
This was the first time that Macleod, a 32 year old technician at the Department, had entered the competition. His is one of more than 140 images that showcase the breadth of research taking place there.
The competition, sponsored by ZEISS, international leaders in the fields of optics and optoelectronics, has been held annually for the last 12 years. The panel of judges included Roberto Cipolla, Professor of Information Engineering, Dr Allan McRobie, Reader in Engineering, Professor David Cardwell, Head of Department, Dr Kenneth Png, Senior Applications Engineer at Carl Zeiss Microscopy and Philip Guildford, Director of Research.
View some of the other images and read the full story
The winning images can be viewed online via the Department's Flickr pages, where they can be accessed alongside dozens of other entries.
Image: Graphene being processed in alcohol to produce conductive ink
Credit: James Macleod
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
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