Graphene
The theory of graphene was first explored by Wallace in 1947 as a starting point for understanding the electronic properties of 3D graphite. The emergent massless Dirac equation was first pointed out by Semenoff, DiVincenzo and Mele. The earliest TEM images of few-layer graphite were published by Ruess and Vogt in 1948. An early, detailed study on few-layer graphite dates to 1962 when Boehm and colleagues reported producing monolayer flakes of reduced graphene oxide. Efforts to make thin films of graphite by mechanical exfoliation started in 1990, but nothing thinner than 50 to 100 layers was produced before 2004. Initial attempts to make atomically thin graphitic films employed exfoliation techniques similar to the drawing method. Multilayer samples down to 10 nm in thickness were obtained.
Hong Byung-hee
Hong is also the founder of GSI pioneered the large-scale synthesis of graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which triggered chemical research toward the practical application of graphene. His first report on CVD synthesis of graphene ("Nature" 2009) has recorded the world highest citations in chemistry among the papers published since 2009 (roughly 5000 times). One year later, he developed the synthesis of ultra-large graphene based on roll-to-roll methods and its application to flexible touch screens ("Nature Nanotechnology". 2010), which is believed to be the first demonstration of application of graphene materials in practical electronic devices. For this contribution, he was invited to give a talk in the Nobel Symposium on Graphene (2010). He made more than 90 patent applications on graphene synthesis and applications, which corresponds to the world 2nd graphene-related inventor. Hong's research has been highlighted by Bloomberg, Businessweek, BBC, CNBC, New York Times, Financial Times, Russia Today, MIT Technology Review, C&EN News (cover story), Physics Today, and Physics World. He is now acting as Scientific Advisory Committee member of €1 billion Graphene Flagship project together with 4 Nobel Laureates and as Scientific Advisory Member of Cambridge Graphene Center, UK. He is currently an Advisory Member for CTO of LG Electronics. He served as a member of R&D Strategy and Planning Committee for Korean National Graphene Commercialization Project.