Before you jump into the comments to punish us for misspelling graphene, remember that graphene is like graphene but not the same. Like graphene, it is a two-dimensional structure of carbon. Unlike graphene, it has double and triple bonds and does not always form hexagons. Scientists have speculated about its existence for decades, but researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have finally been able to stop it. You can download the paper if you want to know the details.
Carbon forms such as fullerenes and graphene are well known and have many fancy uses. Other allotropes of carbon include graphite and diamond – two things, of course, with highly modified properties. The conductivity of graphene is similar to that of graphene but may have other advantages.
The process is called alkyne metastasis, a fancy name for an organic reaction that modifies alkyne bonding. The process requires dynamic and thermodynamic control, including the performance of reactions under argon. Completely produced paper is outlined under “Procedure”. Although it takes a little longer than a test tube and a Bansen burner, it doesn’t take too much foreign matter – some chemicals, a Schlank flask, liquid nitrogen and a hot oil bath. This is something that a well stocked home lab might be able to pull off.
We still don’t know what to do with the graphene we make, but it’s not that hard to make. There are different methods. Maybe we’ll see DIY graphene soon.