Binghamton University researchers are working hard to revolutionize the field of graphene oxide — even though their findings won’t have any immediate real-world applications.

“I like to say graphene is the miraculous material that can do everything but make it out of the laboratory,” said Austin Faucett, a fifth-year Ph.D. student studying physics, who is researching graphene at BU.

Graphene is derived from graphite, the material used in pencils, and is only one atom thick. It is a compound made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms obtained by treating graphite with oxidizers. Graphene oxide is made up of less than eight layers of graphene, and can be used to create a strong, paper-like material that is electrically conductive.

Along with Jeffrey Mativetsky, an assistant professor of physics, Faucett has discovered a new way to utilize the exceptional electrical properties of graphene oxide, potentially revolutionizing the field. The two have found a way to control the substances they are working with at a much smaller size, which gives them greater control over what they are creating.

These findings may lead to advances in fields such as flexible electronics and solar cells, according to Faucett. The fields are relatively new, so it’s not completely known what uses there could be for the material, although Mativetsky said he is hopeful that it can be used in devices that turn solar radiation into energy.

“One of the main areas of interest for my research group is organic solar cells,” Mativetsky said. “This technology offers a pathway towards low-cost, clean, renewable energy.”

Faucett contributed to Mativetsky’s article, “Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide under ambient conditions,” which was originally published online in the journal Carbon on September 8. The article will be published again in print in Carbon’s December issue, and Faucett said that he hopes they are making important contributions to the field.

“There are still a lot of fundamental properties that are not well known,” Faucett said. “Basic questions just have not been answered yet, and we’re looking to answer those questions.”

Mativetsky said that while the research they are doing is exciting, there’s still a lot of basic work to be done before breakthroughs can be made in real-world applications of the product.

“There’s a lot of fundamental science for us to learn about these materials before they can become widely used in technologies,” Mativetsky said.

Faucett, who has been a student at BU since his undergraduate years, said he became interested in the field simply because of how new it was, and he’s excited to get the chance to try things that have never been tried before.

“We’re at the point where we have this pretty amazing material, and we just got to try stuff,” Faucett said. “We’ve found an interesting material, and we’ve just got to fully explore why it’s interesting.”