[Flieger]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

Likely irrelevant. Plain old copper, one of the more metallic metals, has way more electron mobility than silicon, a semiconductor. That's kind of the reason we use Cu as we do and Si as we do.

I haven't studied graphene, but maybe it has some really cool anisotropy to its conductive and dielectric properties. I'd expect so as it's so sheet-like, like graphite. That opens up some areas to exploit.

These nanomaterials, that have inherently beneficial properties and mechanisms built into their very structure, will be the next revolution.

Compare the computer chip to a primitive computer built of discrete components. The chip is millions (billions?) of features fabricated simultaneously in a few dozen processing steps. The computer built of discrete components is assembled piece by piece, one at a time. Look at the performance difference (due to shortened length scales) and the tremendous manufacturing efficiency provided by building the whole thing at once on a chip.

Today for a battery or a power storage capacitor we put some electrodes/conductors around some electrolytes/dielectrics. Done on an "engineering" scale this is just begging for improvement like the computer chip was. One day we'll just let the materials figure it out themselves...

Graphene and nanotubes are highly orthotropic (not isotropic but symmetric about certain planes). Just like the strength, stiffness, thermal conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced plastics, only moreso.