Nobel physics prize for ultrathin carbon discovery

Nobel laureates: Andre Geim (left) and Konstantin Novoselov are seen outside Manchester University, Manchester, England, on Tuesday. The scientists shared the Nobel Prize in physics for ultrathin carbon discovery. – AP/Jon Super

Two Russian-born scientists shared the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for groundbreaking experiments with the strongest and thinnest material known to mankind - a potential building block for faster computers and lighter airplanes and satellites.

University of Manchester professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov used Scotch tape to isolate graphene, a form of carbon only one atom thick but more than 100 times stronger than steel, and showed it has exceptional properties, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

Experiments with graphene could lead to the development of new superstrong and lightweight materials with which to make satellites, aircraft and cars, the academy said in announcing the 10 million kronor (US$1.5 million) award.

The unique properties of the transparent material could also spur the development of innovative electronics, including transparent touch screens, more efficient computers and solar cells, although no commercial products have been created yet.

"It has all the potential to change your life in the same way that plastics did," Geim told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "It is really exciting."

Geim, 51, is a Dutch national while Novoselov, 36, holds both British and Russian citizenship. Both were born in Russia and started their careers in physics there. They first worked together in the Netherlands before moving to Britain, where they reported isolating graphene in 2004.

Novoselov is the youngest winner since 1973 of a prize that normally goes to scientists with decades of experience. The youngest Nobel laureate to date is Lawrence Bragg, who was 25 when he shared the physics award with his father William Bragg in 1915.

"It's a shock," Novoselov told the AP. "I started my day chatting over Skype over new developments - it was quite unexpected."

Geim said he didn't expect to win the prize this year either and had forgotten that it was Nobel time when the prize committee called him from Stockholm.

The two scientists used simple Scotch tape as a crucial tool in their experiments, peeling off thin flakes of graphene from a piece of graphite, the stuff of pencil leads.