In a development that could lead to novel carbon composites and touch-screen displays, researchers from Rice University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology today unveiled a new method for producing bulk quantities of one-atom-thick sheets of carbon called graphene.

Using concentrated solutions of graphene dissolved into acid, the scientists made transparent films that were electrically conductive. Such films could be useful in making touch screens that are less expensive than those used in today’s smart phones.

The researchers also produced liquid crystals that could be spun into fibers, which could drive down the cost of the ultrastrong carbon composites used in the aerospace, automotive and construction industries.