On August 27, a joint research team led by Professor Yoon Hyo Jae (Department of Chemistry) and Professor Hong Byung-hee (Seoul National University, Department of Chemistry) had their revolutionary work on graphene electrodes published on the globally acclaimed science journal, *Advanced Materials*. Titled *Enhanced Thermopower of Saturated Molecules by Noncovalent Anchor-Induced Electron Doping of Single Layer Graphene Electrode*, this article summarises the possibility of utilising graphene electrodes to improve heat exchange efficiency, which could improve the capabilities of clean energy production, and lessen fossil fuel reliance.

Professor Yoon’s research team had been working on finding ways to improve the head exchange efficiency of saturated hydrocarbon for the last few years. They had made headway when they discovered a method to measure its Seebeck coefficient, which is the magnitude of the thermoelectric voltage caused in a certain material by temperature difference.

Their most recent study with Professor Hong’s team further explored this avenue of possibility by creating a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of saturated hydrocarbon on top of single-layer graphene (SLG). The SAM — a one layer of saturated hydrocarbon one molecule thick — automatically bonds to the SLG, which is another monolayer, this time made of carbon atoms. This increases the Seebeck coefficient of the saturated hydrocarbon dramatically, and the technological prospect from this new discovery is speculated to open completely new options in the field of developing saturated hydrocarbon-based thermoelectric modules.