A new class of material, which brings computer chips made from a single molecule a step closer, has been discovered by scientists.
Called graphene, it is a two-dimensional, giant, flat molecule which is still only the thickness of an atom.
The nanofabric's remarkable electronic properties mean that an ultra-fast and stable transistor could be made.
The physicists from the University of Manchester and Chernogolovka, Russia, published their research in Science.
"In my opinion, this is one of the most exciting thing to have happened in solid state physics in a decade," Professor Laurence Eaves, semi-conductor expert from the University of Nottingham told the BBC News website.
Graphene is part of the family of famous fullerene molecules, discovered in the last 20 years, which include buckyballs and nanotubes.
Graphene is like millions of unrolled nanotubes stuck together
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bbc.co.uk