Graphene gets sculpted for stretch

Inspired by the paper art form kirigami, physicists have made tiny, complex structures from sheets of graphene.

Graphene is a much-vaunted "wonder material" which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms.

The new research, published in the journal Nature, shows that flexible but robust hinges, electrodes and springs can all be created from graphene.

This video shows a kirigami pattern in a graphene sheet that forms a spring, stretching and contracting dramatically.

Footage courtesy of the McEuen Group, Cornell University