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Why did Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov receive the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics?

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graphene: atomic force microscopy — graphene Atomic force microscopy image of water structures that were trapped beneath a sheet of graphene one atom thick.

Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking experiments with graphene.12

In 2004, the researchers and their colleagues at the University of Manchester successfully isolated single-layer graphene using a simple method of exfoliation from graphite, often referred to as the "scotch-tape method". Their achievement was significant not only for the isolation of this one-atom-thick sheet of carbon but also for their subsequent study of its unique physical properties.312

Specifically, they demonstrated that electrons in graphene possess very high mobility, suggesting its potential for future electronic applications. Furthermore, their work established graphene as the first and simplest example of a two-dimensional crystal, providing a vital model system for studying two-dimensional physics and chemistry.3