A nearly 20-year-old scientific prediction has gained experimental support, revealing how graphene’s atomic structure could unlock new possibilities for advanced sensors and electronic devices.

A wrinkle in graphene just a few atoms wide can dramatically alter how electricity behaves in the material. Scientists have now measured this effect in exceptionally sharp folds, providing experimental evidence for a phenomenon predicted nearly 20 years ago.

The discovery, published in Advanced Materials, suggests that researchers could eventually control electrical properties by changing a material’s shape rather than its chemical composition. Graphene, a remarkably strong and conductive material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms, is already being explored for batteries, computer chips, and other advanced electronics.