Moon discovery may rewrite its origin story

Chinese scientists have discovered multilayer graphene, thin carbon sheets two to ten atoms thick, in dust samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission. The discovery could revise theories about the birth of the Moon and influence plans for the future use of its resources.

Earth writes about it.

How a discovery transforms the idea of the birth of the Moon

The mission collected nearly 1.7 kg of soil from the Oceanus Procellarum region. Back on Earth, a team led by Wei Zhang of Jilin University examined the micron-sized particle using a non-contact laser spectrometer and obtained a clear "fingerprint" of multilayer graphene: distinct G- and 2D-bands with a barely noticeable D-band, indicating minimal defects. Under an electron microscope, stacks of two to seven layers were revealed, spaced 0.35 nm apart, and nearby were iron nanoparticles that likely catalyzed the formation of carbon during brief heating.

Previously, the Kaguya spacecraft recorded carbon leakage from almost the entire surface of the Moon, but the Apollo samples were low in carbon, so the Moon was considered "dry." The new data support the hypothesis that carbon was still present or arrived later. The solar wind, which bombards the atmosphereless regolith with protons at speeds of about 400 km/s, could transport gaseous carbon, deposit it on hot iron particles, and grow graphene shells, and ancient basaltic eruptions provided additional heat.

The presence of carbon is changing not only the scientific debate about the giant impact 4.51 billion years ago, but also engineering calculations. Oxygen plants that were planned to ignore carbon can now convert it into plastics or gases for life support systems. And graphene itself — an ultra-strong and good conductor — could strengthen radiation shields, water filters, or supercapacitor electrodes in future lunar bases.

The researchers plan to measure the mechanical and thermal properties of natural sheets to compare them with laboratory analogues. Each new sample will fuel the drive for an international sample return program that will help build a three-dimensional "picture" of the distribution of carbon on the Moon.

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