Scientists in the United Kingdom and China are working to create a future built on graphene, the "super material" that may soon be used for a range of things, including charging smartphones in seconds and filtering salt out of seawater.

At the first UK-China graphene conference last week in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, British scientists demonstrated the latest breakthroughs in the commercialization of the highly conductive, incredibly strong two-dimensional material made of carbon.

Researchers from the Manchester-based National Graphene Institute demonstrated the filtration capabilities of ultrathin, graphene-oxide membranes. The technology could be used to separate particles from solvents in the manufacture of medication, and to transform seawater into clean drinking water.