My understanding is that what they did was replicate the electronic configuration of a particular element without having the protons and neutrons there. So they

My understanding is that what they did was replicate the electronic configuration of a particular element without having the protons and neutrons there. So they're basically nucleus-less atoms. The difference is that these quasi-atoms are basically immobile (since their position is determined by the positions of the graphene sheets) and thus for example have no temperature. Also they may be able to form covalent bonds, but they'll never form three-dimensional quasi-molecules.