The unique
properties of Carbon Nanotubes, the tiny molecular cylinders, have enticed
researchers for years because of the possibility that they could serve as the
successors to silicon serving as the electronic devices that are smaller,
faster and cheaper.
First, they
are tiny on the atomic scale and perhaps close to the physical limit of how
small you can reduce a single electronic switch. Like silicon, they may be of
semi-conductive nature, which is essential for the circuit panel, and they may endure
very rapid and controllable electrical switch.
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But the
major obstacle to useful electronic construction out of carbon nanotubes has
always been that when they are placed in films, few parts of them act more like
a metal than a semiconductor. This defect can spoil the entire film.
In effect, Professor
John Rogers of University of Illinois professed that purity must exceed
99.999%, i.e. even a bad tube in 100,000 is enough to kill an entire electronic
device. These kinds of materials will not work for semiconductor circuits.
Currently Rogers with the help of a team of researchers have experimented
using rather easy, scalable method that does not involve costly tools to strip
out the metallic carbon nanotubes from assortments.
Benefits of Carbon Nanotubes:
Carbon Nanotubes
have multiple exceptional advantages, comprising of:
- High thermal and electrical conductivity
- Optical properties
- Flexibility
- Increased rigidity
- High tensile strength (100 times stronger than steel by weight)
- Lightweight
Applications of Carbon Nanotubes:
- At present Carbon nanotubes are applied in different products, and researchers are looking forward to discover new creative applications.
- Current applications include:
- Bicycle components
- wind turbines
- Flat screens
- Scanning probe microscopes
- Detection devices
- Electrical circuits
- Electronic and many more
- Future uses of carbon nano tubes are quite interesting which include:
- Stab-proof and bullet-proof Clothing
- Semiconductor materials
- Spacecraft
- Space elevators
- Solar panels
- Cancer treatment
- Touch screens
- Energy storage
- Optical technology
- Radar
- Biofuel
- LCD
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Submicroscopic
test tubes
CNTs are very new material with little continuing
history. Although no human has yet fallen ill due nanotubes, nevertheless scientists
urge caution while handling nano particles. The potential health risks are not
cause for alarm and the future of Carbon
Nanotubes is quite bright in the world of electronics. 