Carbon Nanotubes
(CNTs)
Single walled carbon nonatubes (SWCNs) are essentially
just sheets of graphite rolled into tubes. For such a simple concept they have
been shown to have astounding properties; they can be used as semiconductors to
eventually make possible the production of super-fast computers, they can be
sleeved together to form multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MWCNs) which can be used to create axles for motors
less than 1/100th the size of the diameter of a human hair, they can
even be strung together to form ropes that are many times lighter, smaller, and
many, many times stronger than any other comparable substance.
Because they can withstand
high temperatures (up to 1,000 o C) and have thermal conductive
properties similar to diamond (very low specific heat) SWCNs
are ideal for use in computers, also because of their size (
~ 1-3nm) they are extremely efficient when used as semiconductors.
According to “Electronics and optoelectronics with
carbon nanotubes New
discoveries brighten the outlook for innovative technologies by Phaedon Avouris and Joerg Appenzeller”
“Electrons and holes can be
injected from opposite ends of a carbon nanotube to
create a single-molecule, electrically controlled light source (a). The light
emission can be translated between the two metal electrodes (b) by varying the
gate voltage because this is an undoped system. The
same device can function as a switch, a light emitter, or a light
detector”
To see a picture of the light
source described above taken from http://www.tipmagazine.com/tip/INPHFA/vol-10/iss-3/p18.html, click here.
This is just one of the many
eventual applications for carbon nanotubes.
Additional information from a lecture given at the