Know More About Nanotubes

This entry was posted by Wednesday, 23 December, 2009

A nanotube is made of a lattice of single carbon atoms and holds great promise for nanomedicine technology. These easily manipulated particles make excellent sensors that can travel directly to a tumor. Additionally, researchers say they can be used to replace platinum in fuel cells and in energy-saving transistors. Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Nanotechnology Center say they can grow bigger, faster tomatoes by exposing tomato seeds to carbon nanotubes, which will enrich the germination process, penetrating the seed coats to encourage water uptake. These are just a few of the ongoing studies involving the nano-sized particles.

Researchers have discovered that carbon nanotubes in mass quantities can have a number of vital nanotechnology applications. Using large nanotube sheets, these nano-sized superstars can conduct electricity, emit light or heat, absorb solar power, create more flexible surfaces, provide even light distribution and strengthen sails. “When you have a remarkable material, it’s easy to make advances in terms of applications,” said head researcher Ray Baughman at the University of Texas, Dallas. Truly, carbon nano tubes are the way of the future.

To create a string of nanotubes, scientists assemble trillions of strings of individual carbon nano tubes, which are comprised of cylindrical sheets of carbon atoms. In the past, nano sheets were made much like paper is made, by filtering solutions full of nano tubes, peeling the nanomaterials off and letting them dry for a week. Today, lab workers can grow nano forests of bundles stacked vertically, drawing numerous tiny tubes to sheets of duct tape, producing seven meters of sheets per minute. Ray Baughman explains: “A trillion nano tubes must be automatically rotated by about 90 degrees and self-assembled in a parallel fashion for every meter-long, 7 centimeter-wide sheet that we make.”

Nanotubes are incredibly small, versatile and responsive to the molecules surrounding them. As a result, scientists are curious to see how they may be able to sense toxins and treat chemical spills. They want to see how nanotubes can be used medically to detect, identify and treat life-threatening diseases. They want to examine how the carbon nanotube and the inorganic nanotube can be used to create stronger industrial materials and longer lasting energy cells. The possibilities are limitless, but it’s important that the proper protocol is followed, that tests are conducted and that it is safe to work with such tiny and powerful particles.

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