Honda Research Institute USA, the University of Louisville and the Purdue University conducted a research in the nanotechnology field demonstrating that microscopic carbon nanotubes that are 100,000 times thinner than a human hair can be used for faster electricity transport over greater distances, consuming lower energy.
Combining miniaturization with energy efficiency could lead to the development of a new class of electronics. The technology would be used in powerful and compact computer systems, electrical cables, solar cells, batteries, electrodes for supercapacitors, fuel cells, artificial muscles, energy storage materials, composite material for planes and automobiles, as well as hybrid vehicles.
The carbon nanotubes grow on the metal nanoparticles’ surfaces and take the tubular shape having carbon atoms in their tips. Their strength increases considerably when exhibiting metallic conductivity and this strength level is comparable with steel, while their conducting heat efficiency is equal with diamonds’, but remain light as cotton.
If the previously achieved success rates in using metallic conductivity for carbon nanotubes was of up to 50%, Honda managed to reach 91%.
“Our finding shows that the nanotube configuration which defines its conductivity depends not only on the size of the metal nanocatalyst used to nucleate the tube as was previously believed, but importantly also is based on its shape and crystallographic structure, and we learned to control it,” said Dr. Harutyunyan, from the Honda team.
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