CARBON NANOTUBES

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INTRODUCTION

A tiny graphite like structure was developed in Japans laboratory in early 1990. Sometimes it is a metal and some time it is a semi conductor. It can serve as a wire, transporting current from one place to another, and it can also serve as a transistor. This microscopic structure was known as carbon nanotubes . Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a new form of carbon, and is just a few nanometers in diameter and several microns long

HISTORY OF CARBON NANOTUBES

Sumio Iijima discovered carbon nanotubes in 1991. He was making C60 molecules with the carbon arc process. In the same soot as the C60 molecules, he found carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are formed when the sheets of atoms are rolled into cylinders. "They look a lot like hollow cigars. Depending on the growth process, the length of the tubes can be from approximately 100 nanometers to several microns. Diameters vary from 1 to 20 nanometers.

SINGLE WALLED NANOTUBES (SNWT)

Starting with only one layer of 2-dimensional graphite we end up with a cylinder with only one wall, a single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT). If more layers are taken, cylinders with multiple walls may result, a multi wall nanotube (MWNT).

PROPERTIES

Carbon nanotubes have unusual mechanical and electrical properties. The conductivity of single wall carbon nanotubes can vary from semi-conductive to metallic depending on the chiral angle of the tube and its diameter. The mechanical properties of nanotubes are also unusual. It is as stiff as diamond. The estimated tensile strength is 200 Giga Pascal. These properties are ideal for nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

FABRICATION METHODS
The carbon arc method, used initially for producing C60 fullerenes, is the most common and perhaps easiest way to produce carbon nanotubes. The laser vaporization method produces single wall carbon nanotubes in high yields. Two theories concerning the growth mechanism for tubular fullerenes are currently under debate.

HOW CAN WE USE IT

A professor of physics on the University of California's Berkeley campus, led a study in which nanotubes of pure carbon were shown to function as a two-terminal electronic device known as a diode. Depending upon its diameter, a pure carbon nanotube can be used as a metal. It can act as a semiconductor, meaning it will only conduct a current beyond a critical voltage.

HOW CAN WE USE IT

Semiconductors conduct current at certain voltages but not others. They are used to build transistors, in which processors store information . An electronic device could be created at the interface between two dissimilar nanotubes, one that acts as a metal and one that acts as a semiconductor. This would create a "Schottky barrier," which means the current will only flow in one direction In theory, you could build an entire microprocessor from carbon nanotubes. Its parts would be far smallerand thus far fasterthan the copper wires and silicon transistors used today.

Advantages of carbon nanotubes over silicon transistors

They are smaller. At the moment, Intel's Pentium IV chip contains about 55 billion silicon transistors.A processor of similar size could contain over a trillion nanotubes; more gates equals more power and speed. Since they are nearly superconductive, they require a lot less power . The tubes can be used to physically hold hydrogen atoms, which make them useful in the creation of hydrogen fuel cells. Scientists have been successful in making logic gates with them, making them ideal for building computer processors.

Current work going on carbon nanotubes

IBM recently demonstrated a carbon nanotube

that produces infrared light . Motorola and Samsung are working on carbon nanotubes for flat-panel displays. Nantero is developing nanotube-based memory. Intel will use it as production-level processors within the next 10 years.

Applications

Carbon nanotubes for clean energy applications.

Nanoworld :Carbon Nanotubes capacitors

Electric double layer capacitor (EDLC)

EDLC is an energy storage device, it is a next-generation device with a possibility of being applied to an auxiliary power supply It has the combined use with photovoltaic equipment and an electro mobile.

FEATURES OF EDLC

EDLC is positioned as an energy storage device to which capacity is located in the middle of a capacitor and a rechargeable battery. The following is mentioned as a feature.

Rapid charge and rapid electric discharge are possible. A semi permanent life. Large current charge . These supercapacitors could help reduce the amount of battery weight these vehicles carry, thus improving their fuel consumption .

CARBONNANOTUBES APPLICATIONS
The hybrid power supply for electromobiles.

Electric power storage of wind power

APPLICATIONS
Electric power storage of photo voltaic

Memory backup power supplies, Such as a notebook PC and a cellular phone.

OSCILLATOR made with carbon nanotubes

Using a carbon nanotube, Cornell University researchers have produced a tiny electromechanical oscillator that might be capable of weighing a single atom. It can be tuned across a wide range of radio frequencies, and one day might replace bulky powerhungry elements in electronic circuits . The researchers have made oscillators that tune over a range from 3 to 200 mega Hertz (millions of cycles per second).

Carbon Nanotubes Incorporated into

Backlight Design
LCDs are commonly backlit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps or LEDs .But this has many disadvantages like: High power consumption. Risky high-voltage operation . A limiting architecture . Main drawback is there prohibitive cost. Therefore carbon nanotubes are incorporated in backlight design as it offers the advantages of Low power consumption. Low cost Simple fabrication process

Carbon Nanotubes Mode-Lock Fiber

Laser
Carbon nanotubes acts as a saturation absorber and by doing so it offers the advantages such as

Ultra fast recovery time (500 fs) . High optical damage threshold . Chemical stability . Inexpensive manufacturing.

Nanomedicine: current status and

future prospects

Applications of nanotechnology for treatment, diagnosis, monitoring, and control of biological systems has recently been referred to as "nanomedicine. Projects in nanomedicine involve the identification of precise targets (cells and receptors) . Mononuclear phagocytes, dendritic cells, endothelial cells, and cancers (tumor cells, as well as tumor neovasculature) are key targets. The future of nanomedicine will depend on rational design of nanotechnology materials .

Short comings of carbon nanotubes

They are very expensive; they cost up to $500 per gram. In medical field Nanocarriers may overcome solubility or stability issues for the drug and minimize drug-induced side effects. But there could be significant toxicity issues associated with the nanocarriers themselves. Also the extremely small size is posing some problems.

Conclusion

The discovery of Carbon nanotubes is one of the most revolutionizing discoveries in the field of electronic devices. Set to replace all that has been continuing for ages (like transistors, diodes etc) and providing a new dimension to technology in particular and mankind in general. Though there are a few short comings but with the progress of time they are bound to be overcome. So the carbon nanotubes are there to change our lives.

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