A world workforce of scientists from the Heart for Superior Sensor Know-how demonstrated the power of twisted carbon nanotubes to retailer 3 times extra power per unit mass than subtle lithium-ion batteries. The invention may make carbon nanotubes a extra viable choice for power storage in small, mild, and safe gadgets like medical implants and sensors. The research was revealed within the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
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Sanjeev Kumar Ujjain from CAST was the lead researcher on the challenge. He started the challenge whereas attending Shinshu College in Nagano, Japan, and continued it when he moved to UMBC in 2022. Preety Ahuja from CAST additionally contributed to the analysis’s materials characterization sections.
The researchers studied single-walled carbon nanotubes, which resemble straws fashioned of pure carbon sheets which might be just one atom thick. About 100 instances stronger than metal, carbon nanotubes are light-weight and comparatively easy to make. Scientists are investigating the potential of utilizing these exceptional qualities in numerous futuristic-sounding applied sciences, similar to area elevators.
The UMBC researchers and their colleagues created carbon nanotube “ropes” utilizing bundles of commercially out there nanotubes to look at the potential of carbon nanotubes for power storage. The tubes had been pulled and twisted right into a single thread by the researchers, who then coated them with numerous supplies to enhance the energy and suppleness of the ropes.
By twisting the ropes and measuring the power launched as they unraveled, the workforce decided how a lot power they may maintain. They found that essentially the most environment friendly ropes may retailer nearly 3 times as a lot power as lithium-ion batteries and 15,000 instances extra power per unit mass than metal springs.
At temperatures between -76 and +212 °F (-60 and +100 °C), the saved power is steady and accessible. The carbon nanotube ropes’ constituent parts are additionally much less dangerous to human well being than these present in batteries.
People have lengthy saved power in mechanical coil springs to energy gadgets similar to watches and toys. This analysis reveals twisted carbon nanotubes have nice potential for mechanical power storage, and we’re excited to share the information with the world.
Sanjeev Kumar Ujjain, Lead Researcher, Heart for Superior Sensor Know-how, College of Maryland
He notes that the CAST workforce is at the moment exploring utilizing twisted carbon nanotubes as an power supply for a prototype sensor they’re designing.
Journal Reference:
Utsumi, S., et al. (2024) Large nanomechanical power storage capability in twisted single-walled carbon nanotube ropes. Nature Nanotechnology. doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01645-x.
