Scientists have created hybrid carbon networks that will make nano and bioelectronics more reliable and faster.
Physicists from Moscow and Saratov have created hybrid networks of carbon nanotubes that conduct current and heat well and are resistant to voltage surges and mechanical damage.
Scientists have used two types of nanotubes:
- single-layer – the walls of which consisted of only one layer of carbon atoms,
- multilayer – they can be represented as a set of cylinders of different diameters, nested one inside the other.
Another material that was used in the work is graphene. Its properties are similar to nanotubes, since it also consists of carbon. The only difference is that the atoms in graphene form a plane, while in nanotubes it is rolled into a hollow cylinder.
Our research has shown that the high strength and electrical conductivity of hybrid materials will allow them to be used in nanoelectronics, as well as as components of various bioelectronic devices, since they will help to increase the accuracy and speed of their operation.
Olga Glukhova, Chief Researcher, Department of Mathematical Modeling, Saratov National Research State University
During the work, the authors made four types of samples to see how the connection with graphene would affect the properties of nanotubes:
- The first method – a thin film of single-walled nanotubes was deposited on a silicon substrate,
- The second method – a thin film of multilayer tubes was deposited on a silicon substrate,
- The third and fourth samples consisted of a mixture of graphene and one of the types of nanotubes.
In the final stage, the authors used nanowelding to firmly bond the materials with chemical bonds. As a result, it was found that hybrid nanostructures of multilayer carbon nanotubes and graphene had the highest electrical conductivity and strength.
