Man Advancing Ahead With Buckyballs

Man Advancing Ahead With Buckyballs

Buckyballs are a form of elemental carbon in recent discoveries. Due to the nature of its arrangement, atom clusters form a structure which closely resembles a soccer ball, complete with facets. In trying to name it, the scientists decided to pay homage to a famous architect who used to design structures which struck a close resemblance to this carbon form.

 

What are buckyballs used for in this day and age? One of its most common uses is in the nanotube technology. By its name, you can guess that this is technology dealing with very minute measurements. This technology demonstrates unique capabilities in terms of high electrical and thermal conductivity. Since the atoms are tightly knitted together and separated by a hair’s breadth in nano terms, they possess great strength. Due to the many facets surrounding each nanotube, it has a very high surface area. With all these combined properties, these carbon nanotubes emerge as the next best alternatives to super and semi-conductors as well as full conductors such as metals.

 

In further studies regarding our planet’s history, its biological and geological elements can be explored through the use of buckyballs as every life form stems from carbon. Due to an internal hollow sphere within each buckyball, gases or other elements trapped within gives cause to study what the planet was like eons back. Studies have also extended beyond the planet into discovered meteorites and carbon properties they hold within.

 

In a more practical sense, what are buckyballs used for? Research work has gone into using these buckyballs in the medical field. , As mentioned earlier, buckyballs have these elements have a strong structure. As such, certain drugs can be attached to them. These buckyballs function as drug carriers and are then administered into patients as part of a drug treatment procedure for specific diseases. These elements are also used in medical diagnostics. By introducing certain contrast indicators to be stored within the hollow void of buckyballs, they are then administered into patients. Due to the same principle of structural integrity, hazards of using these contrast materials are supposedly reduced as they are encased within the strong walls of the buckyballs. Significant advancements of buckyballs in the medical field are certainly worth the investment in research work.

 

By combining these carbon elements with other chemical components, it is formed into a thin film. When placed on a flat surface, it demonstrates wondrous capability in transmitting light thus making it an excellent option in fiber optics development. Due to their spherical shape, these carbon wonders perform the equivalent of ball bearings. This implies their use in the area of lubrication as the conventional oils and greases may still pose some amount of friction.

 

An international team of researchers have captured a video of the reactions of dysprosium atoms trapped inside fullerene cages encased in a carbon nanotubes. The Dy+ ions (black blobs) move around inside the fullerene cages and eventually meld them all together into a coherent tube. The tube is then severed by further reaction with the metal ions. Read more at chemistry world here (www.chemistryworld.org) and see the full paper in Angewandte Chemie http
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Soaking up oil spills with a carbon nanotube sponge

MaterialsViews.com This sponge is made of carbon nanotubes, and was developed by a team of scientists in China. As you can see, it’s surprisingly flexible; it’s also lightweight, highly porous, and while it repels water, it absorbs oil products extremely effectively, making it a possible tool for future use in environmental cleanup. Read the full story at http . It is also available in Chinese at materialsviewschina.cn .

11/14/2008. It’s the strongest material ever discovered-carbon nanotubes – and it may just change objects in our everyday life. Other forms of carbon include chimney soot, diamonds, and even graphite used in golf clubs and fishing rods. But carbon nanotubes is the discovery to watch.
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