Computer models of several stable NanoBud structures

In nanotechnology, carbon NanoBuds are a newly discovered material combining two previously discovered allotropes of carbon: carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. In this new material fullerenes are covalently bonded to the outer sidewalls of the underlying nanotube. Consequently, NanoBuds exhibit properties of both carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. For instance, the mechanical properties and the electrical conductivity of the NanoBuds are similar to those of corresponding carbon nanotubes, however, because of the higher reactivity of the attached fullerene molecules, the hybrid material can be further functionalized through known fullerene chemistry. Additionally, the attached fullerene molecules can be used as molecular anchors to prevent slipping of the nanotubes in various composite materials, thus improving the composite’s mechanical properties. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Carbon (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... 3D model of three types of single-walled carbon nanotubes. ... The Icosahedral Fullerene C540 C60, C-60 and Buckyballs redirect here. ... “Covalent” redirects here. ... Electrical conductivity or specific conductivity is a measure of a materials ability to conduct an electric current. ...

TEM, SEM and optical mages of NanoBuds from the molecular to the macro scale.

Due to the large number of highly curved fullerene surfaces acting as electron emission sites on conductive carbon nanotubes, NanoBuds possess advantageous field emission characteristics. Randomly oriented NanoBud films have already been demonstrated to have an extremely low work function for field emission of electrons. Reported test measurements show field thresholds of about 0.65V/μm (non-functionalized SWNTs have a field threshold for field emission as high as 2 V/μm) and a much higher current density as compared to corresponding pure SWNTs. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an imaging technique whereby a beam of electrons is focused onto a specimen causing an enlarged version to appear on a fluorescent screen or layer of photographic film (see electron microscope), or can be detected by a CCD camera. ... Sem may refer to: Sem or Shem; (Hebrew) One of the sons of Noah in the Bible. ... Also known as Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, field emission is a form of quantum tunneling in which electrons pass through a barrier in the presence of a high electric field. ... The work function is the minimum energy (usually measured in electron volts) needed to remove an electron from a solid to a point immediately outside the solid surface. ...

Practical applications

Properties such as chemical reactivity, good dispersion and variable band gap electronic structure suggest wide applicability of NanoBuds.^[1] As the production processes are scalable, the NanoBud applications may have industrial importance.

The demonstrated field emission characteristics make NanoBuds ideal candidates for cold field emitters in, for example, field emission display screens. A field emission display (FED) is a type of flat panel display using phosphor coatings as the emissive medium. ...

NanoBud films have been shown to exhibit extremely high conductivity while being both optically transparent and flexible.^{[citation needed]} Moreover, owing to the charge transport between SWNTs and functionalized fullerenes, both electrical and optical properties of NanoBuds can be tuned. The ability to directly synthesize NanoBuds having distinct regions^[2] with different electronic properties may be of importance for many electronic devices. Electrical conductivity is a measure of how well a material accommodates the transport of electric charge. ... See: transparency (optics) alpha compositing GIF#Transparency transparency (overhead projector) market transparency transparency (telecommunication) transparency (computing) For X11 pseudo-transparency, see pseudo-transparency. ... Flexible can refer to: Look up Flexible in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Flexible electronics Flexible response Flexible mold Flexible employment Flexible-fuel vehicle Flexible rake receiver Flexible spending account Flexible single master operation Flexible baton round Flexible AC transmission system Very Large Flexible Barge Semi-flexible rod polymer This is...

Canatu Oy, a Finnish company, claims the intellectual property rights for NanoBuds and its applications.^[3] For the 2006 film, see Intellectual Property (film). ...

References

Nasibulin, A. G., Peter. V. Pikhitsa, Hua. Jiang, David. P. Brown, A. V. Krasheninnikov, Anton S. Anisimov, Paula Queipo, Anna Moisala, David Gonzalez, Gunther Lientschnig, Abdou Hassanien, Sergey D. Shandakov, Giulio Lolli, Daniel E. Resasco, Mansoo Choi, David Tománek, and Esko I. Kauppinen (2007) "A Novel Hybrid Carbon Nanomaterial". Nature Nanotechnology 2(3), 156-161.