APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Substitute for graphite
• Lubricants
• Field emitters
• Heaters
• Radiation detectors
• Interconnects
• Conductive fibers
• High-temperature electrical devices
• Battery electrodes

ADVANTAGES:

• Improved metallic properties
• Extremely strong in the planar direction

"Hybrid" nanotube predicted to function as diode - current can flow only from semiconducting top to metallic bottom.

ABSTRACT:

Alex Zettl, Vincent Crespi, Marvin Cohen and Steven Louie from Berkeley Lab have introduced heptagons and pentagons into a hexagonal, semimetallic, graphite network, and obtained metallic, strong, covalently-bonded materials of pure carbon. This new invention allows the formation of metallic, pure carbon films and bulk materials, some of which are predicted to be superconductors.

The new metallic carbon materials have improved metallic properties that will work well in any application that presently uses graphite. In addition, these light-weight, metallic materials are extremely strong in the planar directions. They can be used when a mechanically strong and/or metallic film is required. They can be used in field emitters and electromagnetic shielding; in thin film resistors, heaters, radiation detectors and interconnects in devices; high strength conductive fibers; high temperature electrical components; battery electrodes and lubricants.

STATUS:

• U.S. Patent #5,993,697. Available for licensing

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1180

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• C36--A New New Class of Buckyballs, IB-1366