Carbon nanotube wiring gets closer to competing with copper
Summary
Scientists in Spain have added a chemical called tetrachloroaluminate to bundles of carbon nanotubes to help them carry electricity better, closer to how well copper wires do. This approach involves placing the chemical inside the spaces between many nanotubes packed together in a fiber.Key Facts
- Carbon nanotubes are tiny, tube-shaped materials with special electrical properties.
- They can be metallic (conduct electricity) or semiconducting (control electricity).
- Challenges include making long, pure metallic nanotubes and getting enough electrons to flow through them.
- Researchers used bundles of double-walled nanotubes combined into fibers.
- The chemical tetrachloroaluminate (AlCl4–) donates electrons, boosting electrical current in the fibers.
- They introduced the chemical by exposing the fibers to a vapor made of aluminum trichloride and chlorine.
- Tests confirmed that the chemical was inside the fibers and added electrons without changing the fiber size.
- The enhanced nanotube fibers showed improved electrical conductivity, closer to copper’s performance.
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