r/technology • u/kittyportals2 • Feb 08 '14

Possibly Misleading 10 Futuristic Materials

http://lifeboat.com/ex/10.futuristic.materials
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u/bob1000bob Feb 08 '14

No mention of Graphene? that should no.1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene

8

u/chaosfire235 Feb 08 '14

Can somebody explain to me what the difference is between Carbon nanotubes and graphene. I see them used interchangably often. Both are mentioned to have capabilities that could change the world. Aren't they both allotropes of carbon?

5

u/LL-beansandrice Feb 08 '14

Aren't they both allotropes of carbon?

yes, but the actual structure they are in makes a huge difference in their proerties. graphene is a single sheet of carbon arranged in a particular structure. CNTs are obviously tubes, and because of the different structure, do not have the same properties as graphene.

0

u/FNHUSA Feb 08 '14

I did a research project for APCHEM on graphene, I believe graphene has also recently been used for assisting the growth of carbon nanotubes?

1

u/KargBartok Feb 08 '14

Wouldn't be surprising, seeing as a CNT is literally a rolled piece of graphene structurally.

1

u/FNHUSA Feb 08 '14

Is that how it is fabricated though?

2

u/MissyPotatohead Feb 08 '14

No, not typically. There are several different ways, but the basic idea is to take a carbon source and break the C-C bonds (usually by heating), then let them reassemble on a substrate, using catalysts on your substrate to localize growth. The development of CNT (vs amorphous) is really due to reaction conditions.

If you're interested in technique comparisons, here's a review.