. | . |
Bending diamond at the nanoscale by Staff Writers Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 07, 2020
Diamond is prized by scientists and jewellers alike, largely for a range of extraordinary properties including exceptional hardness. Now a team of Australian scientists has discovered diamond can be bent and deformed, at the nanoscale at least. The discovery opens up a range of possibilities for the design and engineering of new nanoscale devices in sensing, defence and energy storage but also shows the challenges that lie ahead for future nanotechnologies, the researchers say. Carbon-based nanomaterials, such as diamond, were of particular scientific and technological interest because, "in their natural form, their mechanical properties could be very different from those at the micro and nanoscale", said the lead author of the study, published in Advanced Materials, PhD student Blake Regan from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). "Diamond is the frontrunner for emerging applications in nanophotonics, microelectrical mechanical systems and radiation shielding. This means a diverse range of applications in medical imaging, temperature sensing and quantum information processing and communication. "It also means we need to know how these materials behave at the nanoscale - how they bend, deform, change state, crack. And we haven't had this information for single-crystal diamond," Regan said. The team, which included scientists from Curtin University and Sydney University, worked with diamond nanoneedles, approximately 20nm in length, or 10,000 times smaller than a human hair. The nanoparticles were subjected to an electric field force from a scanning electron microscope. By using this unique, non-destructive and reversible technique, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the nanoneedles, also known as diamond nanopillars, could be bent in the middle to 90 degrees without fracturing. As well as this elastic deformation, the researchers observed a new form of plastic deformation when the nanopillar dimensions and crystallographic orientation of the diamond occurred together in a particular way. Chief Investigator UTS Professor Igor Aharonovich said the result was the unexpected emergence of a new state of carbon (termed 08-carbon) and demonstrated the "unprecedented mechanical behaviour of diamond". "These are very important insights into the dynamics of how nanostructured materials distort and bend and how altering the parameters of a nanostructure can alter any of its physical properties from mechanical to magnetic to optical. Unlike many other hypothetical phases of carbon, 08-carbon appears spontaneously under strain with the diamond-like bonds progressively breaking in a zipper-like manner, transforming a large region from diamond into 08-carbon. "The potential applications of nanotechnology are quite diverse. Our findings will support the design and engineering of new devices in applications such as super-capacitors or optical filters or even air filtration," he said.
Stress test reveals graphene won't crack under pressure Toronto, Canada (SPX) Jan 30, 2020 Graphene is a paradox. It is the thinnest material known to science, yet also one of the strongest. Now, research from University of Toronto Engineering shows that graphene is also highly resistant to fatigue - able to withstand more than a billion cycles of high stress before it breaks. Graphene resembles a sheet of interlocking hexagonal rings, similar to the pattern you might see in bathroom flooring tiles. At each corner is a single carbon atom bonded to its three nearest neighbours. While the ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |