APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Anti-collision or anti-corrosion shielding appliances, protective clothing.
- Jewelry companies: diamonds in various colors
- Cutting tools, medical science, optical instruments: pressure cells for nano-diamonds, novel catalysts for oxygen reduction, high capacity cathodes for batteries and hosts for drug delivery
ADVANTAGES:
- Excellent mechanical properties
- Superior toughness and ductility
- Intrinsically lightweight
- Uniaxial compression strain
- High plasticity
- Ability to survive harsh environments
- Manageable cost
ABSTRACT:
Researchers at Berkeley Laboratory have developed a novel carbon nitrogen onion-like structure exhibiting remarkable mechanical properties including toughness and ductility. The size of these onions can be controlled ranging from 5 to 30 nm by adjusting the synthesis pathways. These structures are completely original and are created using a facile low temperature solution process. The procedure using low energy green chemistry is superior to previous technique of doping nitrogen into carbon materials. The original technique limits the amount of nitrogen that can be doped and reduces the crystallinity which significantly limits its applications.
This new technology can be used as the primary materials or additives to anti-collision or anticorrosion shielding appliances as well as protective armor and vehicle armor. These uses are due to the materials having up to ~0.75 uniaxial compression strain, high plasticity and the ability to survive harsh environments as well as being lightweight. Another major application of the onion structure is being used as a high pressure cell for diamonds. Due to the spacing between layers the onions can function as pressure vessels allowing them to serve as important precursors for diamonds. The carbon-nitrogen diamonds resulting from the onion structure offer unique properties including optical properties and commercial applications.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE:
- Proven principle
STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.