About this eBook
It is about 15 years that the carbon nanotubes have been discovered by Sumio Iijima in a transmission electron microscope. Since that time, these long hollow cylindrical carbon molecules have revealed being remarkable nanostructures for several aspects. They are composed of just one element, Carbon, and are easily produced by several techniques. A nanotube can bend easily but still is very robust. The nanotubes can be manipulated and contacted to external electrodes. Their diameter is in the nanometer range, whereas their length may exceed several micrometers, if not several millimeters. In diameter, the nanotubes behave like molecules with quantized energy levels, while in length, they behave like a crystal with a continuous distribution of momenta. Depending on its exact atomic structure, a single-wall nanotube –that is to say a nanotube composed of just one rolled-up graphene sheet– may be either a metal or a semiconductor. The nanotubes can carry a large electric current, they are also good thermal conductors. It is not surprising, then, that many applications have been proposed for the nanotubes. At the time of writing, one of their most promising applications is their ability to emit electrons when subjected to an external electric field. Carbon nanotubes can do so in normal vacuum conditions with a reasonable voltage threshold, which make them suitable for cold-cathode devices.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
1 review
Rate this eBook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Centre instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
