Carbon Nanotubes: Properties, Types & Applications

Carbon nanotubes are a kind of carbon allotrope that resembles a tube of carbon atoms. Carbon nanotubes are extremely strong and are tough to break, but they are still light. Due to the presence of their phenomenal electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes are one of the most researched nanomaterials. They are mainly categorised into two different types, namely, Single Wall and Multiwall Carbon nanotubes. Multiwall carbon nanotubes have many concentric cylindrical lattices of carbon atoms, whereas one wall carbon nanotubes have just one cylinder of carbon atoms. Another name for carbon nanotubes is Buckytube. Two-dimensional graphite is rounded or folded into a cylindrical shape structure and is used to produce nanotubes that are concave inside. It has a diameter of 1-3 nanometers. Carbon nanotubes can be used for device modelling, energy storage, automotive parts, sporting goods, boat hulls, water filters, coatings, electromagnetic shields. thin-film electronics and actuators.

Key Words: Carbon, Nanotube, Single, Multi, Walled, Diameter, Transistors

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Properties of Carbon Nanotubes

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Some of the properties of carbon nanotubes are:

• Carbon nanotubes tend to be tough. They are found to be as tough as a diamond (diamond is the hardest natural material).
• The weight of the carbon nanotube is found to be very low. 
• A carbon nanotube’s density is one-fourth of that of steel.
• Carbon nanotubes are much tougher than steel. They have great mechanical properties, and hence can be ten times stronger than steel.
• Carbon nanotubes tend to have a high thermal capacity. Normally, it is found to be twenty times more heat resistant than steel. Thus, unlike steel, it does not expand on heating. Hence, carbon nanotubes are used in making bridges and materials for aircraft.
• In carbon nanotubes, each carbon atom is attached with the other three carbon atoms by using covalent bonds. These covalent bonds of carbons form lattices with a hexagonal shape.
• A carbon nanotube’s crystalline structure exists in the form of regular hexagons.
• Carbon nanotubes are found to be elastic.
• Carbon nanotubes are good conductors of heat.
• Carbon nanotubes have good electrical conductivity.
• The young's modulus of a carbon nanotube is high, being around 1 terra pascal for each carbon nanotube, which makes it ten times stronger than steel.
• Carbon nanotubes are found to be chemically neutral. So, they have chemical stability. Thus, carbon nanotubes do not corrode.

Carbon Nanotubes

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Applications of Carbon Nanotubes

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Carbon nanotubes have applications in various fields such as:

For the destruction of Breast cancer tumours

Carbon Nanotubes are utilised to end breast cancer tumours. The antibody along with the help of nanotubes is attached to the proteins by the cancer cells in the body and then the nanotubes absorb the laser beam used for killing the tumour’s bacteria.

Windmill Blades

Carbon Nanotubes are also used in windmill blades as they have low weight. This increases the windmill’s efficiency and helps to produce large electricity at a faster rate.

Filtration

Carbon nanotubes are used to separate particles from carbon nanotubes if the particle’s size is greater than the diameter of carbon nanotubes by filtering the particles through it. They can also be utilised to trap ions of smaller size from a solution.

Carbon Nanotubes as Nano Cylinders

Gas like H₂ can be used as energy for the battery of vehicles, As it can be stored safely inside the carbon nanotubes and thus the H₂ storage problem can be solved. Carbon nanotubes are also able to absorb infrared light and can be used in the IR optics industry.

Aircraft stress reduction

Carbon Nanotubes can also be used in aircraft and spacecraft to reduce the overall weight and stress of all the different components working together.

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Types of Carbon Nanotubes

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There are mainly two types of Carbon Nanotubes.

1. Single-walled Carbon nanotubes 
2. Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes 

Single-Walled Nanotubes

Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes is represented as SWCNT. They exist in a one-dimensional structure. Some of the examples for a Single-walled CNT are zig-zag and armchair Single-walled Carbon nanotubes

The properties of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes are:

• A Single-walled Carbon nanotube’s diameter is around 2nm.
• They are also known as a nanowire as they exist in just one dimension.
• A single-walled Carbon nanotube can be used to miniaturize Electronics.
• They have a bandgap that varies from 0 to 2 electron volts (eV).
• They have conductive properties like that of a semiconductor. Therefore, they show both semiconductive and metallic behaviour.

Types of Carbon Nanotubes

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes

They are represented as MWCNT. They are made up of various nested carbon nanotubes. This kind of nanotubes has two different diameters, one is called the outer diameter while the other is called the inner diameter. Chiral Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes is a fine example of Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes.

The Properties of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes are as follows:

• The outer diameter of Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes is around 2 to 20 nanometres.
• The inner diameter of Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes is around 1 to 3 nm.
• The length of Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes is around 5 to 6 micrometres.

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes

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Difference between Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanofibres

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Carbon nanofibres are shown as CNFs. Carbon nanofibres have a diameter of 200 nm. They are not hollow from the inside. The lattice structures of the carbon nanofibres and carbon nanotubes are completely different. In Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes, the nanotubes are hollow from inside but are arranged concentrically. So, Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes differ from carbon nanofibres. Carbon nanofibers have been used for several decades to strengthen compounds.

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Miscellaneous Uses of Carbon Nanotubes

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Other uses of carbon nanotubes are:

• Composite materials that consist of carbon nanotubes are used in sports goods.
• Carbon nanotubes have been used to produce bullet-proof jackets.
• Carbon nanotubes are used to make spacecraft and aircraft bodies.
• Carbon nanotubes are used to build high-performance nanoscaled thin-film transistors that will replace silicon-based transistors because of the excellent semiconducting properties of carbon nanotubes.
• Carbon nanotubes are used to make electrochemical sensors and biosensors.
• Carbon nanotubes are used to make electrodes to research electrochemical reactions as they have excellent electrical properties.
• They are also used as catalysts in some reactions. 
• They are used in drug delivery systems and in some uses of electronics.

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Things to Remember

• Carbon nanotubes are a kind of carbon allotrope that resembles a tube of carbon atoms. 
• Carbon nanotubes are extremely strong and are tough to break, but they are still light. 
• Due to the presence of their phenomenal electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes are one of the most researched nanomaterials. 
• They are mainly categorised into two different types, namely, Single Wall and Multiwall Carbon nanotubes. 
• Multiwall carbon nanotubes have many concentric cylindrical lattices of carbon atoms, whereas one wall carbon nanotubes have just one cylinder of carbon atoms. 
• Carbon Nanotubes are utilised to end breast cancer tumours.

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