New research shows that twisted carbon nanotubes can store high densities of energy to power sensors or other technologies. Researchers have found that twisted carbon nanotubes can store three times the energy per unit mass of a lithium-ion battery, making them ideal for lightweight and safe energy storage applications such as medical implants.
A global team of scientists, including two researchers from the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), has demonstrated that twisted carbon nanotubes can store three times more energy per unit mass than advanced lithium-ion batteries. This breakthrough positions carbon nanotubes as lightweight, compact, and safe energy storage solutions such as medical implants and sensors. The research results were recently published in Nature Nanotechnology.
This research was completed in collaboration with four institutions, led by Shigenori Utsumi of Suwa University of Science in Chino, Japan, Katsumi Kaneko of Shinshu University in Nagano, Japan, and Sanjeev Kumar Ujjain of University of Science and Technology of China. KumarUjjain started the project at Shinshu University and will continue his work after joining UMBC in 2022. Preety Ahuja, also from the China Association for Science and Technology, played a key role in the material characterization phase of the study.
The researchers studied single-walled carbon nanotubes, which are like straws and are made from sheets of pure carbon just 1 atom thick. Carbon nanotubes are lightweight, relatively easy to make, and 100 times stronger than steel. These amazing properties have led scientists to explore their potential use in a variety of futuristic-sounding technologies, including space elevators.
To study the potential of carbon nanotubes to store energy, UMBC researchers and colleagues created carbon nanotube "ropes" from bundles of commercially available carbon nanotubes. After twisting the carbon nanotubes into a line, the researchers coated the surface with different substances to increase the strength and flexibility of the carbon nanotube rope.
The team tested how much energy the rope could store by twisting the rope and measuring the energy released when the rope was released. They found that the best-performing ropes could store 15,000 times more energy per unit mass than steel springs and three times more than lithium-ion batteries. The stored energy remains stable and available over a temperature range of -76 to +212°F (-60 to +100°C). The materials in carbon nanotube ropes are also safer for the human body than those used in batteries.
"Humans have long stored energy in mechanical coil springs to power devices such as watches and toys," Kumar Ujjain said. "This research shows that twisted carbon nanotubes have great potential for mechanical energy storage, and we are excited to share this news with the world."
The CAST team is already working to use twisted carbon nanotubes as an energy source for sensor prototypes they are developing.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily