Nanoflower

A nanoflower, in chemistry, refers to a compound of certain elements that results in formations which in microscopic view resemble flowers or, in some cases, trees that are called nanobouquets or nanotrees.^[1] These formations are nanometers long and thick so they can only be observed using electron microscopy.^[2]

Production

Several ways to produce nanoflowers are known:

• A process similar to the making of a carbon nanotube using a hydrocarbon gas.
• Heating gallium (Ga) and then flowing methane (CH₄) over, under specific pressure and heat. This forms flower-shaped silicon carbide (SiC) structures.
• Heating a molybdenum dioxide (MoO₂) thin film on a piece of molybdenum foil surrounded by sulfur vapour.^[3]

Nanomeadow

In supercapacitors, energy is stored because the electrodes are coated with a porous material that soaks up ions like a sponge, usually activated carbon. Nanomeadow supercapacitors store ions in manganese oxide (MnO), a material with a much greater capacity for ions than activated carbon.^[4]

Scientists at Research Institute of Chemical Defence (Beijing, China) and Peking University created a nanomeadow of microscopic structures, fuzzy flowers of MnO each about 100 nanometres across on a field of messy carbon nanotube grass grown on a tantalum metal foil. Nanomeadows perform 10 times better than MnO alone and can store twice as much charge as the carbon-based electrodes in existing ultracapacitors.^[4]

See also

• Carbon nanotubes in photovoltaics
• Carbon nanotube
• Selective chemistry of single-walled nanotubes
• Resonance Raman spectroscopy
• Allotropes of carbon
• graphene
• buckypaper
• Electric double-layer capacitor
• Hiromichi Kataura

Footnotes

1. "Silicon carbide nanoflowers bloom - nanotechweb.org". nanotechweb.org. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
2. Kalaugher, Liz. "Nanoflowers: Science Videos - Science News - ScienCentral". www.sciencentral.com. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
3. Kalaugher, Liz. "Nanoflowers blossom in place of nanotubes - nanotechweb.org". nanotechweb.org. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
4. Colin Barras (17 September 2008). "Can nanoscopic meadows drive electric cars forward?". New Scientist.

References

• Summary of the 2nd E.E.F. (Enosi Ellinon Fysikon, Hellenic Science Society) Conference in Texnopolis Athens, Greece

External links

• Tyrrell, James. "Interference fringes create sensing template - nanotechweb.org". nanotechweb.org. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
• Photo of nanoflower
• "The 'nanoflower' breathalyzer « Neurophilosophy". neurophilosophy.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2008-06-18.