Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)

A company led by Cambridge PhD Liu Zhenyu is advancing carbon nanotube materials for lightweight applications.

Researchers developed suspended microdevices to measure the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes, revealing quasiballistic transport behavior at micrometer lengths, challenging traditional diffusive models.

Himadri Specialty Chemicals will establish India's first carbon nanotube production facility at its West Bengal complex, with an initial capacity of 200 tons per year, starting commercial production by FY2027.

Researchers at QUT developed a molecular strategy to prevent carbon nanotube clumping, enhancing thermal power efficiency for wearable devices that convert body heat into electricity.

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology used a small molecule to stop single-walled carbon nanotubes clumping, achieving record heat-to-electricity conversion in a problem that had stalled the field for two decades.

Pure Resources (ASX: PR1) and Rice University have announced peer-reviewed validation of their carbon nanotube fibre (CNTF) technology, highlighting its high thermal conductivity and potential to outperform traditional materials like copper and aluminum. This development is significant for advanced carbon materials as it demonstrates the potential of CNTF to enhance thermal management in applications such as AI data centers, drones, and defense systems.

Carbice has partnered with Noctua to introduce a thermal pad for DIY PC builders that uses vertically aligned carbon nanotube technology. This collaboration brings advanced thermal management solutions, previously used in aerospace and AI infrastructure, to the consumer electronics market.

TCMC has launched Carbonix Materials to develop a U.S. supply chain for graphene. This initiative aims to enhance the availability and integration of graphene in advanced carbon materials, particularly benefiting applications in composites and electronics.

Researchers at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have developed a sensor electrode using a composite material of graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and gold nanoparticles that can detect pesticide residues at concentrations as low as parts per billion (ppb). This advancement is significant for the field of advanced carbon materials as it enhances the sensitivity and functionality of sensors, contributing to improved agricultural product monitoring and food safety.

Professor Chang Liu of the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences presented research at an NTU MSE seminar on SWCNT-based hybrid materials, including a SWCNT/Cu core-shell fiber with a specific electrical conductivity of 1.15×10⁴ S m² kg⁻¹ and FeCl3-filled CNT fibers reaching 1.35×10⁷ S m⁻¹ conductivity and 2.54 GPa tensile strength. The work advances CNT fiber and film applications in electrical conductors, thermoelectric devices, and electrocatalysis by addressing the longstanding dispersion challenge that has limited SWCNT composite development.

Researchers at POSTECH in South Korea engineered hollow silicon nanotube structures that reduced thermal conductivity by 70% compared to solid silicon nanowires by trapping phonons at near-room temperature. The approach uses abundant silicon compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing, offering a potential alternative to rare-material-dependent thermoelectric devices for waste heat recovery in data centers, EV batteries, and industrial facilities.