QUT researchers have proposed the design of a new carbon nanostructure made from diamond nanothreads that could one day be used for mechanical energy storage, wearable technologies, and biomedical applications.
Dr Haifei Zhan, from the QUT Centre for Materials Science, and his colleagues successfully modelled the mechanical energy storage and release capabilities of a diamond nanothread (DNT) bundle – a collection of ultrathin one-dimensional carbon threads that store energy when twisted or stretched.
“Similar to a compressed coil or children’s wind-up toy, energy can be released as the twisted bundle unravels,” Dr Zhan said.
“If you can make a system to control the power supplied by the nanothread bundle it would be a safer and more stable energy storage solution for many applications.”
Read more at Queensland University of Technology
Image: QUT researchers have proposed the design of a new carbon nanostructure made from diamond nanothreads that could one day be used for mechanical energy storage, wearable technologies, and biomedical applications. (Credit: QUT)