Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
INVENTIVE MATERIALS
C60 carbon, otherwise known as a buckyball, is named after Buckminster Fuller, the architect who pioneered the geodesic dome, like those seen at the Eden Project. Geodesic domes and buckyballs are both known for their strength. When buckyballs are compressed to 70 per cent of their
original size, they become twice as hard as diamond.Credit: Tom Chris Guise/Flickr, CC BY-NC
Buckyballs
Carbon nanotubes have an array of fascinating electronic, magnetic and mechanical properties. They are at least 100 times stronger than steel, but only one-sixth as heavy – so nanotube fibres could strengthen just about any material.
Credit: EMSL/Flickr CC BY-NC
BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM
Carbon nanotubes
Nanoparticles can be metallic, mineral, polymer-based or a combination of materials. They can also be of natural or synthetic origin. Catalysts, drug delivery mechanisms, dyes and sunscreens are just some of the uses of nanoparticles.
Credit: Annie Cavanagh, Wellcome Images, CC BY
BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM
Nanoparticles
Nanowires are extremely narrow threads (less than 50 nm wide), which have the potential to be used in nanoscale electrical devices. The vision is of electronic chips so small and cheap they could be used in almost any way.
Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM
Nanowires
Self-assembly is widespread in nature, for example when blood clots. Many very clever routes are taking advantage of self-assembly. This includes use of chemical monomers that naturally polymerise, creating a polymer mesh with properties that be modified by tweaking the original monomer.
Credit: David Gregory & Debbie Marshall, Wellcome Images, CC BY
BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM
Self-assembled nanostructures
Graphite is made up of layers of carbon atoms arranged into hexagons. Graphene is the name given to a single isolated layer of graphite, one carbon atom thick. It can carry electricity at a high speed and conduct heat, and it’s also extremely strong (ten times stronger than steel) and
completely impermeable.Credit: CORE-Materials/Flickr, CC BY
BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM
Graphene
Reusing our imagesImages and illustrations• All images, unless otherwise indicated, are from Wellcome Images.• Contemporary images are free to use for educational purposes (they have a
Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, No derivatives licence ). Please make sure you credit them as we have done on the site; the format is ‘Creator’s name, Wellcome Images’.
• Historical images have a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence : they’re free to use in any way as long as they’re credited to ‘Wellcome Library, London’.
• Flickr images that we have used have a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence , meaning we – and you – are free to use in any way as long as the original owner is credited.
• Cartoon illustrations are © Glen McBeth. We commission Glen to produce these illustrations for ‘Big Picture’. He is happy for teachers and students to use his illustrations in a classroom setting, but for other uses, permission must be sought.
• We source other images from photo libraries such as Science Photo Library, Corbis and iStock and will acknowledge in an image’s credit if this is the case. We do not hold the rights to these images, so if you would like to reproduce them, you will need to contact the photo library directly.
• If you’re unsure about whether you can use or republish a piece of content, just get in touch with us at [email protected].
