Follow
3D white graphene
It’s no surprise that graphene is the multifunctional material of the future. Many call it the “wonder material” because it can be used for numerous purposes. Scientists have used graphene to build super-powerful processors, highly-efficient solar cells, higher definition headphones and even longer-lasting batteries. And the list doesn’t stop here. Recently, a team of scientists from Rice University has found a way to use 3D white graphene as the perfect material for cooling personal gadgets like phones and tablets.
According to the researchers, regular graphene is already known for being a great conductor of heat, but it does have its limitations. Scientists explained that although heat travels effortlessly on the stacked graphene’s surface, it doesn’t do so well when it comes to moving around its multiple layers. But it’s not something that cannot be solved, the scientists stated. According to their recent experiments in the laboratories at Rice University, developing a new 3D white graphene structures that contain boron nitrade nanotubes can help it conduct the heat without any limitations. This will allow the heat to move in every direction.
Scientists said that using 3D structures of boron nitride with graphene may help create coolers for small gadgets and electronics.
Navid Sakhavand and Rouzbeh Shahsavari are two of the researchers who conducted the experiments and found that, at least theoretically, 3D white graphene with boron nitride could be the next super-material that will be used to control the flow of heat in the gadgets.
The scientists wrote about their findings in the journal Applied Materials and Interfaces.
According to the scientists, white graphene, also known as hexagonal boron nitride, looks exactly like regular graphene. But the difference between them is that the white graphene is a natural insulator, while the other type can conduct electricity. However, both types of graphene are good conductors of heat. Shahsavari explained that using boron nitride to control the flow of heat proved to be very efficient.
The scientists stated that in all electronic devices it’s very important for the heat to leave the system quickly and efficiently. One of the main drawbacks in electronic devices is that heat travels fast in one direction, moving quickly along the gadget’s conductive plane, but it doesn’t move as smoothly from layer to layer.
The experiments showed that the 3D white graphene connected with the boron nitride nanotubes will help phonons move in every direction, whether across or in planes.
Image Source: engadget/a>
