🔆Carbon nanoflorets
✅Recently, researchers at IIT Bombay have created carbon nanoflorets capable of converting sunlight into heat with unmatched efficiency.
✅This innovative development holds the potential to revolutionize sustainable heating solutions while minimizing the carbon footprint.
✅The carbon nanoflorets, developed by researchers from IIT Bombay, demonstrate an impressive light absorption efficiency of 87%.
✅They can absorb multiple frequencies of sunlight, including infrared, visible light, and ultraviolet, in stark contrast to traditional solar-thermal materials that typically absorb only visible and ultraviolet light.
✅Designing Process of Carbon nanoflorets:
🔰A special form of silicon dust called DFNS (dendritic fibrous nanosilica) is heated in a furnace.
🔰Introduction of Acetylene gas in the chamber facilitates carbon deposition, turning it black.
🔰Then the black powder is collected and treated with a strong chemical that dissolves the DFNS away, leaving carbon particles behind, resulting in spherical carbon beads with cone-shaped pits, forming the carbon nanoflorets, resembling marigold flowers when observed under a microscope.
✅The Role of Unique Structure:
🔰The structure of the nanoflorets, composed of carbon cones, minimizes light reflection and ensures maximum internal absorption.
🔰This distinctive design captures and retains sunlight, converting it into thermal energy.
✅Minimal Heat Dissipation:
🔰The long-range disorder in the nanoflorets' structure ensures that heat generated within the material is not carried over long distances.
🔰This characteristic reduces the dissipation of heat into the environment, allowing the nanoflorets to retain and utilize the generated thermal energy effectively.
📍What are the Applications and Commercial Potential of Carbon Nanoflorets?
✅Heating Water Efficiently:
🔰A one-square-meter coating of carbon nanoflorets can vaporize approximately five litres of water within an hour, surpassing the performance of commercial solar stills.
🔰Carbon nanoflorets are ideal for water heating applications, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution that reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
🔰Nanoflorets can be applied to diverse surfaces, such as paper, metal, and terracotta clay, making them versatile for various applications.
✅Eco-Friendly Heating:
By utilizing nanofloret coatings, users can harness solar energy for heating their homes in an environmentally friendly manner, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.
✅Stability and Longevity:
🔰Coated nanoflorets exhibit exceptional stability with a minimum lifetime of eight years.
🔰Researchers are continuing to assess their durability under various environmental conditions.
#gs3
#science_technology
@upscscienceandtechnology
