SVCE, Tirupati Unit-2 Modern Engineering Materials

S.V. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Karakambadi Road, Tirupati-523316, A.P., India.
(Accredited by NBA, Accredited with ‘A’ Grade by NAAC, Approved by
A.I.C.T.E, New Delhi & Affiliated to JNTUA, Ananthapur)

UNIT-2

SYLLABUS

Part II:

Nano Materials: Introduction, Classification, Properties and Applications of Fullerenes, Carbon Nano

tubes and graphenes.

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 SVCE, Tirupati Unit-2 Modern Engineering Materials

PART-II
NANOMATERIALS
Nanomaterials: Nanomaterials are cornerstones of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanomaterials
are defined as particles in the form of crystals, metals, rods, or spheres having size between 1 nm and
100 nm at least in one dimension. A nanometre is one billionth of a meter, or 10 -9 m is a unit of
measurement.
Eg.: Nanomaterials (gold, carbon, metals, metal oxides and alloys).
Classification of Nanomaterials: Classification is based on the number of dimensions, which are not
confined to the nanoscale range (˂ 100 nm).
1) Zero-dimensional (0-D),
2) One-dimensional (1-D),
3) Two-dimensional (2-D), and
4) Three-dimensional (3-D).
Zero-dimensional Nanomaterials: Here, all dimensions (x, y, z) are at nanoscale, i.e., no dimensions
are greater than 100 nm. Zero-dimensional nanomaterials are nanoparticles, nanospheres and
quantum dots or nanoclusters.
One-dimensional Nanomaterials: Here, two dimensions (x, y) are at nanoscale and the one
dimension is outside the nanoscale. This leads to needle like-shaped nanomaterials. 1-D materials
include nanofibres, nanotubes, nanorods and nanowires.
Two-dimensional Nanomaterials: Here, one dimension (x) is at nanoscale and the other two of the
dimensions are outside the nanoscale. The 2-D nanomaterials exhibit plate-like shapes. It includes
nanofilms, nanolayers and nanocoatings.
Three-dimensional Nanomaterials: Bulk nanomaterials that are not confined to the nanoscale in any
dimension. These materials have three arbitrary dimensions above 100 nm. It includes dispersions of
nanoparticles, bundles of nanowires and nanotubes as well as multinanolayers (polycrystals).
Fullerenes - Introduction: Carbon has many allotropes like diamond, graphite, etc. Third allotropic
form of carbon is fullerene. Fullerenes are named Buckminster fullerene in the honour of American
architect Buckminster Fuller. The spherical allotropes of carbon containing 60 carbon atoms with an
truncated icosaedral symmetry.
Classification of Fullerenes: Thus fullerenes are of the following types.
1) Spherical Fullerenes: They looks like a soccer ball and are often called bucky balls.
2) Cylindrical Fullerenes: These are called carbon nanotubes or bucky tubes.

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3) Planar Fullerenes: Graphene is an example of planar fullerene sheet.

Preparation of Fullerenes: Fullerenes were prepared by vaporizing a graphite rod in a helium
atmosphere at 100 torr. By using laser beam with laser rays are igniting the graphite rod. Vaporizing
the graphite rod, this vapours (soot) is containing mixtures of fullerenes like C 60, C70, etc. are formed
which are separated by an analytical method liquid column chromatograhy by using solvent
extraction method. C60 is isolated from this mixture by using alumina/hexane/toluene/benzene as a
solvent.
Structure of Fullerenes: Fullerenes C60 consist of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal rings as the basis of
a truncated icosahedral symmetry closed cage structure. Each carbon atom is bonded to another three
carbon atoms, in between C—C a strong covalent bond and is sp2 hybridized. C70 is elongated like a
rugby ball.

Properties of Fullerene:
Physical Properties of Fullerene:
1) Its behaviour and structure depend on the temperature. As the temperature is rises, the

fullerene gets converted into the C70.

2) C60 is a mustard coloured solid. When the thickness of the film increases, it appears brown to

black.
3) At room temperature, fullerenes do not evaporate. They are highly flammable.

4) Fullerenes are unable to conduct electricity. In their purest form, they are insulators.
Chemical Properties of Fullerene:
1) Fullerenes are not soluble in water, but they dissolve in organic solvents. Fullerenes can be
dissolved by solvents such as chlorobenzene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, and toluene.
2) A solution of C60 fullerene in toluene is purple where as that of C70 fullerene is orange red.

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3) When coated or doped with alkali or alkaline earth metals, they exhibit superconductivity
properties.
4) Fullerene is ferromagnetic and inherently chiral.
Applications of Fullerenes:
1) It is also widely used to boost efficiency of solar cells (organic photovoltaics).
2) Fullerenes have been extensively used for several biomedical applications including MRI,
X-ray imaging, drug delivery and gene delivery.
3) Fullerenes used to store hydrogen, possibly as a fuel tank for fuel cell.
4) Used as lubricant due to its spherical structure.
5) Alkali metal fullerenes are super conductors.
6) They inhibit the spread of the HIV virus and used in treatment of HIV.
7) Cancer therapy in medical health sector to bring active agents into living cells.

Carbon Nanotubes – Introduction: Carbon Nanotubes are considered as allotropes of carbon

belonging to the fullerene family. A two-dimensional sheet is called graphene. A carbon nanotube is
produced by rolling a graphene sheet into a cylindrical shape. A Carbon Nanotube consists of a sheet
of carbon atoms that are sp2-hybridized and have a hexagonal symmetry, with each carbon atom
covalently bonded to three other carbon atoms.
Classification of Carbon Nanotubes: There are two types of CNT’s
1) Single-walled (one tube) Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT)
2) Multi-walled (several concentric tubes) Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT)
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs): SWNTs consists of single layer of graphene sheet,
rolled up to form hollow tubes with walls one atom thick. It is one-atom thick having a diameter of
1-5 nm and length of 100 nm. Three kinds of single walled nanotubes are resulted based on the
orientation hexagon lattice.
There are three types of SWNTs based on the way the graphene sheet is wrapped or rolled up.
These are arm chair, zigzag & chiral SWNTs. It has been confirmed that armchair carbon nanotubes
are metallic while zigzag and chiral nanotubes are semiconducting.
Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs): (Nested nanotubes): MWNTs were made of
concentric cylinders of rolled-up graphene sheets, capped with semi-fullerenes. The diameters of
MWNT are typically in the range of inner diameter of 1.5 nm to 15 nm and outer diameter is 2.5 nm to
50 nm. The length of Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes is around 5 to 6 micrometres. As the size

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increases, these structures exhibit properties between fullerenes and graphite. There are two models
which can be used to describe the structures.
1) Russian doll model
2) Parchment model
Properties of Carbon Nanotubes:
1) Carbon nanotubes tend to be tough. They are found to be as tough as a diamond.
2) Carbon nanotubes are extremely strong, about 100 times stronger than steel but six times
lighter.
3) They are 10,000 times thinner than the human hair.
4) They possess very high tensile strength and stiffness.
5) Carbon nanotubes are highly chemically stable, that makes them extremely resistant to
corrosion.
6) CNTs are highly flexible can be bent considerably without damage.
7) Carbon nanotubes are good conductors of heat.
8) Carbon nanotubes tend to have a high thermal capacity (twice of diamond). Carbon nanotubes
twenty times more heat resistant than steel.
Applications of Carbon Nanotubes:
1) Carbon Nanotubes can also be used in aircraft and spacecraft to reduce the overall weight.
2) Carbon Nanotubes are utilised to end breast cancer tumours. Nanotubes are attached to
the proteins by the cancer cells in the body and then the nanotubes absorb the laser beam used
for killing the tumour’s bacteria.
3) Carbon nanotubes have been used to produce bullet-proof jackets.
4) Carbon nanotubes used in lithium ion batteries.
5) Composite materials that consist of carbon nanotubes are used in sports goods.
6) Carbon nanotubes are used to make electrochemical sensors and biosensors.
7) Carbon Nanotubes are also used in windmill blades as they have low weight. This increases
the windmill’s efficiency and helps to produce large electricity at a faster rate.

Graphene – Introduction : Graphene is a two-dimensional allotrope of carbon consisting of a single

layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb or hexagonal lattice. Graphite an
allotrope of carbon consisting of graphene sheets are stacked one on top of the other (multi-layer
graphene). In graphene, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to three carbon atoms. Graphene is

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considered to be the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material - of both electricity and
heat. Graphene conducts electricity better than copper.
Properties of Graphene:
1) Graphene has great stability and a very high tensile strength.
2) It is transparent, light in weight and flexible.
3) Graphene is good electrical conductor and very high compressive strength.
4) Grephene has very high thermal conductivity and very high melting point 3800 ºK.
5) Grephene is insoluble in water or organic solvents.
6) It is extremely hard material, its hardness is about two hundred times higher than that of steel.
7) It is the most reactive form of carbon and has high elasticity.
Applications of Graphene:
1) Graphene is used in touch screens and flexible transistors.
2) It is used in dental implants and medical implants.
3) Graphene absorbs infrared light, it acts directly on the damaged cells, without affecting the
rest of the body.
4) It is used for making Blood pressure, pulse rate monitoring devices, oximeter, etc.
5) Graphene LED bulb is 10% more efficient than normal LED light bulb.
6) Graphene batteries are superior to Lithium batteries. These batteries are lighter, more durable,
long lasting and can store more charge than lithium batteries.
7) Graphene is used in making light weight vehicles and bicycles with more efficiency.
8) Graphene camera sensor 1000 times more sensitive than current sensors.
9) It is used making strong anti-skid tyres and purification of sea water.
10) Graphene is used in fishing rods, hockey sticks, skis and tennis rackets.

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