Welcome back to Asia in Science!
Does chemistry fascinate you, too? Today’s blog is on India’s primary contribution towards CNTs – a single layer of carbon atoms rolled into a perfect cylinder.
At a Billionth Meter: India & Nanotechnology
Imagine a material stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum, and more conductive than copper. Now imagine it as tiny as a billionth of a meter. This is the world of carbon nanotubes.
When strength meets flexibility at the molecular level, you get a material that can change the face of industries. This is the power of carbon nanotubes – cylindrical molecules of carbon atoms with remarkable tensile properties and a perfect weight-to-strength ratio.
Indian scientists have taken the mystery of carbon, one of the simplest elements in the universe, and transformed it into the cornerstone of futuristic technologies at the nanoscale. Indebted to Bharat Ratna awardee C.N.R. Rao, these CNTs have been used to create high-speed, ultra-small transistors that surpass traditional silicon transistors.
The large-scale synthesis techniques have positioned the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore as a global leader in carbon nanomaterials research. Backed by multiple Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the country has made indispensable strides in nanotube synthesis and characterization. Pushing the limits of Moore’s Law, the technology has been adapted by tech giants like IBM, which has developed impeccable processors.
As a professor at IISc Bangalore, C.N.R Rao founded the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). He succeeded in developing streamlined methods for creating single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, a novel material that scientists worldwide were just beginning to explore. Known for his lifelong devotion to nanotechnology research, Rao was often found passionately exploring new materials and conducting experiments well past retirement age.
With applications in aerospace, bio-medical imaging, water purifiers, and even cancer treatment, carbon nanotubes have quickly become fundamental to the human race. C.N.R. Rao’s story is one of passion, resilience, and a lifelong pursuit of scientific discovery. It remains a cornerstone, guiding innovations and discoveries that make a tangible impact on the world.
From solar cells to smart materials, carbon nanotubes represent where imagination meets the molecular. India’s contribution is taking CNT technology from theory to reality.
I hope you found today’s blog interesting and learned something new. Thank you for reading my blog! Please stay curious and alert for new blogs on Asian scientific contributions and inventions.
-Mihika Singhania
Credits/Sources
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