Research team finds a way to create nanotubes made from carbon dioxide extracted out of the air

Potentially toxic carbon dioxide can now be transformed into invaluable carbon nanotubes. In a Science Direct article, researchers from Tennessee have reported creating a prototype device that can absorb CO2 from the air and turn it into “black gold.” Carbon nanotubes possess a strength that exceeds steel and a conductivity superior to commonly used copper. These properties make them very useful in numerous fields such as electronics, environment clean-up, and healthcare. However, carbon nanotubes are very difficult to manufacture at the right size, making them uncommon and expensive to boot. The Vanderbilt University (Vanderbilt) research team found a different means of producing the supermaterials. Using carbon dioxide drawn from the air as raw materials, they showed how they can produce the carbon nanotubes at a much lower cost than current methods. Their technique not only negates the harmful effects of carbon dioxide emissions, it also shows how air pollution can be put to good use that will pay for the process of air purification. (Read more)

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