Next-Generation Carbon Nanotube Microcapsules Deliver 'Chemicals on Demand'Source: Nanowerk
Scientists at the University of California Berkeley (UCB) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), United States, have developed microcapsules that burst when exposed to light. The microcapsules are comprised of a nylon sphere, which encloses a liquid chemical sprinkled with carbon nanotubes. When laser light is beamed on the sphere, the carbon nanotubes convert the light to heat, causing the nylon capsule to burst open, releasing the chemical. According to the scientists, microcapsules that burst open when exposed to light have great advantages and could have a wide range of commercial uses from home and personal care to medicine. Light could be used to pinpoint and kill cancer cells, or shined over a large area to print a pattern, or used as self-healing plastics. Their findings have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The article, and a link to the journal, can be found online at the link below. |