Carbon Discs and Carbon Cones — New High Risk Materials for Nano-Sensors With Low Detection Limit and Fast Kinetics

Abstract

Carbon cones (CCs) are the fifth form of carbon discovered in the so-called Kværner Carbon Black & H2 Process (CB&H). Under well-defined conditions, CB&H produces a carbon material composed of microstructures, which are flat carbon nano discs (CND) (80%) and carbon nano cones (CNC) (20%). The carbon cones consist of curved graphite sheets: in ordinary periodic graphite, each layer consists of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms, and the five different angles observed are consistent with the incurrence of one to five pentagons at the cone. CNDs consist of stacked graphite sheets, with average radii between 0.4 and 1.5 µm and thickness between 20 and 50 nm. According to the quantum theory of nanographite, the characteristic geometry of the CNDs implies high mechanical and chemical stability in addition to the sensitive electrical properties required by transducers for nano-sensors with low detection limit and fast kinetics. This new material is expected to open new and high risk perspectives in nano-sensor technology by overcoming the major limitations of currently available nanostructures which consist of wires or tubes (including carbon nano-tubes) by improving their kinetics and sensitivity.