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This molecular model shows
a single-strand DNA molecule (yellow ribbon) coiled
around an "armchair" carbon nanotube. |
The perfect wire is being developed from bundled carbon nanotubes. About a thousand of them side by side add up to the thickness of a single credit card. One wire can conduct 10x more power and weighs 6x less than standard wire. Generating electricity uses 38% of US energy and
almost 2/3 of it is lost before it gets to the end user. Better wires will improve national security, independence and the cost of fuel and electricity.
What's new is using DNA strands during manufacture to go through a slurry of carbon nanotubes and select out the ones that have the right twist (chirality) to be used for nearly perfect conductors (quantum wires).
An earlier story on "miracle cable" here,
July 15th Science Daily News
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