New Materials Flashcards
Which 2 groups of new materials do you most need to know about for the exam?
- Smart materials
- Nanoparticles
Smart materials behave differently depending on what?
The conditions e.g. temperature
Name an example of a smart material and a 3 word definition of what it is
Nitinol
A shape memory alloy
What is nitinol an alloy of?
About
1/2 nickle
1/2 titanium
What can you do to nitinol when it is cool?
Bend and twist it like rubber
What happens if you bend nitinol too far?
It stays bent
Describe the useful property of nitinol
If you heat it over a certain temperature, it goes back to a ‘remembered’ shape
Give 2 examples of uses nitinol
- Glasses frames
- Dental braces
Why is nitnol is good substance to use for glasses frames?
If you accidentally bend them, you can put them in a bowl of hot water they’ll revert back to their original shape
Why is nitinol a good substance to use for dental braces?
In the mouth it warms and tries to return to a ‘remembered’ shape, gently pulling the teeth back into their correct position
What are the measurements for nanoparticles?
1-100 nanometres across
(1 nm = 0.000 000 001 m)
Roughly, how many atoms do nanoparticles contain?
A few hundred
Where can you find fullerenes?
In nanoparticles
Describe the features of fullerenes
(4)
- Molecules of carbon
- Shaped like hollow balls or closed tubes
- The carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal rings
- Different fullerenes contain different numbers of carbon atoms
Do nanoparticles behave like the ‘bulk’ chemical they’re made from? (e.g. big lumps of carbon)
No- nanoparticles have very different properties to the ‘bulk’ chemical t’s made from
Draw a diagram/ sketch of a fullerene
What can fullerenes be joined together to form?
Describe what it forms
Nanotubes
These are tiny hollow carbon tubes, a few nanometres across
What does the large number of covalent bonds in a carbon nanotube mean?
(2 points)
Makes carbon nanotubes very strong
They can be used to reinforce graphite in tennis rackets
What is using nanoparticles known as?
Nanoscience
Name 7 new uses for nanoparticles that are being developed
- Industrial catalysts
- Sensors to test for other molecules
- To make stronger, lighter building materials
- New cosmetics
- Nanomedicine
- Lubricant coatings
- Electric circuits
Why could nanoparticles be used to help make new industrial catalysts?
They have a huge surface area to volume ratio
You can use nanoparticles to detect ____ ____ of molecule and ____ ____.
You can use nanoparticles to detect one type of molecule and nothing else.
Describe the nanoparticle sensors being developed in 2 words
Highly specific (only detect 1 type of molecule)
What are nanoparticle sensors being used to do?
Test water purity
What specifically are being usde to make stronger, lighter building materials?
Nanotubes
Name 2 types of cosmetic being developed using nanoparticles, and why
- Sun cream
- Deodorant
The tiny particles do the same job but don’t leave white marks on the skin
Describe the idea behind nanomedicine
Tiny fullerenes are absorbed more easily by the body than most particles.
This means they could deliver drugs right into the cells where they’re needed
New lubricant are being developed using what?
Fullerenes
Describe the lubricant coatings being developed by using fullerenes
They reduce friction a bit like ball bearings
Where could lubricant coastings made from fullerenes be used in? (2)
- Artificial joints
- Gears
What prooperty of nanotubes means they can be used in electric circuits?
They conduct electricity
Give a specific example of where nanotubes could be used in an electric circuit
Tiny electric circuits in computer chips
How do silver nanoparticles differ to ‘bulk’ silver?
Silver’s normally very unreactive, while silver nanoparticles can kill bacteria
How do gold-nanoparticles differ to ‘bulk’ gold?
Red or purple in colour - not gold
Name a worry about nanoparticles?
They could have unexpected harmful properties
