Scientists have discovered that fish waste can be quickly and efficiently converted into carbon nanostructures under microwaves. It is stated that CNOs, a unique carbon nanoform with applications in energy storage and medicine, can be used in the production of cheaper and more durable LEDs in the future.
Fish scales opened new horizons for scientists
Carbon nano corms (CNOs) are carbon nanostructures composed of multiple concentric fullerene shells. These interlocking lattice-type structures are seen as one of the most exciting and fascinating forms of carbon, along with graphene and its derivatives, due to its unique chemical and physical properties.
Although CNOs were first discovered in the 1980s, it takes high temperatures, vacuum, a lot of time and energy to produce such structures using conventional methods. Other techniques are seen as expensive and dangerous. This has so far greatly limited the potential of CNOs.
The newly discovered method requires only one step. It was determined that carbon nanostructures emerged as a result of the pyrolysis of fish scales extracted from fish wastes in the microwave (thermal decomposition of materials at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment). According to experts, the time required for this process is only ten seconds.
Exactly how fish scales turn into CNOs is unclear. But the team attributes this to the fact that the collagen in the fish scales tries to quickly absorb enough microwave radiation to raise the temperature. Collagens thus lead to rapid thermal decomposition. The resulting gases are thought to subsequently support the formation of CNOs.
Experts report that the resulting CNOs have a high crystallinity. It was stated that this situation provides extraordinary optical properties to carbon nanostructures. While it is reported that CNOs exhibit ultra-bright visible light emission with an efficiency of 40 percent, it is underlined that this value cannot be obtained with traditional methods.
Takashi Shira, co-author and professor in the Department of Life Sciences and Applied Chemistry at Nagoya Institute of Technology, states that because of these excellent optical properties, CNOs are well suited for manufacturing LED devices. These findings are believed to open new avenues for the development of next-generation displays and lighting.
Do you think it is possible to produce LED displays and lights from fish scales? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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