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You may already know black – even the very black Vantablack, the darkest material known to science so far – but researchers have come up with a material that brings black to a new level of darkness.
The new, yet unnamed, ultra-black material is made from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), microscopic carbon chains that look a bit like a blurry forest of tiny trees, according to the team at the time. origin of the project.
And here's the problem: this CNT-based material can absorb more than 99.995% of incoming light, exceeding 99.96% that Vantablack is able to absorb.
"In other words, it reflected 10 times less light than all other super-black materials, including the Vantablack," said a statement from MIT.
Like some of the best scientific discoveries, this record black stuff was discovered by accident.
The researchers looked for ways to grow CNTs on electrically conductive materials such as aluminum. It was during these experiments that they noticed the darkness of materials grown on specially treated aluminum paper.
"I remember having noticed how black it was before producing carbon nanotubes, and then after growing, it seemed even darker," said mechanical engineer Kehang Cui, of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. "Then I thought I should measure the optical reflectance of the sample."
It was at this time that the ultra-powerful light absorption properties were recorded: from all possible angles, the material absorbed virtually all the light directed towards it.
What is not clear, that's why the material is like that. This may be how the etched aluminum, on which the oxide layer is removed, combines in some way with the carbon nanotubes, but it is necessary to continue the research to be certain.
Meanwhile, the new black record record is on display at an art show in New York titled The Redemption of Vanity.
MIT resident artist, Diemut Strebe, worked with the researchers to cover a 16.78 carat natural yellow diamond, valued at $ 2 million, the ultrablack material.
What should be a bright, glittering and highly reflective gem eventually becomes a void without light.
"Because of the extremely high light absorption qualities of NTCs, any object, in this case a big diamond coated with NTC, becomes a kind of black hole without shadow," says Strebe.
"The unification of the extreme opposites in an object and the particular aesthetic characteristics of the CNTs drew my imagination for this artistic project."
Of course, the potential uses of super-black materials go far beyond art exhibits. The removal of light and reflections is essential in optical instruments such as cameras and telescopes, and the new material may be used to keep light away from space telescopes.
As for the time it will take before we see a material that is even darker than the one we have right now, the researchers are philosophical.
"I think the darkest black is a constantly moving target," says Brian Wardle, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"Someone will find a darker material and eventually we will understand all the underlying mechanisms and will be able to properly design the ultimate black."
The search was published in Applied materials and interfaces ACS.
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