Is there anything nanotubes cannot do? Kristin recently posted about looking for nano in the iPod nano, well, here is one way that it could be incorporated in the future.
New scientist report about sheets of nanotubes which can act as loudspeakers. The sound is not produced as a function of the sheet vibrating (as in a conventional speaker), but acts as a thermoacoustic device. As an alternating current is passed through the nanotube sheet, the temperature fluctuates. This rapid rise and fall in temperature causes rapid pressure changes in the air close to the film, which produces the sound. Because the sound isn’t produced by the vibration of the sheet, it can retain it’s flexibility and elasticity, and will produce sound even if a part of the sheet is torn or damaged.
This thin flexible and transparent sheets could be attached to the front of LCD screens to provide speaker systems for devices. More interestingly, they could also be incorporated into fabrics for clothing or bags. I will now resist making any comments about ‘loud shirts’. Check out the video below (it’s at about 1min15s in…)
Reference: Nano letters DOI 10.1021/nl802750z (open access article yay!)
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