Graphite can mimic iron's magnetism.Washington, October 5 (ANI): Researchers of Eindhoven University of Technology The Eindhoven University of Technology (in Dutch: Technische Universiteit Eindhoven or TU/e, and formerly Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven or THE) is a university of technology located in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. and the Radboud University Nijmegen The Radboud University Nijmegen, formerly called Catholic University of Nijmegen is the university of the Dutch city of Nijmegen. in The Netherlands have shown that ordinary graphite is a permanent magnet at room temperature because it can mimic iron's magnetism.Graphite is a well-known lubricant and forms the basis for pencils. It is a layered compound with a weak interlayer Noun 1. interlayer - a layer placed between other layers layer, bed - single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance; "slices of hard-boiled egg on a bed of spinach" interaction between the individual carbon (graphene) sheets. Hence, this makes graphite a good lubricant. It is unexpected that graphite is ferromagnetic Refers to a material, such as iron and nickel, that can be easily magnetized. See MRAM. . The researchers Jiri Cervenka and Kees Flipse (Eindhoven University of Technology) and Mikhail Katsnelson (Radboud University Nijmegen) demonstrated direct evidence for ferromagnetic order and explain the underlying mechanism. In graphite, well-ordered areas of carbon atoms are separated by 2 nanometer wide boundaries of defects. The electrons in the defect regions behave differently compared to the ordered areas, showing similarities with the electron behaviour of ferromagnetic materials like iron and cobalt. The researchers found that the grain boundary regions in the individual carbon sheets are magnetically coupled, forming 2-dimensional networks. This interlayer coupling was found to explain the permanent magnetic behaviour of graphite. The researchers also show experimental evidence for excluding magnetic impurities to be the origin of ferromagnetism, ending ten years of debate. The results are promising for new applications in nanotechnology, such as sensors and detectors. In particular, graphite could be a promising candidate for a biosensor A device that detects and analyzes body movement, temperature or fluids and turns it into an electronic signal. See lab on a chip and data glove. Biosensor material. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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