At a time when the United Nations has urged a 6% annual reduction in fossil fuel production to combat global warming, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company have made a groundbreaking discovery.
They have redefined the role of coal in electronic devices, turning it into high-purity materials just a few atoms thick. This innovation can lead to the creation of some of the smallest and most efficient electronics, surpassing current technology.
The process involves converting coal char into nanoscale carbon disks called ‘carbon dots,’ which can be connected to form ultrathin membranes for use in advanced electronic components like two-dimensional transistors and memristors, contributing to the advancement of AI technology.