New Class of Carbon Allotropes Positioned To Transform Electronics Industry

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — What began with a simple molecular model kit to test a theory, today holds the potential of becoming a multi-billion dollar industry.  A new classification of carbon allotropes called “Novamene” is the first release in a series which fall into an entirely new class of carbon, by a group of scientists and business leaders at Alfields, Inc., a US company that holds the intellectual property and is managed by principals based in Abu Dhabi.

“Eventual use of Novamene paves way to faster switching transistors, better batteries, vastly more efficient electronics and more, including energy conservation.  This development represents a key to the next stage of evolution in manufacturing and lifestyles,” explained lead scientist, Dr. Larry Burchfield, UAE-based American nuclear chemist and founder of the Radiochemistry Society in the US.

News of Novamene was first published in the February edition of the UK’s scientific journal, Heliyon.  The concept of combining hexagonal diamond and ring carbon (graphene), provides the basis for the new carbon allotrope classification. As diamonds act as an insulators, and graphene as a conductor, this breakthrough is expected to transform industry and marks the first new carbon allotrope classification since that of Fullerenes by Nobel Laureates Robert F. Curl Jr., Sir Harold W. Kroto, and Richard E. Smalley in 1996. It may also mark the field’s most significant advancement since Graphene by Nobel Laureates Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, 2010.

“Put into perspective, semi-conductor electronics could have significant increased capacity without the need for cooling required to maintain silicon chips in computers.  As diamonds have tremendous capacity for heat, we believe this material would also function as a transistor at very high temperatures.  A single-ringed Novamene can function as a molecular switch that can lead to much faster computers,” Dr. Burchfield added.

Proof of concept was achieved in collaboration with Dr. Nicola Manini, University of Milan.  Additional testing was performed by Pacific Northwest National Labs.  The main challenge ahead is the synthesis and manufacturing.