World’s strongest nanowires ‘near perfect materials’
`Scientists say they have made the world’s strongest nanowire, reaching the theoretical limits of what they had designed. [..]
“The ultimate strength we report is the highest recorded for any semiconductor material system and is at the theoretically predicted limit,” says Sader, who was involved in measuring the strength of the wires using an atomic force microscope.
“This indicates that these nanowires are near perfect materials.” [..]
They then tested the strength by placing it across a small trench and manipulating it sideways. They found it could bend and stretch farther than any nanowire made previously, sustaining 15 gigapascals before snapping. If the wire were one centimetre in diameter it could hold up to 100 tonnes without breaking, Sader says.’
