single layer Carbon Nanohorn use as electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLC)

Application:

Carbon nanohorns are expected to be practically applied in a wide range of sectors from environment/energy to medical, industrial and composite sectors.

1.In the environment/energy sector, carbon nanohorns can be applied in electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLC). 

EDLCs allow charge and discharge of larger currents compared to common secondary batteries, so they are useful as an electrical storage device with good charge/discharge life cycle. As efficient utilization of energy becomes increasingly important in recent years, use of EDLC may spread into a wider range of applications. Manufacturers of hybrid vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles are also looking to employ EDLCs to promote efficient energy use. 

2.Application of carbon nanohorns to fuel cells is also being considered. Fuel cells use platinum catalysts in converting hydrogen fuel and oxygen fuel, but naturally, manufactures would like to reduce the amount of platinum used, as they are expensive.Currently carbon black is used in fuel cells electrodes to support the platinum, but this requires large amount of platinum to be used because carbon black absorbs aggregates of platinum. By replacing the carbon black with carbon nanohorns, the fuel cell will be able to react with only a little amount of platinum, as carbon nanohorns can support the catalysts as an even spread of nano-size particles. 

3.Application of carbon nanohorns in the medical field is another area attracting attention. Carbon nanohorns do not use metal catalysts in their synthesis and therefore are free of metal impurities. As a result of various animal and cell culture tests, no short-term toxicity has been confirmed to date

4.Carbon nanohorns have the characteristic to absorb gas such as fluorine gas and methane gas (gas absorber), so they can be used to carry gas.