There are a few things that are difficult to write off; silicon—being one of the most abundant elements on Earth—certainly can be one of them.
It was because of silicon that Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors on a circuit board would double every two years. While the element has kept its promise to Moore, with chips to transistors, all being made of silicon, scientists are now turning to other materials like graphene to replace it.
But a new research, supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the US Air Force, shows that coated silicon dioxide nanoparticles can serve a different purpose for new-age technologies.
Researchers from Howard University and Georgia Institute of Technology have created ethylene glycol-coated nanoparticles to create a sand-like matter as a solution to the heating problem that most electronic devices face.
While computers have been using more fans and heat-sinks, their viability has ceased given that consumers want small devices with more computing power.
The sand works not only as a heat dissipator but also as a bad conductor of electricity, thereby making it suitable for sprinkling on computers and mobile phones. Moreover, with researchers claiming that the material can be inexpensive, silicon can find its utility again within machines sooner than you think.