Talk:Initial Nanotech Base

From Wise Nano

Probably the most important criteria for an initial base material, would be a lack of a tendency to spontaneously reconstruct it's surface. You need not just the finished product, but also all the intermediate steps, to be stable. From this perspective, use of metals is strongly disfavored. Metallic bonding is a kind of ionic bond, and tends to enhance the tendency towards surface reconstruction. Covalent bonding resists it better.

Solar panel cover and thermal conductivity???  by Chris Phoenix, CRN 08:49, 15 Oct 2004 (CDT)

I removed this text from the page: "Asphalt is mostly carbon, but is surely sub-optimal. This is relevant because it would be nice to have a durable and transparent street covering with high friction and low [thermal] conductivity to protect solar panels, which could then be laid over most of the world's streets." I don't see why thermal conductivity is important here. In fact solar cells might appreciate being cooled. In any event, a small air gap should give reasonable insulation.

You want electrical insulation, of course, but diamond is an [electrical] insulator.

If I'm wrong, someone please put that statement back.