Jean de La Verpilliere: Artificial Intelligence, colour
This is a one in a billion nanoparticle. It did not resist the extreme temperature conditions it was submitted to during its formation, and literally burst from the inside, expelling water vapour from the pores, thus creating that intricate nanostructure that reminds me of a brain. Nano-brain would be more accurate, as its diameter is about 500 nm, that is roughly 200 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
The other nanoparticles that can be seen in the foreground and the background did not burst, and were able to act as a catalyst for carbon nanotube growth. Interestingly, noticing this one in a billion nanoparticle among all the others gave us the idea to change our synthesis method in order to selectively produce these “nano-brains” on purpose, as their porosity and high surface area is of interest to advanced energy storage devices.
The picture was taken using a scanning electron microscope allowing to capture details smaller than the wavelength of light. Artificial colours were added during post-processing to highlight the eeriness of the scene.
Jean de La Verpilliere: Artificial Intelligence, colour
This is a one in a billion nanoparticle. It did not resist the extreme temperature conditions it was submitted to during its formation, and literally burst from the inside, expelling water vapour from the pores, thus creating that intricate nanostructure that reminds me of a brain. Nano-brain would be more accurate, as its diameter is about 500 nm, that is roughly 200 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
The other nanoparticles that can be seen in the foreground and the background did not burst, and were able to act as a catalyst for carbon nanotube growth. Interestingly, noticing this one in a billion nanoparticle among all the others gave us the idea to change our synthesis method in order to selectively produce these “nano-brains” on purpose, as their porosity and high surface area is of interest to advanced energy storage devices.
The picture was taken using a scanning electron microscope allowing to capture details smaller than the wavelength of light. Artificial colours were added during post-processing to highlight the eeriness of the scene.