[5] Each cluster is about 6 nanometers wide and consists of about 4000 carbon atoms linked in graphite-like sheets that are given negative curvature by the inclusion of heptagons among the regular hexagonal pattern.
[6] Carbon nanofoam may have some application in spintronic devices which exploits electron spin as a further degree of freedom.
Carbon nanofoam may be suitable for hydrogen storage due to its low density and high surface area.
Preliminary experimentation has shown that hydrogen can be stored in the nanofoam at room temperature in a reversible process.
[4] Carbon nanofoam clusters can be synthesized through high-repetition-rate laser ablation in inert gases such as argon.
Short (fs), low-energy (μJ) pulses delivered at high rates of repetition (10 kHz – 100 MHz) generate carbon vapors for deposition.